Coral Shrug

I enjoy watching episodes of "Uncommon Threads" - They have many interesting guests with creative projects. One week they had a woman demonstrate how to make a shrug very simply and she included several variations on the basic pattern.

I used her idea and created my own design in a child size version for one of my daughters - it turned out so well that I tried one in my size shown here. It works up very quickly since I used a large hook (M) which gives the garment a nice drape and regular 4-ply worsted weight yarn (Caron -Simply Soft - also washes very well). For my returning students we will also be working on this project this week.

New Crochet Class

Our Fall Crochet Classes just started this week. I have named the class, "Hooked on Crochet - Gifts for Girls (and women). We will be making a lot of simple and quick projects that will make great gifts. Here are a few close-ups of some of the projects we'll be working on so you can see the stitch details.

More Backyard Yarn Grafitti

One afternoon this summer I had about an hour to rest and relax in my hammock. The weather was perfect - perfect for laying on a hammock and crocheting. I decided to create another "yarn bomb" for the many trees in our yard. I simply started by crocheting a rectangle with some dark blue Super Saver yarn. I just used the DC stitch. Then I worked in the lime green color around the middle of the row in a pattern to follow the shape of a cross. I used the color-change technique of bringing the new color in as you finish the previous stitch. Now I enjoy looking out my kitchen window to see my latest creation and I am reminded of the meaning and significance of the Cross.

Blue Sparkle Embellishment

Again from Linda Permann's book I tried out a crocheted trim to add to a turquoise tank top I had bought. I changed a few little things with its construction but I liked the basic look of a crocheted necklace.

A brand new Hobby Lobby store just came to our area this summer and it has been a treat to peruse the different yarns brands that they carry. One of the yarns has a very pretty shimmer woven into the strands. It is acrylic and very easy to work with. I particularly liked the turquoise blue skein and thought it went perfectly with this bought top.

Summer Music

I have always wanted to learn how to play the guitar and finally, this summer I was able to take a class.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience especially since the class I was in ended up being just me for the last few weeks. It was great to have the teacher all to myself and I really appreciated her extra time for me.

One week her ceiling fan kept turning the pages of my music and she dug around to find a clothespin for me. So, as a thank you, I made these 5 clips for her to use with her students when they need their music held in place. It didn't take long to crochet the shapes - I used a variety of stitches: sl st, sc, dc, hdc and even some tr - or glue them to basic clothespins.

Summer Fashion

I bought Linda Permann's book, "Crochet Adorned" and have been very inspired by her projects. She shows how you can use crochet to embellish bought garments. I have been doing this for years since I don't have as much time as I used to to crochet large items but she gave me some new ideas. I love how this technique makes ordinary garments "extra-ordinary" with a personal touch.

Here is a Pink Wavy Butterfly top I made for my daughter. Every year I like to make at least one outfit for each of my daughters. Since they grow so quickly, it keeps me on my toes to make them something before the season wanes and they are too big. One of the projects in Linda's book inspired me - she had a woman wearing a simple top with crocheted squares on top and a simple fabric bottom. I wanted to try a different design from the squares and had fun experimenting with the colors and "wave" pattern.