The Blue & White Pink & White Baby Set

Like I said, I'm not the only one having a baby right now. My high-school and college friend and her husband just had their first child, a sweet baby boy, and I made her a baby set (I'm loving them!).

The pattern is Pink & White Baby Set, a free, vintage (1955) pattern from Celtwich's Angelfire site. Clearly, I made the set in blue. I also decided that sacque, mittens and booties are fine, but bonnet makes it a little girly. So I made a little toboggan in the same pattern stitch. The problem is that I was clearly feeling optimistic about childbirth and made a hat that was too small for even Baby Becky's head. So while it's in the picture, it didn't make the present package.

I used about 3.5 ounces (2 balls) of blue and half a ball of white in Bernat Baby with a size E hook. The pattern calls for a ribbon tie around the neck, but I really prefer buttons, so I modified the pattern a touch. I think it turned out nicely!

It was hard to find a pattern that didn't look too "girly", even in blue, but I'm keeping this one on file for later!

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork

posted by Kate on Monday, October 01, 2007 @ 4:04 PM

2 comments

Adorable Addie

I'm not the only one having a baby girl! A friend of mine from church is due within a week of me, and is also having a girl. In addition to some (totally non-girly; it's a hazard of paternal profession shared by my daughters) cute cuddly (store bought) clothes, I made her this baby blanket as a baby shower gift. (By the way, in case you can't tell, that's a stuffed kangaroo with joey sitting on it.)

If you know the friend - shh! The shower isn't until the second week of October, but by then I will have forgotten to ever post this!

The pattern is actually called "Shell" (descriptive? yes. original? not so much.), and is from Beary Sweet Baby Afghans (Leisure Arts leaftlet #2774). For people who like having a pattern to work from, it's an inexpensive little leaflet. But while I think the blanket is pretty and I like having the "built in" border, I think that you could probably figure out a similar pattern to fit your needs without the pattern pretty easily if you are comfortable with working "pattern free".

I used just shy of three balls (5 oz each) of Bernat Softee Baby in pink, and a size G hook. The pattern worked up fairly quickly, and was easy to work on without looking at the whole time, so I got to work on it while I took my daughter to the summer movie series. The blanket was a gift to me, as it helped me keep my sanity during Clifford, Sesame Street and multiple viewings of Charlotte's Web! Under other circumstances I might have appreciated the bit of extra warmth in the theater, but I'm a pregnant little oven and was quite warm enough.

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork

posted by Kate on @ 12:45 AM

2 comments

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!

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork

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

2 comments

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.


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.

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork

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

1 comments

Broccoli's Baby Blanket

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


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.

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork

posted by Kate on @ 9:36 PM

1 comments

Valentine for My Sweetie

My husband is really ridiculously supportive of my crocheting in general, but he doesn't have too much use for my recent fascination with doilies. I thought of a way to make him a believer, after being inspired by my aunt.

My uncle has a valentine card my aunt made him years ago that featured a lace heart outline threaded with ribbon attached to a red card. I thought this was a perfect idea for Keith!

I had some problems finding a similar pattern, but decided the heart shaped mini-doily from Patricia Kristofferson's 99 Little Doilies would work if done in size 30 thread - beautiful! Then I couldn't find premade red cards at the craft store, but I think my sheet of cardstock and vellum worked well together and looks better than the original notecard idea would have for this doily.

Attaching the doily was another challenge, but I was able to sew it on in a manner that didn't show from the front and the back was covered by the vellum.

I am very pleased by how well the card came out; when I'm making it for someone as special as Keith, it just has to be great. Because he's great. I love you, Keith!

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork, thread

posted by Kate on Monday, February 19, 2007 @ 6:00 PM

0 comments

Little Hooks, pt 2

After posting about trying out smaller threads, I made a crafting trip to Ben Franklin. What a pleasant trip! I just was looking for a change of pace from the same-old same-old at Michael's, but what I found just made my day.

So what is it you are looking at, above? Well, to jump to the end of my story first, that is the doily I crocheted last night. I used sz. 80 DMC thread and a sz. 14 hook, and used pattern #29 from Patricia Kristofferson's 99 Little Doilies. As you can see, I didn't take time to completely finish it by weaving in the end - I was too excited to share!

And while this is exciting (I thought the smallest hook I could find would be a 12), what I was really thrilled about was finding a Tatting Needle! I have been entranced with needle tatting since my Secret Pal, Lori introduced me to Handy Hands Tatting. I hadn't actually ordered from them, yet, as I am wary of online shipping costs. There was an entire little section of goods from Handy Hands Tatting there at Ben Franklin's! For the exact same cost! Now I can see if I will actually keep with it before committing to an order big enough to make me accept the shipping costs. I also found a book that combined instruction and patterns - for a reasonable $4.


So, as you can see, I will be busy for a while.

Labels: books, crochet, gallery-mywork, tatting

posted by Kate on Sunday, February 11, 2007 @ 11:22 PM

3 comments

Fleecy Little Lion

So often I make "little" crocheted projects that I just don't get photographed or uploaded. I am making a more concerted effort to at least take the pictures (even if they don't all make it online!) of these different projects.

I like the way this turned out - it is a simple edged fleece blanket. I bought the blanket with the appliqué already on it, and when I was brainstorming a good project for an expectant mother at church, I thought of the cute little lion. The yarn is Caron Simply Soft, and the "pattern" is [a row of (sc, sp) around, then a row of sc around] twice, a row of (sc, ch5) around, and then about 8 dc in each space. The outcome reminds me of a lion's mane.

Then I used the rest of the yarn to make a little hat on my red Knifty Knitter, and then found some blue yarn to match the fleece and made a speckled pom pom for the top and a band woven just above the brim of the hat. As you can see, my daughter loved it - she wanted to keep it, and didn't want the lion covered up, even for the picture!

Labels: gallery-mywork

posted by Kate on Tuesday, February 06, 2007 @ 3:45 PM

4 comments

Scarves for Children's Choir

After a late-in-the-game call for scarves for the African Children's Choir, eight scarves were gathered and sent to join with others to keep the new choir warm when they arrive on February 1.

Joining me in sending scarves were Joyce (jmccrochet at Crochetville) and my favorite sister-in-law, Kristina (unfortunately, the only place you can see her super-pretty UNC colored scarf is in the box ready to ship).

I just got word that they have arrived in North Carolina, ready for the kids to arrive next week. Thank you to all who offered to help, and let me take this moment to encourage you again to go see the African's Children's Choir if you get a chance!

Labels: charity, crochet, Gallery - Work of Others, gallery-mywork

posted by Kate on Saturday, January 27, 2007 @ 1:01 AM

1 comments

Autumn Cables Carpet Bag

Can I start by saying how much I love this bag? I've been using it ever since I finished it - and I could hardly wait to finish!

The pattern is Autumn Cables Carpet Bag, from Lullabies and Lace. I was given the pattern as a Christmas gift from a fellow Crochetviller. I can tell you that this pattern will get lots of use. The pattern name and the purse make me think of Anne of Green Gables, who arrived in Avonlea clutching a carpet bag containing all of her worldly possessions. As every woman knows, that's what it feels like we carry around with us!

I used 9" round handles from Joann Fabric, and two balls each of flecked cream and gray Wool-Ease yarn. (Each side took about one ball of yarn, and the lining and pocket that I added was about two balls) Without giving away the pattern secrets, the purse is worked by two sides stitched together and then a lining is crocheted in. I added a pocket while I was stitching in the lining, and I do love that, too.

Each side took me just one evening, but the lining is quite dense (as a good lining is) and took a few days of sporadic stitching. I really should have been working on Christmas presents, though!

I kick myself a little for not picking bolder colors, but the gray peeping out through the mesh of the cream picks up the flecks in the outside color, and it really will last for years and goes with everything. And it holds everything, too!

Labels: crochet, Crochetville, gallery-mywork, RAoK

posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 22, 2006 @ 12:31 AM

3 comments

Game Day Afghan Pattern

Copyright notice: This pattern is protected by copyright laws. Violations include (but are not limited to) selling this pattern or posting this pattern on your own site. Feel free to link to this free pattern, however, with my thanks.

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork, pattern

posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 13, 2006 @ 11:29 PM

1 comments

October Doily Set

I know what you're thinking... orange doilies? That's what the lady wanted!

The lady in question is my dear mother-in-law, who goes all out when she decorates. Fall is for scarecrows and pumpkins. And, now, orange doilies. I made her four. Why only three pictured? The fourth is of my own design and I am still in pattern testing.

All four are made with Royale size 10 thread - the only one I could find that was the "pumpkin" orange Nana wanted.

The first doily is called Normandy Doily. This is a doily that really has to be blocked! Each figure 8 is made all in one round, and then connected on the next two rounds. It's very different from any doily I have made or seen before.

This doily is called, I believe, "Park Avenue", and is a Patricia Kristofferson doily from Absolutely Gorgeous Doilies. This was the largest, by far, of the quartet, and took me the longest of any (saving the one I designed myself).

The third doily is called Petite Pineapple Doily. This was just a fun little doily to make. I really like the pattern, and recommend it to anyone for a fun, medium-sized simply lovely doily.

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork

posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 @ 11:06 PM

0 comments

Sweet Baby Booties

My sister-in-law and I were checking out a second-hand bookstore. Somehow I overlooked the leaflet of baby booties, but Kris brought it to my attention. "You have to get this book," she declared, "or I might have to get it." Seeing as how she's not much of a crocheter, I can't imagine what she would do with it, but she was right - I had to get the book!

The leaflet is called simply "Bootie Collection" and the designs are Kay Meadors (published by Leisure Arts, #3052). There are 10 pairs of the sweetest little baby booties you have ever seen, all in thread. There is a fair mix of dressy booties and casual booties, and a mix between little girl, little boy, and gender neutral booties.

I have already made a pair, to go with the Christening dress I tested for Tracey as a present for our Associate Pastor and his wife, who are having a baby girl in November. I have yet to thread the ribbon through the eyelet row, but they are still so sweet looking!

I used Baroque thread for the body of the shoe, and pale pink Cebilia for the accents.

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork

posted by Anonymous on @ 10:33 PM

0 comments

Duct Tape Purse/Wallet

In my college days, I went through a phase where I made things out of duct tape. It started with a wallet, then a purse to hold the wallet in, then a messenger bag that became my regular school bag... until I was actually stopped in the Pit by someone who said "Hey, did you make that? Are you... you're the duct tape girl!" Out of a school of tens of thousands, I was a "Hey! It's that girl!" I'll take pride in that.

Well, the VA State Fair has a few categories for duct tape creations, and I decided to enter (though I had nothing made, and no real time to make it). I made this set yesterday, and am so proud of it that I am including it, though it has no stitches, sewn, knit, crocheted, tatted or otherwise...

There is nothing but duct tape in this. The outside is classic silver duct tape, the inside is white, with purple and white trim, puple handles, and an interior pocket lined with purple. The wallet is purple with white polka dot, white lining, and silver interior fold.

I started with the base, making a sheet of duct tape with a silver and a white side. I trimmed it to a rectangle, and folded it to the purse shape. The pocket was made from the trimmings, with a double-sided purple layer that adhered to the inside, and was reinforced with white stripes that blended into the lining. The exterior stripes were easy, but the straps... I had to think about them. I ended up making two long, narrow strips of purple (a tri-folded strip of tape), and slit the bag, pulled the strips through and knotted, then reinforced the interior with white tape.

I missed playing with duct tape!!

Labels: gallery-mywork

posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 24, 2006 @ 12:20 AM

4 comments

Plastic Bag Bag

While I've done a lot of bag saving, folding, cutting, joining and crocheting, this is my first actually finished plastic bag bag - and it's not technically made of plastic bags. Working on a tip from another poster at Crochetville, I used mainly plastic tablecloths (like you get for parties), and working on ANOTHER tip, I used copious amounts of vaseline on the hook to make it glide a little easier. I cut the plastics into 1-1/2" strips, and used an I hook to make this cute little tote/purse.

For the base I actually used 2" strips (to add bulk and stability). I crocheted a simple rectangle of desired size, then surface crocheted around the edge. I crocheted into the surface crochet, and then just went up from there, adding color bands as I saw fit :-) When I wanted handles I chained 35 (with two strands held together, for strength) and skipped about 15 spaces. I have to say, since this was on the fly I think it ended a tad lopsided, with a couple extra stitches on one side. On the next round I crocheted into each chain, and on the last round I worked a 3sc-tog at each join. Then, I reverse sc-ed around the top for finishing. My only trim was around of surface crochet just under the cording. Weave and trim some ends, flip it inside out and... voila!

I'm sorry the picture didn't turn out better, because now I can't take a picture for about 3 weeks since it's at the State Fair (category - Trash to Treasure (Misc)). The main color is bright purple, with a multi-colored speck (originally white with balloon print) and bright yellow accents.

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork

posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 23, 2006 @ 11:56 PM

0 comments

Lions and ... well, just lions. And just one. So, Lion

Have I ever mentioned that I am really, really good at coming up with projects to do? I am really, really good at figuring out how to make something. Once I've figured it out, and know it will work, I'm really, really bad at finishing. Grr.

Here is one of those things that I "almost" finished two years ago. I started a set of stuffed animals for my daughter's nursery, to match the animals on the border. I finished finished the bear, then finished-almost this lion, then finished finished the giraffe, and have half an elephant and a dream of a rhinoceros in a bag in the craft room.

What did I have to finish on the lion? The whiskers! I used chenille pipe cleaners, inserted into a knit I-cord. The entire lion was done with Caron Simply Soft and an H hook. The head and body is one piece, then 4 legs, 2 ears, a nose, and 9 or 10 pieces of the mane, plus a flat tail. The eyes are just embroidered on. I am really happy with the way it turned out, and so is my daughter (she wasn't quite as happy when I took it away, but that's a story for another blog...).

Here's hoping the VA State Fair judges like it as much as Kaitlyn!

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork

posted by Anonymous on @ 11:24 PM

1 comments

63 Squares Afghan is DONE!

Well, a long time ago (or at least it seems like a long time ago), I posted about the 63 Squares afghan I was making for my dear, dear husband.

I am proud to report that it is done!!

After finishing all of the squares, I crocheted them together in strips, then the strips together, then around the outside. For joining, I placed the squares (and then strips) back-to-back and then (slip stitched in the right-most stitch of front piece, ch1, slip stitch in coordinating stitch on back piece, ch 1), repeat across. When it was all attached, I sc-ed twice around the afghan, then reverse sc-ed an edging.

As far as the squares themselves, I did alter a number of them from the written directions. Mainly the ones that had densely packed puffy stitches in rows. I thought these looked bad, so I "thinned" them, by skipping every other "puff", and staggered the rows of puffs.

The ends may be a little uneven and the edges a touch wavy, but considering there are 63 different squares in this afghan, I choose to overlook the imperfections and just be happy with how well it turned out and how much my husband will love it.

Here comes the really fun part: this was a secret afghan (done while he was at work, off and on over six months), and his birthday is at the end of October. He is a huge cheerleader of my work, and is the encourager for me to enter things in the fair. So I entered this in the state fair, and will wrap the picture of the afghan in birthday paper and carry it with us to the fair, and present him with it that way. I hope he's surprized (he has a tendency to snoop, so he probably already knows, but he feigns ignorance well :-) )!

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork

posted by Anonymous on @ 10:58 PM

1 comments

Christening Dress Pattern Test

I had mostly finished this christening dress that I was testing the pattern for (all but the blocking and the actual buttons), but actually sucked it up and finished completely to enter it in the fairs this year. The Chesterfield County Fair has already passed, and it took Third Place for children's apparel (crocheted). I didn't make a soaker (diaper cover) to go with the dress, or line it, so I'm not really suprized it took third; I mainly wanted to show off the hours and hours spent on the dress, to be honest!

The picture to the left shows the back, and the one to the right shows a closeup of the skirt detailing. My picture of the bodice didn't turn out very well, so you can't see so clearly that it is smocked, by use of alternating FPdc and BPdc. This also makes a dense fabric, added to the fact it is crocheted with a size 9 hook and size 10 thread ... my hand did cramp a bit, but the result is lovely, if I do say so. The bodice and sleeves are turned at the end of each row, instead of rounds, so the bits without smocking lay nice and flat.

This took about 1-1/2 skeins of DMC Baroque size 10 thread (clearly in white), plus 3 pearlized buttons. If you want to tell the designer how beautiful the design is, click here for her blog.

Labels: crochet, gallery-mywork

posted by Anonymous on @ 10:20 PM

1 comments

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