Crochet
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Half-Granny Squares Baby Blankie
At a church rummage sale, I came across a bag of JAMIE yarn. I remember this style from a dozen years ago, and loved it enough to make several baby aphgans with it back in the day. When LION Brand discontinued, I wrote a letter of protest.
So I snatched up what was there at the craft table for a couple dollars. Then I came home and searched through my boxes until I found a skein of white. Then I went to the supply room at the Activity Center and found a few odds more.
This blankie is what I came up with. It measures about a yard on each side. also a newborn hat was still on the peg loom when I snapped this picture. And there is enough yarn for a couple more hats.
It is still a very nice yarn to work with, and quite warm to use. Maybe LION Brand will re-new?
~~love and Huggs, Diane
ps This picture coming in at the top is much better than my previous whine.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Special Boys get Special Crochet Cross Bookmarks
On Monday, I decided to stay close to home.
My tummy was not at its best. I don’t like to blame all the good eating I did at the church picnic on Sunday, then again, there was a whole bunch of fruits or spices which I have not consumed in quite awhile.
Plus, a couple kids got baptized on Sunday, and I really like to crochet a cross for a baptism. I haven’t worked up any in months. In fact the last few participants got straight bookmarks, and seemed quite pleased, but my personal desire is to crochet a cross for such a religious event.
Anyways, a friend in my Needlework Group had pulled out pages from a craft magazine, saying the cross pattern made her think of me. I read it over, and decided Yes, I would try it out.
The green cross is from that pattern. It is worked with size 10 bedspread cotton and a size 7 steel hook. My hands did not get too tired, mainly because it is worked from the long bottom, up one side, then down the other side, creating many chain spaces.
The copper color cross is from a different pattern book. I find it more difficult to work up, even though it has a size 6 (slightly bigger) crochet hook. Each point is worked separately. Getting my hands into position to work the arms is so tiring.
Most of the straight bookmark patterns take a little longer than an hour to crochet. Each cross took closer to 2 hours.
But they are done, and will be tucked into cards of Congratulations. Next folks who get a crocheted cross from my hands will have to be just as precious as are these kids to me.
That evening, Husband came home from work quite tuckered out. This is a very busy week, the last before ISU classes begin the Fall Semester. He said he felt a bit bad that he wasn’t good company for me having been home all day alone.
I told him that me, a new crochet pattern, the back porch with 2 cats, was actually a very lovely day.
Tuesday, my car went in for a looksee as to what was making the rattle/dragging noise. Turned out to be a loose clamp on the exhaust system, and a heat shield rusted through. The clamp got tightened, the heat shield removed.
Today, my car is making wa-ay too much noise, almost like a hole in the exhaust. I’ll have to get it back out to the shop soon.
Meanwhile this morning, Mahalia had another visit at the animal clinic. She is dehydrated, so got some sub-cu fluids and a couple vitamin shots. She is getting quite choosy with her meals, anything put in front of her needs a side dish of milk.
She also has decided to sleep on the rug next to my side of the bed, which means I have to do a little dance when I get up for the potty in the middle of the night.
Doc says her cat age is equal to a human in her mid-80s, so I have to be a little forgiving and make accommodations.
The boy next door is doing his practice with the bagpipes. My cats don’t even twitch their ears anymore. There was a time when they scurried down to the basement with the noise.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Monday, August 16, 2010
Some Yarn Projects for the Charity Pile
Here is the much delayed picture of the gold bag
Crocheted of an acrylic/polyester blend of Rug/Craft Yarn from a donation bag
and here are a trio of hats knitted on peg looms
all are acrylic yarns, a single skein each
any pattern is just how it happened
I did not plan nor stripe
They will be going to a charity Craft table somewhere
This is the last week of Summer.
School begins Monday, a week from today, not that I am in great anticipation. Even when I was a kid, I thought that the best weather of the year, and the time when the garden and Grandma doing canning would need me, I had to go sit in a room with a bunch of other kids and try to make nice.
So what job do I have now?
Teaching Assistant Substitute. In the public school system!
the last couple years, I get called soon as the doors open and a principal realizes there are students who need somebody with them and nobody who was interviewed and hired has cleared the background check yet.
So we’ll see.
I would like to work early on a few days, to earn enough for going to Women’s Retreat. Husband says he is glad for me to go be with my friends, but I like thinking that I did pay my own way for it.
I want to get back to my hook and thread. A couple kids got baptized last Sunday, and I have a new crochet cross pattern I’m trying out. It uses size 10 thread (rather than smaller size 30 which my hands cannot hold and work with anymore) so I think I might be able to carry on until the fasten off time.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Monday, July 12, 2010
Some Yarn Projects for the Charity Pile
My fingers have been quite busy with yarns and hooks.
These will probably go to the Meadows Home in the Fall.
I’ve been trying to use up some yarn donations by making tote bags, with mixed results.
A hat is a small project to work on, using my peg looms, making it fine to do while sitting on the porch in the summer. Then the item gets worn during the cold weather of winter.
Then there’s my old stand-by: potholders. Since they are so easy, I should say that many of these were crocheted while I was in different meetings.
There have also been several items given as gifts, so no pictures. Most recently completed and waiting on the table are 2 straight bookmarks to be tucked into sympathy cards.
You need not ever wonder what I’m doing if a blog post is not recent 
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
More Bookmarks for Gift-giving Fun
After crocheting 8 bookmarks to send for my mother to give as gifts (she loves to tell everybody that her daughter made it, plus, she doesn’t have to go shopping on her widow’s pension) I tackled my own list.
These bookmarks were done this week.
size 10 bedspread cotton thread, size 7 (1.65mm) crochet hook
Actually, the 3 on the far right are for Baptisms, which happened at church a few weeks ago. Favorite color request came back as 2 for Bright Orange, and Turquoise.
Graduates favorite color question provided answers green, blue, hot pink, orange. There were a couple kids I was unable to ask, so they will be getting the bright Fiesta color. I used something from my own bin, no new purchases this time 
Anyway, a friend says I am generous with my talent and time. Thank You!
Actually, things like this are my excuse to avoid housework. The towels have been waiting to be folded for Days, and the bathroom sink has a glob of old toothpaste since Sunday. And we're paying a kid from church to cut the grass.
Priority .... this is what I do.
Hope your Summer is going well. Ummm, Actually, my friend Mary at Momma's Corner
fell while doing yard work and has a broken leg.
Her son is providing updates. We hope she’ll soon be home to tell us all about it her own self.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
didja notice I used Actually at least 3 times? maybe been watching too much tv…
Monday, May 31, 2010
Checked off something on my list
Sending these bookmarks to my mom as the second half of her request for graduation gifts for kids at her church.
Because I am on a deadline production schedule, the patterns are easy for my mind and fingers. Intricate lace ain’t gonna happen this session.
Since these are done for her, I can now commence crochet of 7 to give away with my own signature on the cards.
So very glad School is out. Our start of the Summer has been only so-so thus far.
Mahalia is holding her own, with good times a little more often than wrong. She goes back to the clinic tomorrow for a blood level test. Stubborn little furry beast, we will get her on the best medical path possible.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Oh Look, it’s another baby hat….
knitted on peg loom of BERNAT SofTee 3-ply acrylic yarn
This hat got done last week, and was dropped into the bin at the activity center, and will be taken to the hospital Newborn Nursery.
The hospital grounds are having some parking issues because of extensive growth and construction, so I have decided I don’t want to deliver my stuff on my own, for awhile anyway.
One of the Needlework Group members does volunteer work at the hospital on routine days, so she is real nice about taking stuff in.
I haven’t given the doll a name yet. When I do, I’ll know she has become much more than a model for hats.
I miss working in the baby room of the daycare center.
I love babies, when everything is new and hopeful. When I’m older and out of my mind wandering the halls of the nursing home, I should be clutching a doll to remind me of the better times of life. For almost 6 years, I earned wages to play with babies.
This latest illness tells me why I shouldn’t miss the little germ habitats. All my family was sick some time or other while I worked there.
Not sure which way these latest germs got passed, but I had TA Sub jobs in 2 elementary schools last week, and now I’m paying a price.
Anyway, I wanted the pretty hat picture to be what comes up first on the blog. Those 3 rows of purl in the middle are something I’m quite proud of.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
my Beloved Little Peg Loom
Someone asked about the peg loom I used to knit the pastels baby hat.
Here is a close-up of the pegs.
and the way I do the knitting
I am holding a pick in my left hand, and working the yarn along with my right
this second hat took about 6 hours actual time knitting
many Thanks to my husband, George Wiman for his photography skills
Any other questions, ask in e-mail.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Thursday, March 25, 2010
First Hat off the Fine Sett Gauge peg loom
My peg loom ordered from Decor Accents as a Valentine gift arrived (at LO-ONG last) just this past Monday. Definitely not in time for doing something for the Relief Sale, still, okay at the beginning of the week for Spring Break.
Husband says
I should do something “just for me” during time off
Go listen to some music, check out an art exhibit he says
Well, I did go to hear the speaker mentioned in the last post, and I did clear and carry out all the recycle items from all the corners of the kitchen… both events leaving me feeling much refreshed and less crowded.
No, I don’t want to go out, exactly.
What I want to do is make another hat on my new loom.
Didn’t the first one turn out adorable?
made of TLC Baby (3-ply) acrylic yarn color Giggles
I have no idea exactly how long it took to knit this
but I think the finished item is worth my fun
the doll was purchased for $1 at a yard sale awhile back
it is supposed to be the same size as an average newborn
the gown is from a different sale for a quarter
She was with me as the model for the new hat when I went to my Yarn Group. The window sill is at the Township Activity Center, so beyond the glass is not my responsibility for clean-up. There are maintenance employees who will take on the task.
I’ll put the hat in the bag going for babies at the hospital.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Friday, March 19, 2010
Stuck with the dang thing
here’s a little knit bag 6 1/2” wide, 5” tall
When our church women’s group was tying knots in a comforter, some dark red cotton was the proper color choice to match the pattern of the fabric. It soon became apparent that the braided cotton was not suitable for the task.
As soon as a row was done on each side, the workers decided to change the color and type of cotton to something more reasonable for sewing and tying.
I asked if I could bring the cotton home to crochet with.
Our leader said I was welcome to it.
A couple days later, I sat down with crochet hook, intending to make a little drawstring bag. I tried 2 different stitches, but could not get the cotton to keep from twisting, nor lay flat after I had all the loops in place.
I pulled out everything, tried a different hook and pattern, but the thread just did not cooperate.
A couple days later, I thought it might work on my smallest peg loom, to knit a little gift bag.
Well, the thread kept twisting back on itself, and even after I placed a loop on a peg. While I was working mebbe row 8, Husband came home from work, and I announced that I was working with cotton thread that has a curse on it.
He told me to throw it away, there’s other supplies more worthwhile of my effort.
I do like the color though, so I kept at it.
the twisting. Well. Oh my.
One stitch got so tight that the peg pulled loose from its hole. I had to put a little mark beside it, and be very careful while trying to finish. Husband says he should be able to glue it back when he gets a chance.
I did pull out my loom primer book and followed directions how to bind off a straight edge, which I then crocheted around to be able to work the handles. Trouble there is, I took some time away, and when I got back and worked the second handle, I did it different than the first.
Sewing the bottom shut, I missed a stitch, so there is a pencil size hole in one corner.
Ah well, I’m gonna keep it in my storeroom.
A reminder that some types of yarn need to be tossed no matter what grand plans it began with.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Monday, March 15, 2010
Knitted Hat
here’s a peg loom knitted hat, made over the weekend
the 4-ply acrylic yarn is the Hobby Lobby house brand
I Love This Yarn! name Green CAMO stripes
and I just love how it finished
although I forgot to take pictures of other items before handing them over, this hat will also be going to the Mennonite Relief Sale this upcoming weekend
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Monday, March 01, 2010
Getting Creative for a Baby Gift
here is the Gift Bag I sewed on Saturday
from fabric I found in a box in my hobby closet, the liner, and a little re-cycled pocket inside, all came from the same box, as if waiting for the best weekend to be used
the handles were a bought-on-Clearance fancy crochet cotton worked on the knitting nobby spool, then sewed in between the outer and inner fabrics
I’m such a packrat, but times like this, it pays off nicely
talk about being easy on the wallet, something old made new
but oh the ooo-ing and aaww-ing from the guest and parents at the party
I’m thinking the big sisters might like it even better than the baby. He’s already starting out as “all Boy”
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A Little Blue Bag
after breakfast, for awhile I’m crocheting nicely.
Began a little drawstring bag, got the bottom and about 1/3 of the height done, the second row up from the colors stripe
then went out to meet the mailman with a birthday card going Hello, Mary
came back in, checked computer stuff, then picked up hook and blue thread again
It seemed to be taking a long time to get the bag done, even had to adjust the spaces for putting in the drawstring
when I set down my hook to fasten off the thread, my eye caught the size of hook I had been using
I had begun the bag with a size 3 which is 1.85mm
the hook I finished with is the one I use to crochet bookmarks, a size 7 which is 1.50mm
We wouldn’t think that .35mm is very much smaller, except I had to add in a row, plus those gaps for the pull string
Nobody else would know but my tired hand
this also explains why I am still in my bathrobe and forgot to eat lunch, yet it is already 2:00 in the afternoon
and I have learned to put the hook from the last project out of hand’s reach before beginning a new one so there are no mix-ups!
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Monday, February 01, 2010
Bookmarks and Baby Hats
my most recent craft pile got started for the Mennonite Relief Sale, but several other events have come up, such as need for sympathy card tuck-ins, and a birthday.
I noticed last year that knit hats don’t sell very well in the Spring, so I’m not making so many right now. my best exception is the little hats for a baby or doll, which I have learned to peg loom knit nice and fast
these will go to newborns at the hospital
All these, and more not in pictures, are projects completed in the last week. I’m also trying to crochet some tote bags from a big bag of donated rug/craft yarn. The first one was admired at my Yarn Group, so I will likely go on to do more. As I mentioned, warm hats are more welcome at a different season of year.
And now that I have acknowledged that my blog is still here, I’ll get going on household chores and mebbe see what’s happening at FaceBook.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
First Crochet of the Year
Aunt Lydia’s bedspread cotton color is called Monet multi
first bookmarks done with it
Awhile back, I told someone the story of my yarn spindles
that one in the picture is my latest
it’s actually a paper towel holder, but when Husband said I should put it into the cart, I was happy to do so
Does a fine job of holding my ball of thread
~~love and Huggs, Diane