Okay, so Grandma's flower garden is an ispiration, but hey, I'll go with it. On the Granny Along blog, in My Copycat Square, Sherri really liked my flower garden square and is mimicking it. It's not exact because she is using the regular square center instead of the eight armed one I did, but I'm still just giddy and honored. I love it when people like my stuff.
Blessings,
Agate
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
It is done!!!
It is finished. It took me until five minutes before I gave it to her to do it, but it is done. A few things before I show you the pictures. The yellow is really a pale baby yellow, not the orangey color I see on my screen. The light green isn't so yellow, its like the green of new leaves, and that isn't black, it's dark green.
This isn't the best picture of it, but it is the only complete view I managed to get. This one looks better.
Most of the blanket is done in basic Red Heart acrylic, and old acrylic at that, ten or more years old, so some of it has that crunchy feel. So I did the border in softer yarns. (Remember: I am working from my stash and couldn't afford to buy anything else, and it had to be washable anyway) I used a K hook for the squares, and an L hook for the border, creating a wavy and soft edge. The first row is TLC, the second row is a pale yellow Baby Teri (Red Heart, and the outer edge is white Baby Teri.
I wanted to add lots of flowers to it, but since I ran out of time (if my hands hadn't bothered me for that week I could have) but I did add a few. Along the edge of the blanket (before the border) I placed small flowers where three squares come together and reinforced those corners. Then on the four corners of a large center square (formed by four smaller squares) I placed the four larger flowers. Then in the center are three small flowers in a cluster.
I was very pleased with how it turned out. Grandma always complains when we get her things because she doesn't think she needs anything, so when she started opening the bag, she was also starting to complain. She stopped in mid complaint, smiled and said "Oooh". Then she spread it over her and hugged it. It was the best reaction I could ever get. Last I saw it, it was on her bed, hope it stays there because with her memory she'll forget about it if it gets put in the closet (for example the quilt I made for her a few years ago)
My tax money came, not a lot, but considering I haven't had any extra money for months, it was a windfall. I went to Sacramento to hang with Kindra. We went to Barnes and Noble and Michaels this is what I got.
Ah, new crochet magazines to look at and a ball of pretty yarn. The yarn is Patons Rumor in Spanish Heather. It is an Alpaca, acrylic, and polyester mix that is dark grey and a red that ranges from burgandy to bright red to a dark rose. Kindra was talking about making a hat from the Interweave Crochet magazine. She'll have to make it little bigger because regular size hats are always just a tad too small and she wants a new spring hat. I might turn the Rumor into a hat as well, maybe something a little lacy. The yarn is thick and dark and not what most people consider "springy", but I like dark muted colors and I wear a lot of black and red (and not just at work) so I am looking forward to creating a new hat. I don't do a lot things from the patterns in magazines, mostly because I have trouble getting my swatch to match theirs, but there were a couple shirt patterns I liked that I think I'll try. You'll know if I do.
Blessings,
Agate
This isn't the best picture of it, but it is the only complete view I managed to get. This one looks better.
Most of the blanket is done in basic Red Heart acrylic, and old acrylic at that, ten or more years old, so some of it has that crunchy feel. So I did the border in softer yarns. (Remember: I am working from my stash and couldn't afford to buy anything else, and it had to be washable anyway) I used a K hook for the squares, and an L hook for the border, creating a wavy and soft edge. The first row is TLC, the second row is a pale yellow Baby Teri (Red Heart, and the outer edge is white Baby Teri.
I wanted to add lots of flowers to it, but since I ran out of time (if my hands hadn't bothered me for that week I could have) but I did add a few. Along the edge of the blanket (before the border) I placed small flowers where three squares come together and reinforced those corners. Then on the four corners of a large center square (formed by four smaller squares) I placed the four larger flowers. Then in the center are three small flowers in a cluster.
I was very pleased with how it turned out. Grandma always complains when we get her things because she doesn't think she needs anything, so when she started opening the bag, she was also starting to complain. She stopped in mid complaint, smiled and said "Oooh". Then she spread it over her and hugged it. It was the best reaction I could ever get. Last I saw it, it was on her bed, hope it stays there because with her memory she'll forget about it if it gets put in the closet (for example the quilt I made for her a few years ago)
My tax money came, not a lot, but considering I haven't had any extra money for months, it was a windfall. I went to Sacramento to hang with Kindra. We went to Barnes and Noble and Michaels this is what I got.
Ah, new crochet magazines to look at and a ball of pretty yarn. The yarn is Patons Rumor in Spanish Heather. It is an Alpaca, acrylic, and polyester mix that is dark grey and a red that ranges from burgandy to bright red to a dark rose. Kindra was talking about making a hat from the Interweave Crochet magazine. She'll have to make it little bigger because regular size hats are always just a tad too small and she wants a new spring hat. I might turn the Rumor into a hat as well, maybe something a little lacy. The yarn is thick and dark and not what most people consider "springy", but I like dark muted colors and I wear a lot of black and red (and not just at work) so I am looking forward to creating a new hat. I don't do a lot things from the patterns in magazines, mostly because I have trouble getting my swatch to match theirs, but there were a couple shirt patterns I liked that I think I'll try. You'll know if I do.
Blessings,
Agate
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Racing to the finish
I am in a rush to finish Grandma's blanket. No, I did not procratinate. I have problems with my hands and my back. I think I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (I don't know this for sure because when I went to my doctor to find out, he told me I didn't have AIDS. Yeah, it was a terribly helpful trip. I knew I didn't have AIDS, I still don't know for sure if I have CTS) and when I fell down at work about a year and half ago, I hurt some part of my back that when it has problems, makes my hands hurt even worse than the CTS. Well, by the end of Wednesday's crocheting my right forefinger was begining to go numb at the tips. So I put away the crochet, iced my wrists and put on my braces. That usually eases the CTS syptoms. Not this time. The numbness began to extend down the side of my forefinger and got overly sensitive (I know it sounds weird, but the sensation is a mix of numbness and pain, sort of like pins and needles, but a little different). Since nothing helped, I figured it was because of my back, which I can do very little about. So, I had to not crochet for awhile because it hurt too much. I also took it easy at work, which is the general cause of my back having problems.
Well, the effort at work helped and I can crochet again. So it's frantic time for the blanket because I have about a week left to finish.
The pic shows the four finished squares I had last night, but I have finished five more while on the Interent this morning (yes, my computer and hook up is that slow). I started on a sixth, but my fingers are a little achy so I am resting for a little while. It does mean however, I will be working on them at Grandma's, even though I did not want to do that. I decided not to do the beige yarn around the bright green (which is brighter than the picture shows and that dark row is dark green not black, I couldn't improve the color in the pic) I didn't like the way the beige looked next to the yellow. I've decided the bright green is okay because if you go outside with the new growth on trees and bushes, the new stuff is the same bright green next to the same dark green. So it works just fine.
I also finally made something with my handspun yarn. It's a little wrist bag. The strap buttons to the purse at one end so I can also wear it from my belt loop. I also still have yarn left, so Kindra, who was upset when I told her that she didn't get the first item made from my new yarn, will get a similar bag, sans the beads though, I don't have enought left.
I thought I'd show you the candle cozy I made a few years ago.
This was for a spring celebration Kindra and I did. It is spiderweb lace with flowers and leaves attached. The yellow cord hanging down is actually the tie that laces up the back of the cozy so it can go around even wider candles. Pretty huh?. Lots of work though, I am not used to crochet thread projects.
Blessings,
Agate
Well, the effort at work helped and I can crochet again. So it's frantic time for the blanket because I have about a week left to finish.
The pic shows the four finished squares I had last night, but I have finished five more while on the Interent this morning (yes, my computer and hook up is that slow). I started on a sixth, but my fingers are a little achy so I am resting for a little while. It does mean however, I will be working on them at Grandma's, even though I did not want to do that. I decided not to do the beige yarn around the bright green (which is brighter than the picture shows and that dark row is dark green not black, I couldn't improve the color in the pic) I didn't like the way the beige looked next to the yellow. I've decided the bright green is okay because if you go outside with the new growth on trees and bushes, the new stuff is the same bright green next to the same dark green. So it works just fine.
I also finally made something with my handspun yarn. It's a little wrist bag. The strap buttons to the purse at one end so I can also wear it from my belt loop. I also still have yarn left, so Kindra, who was upset when I told her that she didn't get the first item made from my new yarn, will get a similar bag, sans the beads though, I don't have enought left.
I thought I'd show you the candle cozy I made a few years ago.
This was for a spring celebration Kindra and I did. It is spiderweb lace with flowers and leaves attached. The yellow cord hanging down is actually the tie that laces up the back of the cozy so it can go around even wider candles. Pretty huh?. Lots of work though, I am not used to crochet thread projects.
Blessings,
Agate
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