My first Daisy blanket, I love making Daisy squares!!!! They are so addictive, and they look so cool. I am using lots of scrap yarn for this project. I have enough squares to make another afghan. I am going to send this to Parkland Hospital, can you just image how this is going to brighten someone day up!!! It is even worth all the little ends I had to weave in!! This is going to be a pattern I am going to use a lot. The next set of squares I am going to use more of an off white background color, so hopefully it won't show the dirt so much if it gets dirty.

Here is my first mile-a-minute afghan. I was so proud I that figured out the pattern!! I am trying what I consider 'harder' crochet patterns, lol. It was actually was pretty easy it only looked hard.

Here are some examples of the Everyday Raglan Sweater. I already donated the sweaters I made that had the collars, but you can see the sweaters are pretty cute without the collars. The bright pinks sweater I made with crochet tries, the other two sweaters are waiting for buttons. They were in my UFO basket that is full. I am determined that I am going to get that basket empty before the end of the month!!

http://www.geocities.com/crotiques/everydayraglan.htm

A few more projects I have been working on are making Daisy squares: http://krochetkrystal.blogspot.com/
I have only made one square so far but I do have yarn ready to go to make more. I have also been working on several sweaters and some hats and booties. There is always so many projects I want to do but so little time. I will post more pictures as I get more projects done. I am really excited about doing the Daisy squares they turn out so cute!!!! Would make a nice bright cheery blanket for anyone.

Wildlife Rescue Nests

Here is a new project I have been working on that is a great way to use up scrap yarn. Wildlife rescue nests. Here is more about them: http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/nest.html

I have made about 50 of them and was able to use up a lot of tiny scrap yarn. I was beginning to become overrun with scrap yarn. Some of it is just to small amount to do much or the wrong weight yarn. I used a lot of baby yarn for these and still have more yarn set a side for making more nests.

Yo-Yo's

It has been ages since I have posted on my blog. I've been so busy with so many different things. I have still been working on the yo-yo project. I decided that the blanket made from yo-yo's alone might not be the warmest to I converted my yo-yo's to squares I did two different sizes since I started to run low on black yarn. I still have a ton of ends to weave in then I will start the assembly of the blanket. I think it should turn out pretty good once it done.

Well I organized my yarn yesterday and found I have way to much scrap yarn again so I started another one of Dot's scrap blankets. As I said before this is a really easy pattern that turns out beautiful. I always think of stained glass since each row is outlined by black.

I also started a yo-yo scrap blanket for the scraps that are to small to make one row on the Dot's scrap blanket. I am going to cheat a little on the pattern by doing 2 rows of double crochet so the yo-yo are a little bit bigger, and hopefully it will take fewer to make the blanket. I hate to think about a the ends at I will have to weave in. I hate weaving in ends, usually have a big pile of stuff that is made except for they need ends weaved in. Oh well I am going to give this blanket a good try. I already have about 50 little yo-yo's made. I plan on making a ton of the little yo-yo's first then weave in ends, wash (in case any of the yarn is wool, that way I find out really quick which one where wool) then join. I will be happy if I can get this blanket done in a year. Dot's blanket will only take a week or so depending on how much time I have to work on it. Plus I keep making yo-yo as I go.

Dot's Scrap blanket:
http://patternsbydot.blogspot.com/2006/01/scrumptious-scraps-afghan.html
Yo-yo Scrap blanket:
http://members.aol.com/lffunt/scrapyo.html

Bumble bee hats

I made these little Bumble Bee hats using Bev's Hats Hats Hats pattern. I made the little antennae for the hat by chaining 18, then sl stitch in each of the 18 stitches then chaining 18 again and sl stitch in those stitches. For a more girly look the one I made a ruffled edge. I think they turned out pretty cute.

Here are two preemie blankets I made with some leftover Softee yarn. I used the baby bubbles pattern. The blankets turned out sooo soft and fluffy.

http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/patterns/bubbles_baby_blanket.php

Weekend Progress

I finished my scrap yarn blanket and the basketweave blanket this last weekend. I can't wait to make another one of each!!!

Here are two of the blankets I made for Parkland this month. I started the purple and white stripes blanket months ago and just now finished it. It is made with a Bernat boucle yarn. I have now found out how much I hate boucle yarn after making this blanket. I will never buy it again. It catches on the needles all the time. It takes forever to make something with this yarn.

Basketweave Blanket

Here is the basketweave blanket that I started. It is knit on the bias. It is a clever pattern, I already have ideas on doing other patterns in a similar way.

Here is the link to the pattern:

http://www.lightfocus.com/knitting/Basketweave-Blanket-Pattern.shtml

Latest Progress On Scrap Blanket

I only have a few more rows to do and my scrap blanket will be done. I think it is turning out very nice. It is very colorful. I can't wait to start another one!!!

Bootie Blitz

Here are the booties I made this weekend part of my weekend blitz for the Knitting for Children. I plan on sending these to Warm Hearts Warm Babies.

Slippers

I made these slippers last week. I got the idea from one of Bev's patterns:

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/slippers1.html

I made a few changes to the pattern to make these. I used two stands of worsted weight yarn, and used a size K hook. I chained any where from 23 to 28 stitches depending on if I wanted a women's size or a man's size. Then I hdc in the third chain from the hook. Then on the second row I worked in the back of the loops only. It makes the nice ribbing to the slipper. I think it makes it warmer using the two stands and the hdc stitch. Plus the ribbing helps the slipper to fit better. So I crocheted 13 to 15 rows then folded the square in half and crocheted the two ends together about half way up the slippers. This make the top of the slipper. I left about 11 stitches unbound for the foot opening. Then I stitched the back of the slipper together. Then stitched single crochet around the foot opening then did two rows of hdc. Sew the toe together and you have you self a very quick, warm slipper. It sounds harder than it is. Very quick and easy. Basically you make a square, I have also seen patterns similar to this for knit patterns. I have made these for Parkland Hospital.

Cat Bed

Here is the cat bed I made in action. I took a box that water bottles came in and used some velvet like yarn, that I found at the dollar store, to make a cover for the box. My cat just loves to lay in it and look out the window.

Scrap Blanket

I just started this blanket two nights ago but I am already addicted it is fun to pick out the different colors. It a pattern by Dot :

http://patternsbydot.blogspot.com/2006/01/scrumptious-scraps-afghan.html

It doesn't use as much yarn as I thought it would. I think I have more than enough scrap yarn to make several of them. I am keeping the ends as fringe so I don't have to weave in ends. I hate weaving in tons of ends. Some of the colors look a little dark in the picture but it looks really great in real life. I love the look of the black outline, reminds me of stained glass or something.

Sweater Done!!!!!!!!

Here is my finished sweater from Michelle's Pattern. The buttons look really dark in the picture but there not. I will be using this pattern again. Thanks Michelle!!!!

Neck Gator #2

Here is my second neck gator that I made. This one is longer to go over the nose and mouth. It can be folded down as seen on the 'modeled' picture or it can be sloughed down. This one turned out a little loose but I still thinks it works well.

Here is the pattern for longer neck gator:

I used Bernat Super Value Yarn and Size 6 circular needle(I knit loosely so adjust as needed)

Cast on 77 stitches pm and join - this is worked in round so no seaming!!

Row 1 *k2 p2 k1 p2 repeat from * to end of row

Repeat row 1 till the gator measures 8 inches

Bind off in rib pattern.

Mine turned out to be 15 inches across unstretched. If you want the gator longer or shorter go for it!!

Feel free to try different rib patterns, I wanted something a little different and also the pattern is reversible.

Also you can use any yarn just adjust the cast on stitches. For the above rib pattern just use multiples of 7.

Neck Warmer

I made my first neck gator/neck warmer. It is also my first cabled thing I have ever made. I came up with my own pattern. I wanted to try doing cables but was afraid to make something really big with cables. So I came up with this neck warmer. I didn't have a model so I used my cat!!

Here is the pattern for the Cabled Neck Gator:

I used Bernat Super Value Yarn and size 6 circular needle ( I knit loosely so adjust if needed)

Cast on 84 stitches pm and join - this is knitted in the round, no seaming!!!

Row 1-6 *k2, p2 repeat from* to end of row

Row 7 *k6, p2, k2, p2, repeat from* to end of row

Row 8 (cable row) *slip the first three stitches purlwise on to cable needle flip cable needle to the front of work, knit the next 3 stitches, then knit the 3 stitches from the cable needle, p2 ,k2 ,p2 repeat from* to end of row.
Row 9-11 *k6, p2, k2, p2 repeat from* to end of row

Repeat rows 8-11 2 more times

Repeat row 8

Repeat rows 1-6

Bind off in rib pattern.

My gator turned out to measure 17 inches unstretched wide and 4 1/2 inches long. If you wanted the gator longer just repeat the cable pattern rows 8-11. Also if you needed to adjust the width, cast on by multiples of 12. Feel free to use different yarns. The same pattern idea would work for other cable pattern. This is just a basic pattern have fun with it and try other things!!