Travel Blanket: Rodanthe-Prius Block

Continuing in the theme of the Family-Life-Travel-Map Blanket (you can see the last post here), I present to you the Rodanthe-Prius block.

This trip was a whirlwind.  We took a red-eye out to Boston, rented a car, and drove out to my grandparents on the Cape for 24-hours.  The next morning, we drove ourselves on up to Albany, NY, where we were picked up in my hubby's parents' gold Prius and whisked into the Adirondacks, where his family owns a house and we connected with his Grandmother and cousins.

Rodanthe-Prius Block

And that night it rained.

The following day, we got into that same Prius, squeezed in the back seat with Hubby's brother, and drove for seven hours.  We stopped.  We stayed in a hotel.  We got up.  We drove 9 more hours.  In the rain.

And we arrived at a giant, 12-bedroom house in Rodanthe, NC, several hours into the Outer Banks, and crammed in there with Hubby's 31 cousins for a week.  We were on the Bay Beach, and less than a five minute walk from the Ocean Beach.

And it rained the first two days.  And drizzled on and off.

We were splashed with rain, splashed with sea spray, and splashed with sun.

And then we packed up, squeezed back into that Prius, and drove up to Pittsburg, where we flew back home, and the other three continued on their way.

While in Rodanthe, I purchased a skein of yarn at Knitting Addiction to commemorate the drizzle.  I adapted the pattern from a few others and used the following strategy to make the raindrops.

Bobble: y/o, insert hook into next stitch, and pull loop through.  y/o and pull through 2 loops.  *Y/o, insert hook into the same stitch, and pull loop through.  y/o and pull through 2 loops.  Repeat from * 3x.  There should be 5 loops on your hook.  Y/o and pull through all 5 loops. 

Row 1: Foundation Single Crochet to desired length
Row 2: 1sc, (sc, hdc, bobble) to last stitch, 1sc
Row 3: sc all the way across
Row 4: 1sc (hdc, bobble, sc) to last stitch, 1sc
Row 5: sc all the way across
Row 6: 1sc (bobble, sc, hdc) to last stitch, 1sc

Blanket at Current Stage

Row 7: sc all the way across 

Repeat Rows 2-7 until desired size.

Of course,  I ran out of yarn.  Surprise!  I decided to compliment by using a nice, golden yarn from the Beverly's near us (where I get a nice teacher discount!) to compliment, and to remind us of all that driving time!

I think the square came out alright.  It's not blocked quite correctly, and so I'll probably re-do parts of it, but it goes well in the general blanket.

Ravelry Project: Block
Ravelry Project: Blanket

Travel Blanket: San Francisco Bay Area Block

As many of you know, just after our wedding and honeymoon, I moved out to the San Francisco area to be with my new hubby, who had been living out here since he scored a job in Silicon Valley about 8 months prior.  Well, it seemed more appropriate to put the block to represent that move after the honeymoon, because that's when the stuff came out, and that's when we moved into an apartment together, and that's when this place started to be more than just a place we slept and ate.

Almost.  It still doesn't feel quite like home.

It's been long enough, though, that we can distinguish this area and this part of our lives, and therefore add a block to our blanket (details).  The block I chose to make was based off a pattern on Ravelry called San Francisco, which featured a silhouette of the Golden Gate Bridge (which honestly we never go on, we just use the work-horse Bay-Bridge), against a rainbow setting sun.

We'd never seen a rainbow.  We'd never seen the setting sun.  We'd seen fog.

And so I adapted the pattern for a better size, changed the background to be of a single, marbled silk yarn in seed stitch, that almost gave the look of fog rolling in, and stitched it up.  I'm pretty satisfied with the result.

Ravelry Project

I also wanted to make a general public service announcement.  Firstly, I just realized that many of my ravelry links are probably inaccessible if you don't have a ravelry account.  Please let me know if you have issues with the project links, as I can certainly fix those!

Secondly, the school year started up a few weeks ago, and to those who don't know, I'm a teacher, and so I've gone back to work and am busier than ever.  From here on out, the blog will probably only be posting about once a week, simply because I'm not sure that I can craft much more than that!

Let me know what you think of the block, or if you have any suggestions for the blanket!  I'm pretty happy with how it's turning out, but you never know!

Travel Blanket: Wedding Block

I've recently finished all of the blocks for my Travel Blanket that I've needed to date (you can see my last post about it here).

Firstly, I finished the block that represents our wedding (not strictly a place or trip, but important enough to add)!

The pattern, Royal Romance, was easy to crochet, and fit well into the general form of the blanket, although this is by far the stretchiest and thinnest block we have.  I used a hook size larger than what it asked for, and the block was almost too big!

The yarn was some chocolate sock yarn I had left over from Dad's Double Helix Socks and a cream and gold weave I got at the local yarn store.  The combination was absolutely perfect!  The colors were creams, tans, and browns, (with gold accents) and all of the decorations had candles, which shimmered jut like this block does!

Tune in next time to see more about the other blocks I've done!

Ravelry Project: Wedding Block
Ravelry Project: Family Travel Blanket

Baby Buddy!

Two couples in my church are expecting babies in the fall, and we recently had a mini-baby-shower for the two couples combined.

I didn't know what exactly to do, but I knew they had both expressed appreciation for handmade items, so when I saw this as an example "one-skein-project" for a particular yarn in a bitty shop, I couldn't say no!

Here are the two buddies!  What do you think?

Ravelry Pattern
Ravelry Project: Purple
Ravelry Project: Yellow

Carry-On Bag Liner: Instructions

Before I left for my fantastic family reunion, I whipped up a quick Day-Bag to take with me as my carry on, based on the DayTripper Bag I found on Pinterest.  However, I knew that my bag needs were left desperately unsatisfied by the liner provided in the bad tutorial, so I designed a new one.

Here is the pattern, as promised, for the new bag.  In this tutorial, I will be re-making a half-size version of the bag as I go using paper.

All seam allowances are 1/2" unless otherwise stated.

Materials:

• 1 yard of the main fabric (brown fabric/ printed paper)
• 1 yard of the lining fabric (yellow fabric/ plain paper)
• 1.25 yards of stiff, iron-on interfacing, such as the kind that comes on a bolt
• .5 yards of thin, iron-on interfacing, such as the kind that comes in a folded package in notions
• two buttons
• thread

Directions: Bag Outside

Figure 1

• Cut your fabrics into 15" x 22" pieces.  You will need (1) piece in your lining color and (3) pieces of your main color.

• Iron the thick interfacing onto (1) of your main color pieces and (1) of your lining color pieces.  Iron your thinner interfacing onto (2) of your main color pieces; these two will become your "front-pocket" pieces.  Set all un-interfaced pieces aside.

• (Figure 1)

  

  Figure 2

  
  Place your two front-pocket pieces right sides together and fold them in half to measure 15" x 11".  Measure 3" down the folded side and mark; then, draw a curved line from that mark back up to the corner, and seam along that line.  Cut the excess off, trim the curve, turn the pieces right-side out and press.  Top-stitch at 5/8" and 1/8".  This will become the front pocket.

• (Figures 2 and 3)

  

  Figure 3

  
  Place the lining piece with interfacing on the table with the right side facing up, and place the front pocket on top of it.  Then, place the main piece with the interfacing on the pile with the right side facing down.  Line up the pieces as precisely as possible and pin them together.  Then, measure, mark, and cut two three inch squares out of the bottom corners of the pile.

• (Figure 4)

  

  Figure 4

  
  Seam across the sides and bottom of the pile, and then square the corners.  Turn the piece right side out.  The inside will have the interfacing showing.  You have now completed the outside of the bag.

Directions: Bag Lining

• Cut your lining fabric into the following pieces:
• (2) 18 inches x 15 inches
• (2) 10 inches x 15 inches
• (2) 7 inches x 7.5 inches
• (2) 11 inches x 5 inches
• (2) 8 inches x 7 inches

• Take both 8x7 pieces and seam them, right sides together, almost all the way around with a half-inch seam allowance.  Then, turn this piece inside out, and seam it all the way around at 5/8" and 1/8" from the edge.  Repeat this with both the 11x5 inch pieces and the 7x7.5 inch pieces.

• (Figure 5)
  Place the larger lining pieces right side up, and lay these pieces on top of the corresponding pieces, as seen in Figure 5-a, b, and c, and then sew over the pre-existing 1/8" seam, as seen in Figure 5-d, so that these smaller pieces become pockets.  If you prefer to divide the pockets, particularly the larger one, for phones, pencils, or whatnot, then simply add an extra line where you want the division to be.  Be aware, though, that the more you separate them, the less the top will open, so, particularly for pencil-sized pockets, you might want to ruffle the bottom a bit so you get more room.
• Note: if you prefer to have the pocket for the "smaller" section on the outer edge, you can complete the next step first for the 10x15 pieces, and then return to attatching the pocket over the seam.

Figure 5

• Place the two 18x15 lining pieces, right sides together, and square the edges, as with the outside sections.  Repeat with the 10x15 pieces.  Sew the seams open at 5/8" and 1/8" on ONE side seam of each pocket.

• You now have two pockets that will fit exactly in the outer shell.  Press the top edges over half an inch.  Line the two pieces up, un-sewn-seam to un-sewn-seam, and sew at 1/8" and 5/8" to join the pockets.  Place your finished lining in your outer shell, and whip-stitch by hand across the top layers, keeping the ends tucked in.  Seam the top edge again at 5/8" and 1/8".

• As a finishing touch, measure how long you want your straps to be, including 4-5 inches extra to attach them to the bag (mine measure 29-30 inches).  Cut two pieces of main fabric 4 inches x length measurement, and fold them each in half lengthwise, with right sides together.  Sew along the edge, with a half-inch seam allowance, almost all the way around, and then turn them inside out, so that you have two strip-tubes that are 1.5 inches x length-1inch.  Press them flat and sew a seam at 1/4" from each edge.  Measure and mark where you will attach them to the bag, and then do so, sewing 4-5 horizontal lines, about 1/4" apart, on each strap-end.

Congrats on your finished bag!

Becca Shawl

I got engaged.  I made the wedding party gifts. I got married.

My husband and I both realized that we had good friends we wanted to thank for basically being our "unofficial attendants."

The groomsmen were easy.  I made two extra BEERds for the gentlemen in question.

The bridesmaids, not as much.  I had made them shawls, and I knew that realistically, the first lovely lady would never wear a shawl.  So instead, I made her a series of earrings (totally up her alley).

This second lady, though.  She would wear a shawl.  But I didn't want to make her another one just like the bridesmaids.  I have a strict list of projects that I'm working on, and I'm only allowed to buy more one I finish a few, so by the time that I got around to purchasing the yarn for this shawl, it was too late to really make her an identical shawl, and I wanted to give her something personal, anyway.

I also had recently gotten all four Jane Austen Knits magazines from my husband.  Ergo, I found the perfect shawl, for a lovely lady who appreciates that style as much as I do, and found just the perfect yarn on knitpicks.  And here is the finished project, my friends.  What do you think?

I sent it out last week, so lets hope she gets it before she reads this!

Beginning a Sweater: Swatches

Nicole finally convinced me that it would be worth my while to knit my own sweater, and to make it CustomFit.

Her rationale?

Yes, it will take forever, but it will fit you exactly and it will be high quality.

Previously, all my sweaters had basically been what I found at Salvation Army.  I'm excited for this change, since I'm a big sweater-wearer.

I did some swatching, as advised, and decided on size four needles.  In the picture to the left, you can see that each swatch uses a progressively larger needle, and each ahs the corresponding amount of "yo, p2tog" pairs to indicate the needle size.  I ended up ripping out the bind off of my chosed needles, size four, and re-attatching the yarn to make it about twice as big so that I could better measure my gauge for my CustomFit measurements.

I've started the sweater and I can't wait to see how it comes out!

Travel Blanket: Ocean City Block

You've heard by now, I'm sure, of the travel blanket I'm making for the family.  Well, this past vacation, I added on a simpler block, to balance out some of the more complex ones.  This was, again, originally a dishcloth pattern, but it worked quite well for these purposes.

The yarn was purchased at The Salty Yarn in Ocean City Maryland, a store on the boardwalk with a vast array of crochet kits, a room of yarn, and more.  It boarders the ocean and has kites flying outside, like a true shop on the Easter Seaboard, complete with the overly friendly staff.

I purchased two skeins, one water and one sand, not sure what I'd do with either, and I just love the way it turned out.  What do you think?

Here's the blanket so far.

Ravelry Pattern
Ravelry Project: Block
Ravelry Project: Blanket

Dishcloth Update (6)

Yet another update! :)

Dishcloth Sixteen

This dishcloth was crocheted using a Pot-holder pattern called Stir Me Up Potholders.  I like the spiral, but it's not particularly bumpy or good for dishclothing!

Ravelry Project

Dishcloth Seventeen

I really like the simplicity in this design and the quirkiness is brings.  This crochet pattern is called Scrap Ripple Cloth, true to its looks, and came out pretty well indeed.

Ravelry Project

Dishcloth Eighteen

This last crocheted dishcloth used a pattern called Apache Tears, which really was pretty unique.  I like the result, but I worry about the fringes coming apart during use.

Ravelry Project


If you liked this, you might like:

• Aunt Vi's Yarn
• knit Dishcloth Update
• knit Dishcloth Update (2)
• knit Lopsided Dishcloth
• knit Zig-Zag Dishcloth
• knit and crochet Dishcloth Update (3)
• knit and crochet Dishcloth Update (4)
• knit and crochet Dishcloth Update (5)

Travel Blanket: Boston Cobblestone Block (Take 2)

As I wrote previously, I made a Cobblestone-themed block to represent where I come from - Boston - in our family travel blanket.  I also mentioned that I would probably end up frogging the whole thing.

And I did.

So here's the update of the block.  I used the same pattern as before, I just actually used it correctly this time, and I love the results!

When I looked at it at first, it was very oblong, so I decided to block it, trying to make the cobblestone ridges stay more in place, before I added the single crochet around the edge.  It worked so well, that I actually undid all the edging on all of the other blocks, blocked them, and re-did the edging.

I made one more change before I put them all back together: I decided to use a braid join.  Previously, the single-crochet edging had pulled at the blocks and made them pucker as they tried to line up with each other, so I did some research on different kinds of crochet-joins, and decided to go with the Flat Braid Join to give the squares some breathing room, and I love the results!

What do you think?

(Oh, and you can see that I attached the Roberts "R" Block as well.)

Ravelry Project: Boston Cobblestone Block
Ravelry Project: Blanket