Speaking of Granny Squares

Here’s a project that I just love. I think I may have told you that I like to take sweaters that someone else is tired of and add crochet and make them new again. In Houston last year, I did a little presentation on “Tired Sweaters.”

Anyway, when I found this little shrug, I thought of my sister and how I thought it would look good on her. Since the sweater needed a little something crocheted on it, I decided to add some granny squares to the bottom. Then it just started building from there. The squares ended up coming out past the fronts of the sweater, and I decided to add some smaller granny squares up both fronts. Then I poked-a-hole-in the sweater all the way around and then attached the granny squares by crocheting back and forth from the sweater to the square. Then I added a shell stitch all the way around to tie it all together. It was kind of like putting a puzzle together, and I love to put puzzles together. Of course, I had to use some of my sister’s favorite colors, and I think she loves it, too. The yarn and thread that I used was DMC Senso and Aunt Lydia’s size 10 crochet thread.

Knee Deep in Granny Squares

Aren’t granny squares fun? I love all the different patterns out now, but I will always be faithful to the basic granny square. It’s so simple and pretty much a no-brainer. I am knee deep into granny squares right now. I’m in a granny square swap, and I am having so much fun. I joined in the granny square swap and was a little scared, especially since each of us had to choose a color group that we preferred. Seven women and one man are in our swap. Three of us chose Winter colors, two of us chose Autumn colors, two of us chose Summer colors, and one doesn’t care. It was really hard at first. I had to crochet with colors that were not something that I would normally crochet with. Now it’s easy, and I just simply pick up the colors and crochet. I’ve been using a lot of Vanna’s Choice yarn. Currently, I’m a little behind and need to play catch up, so that’s why I’m knee deep in granny squares. It’s been lots of fun getting to know the other people and to see their works of art in crochet.

By the way, Leisure Arts has published a really cool book of 50 granny squares by Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss. Check it out in Crochet Soiree’s store.

Free Pattern Friday: Heart of the Home Crochet Pattern

Well, since I have been practicing with my Simplicity Rotary Cutting Machine, here’s another crochet with fabric pattern for all of you. Maybe with this pattern, I’ll have luck with completing the coaster. It would be instant gratification. I think I’ll use some of my Amy Butler fabrics. Tell me about the fabrics you like to use in your crocheted fabric or does it matter?

Look at me practicing my fabric cutting!

Thanksgiving and Crochet

Every year, my mom vows that this year will be her last year of having Thanksgiving at her house. She tried it one year, but her grandchildren complained so loudly that it just wasn’t Thanksgiving without going to Grandma Kingery’s house, that she hasn’t tried it since. I know my mom will continue to cook the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and gravy as long as she can. Of course, everyone else brings something. I think I’ve mentioned that we have a very large family, and there are usually at least fifty people off and on at her house throughout Thanksgiving Day. As for my mom, she always says, “The more the merrier.”

Last year, Sarah (one of my many nieces and two of her sister-in-laws, I guess they are my niece-in-laws) thought they would like to learn to crochet. And, of course, I’m always ready to teach someone as I always have my trunk yarn with me, and I always have extra hooks, just in case. Before two hours were up, all of them had learned to crochet, and two of them had decided that they were going to make hats. So I showed them how to crochet in the round and increase. The other one was content to crochet back and forth for a while longer. I’ll make sure I ask them this year if they are still crocheting, I can hardly wait. Everyone have a great Thanksgiving and be safe.

And if you’re looking for a great book for teaching yourself or someone else to crochet, check out—I Can’t Believe I’m Crocheting. You can get it at the Soiree Store.

Surprise in Sacks from Quilt Show in Houston

I know you all have been wondering what was in my sacks from the Quilt Show in Houston. Well….I had a few minutes and finally took this out of the box.

The Simplicity Rotary Cutting Machine

This is the coolest gadget. You can make strips of fabric from 3/8" up to 2-3/4". The really cool thing about it is the blades are not sharp, and you can use the Rotary Cutting Machine for paper, too. It also comes with a perforated blade and makes a pinking sheered edge to your fabric or paper. The folks from Simplicity warned me that it takes some practice, and I can see where it will take some patience on my part. I should know from my crochet experience that old saying “Practice Make Perfect” is true. Well, I need some more practice. So I’ll keep practicing and talk to you later because this is addictive.

My Flower Scarf Project

When I first started teaching crochet at the yarn shop “Twist”, I kept petting all the yarn. I’m really attracted to the cottons and cotton blends. I love all the color choices, and the yarn this scarf is made from was no exception. This yarn kept calling to me every time I walked by it. The yarn is from Berroco, and it’s called “Love It”. It is 58% cotton, 38% Acrylic, and 4% Polyester, so it has a little bit of a stretch to it.

I kept looking at this yarn and thinking that with crochet anything you make takes quite a bit, and this yarn only has 120 yds in each skein. Usually, when I want to try out a new yarn, I just make a scarf. So that is what I decided to do.

I picked the skein that had some turquoise in it and just started making doubles back and forth. What I love about this type of variegated yarn is that you never know what color is going to end up where. I think I’ve said before that double crochets are mindless for me, and that’s why I chose that stitch, plus I was thinking that I could teach this in one of my classes if it was simple enough.

I really didn’t set out to write the directions for this scarf, but when I decided to add flowers to each end, Shelly (the owner of the yarn shop) loved it so much that she told me I needed to hold a class and offer the pattern. So that’s what I did and taught a small group of women to crochet this scarf. I had fun making it, designing it, writing the directions, and teaching it.

Look What My Mom Gave Me

My mom told me that she had something for me last weekend. Little did I know that she had the very same pot holders that I was talking to you about the other day when we featured the “Kitchen Drawers” designs for Free Pattern Friday. My mom had saved the pot holders from my Aunt Erma and Grandma Kingery and gave them to me. I almost cried when I saw them.

My mom said, “You might want some of them or might not want any of them.”

“Are you kidding me, Mom? I want all of them, and I’ll cherish them forever.”

If these pot holders could talk, I’m sure they could tell a good yarn. Ha! Ha! There’s even a pair of little drawers kind of like the free Friday pattern.