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Lovely Lavender Baby Set


In the past few months I have been on a layette kick. This is the set that kicked it off for me! I originally was going to make the set in white (you can read below why that one didn't work out), but I love the way it turned out with the lavender!

The set uses about 4 ounces of yarn, plus about 45 yards of size 8 pearl cotton, all done with a D hook. I especially like that the pattern calls for buttons, as opposed to a ribbon tie, on the sacque, and I have modified most of the other sets I have made since to include buttons, also.

The pattern comes from Baby Layettes, Book 2 (Leisure Arts #460). This book has two sets in it, one knit and one crocheted. Each set has a pattern for a dress (or same pattern with mods for a gown), sacque, bonnet, booties, and blanket. The one complaint I have I can alleviate for you right now (and maybe you're smart enough for it to not have been a problem!) - when it calls for "baby yarn" it means "fingering weight".

Yes, I tried making it with sport weight baby yarn, and then started thinking "this is really huge", and then "why am I using such a small hook on such thick yarn?"

You live and you learn, right?

By the way, many thanks to my lovely model, Baby Becky, my daughter's favorite doll!

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posted by Kate on Friday, September 28, 2007 @ 2:40 PM

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Crochet Enclosure Cards

I had been looking for something to include with my crocheted gifts, and some way to enclose care instructions, too. I hadn't come up with much.

There was the sew-in tag option. I could buy a pack of customizables, or get custom ones made, or make my own, but none seemed like a great solution to me. I wouldn't want a tag sewed onto an afghan or in a baby set, personally, so why would someone else want it on something I gave? Plus, it wouldn't have the care instructions option.

No, I needed something else.

The solution presented itself when I had to get some items from VistaPrint.com for a church group. It didn't take much more in shipping to have a box of business cards sent, and they were running a special (aren't they always?) for free premium business cards.

I found a design I thought looked classy, played around with the text and formatting, and ended up with what you (mostly - I blurred some info) see above.

They say "Uniquely hand-crocheted by Katherine E. Dohl", and then some contact info. The backs are totally blank, and I put care instructions unique to the project (if necessary) or other message on the back. I thought a lot about the wording before I finished it up.
  • Uniquely - each of my projects is unique, some to the point of free-form, others unique just because of the nature of hand-crafts
  • Hand-crocheted - all crocheters probably think I'm being redundant, and I guess I am, since there is no way to machine crochet, but many non-crocheters don't realize this and I thought this was a fine way to include it
  • not including "especially for you" - I originally had "especially for you", but I have had a few projects that I have sold, not to mention I have some smaller projects I have made before having a recipient in mind. I don't feel comfortable in those situations claiming they were made "especially for you" (unless it was a commissioned project). There is a good space beneath my name that I have used to personalize a tag by adding "especially for Jane Doe" in the many cases where it is made beginning to end with a particular recipient in mind.
I think they turned out very nice, and I look forward to having 250 projects to attach them to that necessitate another printing!!

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posted by Kate on Thursday, September 27, 2007 @ 12:40 AM

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Kaitlyn's "Big Sister Blanket"

While I was working on Broccoli's baby blanket, I thought about my 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Kaitlyn. I hadn't made her an afghan since her baby blanket that I started the day I found out I was pregnant with her. Well, except for the kid version of Keith's blanket.

Closeup of panel details -->

Not to toot my own horn, but I have gotten better at crocheting since that time (or at least better at/more adventurous in trying new patterns). Also, I wanted Kaitlyn to get something special when the baby was born and not feel too overshadowed by the new baby. So my husband helped me pick out a pattern for a special afghan that Kaitlyn could keep throughout her whole life.

The pattern is called "Ivy Cottage" and is from Afghans for All Seasons, Book 4. I used plain old Red Heart worsted weight in lavender and white with an I hook. It took six skeins of lavender and one of white.

Vine and Berry Panel closeup -->

I was skeptical of the edging on the panels, since it was basically just reverse single crochet, but it looked good when it was done. I think I would figure out another edging/joining if I was doing it again, though.

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posted by Kate on Thursday, September 13, 2007 @ 10:03 PM

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Broccoli's Baby Blanket


I have a confession to make. I haven't updated this site in a while.

Seriously, this is a confession? You think we couldn't tell this?

I heard that.

Yes, it's been about six months. A big six months. Where did I go? Well, I went and got pregnant. And early pregnancy does not agree with me. This is a crochet site, so I won't go too much into it, but suffice it to say I was barely up to being up, let alone crocheting, far from blogging about crocheting.

The day I found out I was pregnant I did what any newly expecting mom would do... I went to the yarn store to get supplies and start a baby blanket! Well, it took me a while to finish, but a few months ago (and a few months before the baby is due) I did finish the beautiful blanket.

The pattern is called "Baby's Joyful Arrival," and that's what we're waiting on now! It's from Afghans for All Seasons, book four, and it might look familiar to readers of this blog. I made this afghan in pink and white two years ago for a friend. And what did I say about it?
I think it turned out beautifully, but I don't think I will make one again - unless it is for my own next child!
And that's what I did.

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posted by Kate on @ 9:36 PM

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