Hooked on Needles

Stitcher's Angel Swap 2009 is open for sign-ups!

2009-07-14T05:00:00.001-04:00

Last year, I participated in my very first swap ever which was the Stitcher's Angel Swap hosted by Hugs from Helen. I thoroughly enjoyed making all my little gifts for Lyn, and receiving such nice handmade things from May Kristin.

I just read some exciting news on Helen's blog...can you guess?

That's right! The Stitcher's Angel Swap for 2009 is now open for sign-ups! Click on the cute little angel badge above to read all about the rules and submit your own registration if you want to participate. The theme this year is roses and there will be 7 more free projects offered by 7 fabulous designers. These can be used for the swap gifts, or if you are not participating in the swap, you can use the designs just to make the items for yourself.

I've already signed up and am looking forward to seeing what the projects are, and perhaps design my own for whomever my secret swap partner will be. How fun!

Happy Stitching!

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Learn to Crochet - Forked Cluster Stitch

2009-07-13T05:00:00.001-04:00

It's been a little while since I added a new crochet stitch to my library of video tutorials, and I've been working on a crochet project that incorporates a stitch that I have yet to demonstrate. What a perfect opportunity to share it with you! So here it is...

This is called the Forked Cluster and it is a variation of double crochet where the bottom part of the stitch spans two stitches, but the result at the top is just one stitch. This makes for a very tight crocheted fabric and an interesting upside down V design.

Here's a quick little video demonstrating the stitch...

The project I'm working on in this video is not quite finished, but as soon as it is, you can be sure to read about it here!

Happy Stitching!

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Sock Yarn Competition

2009-07-11T05:00:00.002-04:00

For those of you who love working with sock yarn, Berroco has announced something you might be very interested in. It's a Sock Yarn Competition! If I didn't have so many irons in the fire already, I'd jump on this opportunity to win $250. Besides, it would be a great excuse to zip over to my local yarn shop and ogle over all the fabulous colors and spend most of that prize money before I could even stop myself!

But as I said, I have lots of things going on right now so I'm not up for it this time. I hope some of you will consider it though. You don't even have to make socks. You can make anything you want, but you do have to use sock yarn. If you join in the fun, I'd love to see what you submit.

In the meantime, I'll keep preparing for the children's quilting class which starts in 2 weeks at my local library. I'm also working on a new crochet project that just might show up in a mid-summer giveaway. And I have a couple of new video tutorials I'll be sharing with you shortly on some new crochet techniques.

So stay tuned for all that, and a few pointers to more things I have found recently that you might find interesting.

Happy Stitching!

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A bargain I just couldn't pass up...

2009-07-09T05:00:00.002-04:00

I'm a very frugal person by nature. Ask anyone who knows me. I won't pay full price for anything if I can help it, and I actively search out good deals on the items I need or want.

The other day I received an email from Grace Full Creations, an online quilt store that I'm sure some of you are familiar with. Ronna Ross, the owner and a very helpful and nice lady, will be reworking the website with all kinds of new and improved features. To get ready for this big move, she is offering some really great deals on her fabric and other items as well.

I checked out the Fat Quarter Sale and you won't believe the great deal I got!

I ordered 125 assorted fat quarters for $125...that's just $1 each! And because my purchase was $125, I also got free shipping! Of course you know that is why I ordered 125, and not just the 100 that I originally wanted to order! Since shipping would have been as much as $13, I figured I was getting 25 more fat quarters for only an extra $12! What a deal!

Ronna also has lots of bundled fabrics, yardage and kits at good deals. So if you're looking to fill out your fabric stash, pop on over to Grace Full Creations and visit Ronna before she closes on July 15 for her great makeover. You won't be disappointed!

Happy Stitching!

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Correction on Magic Number for Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth

2009-07-08T05:00:00.001-04:00

Back in March, I experimented with the original pattern for the Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth. I was looking for the largest number to use for the beginning chain so as to use up as much of a 2 ounce ball of cotton as possible without running out of yarn.

I thought 17 was it since there seemed to be so little left after my experiment that I was sure adding another stitch, which would mean 6 more long rows on the dishcloth, would surely cause me to run out of yarn. I was also quite satisfied with the size of the larger cloth compared to the original size cloth I had made at first.

But I decided to give it one more try, using this Sugar 'n Cream cotton called Baby Stripes. I love using the self-striping yarn on these cloths. The color patterns are always fun and different for each one.

Don't you just love how the color sections make the design on the cloth so much more interesting?

So here it is, the latest version of the Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth, made with a beginning chain of 18. This cloth is a full 11 inches across at its widest point which is a very generous size for a wash cloth.

I had enough yarn to work the first round of single crochet on the border, and then one round of reverse single crochet to finish off the edge nicely. When that was complete, there were only about 2 yards of yarn leftover. I'd say that is about as close as it gets for using up but not running out of a 2 ounce ball of yarn!

So now I stand corrected. 18 is the new magic number for me, using a size K hook and a 2 ounce ball of cotton. You may get different results because of your tension, hook size and choice of yarn. The solid colors are usually 1/2 ounce larger than the variegated or self-striping, and other brands may be different as well.

I think this one will be sent off to my niece who is expecting her first baby very shortly. Wouldn't this be lovely as part of a gift basket with all kinds of bath things for a new baby? Think about giving it a try for the next little bundle of joy coming into your life.

Happy Stitching!

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A Crocheted Bag for my Favorite Little Bag Lady

2009-07-07T05:00:00.001-04:00

Ever since I crocheted that pink bag with beads for Jane, my very favorite little bag lady (4 yr old daughter Gracie) has been after me to make her a bag too. And since I am between Serious Projects at the moment and just looking for quick summer-like things to work on, now was a great time to fulfill my promise to make Gracie her own bag.

So I let her look through my pattern book to pick her pattern and then off we went to Michael's where she picked out a very bright, very cheerful, but not nearly as PINK as I expected, Sugar 'n Cream cotton called Playtime.

And two days later, here it is hanging off one of the dining room chairs to give you a little idea of how big it is. I even made the strap shorter than the pattern called for! I really didn't want the bag dragging on the ground when it was draped over her shoulder!

This bag, unlike the pink one I made for Jane, is flat. You can see here at the bottom of this picture where the beginning chain was slip stitched together after all the crocheting was complete. The bag is actually crocheted in the round with the bottom open, and then the bottom seam is closed at the end.

The pattern stitch is a very simple one...just two double crochet, skip a stitch, and continue around. After every 5 rows of this double crochet pattern, there was a row of single crochet which is what gives the bag the appearance of having horizontal sections. The pictures in my pattern booklet show this same bag crocheted in a red, white and blue color scheme having the large sections in either blue or white, and each single crochet row in red. It is really quite striking. It is also nice worked in one solid color.

I ran out of the Playtime yarn right at the end when all I had left to do was close the bottom of the bag and crochet the trim around the top of the bag and the handles. For projects like this, and others as well, you really cannot go by the ounces of yarn called for. Yardage should be used to determine how many balls of yarn will be needed. I learned that lesson on this project. So back to Michael's we went and picked out this Hot Pink for the trim and I think it actually works better than if I had used the Playtime variegated.

I like the look of the double crochet pairs and the one row of single crochet thrown in there. This pattern would make a nice blanket, wrap or scarf as well.

This is the booklet of bag patterns in which I found both this bag and Jane's pink bag. On the cover, notice the yellow bag. That is the one I made for Gracie. The big black one with the gold beads around it is the same pattern as the one I made for Jane. The booklet is from American School of Needlework and it is number 1251. I don't believe it is in print anymore but I did find it available used through Amazon.

Trendsetting Totes: 8 Crochet Designs in Cotton Yarn (1251) (American School of Needlework #1251)

There are 8 designs altogether in this booklet, but the inside pages and back cover show each one in many different color schemes. I have made almost all of the patterns in this booklet at one time or another and they are all well written patterns and fun little projects to make.

Happy Stitching!

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Sweet Liberty Needs a Label - HELP!

2009-07-06T05:00:00.001-04:00

Those of you who are regular readers here at Hooked On Needles know about the Sweet Liberty Crocheted Afghan that I recently finished and that will be donated to an upcoming fund raising event. Quite a few of you are veteran crocheters and knitters, and some of you newbies are moving along so quickly that you will very soon be considered old hands at these as well.

Now I must ask for some help and advice from you. I would very much like to attach a label to this afghan so that the person who wins it will always remember the reason it was made. I am still brewing ideas for wording in my head, but I am a bit stumped as to how exactly to make the label and attach it to the afghan so that it will look nice and wash well and remain part of the afghan for a good long time.

I have never put a label on a knitted or crocheted piece of any kind, and I am thinking I could just make one much like a label for a quilt and hand sew it on the back in one of the lower corners. But since I have never done it, I am quite hesitant to try it on this afghan, just in case it doesn't work.

So what do you think about labeling a crocheted afghan? Have you ever done it before? If so, how did you do it? How did you attach the label? Did it last a long time, through use and washings and so forth? Any help, advice, pointers or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Stitching!

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More Crocheted Red, White and Blue

2009-07-05T05:00:00.002-04:00

In honor of our country's birthday, and because I can't seem to get enough of crocheting these cotton dishcloths, here is my patriotic version of the Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth.

I'll call it Cleaning Up in Red, White and Blue...

This self striping yarn is so unpredictable when used for these Tunisian Short Row dishcloths, and I would guess when used in any other kind of project too. That's the fun of using them!

This dishcloth was crocheted with a starting chain of 17, which I have found makes just about the perfect size cloth. Those made with only 15 to begin seemed just a bit too small for my liking, and I'm not quite sure one ball of cotton would be enough to finish one starting with 18, although I have not yet tried that. Perhaps I should next time I'm looking for a quick little project.

This cotton yarn is a Sugar 'n Cream self striping 2 ounce ball in a color appropriately called American Stripes. I really like the way the blue and red are not completely solid, but show a little bit of the white. I think that gives the crocheted fabric more of a casual denim type look to it.

Speaking of denim, I still have piles of old jeans to recycle and that is going to be my project this summer, if we ever get that too-hot-and-humid-to-do-anything-productive kind of weather that New England is famous for. So far we've been lucky with cool weather, especially considering I had to get that Sweet Liberty afghan finished on time! But I know the uncomfortable weather will be here at some point, and I am always so grateful that my sewing room is in the cool basement and I can enjoy lots of productive sewing time down there while staying cool and not so cranky at the same time. What good planning that was!

So I'll work on more aprons and clothes pin bags and anything else I might dream up to make use of all that cozy, broken-in, sturdy, useful denim that was destined for the trash.

What are your plans for handwork in the hot weather?

Happy Stitching!

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Sweet Liberty - Complete! Happy July 4th!

2009-07-04T05:00:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th of July to everyone! Sweet Liberty is an ideal that many people and countries have fought and died for, and one which a good number of us take for granted. When someone close to us gives the full measure of sacrifice to support and defend such an ideal, we are reminded at what great cost such a gift comes.

I am well aware that there is nothing I can do to ease the pain of a family who has lost a son. But I hope my contribution to their fund raising efforts for a memorial scholarship fund will, in some small way, help them to realize that their sacrifice and that of their son is indeed appreciated. This country would not be the great nation it is today were it not for families such as theirs, with brave sons and daughters willing to give it all.

So here it is, complete and ready to be delivered and offered as a raffle prize at the August 1st Jonathan Roberge Memorial Golf Tournament...Sweet Liberty Crocheted Afghan...

The sun actually came out today...

...so I just HAD to take advantage of it...

...by hanging Sweet Liberty over the back deck railing for these pictures. Of course, I had to wipe them down first to get all the rain drops off!

Here is a close-up of the reverse single crochet border in navy blue...my all-time favorite afghan edging!

And a close-up of the intersection where 4 blocks come together. I joined the blocks using single crochet in the same manner as I did on this pastel blocks baby blanket. I find it makes a very sturdy seam that looks great on both sides.

I just thought this was a cool shot, so I included it! You just can't beat the red, white and blue color combination for a striking piece of handwork. I am so pleased with how this afghan turned out, and so glad I did not break up the kit a long time ago and use the yarn for something else. I just knew a worthwhile cause would cross my path eventually, and this one is certainly worthwhile.

Happy July 4th once again, and remember to be thankful for the Sweet Liberty we all enjoy.

Happy Stitching!

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9 Patch Pillow Top Ready to Quilt

2009-07-03T05:00:00.000-04:00

After I hand pieced the 9 squares together for the Children's Quilting Class at the library, I cut a piece of muslin about 4 inches larger on each side than the block, and a piece of batting just a little larger than the block.

Each of the children in the quilting class will receive, among other necessary items, a similar piece of muslin and batting for the blocks that they piece.

Then I basted the three layers together using a contrasting color of regular sewing thread. I started in the middle and worked toward each corner first. Then I basted each side about an inch away from the edge. This should be enough to hold the layers together while I quilt them.

I have purchased almost all of the supplies I will need for this class. The only big thing left for me to get is a wooden hoop for each of the participants. I am hoping to get six 12 inch wooden hoops, but my local Michael's store has been out of stock for several weeks now. I'll be making some calls to my not-so-local A.C. Moore and Joann Fabrics to see what I can find.

I love preparing for classes like this and thinking about how this kind of experience might influence the future of these kids. Did you ever take a crafty class at your local library or somewhere similar when you were a child? How did it influence your future?

Happy Stitching!

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Sweet Liberty Crocheted afghan almost finished...and my new rug!

2009-07-02T20:52:00.004-04:00

Just over a week ago, I showed you the area rug that I would be receiving from CSN Rugs. It was delivered yesterday by FedEx and promptly took its place in front of the fireplace.

How do you like it?

My two youngest were having a good time dancing on it this afternoon, and loved how soft it felt between their toes. I have to agree with them. It does feel nice! It appears to be very well made and the binding on it seems to be very secure. Loose binding on an area rug is one thing I do not like about cheaper rugs purchased at my local mass merchandiser. And this rug was made right here in the the USA.

I was also impressed with the customer service I received from CSN. The contact I had with the company was always pleasant and productive. I had a feeling that I had dealt with them in the past, so I went searching through my old emails and sure enough, found evidence that I had indeed purchased from them before. When we were looking for outdoor wooden rocking chairs for our front porch, we found their beautiful Outdoor Charleston Rockers and we just love them.

So that's my plug for the CSN companies. Now after looking at this fireplace picture, I was reminded that I never did clean out the fireplace after winter was over. But if our current weather pattern doesn't change soon, I'll have to light up that log in the fireplace just to dry out the house!

I have been busy with other things though. The project that has been taking up most of my rainy day handwork time is the Sweet Liberty afghan I am crocheting for that upcoming memorial golf tournament and raffle I told you about recently. As soon as I hit the publish button on this post, I am going to sit in my chair and finish off the last round of the border, and it will be finished! I'll show you pictures of it complete in the next day or so.

And of course more preparations have been made for the Children's Quilting Class at the library, so I'll be updating you on that as well.

Now off to complete my first finish for the month of July!

Happy Stitching!

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Sweet Liberty Crocheted Blocks Complete!

2009-07-01T05:00:00.000-04:00

The golf tournament is just over a month away, and I am making great progress towards my goal! Just less than two weeks ago, I showed you a peek at the blocks for the Sweet Liberty Crocheted Afghan which I am making for a raffle to help raise money for the PFC Jonathan Roberge Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Here is another peek at my progress to date...

What you see here are two stacks of crocheted blocks, and in each stack there are 10 blocks! Yes, that's right! I finally finished all the blocks!

I was able to consistently complete at least one block a day, and on some days as many as 2 1/2. Of course it didn't hurt that the past two weeks have been unusually cold and rainy, so we spent lots of time indoors!

I threw this picture in just because I liked it!

This will be the arrangement of the blocks for the afghan. I will connect them to each other using the red yarn and my favorite method, which is single crochet, in a manner similar to strip quilting. HERE is a little tutorial showing that method.

After all the blocks are crocheted together, I will do several rounds of single crochet using the red and blue yarns, and then finish the afghan with a round of reverse single crochet in blue.

These crocheted star blocks have come together much faster than I had ever expected. This could be due to the fact that I found out the golf tournament was being held about 2 months earlier than I had thought! Nothing like working under pressure! But isn't it amazing how productive we can be when something really matters? I think this really matters.

Happy Stitching!

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Handpiecing 9 Patch Squares for Children's Quilting Class

2009-06-30T05:00:00.001-04:00

I started handpiecing the pillow top for the children's quilting class I'll be doing at the library this summer. Since it is only 9 squares, it didn't take too long. Here's how I did it...

After deciding on the arrangement of the squares and marking the 1/4 inch seam line on all sides of each square, I chose the two I would start piecing and placed them right sides together. Using my long straight pins, I pushed a pin through both squares so that it was directly on the marked line of both squares. I used one pin about every inch. At the corners, I made sure that the pin went directly through the intersection of the lines at the corners on each square.

Here is the wrong side of the other square showing the pointed ends of the pins poking through.

Then I took another pin and put it into the seam allowance near the first pin and then back out again so that it was flat with the fabric. The pin sticking straight up through both fabrics ensures that neither fabric will slip during this pinning. Then I removed the first pin that was sticking straight up and used it to pin the fabric near the next pin. I continued this until each of the pins that were sticking straight up out of the fabric was removed and replaced by a pin that was flat on the fabric.

Then I took my favorite quilting needle and hand quilting thread and began to stitch the seam. Using knots in hand piecing will tend to produce unnecessary bulk in the seams, so it is not recommended. Instead, start stitching about 1/2 inch away from a corner along the seamline and stitch towards the corner, making sure that your needle is going into the marked line on both squares. After every few stitches, work a little back stitch by putting your needle into the fabric about a half stitch back from where you ended your last stitch. This will lock your stitches in place. Once you have stitched that little 1/2 inch and have reached the corner, turn your stitching around and stitch the entire seam line to the opposite corner, working a little back stitch as before each time you come to a pin, or about every inch or so. When you reach the corner, turn your work around and stitch about 1/2 inch back along the seam line, taking one more little back stitch in that 1/2 inch. Then clip your thread.

I stitched all three rows of squares in this manner, and then...

...I pinned the rows together and stitched them in the same way, making sure that my needle was going directly through the marked line with every stitch and through the intersections of the lines at each corner...

...until all nine squares were connected to each other.

And there is the 9 patch pillow top, ready for layering and quilting.

I really enjoy hand piecing because of it's slow pace and relaxing rhythm. It produces just about perfectly accurate seams and corners too. Do you have any tips for hand piecing that you would like to share? Please leave a comment and let everyone know!

Happy Stitching!

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Babette Update #2

2009-06-29T05:00:00.002-04:00

Remember those lazy days of summer between school years?

Not having the responsibility of school is really agreeing with my oldest daughter, Elizabeth. She loves sleeping in a little later, puttering around the house, playing with her little sister and brother, and spending long afternoons and evenings with her crocheting. All this, of course, when she isn't working!

Here's a picture of the progress she has made so far on her Babette...

She is so happy with how it is turning out, and even my husband commented on how much he likes it! I think what is keeping her interested in this project for so long is the frequent color changes, and the variety of block sizes for each section. She also has the incentive of wanting to have this complete before she begins her college career on September 2, so she just keeps plugging away a little bit each day.

Since she purchased the larger skeins of Red Heart yarn for this project, she will have lots leftover and is already planning what she will do with that. I'm guessing another afghan, but I'm not sure if she'll jump right into another Babette right away!

Happy Stitching!

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Progress on 9 Patch Pillow Children's Quilting Class Sample

2009-06-27T05:00:00.001-04:00

I've made a little progress on the 9 patch block which will be the sample for the children's beginner quilting class I am doing at our local library later this summer. After choosing my fabrics and cutting them into 5 1/4 inch squares, I arranged them in what I thought was a pleasing way. It took me a while to get to this, but I like how it ended up. Good thing there were only 9 squares or I still wouldn't be at this point yet!

The squares are showing their wrong sides here, and you can see all my supplies gathered together. I love using my quilter's quarter for marking the seam line. No guess work involved!

I decided to put the white muslin square in the middle so I can quilt a pretty design or initial into it. I like for the children taking the class to be able to personalize their piece and I think initials are a nice way to do that.

And here you can see the very fine pencil lines on each side of the squares. For the dark purple square, I used my white pencil which I first sharpened to a very fine point.

Next up, I'll be showing some of the details of how I hand piece my squares, so if this is something you have not done before, you might find it interesting.

Happy Stitching!

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Recycled Another Pair of Jeans into a Clothes Pin Bag

2009-06-25T05:00:00.001-04:00

One just wasn't enough for Bonnie, so here's my second recycled jeans clothes pin bag. This one has butterflies on it!

For this bag, I reused the hanger that Bonnie's old clothes pin bag had been on since she likes the way it swivels, and I even used a pair of old jeans she gave me to recycle!

The bias binding was another scrap in my pile of Better-Keep-This-In-Case-I-Might-Need-It-Someday ribbons and trims and bindings and other little stuff. Doesn't everyone have one of those piles? Mine happens to be kept hidden away inside the seat of my sewing chair too! I love that feature!

The butterflies were hanging around in my cabinet, just waiting for their chance to fly away on something that would be used outdoors. What better place for them to fly than in Bonnie's backyard!

Happy Stitching!

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Learn to Crochet - Single Crochet Shells in Tiramisu Baby Blanket

2009-06-24T05:00:00.001-04:00

Merry, of crocheted ABC Blanket fame, recently shared with me a pattern she had found for the Tiramisu Baby Blanket because she was having a bit of trouble with keeping the edges straight.

Here is a picture of the sample I crocheted using 3 colors. This shows off the single crochet shells very nicely, and in the video below, it also makes seeing the individual rows much easier.

Hopefully this video will help Merry and others in crocheting this very pretty blanket. See what you think...

I think this stitch would also make a very cozy and colorful scarf, stitched either long ways or across the short way. I can also imagine that this stitch crocheted using bulky weight yarn and a very large hook would work up quickly into a full size afghan.

Either solid or multi-color, the stitch used in the Tiramisu Baby Blanket is easy to do and very versatile. It reminds me a little bit of the Ripple Stitch and the Woven Stitch, both of which I have used for full size afghans, baby blankets, and crocheted scarves.

Happy Stitching!

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Have you ever made a rug?

2009-06-23T12:00:00.006-04:00

Latch hooking is something I've done a few times, and making a braided rug is something I've always wanted to try but never have. But real honest-to-goodness rug making is something I know I'll never do. And I'm ok with that!

Up until a few years ago, we had no wood floors in our home so I did not need area rugs, but we finally had beautiful real hard wood floors installed in the front half of the first floor. I have purchased a few small rugs since then and have not been too pleased with the selection at stores close to me. Recently I was contacted by someone from CSN Rugs offering my choice of an area rug to receive in my own home and review on my website. I was a little hesitant at first since I really do try to restrict my content to needlework related topics that are somewhat educational and of personal interest to me, but after looking at the extensive selection of area rugs on their website, I just couldn't pass up this offer. So here is what I picked...

This rug is machine made in the USA and the one I picked is small, 23 by 39 inches. I just love the rich colors and the bold design. I am thinking about putting it in front of the fireplace in the living room. But these colors would also look very nice in our master bedroom. We have yet to extend the wood floors to the second level though, so I'm thinking it will remain on the main floor for now.

I am looking forward to receiving this rug and using it in my home. I will be sure to give you all my thoughts on the rug and my experience with the company in case you are looking to purchase rugs online. It's always nice to deal with a company whose reputation can be verified by people you trust. Hopefully this company will be one of those! I'll let you know.

Next up will be a little video on a crochet stitch used in a baby blanket that I think you will like. It's super easy and can be done in a solid color, or I found out also looks lovely crocheted in several different colors. This pattern would also make a warm and cozy scarf. You won't want to miss it!

Happy Stitching!

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Fun Fabric for Children's Quilting Class

2009-06-22T05:00:00.001-04:00

Last summer I held a 4 session embroidery class at our local library and the children who attended really seemed to enjoy learning a new skill and putting it to good use.

I have been invited back again this summer and the project I have chosen to teach this time is a 9 patch quilted pillow.

Wanna see the fun fabric I picked out for this project?

The four print fabrics in the lower part of the picture were part of my fun purchase recently when I was looking for black and whites for my sister's pin cushion bag. The other five fabrics are from my stash. I cut 5 1/4 inch squares of each fabric, so after hand stitching them into a 9 patch, the finished block will be 14 3/4 inches. After quilting and stitching to the pillow back, this should be just perfect for covering a 14 inch pillow form.

Now the only question is ... can 6 children, ages 10 to 12, get all this done in four 1.5 hour sessions? We'll see!

More pictures of the sample in progress to come!

Happy Stitching!

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Merry's Crocheted ABC Blanket

2009-06-21T05:00:00.002-04:00

I've been so blessed to have met such nice people from all parts of this country and around the world since I began publishing Hooked On Needles just over a year ago. Merry, my self-professed Biggest Fan, is one of those people. She's pretty new at crocheting and has made some wonderful things. Her thoughtful questions on patterns and how to do certain stitches on the Knittinghelp.com forum have been the inspiration for a few of my video tutorials. But for the most part, she picks up her yarn and hook and just goes for it. What an inspiration!

Merry just recently sent me a picture of a newly finished project for her granddaughter who will be 4 years old in a few months, and she gave me permission to publish the picture here for you all to see.

Don't you think that is the perfect afghan for a 4 year old? Now she can learn her ABCs in her sleep!

If you would like the pattern for this blanket, you can find it HERE. The puff stitch that is used in this pattern to make the grid lines and the letters is similar to the bobble stitch I used on the Cherry Berry Oddball Blanket, but not exactly the same. I will work up a little sample of the stitch from the ABC pattern and post a video soon so you can see just how it is done.

Nice job, Merry, and thank you so much for allowing me to share this fabulous picture of you and your blanket with my readers!

Happy Stitching!

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Sneak Peek at Sweet Liberty Afghan for PFC Jonathan Roberge Memorial Golf Tournament Raffle

2009-06-20T05:00:00.001-04:00

This past January was a sad time for the city of Leominster. For the first time since the Vietnam war, one of our own was killed in action. I knew the family of PFC Jonathan Roberge through my daughter's involvement in the high school band where Jonathan's younger sister plays the trumpet.

Later this summer, a golf tournament along with a raffle will be held to raise money for a memorial scholarship fund and I wanted to do something to help. Golf just isn't my Thing, but I do love to crochet! So I thought the afghan kit which I had been saving in my project closet for just the right occasion would be the perfect item to make and donate to the raffle.

The name of the afghan is Sweet Liberty and it is made up of 20 blocks, 10 with blue stars in the middle just like in the picture, and 10 with red stars in the middle. The yarn is Bernat worsted weight and a real pleasure to work with. After reformatting the pattern so that I could follow it easily, I started working on the blocks. So far I have 6 completed. 4 more blue star blocks and 10 red star blocks, then I will crochet the blocks together and do the red border around the whole thing. Hopefully it will all be finished before tee time on August 1st.

I'll keep you posted!

Happy Stitching!

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Disappearing 9 Patch Blocks Complete

2009-06-19T05:00:00.009-04:00

Even after saying I was not going to take on any more projects until my list was all red, I signed up for a quilt block swap! I just couldn't resist! It's a block I had never done before, and in fact my very first quilt block swap ever. Such fun could not be passed up!

Aunt Pitty Pat's is hosting a Disappearing 9 Patch Quilt Block Swap which may still have some room in it for you sporting spirits out there.

These are my 9 patch blocks, made mostly from 2 Sumptuous Living charm packs. Since there were only 36 charms in each pack, I had to supplement with a few pieces of my own fabric. But I got all 10 of my 9 patch blocks sewn up...

...and then I started cutting. That's the fun part, when you get to see what the final blocks will look like. What a clever design this is!

I am anxious to receive my collection of blocks from the other swappers and see what fun fabrics they used. I will be sure to share them with you here, at least a picture anyway!

Well, my little guy graduated from kindergarten yesterday morning in the cutest, most touching ceremony you could ever imagine. And my big girl is all graduated from high school now and heading down to her college today to take her placement tests and get her schedule for the fall. So the relaxed summer schedule has begun here at home. I don't plan to relax too much though, because I have lots of projects I still need to work on and share with you!

Coming up next is a peek at that afghan I am making for the golf tournament raffle prize I mentioned the other day. And I think I'll be making a few more of those recycled jeans clothes pin bags for my friend. She loved the bumble bee one that I made for her so she's bringing me the hangers from her old bags so I can make her some new ones. I guess that idea was a winner!

Happy Stitching!

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Make your Patterns Easy to Read

2009-06-18T05:00:00.003-04:00

I don't crochet too many afghans from kits, but on a rare occasion I'll find one that really strikes me and I buy it. When it makes it's way up to the top of my project list, I take it out and check out the pattern. Sometimes it's written in an easy to read format and I can just sit down with my hook and yarn and get busy. Mostly though, it's something like this...

...written on the back of the package label on a heavy duty piece of card stock that is big enough to wrap around the whole package, front and back, and in three languages. Not exactly something I can sit on my lap or prop on the table next to my chair! This picture doesn't even show the whole thing, that's how big it is!

So I take it to my computer and scan the English language sections, cut and paste them into a Publisher file in the correct order, all on one manageable page. Then I print it out. I like having it on one regular size piece of paper, but the size of the type suffers greatly by shrinking it. And I'm over 40. In fact, I'm closer to 50 now than I am to 40. If you're not there yet, let me tell you what that means in this case. I can't read the print without straining, and at my age, straining is not something I enjoy doing. Especially when I just want to sit down and relax with my crocheting!

So I came up with what I think is the perfect solution...

I went back into my Publisher file and broke the pattern up into smaller chunks, then expanded them to be the width of a regular size piece of paper in landscape orientation. I placed two sections on each page and then printed them out. It took 4 pages to print the whole pattern. I cut the pages in half, with one section on each half. Then I stapled the whole package together in the correct order.

This is the perfect size to sit on my lap while I'm crocheting, turning the pages as I progress through the pattern. The type size is so large that I can read it easily with or without my reading glasses, and it is much easier to keep my place in the pattern because I don't have to strain my eyes to see where I am. Now crocheting this pattern is much more enjoyable for me and the project is moving along nicely. I'll show you a little preview of it soon.

If you don't have a scanner or software that can enlarge something for you, you can always take your pattern to a copy center and have it printed as large as you want it, then cut it up and make it into a little flip book like I did. Even if it is copyrighted, I am pretty sure that you can still make copies like this for your own personal use.

When I am finished with this project, I will store the original picture from the packaging along with my small print pattern page and my large print booklet in a page protector in my crochet pattern binder, just in case I want to make the same pattern again with my own yarn.

Do you have any little tricks that you have found to make your stitching time easier on the eyes, or just more enjoyable for you? Please leave a comment and share them with everyone!

Happy Stitching!

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Another Pin Cushion Bag

2009-06-17T05:00:00.001-04:00

I am so glad that I purchased the pin cushion bag kit from Connecting Threads when I did, because I have not seen it available on their website since then and I think it's just such a neat little bag. I made the two bags using the fabric that came with the kit and used one as my Fall giveaway last year.

Here is one that I made for my sister using fabric I purchased myself.

She wanted one made out of the leftover fabric from the tote bag I made her for Christmas, but that fabric was canvas and would not have been appropriate for this pattern even if I had enough to use. So I stopped in at Joann Fabrics while I was out of town for the Parent Orientation Day at the college my daughter will be attending in the fall, and I stocked up on some black and white fabrics and a few other fun prints that I found too!

Isn't this a fun combination of blacks and whites? A little pretty, a little crazy and a little plain and simple. Considering she's a nun, I didn't want to get too far out there, but I wasn't about to do just plain black either!

She loved the bag along with the matching needle book, even though it wasn't the fabric she was hoping for.

The little crocheted Rosary case I made for her was a hit too. Now I don't have to worry about making anything else for her until Christmas time, which I read somewhere recently is less than 200 days away now! Yikes!

Coming up soon here at Hooked On Needles will be a requested tutorial on a baby blanket pattern, an idea to make following a pattern easier on the eyes, and a little peek at the afghan I am making for a raffle prize at a golf tournament being held to raise money for a memorial scholarship fund by a local family who lost their son in Iraq in January.

Happy Stitching!

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Recycle Jeans into a Clothes Pin Bag!

2009-06-16T05:00:00.003-04:00

After making a few aprons using old jeans, I started thinking of other ways to recycle jeans into useful household tools. Recently a friend of mine asked if I could make a hanging bag for her clothes pins since she likes to hang her clothes out on the line in the nice weather. So I let some ideas stew in my brain for a few days and then I got to work.

Here's a little photo tutorial on how I made a clothes pin bag using an old pair of jeans, a small plastic hanger and some leftover bias binding.

This is the second leg of the jeans that I cut up to make the ladybug apron. I took a small plastic hanger from my children's closet and placed it at the point on the leg where the edges just met the edges of the pant leg. Then I used my white fabric marking pencil to trace the slanted lines above the hanger.

I cut about 5/8 inch above the lines I had traced, to allow for the seam.

I refolded the pant leg so that the front was folded in half and drew half of a teardrop-ish shape on the fold starting about 2 inches down from the top.

Then I cut straight down the fold from the top to the beginning of the teardrop-ish shape, and then cut around the shape to make the opening which will be on the front of the bag.

Of course you can't really see the cut-out in this picture because the denim is all the same color on the inside and the outside, but you can see a little bit of the white line left behind.

I then bound the opening edge with a piece of extra wide bias binding from my scrap collection. I thought the yellow was a nice contrast to the black denim. Homemade bias binding of any width would also work well, or any width of ready made...whatever you have one hand!

Just to add some detail, I picked out one of the hardly-ever-used fancy stitches on my sewing machine, and stitched around the binding.

Then I turned the whole thing inside out and pinned the top edge. I stitched it using about a 5/8 inch seam allowance, then I stitched it again about 1/8 inch inside the seam allowance for extra strength.

Then I decided how long I wanted the bag to be, and cut off the extra from the bottom. I stitched up the newly cut bottom edge, and stitched it again for strength.

After turning the bag right side out again, I stitched the seam allowance at the opening to the back of the bag for added strength where the hanger will be coming out of the bag.

This is that same stitching at the opening shown from the back side of the bag.

I put the hanger into the bag and there it is!

But wait! Look what I found in my closet! A cute little appliqué to iron onto something. And I think this is the perfect something, don't you?

So there's my recycled jeans/leftover bias binding/extra plastic hanger clothes pin bag, dressed up with a cute little bumble bee appliqué. It only took about 1 1/2 hours and didn't cost me a dime. Sure beats the ugly things you pay money for in the home center stores or bed and bath stores! And just think of the cute bags you could make with bias binding leftover from other projects you've done. The possibilities are endless. Just use your imagination, and save those plastic hangers!

Happy Stitching!

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