Shell Stitches 10111 and 11101

Well, we're nearing the end of this little experiment in shell stitches.  Today's offering includes 10111 (green) and 11101 (purple) are very solid and don't look very different from the original simple shell stitch.  There's nothing wrong with the stitches, but there's also nothing special with them either.  I don't think I'll reuse them, because there are so many other stitches available.

Stitch 10111:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [3 dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([3 dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, sc in dc after ch 1 space) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 11101:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 1, 3 dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 1, 3 dc] in sc, sc in dc before ch 1 space) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Christmas Gifts

Well Christmas has come and gone, I hope you had a merry one.  Now back to work!  Only 364 days til the next one!  It seems like we spend so much time making everything perfect, and then it's over so quickly.  Hopefully memories were made that will endure.

I thought I'd share what I crafted for Christmas this year.  (I couldn't earlier because my family wouldn't be surprised if I did!)  I gave up crafting for the men in my family a while ago because they don't wear scarves, or hats (at least crocheted ones), and they don't need warm socks or other such things where they live.,  So just my mom and my sister were the recipients of the results of my craftiness.

My mom had seen my shawls and liked the idea of a shawl, but not of a triangular one.  So, I made a rectangular one for her.  It came out great, and now I want to make one for myself too.

Here's the shawl pattern:
Chain 182, then work stitch 10.  Do 7 repeats of the stitch pattern ending with round 4.
Border:
Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 2: (sc, ch 3, sk 1) around, (sc, ch 3, sc) in corner

Final dimensions: 68"x 20"
I made this using Simply Soft yarn in Black and a J hook.  (This took just over 2 skeins.) 

My sister learned how to crochet a couple of months after I did (I taught her).  It didn't grab her like it did me, and she put it aside.  When I came home on vacation this summer, she asked me to teach her again because she wanted to crochet some more.  So, one evening of showing her the stitches again, and she was good to go.  Refreshers are so much easier than actual learning sessions.  Anyway, this time the crochet bug got her, and she's made dozens of scarves and is even working on her first blanket.

So for Christmas this year, I decided that she needed a tote bag for her crochet.  So I made a Fat Bag for her just like the one I use to cart my projects around.  Of course, I did modify the pattern a bit, mainly just making the handles shorter; my notes for this project are here.  These are particularly nice because it is fairly simple to sew fabric in as a lining, which keeps your hooks from falling through the bag.

I made this using Red Heart yarn in Cornmeal and a J hook.  (This pattern uses ~1.5 skeins.)

Shell Stitch 10101

I knew intuitively that this stitch would be good.  It has the same appearance as a normal shell stitch except you can actually see the individual stitches.  That alone makes it beautiful.  From a little further back, you can see the seemingly intricate network created by the stitch.  I like it because it is consistently solid throughout without being completely solid, if that makes any sense.  It's not a really dense stitch, but it is evenly covered, with no large holes.   I tested this out by making a baby blanket from it, which turned out great. 

Here's the stitch pattern:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, sc in middle dc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

And here's the baby blanket pattern:
Chain 95, then work stitch 10101 until work is square.
Add this border to complete it:
Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in each corner
Round 2: dc around, 5 dc in each corner
Round 3: sc around, 3 sc in each corner
Round 4: (sc, ch 3, sk 1) around, (sc, ch 3, sc in same stitch) at corner

I made this with Bernat Baby Peach Blossom and a J hook. 

Shell Stitches 10011 and 11001

Continuing the shell stitch series, here are stitches 10011 (blue) and 11001 (green).  This pair of stitches looks neat because of the diagonal lines of holes throughout the fabric.  They are practically the same but for the edges.  Once again, I prefer the more solid edging of 10011.

Stitch 10011:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [2 dc, ch 2, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([2 dc, ch 2, dc] in sc, sc in ch 2 sp) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 11001:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in sc, sc in ch 2 sp) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Shell Stitch 10001

This variation is my favorite so far because it looks really neat, is really easy to do, and is distinctly different from all the rest.  Going through all of these stitches was worth it just to learn this stitch.  The fabric is a grid of square holes surrounded with two strands on all sides.  Since first trying out this stitch, I've made several scarves out of this stitch.  It's ideal for scarves because it's a little bit stretchy due to crocheting into spaces, which makes it more comfortable, but still solid enough to be warm.  If you're going to make a scarf, chaining 23 works great.

Without further ado:
Stitch 10001:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 3, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 3, dc] in sc, sc in ch 3 space) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

12th Man Blanket

Today is the last time this century that the date is repetitive.  12-12-12 has special meaning to Aggies because of the 12th Man.  At 12:12 central time, the War Hymn was broadcast on the radio and played everywhere. 

University of New Mexico game: September 5, 2009

In case you don't already know the history of the 12th Man here it goes:
On January 2, 1922, in Dallas, during the Dixie Classic, a forerunner of the Cotton Bowl, an Aggie, E. King Gill was called from the stands to suit up as a substitute.  Hence the phrase, 12th Man.

So basically, the Aggie football team was reduced down to 11 uninjured players.  There are 11 players on the field at any time, so if anyone else went down, there wouldn't have been anyone to replace them.  So, they called a student out of the stands to fill in as necessary.  No one else was injured, but he stood on the sideline the rest of the game, ready and willing to help his team.  Since then, the entire student section of Texas A&M stands for the whole game.  We are the home of the 12th Man.


On this most auspicious day for Aggieland and Aggies everywhere, I think it's an appropriate time to unveil my latest Aggie afghan.  I'm extremely happy with how it turned out, and I plan on keeping this one.

Here's the pattern:
Color pattern:
1 row white, (2 rows maroon, 2 rows of white) repeated, ending with 1 row of white.  The border is all maroon.

Chain 184, then work stitch 4 as written.
Border:
Round 1: sc around; 3 sc in corner
Round 2: dc around; 5 dc in corner
Round 3: sc around; 3 sc in corner
Round 4: dc around; 5 dc in corner
Round 5: sc around; 3 sc in corner


I made this with I Love this Yarn in Aubergine and White with a J hook.

Shell Stitches 01111 and 11110

The next entries in this series are stitches 01111 (brown) and 11110 (maroon).  These are so similar to the simple shell stitch, that there is little point in using them.  However, the maroon version does have some noticeable holes, particularly at the ends.  For this reason, I prefer the maroon version over the brown version.  The holes are the only thing that makes this at all interesting, and even then, it's still not that interesting.

Anyway, here they are:

Stitch 01111:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, 4 dc in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (4 dc in sc, ch 1, sc in 2nd dc) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 11110:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, 4 dc in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, 4 dc in sc, sc in 3rd dc) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Shell Stitches 01101 and 10110

It's been a while since the last shell stitch post, and I really want to finish this, so here's the next one: stitches 01101 and 10110.  These are both easy to do, and, in my opinion, pretty.  I prefer the purple version (01101) to the green version (10110) because the edges are more consistent with the bulk of the work. 

Stitch 01101:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in sc, ch 1, sc in dc before ch 1 space) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc
Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 10110:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, [2 dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, [2 dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, sc in dc after ch 1 space) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc
Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Poof Ball Hat

I was recently asked if I could make a poof ball hat.  Though I had never made one, I responded that I could, after all, ravelry has patterns for everything.  So I went home, looked, and found the Two Ball Crochet Hat pattern.  I liked the band of this hat.  Anyway, I started working on it, basically ignoring the gauge, just making sure that it would fit my head.  This resulted in the band being 56 rows, not 80 rows, but the hat fits.  After I finished the band I continued on with the pattern and discovered that the top of the hat is a lot looser and full of holes than it looks in the pictures.  I didn't like this, so I pulled that part out and completely redid it.  Essentially the only parts of the original pattern that I kept were the band and the poof ball.

Anyway, here's the pattern:
Entire Hat is in brown except for rows 9 and 11 and the poof ball which are in cream.

ldc= linked double crochet 


Band:
Ch 10
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (9 sc)
Rows 2-56: ch 1, turn, sc across in back loops only (9 sc)

To join: ch 1, align edges, sl st through both edges across

Hat:
Round 1: ch 1, turn, (sc, ch 1, sk 1) around, join
Round 2: ch 1, turn, (sc in sc, sc in ch 1 sp) around, join
Round 3: ch 3, turn, ldc around, join
Round 4: ch 1, turn, sc around, join
Round 5: ch 3, turn, ldc around, join
Round 6: ch 1, turn, sc around, join
Round 7: ch 3, turn, ldc around, join
Round 8: ch 1, turn, sc around, joinRound 9: ch 1, turn, sc around, join (cream)
Round 10: ch 1, turn, sc around, join (brown)
Round 11: ch 1, turn, sc around, join (cream)
Round 12: ch 1, turn, sc around   (from this point on, do not join, or turn)
Rounds 13-17: (sc in next 5 sc, decrease) around
Rounds 18-22: (sc in next 3 sc, decrease) around

There should be 9 stitches at the end.  Fasten off, leaving a long end.  Thread this end through the stitches on the last row and pull tight.

Poof Ball:
Following the instructions on your pom pom maker, make a 2" poof ball.  I used the green on in the Susan Bates pom pom maker.  Attach poof ball to hat by threading the long end of the hat through the knots holding the poof ball together then going through the hat, then back through the knot.  Repeat this until poof ball is securely attached.  Weave in the end.

I made this using I Love this Yarn in Brown and Cream and a J hook.

Simple Christmas Tree Skirt

I recently purchased a small, about 4 feet tall, Christmas tree from a resale shop and set it up.  Back home we've always had Noble firs, so I've never had a fake tree before.  Anyway, one thing that's different about fake trees is that at least on mine, the base is all scrawny green plastic.  So as I was admiring the tree and the festive atmosphere it brought to the room, I observed the unsightly base.  The base is more noticeable than normal because I put the tree on a chair to make it taller, so the base is just a little below eye level when you're sitting down. 

Anyway, after contemplating for a few minutes, I decided to crochet a tree skirt.  I've pondered how I would go about making one before, but you really only need one tree skirt per tree, so having extra doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  Back home we use a beautiful quilted version my great aunt made decades ago.  Now I had an excuse!

Color Pattern:

6 rows maroon, (2 rows white, 6 Rows maroon) repeated once; last row in maroon

Chain 37

Row 1:  2 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 5 ch, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 5 ch) across (42 sc)
Row 2: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 6 ch) across (48 sc)
Row 3: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 7 ch) across (54 sc)
Row 4: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 8 ch) across (60 sc)
Row 5: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 9 ch) across (66 sc)
Row 6: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 10 ch) across (72 sc)
Row 7: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 11 ch) across (78 sc)
Row 8: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 12 ch) across (84 sc)
Row 9: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 13 ch) across (90 sc)
Row 10: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 14 ch) across (96 sc)
Row 11: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 15 ch) across (102 sc)
Row 12: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 16 ch) across (108 sc)
Row 13: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 17 ch) across (114 sc)
Row 14: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 18 ch) across (120 sc)
Row 15: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 19 ch) across (126 sc)
Row 16: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 20 ch) across (132 sc)
Row 17: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 21 ch) across (138 sc)
Row 18: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 22 ch) across (144 sc)
Row 19: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 23 ch) across (150 sc)
Row 20: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 24 ch) across (158 sc)
Row 21: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 25 ch) across (162 sc)
Row 22: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 26 ch) across (168 sc)
Row 23: ch 1, turn, (sc, ch 3, sk 1) across 

The opening in the middle is the right size for this small fake tree, but it won't be big enough for an actual tree trunk.  To adjust it, simply chain one more than the number of sc for a round.  For example, if you've chained 37 and it's not big enough, chain 43 then check again.  If it's still too small, chain 49, or 55 etc.  Each row you add 6 sc; so you can figure out how to do the 'extra' rows if you start in a different place.

I made this using Red Heart yarn in Claret and White with a J hook.

Dog Mats

It's been getting chilly around here, and I know my pup is a little cold too.  So, I've wanted her to have a bed to lie on while I crochet, without having to move hers all over the apartment every day.  I've been looking to buy her another one, but in the meantime I decided to crochet one up, and just see how it would turn out.

My first attempt, I chained 31, which looked to be the right width to fit in her crate, and then I crocheted a rectangle.  After several rows, I compared it to the crate again and realized that I had made it too large, so I simply decided to turn it and make it the length instead of the width.  It ended up being 12"x18", just big enough for her to lie down on if she was curled up in a little ball exactly in the middle. 

Further work was needed; this attempt was relegated to her crate because it's better than nothing for my pup.  This would also be good as a doormat.

My next attempt, I decided to make circular.  This one was not designed to fit in her crate at all.  She was curled up at my feet as I was working on it, so I would periodically lay it over her to determine if it was big enough yet or not.  This one ended up being 18" in diameter, so it's nice and big for her.

Here are the patterns:
First attempt:
Working with 3 strands together throughout.
Chain 31
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc across (30 sc)
Rows 2-18: ch 1, turn, sc across (30 sc)
Border:
Work 2 rounds of sc with 3 sc in each corner

Made with Red Heart yarn in Country Rose, Coffee, and Claret and an M hook. 

Second attempt:
Working with 3 strands together throughout:
Chain 2
Round 1: 6 sc in 2 2nd ch from hook
Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around (12 sc)
Round 3: (2 sc in sc, sc in next sc) around (18 sc)
Round 4: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 2 sc) around (24 sc)
Round 5: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 3 sc) around (30 sc)
Round 6: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 4 sc) around (36 sc)
Round 7: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 5 sc) around (42 sc)
Round 8: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 6 sc) around (48 sc)
Round 9: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 7 sc) around (54 sc)
Round 10: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 8 sc) around (60 sc)
Round 11: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 9 sc) around (66 sc)
Round 12: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 10 sc) around (72 sc)
Round 13: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 11 sc) around (78 sc)
Round 14: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 12 sc) around (84 sc)
Round 15: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 13 sc) around (90 sc)
Round 16: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 14 sc) around (96 sc)
Round 17: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 15 sc) around (102 sc)
Round 18: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 16 sc) around (108 sc)
Lip:
Round 19: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 16 sc) around (108 sc)
Round 20: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 16 sc) around (108 sc)
Round 21: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 16 sc) around (108 sc)
Round 22: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 16 sc) around (108 sc)

Made with Bernat Handicrafters Cotton yarn in Lotus Twists with an M hook.

Quick Baby Hat

So a friend of mine is having a baby girl soon, and her baby shower was this weekend.  I had already decided to give her a baby blanket, and let her pick it out.  About an hour before the shower, I decided to try to make a baby hat.  Because of the time constraint I decided to just design it on the fly and see if I liked it.  My first attempt started at the bottom of the hat, the largest point, and narrowed.  Midway, I looked at what I had made and it looked like it could be a skirt for a Barbie doll.  So, I simply cut the yarn and started over.  My next attempt, I started at the top and went down which worked much better.


This project came out very small, but then, babies are very small.  This was a first attempt at really designing  a baby hat, so some modification and optimization is needed.  However, my friend loved it and said that if it's too small, or once it's too small, it'll be great as a doll hat.  So in any case, it was appreciated and will be used. 

Here's how I made it:
Chain 4,
Round 1: 15 dc in 4th ch from hook, slip st to join
Round 2: ch 3, dc, (2 dc in next dc, dc in next 2 dc) around, slip st to join
Round 3-6: ch 3, dc around, slip st to join
Fasten off, weave in ends.

Fold up the last row to finish.


I made this using Baby Bee Too Sweet yarn and an E hook.

Browns Blanket

Well, I've done it again: I've made another blanket!  I was commissioned to make this one as a Christmas gift for a fan of the Cleveland Browns.  This absolutely gorgeous blanket reminded me why I like stitch 1 so much.  The final look of this stitch is still one of my favorites, but it's not as quick as I remembered.  Compared to some of the other stitches, that grow at the speed of dc, this is slow because it's only every other row that really adds to the height. 

The color pattern I used is 1 row of orange, 2 rows of brown, then (2 rows of orange, 2 rows of brown) repeated, ending with a single row of orange, and a brown border.

Here's the pattern:
Chain 154, then work stitch 1 until satisfied with the length. 
Add this border to complete it:

Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 2: dc around, 5 dc in corner
Round 3: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 4: (dc, ch 1, sk 1) around, (dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc) in corner
Round 5: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 6: dc around, 5 dc in corner
Round 7: sc around, 3 sc in corner

I made this from I Love this Yarn in Orange and Brown with a J hook.

Star Spangled Afghan

I'm heading to another one of my buddy's weddings this weekend, and that means another blanket.  Their wedding colors are navy and cream, so I pondered for a while what I would do with those colors.  Here's what I came up with: using stitch 25.  I like how this ended up, it looks kinda like the stars on the United States flag.  If I ever crocheted a flag, I'd use this stitch for the stars.  In any case, I'm very pleased with this afghan and hope the newlyweds will be as well.

Color Pattern:
1 row of navy, (1 row of cream, 2 rows of navy) repeated, ending with 1 row of navy and a navy border.  

Here's how to make it:

Chain 152, then work stitch 25 until work reaches desired length.
Add this border and you're done:
Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 2: dc around, 5 dc in corner
Round 3: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 4: dc around, 5 dc in corner
Round 5: sc around, 3 sc in corner

I used I Love this Yarn in Navy and Cream with a J hook to make this. 

It took 3 skeins of cream, and 8 skeins of navy to complete this.

Boot Socks!

If you're like me, you've wondered why people would bother to make their own socks.  I mean, comfy socks are actually inexpensive, so what's the appeal?  At the same time, I've been curious about them, intrigued actually.  So I was on pinterest and saw some really cute boot socks, that you would wear with your really cute boots.  I followed the pin and saw that they were $32!  I'm not going to pay that much for a pair of socks, but I had some sock yarn in my stash and I did a ravelry search to find a pattern.  Here's what I found: Knee Socks in Crochet. 

It's actually pretty easy to follow, though I did modify it a bit.  The pattern calls for a J hook, but I wanted to use my sock yarn and on the package it said to use a D hook so I used an E hook.  Also, because I was using thinner yarn, I had to do more rows to make them fit my feet (I have size 10 feet).  Anyway, I had to add 2 extra rows to the bottom of the sock, so round 21 is really round 23. 

Also, I did not cut the yarn after chaining 12 and attaching it for the heel.  I simply continued on with the barrel of the sock.  When I had a complete round of gray at the top of each sock, I cut the yarn, wove in ends, and went to work on the heel.  For the heel, I basically followed the instructions, but honestly, from making so many stuffed animals, I know almost instinctively how to close up a hole to my satisfaction, which is really all the heel is. 

So now I have a pair of socks to wear with my boots, and it only cost me two skeins from my stash.  I do not recommend these for selling, because they take way too long to make.  To make the pair I spent at least 6 hours.  However, they would make fairly inexpensive gifts and with good color selection, could be for both guys and gals.  It would be difficult for the recipient of a pair of lovingly crocheted socks to properly appreciate the work that goes in (and it's a lot), so be careful who you bestow your masterpiece on.

I made these with Patons Kroy Socks Stripes yarn in Mulberry Stripes with an E hook.

Shell Stitch 01110

 This was actually one of the first stitches I tried out back in July.  I finished the baby blanket, then put it aside because it would be a while til it came up.  Unfortunately, I lost track of it and had failed to photograph it.  I was getting ready to just make a swatch so I could post again when I found it!  So, here it is, in all its glory. 

Here's the stitch pattern:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, 3 dc in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1,  2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, 3 dc in sc, ch 1, sc in ch 1 space) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

And here's the baby blanket pattern:
Chain 95, then work the above stitch until it is square. 
Last row: ch 1, turn, sc in first 2 dc, (hdc in ch 1 sp, hdc in sc, hdc in ch 1, sp, sc in next 3 dc) across, hdc in last ch 1 sp, hdc in last sc

Border:
Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in each corner
Round 2: dc around, 5 dc in each corner
Round 3: sc around, 3 sc in each corner
Round 4: (sc, ch 3, sk 1) around, (sc, ch 3, sc in same stitch) at corner

I made this with Baby Bee Sweet Delight Pomp Iris Dream yarn and a J hook.

Shell Stitches 01011 and 11010

Well, here we go with the next modified shell stitches: 01011 (blue) and 11010 (green).  There's nothing wrong with these stitches, but there's really nothing special about them either.  I doubt that I will use these again because there are so many other stitches out there that are great.  In this case, I actually prefer the less solid edge version (green) because the gaps are what makes this at all interesting. 

In any case, here are the patterns:
Stitch 01011:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [2 dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([2 dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, ch 1, sc in ch 1 space) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 11010:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, [dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, [dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in sc, sc in ch 1 space) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Shell Stitch 01010

So, this stitch is fairly open because there is a chain between every stitch.  This is a particularly mindless stitch because of the regularity of the chains.  It's a good balance between solid and lacy.  Scarves or baby blankets out of this stitch would be pretty. 

Anyway, here's the pattern:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, [dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1,  2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, [dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, ch 1, sc in ch 1 space) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

Shell Stitches 01001 and 10010

Moving on to the next pair of stitches in the series: we have stitches 01001 (blue) and 10010 (green).  Both stitches are easy to work, and give a lacy look.  I prefer the blue version (01001) because the edges are more in line with the rest of the work.  I was actually surprised by how much I like this stitch.  It's lacy, but still mostly filled in.  It looks much more complicated than it actually is, but it still manages to look neat and tidy.  The green version is also pretty, but I really like the blue one.  I will probably use this stitch in the future to make scarves. 

Here are the stitch patterns:
Stitch 01001:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 2, dc] in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 2, dc] in sc, ch 1, sc in ch 2 space) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 10010:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, [dc, ch 2, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1,  2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, [dc, ch 2, dc] in sc, sc in ch 2 space) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

Shell Stitches 00111 and 11100

These next stitches are very reminiscent of Stitch 2 from Darla Sim's book.  There are solid vertical columns separated by diagonal chains.  Stitches 00111 (pink) and 11100 (gray) are simple to do, and look interesting.  Honestly though, I don't intend to use these stitches again because I prefer Stitch 2.  It's like an optimized version of these modified shell stitches.  If you don't have the book, then this is an option.  Of these two stitches I predictably like the 00111 (pink) version because of the solid edges.

Well, here they are:
Stitch 00111:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, 3 dc in next ch, ch 2, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (3 dc in sc, ch 2, sc in first dc) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 11100:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 2, sk 2, 3 dc in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 2, 3 dc in sc, sc in third dc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Support Hobby Lobby!

As you probably know, Hobby Lobby stores around the country are closed on Sundays because of the religious beliefs of the owner.  One aspect of those religious beliefs is that life begins at conception, therefore abortion is wrong.  Whether you agree with him or not, those are his beliefs, and he has a First Amendment right to them. 

Now Obamacare is requiring Hobby Lobby, along with every company in the country to provide abortion inducing drugs as part of their health insurance coverage or face penalties upwards of a million dollars a day.  Hobby Lobby has decided to challenge this in court, and they are facing retaliation in the form of a boycott.  Hopefully this boycott is as successful as the one against Chick-fil-a.  Hobby Lobby makes great yarn, and they stock many other brands of great yarn.  Support Hobby Lobby and buy from them!

Here's the news story I saw about this today.

Shell Stitches 00110 and 01100

It's that time of year! Time for craft fairs!  Which means that I've been working on building up an inventory of things I think will sell.  So I've made probably 20 of the Half Lace Shawls in the past month, along with probably a dozen curly scarves.  All this means, that I haven't really made much that is post worthy recently, though I have been very productive crochet-wise.  

Anyway, I decided I needed to post again, so I took some time out and tried out the next stitches in the Modified Shell stitch series: stitch 00110 (blue) and stitch 01100 (green).  There is very little difference in the two stitches; the only notable one is that the blue one has 2 dc at the end of each row, and the green one has only 1.  Also, when working the blue stitch, sc in the first dc, and when working the green stitch, sc in the second dc.  Other than that, they're identical, and pretty easy to do.  They both have columns ascending vertically throughout the work. 

Here are the patterns:
Stitch 00110:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, 2 dc in next ch, ch 2, sk 2, sc) across, 2 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, 2 dc in sc, ch 2, sc in first dc) across, 2 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 01100:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 2, sk 2, 2 dc in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 2, 2 dc in sc, ch 1, sc in second dc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

Stitch 28 Shrug

This week I took another stab at making a shrug, again using Nettie's pattern as a guide.  Last time, I used the Spaced Shell Stitch for the body of the shrug and had issues because shells don't stretch well.  This time I used stitch 28 because it still looks like shells, but it has some give in it.  I'm actually very happy with how this turned out, and intend to use this stitch for shrugs in the future. 

Following the 6T size of the pattern and using my trusty J hook, it ended up being adult sized as I had intended. 

I made this with Simply Soft Celestial yarn and a J hook.

Manly Scarf

Making anything for a guy is generally a challenge.  The art of crochet does not lend itself to masculinity, in general.  I think I've managed to make a scarf a guy would like and would actually wear.  It's a very simple pattern and would look good in a variety of color combinations.  If you look closely, you can see the long stitches running the length of the scarf.  This particular scarf is for a Cleveland Browns fan.

Color Pattern:
7 rows orange, (7 rows brown, 7 rows orange) repeated.  With 17 total blocks, the scarf measured 77" long.

Here's the pattern:
Chain 19, then work stitch 21.


I made this with I Love this Yarn in Brown and Orange with a J hook.

Shell Stitches 00101 and 10100

It's been a bit crazy recently because I was moving.  Now that the move is complete, I can actually crochet and blog again, so here goes.  We have here on the left, the purple, stitch 00101, and on the right, the red, stitch 10100.  Once again, the yarn choice affects the look of the stitch.  Regardless, the overall effect of the stitches are the same: they create columns of partially filled in triangles mixed with columns of completely open triangles.  As before, I prefer stitch 00101 over 10100 because of the more filled in edges.

Here's how to do these stitches:
Stitch 00101:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, ch 2, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, ch 2, sk dc, sc in dc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 10100:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, ch 2, [dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 2, [dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, sk dc, sc in dc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

Storytime: Stress Relief Gloves!

Got a story for you!  Last spring I decided to make a baby blanket for a friend, but I had to have it done in time for me to take it with me on the plane in less than a week.  I had been crocheting for about a year at this point, and wasn't as fast I am now, so this was a problem.  Another issue was that I was using a G hook for this blanket.  I use a J hook for just about everything, so this was a departure for me.  Added to that was the difficulty in the pattern I was using.  It was the Little Snowballs pattern and it has an odd stitch in it.  Anyway, all of this combined to make my hands hurt dreadfully.  It got so bad that even when I wasn't doing anything they still hurt.  Crocheting aggravated it further, but I just couldn't put down my hook long enough for my hands to heal.  This went on for a full month.

At this point I was willing to try just about anything, so when I saw these stress relief gloves I decided to give them a shot.  I didn't expect them to work; I still don't know why they work, but they do!  They had an amazing effect upon my hands.  Initially I slept with them on, and I'd wake up and my hands would actually feel great.  Not just not in pain, but noticeably good.  Within a very short time my hands were feeling good again, and I could crochet without pain.

I highly recommend these gloves to anyone with hand pain, or anyone in general because they actually work!  I wear them whenever I crochet because I want to prevent that horrible pain from ever coming back.  It's been over a year since I started using them, and I've not had a problem.  I'm also more conscious of when my hands start to hurt.  I've found that I can crochet about twice as long if I wear these gloves than I could without them.  However, they do wear out, and by that I mean, they stretch out, become looser, and aren't as effective.  I think I've gone through 3 pairs in a year, so they last for a while.  The more you use them the quicker they'll wear out, so if you don't crochet like crazy like I do they'll last longer for you. 

I know that Joanns and AC Moore sell these gloves: "Lion Brand Stress Relief Gloves".  Last I checked, they were $15 at Joanns and $22 at AC Moore.  With a 50% off coupon, they're only $7.50 at Joanns and they last for months.  You can of course buy them online, but you really need to get the right size.  There's a sizing guide on the back of the package that's really easy to use.

Since they are bright blue, fingerless gloves, they look a little odd to most people.  It seems like every time I use them around other people, I get asked about them.  People are curious about them.  There are of course, other brands of these gloves, but I have only tried Lion Brand's and I know they work.  Plus, the Crochet Dude's version make it look like you have tattoos of their logo on your hands, which I think looks tacky. 

I thought this was an appropriate time to bring these gloves up because making the Speedy Afghan in only 6 days was something I never could have done without these gloves.  My hands would have given out and made it impossible to do this.

Speedy Afghan

Have you ever looked at a ball of yarn and just seen what you should make?  That happened to me last week when I found some clearance yarn at Hobby Lobby.  I bought the yarn and planned out the afghan, which I was planning to keep for myself.  The next day I went to a friend's wedding and the colors I had bought were exactly the colors they had used.  The entire time I was working on this blanket I was thinking of them and I realized that this was really for them.  I would always think of them when I saw it, so when they get back from their honeymoon, I'll give it to them.

Anyway, I got carried away with this project and I completed the entire blanket in only 6 days!  I didn't think that was possible, but I had nothing planned for the weekend, and no other large projects I was committed to working on.  Additionally, the design of the blanket motivated me to do a little more than I normally would.  I did blocks of color that were 12 rows high.  Where normally I might have wanted to stop after doing 9 rows, I'd go ahead and finish all 12.  Also, since each of the color blocks is roughly 11" tall, I only needed to do 8 blocks.  So, I originally had planned to do a block a day and be done in 8 days, plus another day probably to add a border.  On the third day of this, I felt like doing more after I had finished my block.  That all contributed to this being done in record time.

So, here's the pattern:
Chain 182 in yellow, then work stitch 13 from the Triple Play Pattern Stitches book.


Color Pattern: 12 rows each of (yellow, white, gray, yellow, white, gray, yellow, white)

Then add this border in gray: (it's the same one I used for the Thin Mint Blanket, and the Oreo Blanket)
Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 2: dc around, 5 dc in corner
Round 3: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 4: (dc, ch 1, sk 1) around, (dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc) in corner
Round 5: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 6: dc around, 5 dc in corner
Round 7: sc around, 3 sc in corner

I made this with I Love this Yarn in Buttercup, Antique White, and Graybeard yarn with a J hook.

Open Hexagons Baby Blanket

So, I tried out the Open Hexagons stitch, which is a combination of the simple shell stitch, and the 00100 shell stitch, by making a baby blanket.  I intended to make it an Aggie blanket by adding white in the border, but I decided to just have it be a solid maroon blanket.

Here's the pattern:
Chain 92, then work the aforementioned stitch until work is square. 
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, 5 dc in next ch, sk 2, sc) across
Row 2: ch 3, turn, 2 dc in first sc, sk 2, (sc in dc, ch 2, sk 2, dc in sc, ch 2 sk 2, sc, sk 2, 5 dc) across, 3 dc in last sc
Row 3: ch 1, turn, sc in dc, (sk 2, 3 dc in sc, ch 2 , sk 2, sc, ch 2, sk 2, 3 dc, sk 2, sc) across, sc in last dc
Row 4: repeat Row 2
Row 5: ch 1, turn, sc in dc, (sk 2, 5 dc in sc, sk 2, sc in dc) across, sc in last dc
Row 6: ch 3, turn, 2 dc in first sc, (sk 2, sc in dc, sk 2, 5 dc in sc, sk 2, sc in dc, ch 2, sk 2, dc in sc, ch 2) across, 3 dc in last sc
Row 7: ch 1, turn, sc in dc, sk 2, 5 dc in sc, (sk 2, sc in dc, sk 2, 3 dc in sc, ch 2, sk 2, sc in dc, ch 2, sk 2, 3 dc in sc) across, sc in last dc
Row 8 : repeat Row 6
Row 9: repeat Row 5

Repeat Rows 2-9 for pattern, ending with row 5.

Add the standard border:
Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in each corner
Round 2: dc around, 5 dc in each corner
Round 3: sc around, 3 sc in each corner
Round 4: (sc, ch 3, sk 1) around, (sc, ch 3, sc in same stitch) at corner

I made this with Bernat Satin yarn in Bordeaux and a J hook.