Easy Crochet Pattern

Big Knit Mitered Squares

2016-06-11T11:54:00.000-04:00

I get a lot of questions and comments about my tutorial for the knit mitered square sock blanket using leftover sock yarn. You can find the tutorial on the tab under my Loose Threads blog header here. The link on my sidebar takes you to this same page.

Our local yarn store, Mass Ave Knits, here in downtown Indianapolis, started doing a larger version of this mitered square using Liberty Wool yarn. When I started this, Liberty was coming out with 2 new colors of yarn each month (and they still may be). I started that project with the Liberty yarn, but in the meantime I found this Bernat Super Value Stripes yarn. Since this blanket will be used by a child, I think the Bernat yarn will work just fine. Plus, the colors are more vivid. Any worsted weight yarn would work, but I chose this because of the stripes.

Here is a comparison between my mitered square sock blanket (still not finished) and the larger mitered squares.

I'm using 4 different color ways of the yarn for the big squares.

Each of these larger squares measures approximately 12 inches.

They can be set with the same layout as my sock yarn blanket joining the squares as you knit. Or, they can be whip stitched together into squares like this. I still haven't decided how I will put these together. I may stitch 4 of the same block together to make larger squares of one color way when I have more of them completed.

Pattern for 12" mitered square.

This square is made the same as the squares in my tutorial that are done with sock yarn.

Size 8 circular knitting needle 24" long

Cast on 93 stitches.

Row 1. Knit 1 row. Turn.

Row 2. Knit 45, Double Decrease, place marker, knit to end. Turn.

Row 3. (Wrong side row) Knit to marker, slip marker, Purl 1, knit to end. Turn

Row 4. Knit to 2 stitches before marker, double decrease, knit to end.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until there is 1 stitch left on the needle.

I hope you are finding some time to stitch today.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Diagonal Granny Stripe Afghan Tutorial

2016-01-19T19:25:00.002-05:00

This is the start of my diagonal granny stripe afghan. I started it back in the fall, and I ended up putting it away when the Christmas decorations came out.

This toss pillow was my inspiration piece, and I pulled yarn colors to go with it. I used Simply Soft yarn because we have a cat, and this yarn is pretty inexpensive and seems to hold up well when used. It also doesn't have a dye lot and comes in a lot of colors, so I can buy some, start a project, and go back to the store for more if needed.

Here are a couple of other samples I made:

Here is my Diagonal Granny Stripe Afghan Tutorial:

I used Simply Soft Worsted weight yarn and an I hook. Since this yarn has no dye lot, I start with one skein of each color and if needed I may buy a second skein.

Chain 4 and join into a loop.

Chain 4 and turn.

Do three double crochets (double crochet cluster) in the loop.

Chain 1. Double crochet into loop. One diagonal row completed. I know it's a little hard to see it now, but stay with me.

Chain 4 and turn.

Do 3 double crochets in the same space.

Chain 1. Do 3 double crochets in space.

Chain 1. Double crochet in same space. Row 2 completed.

Chain 4 and turn. Continue making sure to put your double crochet cluster in the same space at the beginning and end of each row until we start to decrease.

NOTE: This afghan will form a square, so when the length of one side measures what you want then begin to decrease.

I've done 10 rows increasing just for this tutorial. Your afghan will be much larger.

Decrease: Chain 4 and turn.

DO NOT put a cluster in that first space. Put the double crochet cluster in the next space and continue across the row.

End the row by doing chain 1, double crochet in the last space.

Chain 4 and turn. Again DO NOT put the double crochet in that first space. Double crochet in the next space and continue across the row.

End the row with chain 1, double crochet in the last space. Chain 4 and turn.

Keep going until you are back to the corner of the afghan. You end by doing chain 4, double crochet in the middle space. Chain 1, double crochet. (I didn't get a photo of the last chain 1 DC, but you can see it in the next photo.) Tie the yarn off.

Here is my sample square. I think the afghan will need some kind of a border around the edge. I haven't finished my afghan yet so I'm not sure what I'll use.

Please send feedback or questions. lakrug@comcast.net Please include your email if you have a question. I try to take lots of photos to help explain my directions so let me know if something isn't clear.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

I hope you are finding some time to stitch today!

Granny stripe as a temperature afghan?

2016-01-04T20:27:00.000-05:00

Hello Dear Readers and Happy New Year!

It's been a long time since my last post. Someone has posted a link to my blog somewhere, because I am getting a lot of reader comments and questions. Thank you to whoever posted it. Unfortunately, most of you are no reply bloggers, so I cannot reply personally to your questions. I will go back through those comments and try to reply to you in the comment section later on. If I'm trying to figure something out, I do read people's comments and questions so I should have been replying to your questions there all along.

I'm getting a lot of questions about using my Granny Stripe Afghan pattern as a temperature afghan. I have seen several people pose the idea, but I haven't seen one of these afghans completed after a year. This is a photo of my granny stripe afghan on my king sized bed. It has 132 rows. You can see how much it covers on a king sized bed. Now imagine it with another 233 rows added to do one row each day for a year. This afghan is pretty heavy as is. I used an I hook with worsted weight yarn. Someone wrote and asked about using an H hook, but that isn't going to make it that much smaller.

Here is a side view of the same blanket. I could have made it a little longer to come up over the pillows, but to do 365 rows would make it huge. That's just my opinion, but you sure are welcome to use my pattern if you want to. If you go on Pinterest and search temperature afghan or temperature blanket, you will find a few photos. One person did 4 narrow strips dividing the year into 3 month periods. Then they joined those strips with black and crocheted around the outside of the entire blanket.

I love this afghan, and I have another one started in Christmas colors. The tutorial for my granny stripe afghan can be found here. You can see the start of the Christmas granny stripe afghan here.

This is a diagonal granny stripe that I've started. I did a sample piece and started to write a tutorial, but I left out a couple of photos of important steps. So I'm starting over with another sample and won't let so much time go by before I post the pattern/tutorial. I started this back in the fall, but may put this one aside and start with more spring colors. As you can see, I love any kind of a granny afghan.

If you leave a comment, please leave your email address so that I can answer you. Or you can email me privately at lakrug@comcast.net

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Hope you are finding some time to stitch today!

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Diagonal Granny Stripe Afghan

2015-09-11T16:30:00.000-04:00

I received an email from a reader who asked if I would write a tutorial for a Diagonal Granny Stripe afghan. (Note: I couldn't email you back because you are set as a no-reply blogger.) I had never tried that pattern before, so I pulled out some scrap yarn and gave it a try. Here are two samples that I tried. The one on the left follows the pattern. The one on the right leaves out the chain 1 that goes in between the crochet clusters. I think the one on the left is the one I will follow.

Here is a close up of the square. The chains that are along the edges are pretty loopy looking, so this will probably require a border of some sort. I think I will try another sample reducing the number on those outside rows to see how it looks. I don't have the tutorial written yet, but I'll get busy on that in the next few days or so. I can see this in a 3 color stripe or even just a random stripe using scrap yarn. I'll have to check my stash and decide on what colors to use.

Here is my progress so far on my crocheted Christmas Granny Stripe afghan. You can find my tutorial for this afghan here.

I hope you are finding some time to take a few stitches today.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

Crocheted Christmas Granny Stripe Afghan

2015-08-17T06:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome to all of my subscribers and to those who have come here looking for an easy crochet pattern. I know it's been ages since I've posted anything on this blog. After we moved here a year ago, I mostly left my yarn packed in boxes or Rubbermaid containers. The other day I saw this yarn and decided to start a crocheted Christmas afghan. I love the granny stripe afghan pattern. My full tutorial is on my blog post here There are a lot more detailed photos and explanations there.

Here is my afghan so far. I chained 145 to start this afghan. You can see that it is the length of the love seat on my porch.

I'm using a worsted weight called Caron Simply Soft Party and an I hook.

I have had a couple of questions recently from readers that are having problems with their work curling when they get to row 3 or 4. I don't know why that is happening, and without seeing a photo it's hard to help. I am not sure I did a good job explaining the starting rows to them so I've taken some photos as I started this afghan.

First chain 145 (there are different sizes listed in a chart in my other tutorial). Turn and single crochet in the second chain from hook and each chain until you are back at the beginning. Then chain 3 and turn your work. Do another double crochet in that same stitch. Skip 2 stitches and do 3 DC in the next stitch.

So your first row will be 3 DC in one stitch, skip 2 single crochets. Repeat this until the end. End with 2 DC (because you started with 2 DC).

Chain 3 and turn your work. (That counts as 1 double crochet.) Do 3 DC in the space from the row below. Continue across the afghan. End the row with 1 DC the same as you started.

When I am ready to change colors, I cut the yarn and pull the tail through the loop on my hook.

I know this isn't the way most people teach you how to end one color and add the next. But, I have several afghans that my Mom made years ago, and where she had joined the yarn the afghan is coming apart. So I tie my yarn off at the end of a color and tie the next one on as you can see in the photo below.
Pull the white yarn through the space. That creates a loop on your hook, and you're ready to go again.

Then chain 3 (this makes your first double crochet).

Turn your work.

Do another double crochet in that space. There are two in the photo. It's just hard to see with the white yarn

The same thing - still not a great photo.

End that first row of white with 2 DC because you started with 2 DC.

When you get to the end of the first white row, chain 3, turn, and then do 3 DC in the space as seen below. There are no chains between the DC clusters. I just don't like the way it looks when you chain in between because the holes are so large in the afghan.

Here is where I am so far. Again, there is a better tutorial here in one of my earlier blog posts.

I hope you will give this afghan a try. I really love this pattern. Once you get the first couple of rows finished, it is just the same thing over and over. I think it's pretty relaxing to crochet this one.

The other afghan I finished in this pattern was wider than it was long. So I've opted to start with less stitches to make it narrower. I can always make the afghan larger by adding some kind of a border.

If you have any questions, email me. I'll do my best to help you.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

I hope you are finding some time to stitch today.

New Scarves

2015-02-01T16:40:00.002-05:00

I've been doing more knitting. This scarf is made using sock weight yarn and is from The Knit Experience - The Knit Stitch by Sally Melville. The scarf is the Shape It Scarf. This scarf is all knitting - no purls.

This is an easy knitting pattern and is also all knitting. This pattern is a free one. It's called the Misti Chunky Ribs and Ruffles scarf and can be downloaded for free here. I'm almost finished with it.

This is a cowl pattern that I started.......

Here it is finished - sort of. I ran out of the peach colored yarn. After looking at it, I decided I really didn't like it and would probably never wear it.

There was a decrease toward the end of the scarf, and since I ran out of yarn I couldn't do it. So the inside of the scarf ended up showing as seen in the photo below. I think I might just rip it out and use the yarn to make one of the Misti Alpaca scarves instead.

This is a Super Daniel cape that I knit for my grandson. I just made this up so there isn't really a pattern. I used chunky yarn so this was really a fast project. The letter D is made from self adhesive felt that I picked up at the craft store. There are a number of web sites that have a free printable alphabet.

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I hope you are finding some time to do a little crochet or knitting today.

Thanks for visiting!

Scarves

2015-01-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

I do a lot of quilting and blog about it over at http://luannsloosethreads.blogspot.com. I attended a quilt retreat the week before Thanksgiving, and since I came back all I've wanted to do is knit or crochet. I can't quite figure that one out either!

I know this blog is called Easy Crochet, but I also post easy knitting projects here, I have crocheted for 40 years or more, but I've only been knitting for 15 years or maybe a bit more. Most everything I knit is pretty easy and enjoyable so I go ahead and post the knit things, too, because most crocheters have tried some knitting at one time or other.

Here are the scarves, cowls and ponchos that I've made (except for the blue ruffle) since Thanksgiving.

The first one is an easy knit Drop Stitch Scarf. I just made this one up. I will write a tutorial if anyone is interested. This one is knit with chunky yarn, and I was able to finish it in just a few hours.

It was cold when I marched in the Veteran's Day Parade with the Caroline Scott Harrison Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and I wanted to be sure I had a Patriotic scarf to wear in next year's parade.

That's me second from the right with no scarf.......

The pattern for this one is in The Knit Experience-The Knit Stitch book by Sally Melville. It's called:
Shape It! Scarf. This is easy knitting...no purl stitches.

This is a free Koigu Ruffle Scarf pattern that takes 2 skeins of Koigu yarn. It can also be made from any sock weight yarn that totals about 350 yards.

This Cowl was a mystery knit along that I just finished. It is supposed to be a poncho. The pattern is by Laura Aylor called Outlier and can be found on Ravelry. She emailed us a clue each night for the eight nights before Christmas Eve as a present and for us to take some time for ourselves during the busy holiday season. It was just a pleasant hour's worth of knitting to relax at the end of the day.

The cowl can also be worn with the point in front, at the side or in the back. Her pattern calls for a chunky yarn and size 13 needles. I opted for a yarn that used size 10 1/2 needles and ended up with a cowl that was smaller instead of a poncho.

Here is my second try with chunky yarn and size 13 needles. This is the full sized poncho.

I am a sock knitter wannabe. You can see by the photo that the only thing about these two socks that match is the yarn. I did one sock a few years ago and just finished the second one. There was no pattern included in the bag with the sock and yarn, so I made a guess as to which one I'd used. Right now I don't enjoy knitting socks, but I love wearing them.

Also.......I've had a few questions on different tutorials that I've posted in the past. Many of the emails I receive are from people that have their settings as "no reply bloggers" or "anonymous". That means that whenever I hit the reply button, my email won't get to you. I'm going to go back through some of the last few emails I've received and answer those on the blog post in the comment section where the question was asked. My daughter thinks that would not only be helpful to the person that asked the questions but would help the people that find my tutorials from a Google search. After thinking about it, if I'm searching for a technique I will read the comments a lot of times. So I'll get busy working on that.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

I hope you are finding some time to stitch today.

Christmas Crochet

2014-12-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

I know I said I would post more often, but the holidays just seem to fly by and there is always something that needs to be done. My hands haven't been idle though. I have been knitting scarves that I'll show you in my next post.

I did find some time to decorate the house during the holidays, and a lot of my decorations are things that either I've made or a relative or friend has made for me.

Here is a small Hexagon Christmas Tree Skirt that I made.

You can see the size of the tree skirt better in this next photo.

Here is the link for the tutorial for my Hexagon Christmas Tree Skirt. This is the big one under our family Christmas tree.

Here is one of my white hexagon tree skirts. It looks a lot smaller in this photo, but it is almost as big as the one above.

This is a ripple afghan crocheted in Christmas sparkle yarn.

I'll have to look for my pattern for this one and post it.

This is a shell afghan that I made. I've just alternated the colors red, green, white. My tutorial for my Crocheted Shell Afghan is here.

The afghan on the chair is just one big granny square that my Mom made years ago.

The yarn is a Christmas variegated with a solid red, green and white double crocheted border. My granny square afghan tutorial is here.

The links to my tutorials are also listed on my side bar.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

I hope your holidays are happy ones and that you are finding some time to stitch!!!!!

Crocheted Hexagon Christmas Tree Skirt Tutorial

2014-11-17T12:30:00.000-05:00

This is the hexagon Christmas tree skirt that goes underneath our family room tree every year. My pattern is on my blog here. I also cut and pasted it to the bottom of this post.

The tree skirt in the photo below is made with a red, green, white variegated yarn that is usually available in the craft stores around the Christmas season.

I've had a few questions about the pattern, so here is a small tutorial. Chain 27. Turn. Double crochet in the 4th chain from hook.

Your work should look like this after you have done the double crochet.

In next chain do double crochet - chain 1 - double crochet. The black arrow shows the stitches from your turning. The green arrow is your first double crochet. The blue arrow is the double crochet - chain 1 - double crochet.

You continue the pattern until it is the size desired for your tree. On each round you do your double crochet - chain 1 - double crochet in the "hole" from the row below.

If the ends of your rows don't look straight, count the number of stitches you've done in the beginning and end wedge. Your first row should have 3 DCs in the first and last partial wedge. The second row should have 4 DCs in the first and last partial wedge. In each row be sure to start your first double crochet where I have the first black arrow marked number 1.

You should have 6 "holes" in your tree skirt. This forms the hexagon. At the bottom of the photo you will see that you have two partial wedges. These go toward the back of the tree. You can crochet a long chain to tie the tree skirt at the back of the tree, but I usually just lay it around the base of the tree and then overlap it without tying. There is less crawling around on the floor that way.

Here is one that I made in all white Christmas yarn. It doesn't really show in the photo, but there is a glittery silver thread in this yarn.

Here is a miniature tree skirt made from this pattern using Christmas variegated yarn. Then I did 3 rounds of solid double crochets using plain red, white and green yarn.

Crocheted Hexagon Christmas Tree Skirt

About 15 ounces worsted weight yarn.

Size I crochet hook (I usually just use whatever the skein of yarn calls for)

Round 1:

Chain 27 Turn.

Double crochet in the 4th chain from the hook; *in next chain work (DC, chain 1, DC) (for the corners); double crochet in each of the next 3 chains; repeat from * four times; then work (DC, chain 1, DC) in next chain, double crochet in each of the last 2 chains, chain 3 turn. Now that is the hard part..... (I tried to count the chains

Rounds 2-???
Skip 1st double crochet, double crochet in each double crochet around, working (DC, chain 1, DC) in each chain 1 space from the previous row. Chain 3 and turn at the end.

Keep going until the skirt is the size you want. For my big tree I did 46 rounds. For smaller trees I did 30 rounds.

I hope the tutorial helps answer some questions. If not, email me at lakrug@comcast.net and leave an email address where I can write you.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Granny Stripe and Granny Square Afghans

2014-08-28T20:30:00.000-04:00

My crocheted Granny Stripe and crocheted Granny Square afghans are probably two of the largest that I've finished. The two of them together just fit into one moving box.

This is the Granny Stripe afghan folded in half at the end of our king sized bed. You can find my tutorial for my Granny Stripe Afghan here. You can find the chart for the Granny Stripe Afghan here. Ayaka from Crochet and Me blog sent it to me to share with my readers. You can follow the link to see her pretty afghan.

This is how it looks when it's unfolded. It is really more wide than it is long. I think the next one I make will be more narrow. Yes, I do have plans for another Granny Stripe. I love this pattern.

My Granny Square afghan is huge and really heavy. You can find the tutorial for my Granny Square Afghan here. And, I have plans to make another one of these, too. These are two of my favorite crochet patterns.

I'm working on a couple of quilting projects so I am making myself wait to unpack most of my yarn because I know there are things still packed away that I want to work on. Soon.......

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Hope you are finding time to take a few stitches today.

I'm Back, and I've Moved

2014-08-03T16:03:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone Welcome to my new followers, subscribers, and those of you who have just dropped in for a visit. I can hardly believe that the ground is covered with snow in my last post. We've moved, and I am beginning the unpacking. We were in our other home for 25 years, so I haven't done this in quite awhile. It is a slow process. I'm also a quilter, and you can see what else I'm unpacking at my other blog, Loose Threads.

I packed my yarn neatly into a few boxes, and put them into our storage unit. Someone thought that they had found the perfect place for these boxes in between some bigger pieces of furniture. And, that was ok with me because I thought there would be a walkway...kind of an aisle....through the middle of this 10' X 20' storage unit. But, as time went on, the empty space began to fill up, and my yarn was in the back. I had a couple more containers that I'd kept at home, but they soon went to storage and ended up out of reach. So I have not crocheted or knit in quite awhile. I'm kind of anxious to get back to it!

I thought you would like to see what I'm unpacking. I just found these two afghans. This one is a ripple afghan. Right now, I don't know where the pattern is, but it is just a simple ripple. When I find the pattern, I will post it here.

This is a Navajo afghan that I made years ago. I swore I would never make this pattern again after I made the first one in earth tones. I believe my son has that one. So I was kind of surprised to find this one. I should not have used the variegated yarn because it kind of covers up the design. It is made one row at a time with most of the stitches being single crochet with a double crochet done in the row (or maybe 2 rows below the row you are working on). At the end of the row, the yarn is cut and you go back to the right side and begin the next row. I'll look for that pattern and post it, too.

Here is a close up photo. I think this photo is actually upside down.

I'll post more as I open boxes and find afghans and my UFOs. I won't stay away so long next time!

I hope you are finding some time to stitch today.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Never Ending Granny Square Afghan

2014-02-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

I just finished the Never Ending Granny Square Afghan that I started several months ago.

You can see that the center starts with green and then sort of spirals.

I wasn't quite sure how to end the afghan. I looked at different sites on line and finally decided to do mine like this. Here is a photo, but I didn't want to end with white.

I had enough black yarn to go one more round, and this is how I ended. The first ending row has 3 double crochets (green) in the "hole" from the row below. The next row (white row) has one double crochet The end row (black) has 3 double crochets.

You can read more about this afghan in my post here.

I did this afghan as a Crochet Along with Cyn from Cyns Quilted Travels blog and Pat from Pat's Patter. You can click either link and see their afghans in progress. You will also see that all of their skeins are attached to the afghan at once. I used Cyn's method for making the afghan with no tangles, but I still spent a fair amount of time untangling my yarn. So now that this is finished, I'll probably stick to afghans using one skein at a time, but I'm glad to have quilted along with friends on this one.

I hope you are finding some time to stitch today.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Braided Infinity Scarf

2014-01-06T19:29:00.000-05:00

This Braided Infinity Scarf is really quick and easy to make. I saw this scarf on Pinterest, and the link back was to bloglovin.com so I don't know where it originated. The directions that were typed below the photo didn't work out, so I made up my own. The photo I saw used 3 strips of the same color yarn, but I thought it would look neat to try one strip of a contrasting color.

Here are the directions for one strip:

I used worsted weight yarn and a size I crochet hook. (Use whatever hook works with the yarn you are using).
1 skein off white yarn
1 skein blue yarn
(I used Heartland by Lion Brand yarn)

Chain 162. HDC in the 3rd chain from hook and in each chain across. Chain 2, turn. HDC for 5 more rows. (6 rows total) One strip completed. Make a total of 3 strips.

Now comes the tricky part. The strips are braided. How tight or how loosely you braid depends on what you want the finished scarf to look like. I pinned the three strips to my design board.

I made several attempts at the braiding until I was satisfied with how the scarf looked.

The one below is pretty tight.

And this one is a bit too tight I think. The curve at the bottom of the scarf looks more like a knot!

After working with the scarf, I clipped the ends together (or you could use safety pins) until they were sewn. You can see that this next version is a lot looser. The one below isn't the final product, but I think I almost like it better.

This is a fun and easy scarf to make that looks much more complicated than it really is.

Next time I want to try one in three colors. I think that using either all one color or 3 different colors would work better.

This is a photo of my back yard taken through the kitchen window. We are under a travel ban due to a big snowfall and wind chills that are around -45F degrees. It is good weather to stay inside and crochet or knit.

Thanks for stopping by!

I hope you are finding some time to stitch today!

Granny Stripe Afghan Chart

2014-01-01T17:16:00.000-05:00

Do you remember my Granny Stripe Afghan that I finished about a year ago? Here are some photos. I received an email last week from a crocheter in Japan who has made up a chart for this afghan and has started her own version. I know a lot of people can crochet much easier by using a chart.

Thank you Ayaka for making the chart! Visit her blog Crochet and Me here to see her wonderful crochet and the chart she created.

Here is the link to my Granny Stripe Afghan rewrite pattern.

Here is a photo of the chart that Ayaka created. Be sure to visit her blog to see her gorgeous crochet projects.

I hope you are finding some time to crochet or knit today!

Thanks for visiting!

Shell Look Crocheted Baby Afghan Pattern and Tutorial

2013-11-01T15:20:00.001-04:00

Shell Look Baby Afghan

I've had several questions about my Shell Look Baby Blanket pattern. Some of you are no-reply bloggers, so I couldn't answer your questions directly. I decided to do a tutorial on this easy to do (but difficult looking) crocheted afghan.

Click here for the link to my post with just the pattern.
At the end of the post, there is a Print PDF button if you would like to print and save it.

Here is a tutorial for the afghan with photos.

Size approximately 30" X 30".

Use 3 - 4 skeins of worsted weight yarn.

Size H crochet hook (or size appropriate for the yarn you are using)

Directions:

Chain 83. (Multiple of 3 plus 5 stitches)

Row 1: In the 5th chain from hook work (sc, hdc, dc); *skip next 2 chains, in next ch work (sc, hdc, dc);

This is what the first row looks like. Arrows show the two skipped stitches.

Continue *sc, hdc, dc all in the same stitch, skip two stitches* all the way to the end. When you get to the end of the first row, it will look like this.

Do a double crochet in the last stitch. Chain 2 and turn.

The arrows show the stitch where you will put the sc, hdc, dc (in the top of the dc from the row below).

When you get to the end of the first row you have sort of a "clump" of stitches. I tried to show with arrows where you skip the next two stitches (black arrows) and double crochet in the next stitch (white arrow).

This photo shows the end of several rows. The double crochet at the end and the chain 2 will create a straight edge.

I did a test piece to show you the stitches using a solid color. But I think this pattern looks really complicated when you use a variegated yarn.

My measurements and hook size are just how my blanket turned out, but depending on how tightly or loosely you crochet, you may get a smaller or larger blanket. If I work a few rows on an afghan, I sometimes make a decision to rip it out and start with a longer chain. But more often than not, I keep going and then add a border (or several) around the outside when I'm finished to make it larger.

I hope you are finding some time to crochet a little today!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

If you have questions email me at lakrug@comcast.net

My Crochet UFO Container

2013-08-25T16:09:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time since I've posted. It has been a busy summer, and I don't do quite as many yarn projects in the summer as I do in fall and winter. Welcome to my new followers and subscribers. I'm glad you're here and that you waited so long for me to post.

I have been doing some cleaning and sorting, and I thought I'd share one of my containers of yarn with you.

There are a lot of UFOs in here plus lots of pretty yarn.

I really like Simply Soft yarn for afghans and projects that I know we (and the cat) will be using. Simply Soft is made by Caron and can be found at a lot of different retail outlets. I love all of the pretty colors that are available.

I thought maybe you would enjoy a peek inside of my container of yarn and UFOs. This is a Flower Petal Pillow that I started from a pattern over at Attic 24.

Here are 3 African Flowers that I made ages ago. The pattern for these is on Ravelry, and there is a You Tube video available if you just google African Flowers.

I don't remember what the left motif is. I think it is from the book Crochet Motifs that is on my shelf.
The motif on the right is from a free Red Heart pattern called Pokey Dot Throw.

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This is my Crochet Shell Afghan in progress. You can find it in my blog post titled Crochet Shell Afghan Tutorial. I've made a little progress on it since my last post about it.

This is a Granny Square Ripple afghan that I have started. I really like this one and would like to get back to working on it again.

This one is a Wavy Ripple Afghan. I've made a couple of these for baby gifts. The pattern is written by my daughter. I will find it and post the directions soon.

These are just knit squares using my leftover yarn balls. Cast on 25 stitches and then knit back and forth for 50 rows. I'm not sure that I really had a plan for these. I was just looking for a simple knit pattern to use up my leftovers.

I hope you are finding some time to crochet or knit a little today.

Thanks for stopping by!
I'll try to not stay away so long next time.
I appreciate your visit.

Once in awhile I get an email asking about something on my blog. I cannot answer you if you are an anonymous blogger or if you are set as a no-reply blogger. Click here for a link to a great tutorial showing how you can fix this.
I love your comments and questions and would love to be able to reply!

Never Ending Granny Square Afghan Progress

2013-05-29T09:25:00.000-04:00

This is my progress so far on my Never Ending Granny Square Afghan. Here is a link to a great You Tube video tutorial. I'm almost at the end of my first three skeins (one of each color). I have 2 more of each color so it will end up a bit larger. I'm using Cascade 220 yarn. I had 3 skeins each of the black, lime and white.

The photo above is the afghan on point so you don't see the twisted look in the center. When I made my Giant Granny Square Afghan seen in this post and this post, I turned my work over after every round. That prevents the afghan from being "in a twist". When you are working with 3 skeins (or 5 as shown in the You Tube Video), there is no choice but to go in all one direction. The great part about this afghan is that you don't have all of the ends to weave in after each round.

I've started my blanket over from the one shown below. I think I did something wrong when I started it (I was following a different tutorial), and my center ended after the green without spiralling.

If you look at the one on the right (below) that I'm working on now, and compare it to the one on the left you can see a difference. See how the one on the right spirals out from the green center. The one on the left doesn't. It begins as a regular granny square. I'll tear that one out and use the yarn on the bigger blanket.

This has been a fun project, and if you would like to see other versions of this Never Ending Granny Square Afghan go over and visit Cyn's blog. Cyn is using 5 skeins of yarn, and she tells a great way to keep your yarn from tangling when working on this project. She was the one that found the tutorial on line showing this Never Ending Granny Square and sent the photo and link to our little group. You can also look at Pat's afghan in this post. She is using 5 skeins.

I hope you are finding some time to take a few stitches today.

Thanks for visiting!

Spiral Granny Square Afghan

2013-05-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

My friend, Cyn from Cyn's Quilted Travels blog finds the greatest crochet patterns, and she always tags me on Facebook so I can go check them out. I have no very little will power so I usually grab a hook and some yarn and join in. This is our latest venture: The Spiral Granny Square Afghan. I'm not sure that I did the center right, and I really don't like the way it looks like it is in a twist so I may start over. I think my center should have spiraled out starting with the lime in the center. If you go over and visit Cyn's blog, she has a post up that will tell you how you can crochet with multiple skeins of yarn and keep it from tangling.

I really love the lime, black and white color combination. I bought some of each of these fabrics at our Dear Jane retreat in Shipshewana, Indiana, last month.

This quilt was hanging in Lolly's quilt shop for inspiration.

I hope you are finding some time to take a few stitches today!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

More Granny Squares

2013-04-06T22:58:00.002-04:00

I've been sorting through some of my yarn and unfinished yarn projects and came across these granny squares. It looks like I've done 18 rounds, and on round 19 I used the same color of blue. I don't know what I was thinking when I did these or what the plan was.

I guess it's a good idea to put some sort of notes in the bag with your project along with the kind of yarn you are using and the size crochet hook (or knitting needle) and the pattern name or a copy of the pattern. Usually when I stop one project and start another, I have good intentions of coming back to the one I just left.....but that doesn't always happen.

I could make more squares and join them, or I could make two giant granny afghans. Here's a link to the other giant granny that I made along with my tutorial on how to make a granny square.

I know if I don't take the time to weave the ends on these two blocks before I go on, I'm going to be really sorry.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tunisian Crochet Afghan

2013-03-21T12:52:00.000-04:00

This is my daughter's Tunisian Crochet afghan that is from the same pattern as the one I showed you in the previous post. As you can see, she has figured out the increase and decrease at the corners. I really like the colorway she has chosen, too.

This is mine so far. As you can see by comparing the photos, I just don't quite have it yet! We are both using a size K crochet hook. This afghan is started by chaining 10, turning and then doing rows of Tunisian crochet. We did our corners by using a video we found on you tube. Once I get all 10 of those stitches on the K hook, those first 2 or 3 are really hard to do in Tunisian. (I'm just using a regular crochet hook since it's only 10 stitches).

I keep looking at mine and am probably going to try those corner turns a couple more times. If that doesn't work out I will move on to Plan B.

This is the yarn that we are using I love the subtle color change.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Few New Projects

2013-03-11T23:18:00.000-04:00

I've started a few new projects since I last posted.....

This is the flower petal pillow from Attic 24 blog.

I started a scarf pattern I found in an old magazine in some of my leftover Colts color yarn.

I saw this Tunisian crochet blanket on Pinterest and have been trying to figure out how to increase and decrease at the corners.

This is one of my old stand by patterns for making an afghan. It is a double crochet done while you skip a chain in the row below. Then when you turn and come back you do a double crochet in the skipped chain. I'm using Homespun yarn that I bought at my local JoAnns store. This throw will be on the back of my chair for our cat, Tiki and I to use on chilly evenings.

Here is a closet look at the pattern.

Hope you are finding some time to stitch!

Thanks for stopping by.

Diagonal Striped Crocheted Pillow

2013-01-31T01:00:00.000-05:00

I just finished crocheting this diagonal pillow using the colors that I used in my Cath Kidston granny square afghan.

I just love the stripes. I found photos of several of these pillows on Pinterest and followed the link to this blog: The 8th Gem . She made her pillows using moss stitch. I really like the look of half double crochets, so that's what I used. Here's how it looks on our bed. Think I need more?

The pillow is made by crocheting a chain that is the same length as the diagonal of your pillow form. You turn and crochet (I did hdcs) back down the chain, add a stitch in the end, and crochet down the other side of the chain. You keep going around that center chain, creating a tube that fits diagonally around your pillow. It's quick, easy, and I love the look.

She doesn't show how she closed her pillow, so I just made this up. I stitched about 5 inches in from each corner and then slip stitched along the opening adding loops so that I could button the pillow around the form. This way I can change to another pillow cover easily.

I should be working on UFOs, but I started and finished this pillow pretty quickly.

I hope you take some time to take a few stitches each day.

Thanks for stopping by!

Granny Square Love

2013-01-17T06:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry.....I was tweaking some settings on my blog and accidentally took this post down.

This is one of the crochet books that I got for Christmas. Granny Square Love by Sarah London is a great little book for granny square inspiration even if you already know how to make granny squares.

I love this photo with the little yarn balls in the bright colored plastic strainer!

Look at this colorful market bag. If I make this it will probably be used to carry a yarn or quilting project.

Christmas stockings. I've thought about changing out our usual Christmas stockings. We have the red velvet stockings with the white cuff, and our names are "written" on with glitter.

This pillow would be nice if you read in bed or if you have small children around.

These projects look like they would be pretty quick to do either for yourself or they would make great gifts. I think the granny square is my favorite crochet block, and I'm glad it is making a comeback all over the internet.

Here is the granny square afghan that I finished this fall.

I hope you are finding some time to make a few stitches today.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Still Making Christmas Ornaments

2013-01-12T11:41:00.001-05:00

I am still in Christmas mode and have been making Christmas ornaments. This little crochet stocking is pretty easy to make. The pattern is over on Angie's (Sucrette) blog. You can find the pattern, Little Christmas Socks, listed over on her side bar. I think several of these would be cute all crocheted together in a chain. This was my first try. I think I need to move up a needle size on the next one. The "lumpy row" by the heel is where I crocheted over my threads. Next time I will take time to sew them in instead. I also realized that I grabbed the wrong size crochet hook after I was finished.

Last year my daughter and I made these tiny Christmas stocking ornaments from a pattern that she adapted. She drew up the fair aisle designs. You can see how small these are compared to my Starbucks mug.

You've seen all of those neat red and white knit Christmas ornaments all over the internet. This is my first attempt at knitting a Christmas ball. I love these things, but it has been so long since I've knit anything on double point needles that it just felt awkward. So I have to practice on this one for awhile. I'm thinking that maybe I can come up with a pattern that is knit flat and then stitched up afterwards. I know the time to work on Christmas things (at least for me) is right now while Christmas is still fresh on my mind. Stay tuned.

If you have a pattern or a link for these knit Christmas balls, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Crochet Year In Review

2012-12-30T13:03:00.002-05:00

Here is my crochet year in review with a little bit of knitting thrown in from time to time.

During the winter, I worked on two afghans plus a quilt for my new grandson, Daniel. This is the finished wavy ripple afghan that I gave him.

This was an attempt at the afghan you see above. After I crocheted awhile I saw it was going to be too long and narrow. I tried adding a border but wasn't satisfied with it. It is in a sack somewhere with more yarn to be repurposed next year or donated.

Two baby hats I knit for Daniel.

This is granny squares set with a granny ripple crochet. This is as much as I've finished.

I made a few cotton dishcloths. Here are just a couple of them.

I crocheted this granny square afghan as a gift for a friend's granddaughter.

This was a crochet along that started with two squares of fabric sewn together with a buttonhole stitch around the edge finished by crochet. I just made the one square.

I get a lot of email about my Mitered Square Sock Blanket. I started it awhile ago but once in awhile I pull it out and add a few squares.

I rewrote the tutorial to show how to join the squares and add squares on the sides.

This is my progress on it to date.

I buy fleece remnants at our local fabric shop, go around the edge with a skip stitch blade that I ordered on line, and crochet an edging on them. After I've done a few, I donate them to our local chapter of Project Linus.

I found this photo taken this year and don't know what (or where) it is. I don't know why there is the one plain gold row and the rest is granny stitch.

I had this photo posted on my blog for this past year, but I think that I finished most of this giant granny square afghan last year.

I might have made it larger and added this Ole Ole border from Sucrette's blog this year.

This is a pile of granny squares for my Cath Kidston granny square afghan.

Here it is finished.

I made a couple of African Flower blocks. I'd like to make more of these in 2013.

This was a Babette Blanket that I started. I just don't really like it, so it is a bag somewhere.

Knit entrelac scarf. Two more skeins to go.

Here are my three attempts at the Mixed Stitch Afghan stitch along over at Little Woolie's blog. I started this over three times and started a pillow, but there is one part of it that just won't lay flat. So I started my own mixed stitch blanket over again......also in a bag somewhere.

Katrin over at C attinka blog started me on Dragon's Tail scarves. This is my first one.

I made this one as a Christmas gift for my daughter-in-law, and I have a third one on the needles.

In the fall I started this shell afghan.

And I finished my granny stripe afghan.

I hope you have enjoyed my year in review yarn projects.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. It's been nice getting to know many of you this past year, and I appreciate your comments. I hope you will visit again in 2013!

Happy New Year to you!