Each growing season I celebrate the joy and spirit of my husband's lush garden and how it inspires my stitching creativity.  Last year I crocheted a queen size extended throw for my begin shades of sage, taupe, bone, and variegated hues. This year I was gifted 2 large skeins of acrylic Caron Jumbo Ombre (595 yards( that ranged from the palest green to the deepest blue-green. I also knew that I would use strategic rows of Joanne's acrylic Big Twist (380 yards) in white to provide contrast. The green hues and the white rows mirror many of the leaves of the of the Hostas in our garden.  Whether I look out any window in my home, eat dinner on the raised deck, read in a shaded area under the porch, or drive in or out on our long driveway from the house, I marvel at the beauty of his evolving creation.  I just hope that my crocheting and knitting do it justice.

As with many of my extended Granny Square Blankets, I start with a concept, but the design emerges as I stitch.  The ombre yarn includes several gradient hues, and I crocheted most of the first skein into a 24 inch square without having to change yarns. At this point, I included 2 rows of white for contrast.  As the design began to evolve, I decided to crochet 5 rounds green ombre followed by two rows of white.  I planned to repeat this pattern, but I was concerned that I would be playing Yarn Chicken..  I worried that I would not be able to complete my creations I envisioned it. Luckily, my trip to Joanne's was successful, and I was able to buy a third skein of the Caron Jumbo Ombre and a second skein of the Big Twist White.  Now I had the freedom to execute my piece without any shortcuts.

There are two parts to my artistic 4 inch border that gives a snap to my throw.  First, by alternating single horizontal rows of green ombre and white, I can achieve alternating vertical rows of green and white that surround the main portion of the blanket.  The ideal number of rounds is 7, starting with the dark color, following with white and going back to dark green, etc. It is counterintuitive to think that I can achieve alternating vertical rows by crocheting alternating horizontal rows, but it works.  I finish the border with a single round of white in Half Double Crochet (HDC) followed by single row of the green ombre in HDC. The way the stitches merge is magic.

The completed throw measures 52 inches square.  It will be donated as a men's throw to my Threads of Love group for our October collection.  I enjoyed working with the ombre yarn as I can incorporate several gradient shades without having to change skeins as I did with my previous blanket.  Although I usually crochet with Red Heart Ombre, I was pleased with the colors. textures, and ease of stitching with the Caron Jumbo Ombre.  I believe that this throw measured up to the standard of my husband's garden.  I will be proud to display it until our collection date.  I can see several more ombre projects my future.

Although I provided a sequence of color design in my narrative, it may be easier for the crocheter to follow a specific pattern list of rounds and color changes.

Most of the throw is crocheted in an Extended Granny Square that uses clusters of 3 double crochet stitches (DC)
Begin with 24 rounds of ombre that measures approximately 24 inches on a side.
Crochet 2 rows rounds of white.
Crochet 5 rounds of ombre.
Crochet 2 rounds of white
Crochet 5 rounds of ombre.
Crochet 2 rounds of white.
Crochet 1 round of ombre.
Crochet 1 round of white
Crochet 1 round of ombre.
Crochet 1 round of white.
Crochet 1 round of ombre.
Crochet 1 round of white.
Crochet 1 round of Half Double Crochet (HDC) in white.
Crochet 1round of Half Double Crochet (HDC) in ombre.

​

As always I appreciate your reflection and feedback.  I welcome you to join me on my stitching journey.  Although I used green ombre in my piece, there are so many possibilities open to you with different combinations of ombre yarn. If you decide to try your hand, I would love see a photo of your work.

My version of the Crocheted Dewdrop Shawl also known as the  Spring Scallop Crochet Wrap was designed by For the Frills.  It was created using 2 skeins of light worsted weight Lion Brand Mandala Ombre in the Happy and Zen color ways.  While there is some overlap in the shades of the two skeins, the Happy skein is generally in rainbow lollipop colors, while the Zen skein is cooler turquoise to darker blue green. Strands of white run through each skein so that the two skeins can easily be worked toegher. The body of the shawl was crocheted with a J (6.0mm) hook. The scallop border was crocheted with an I (5.5mm) hook. The Crochet Dew Drop Shawls is an ideal piece for spring and summer.  The colors are bright and cheerful.  The piece is substantial and drapes beautifully, but the yarns are lighter end of the worsted category. The shawl measures 68 inches wide and 26 inches deep.  For the original pattern, see:  https://forthefrills.com/spring-scallop-crochet-wrap-free-pattern.

The Dewdrop Shawl was actually my fourth attempt to integrate these yarns into one piece.  My first two attempts were a gradient boomerang knitted style. By alternating the warmer and cooler color ways, I had hoped to achieve an interesting swirl of colors as the self-striping yarns played with one another. The pattern called for #8 needles , but after knitting for about 10 inches, I found my work to be tiny and insignificant.  Even after I frogged the piece and switched to #10 needles, I was not happy.  Therefore, I switched to crocheting an asymmetrical triangle by alternating two rows of warm and dark colors as I increased on on one side to form the shawl.  The colors were networking for me.  

When I found the Dewdrop pr Scallop Crochet Wrap, I knew I could start with the Happy Yarn and complete the piece with the Zen yarn.This top down shawl has an airy style.  After the initial set up, there is generally a 4 row sequence.1} Double Crochet 2) Chain and Slip Stitch 3)Double Crochet in chain 4)Double Crochet. Increases were made in Chain 3 + 2  in first stitch and 3 DC in final stitch.  The piece was also enlarged by crocheting DC-Ch2-DC in the center. A lovely scallop on two leg sof the triangle is the finishing touch.

I adapted the creator's design in three ways.
1)I started each row with a chain 3 instead of a ch 2 so that the shawl would lay flat and the wings would not turn up.
2)I used two coordinating skeins of Lion Brand Mandala yarn instead of an ecru or other spring color..
3)I began the scallop with a skip 2 stitches instead of a skip 3 so that there would not be a gap near the edge.  I crocheted the scallop with an I (5.5mm) hook instead of a J hook.

I am thrilled to donate the Spring Scallop Wrap fo my local chapter of Threads of Love as we knit and crochet out way to 1000 pieces by December 31, 2022.I am proud that I persevered as I struggled to find just the right pattern for these delightful yarns. The piece is designed to put smile on the face of the woman receiving it.

As always I I appreciate your reflections and feedback. Have you ever kept exploring until you found just the right pattern for a particular yarn at hand?  While I usually start with a pattern and find the yarn to work with it, in this case I reversed the process and started with the yarn.  I welcome you to join me on my stitching journey.  I hope you will enjoy crocheting this delightful wrap.

The boomerang style shawl offers infinite possibilities for pairing colors within a simple design framework.  Yarnspiration's FREE pattern Brighten My Day Knit Wrap designed by Nanch J. Thomas provides clear directions for a beginning knitter while producing a piece that would do any crafter proud. .  

On a recent trip to Walmart of all places, I was attracted to the worsted weight Polo Red Heart Super Saver Stripes (236 yards).  The colors spanned a range from tourquoise to purples to raspberry before repeating the sequence.  When I examined the label I saw the design that was shown in this Yarnspiration pattern.  Since I already had large skein of worsted black, I felt that I would not be in total violation of my mission to use up my stash.  I already had the light blue button-down shirt that was worn by the model, and the self striping yarn just flew into my cart.

The finished piece was approximately 71 inches in wingspan and 18-20 inches at its deepest part.  That made it long enough to wrap around and tie or to secure with a shawl pin.

Materials included a 7 oz skein of solid Black Red Heart Super Saver Worsted Yarn and a 5 oz skein of Polo Stripe Super Saver Yarn. Knitting was done on a size 10 needle.  The piece would work well on 14 inch straight needles, but I prefer to work with specialty wooden cable needles by Knitter's Pride. These needles were smooth ,lightweight, and particularly useful for knitting during a long airplane flight.

The pattern was easy to follow.  Directions were few and only covered one side of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of copy paper. After the set up, there was a 4 line pattern sequence with two lines of the solid followed by two lines the self-striping yarn.  All work was done in the garter (all knit) stitch. For the first half of the wrap, increases were made on the first solid row.  When the piece reached approximately 60 stitches the process was reversed I made my wrap with 65 stitches as i wanted a slightly deeper area at the peak.  Decreases were made every four rows until there were only five stitches left, and the stitches were finished off.  For specific directions, see the free pattern.

The Free Yarnspiration Pattern was easy to access by entering the name Red Heart Brighten My Day Knit Wrap in the search bar of my I Pad tablet or computer.  Yarnspiration provides an easy download.  While the first half of the scarf was completed at home, the remainder the completed on vacation.  The two long flights to and from Denver plus the airport wait time gave me ample time to finish my work.

While I chose to create my wrap from black and blue- purple-raspberry hues, the color combinations for this piece are infinite.  While I wear a great deal of black clothing, others may prefer a warmer or lighter accessory.  Consider making this wrap with white and pastels, brown with autumn shades, purple with pinks, navy with white and blue tones.  The possibilities are limited by your imagination and chosen color palette.

After making so many shawls, hats, mittens, dolls, and blankets be donated to charity,t his is the second piece that I have kept to accessorize my own wardrobe.  I am looking forward to pairing my wrap with the blue shirt I mentioned or with a black blazer or winter coat.

As always I appreciate your reflections and feedback/  I welcome you to join on my stitching journey.

Several years ago I sold an asymetrical three color solid and striped shawl at a holiday fair.  My customer looked so stylish in the garment, and after some negotiating, she walked away with a beautiful piece at a bargain price.  The pattern was a purchased design from the Plymouth Yarn Company that was 46 inches long and 20 inches deep. (Homestead Tweed:  Striped Diagonal Shawl) it was simple to create since the entire piece ws knitted in the garter stitch. I really admired my piece, but the length was too small for me.  

Several years and many projects later, I rediscovered the pattern and decided to make a shawl that I could use to accessorize light weight jackets and sweaters.  I ended up with a piece that was 65 inches long that could easily be draped, tucked and closed with a shawl pin.  In order to accommodate the extra length, I had to include a total of  6 shades of white to dark gray tones that grew into 11 sections of solid  and striped areas.

In some ways I stayed true to the pattern.  I started with a solid pice for 36 rows with increases in row 1 of a two row pattern sequence.  In the second row I slipped stitch purl wise and knitted to †he end of the row.  At the beginning of the new 36 row section, I introduced a new very light grey in 2 row stripes.  There was much more contrast in the original pattern.  

​However, I chose to extend the color selection by introducing gradually darker hues as I moved up the shawl.  Each solid space of 36 lines was followed by a striped section that introduced a new color.  Then the new color was knit for 36 solid lines 

This was a real stash buster as I dove into my bins for as many tones of grey that I could find.
I did not want to include a black stripe, and I was pleased that I could finish my shawl with the darkest of greys.

The shawl was easy to execute, but I ran into an unexpected problem from time to time as I seemed to have a tendency to drop stitches.  While it is easy to pick up stock and net dropped stitches, garter stitches change each row as the knitted row is purl on the back.  Alas,  I found myself frogging a few lines from time.  After the second time,  I resolved to examine each line before I went onto the next.  While it took extra time the short term,  I saved myself a great deal of aggravation.

Since knitting my assymetrical shawl, I have come across several different asymmetrical free patterns online. I am quite proud of my shawl, but I have been sorely tempted try a version with two contrasting self striping yarns,.  Since, I do not have that yarn in my stash, I would be undermining my resolution to use up the yarn I have on hand.  Yet, I do have a large skein of about 600 yards of black yarn that I could contrast with smaller part skeins that I could match up.  

Since my last article, I have created two girl's sweaters from yarn scraps and several pairs of girls' and women's mittens.  My hands seem to itch to be busy.  Thank you for joining me on my stitching journey.  I appreciate your reflections and feedback.

I am quite proud of the three blankets that have evolved from my stash busting efforts. As I noted from my previous post, my goal was to create pieces while including large quantities of yarn from my extensive stash.The main criteria for each blanket was that I had to work with the yarn that I already had on hand.  The designs evolved as I sought attractive combinations.  The available yardage for each color helped to determine the eventual design.  I like to work with the extended Granny Square, and there are infinite design options that are available to me.  

Project 1  A variegated Red Heart Super Saver in pink, white, green, and lavender was the driving force for this piece.  I also happened to have a Caron pound yarn in a pale pink and several partial skeins of white that matched the colors in the variegated yarn.  The Extended Granny Square started with 8 rounds of of pink, followed by 2 rounds of white and 6 rows of variegated yarn.  The sequence was repeated, ending in 2 rows of white.  The final edging consisted of 1 row of pink in Half Double Crochet (HDC) followed by 1 row of variegated in the same stitch. The completed blanket was a 40 inch square which would work as a blanket for a girl or a lapgahn for a women. I donated this piece along with the shawls from my previous post.

Project 2 This 42 inch blanket or lapgahn is suitable for a boy or a man.  It started with 8 (135 yard) skeins in red worsted Just Yarn that I bought from the Dollar Store.  I was drawn to the color and the delightful hand feel. I bought all the red skeins that were on the shelf, and I had 1080 yards of for the project.  Now I needed a pleasing contrast for my blanket.  I did not want go the patriotic route in red, white, and blue.  Luckily, I was able to pick up two large skeins of dark grey RedHeart yarn when I bought my shawls to the collection site for Threads of Love,  Frequently people support our cause by donating unused yarn to our synagogue.  Since I did not have to buy the yarn, I felt it qualified for inclusion in my stash busting  mission.  

​I started with an 8 round square of red, followed by 2 rounds of grey and 4 rounds of red.  Then I had to determine if I would continue with the same sequence or whether I wanted to increase the number of grey or red rounds as I continued with the blanket.  I brought the piece to my Craft Group at the Woodbridge Center and posed the question to my fellow knitters and crocheters. I was especially interested in the views offer expert gentleman knitter as the proposed blanket or lapgahn was designated for a boy or man.  We finally decided to stay with 4 red rounds, but I would inrease the number of grey rounds by one after each red bunch.  After my last set of 5 grey rounds, I realized that I was running out of yarn.  Therefore, I would stop making solid sets of rows and begin work on the edging.  When  you crochet the Extended Granny Square, you can achieve vertical stripes if you alternate two colors for several rows.  Since, my last group was done in grey, I began the edging with a round of red clusters.  I followed with a row of grey and then one of red.  I had enough yarn for 5 total rounds.  The piece was finished with a single round of grey in Half Double Crochet.  

Project 3 The 8 skeins of grey worsted yarn from the Dollar store had 115 yards per skein.  The 920 yards were also designated for a boy's blanket or for a man's lapgahn.  When I placed the pale grey yarn next to contrasting colors in my bins, the white and black spoke out to me. I still wanted a pop of color, and so I bought out the cherry red. The initial square was made up of 10 rows of grey.  The contrast sequence was 1 round of red, 1 round of white, 2 rounds of black, and 6 rows of grey.  I had planned to follow the sequence two more times, but I ran out of grey yarn after round 5 oof the last grey section.  Therefore, I transitioned immediately into 3 rows of HDC in red, white, and black as I had done for the larger granny stitch cluster rows.The completed piece ws 42 inches of cozy comfort.

My stash busting mission used a significant amount of yarn: 1 large skein of varigated yarn, 1 pound of pink yarn, 2 incomplete white skeins., 8 skeins of red, 2 large skeins of dark grey, 8 skeins of light grey, and partial skeins of red,  white,and black.  When I look back to the skeins used from the previous article, I had made a significant dent in the yarn that was overflowing from bins and assorted shopping bags.  White I donated the girl's blanket, I decided that I would donate the red and grey blanket, but keep the grey blanket with the red, white, and black accents.  I like to have pieces on hand when I need to come up with a gift.  

After all of this stash busting, I was further motivated to reorganize all of my yarn.  Most of it was useful, but buried.  Some belonged to a bygone era.  Others just did not fit color palettes that I enjoyed.  After dumping all remaining seven bins on the floor, I sorted by color and weight. Two other piles remained: the give-away pile and the throw-out pile.  I brought the giveaway pile to my craft group and most of it was taken.  I tossed the throw-out pile and and remainder of the give-away pile.  Now I have just 5 bins and no stray shopping bags of yarn. Best yet, I have planned my next 3 large project since I have grouped all of the colors and I know how much I have have of each skein as well as the coordinating colors.

Thank you for your reflections and feedback.  As always, I welcome you to join me on my stitching journey.

While many articles offer suggestions for projects for small amounts of leftover yarn, the focus of this post is to work on larger projects that combine individual whole skeins with collections of smaller skeins to create attractive shawls, blankets and lapgahns. My closet bins were stuffed to overflowing, and there were several shopping bags filled with skeins that no longer fit into the closet.  I was determined not to buy any additional yarn and to make a significant dent into my stash.

How did I accumulate so much yarn that had not been designated for a specific project?

• I was attracted to the color, texture, or striping of individual or groups of skeins.  I told myself thatI would get around to crocheting the piece someday.
• The yarn was on sale.
• I bought more yarn than I needed for a specific project.
• A favorite yarn was being discontinued or a store was going out of business.
• Yarn had been donated to charities where I produced pieces for worthwhile causes.  How could I say no? It was free.
• I had frogged a project and planned to reused the yarn.

​Do any of these situations ring true to you, my fellow crafters?

What is important to note is that there was usually not enough yarn in any skein or collection to make a complete project.  A key element of the plan was to use what I had on hand without buying any more yarn. While I worked with basic shawl patterns, I had to adapt and improvise as I was not sure how the yardages would play out.  
​
I am still contributing to Threads of Love to help our chapter reach our 1000 piece goal.  Therefore, creating shawls was a good place to start.  The second part of my mission would be to crochet blankets or lapgans.  However, as  I started writing this post, I realized that series of projects would have to wait for my next article.

Project 1:  This shawl was based on a basic triangular scarf pattern that incorporated 5 skeins of light blue worsted weight Premier Just Yarn that I purchased from my local Dollar Store.  This yarn had a lovely hand feel, but with a total yardage of about 600 yarns there was not enough yardage to complete crocheted triangle shawl that required 900 to 1000 yards.  Luckily, I had a several orphan partial white worsted skeins that were compatible with the blue yarn.  I combined the two fibers by starting with a large white triangle.  Then I proceeded to alternate several white and blue rounds of granny cluster stitches.  I ended the body of the shawl with several rows of white. Although I was about to run out of blue yarn, I had enough to edge the shawl with one row of HDC in blue and a second row of HDC of white. The finished blocked measurement was 62 inches wide by 30 inches deep.

Project 2:  This pink shawl with lacy white edging was based on 5 skeins of Red Heart Jiffy Yarn  that yielded 650 yards of fiber. I started with the Secret Paths Pattern by Mijocrochet .  Since this was a #5 yarn, I used a K hook.  I really liked the ridged effect that was achieved with FPDC, but I could not incorporate the rows of bobble stitch as the yarn was just too thick.  I just skipped that part of the sequence.  When I ran out of pink yarn,  I transitioned to  orphan white worsted that I had in my stash.  There was no label, but the yarn worked with the  pink Jiiffy yarn.  Since this yarn was a worsted. I was able to work in a single row of puff stitch before I switched over to the lacy edging with a J hook. This was my first experience with a lacy edging, and I was happy with the feminine touch it gave to the shawl. The finished piece measured 62 inches wide by 31 inches deep.

Project 3 made use of 2 complete and 2 partial skeins of Caron Simply Soft in lavender. This yarn was donated, but I did not think that I would use it for personal projects.  I wanted to crochet a soft draping shawl, and designed a stitch sequence to achieve this goal.  

​The pattern was based on the typical triangle shawl crocheted from the top down. After an initial starting set up triangle, increases were made in the corners and in the chain 2 space in he middle.    

Row 1: Double crochet ​
Row 2:  Triple crochet
Row 3:  Triple Crochet mesh stitch.
​I finished the body with a DC row. A round of HDC  provided the base for a final round of picot stitching 

Project 4: Somehow I had 2 rolls of Sweet Roll Self-striping yarn languishing in the bottom of one of my bins.  I had bought the yarn to use with my fingerless gloves, but had decided to work with more neutral hues.  The turquoise, iris blue, and white stretches of yarn would make adelightful shawl.  With 285 yards per skein, I had 570 yards to work with.  I had bought a lot of white yarn at one time because I could easily add it to other skeins when trying out different combinations.  I stayed with my tried and true triangle pattern and started with a white triangle.  ThenI transitioned to the Sweet Heart Rolls that made their own self striping display of colors.  Since I wanted to finish with a row of HDC in colored yarn, I had to cut off enough yardage to anticipate this round.  I crocheted several rows of white Granny clusters before working the single row to top off the piece. The final measurements for the shawl were 60 inches wide by 30 inches deep.

Our group was quite happy to receive these attractive shawls in spring colors.  We bagged them and included the Threads of Love card of wishing and caring.  The decorated bags would be delivered  to Yale New Haven Hospital and to the St. Rapahel Campus in the following week.  

Did I succeed in denting my stash?  I used 15 smaller colored skeins and 2 larger white skeins  of white yarn in this part of my mission.  I folded up 2 extra shopping bags that had contributed to the clutter in my craft room. Now I am moving onto the blanket phase of my enterprise.  I look forward to showing you the results in my next post.

​Thank you for your feedback and reflections. I welcome you to join me on my stitching journey.

With Mothers' Day and warm weather approaching it is time to refresh your wardrobe or develop a gift for someone dear to you. I wrote about the Japanese Knotted Purse and the Bento Purse last year, but I wanted to showcase the designs with some new colors and new creations.  

The Crocheted Bento Purse is simple to engineer.  You can simply crochet a rectangle in which the height is 1/3 of the length.Then fold the piece so that you end up with a V shape opening. For the red purse I used a half double crochet, stitched on the black loop only to create a ridged texture. The navy white, orange, and turquoise purse was created with a striped rectangele. For complete instructions see http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/crocheted-bento-purse.  You can use a manufactured or a crocheted handle.  

Another strategy would be to crochet 3 decorative granny squares.  Sew the squares together to make one long rectangle.  Then fold the piece and sew up the open edges. The white orange and pink purse was constructed from solid granny squares.  The white, black, and turquoise purses were made from a simple extended clustered granny squares. It was fun to crochet circles in several colors before adding rows that would transform the shape into a square.  

The Japanese Crocheted Knotted Purse is one of my favorites.  Once you insert the larger handle through the smaller loop the purse closes on itself.  Also when you slide your hand through the larger handle you hand is free to do other tasks.  Last year I crocheted the purses in bright spring colors.  This year  I added a red and white striped version a brown piece to wear with neutrals and a red purse that is edged with black.  Since I wear a lot of black and white, it will be nice to have a lively accessory with a pop of color.  For complete directions, see http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/crocheted-knotted-japanese-purses

The new designs begin with the pouchlike bag I crocheted for the Japanese knotted purse. For the first project in a light sage green cotton yarn, I crocheted a horizontal slit a few rows before the top on one side of the bag.  To produce the slit, I crocheted 9 stitches in half double crochet, chained 10, skipped 10, and continued crocheting in half double crochet (HDC) to complete the round.  In the following round, I did the HDC as before until I reached the chain.  Then I crocheted 10 HDC onto the chained strip before continuing on in the main body of the purse.  I crocheted an additional two rows before fastening off.  On the back side of the purse opposite the opening, I began crocheting the strap by picking up and crocheting 10 HDC along the top row of the pouch. The strap would be about 16 long before it was doubled and attached to the inside of the top row.  To close the purse, simply insert the handle into the slit and pull up.  A design feature was added to the front of the purse by crocheting a 4 inch strap that was doubled and sewn a few rows below the slit. Before folding the little strap, I slipped a craft bracelet onto the strip.  I also added a coordinating heart silver button to the surface.

For the second bag, I crocheted a pouch with a black lower portion and an off white upper portion. For this piece the decorative element was the two tone handle. This handle was crocheted horizontally along the length and then added to the purse.  A simple brown leatherlike button ws added to break up the space and create interest.

The final purse alternated black and taupe yarns.  At the top I added three rows of black .  At this time, I stopped crocheting on the front of the purse and continued on the back for 5 rows before making a slit on the back of the purse. I continued for for 4 more rows in black and topped off with two rows of taupe to complete the flap.  This time I crocheted and attached a doubled 16 inch strap to the front of the purse. To close, I slipped the handle through the slit and placed the flap onto the front of the purse.  To secure the flap, chain a loop in taupe to the top of the taupe layer and add a large coordinating button to the front.

These crocheted cotton purses are fun to make with endless creative possibilities. They provide a delightful inexpensive gift or a stylish, unique addition to your wardrobe.

​Thank you for your reflections and feedback.  I welcome you to join me on my stitching adventure.

When seeking a new project, I frequently like to find ways to showcase basic stitches in different ways or to try out intriguing color combinations.  I had just completed a shawl project which left me with a large partial skein of  O' Go worsted yarn in the Frosted Blueberry color way. The yarn reminded me of irises, but it needed something more to bring out my spring spirit. The Back To School Cardigans Free Pattern by Yarnspirations provided me with the opportunity.  Now I just needed a multicolored yarn in coordinating colors to make the sweater.  Luckily, I had 1 skein of a Red Heart variegated worsted yarn in my stash.  The blue in the variegated yarn was the exact match for the solid color skein.  The pink turquoise, and ivory provided a bright, but subtle contrast.

Yarnspirations classifies this pattern as a beginner skill level.  The pattern is crocheted with worsted weight yarn .  A G or an H hook would be used for the ribbing.  An I hook is needed for the body. You need turn to the back of the pattern for the exact yardage: Using Red Heart yarn, you need 1 skein of approximately 290 yards of solid. They call for 2 skeins of variegated yarn at 232 yards each  or 1 skein of any variegated yarn that yields about 450 yards.  I was crocheting a size 6 garment.   I had enough yarn in my super saver skein to need only one  skein of variegated yarn.     There were several hundred yards of blueberry yarn left over from my last project.  While I crocheted my sweater in colors suitable for a young girl, the directions could easily be modified with navy and cream or green and camouflage that would work for a boy. The pattern includes directions for sizes 2-8.

The back and two fronts are each crocheted separately with a double crochet stitch. The pattern makes playful use of the two color palettes.  The back and left front are crocheted in the variegated yarn.  On the right front front broad stripes of the solid color alternate with the narrow stripes of the variegated yarn.  Since the left front was done all in variegated yarn, the left sleeve uses the striped pattern.  Since the right front used the striped pattern, the right sleeve is done entirely in the variegated yarn.  All borders and ribbing were done in the solid color.

This cardigan style calls for a fitted shoulder rather than a dropped shoulder.  After each section the directions call for a rib stitch created by alternating Front Post Double Crochet with the Back Post Double Crochet. I preferred stitching or crocheting up the shoulders and the sides before adding the ribbing to the entire bottom.  

The sleeves are crocheted from the bottom up. After a side seam is sewed to form a tube, the sleeve tube is fitted into the armhole.  It is helpful to pin the center top to the shoulder seam and the sleeve seam to the center of the armhole before pinning in the rest of the sleeve. As with the body of the sweater The FPDC/BPDC was used to create the ribbing effect. The neck band is crocheted before the button bands.  Instead of the double crochet suggested in the directions I used a single crochet stitch and just added an additional row of stitching. For me it was easier to provide sufficient structure for the button holes. 

A very special set of buttons from my stash provided just the right touch to complete this project.  The flowered buttons in 3 different shades mirrored the colors of the varigated yarn.

As you can tell from the photos, my granddaughter was delighted to wear her new sweater.  In general, I found the pattern easy to follow and made notes for my simple modifications to be available for future use.  The garment is a bit roomy at present,  but she can easily wear it into next fall. She wears a size 5, and her wardrobe is full of size 4 sweaters.

Thank you for your support, feedback, and reflections.  I welcome you join me on my stitching journey.

 Fellow knitters, as promised I am sharing my experiments with knitted cowls that you can use to add style to the simplest outfit.  By experiments, I mean that none of the cowls featured in this article came from a single specific pattern.  My process included reading through many knitted cowl patterns to establish realistic size and stitch counts for completed cowls.  Then I combined stitch patterns that I have used successfully to produce other garments.  Now that I have taken notes and have examined the finished pieces I can move on to make changes in size and pattern.  I have had a lot of fun and am eager to share my work with you.

My ribbed cowl was knitted in the round with a self striping worsted weight yarn on #8 cable needles. The piece measures 9 inches high and has a circumference of 22 inches. Cast on 130 stitches. To produce the cowl, begin with 6 rows garter stitch (knitted) The stitch pattern is a  rib with a 4 knit 2 purl repeat. To increase the circumference add in multiples of 6 for the 4 knit stitches and the 2 purl stitches. Since the piece is knitted in the round, you just continue with the same stitch pattern until you have the desired height.  Complete the cowl with 6 rows of garter stitch.

1 love the texture of the bamboo stitch cowl. I have used this stitch to make fingerless gloves and scarves.  The cowl is 8 1/2 inches high with a circumference of 20 inches.  However the stitch is quite stretchy which makes it very comfortable.  The piece was knitted with a #3 merino self striping yarn on #* cable k=needles. Place marker at beginning of row, The 4 row repeat pattern continues as follows: Row 1:  *Slip  1, knit 2  Pass the slip stitch over the two knitted stitches. Purl 2.* Continue to end of row.  Row 2: *Knit 1. Add 1 stitch before the next knitted stitch. Knit 1. This addition replaces the stitch lost be slipping a stitch over the two knitted stitches in row 1. Purl 2.*Continue to marker. Row 3: Knit. Row 4: Knit.  Cast on 130 stitches. There is a 5 stitch multiple  to add or decrease stitches.The first 6 rows will establish the rib.  Knit 3 stitches Purl 2 stitches.  Starting in row 7 begin with the stitch repeat.  I knitted 9 4 row pattern repeats.  Complete cowl as you began with a 6 row rib of 3 Kinit 2 Purl.

The finished cowl was cozy and soft.  If I were to repeat the pattern, I would probably add  ten to  twenty stitches for a looser fit.

The final cowl was probably my favorite.  The pale lavender Impeccable worsted from Micheals was knitted on a #8 cable needle in the round.  The design feature for this cowl was aC4 cable stitch.  To produce this stitch, slip 2 stitches on a cable needle.in front of work.   Knit the next two stitches.  Knit the two stitches from the cable needle. How to Knit the 4 Stitch Cable is a helpful You Tube Video that can guide you through the process.  Cast on in multiples of 8.  I cast on 160 stitches for my piece. Place a marker before the first stitch. To establish rib, I knitted 4 purled 4 around to end for 4 rows.  Pattern sequence is as follows:
Row 1: *Follow steps for C4F or cable stitch with 4 stitches in which you hold the cable needle to the front.  Purl 4* and continue around.  Rows 2-4 Knit.  Continue with sequence until you have the desired height.  Endwith 4 rows of knit 4, purl 4 ribbing.

​I enjoyed this simple cabling.  In future cowls I may wish to work on more complicated combinations.

Creating a cowl is so satisfying as the project can be completed quickly and the creative possibilities are endless.  After my initial experiments I am encouraged to try new designs during the autumn or winter months.

​As always I appreciate your reflections and feedback.  Thank you for joining me on my stitching journey.

With spring just around the corner, we still have time to accessorize an outfit with the textures and colors of a crocheted cowl.  I have considered crocheting cowls for awhile, but suddenly I had a window of time between projects.  Since each of the cowls in the article can be completed in a day or two of full time crocheting or a week of sparetime crafting, these pieces fit right into my schedule.  I began by surfing the internet or scrolling through Pinterest or Ravelry for pictures of pieces that were attractive, relatively easy to execute, and which would use only the wool and hooks that I already had on hand.

The first photo that caught my eye was the Frosty Forest Cowl, a free pattern from 5 Little Monsters (https://www.5littlemonsters.com/2019/01/frpsty-forest-cowl.html). The pattern instructions call for 4 shades of yarn in the same color family from dark to light and an I hook (5.5mm). The texture of the double V stitch was appealing.  I followed the basic design, but made a few changes.  I did not have 4 shades of one color on hand, but I decided to dig into my large piece scrap pile for 4 colors that would compliment each other.  I ended up with 4 rows of Frostberry from left over from a shawl, 3 rows of Sparkly Silver left over from a child's ballet shrug, 3 rows of white, and 4 rows of yellow.   While I made the initial chain with 90 stitches using the I hook,  I switched to  the H hook for the body of the cowl.  I did try using the I hook throughout, but I did not like the presentation of the stitches.  Using a slightly larger hook for the initial chain kept the piece from being too tight at the bottom. 

If you prefer crocheting a flat piece, you can crochet a rectangle and then sew the short sides together.  In this case, chain 90 +4.  
Row 1:Make the first double crochet in the fourth chain fromm the hook.  Crochet another DC in the same chain. Skip 2 chains.  In the next chain stitch, crochet 2 DC, Chi 1, 2 DC in the same stitch.( This  stitch is called a Double V Cluster.)  Skip 2 chain stitches.* When you are 3 stitches from the end, skip 2 chain stitches  and crochet 2 DC in the last stitch.  Turn your work.
Row 2:  Chain 3. Dc in the same space.  Crochet your first Double V cluster in the chain 1 space of the cluster from the previous row.  Continue across the until you get to the las 3 stitches.  Crochet 2 DC in the same last space.  

Rows 3-14 Follow instructions for row 2.

If you wish to change colors, you will make the change by stopping the final DC of the row when there 2 loops on the hook.  Lay the contrasting yarn across the hook and pull through the loops to complete the DC.  Turn your work Chain 3 with the new color and proceed with instructions for row 2. Leave tails of about 4-5 inches of old and new yarns and tie together.  Then you will weave in ends when the piece is finished.

My second piece was the "Layer Cake" Lace Cowl from Kirsten Halloway Designs. I chose a multi-tone self striping Cozy Merino Wool(Driftwood Multi)  with an H hook (5.0 mm) . The cowl comes in many sizes, but I chose to start with a 120 stitch chain to crochet the piece in the round. The set up sequence includes 8 rows of different stitch patterns that achieve the lace effect.  Then you repeat rows 3-8 four more times before ending with the scalloped row 3. The piece was interesting to crochet end not too difficult to follow. If I were to use the pattern again, I would like to try a solid or a tweed so that the stitches instead of the color would be the focus of attention.

I saw the photo for the final piece before I located the pattern. I really liked the style and use  of sttiches and texture. This was another cowl crocheted in the round on an H (5.0 mm) hook.  I decided to wing it and figure out the stitch and row combinations as I went along.  My yarn was another skein of Cozy Wool Merino but with shades red, plum, and lavender.  My basic attempt included a 120 stitch beginning chain, followed by 3 rows of HDC and then 4 rows of Front Post Double Crochet alternating with Back Post Double Crochet.  By changing off sections, I had 4 sections of HDC and 3 sections of the vertical stripes of the Front Post Double Crochet/Back Post Double Crochet.  Eventually I found the pattern from the photos.  Brooklyn Cowl by Demi Sharpe is a paid pattern found on Ravelry. It includes sizes toddler through adult and is accompanied by a matching headband.  This cowl is larger than my version as it begins and ends with the Front Post Double Crochet/ Back Post Double Crochet sections.  

Although I am wearing a white long-sleeved t in the photos, I can easily enhance the look with a black or colored t shirt or sweater.  The project was engaging and called on me to be creative.  While working with these crocheted cowls, I  was encouraged by the positive remarks of my friends to work on knitted versions. Please look for my knitted cowls in a future post.

As  always, I appreciate your feedback and reflections.  I welcome you in doing me on my stitching journey.