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As I prepared for my main outdoor craft fair of the 2021 season, I sorted through my fingerless gloves to determine my displays.  A favorite sale item has been the exquisite, cushy, long gloves crocheted from Premier Appalachia  Yarn.  The yarn is a single ply, bulky weight, sel-striping fiber that is 90% acrylic and 10% alpaca. The yarn is luxurious, and the colors are gradual and sophisticated.  Several years ago I found a 50% off display at my large craft store, and I bought about 12 skeins.  Although there were only 140 yards in a 200 gram unit, I set aside 1 skein to use to combine to finish off the individual pairs.  Many of my customers sought out these gloves for holiday presents, and I presented a pair to a few selected friends.  

I knew that I had come to the end of my stash of this fiber as I held the last piece that included off white, light grey, gold, and pale apricot tones.  I stroked the yarn. and divided it in half as I began to crochet my last pair. I realized that I would not have enough to finish off the last few yards of the top, but luckily I had a remnant of gold LionHeart Scarfie that would blend well with the other shades.

A couple of weeks before the fair, I set out in search of yarns that would replace my beloved chunky #5 Appalachia.  I was after a yarn that yielded the softness, beautiful colors, and stitch definition of my beloved fiber.  

One of my best matches was Symphony by Bernat.  The yarn is a single ply, bulky weight, self-striping fiber that is 80% acrylic and 20% wool.  The yarn comes in 225 grams for 309 yard balls.  The yardage allowed me to crochet a luxurious pair of long fingerless gloves and a matching beanie hat.  At sale price of about $7.99, I could rationalize a purchase price of $40 for the set. I had not finished the beanies in time for this first fair, but Iwill be ready for another outdoor fair or possible online sale.In the future, Could also use one skein for 2 sets of fingerless gloves.  However, I might have add a coordinating bulky yarn for the last couple of rows.

Mandalla Watercolor Yarn by Lionbrand gives a hand dyed look.  This bulky yarn is also single ply in a blend that is 75% acrylic, 15% wool, and 10%, nylon.  The Almond colorways that includes cream, tan, and medium brown included 164 yards that was just enough to complete the long fingerless glove with a few rows of border.  A customer at the fair bought it up quickly, and it was one of my first sales of the day.

The Charisma Yarn by Loops and Threads From Michaels was at the bulkier end of the #5 range.  Each 200 gram skein included 109 yards, and I had to use 2 skeins for each pair of gloves.  The pale strawberry-multi was one of my favorites.  The rust, blue, and black yarn was dynamic.  The self-striping yarn is 100 % acrylic and quite plushy to touch. With a price point of approximately $4.49 per skein, my cost per pair of gloves was $9.50. I will probably have to change my prices for the plushy bulky yarns to $25 or $30 while I keep my worsted styles at $20.

LionBrand Scafie has long been a favorite of mine, but is on the thinner side of the #5 range. This self-striping yarn yarn is 78% acrylic and 22% wool. I selected a Cream Taupe and later bought a Pink Silver. The 312 yards enabled me to crochet a pair of gloves as well as a beanie.  In fact I went back to JOANNs to buy some other yarn and bought another skein to crochet a matching scarf.  I am planning to show case these sets with others in a forthcoming article.  I will also include a pattern for the crocheted scarf at that time.

The bulkiest of the #5 self-striping yarns was The Joann Big Twist Arcarde Yarn.  It is a single fiber 100% acrylic yarn with smooth color movements. The skein weighs in at 150 grams and includes 154 yards.  However, I was in for an unpleasant surprise. I expected to need a few yards of a compatible bulky yarn to finish off the top of my fingerless mittens.  However, I completely ran out of yarn when I was at the midway point of the second glove and had to return to the store to secure enough yarn to finish the set.  Even at a sale price of $5.99, the cost for a pair was almost $12.  The gloves are thick and luxurious, but this meant that I would have to increase my purchase price on these bulky gloves as well.  

My last selection was Latte Cakes by Caron (Yarnspirations) .  This subtle self-striping yarn comes in delicate shades with a fuzzy surface.  The skein weighs 250 grams and includes 530 yards. Although the yarn is labelled a bulky #5, it seems thin for that category.  The gloves and hat are soft to the touch.  The fiber content is 58% acrylic and 42% nylon.  Although the yarn cost $9.99 I was able to crochet both a pair of gloves and a hat from a single skein.  If I sold the pieces as a set for $40, I could recoup my costs. If I use this yarn again, I could also fashion 2 sets of gloves out of the single skein.

I have finished the gloves and am almost done with the Latte Cakes Hat.  Of all of the yarns,I think that the Symphony by Bernat was my favorite.  The gloves were plushy, and there was just enough yarn for the beanie hat.  

The Chunky Yarn Fingerless Gloves Pattern is a modification of my mismatched worsted pattern. It works best with the middle to heavy chunkier yarns.  For the lighter skeins, you may wish to  refer back to the original worsted pattern.

Chunky Yarn Fingerless Glove Pattern

This pattern is a modified version of my Mismatched Fingerless Gloves that are crocheted with worsted weight yarn.  The main differences occur in the hand below the thumbhole and at the top of the thumbhole  Instead of 8 rows of Granny stitch groups below the thumbhole, I call for 6 rows.  At the top of the glove, I simply crochet 2 rows of single crochet instead of the more elaborate shell border. Since the bulky yarn is heavier, I have left off the flower that I have added to many of my worsted weight gloves.  I have added a decorative button many of my fingerless gloves.  However, this decoration may not be needed for the plushy chunky gloves.  some customers feel that it catches or gets in the way.
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Materials:  Approximately 165 yards of bulky #5 yarn; 5.0 H hook ()to ket that thicker texture for the glove); large eye needle for weaving in ends. Please note that most manufacturers call for a 6.5mm or K hook to be used with the bulky weight yarn.  However, I prefer the density and stitch definition that is achieved with a 5.0mm or H hook.

Directions:
Cuff:  Chain 13 stitches.  HDC in second stitch from hook and continue across (12 stitches)
Row 2-20 Ch 1, HDC in back loop
Single crochet short ends together
Body of glove:
Row 1:  ch 1, HDC in same stitch and around for 24 stitches, sl stitch to join
Row2: After join seam,Ch 3.  S DC in same space.  Skip 2 stitches.  3 DC group in next space,  Continue around for total of 8 clusters.  Slip stitch to join.
Row 3:  Continue  in tops of group to space between clusters.  Crochet 3 DC for form cluster.  Continue around and slip stitch to join.
Row 4-6 Repeat Row 3.
Thumbhole:
Row 7: Continue in top of cluster to form first group of thumb hole row.  Continue around to form 7 clusters.  In the next row you will reverse direction of stitches.
Row 8: Chain 2.  Form a Double Crochet cluster in next spaced continue around.  You will end with a double crochet.
Row 9:  Form a Double Crochet Cluster in first space.  Continue around with Double Crochet clusters inch space, ending with a Double Crochet Group.  
Row 10:   Chain 2.  Form a Double Crochet Group in next spaced continue around.  You will end with a double crochet.
Row 11:  Form a Double Crochet Cluster in first space.  Continue around with Double Crochet group in each space, ending with a Double Crochet Group.  Slip stitch to close. This is the close of the thumb hole opening.
Top of Glove above Thumbhole:
Row 12:  Slip stitch on top of DC group until you reach the first space.  Chain 2 and crochet 2 DC in same space.  Continue with 3 DC in each space around.  Close with slip stitch.  You will have 8 groups again at the top of the thumbhole.
Row 13:  Slip stitch across the top of the stitches in the first group.  In next space, Chain 2 and make 2 more DC in the same space.  Continue around until you have 8 groups and close n top of next stitch with slip stitch.
Row 14:   Slip stitch across the top of the stitches in the first group.  In next space, Chain 2 and make 2 more DC in the same space.  Continue around until you have 8 groups and close n top of next stitch with slip stitch.
​Row 15-16:  Chain 1.  Make a single crochet inch stitch around and close with slip stitch.
Finish off and weave in ends.

This Double Rainbow Crocheted Cardigan brings a smile to all of those who see it.  My inspiration for the sweater was The Over the Rainbow Toddler Sweater by Yarnspirations.com/bernat.  This multicolored treat ranges in sizes from 2T to 6 and uses 7 shades of worsted weight yarn with a J (6.0mm) hook. When I saw the photo of the sweater, I knew I wanted to make it, but I needed to make several changes to express my vision for the piece.

The Double Rainbow Crocheted Cardigan starts with half-double-crocheting the double rainbows on the back section.  Then the bottom layer is added. The original pattern instructions include detailed information for creating the rainbow and for crocheting the color sequences.  However, instead of the 7 shades of worsted weight yarn, I substituted 6 colors that were truer to the rainbow hues. Another significant change that I made was to eliminate the aqua in the basic design. With this transition, first I had to make changes in the color sequences and number of rows for each color in the rainbow itself.  Then, I changed the number or rows and color sequence for the bottom section.  I noted that the authors of the pattern included different numbers of rows for the various colors.  The random arrangement was attractive and easy to improvise. Since I was working with my own vision,  I had to be guided by my granddaughter's measurements as I executed instructions for size 4T.

After the back is completed, directions are given to square off the rainbow for the back part of the shoulders.  The front of the sweater is worked from the shoulders down through the v-shaped neckline and straight down to make each front of the sweater. Since I was substituting my own color sequence, I just had to make sure that I varied the number of rows in a pleasing matter. Once I completed the first front, I wanted to doublecheck that the opposite side matched exactly. ​I also had to confirm that the front pieces matched the back in length.

The pattern called for the sleeves to be crocheted top down and then sewn into the sweater.  I selected a different strategy.  Once I sewed the shoulders and the side pieces, I took the stitch count for the top of the sleeve and crocheted the same number in single crochet into the rounded armhole.  I followed the directions for decreasing the number of  stitches as  I moved from the shoulder to the wrist.  I eliminated the extra colored stripe and stayed with blue and red for the sleeve. The sleeves are longer than the child's arm and are designed to be folded up to form a contrasting cuff.

To finish off the sweater., I stitched two rows in half-double crochet along the bottom, fronts, and neck of the garment. Now, instead of the three sets of ties, I chose a sleeker version, by adding a 4 row single crochet placket of 18 stitches for 3 buttons and buttonholes.  

My granddaughter tried valiently to follow my directions to make poses that would show off the best features of the front and back of the cardigan.  She looked adorable, but it wasn't until she was called onto the deck to observe the bunnies in her backyard, that we really got a wonderful natural smile. Many thanks to my sweet granddaughter who puts up with her Nana's requests even when she doesn't quite understand why I am putting her through these paces.  

The completed Double Rainbow Cardigan was an exciting piece to execute and photograph.  The original sweater was attractive, but I am very pleased with the color and design changes that I made.  Many thanks to the designers at Yarnspiration  who wrote the pattern for this sweater so that I could put my own stamp on it.

Readers, have you ever found a pattern that was interesting, but you were still inspired to work with it to develop your vision?  As I continue on my stitching journey,  I find that with increased confidence, I am able to combine elements from different designs that express me as an individual.  In future blog posts, I will be gleaning from the many free patterns and as well as purchased pattern books to create pieces that use the best features of two or more patterns.   This new venture promises to be exciting!

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

 For those knitters who enjoy the simplicity of the garter stitch, this delightful sweater jacket pattern is just right for you.  While the original pattern calls for a broad color block at the bottom, I have made the piece in both a solid blue tweed and in a  three way color block with two shades of pink and a band of white. Both sweaters were knitted in worsted weight yarn with a #8 needle. Pattern sizes run from 4 to 12. The Sawtelle Cardigan pattern was designed by Amanda Keep Williams. To get free pattern register at annies catalog.com.  I had retrieved the pattern from an earlier source, and so I just went through the procedure and it works.  The original piece was made in a size 4T and ran true to size.  As my granddaughter has several sweaters in 4T, I wanted to make the next size to plan growth during the winter season.The pink and white sweater is roomy as she is only wearing a t-shirt and shorts under the outer garment.  When she puts on a couple of pounds and is wearing warmer winter garments, she will fill out the sweater.  My sweetheart put up with all of our modeling directions.  The pose I like best has her giggling as she gazed up at her daddy making silly faces.

The sweater is almost seamless since you cast on enough stitches to cover the back and both fronts. A garter stitch is used thorough the sweater.  After you knit the body up to the armholes on circular needles, you divide for the the back and armholes. There is no extra trim for this sweater.  The garter stitch comes right to the edge.  The buttonholes are made right into the garter fabric.  After the sections are completed, you seam the shoulders together.  The armholes are knit in the round.  In order to achieve this look when knitting in the round, you have to alternate knit and purl rows.  When you knit flat, you knit all the rows.  This part was the only tricky part to the sweater, but after I got the hang of the procedure, my knitting went smoothly.

When I knit the sweater in a solid color, I followed the directions and began picking up the collar stitches with the right side facing. This step left the join on the inside of the sweater where you could not see it.  However, when I chose to use a contrasting color for the collar, I had to start with the wrong side facing so that the join would be concealed as the collar lay over it.  

This sweater jacket provides a basic canvas for trying out different combinations of yarn colors.  Just remember to end your last row of a color section with a knitted row so that you get a smooth transition.  Otherwise, you will have a line dashes when you turn your piece to knit on the reverse side.  If you choose to use a self striping yarn you can avoid this situation.
I am sure that I will knit this sweater again for other children in different colors and sizes.  It has become part of my basic knitting repertoire.

As always I appreciate your reflections and feedback.  I welcome you to join meonmny stitching journey.

My Triangle Shawl with Clean Straight Lines was the result of a long, but productive road trip to Chautauqua, New York.  My husbanding I  had not been on a vacation for over a year and a half and were excited about our adventure.  Despite the pouring rain, we kept up our spirits, and I completed more than half of my piece before arriving at our destination.  The basic project fit in with my own rules for crocheting on the road.  Bring enough yarn.  Make sure you have all essential hooks, measuring tapes, needles, instructions, and any other needed equipment.  Trying to find a knitting or craft store in isolated locations can sabotage any project.  However, most of all, do not try a new, unfamiliar, or detailed piece.  I find it impossible to count and keep up my end of the conversation with my husband (who is driving) if my crocheting is too complicated.  The triangle shawl I picked was familiar, but I also wanted to tackle the problem of the side pieces reaching up like wings.  I also wanted to work on the contours so that the shawl was much wider than it was deep.  The wider configuration is more flattering for me and many other women.

When I use the Granny Stitch Method to make a blanket, I usually leave out the chain 1 between the clusters because I like a denser blanket.  However, when I make a shawl the piece does not drape when I do this.  Also, in order to get the proper width. the shawl becomes much too deep and cumbersome. My first step in changing the shape of my shawls to add the ch1 between clusters. The second change was to chain 3 stiches instead of two in the central section of two Granny Stitch clusters. The third step I took was to chain 4 loosely instead of 3 at the end of each row.  The chain 4 becomes a double crochet and a ch 1 in the next row.  The extra stitch makes for more ease at the line that rests on the neck and down the front.  As I lay out the steps for the triangle shaw, the directions become clearer.  The shawl is worked from the bottom up  and becomes larger as you add rows. Once the pattern is established, you repeat the same row until you have reached your desired size or until you run out of yarn. My completed shawl,  before adding the edging, measured 60 inches wide and 31 deep.  With the edging , the shawl measured 62 inches wide and 32 inches deep.  I am 5 foot 6 1/2 inches tall and the shawl reached just below my hips.

Row 1: Make a magic circle and chain 4. .  Crochet 3 DC into the magic circle ring.  Ch 1 and make an additional DC into the ring.  Pull the magic circle tight.  Chain 4 loosely. Turn

Row 2:  Crochet 3 DC into to the ch1 space. Ch 3.  Crochet 3 DC into the last ch1 space. Ch1 and make 1 DC in the same space.  Chain 4 loosely.

Row 3: Crochet 3 DC in the ch1 space.  Ch1. Crochet 3 DC in ch3 space. Ch3. Crochet 3 DC in same space Ch1. Crochet 3 DC in last ch 1 space. Ch1 and make 1 DC in some space.  Chain 4 loosely. Turn

Row 4: Crochet 3 DC in first ch 1 space.  Ch1.  Crochet 3 DC in next ch 1 space. Ch 1.
Crochet 3 DC in the 3 ch space.  Ch 3. Crochet 3 DC in the same Ch 3 space.   Ch1.  Crochet 3 DC in next ch 1 space. Ch1.  Crochet 3 DC in the last ch 1 space. Ch1 and make 1 DC in same space.  Chain 4 loosely. Turn

At this point the pattern for the shawl is established.  You will be adding extra clusters in the chain 1 space at the beginning and end of each row.  You will be crocheting 3 DC ch in each ch 1  space until you get to the center.  Then you will make 3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC in the central 3 chains.  Ch1 and continue down the opposite site.  When you get to the last ch 1 space, you will make 3 DC, Ch 1, 1 DC in the same space.  Chain 4 loosely and turn your work.  Repeat and continue until you have the size you desire.

The completed triangle lay flat, and I had reached my goal.  Still I wanted to add an edging to make my shawl more exciting.  Before starting any edging, I had to SC around all sides of the shawl to provide a solid base for the crocheted edging.  The long flat side would remain plain, but even on this side, the SC finished off the stitches and made for a finer look.  

The Block Edging would add interest without being too fussy.The Block Edging consists of groups of leaning DC stitches.  You work over a multiple of 4 stitches + 3.  When I finished my row of sc I did not cut my yarn.  I just started with Ch3, skipping the first 3 stitches. Continue with the following sequence. *Make 1 DC in the next stitch. Ch3. Crochet 3 DC around the DC and skip the next 3 stitches.* Repeat from* around. At the end, slip stitch into the third stitch of the beginning chain.  Cut off the yarn and we've in the ends.

Each time I crochet or knit a project I like to learn something new.  This was the first time tried the Block Edging, and I was quite pleased with the results.  It added enough accent without weighing down the shawl.

I am glad that I chose lavender for this shawl.  Since I rarely wear this color, I will not be tempted to add it to my growing stack of shawls and scarves.  I will probably donate it to my local chapter of Threads of Love.  This piece should  provide a warm hug for a hospital patient.

I hope my process inspires you to look at a familiar project in a new way .  Even small experiments like my edging can breathe life and spirit into your crocheted garment.  As always, I appreciate your feedback and reflection.  I welcome you to join mean my stitching journey.

While some folks consider Granny Squares quaint and old fashioned, they can actually make for a delightful and stylish fashion statements.  In the past I have used Granny squares for cowls, fingerless gloves, hats, and headbands.  This time I thought I would try my hand at sleeveless vests for my three granddaughters, aged 2 1/2. 4 1/2 and almost 6.   The granny square can be an accent or form the body of an outfit.  Color, line, and contrast create an artistic statement.

Although many Granny Square Vests are composed entirely of small squares, I do not have the patience to work with many tiny pieces, join them together, and weave in the ends. Therefore I decided to accent only the bottom of this pastel pink tied vest with Granny Squares along the bottom the garment.  By sewing a different pink button in the center of each square, I added detail and texture while using up 9 of my single leftover buttons from other projects.  Vests are great for providing warmth without long sweater sleeves interfering with activity.  I love the look of layered fashion.

A granny Square can also be a pocket.  The You Tube Video Crochet #4 How to Crochet A Round Yoke. enabled me to make a seamless one piece vest.  This vest was made for my 4 1/2 year old granddaughter in blue with blue and white Granny Square pockets.  I chose to place one of the pockets higher on one side and at the bottom on the left.  My granddaughter selected the daisy buttons for the vest closing and the center of the squares .Although the yoke was made for a young girl,  it is easy to make the vest smaller or larger by following the steps on the video. Her teachers enjoy seeing her come to school with her fanciful sweater vests.

Squaring the Big Circle Tutorial from signalwithanowl.blogspot.com or from Pinterest mak=de it possible for meet tun a flower in a circle into a pieces that form the front and back of a 4 shade vest.  I measured my granddaughter's chest, divided by 2 and 1/12 to get the correct size square for front and back.I made a shoulder piece by crocheting cluster stitches to 10 stitches to each side of the front piece.  Then I crocheted the straps to the back piece.  I marked the place where I wanted the armhole and added one row of cluster stitches to the body of each side of front and back.  Then I matched the pieces and crocheted from the armhole to the bottom to attach on each side. To get a better proportion I added 3 rows of clusters all around at the bottom of the sweater.  I picked up the gray in the Granny Squares for the straps, sides, and bottom rows.

For my 2 /2 year old grand daughter, I wanted a vest that was bright and playful.  The peach, yellow and aqua from my stash were just perfect.  I was so glad that I had a vest ready for her because once she saw older sister pose, she wanted to wear a sweater in a picture, too.  In this sweater, I made a square off armhole about halfway down the side of the sweater.  Instead of crocheting clusters for the straps and sides,I made double crochet stitches.  One row of aqua single crochet stitches at the neck, armholes, and bottom brought out all of the stitches in the Granny Square. What a darling model!

As long as I have the correct measurement, I know that I can continue to crochet a garment from a photo of an adult sweater that I can modify for a child.  As I scanned the internet I came across a photo of a Granny Square surrounded by a contrast in black.  I knew that it would be just right for my four year old.  i followed steps similar to those I use for some of my other vests.  With the black extra rows, it was hard to tell where I made the additions, and everything fit together seamlessly.   The finishing touch was two rows of HDC around the neckline, armholes, and bottoms,  How dramatic.

I have at least one more idea for a off-square mitered look, but I ran out of time and want to publish this article.  I made a baby blanket with this base several years ago, and now I want try ti on a garment. This leaves me an idea for a future post.

How do you like use granny squares in creating fashion pieces.  If you would like see some of my earlier creations, see: http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/what-can-you-do-with-a-granny-square

My husband calls himself a collector rather than a gardener, even though his garden is truly artistic.  His primary focus is in Hostas.  Throughout the garden you will find over 1400 different varieties that range in size from a few inches to over eight feet across.  Coloring includes greens, blue greens, striped variegated, streaked, and color edged.  My rendering of Ball of Ladders at jessieathome.com pays homage to the green and white displays. I was inspired by the hostas called Half n' Half and Simply Naked to crochet this triangle shawl.

I like this pattern because their are only 2 rows in the repeat once you set up the initial rows.  Although the pattern calls for the lighter yarn featured in Lion Brand Shawl in a Ball, I substituted worsted yarn in dark green sage green, and white with a J (6.00mm) hook.  As you can see from the photos, these are just a few of the many hostas with this coloration. Since the pattern calls for a Double Crochet row (DC) followed by a mesh row, it is light enough to wear on a breezy, summer evening.

To bring in color to show contrast in the garden, Bert has interspersed such plants as Mountain Laurel, Allium, Rhododendrum, and Bleeding Heart. The white, pink, and green were perfect for Sunset Peaks - Crochet Shawl from mypoppet.com/au  Instead of the Mandala #3 yarn, I substituted worsted white, pink, and green from my stash. The four line repeat calls for two rows of mesh, a single row of DC and a final row of
Front Post Double Crochet (FPDC). The FPDC creates the ridge on the reverse side. The reverse side is actually the right side of the garment.

The third shawl was a draped asymmetrical striped shawl that was also inspired by the pink and white flowers in the garden.  When I saw a photo in my internet explorations I decided to make my version in a diagram so that I could transform it into a shawl pattern.  Both sides of the shawl were solid with a striped section in the middle.  I started with a long chain on the bottom in white.  As I made my way up the body of the shawl, I kept one side straight as a right angle and decreased on the other side until I came to a final point.  The shawl drapes over the shoulder and is held in place with shawl pin.  I do not have a pattern for this piece, as I was working it from diagram as I went along.  I believe that I will make the beginning chain shorter if I repeat the design.  The shawl has a pleasing drape, but it came out larger than I had anticipated.

All three shawls were donated to Threads of Love to be distributed to cancer and other hospital patients at Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut.

The fourth piece in my collection was a throw for my queensize bed.  I had made throws for others, and now it was my turn.  If I chose to lie down in the middle of the day, it did not want to undo the bed.  The throw was just the right kind and size blanket to keep me warm and cozy. I chose sage, off white, and taupe to form the Expanded Granny Square blanket.  The colors reminded me of the subtle coloration of many of the garden plants.  After crocheting a beginning square, I alternated rows of color, two at a time.  When I had reached almost the right size, I began the sage and off-white border that showed stripes that were perpendicular to th main body of the blanket. The effect was achieved by crocheting one row of green, changing to off-white and then back to green again. My border was seven rows. When I was done, I finished off the piece with a single row of HDC sage.

When I had completed the three shawls and the bed throw, I still wasn't satisfied with the pieces that I had picked to showcase the garden.  A glowing green hosta called Appletini caught my eye on our garden walks.  Therefore, I returned to my large craft store in search of a skein that would highlight the colors in this plant.  Green Apple Ombre from Red Heart fit the bill.  Since many of the organizations that I donate to ask for scarves, I decided to get a head start on my autumn shipment. I like working with the V-stitch, but I decided to change the look a bit.  Usually I make a chain of about 30 to 40 stitches and work my way up the scarf until I am satisfied with the length or until I run out of yarn. This time I started to crochet on the long side.  To get length of about 72 inches that would make for a double wrap around, I needed about 200 stitches.  ThenI did a HDC stitch along the chain to make the base stable.  In the next row, I chained 4 and skipped a stitch.  In the next stitch, I crocheted a V stitch (DC-ch 1-DC) in the same stitch.  I skipped a stitch and make a V as I continued across to the last 2 stitches.  I skipped a stitch and made a sing DC.  I chained 3 and turned my work.  In the next row I continued to stack spaces and V stitches and continued untilI had a total of 12 rows. Then I crocheted a final row of HDC before I made the picot border.  My picot consisted of three chains separated by four single crochet (sc).

Some of my husband's favorite hostas have a dark green-blue tone. The Red Heart Super Saver Sutherland  Stripes displayed many of these shades.  The Mini Clusters Chemo Cap that I crocheted for my article, Crocheting Blue for HatNotHate was just the vehicle for for this yarn.  The clusters looked liked leaves, and the yarn captured many of the garden shades, including the dark green and the green blue of Skywriter.  With 2 skeins of 236 yards I was able to make a hat, a cowl, and a pair of fingerless gloves.  For the gloves I combined a cuff with HDC on the BLO and the body of the hand with a V stitch. I am planing a future article on fingerless gloves that will include the patterns for a few of my originals.

For past garden inspirations, see:
​http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/knitting-and-crochetinbg-a-view-from-the-gardens

http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/the-garden-is-my-muse-crocheting-a-lacy-shawl

Do scenes from your environment inspire your crochet?  Take photos as you enjoy your own muse scenery.  For some like me, it is the greenery of the garden.  For others it is the sea shore, the mountains, or the desert.  I would love see your pieces and your inspirations.  Please join me on my stitching journey.

My crocheted doll house purses are truly a gift from the heart.  From the time I first saw knitted and other crocheted pieces, I knew I had to create my own crocheted versions.  I started with the house with the red roof that was crocheted to house a comfort doll family with coordinated red clothes.  When my four year old granddaughter saw the display, her mouth opened awe and glee.  "Is this for me? she inquired.  Indeed, it was.  However, I knew I had to create 2 more for her New York cousins.  Each doll house purse takes about 14 hours to create with all of the decorations.  This was going to be a big project.  I said that she could play with the pieces that day since it was going to be a while before she could take her set home.  She undertstood, and had great time with creative play that afternoon.

Okay, this was a great idea, but I did not have a pattern.  After the first house, my goal was to crochet two additional purses.  One girl would get a doll house purse with a blue roof to match that comfort doll family.  Her sister would get a doll house purse with a purple roof to match her family as well..  For each girl I also added an extended Granny Square for a blanket or carpet.  Again all of the colors matched the dolls and the doll houses.

Next, I built up the sides in white or off white. B​y the time I got to the third purse (with one do over), I calculated that I wanted 23 stitches on the long sides and 13 stitches on the short sides. this meant I had to make 2 stitches in each corner.  I found that I liked a Single Crochet
(SC) for the sides.  In the first model, I joined the rows with a slip stitch, but it became harder to align.  Therefore, I worked in a spiral without a join for the remaining houses.  I marked the beginning of the rows so that I had even sides.  I crocheted 10 or 11 rows before started the gables.

 To make the gables on the short sides I started (Row 1) with a ch1 and a SC in the same stitch.  Then I crocheted 12 more SC for a total of 13 stitches. In the next row (/Row 2) I decreased with a SC2tog on both sides so that the edges would be even (11 stitches). In Row3, I crocheted the same number of stitches as Row 2 (11).  In the following rows I decreased on the even rows and crocheted the same number on the odd rows. I continued to complete the gable with one stitch remaining.  I fastened off and cut the yarn.then I attached the yarn to the other short side to make the second gable.

The colored roof was made to be slightly larger than the gables so that there would be a bit of overhang. I chained 24 stitches and crocheted a HDC in the second chain from the hook.  
After 10 rows I crocheted an extra row with HDC form the Back Loop Only (BLO). to make a ridge for the top of the roof. Then I crocheted an additional 10 rows for the other side of the roof.  I fastened off and cut the yarn tail that would I would weave in with the rest of the tails.

 It is important to note that I only attached one half of the roof to one side of the gable and adjoining side of the door house purse. In that way the girls would be able to open the purse to insert the doll family and blanket.  Before I attached the roof, I  crocheted the strap with a Half Double Crochet Foundation Stitch (HDCF). Then I added an additional row of HDC.  I sewed the strap under the peak of the roof on both sides.Then I proceeded to sew the roof in place, starting at the peak row  and down the first gable, across the length of the house and up the second gable to the peak. Since I wanted to add buttons and button holes to close the purse cesucrely, I needed to add an additional row of SC to both long sides of the house.  On the loose side, I would make 3 buttonholes, evenly distributed along the side of roof. I started with 2 SC, CH2, skip 3, SC5, CH2, skip 3, SC5, ch2, skip 3,SC2. On the other secured side, I simply SC across.

To complete the doll house purse, I sewed the buttons directly under the button holes near the top row of these of the house.  Then I crocheted a small door and attached a buttoner a handle.The door was purely for decoration and does not open Embroidered flowerswerejust the right touch.  The coordinating Comfort Doll families that would make for hours of creative play were placed inside the houses and the buttons were closed.  I eagerly awaited family gathering so that each girl could receive her own house and family.  

The Comfort Dolls were displayed in earlier LilCreates articles. Here are the links to get that information so that you can knit or crochet your own Comfort Doll families:
http:/www./lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/comfort-dolls-made-with-love
http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/comfort-dolls-a-new-look
http:/www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/crocheters-can-make-comfort-dolls-too

Needless to say, the girls were overjoyed with their Crocheted Doll House Purses another ComfortDoll families.  They were all together for the Memorial Day cookout.  They displayed their houses and matching families and engaged to creative play before returning home with their gifts.  I was rewarded for the many hours of constructing the doll purses and doll families with smiles, hugs,and kisses.  Friends and members of my craft group have asked met make purses so that they could purchase them for the special children in their lives, but I had to say that I am finished for now.  I am sure that I can cut down on the construction time with more practice.  However now I feel closure and am eager to start on new projects.  We recently went on an fair garden tour, and I took many photos of the delightful creations.  Perhaps their is a Crocheted Fairy House in my future.

I hope that you enjoyed my general guidelines for the Crocheted Doll House Purses.  I can't really call them a pattern yet as there may be steps that I have left out. If I do formalize the guidelines, I will include diagrams, and photos.  My stitching journey continues.  I welcome you to join me. If you do try your own version of my Crocheted Doll House Purse, I would love to see pictures of your work.  Please add your reflections and feedback to the comments.

I am excited and ready for the national HATNOTHATE anti-bullying campaign to be launched on June 10 with a 24 hour streaming sponsored by Lion Brand Yarn.  

What is bullying and how can making and wearing a blue hat halt this noxious culture?Bullying may take on overt forms such as name-calling hitting, punching, or kicking.  However it also includes more insidious forms such as social ostracizing.  It involves the participation of others who enable the culture by failing to stand up to the perpetrator.  In the age of social media, the victim is even bombarded at home.  

To fight the cancer of bullying, the social culture must change.  This begins with awareness and solidarity.  We wear our blue hats to show kids that they are not alone.  We provide a platform for their stories and teach positive ways to improve the culture in their schools.  Victums of bullying frequently suffer depression.  There school work suffers, and they are more prone to self-harm and suicide.  This year It Gets Better joined forces with HATNOTHATE to uplift LGBTQ youth.

-If you enjoy crocheting and knitting , you can use your creativity to promote this important effort by sending hats to:
#HATNOTHATE
Lion Brand Yarn Co.
​140 Kero Road
Carlstadt, NewJersey 07072
Their goal is 100,000 hats, and every hat counts.  Send your hats by August 21 for distribution schools nationwide.  See the website hatnothate.org for more information about the program and for lists of local drop-off sites.  The organizers are asking us to wear our hats on June 10 and post our photos on social media with the tag #HATNOTHate.

The hats must be handmade with blue or mostly blue yarn.  Circumference ranges from 16 inches to 20 twenty inches to fit elementary, middle school, and high school youth.  Students wearing these hats support the antibullying campaign with the message of awareness and solidarity.

-Lion Brand offers free patterns for crocheters and knitters on the #HATNOTHATE website.  I have researched the internet through Pinterest, Ravelry, and other sources to select 8 others. All of the patterns are free and will work well with the campaign. Please note that I have included general descriptions of materials and directions.  For specific, detailed information, you must refer to the patterns or websites listed in this blog post.

My first hat is my favorite go to Lakeside Beanie by 5 Knots North. The beanie is crocheted in worsted yarn with an H (5.0mm) hook and is worked from the top of the crown down.  The crown of the beanie is formed with an expanding circle of Double Crochet stitches.  The sides begin with Double Crochet stitches and transition to alternating Front Post Double Crochet and Back Post Double Crochet to make a warm, cozy, comfortable beanie that covers the head and ears.  The blue and white pompom completes the hat.  The style is gender neutral and is suitable for all ages.

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The Slouchy Hat Pattern can be found at Crafty Crochet and Things-blogspot.com.  It is crocheted from the bottom up with an I (5.5mm) hook from the bottom up.  Chain about 9-12 stitches to make band of desired with.  Crochet a Half Double Crochet into the Back Loop Only starting in the second chain from the hook.  Chain 1 at thebegining of each row and continue until you have the desired conference.  Join band short edges and pick up stitches for the hat.  The body of the hat is formed by making HDC in a spiral without joining.  Mark starting point with a place marker.  When you have achieved the desired height for the pattern size, you will be alternating rows of sc and sc2tog with all sc.  Use the long tail to make running stitch and to close the gap. The hat can be made with or without the pompom. I chose a yarn pom pom in matching blue. The hat is gender neutral, but I would go with a darker blue for males.

The Easy V Stitch Hat, designed by Nanay Madel, can be found on Cool Creativity. com or on Daisy Cottage Designs.net.  This hat is crocheted from the bottom up starting with a ribbed band.  Once the bands joined, start to pick up V-stitches in the same color as the bottom band.  Since I was using only two colors  (dark blue and white) I was able to carry the color yarn that was not in use up the back side of the hat.  In this way I could avoid having many pieces of yarn to weave in.  The hat was worked in worsted with an H (5.0mm) hook. I added a white pompom, but a dark blue is also attractive. 

A  Very Good Hat from Moogly.com is is crocheted from the bottom up with a J (6.0mm) hook.  Starting with a foundation chain in the main color (dark blue), the ribbing is achieved by alternating Front Post  Double Crochet with Back Post Double crochet.  The pattern calls for Half Double Crochet stitches and changes color  every two rounds. I spread out a multi-coloredself striping yarn and cut the yarn when it changed color.  Then I selected the colors for the colored rows.  In this way I could control the color distribution so that it did not stop or start in awkward places.  I collected all fo my left over pieces to make a multi-colored pompom.

The Winter Rays Ribbed Crochet Hat @ned and mimi.com uses an interesting stitch combination.  This bottom-up pattern calls for a band using a slip stitch from the back Loop Only, but a changed it to Half Double Crochet because it was easier to make the stitches.  The body of the hat is formed with rows of Five half Double Crochet from the Back Loop Only alternating with two Front Post Double Crochet.  The sequence creates a ribs that reach from the ribbed base to the top of the hat. I like the way the yarn color changes from a solid brand of light blue at the bottom of the hat to a darker blue at the top.  A dark blue Pom Pom works well with this style.

I found a Topper kit with a stuffed mimihippo head in my stash.  Although the enclosed pattern called for knitted style, I decided to crochet the hat with a combination of double crochet and V stitch.  The pattern was crocheted from the top down.  The blue topper and the matching blue ribbing worked well together.  This hat would be suited for an elementary age child.

The Mint Cluster Chemo Cap Pattern on Allcrafts blog.com starts at the crown with a Double Crochet.  I used a H (5.0mm) hook with a softer yarn.  After I crocheted a crown circle ending with 60 stitches I transitioned to cluster stitches separated by a single space. I changed the pattern to include a band of 4 rows of HDC to give shape to the hat.  

The Northern Exposure Pom Hat is demonstrated on You Tube.  After a foundation chain of 30 stitches, you make a Single Crochet and a Double Crochet in the second stitch from the hook. Skip a stitch and crochet the repeat across.  As you work the rows the stitch combo will look like it is stacked.  You will end with a rectangle that is about 20 inches wide.  Then you will sew the ends together with mattress or whipped stitch.  The stitching sides are slightly different.  Decide which you prefer before you stitch up your hat.  Use a running stitch to cinch the top of the hat together.  Reinforcewith additional stitches.  You can attach a pom pom or leave it plain as I did.

I am thrilled to join this worthwhile #HATNOTHATE campaign and to share my patterns with you.  On June 10,  I will wear one of my blue hats and post on Facebook and Instagram .  I hope you enjoy crocheting these blue hats with these patterns. I would love to see pictures of your creations.  Aga[n, please note that my comments and descriptions are general.  You have to go to the specific pattern for complete directions.

As always, I welcome your feedback and reflections.  Please join me on my stitching journey.

The Double V Fan Stitch consists of 2 DC, Ch I, 2DC in the same stitch .  There are 3 skipped stitches between the fans.  The fans are stacked on top of each other in following rows.

For specific directions and a video tutorial, see:  Autumn Symphony Shawl by Jennifer Dickerson on Ravelry.  I also located the pattern by searching for Free Pattern Autumn Symphony.  It popped up on the Fiber Flux website.

I did not want to work with chunky yarn .  I chose Caron Jumbo in a worsted weight Ombre called Faded Jersey. The skeins weight 12 oz and yield 595 yards. I needed about 1 and 2/3 skein to complete the project with 20" x 60 inches.  You will still need the second skein if you want only a 18 inch wide shawl.  My initial chain was 63 stitches (15x4 +3). Since I planned to donate my shawl to Threads of Love, an organization that provides shawls and blankets to cancer patients, I wanted a deeper, cozy garment.   Our group provides our pieces to Yale-New Haven Hospital,  New Haven, Connecticut.  To date we have created and dispersed about 850 pieces since we formed our group.  Thank you to my daughter, Robin for agreeing to model my work.

Given the repetitive nature of the stitching, this piece is the ideal project for crocheting in front of the television or for keeping busy on a long road trip.  I just have to check at the end of each row to make sure that I did not skip a part of a stitch as I am working.

As noted, the original pattern used chunky yarn with a K (6.6mm) hook.  My worsted adaptation used a J (6.0)hook.  However, I imagine that you could use an Mandala or other self striping yarn in DK or #3 weight with an I (5.5mm) hook. Just make the initial chain as long as you need while you maintain the multyiple of 4 + 3.  It is easy to customize this shawl for a shorter or taller person by chaining the number rows.  For a more slender person, I would probably make the shawl 18 inches while instead of 20 inches.

I usually incorporate several pieces in my blog articles. While the written work is not challenging, creating so many pieces takes a great deal of time and  effort.  When I think of a theme, I usually want to display the idea in several ways.  Earlier in my blog history, I exhausted myself and reluctantly stopped blogging for many months.  This Crocheted Shawl with a Double V Fan Stitch took several days to complete.  However, the stitches worked up rather quickly.  I have several shawls planned before my group does it is quarterly collection.  I am really pleased with myself when I can focus on one piece to illustrate one idea.  Alas, some of my future articles will not reflect such self control. As always, I welcome your reflections and feedback.  Please join me on my stitching journey.

Anyone who can crochet a rectangle can create a stylish purse.  The trick is 3 simple folds, two seams, and a strap of your choice.  Actually, once you decide how large you want to make your bag, take the shortest dimension of your rectangle and multiply by 3 for the length.  For example, the red ridged purse measured approximately 11 inches by 33 inches before I made the folds.  I used Sugar and Creme Red in worsted weight (#4) with an H (5.0) hook. I chained 33 stitches and began my Half Double Crochet (HDC) from the second chain from the hook for the first row.  In the second row I continued with the HDC but crocheted from the back loop only (BLO) .  I continued with the HDC in the BLO for the rest of the rectangle.  

Before I folded the crocheted piece, I tried out the folds with a piece of paper to make sure I got it right.

When the folds were made I was careful to make sure that the ridges lined up.  The HDC with BLO has a special feature of a raised ridge.  The lined texture works quite well in designing the Bento Purse. Pin the folds so that the pieces lie flat.  Seam together using the Mattress Stitch.  I consulted a You Tube video to do the stitch correctly the crocheted version of the mattress stitch  is slightly different than the knitted version. A large black button and a red loop was added for interest and security.  The black leather strap with metal clips complete the look.  The clips are secure, but the strap can be transferred to other purses if you do not want to purchase a separate strap for each purse.

I also tried a color blocking technique to get a unique abstracted effect.  Again I used a commercial handle for a white accent.  

Another way to create a Bento Purse is to crochet 3 Granny Squares.  Sew the side seams together to make the rectangle.  Since each of the Granny Squares has the same dimensions, it is easy to get a rectangle with 1:3 proportions. The navy, white, and turquoise purse includes traditional 3 Double Crochet clusters to create a square in each of the three colors. I crocheted the strap in navy yarn and attached it to the purse.

To achieve a firmer purse fabric with the Granny Square, I used a more solid rendition. Based on what I had in my cotton yarn stash, I selected white, pink and orange for the different colored square rings.  Two of the squares were identical.  The middle square had the same colors, but the color array was changed up a bit.  I was winging it as I worked, and I was curious to see how the finished product would line up. I was quite pleased with the cheerful, spring accessory.

The final Bento Purse was based on the granny square, Circle Dance by Carolyn Christmas Designs. The first part of the construction was to create 3 circles with different colored concentric rings.  Then each circle was converted to a square using different sizes of crochet stitches from triple crochet, to double crochet, to half double crochet to single crochet. Extra rows of single crochet were added to get a neater square look.  See www.carolyn christmas designs/blogspot.com for directions to make different sized squares. A black button was added for accent and security.  Again I used a black commercial strap for convenience. The effect is quirky and bold.  It will certainly brighten up my black or white outfits.

When I add my Bento Purses to my Crocheted Knotted Japanese Purses, I have quite a collection.  I will probably keep a few,  gift a few, and donate a few to my local Woodbridge Senior Center sale. I have one more set of purses planned to explore different closings and handles.  I still have several full and partial skeins of cotton yarn and a lot more experimenting to do.

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