Thursday, January 27, 2011

omg!!!

I've actually been linked on www.crochetpatterncentral.com for my crocodile stitch!

I've made the big times!!!

lol


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

I think...



I think I'm going to make my second video about "how to read a pattern."

I don't think a lot of people, at least from my experience, know how to do this very well. I know a lot of people who know how to crochet, but only do it without a pattern at all.

I think this may be helpful...

Monday, January 24, 2011

What!

What are you knitting/crocheting this winter?

www.nataliedee.com has it right! All I have right now is half finished projects!

GET THEM DONE!

Friday, January 21, 2011

What do you think?


I'm pondering about doing some more YouTube videos on How to Crochet.

I go at a slow understandable pace, do you think my style would be good to teach people to crochet? Or do I talk too much and go too slowly?

It'll be a huge undertaking!! But I'm up for it!!!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Finally...

If you have had any problems learning my Crocodile Stitch, I have finally added a video demonstrating the stitch. Please refer to the post, and the new videos have been posted at the bottom.

Thanks!

Jenny

ps. This is my first attempt at making a video, please forgive the crudeness of it. And I know I say "so this is what you're gonna want to do" a LOT. :)

Monday, January 17, 2011

My life...



MLK and yarn....


So I went to Hobby Lobby today to stock up on yarn for my current project; a crocheted rippled afghan. This monster is 55" wide...it's gonna take me a long looong time to finish. Luckily it's a really easy pattern, and I really like the colors I'm using.






Ripple Afghan

Special Stitches:

3 st dec: *yo, insert hook through next stitch, yo and pull loop through stitch, yo and pull through first 2 loops on hook; Repeat from * twice. Yo and pull through remaining 4 loops on hook.

2 st dec: *yo, insert hook through next stitch, yo and pull loop through stitch, yo and pull through first 2 loops on hook; Repeat from * once. Yo and pull through remaining 3 loops on hook.

Instructions:

Chain a multiple of 16 stitches plus 2 stitches.
For a 40 inch wide afghan, chain 130.
For a 55 inch wide afghan, chain 178.

Row 1: Dc in 3rd ch from hook; dc in next 6 ch, 3 dc in next ch, dc in next 6 ch; *work 3 st dec in next 3 ch, dc in next 6 ch, 3 dc in next ch, dc in next 6 ch; Repeat from * across. End by working 2 st dec in last 2 ch. Ch 2 and turn.
Note: The valleys will probably be shallower than the peaks at this point. Work another row or two and they should even up.

Row 2: Skip first dc; dc in next 7 dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in next 6 dc; *work 3 st dec in next 3 stitches, dc in next 6 dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in next 6 dc; Repeat from * across. End by working 2 st dec in last 2 dc. Ch 2 and turn.

Repeat Row 2 until afghan is desired length changing, colors as desired. If you are using more than one color of yarn, I suggest changing colors every 2 rows.

Changing colors

At end of row, when working the 2 st dec, drop the current color of yarn when you have the last 3 loops left on your hook to finish the stitch. Yarn over with new color of yarn and pull through 3 loops on hook. Ch 2 and turn.

Leave 5 or 6 inch ends of each color of yarn to weave in.



Once I find the website I got this from I'll be sure to credit them for this pattern. (This is not my pattern!)

So I'm enjoying having MLK day off from work. What better time to finish some half-done projects!

Jenny

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Crocodile Stitch


...so I came across a lovely pattern on www.ravelry.com that included using, what they called, the Crocodile Stitch.

Firstly, I have no problem paying for a pattern that someone has created and
posted on the internet. I have no problem paying for an item that I don't want to make myself, from the internet.

BUT, I don't think there is any reason to have to pay to learn a stitch. ONE STINKING STITCH! Then I can make anything I want! Would you expect to charge someone to learn how to make a double crochet? No, I don't think so.

So I really loved this "Crocodile Stitch", but couldn't find it anywhere in an
y pattern that wasn't charging me. I did find a few videos on You-Tube and after watching them a hundred times, came up with my own method. Here is one such video: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puCaY4mfTo4)

This video, however, only shows how to create the first row, and not the second row and so forth. So again, I figured it out (MY OWN WAY, you can change it up any which way you want to!) and came out with nice results.

So to be a good citizen, I will share my method with you, so that you can have a lovely scarf for yourself and your loved ones.






Crocodile Stitch Scarf

Medium: Crochet

Tools: You can use whatever yarn/hook combination you want. For this swatch I used an "I" hook, and worsted weight yarn, more specifically, "I love this yarn!" bought at my loca
l Hobby Lobby.

Gauge: Whatever you want! :)

Abbreviations: ch - chain, DC - double crochet



Create slip knot. Chain in increments of 3 until you have a chain as long as you want for what you are making.
* For the scarf I made above, I chained 18.

DC in 3rd chain from hook.
*Ch 2, Skip 2 ch, 2 DC* until the end of the chain.

Ch 1. Without turning work over, turn your work 90 degrees.

5 DC in first DC

Ch 1.

5 DC in second DC. This is your first shell/scallop/scale.

Skip next set of 2 DC's. Create Scale pattern in the 3rd set of 2 DC's.

Skip next set of 2 DC's. Create Scale pattern in the 5th set of 2 DC's.

Continue to the end of the row.

Ch 2, turn work over.

2 DC into center of the last Scale you crocheted. Ch 2.

2 DC between the last 2 Scales you crocheted. Ch 2.

Continue to the end of the row.

Ch 1. Turn work over.

Crochet the Scale pattern into the first set of 2 DC's. Skip 2nd set of DC's, crochet the Scale pattern into the 3rd set of DC's and continue to the end of the row.

Make this pattern however long you want, in this case, into a neck warmer or a scarf.

Enjoy!


She must spy on me...

Nothing I love better...


There's nothing I love better than to have a couple of knitting needles, (or a crochet hook), a big ball of yarn, my computer with I-Tunes, and a huge chunk of time to knit away and meditate.

I love creating and making all that I can, from gifts for my loved ones, to a scarf for myself. I love finding new and unusual stitches, beautiful yarn colors, and whimsical patterns to fulfill my creative fantasies.

I hope that with this blog I will be able to share with you the fancies I have found and loved, and hope that you will love them too.

Get knitting!

Jenny