a new addiction

I was bored at work last Friday and reading blogs.  Mostly craft blogs that day and I came across Min Inspiration.  She was doing african flower granny squares and making them into bags.  I have to admit that I really liked the "square."

So it is a hexagon.  And at a closer look, I am not really doing the exact pattern and I changed how many colors are in it.  It is a fabulous way to use up little ends of yarn.  It does make me realize that the preferred color for many people in my life is purple.  So not a surprise.  I do think I will make these into a bag.  I was thinking about lining it with muslin so nothing could fall out as well as putting another motif on the inside as a pocket.  I am going to put two together and make myself a clutch.  The forever shawl may never finish at this rate.

a red shawl

I have been wanting a red shawl since the first time I saw Secret of Roan Innish.  One of the characters had a lovely one.  A while back I had made myself a red sweater and it really was not me.  So, I took it apart, rolled up the yarn, made myself mittens and hat, still had many yards left.  Probably over 1500 yards.

So I crocheted myself a shawl.  It is a rather simple pattern.  Start with chaining four, turn and it second chain, single crochet.   Single crochet in the next two chains (should be the end).  Chain one.  Single crochet in the first single crochet, two single crochets in the middle, one single crochet at the end.  Chain one.  Turn and single crochet in the first single crochet, two single crochets in the next, one single crochet, two single crochet, one single crochet, chain one.  This is the way the pattern grows.  So basically, the second single crochet in the row at either end gets two.  It makes a triangle.  I just keep going until I run out of yarn or it is as big as I want it.

 

I decided to put some lace on the edges of this one just too make it feel more lovely.  Danica and Russell said it was HUGE!  But I thought it was just right, especially when I got a bit chilled one morning.  I now have a red shawl! 

Orange sweater

I have been wanting an orange sweater.  A cardigan type sweater in particular.  I even went shopping to see if I could find one and I could not.  So I asked for yarn for my birthday.

So part of the gift was twelve skeins of pumpkin Lion wool.  It is not the softest wool but I just really wanted to see if I could make what I wanted.  I went to the Lion's Brand website and used their Essential Jacket pattern in crochet.

I am actually very pleased with how it turned out.  Russell is going to make me a button out of desert walnut once his drill press is setup.  The sleeves are the perfect length and it is a good weight.  I wore it to work today with my new work skirt.  Other people liked it too.  I still need to make one in black and one in green.  It is very similar to a Patagonia sweater I have that is in the last stages of death so I am very happy this works.