However, this time my son-in-law first requested a men's cowl or gaitor to go with the new beanie.  He wanted to keep his neck warm in winter weather without bothering with the ends of a dangling scarf.  Also, if the cowl fitted well, he could bring the top edge over his  mouth and neck if confronted with frigid blasts. I had some difficulty finding a pattern with the exact dimensions, style, texture and stitches.  Therefore, the resulting piece became a combination of photos, basic knowledge, and trial and error.  I started with a 3 pack of Lion Brand Vana's Choice worsted yarn in Grey Marble that I had ordered via the internet.  I really liked the black flecks that ran randomly through the yarn and decided to add comparable black yarn that I had in my stash for accents.  

​Most of the patterns that I found called for bulky yarn or were too big to be comfortable or to fit his style.  I did find a couple of patterns with complicated stitches.  I tried them out, but I determined that I could not easily do the project and watch my nighttime programs with my husband.  Therefore, I resorted to my tried and true Half Double Crochet. Since I began my the cowl with a Half DoubleCrochet Foundation Stitch, I was off to a good start.  The initial Foundation Chain of 67 stitches was just right for Gabe.  For a larger man, you might want to go up to 70-75 stitches.  Actually, several times I chained and crocheted a few rows as I tried the piece on and looked in the mirror to get the right size. When I was pleased I continued on to complete the work.  After the foundation chain, I crocheted an additional row of black before switching to the Grey Marble for 19 rows.  I ended the cowl with two rows of black.
The dimensions for this rather fitted cowl were:  circumference = 22 inches and height = 7 1/2 inches).  For a man who wears large or extra large, I would extend the circumference to 24 inches and add another inch to the height for 8 1/2 inches.  

The accompanying beanie was also crocheted in Grey Marble with Black accents. Here I used my favorite Lakeside Beanie designed by 5 Knots North.  I adjusted the number of stitches in the crown from 70 to 66 to give a slightly tighter fit.  As I had made this hat for Gabe before, I knew what to look for. The hat starts with an expanding circle of Double Crochet stitches at the crown and continues with the same final number for three rows as you start to form the sides.  Then you transition to alternating Front Post Double Crochet and Back Post Double Crochet to achieve the ribbed feature. To get that cozy, warm feeling, continue to just below the ears.

I still had enough Grey Marble for a set of Men's mittens, and I was determined to teach myself how to crochet a thumb with a gusset.  Mastering this technique had been a goal of mine for several years, and now I had the perfect opportunity.  Again, size became a challenge as the typical men's mitten was much to large (9+ inch circumference below the thumb)  and I needed a circumference of about 8 inches.  The pattern I chose was Basic Men's Mittens- Free Crohet Pattern from Love Life Yarns. I  shortened the cuff as well as the length of finger portion.  Then I continued to round out the top. Once more, I added a black accent to be consistent with the other pieces. I crocheted a row of Half Double Crochet to the bottom of the cuff after I had finished the mitten.

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

My daughter, Robin, agreed to model the red and ecru V-Stitched Market Bag and Straw Hat.  I was delighted when she suggested that she would enjoy bringing the bag on family excursions to the neighborhood beach.  The beach market bag was crocheted from Sugar and Cream Cotton Worsted in red and ecru.  I used an I (5.5mm) hook throughout.  In general, I followed the Speedy V-Stitch Market Bag from www. LOOPS AND CROCHET.com with few modifications.  

The bag starts out with an expanding circle with the ecru yarn in a double crochet stitch (DC) After the bottom and sides are established. I switched to a V stitch (DC-CH-DC).  I changed to the color red and continued for about 7 inches.  Thern I switched back to ecru for three more rows in V-stitch.  Still in ecru, I began the base for the straps with several rows of Single Crochet (SC).  I added a few more rows than were called for in the pattern.  The straps for this bag are crocheted right into the top of the bag for a stable design.  For more detail, refer to the pattern noted above.

I included several accessories with the beach bag:  a basic cell-phone case, a coin purse, and a sun glass pouch.  I am still looking for a way to hook the cell phone case to the strap so that it can easily be retrieved without diving into the deep bag.  The bright flower flap on the sunglass case made me smile.  See:  Happy Daisy Crochet Glasses Pouch -- Pattern by Persialou.com.  The coin purse can be crocheted in stripes, solids, or in various combinations to match the bag.  See:  Crochet Coin Pouch/Crochet Air Pods Pouch - Free Crochet Pattern by Whistle and Ivy.com.

I was also tempted by The Easy Tote Bag (Crochet) by Naztazia.com.  There is a help video at Https://you tube.com/naztazia.  Look for Easy Tote Bag.  For this bag I chose Sugar and Cream Navy, Aqua, and a white based variegated cotton worsted yarn with an H(5.0) hook.  The pattern called for crocheting with double strands of yarn, but I stayed with a single strand.  The bag still had enough structure and was much easier on my hands.  The bottom was worked along a 41 stitch chain.  The instructions called for Single Crocheting along the chain, adding a few stitches at the end, and coming back along the other side of the chain.  This procedure continued with a few rows to establish the straight bottom.  Then I switched to Half Double Crochet )HDC) for the remainder of the bag.  I combined my yarns for a striped effect. The straps for the bag are crocheted right into the design, but you have to sew the straps together thet top.  A  white button closure adds both style and safety.  A navy and white wallet accompanies the bag.

 I am happy to gift the first bag to my daughter, but I think I will keep the navy, white, and multi-colored bag for myself.  With COVID restrictions lightening and the weather warming, I definitely see some beach days in my future.  

Please take time to remember a mother in your life:  a daughter, a granddaughter, a mother, grandmother, aunt, or special friend.

For those who want some quicker projects,  please refer back to my Mother's Day Spa article.
Decorated flip-flops, a crocheted headband, floral scrubby puffs, and a mug holder can be used singly or in combination.  The  Scrubby Sparkle Yarn by Heart was easy to crochet with and much lighter than the typical cotton or regular scrubby yarns. See:  http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/mothers-day-gifts-with-scrubby-sparkle-yarn.

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

My original inspiration was an article with diagrams: Faire un bonhomme tout-en-un.  Although the labels and directions were in French, the diagrams and photos enable me to create my own doll.  With further research, I discovered Izzy Dolls, Peace Pals, and Duduza dolls.  Since most of my dolls would be going to nationwide and worldwide populations of color, I knitted most of my dolls with caramel, mocha, and coffee skin tones.  When I present the dolls to family and friends I customize the complexion and hair.

At first, I dove into my scrap pile to play around with color.  My dolls sported colorful shirts and pants.  Each doll sported a coordinated perky cap.  Along the way, I started to embroider more detail into the  doll faces so that the dolls would have more personality .However, as I discovered new techniques and looks, I found myself time and time again at the craft store,  so much for good intentions of working down my stash.

Then I started to switch from caps to doll hair.  The rough texture of Red Heart's Scrubby Yarn was ideal.  I continued with stockinette knitting , and still had a lifelike head of hair.  I also discovered that I did not have to bind off the last row before I gathered the stitches together at the top of the head.  Instead, I gradually decreased the number of stitches before I simply drew a needle through the loops.  The result was neater and less bulky.  Colored Sparkle Scrubby Yarns provided a playful top for my comfort dolls.  I like to knit a row of contrast color before I knit the bright hair.

However, my real discovery came when I learned to make coils of yarn for doll curls.  I wet the yarn for the desired hair color and wrapped it around the full length of a skewer.  then I placed the skewers on a cookie sheet and baked it at about 200 degrees F for about 30 minutes.  this hint came from Pretty Izzy Dolls by Esther Braithwaite.  When you see the photos, you can see why I was so excited by the transformation.

My four year old granddaughter stated that she wanted both a girl and boy doll to accompany the crocheted doll house purse that I had made. I wanted to surprise her with a complete family.  My first family set was done in red to coordinate with the colors of the doll house purse.  Since I planned to produce houses and families for my other 2 granddaughters, I began work on several doll families.

In order to complete my comfort doll families, I needed a baby that followed the comfort doll design principles, but was scaled down to the correct proportion.  

Free Pattern for Tiny Comfort Doll
Materials:
Worsted Weight Yarn: for skin tone and contrast yarn for clothes and hat
#5 or 6 straight needles (to knit a flat rectangle) or #5 or #6 set of double pointed needles( to knit in the round)
Tapestry needle for stitching seams and features

Directions:
My directions are for flat rectangle.   For double pointed needles, knit only.
Cast on 19 stitches in doll skin tone.
Row 1:  Knit
Row 2:  Purl

Body:  Change yarn to color of clothing.
Row 3:  Knit
Row 4: Purl
Continue with stockinette through row 14.

Face:  Change to skin tone color,
Row 15:  Knit
Row 16: Purl
Continue with stockinette through row 19.

Hat:  Change back to color for clothes.
Row 17:  Purl
Row 18:  K1, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog (14 stitches)
Row 19:  Purl
Row 20:  K1,  K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K2 (10 stitches)
Row 21: Purl 2tog across row) (5 stitches)
Leave long tail and using tapestry needle, draw yarn through stitches on needle.  Pull through and stitch together.

As you stitch to form the body of the doll, follow the same principles for the standard comfort doll.  You just will be scaling down.  Turn the doll inside out to whip stitch or blanket stitch from hat to bottom.  Do not stitch the bottom at this point. Turn back to the right side.  Stuff with
polyfiber.  Use the eraser end fo a pencil to push the stuffing into the crevices of the head; When you stitch the bottom, make sure that you have the body aligned so that the seam is in the middle of the back.

To define the legs, backstitch along the back seam through all layers from the base to row8.Make sure that the legs are even in size. Your arms will be 4 stitches wide. To define the arms, press the dolls flat so that you can see 2 stitches from the side edge on front and back. Stitch from waist to neck  of doll. When you define the neck, use a double length of yarn to make running stitches 2 stitches wide.  When you complete the circle, pull the yarn tight and repeat.  Anchor yarn.  

Since the doll is small, you need to split the yarn into one or two strands as you embroider the face. Your eyes will take up 1 inch and will be placed 3 stitches apart.  Use 1 strand to center the mouth.  See photo as a guide for placement.

There are still so many dolls to try. My Pinterest feed is full of creative comfort dolls:  superhero dolls, gothic dolls, gingerbread dolls, snow babies, fairies, clowns, nurses and doctors, pirates, ninjas, barnyard or forest animals, valentine dolls, worry dolls, ballerinas, witches, princesses, fairytale characters, cartoon, characters  genies, avatars, star wars characters to name just a few. I could go on forever.

At this time, I believe that I can take a picture or a standard sized crocheted doll pattern and convert it into a knitted comfort doll with the hair, clothes and accessories that deliver the character's basic style.  Since my comfort doll population is exploding as I prepared for this article, I need to pause to take on other projects.  It is really hard to stop since pictures and ideas keep swirling inside my head,  However, I promise to revisit as I find time to produce the many dolls I have suggested.

 As you may have guess the crocheted dollhouse purse featured in my initial photo was a tease and a hint for a future project.  I am working on a pattern as I crochet additional purses for my New York granddaughters, For readers who are knitting only, I will direct you to a knitted purse link at that time.

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

The Nighttime Fairy has special powers to settle children before sleep and calm nighttime fears.  According to my daughter, these fairies went to school for special training to help their young charges  All that was missing was a personal fairy, and that was Nana's task.  I gladly accepted the job of making the Nighttime Fairy for my granddaughter.  She had been having trouble falling asleep and felt alone if she awakened during the night.

My go-to pattern for children's dolls is the Weebee Standard Size Baby Doll by Laura Tegg.  the pattern can be located through Pinterest and on Ravelry.com.  The Fairy Mod Kit, also by Laura Tegg, can be found on Ravelry.  I used this latter source for the fairy dress and fairy wings.

The Power Nighttime Fairy has been "performing" for my 4 year old granddaughter.  The fairy was placed in the pocket of a quilted pillow created by my son-in-law's aunt.  The pillow faced my granddaughter from a tall chest as she lay in bed.  She felt peace when she looked up at her doll and slept easily at night.

A few weeks later, we learned that her cousin, my son's 5 1/2 year old daughter was also experiencing similar fears at bedtime.  My daughter shared the story of the Power Nighttime Fairy's success with her sister-in-law.  I offered to make a doll for this young girl, too.  This granddaughter was very excited at the prospect of having her own personal fairy doll.  Her favorite colors of pink and purple were to be reflected in the doll's dress and hair.

When I made the first doll, I was "winging" it when it came to the hair, dress and wings.  She had a purple dress with pink flowers and wild blond hair.  However, when I made the second doll, I used a smaller G hook and worked more tightly. the result was much neater.  Also, the dress pattern by Laura Tegg was just perfect for the new doll. It was pink with purple trim.  In addition, I found it easier to crochet the shoes and panties right into the doll body instead of making them separately and sewing them on.

The blond hair from the original doll was voluminous.  I had used a combination of gold Homespun yarn combined with yellow worsted yarn. Perhaps, I did not leave enough space between the rows,  This time, I used purple Ombre yarn from Red Heart.  The head of hair was full, but more controlled. I especially liked the look of purple hair on the fairy.

Now I had to crochet a sister fairy for my the four year old.  She was happy enough with the original doll, but was happy to accept the more finished fairy to accompany the original.  Besides, this doll had a mane of pink hair.Her dress was purple edged with pink, and delicate white wings peeked out from beneath her hair.  The changes made thedolllook quite fairy=like.

The Power Nighttime Fairy with the pink dress and purple hair will be in the mail tomorrow.  I look forward seeing this granddaughter smile on FaceTime as she cuddles her new companion.

Every project brings learning opportunities.  This time, I included the shoes and panties on the doll body.  I worked on limiting the volume of the doll's hair.  Finally, I have been trying to improve my dolls' embroidered eyes.  After examining many photos of embroidered doll eyes on crocheted dolls, I was able to pick up some hints that make the eyes more lifelike.  The eyes seem to hold the key to the doll's' personality, and so  it was important to me to improve size, color, shape, and texture.  I know that I can give in and buy set-in eyes, but I am determined to accomplish my goal.  

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

The bomber jacket style which emerged during World War 1, is traditionally a waist length outerware with ribbed waistband and matching cuffs.  Typically, bombers are made with leather, but other materials can be used as well. The childsized bomber jacket is a crocheted version using worsted weight  (#4) yarn with a J hook (6.0 mm).  The bomber jacket pattern featured in this article was developed by Heart Hook Home and comes in sizes 3/6 months to 12/14.  Since this sweater is shorter and narrower than most patterns. use the chest measurement chart to determine the size you will make.

The pattern link is connected to a specific size, but once you get to the sweater page, you can scroll down until you find the size that you need. See: https://hearthookhome.com/bomber-cardi-for-kids-size-6-8.  I used the size 4-5 pattern for the beige sweater and the 6-8 size pattern for the aquamarine zippered version.

A wonderful feature of this bomber cardigan is that it is almost seamless. Start with the Foundation Half Double Crochet stitch for the entire width of the sweater, including both sides and the back. For directions on making the foundation HDC, see a You Tube video by Moogly:  How to Crochet Foundation HDC Right Hand.  The advantage of using the Foundation Half Double Crochet Stitch is that you combine the initial chain with the first row in a single step. At this point you will chain 1, turn, and use a regular HDC until the end of the row. You will do this at the end of each row.  Just follow the size pattern for the correct number of rows.  If you want a longer jacket, just add a couple of rows before you separate for the front and back sections.

Then continue for the right front.  Instructions show how to form the armhole and neck shape. Fasten off and leave tail for attaching sweater at the shoulder. Reattach yarn to crochet matching number of rows for back.  Finally, form left front as you reverse for armhole and neck. Sew sweater together at shoulders. I preferred to used a slip stitch or SC on these seams. Follow directions to form a flat round collar that is typical of most bomber jackets.

To achieve the ribbing at the collar, waist, and sleeves, crochet alternating Front Post Half Double Crochet  (FPHDC) with Back Post Half DoubleCrochet.  The number of rows depends on the sweater size. See You Tube Video Crochet Stitch:  Front andBack Post Half Double Crochet.

The sleeves of the bomber jacket are also seamless. Pick up the required number of stitches at the armhole and HDÇ in the round.  Directions for number of rows and decreases are given in the directions for each size.  At the end of the sleeve, you will use the FPHDC/BPHDC technique for the ribbing.. 

While my cardigans were made for girls, the style can be changed for boys by reversing the sides for the buttons and buttonholes. Adding a separating zipper is a wonderful sporty look for both boys and girls. Doing a professional job when adding a zipper to a sweater has its own set of challenges.  Again, I went back to You Tube.  See:  How to Add a Zipper for a Crocheted Cardigan.  
​
The pattern directions called for a plain edge, but I added two rows of HDC to each front edge to make a band that enabled me to sew in the zipper.  The video shows you how to add in two rows of HDC behind this band so that you can encase the zipper neatly. Although the video was easy to follow, I found myself replaying it a few times and pausing when I reached tricky steps.

I really enjoyed crocheting the Bomber Cardi for Kids.  Many thanks to Heart Hook Home.com for their wonderful pattern. The sweaters came out much narrower than I expected. My petite size 4-5 granddaughter was able to wear the size 6-8 over her sweatshirt.  Perhaps, I may try using a K hook (6.5mm) to get a looser stitch in the future. Anyway, this little miss was pleased to give us a fashion show and strike her delightful poses.

As always, I welcome your feedback and reflections.  I hope that you enjoy making the bomber cardigan as much as I did.  Thank you for joining me on my stitching journey.

​The sweaters in the book were adorable, and the baby models were so huggable. Crochet in a Day for Baby by Candi Jensen, published by Leisure Arts, presents quick and easy projects.  I was intrigued by the prospect of producing an attractive piece in such a short a time period.  ​However, as my granddaughters are growing (2, 4, 5 1/2),0 I called a friend's daughter-in-law to make her an offer.  I would crochet and gift her a sweater for her little one in exchange for a couple of photos of her toddler wearing the sweater.  She understood that I was including the picture in my blog, but readily agreed.  Since my daughter had already passed on a few of the sweaters that my granddaughter had outgrown, this delightful mom knew about the quality of the garments first hand, and was happy to accept.  I should add that my daughter and the baby's dad had been friends since high school.  Their baby is an engaging model, and I am proud to show her wearing my crocheted jacket.

  Color was simple as I had plenty of a bubblegum pink yarn left over from my knitted hooded cardigan that I had made for my youngest granddaughter.  The light purple was a large scrap from her oldest sister's hoodie.  Directions for the sweater came in 6, 12, 18, and 24 months.  My newest model is just 12 months old.  The sweater is roomy, (size 18 months), but I wanted her to be able to wear the sweater for several months. While the directions called for an I hook (5.5mm), I found that the stitch was quite dense, and hard to monitor. The basic stitch is a Double Crochet followed by a Single Crochet in the next stitch.  In the next row, we are told to make a Single Crochet above the Double Crochet stitches, and a Double Crochet above the Single Crochet stitches. After several attempts, I moved up to a J hook (6.0mm). The piece was softer and made for better draping on a baby body.  The sweater was larger for the same stitch count, and that is why it is even bigger on this little girl.  I did not have her exact measurements before I started, and decided to make the larger size.

The pattern contains a schematic diagram that helped me picture what the directions tried to tell me.  While the written steps were clear, I still needed the extra hint.  The sweater was crocheted from the bottom up.  The entire body was made in one piece with separation for the armholes.  Once complete, I sewed (single crocheted) the armholes together.  The sleeves were made separately, and then the side seams were sewn to make a tube. As I had followed the directions carefully, the inserted sleeves fit exactly into the armholes without any gaping spaces.

 For the trim, I worked two rows of Half Double Crochet from the midback (starting at the neck) down, the front, around the bottom, up the second side, and across to the mid back again. It is important to add a second stitch in the same stitch at the point where the body decreases to the side neck (on left and right front).  Otherwise the sweater will curl and not lay flat.  You also need to add 3 stitches to the lower front corner on each side.  Pretty purple buttons completed the sweater.

So how long did I take to complete this baby sweater?  Although I worked rather steadily and ignored most of my household tasks, I was sewing the last button at the end of the second day. 

Was the project worth my time and materials?  I would say "yes".  I learned new stitch and construction techniques.  Plus, the little girl is a joy to behold in my latest crocheted piece.  
Many thanks to her mommy for the picture and permission to publish.

Please note, Crochet in a Day for a Baby contains 20 designs, including pullovers, vests, hats, booties, and baby blankets.  For knitters there is a companion book Knit in a Day for Baby.

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

The instructions for both styles can be found in Knit Hoodies for Kids by Jeannine LaRoche, published by Leisure Arts. The book includes 5 designs for patterns in sizes 6 months to 8 years.  The camouflage and purple cardigans were in the "Buttoned Cardigan Design," using worsted weight yarn.  Needle sizes were 5 for the ribbing and 8 for the sweater body. The solid and the variegated yarn yield dramatically different results with the same pattern.

The purple cardigan was made for my 5 1/2 year old girl who is tall for her age.  While she usually wears size six, I knitted the sweater in size 8 so that she could wear it into the fall. I knitted the camouflage piece for my petite 4 year old and made it true to size.  It is roomy enough wear for many months to come.  Besides, when she outgrows this sweater, she can pass it down to her younger cousin for a second life.

I chose a bubblegum pink for the "Mock Cable Cardigan." The 4 row repeat replaced the typical ribbing at the sweater bottom, on the sleeves, and at the hood opening.  In all there were 12 rows.  The mock cable also extends from the bottom of the sweater to the neck in two parallel columns.  Since there is a small space in the center of each cable, there is no need to make button holes.  Just attach 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch buttons at evenly spaced intervals.  I used six buttons for a size 3.  The pearly hearts were a perfect accent.

Hello, My Readers!  After a hiatus of so many months, I find myself drawn back to Lil Creates.  I hope this crisp, sunny day finds you folks healthy and safe.  An important advantage to being a crafter during Covid is that I am rarely bored.  There is always one more project to start or another technique to learn.  Fortunately, I am gifted with family and friends, large and small, who are pleased to receive my pieces.  Crocheting and knitting have truly been a blessing for me.  You may have wondered why I paused writing and posting.  While I have have completed many projects, both simple, and more complex, I underestimated the appeal of my articles.  I felt that I did not have significant ideas and themes to share. Also, I felt pressured to produce the pieces that formed the basis for my written work.  As I develop a more workable schedule, I hope to publish on a more regular basis.


Then two events took place.  First, I received an e-mail from my blog host, Weebly, alerting me to renew my blog.  While I had stopped writing for some time, I realized that I did not want to give up Lil Creates.  Later the same day, I was scrolling through the internet to locate some of my favorite crocheting and knitting blogs and websites.  Top 100 Crocheting Blogs and Websites and Bloggers to Follow in 2021 (https://crochetpenguin.com/crochet-blogs/) caught my eye.
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Happily, I ran down the list of websites, copying down my favorites in my phone list.  When I was about 1/3 down my mouth gaped open in surprise.  The words Lil Creates by Lillian were before me in bold print.  My photo, cuddling my preemie granddaughter, gazed back at me.  The author of the 100 Blogs post caught the essence of my blog.  "Lillian loves experimenting with new designs, colors, and yarns.  Crocheted flowers or a cuff with button are  a feature of her designs".  In the What we Love section, she stated, "Lillian loves to share her crochet projects, and she clearly loves to write.  Her posts are engaging."  It couldn't have been more complimentary had I written the words myself.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Jodie Morgan. You have given me a wonderful present and have renewed my blogging inspiration to write about my crocheting and knitting adventures.

Where am I now?  I have already photographed many of this years projects and plan to upload them to my website gallery. You will find several pictures of my work throughout this article.  I have not been idle.  

​I am going back to my original theme list as I add new titles based on current and future design trends.  I am lucky to have 3 granddaughters  2, 4, and 5 1/2 for whom I can create garments , accessories, and toys.  Once I decided that I preferred to crochet and knit for pleasure, for gifting, or for charity rather than for sale, I became much more relaxed and creative. During 2020, I have crocheted about 60 hats for homeless shelters.  I also created about 75 comfort dolls or Peace Pals to add joy to children who needed a doll to hug.  The Power Nighttime Fairy keeps my 4 year old granddaughter company at night and holds back forces that might frighten her. (You can see her wings if you turn her over.)

was My teenage grandsons haven't been neglected.  I made a striped afghan / throw  in navy, gray and off-white for my college bound boy,  He was polite when he received the piece.  However, I later learned that his dorm room was cold at times, and he was quite happy to wrap himself up in his personal cozy blanket.  I used a half-double V stitch to construct the blanket, and I felt that the project would never end.  When I decided to make a blanket for his high school age brother, I went back to my favorite extended granny square. However, I chose masculine navy, medium blue, and white to feature a dramatic, but cozy piece fit for an adolescent boy.  I can not wait to give it to him..  We are on hold because of covid social distancing.

I filled my time with several crocheted and knitted matching sweaters.  Some even had matching hats.  I even persuaded my 4 year old grand daughter to modele me. When asked to chose between a flower or pompom for the hat, she chose "pompom."

Currently, I am knitting hooded sweaters for the three girls.  I have completed 2 out of the three.  When I am done, I will photograph and apply my experiences toward a theme for a
future article.

I look forward to communicating with friends in the crocheting and knitting worlds.  As always, I welcome your comments and reflections.

  The dude in the "man shawl" or "dude wrap" is my is my handsome. husband, Bert. The last time I crocheted and wrote an an article about the man shawl or blanket scarf, the piece attracted more readers than any other I had published to that date.  In fact, I am thrilled that readers are still drawn to the article that I wrote more than 18 months ago.(Http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/mens-crocheted-shawl-or-blanket-scarf) It takes a special kind of guy who is willing to take risks to wear the dude wrap as a fashion statement.  My smiling husband was willing to model, however, I don't see him willingly wearing the blanket scarf as an accessory.  Instead, I am happy to donate the man shawl to my Threads of Love Group. 

The crocheters and knitters from Threads of Love create shawls and baby blankets for patients with cancer and other severe medical conditions at Yale New Haven Hospital.  We get ample donations of women's shawls and baby or children's blankets, but relatively few pieces for men. These shawls are 70 inches long and about 20-22 inches wide.  They take a long time to produce and require several extra size skeins of yarn.  When our group leader handed me handed me a bonus skein of bulky, Royal Blue,  Big Twist yarn (615 yards) and an accompanying skein of Brights and Black (447 yards), I decided to undertake the project.  Little did I know that I would have to buy an extra skein of each so that I would be able to finish the piece.  I probably used about 1/3 of the second set of skeins.  Luckily I was able to find the same colors since it was Joanne's house yarn.

I now had two decisions to make.  1) What stitch should I use? 2) How should I incorporate the solid and varied yarn in a shawl that was suitable for a man?  I did not want a fussy stitch, and a regular half double or double crochet was too simple.  The "V stitch" would provide just enough interest and texture.  Readers who are not familiar with this stitch can find directions in a tutorial, "Crocheting the Basic V-Stitch" by Amy Solovay on The Spruce Crafts website. A helpful video is Easy Tutorial by Hopeful Honey:  "How to Crochet the Double Crochet Stitch"  To crochet a shawl with a V-Stitch, you need an even number of stitches. The V- stitch pattern is achieved by crocheting Double Crochet- Chain 1, Double Crochet in a single space.  In the following lines, the V is made in the chain 1 space. The stitches line up to create a pleasing texture.

To crochet a men's shawl with chunky yarn, 26 inches wide, I began with a 76 stitch foundation chain. To decrease the width, reduce the chain size.  Just make sure to have an even number of stitches.

My color sequence continued as follows:
Royal Blue 14 rows 
To change colors, leave 2 loops on the hook of the last stitch.  Use the contrasting yarn to complete the stitch before making a 3 stitch chain to begin the new row. Leave a 4 inch tail of the old color (to weave in later). Clip off old color. Knot with new color and continue.  The knot will not show when you weave in the ends and crochet a final trim around the shawl.
Brights and Black 2 rows
Royal Blue 2 rows
Brights and Black 2 rows
Royal Blue 4 rows
Brights and Black 4 rows
Royal Blue 4 rows
Brights and Black 4 rows
Royal Blue 6 rows
Brights and Black 6 rows
Royal Blue 6 rows
Brights and Black 6 rows
Royal Blue 6 rows
Brights and Black 16 rows   At 8 rows you will have completed one half of the shawl.  After you complete the other 8 rows, you will be reversing the color sequence.
Royal Blue 6 rows
Brights and Black 6 rows
Royal Blue 6 rows
Brights and Black 6 rows
Royal Blue 6 rows
Brights and Black 4 rows
Royal Blue 4 rows
Brights and Black 4 rows
Royal Blue 4 rows
Brights and Black 2 rows
Royal Blue 2 rows
Brights and Black 2 rows
Royal Blue 14 rows.  Fasten off.

The project was 70 inches long.

Finally, I wove in the ends.   There were many ends, and I really dislike this process. However, the final product was looking good, and I only had to complete the trim of this gorgeous shawl.  I used a Half Double Crochet Stitch to provide a neat and stable finish.  I like to start and finish in the middle of one of the short ends.  Be sure to make 3 stitches in each corner so that the piece lays flat.

At our next meeting, I will be sewing in our Threads of Love Label, making a gift pack, and inserting a message of caring, hope, and healing.  Lots of love went into each stitch. 

Hi Folks! I'm back!  During the winter months our family welcomed a new grandchild. She is an active adorable bundle who is growing so fast that she is already too big for the newborn sweaters I made her.  We mourned the loss of a beloved sister-in-law, Cheryl.  I will miss her terribly, She was a gracious women who was one of my biggest supporters. My husband and I battled never-ending  colds from December through February.  A week in mild Florida climate helped our spirits and improved our physical conditions.  After consistent posting for two years, I just hit a writer's block During the winter months I have been crocheting and knitting up a storm,  but I was not able to translate these creative efforts into a blog posting.  Spring is just around the corner, but there are still several inches of snow in our back yard, and my husband is getting in his last cross-country skiing.  I set aside my to-do list, put away my IPad games, and hid my yarn projects.  This is it.  I am not aiming for perfection, I just have to start my writing motor going again.

Several weeks ago, I found a versatile, comfortable beanie pattern that is suitable for both men and women. The beanie is crocheted  with worsted weight yarn and is stitched from the top down. The crown is crocheted with double crochet stitches.  The sides and brim call for alternating front post double crochet alternated with back post double crochet.  For  specific directions, see:   The Lakeside Beanie is designed by Chellie Plummer of 5 Knots North.  It can be located on Ravelry or on the 5 Knots North website as a free download. 

While the basic construction is simple, it is easy to alter the design with color blocking, and button decorations. After crocheting the basic hat,  I tried a 2 color block with a red crown and a wide black band.  For my third hat, I crocheted the crown in grey and used white and red for the color blocked band.

My favorite is the hat with the grey crown and the black and white striped sides.

This versatile patterns offers so many options. The hat is generally featured in solid colors for men.I have enjoyed playing with solids and stripes.   I crocheted the hat with both a H hook as instructed and an I hook for a looser fit.  Although the hat was originally designed for a man, the hat crocheted with a H hook was a bit snug for the two men who tried it on for me. I found this hat comfortable for me.  I wear an average women's size hat.  The hats I made with the I hook were slouchier.

I have one more hat project left for this winter. My oldest grandson likes to wear black.  I am thinking of a crocheting a hat with a black crown with one narrow grey and one narrow black stripe at the bottom.   He wants it subtle, but I need to add some creative interest.

I hope you enjoy this stylish, comfortable hat pattern.  Please post your hats and suggestions.