Crochet update

  I wanted to give you a crochet update two weeks ago, and I'm just now getting to it. It seems I cannot keep up lately.  I need a routine.  I have none.  Another subject for another time.

This is Barb's pillow.  She was running a tad behind us.  As you recall we were doing a crochet-a-long, and some (ahem) crocheted ahead rather than along...and then Barb....well, she crocheted behind! (teehee)

 And here are our finished pillows...minus Barb's...because that is hers above.  

Unfinished...but getting there.

 This is an Alexandra Mackenzie pattern...and she had a crochet-a-long on facebook and we all joined in.

 I think they turned out great.

 
This is "K"s pillow.

 This is my pillow.

 This is Groovy Girl's

 And I happened to do the buttons correctly...(just though I'd throw that in)

 Then we made these owls.

 ..

 Aren't they hilarious?  I must say, I missed crochet group when these were made, so I made a couple of them at home...and I got mercilessly made fun of.  Or at least my owl did.

He is so much bigger than the other owlettes.  We got this pattern from Bunny Mummy.

And while I'm showing you crochet projects, I thought I'd give you a ripple update.

And I have to admit I'm so glad I'm a yarn hoarder, because the other day I needed more white, and I had it in my stash! This ripple pattern came from Lucy at Attic 24 (see my side bar).  And Mel (Day to Day - side bar again) got me motivated to get it back out and get busy on it.  She had a crochet a long.  Love those crochet a longs!

And lastly...

Last week, Groovy Girl Yarn had a lot of sales.  And Cascade 220 was on sale for 20% off!  I've looked at that yarn since I started my ripple months ago

....and when it went on sale, I took it as a sign....

so I bought the colors I was going to buy for my ripple originally, before I changed my mind and bought the colors above... (did that make sense?)

And now I'm trying to decide what to make with it.  It'll be another blanket.

I don't know if you remember this book, but it had a pattern in it that I really liked.

It's not this striped blanket, but I do like this.  And it would be easy to do.  Simple garter (knit) stitch.  Just turn your computer sideways to see what it looks like....it's too late to fiddle with the picture!

This is the afghan that I really liked.  Thing is....I don't know if I'd be up to all of that color changing and crocheting those squares together. 

Here is another pattern I found...

And although I love this one, I read the pattern and every one of those squares are four triangles sewn together....not gonna happen.

Do you have any ideas for a knitted or crocheted blanket with several colors of yarn?  I have time to research and I've been looking through books.  I just really like having a blanket going while I'm watching tv in the evening.  Something simple, that I don't have to pay a lot of attention to details.  Lemme' know.

Cindy Bee

Ripple-a-long

 I started following Mel's ripple-a long a couple of weeks ago as motivation to finish my ripple blanket I started a few months ago.  I'm going to try to start posting it on Sunday's, instead of Monday's, because they are almost a full day ahead of us in Tasmania, Australia!  So when she posts her ripple a long, I'm always a day late!  If you look at her blog you will see she is starting a new hexy blanket and I love the colors she picked out.

One thing I am disappointed about with my ripple blanket, is I picked out the dark pink and the dark blue colors as the 'main' colors of my ripple, and I just noticed I've only used the dark pink three times.  Geeeeesh!  I should have used it way more.

The good news is, it's not too late for me to step up the pinks and blues, because I want this to cover the whole bed.  I bought enough yarn to cover the whole bed.  So I figure by the time I pull it up over the pillows or down on the end of the bed, the lack of dark pink won't show.  So I have learned when doing random colors in a blanket,  I need to spread it out more often on the bed.  I love the random colors though.  It's fun. 

Cindy Bee

Monday Ripple and a pillow by Alexandra Mackenzie

A couple of weeks ago I was painting some things with chalkboard paint.  I ended up painting this bucket.  I had no real reason for it, I just decided it would look better painted than not.  It was in bad shape.

 The other day while working on my ripple blanket, I decided I needed a place to store the yarn that I wasn't using yet.  I didn't like all of the bags on the floor, around the chair I sit in, when I crochet.

So I put a plastic bag in the bucket (I was afraid of rust or something getting on my yarn) and put the ripple blanket yarn in it.  I still have the yarn I'm actually using in a bag by the chair.  This is my excess, that I will need as my ripple blanket grows.

  And I like that it brightens up a corner of our room.

 So...the ripple....I added about eight rows.  The blanket is very wide.  I'm making it to fit our queen size bed.  And since I had to rip out a few rows, I didn't get as far as I hoped I would.  But I love the way this blue looks with this pink.

 I don't have any color combination going on.  I do have a bit of a pattern, but the colors I pick randomly.  I started this blanket months ago, at Groovy Girl Yarn.  I just got it back out when I saw where Mel from One Crafty Mumma was having a ripple-a-long.  I decided to join in.  I was having a hard time getting the hang of it again, which is why I had to rip out some rows.  I think I'm good now though.   It's my stay at home, morning/evening project.  I can't really take it with me anymore as it's too big and heavy to lug around.  But it sure is nice and toasty warm when I'm working on it!

 Now, Groovy Girl Yarn hasn't been talked about in awhile because she is moving.  But I miss my crochet group, so I asked them if they wanted to do a crochet-a-long and make this pillow

 (this is Alexandra's pillow so far.  I love her colors.)

 with Alexandra Mackenzie, during GG's move.  Anyone can join in with Alexandra.  She is posting it on facebook and just doing a row or two a day.  Our crochet group is going to meet at Big Ben Coffee Shop (our local coffee shop) and work on this pattern.  Since I asked them to join me, I thought I'd better make one side of the pillow, just to check out the pattern.  I just finished row eight.

 (I'm using my small leftover ripple yarn.  I want my pillow to match my blanket)

And I'm glad I am working the pattern before meeting, because my first attempt was too tight.  I was using a 4.5 hook, on yarn that suggests a 5 hook, and it was too tight.   The sides were really curling up.

 I re-did it with a 5 then a 5.5, and liked the 5.5 the best.

 I realized this morning that I "met" Alexandra through Mel, on Mel's blog (which is on my sidebar) when she bought a "hottie" (hot water bottle cover) from Alexandra.  What a coincidence that they are both doing crochet-a-longs that I decided to join in on, at the same time.

Cindy Bee

PS - You can find Alexandra on facebook.  I tried to download a link and it didn't work, nor do I want to spend all morning messing on this computer.  Just look up Alexandra Mackenzie.  She sells some of the coolest crocheted stuff....hot water bottle covers, coffee mug thingys, cell phone cozies, and now egg cozies, just in time for Easter.

PPS - Now I'm on my way to Mel's blog to check out other ripple blankets.  It's fun to see all of the color combinations.

PPPS!- Check out Brenda's pillow (from Ladybug Dreams)