Lancaster Quilt from Crochet Today

Hey, y'all!

Crochet Today! is the one print subscription I receive, and it's more than just a subscription for me...it's an addiction.  Remember how exciting it was to get mail when you were a kid?  I literally do a happy dance every time this magazine shows up in my mailbox.

That being said, I tend to make a lot of projects out of this particular periodical.  Today's project is the Lancaster Quilt throw blanket by Katherine Eng, which was featured in the November/December 2011 issue of the magazine.

Believe it or not, I followed the pattern exactly on this one.  The only changes I made were the colors.  The finished throw measures roughly 48" square and makes a great lap blanket.

We've just redecorated our living room, and I wanted to make some throws and other small pieces to help tie in some of the colors we've kept from the old scheme.  The variegated Red Heart Super Saver yarn in "Autumn" happened to have all of the colors I wanted, and I love the way it turned out.

Oh, and for those of you who aren't already acquainted with Butterscotch, he's one of my daughter's best friends.  A beloved uncle gave Butterscotch to The Princess for Christmas this past December, and he has quickly become an integral part of the family.  The only challenge is getting him to give up my favorite chair so I can crochet comfortably.  ;)


'Til next time,
OCB

Work in Progress: Lacy Checkered Afghan

Hey, y'all!

Long time, no see.  This has been a busy summer at our little yellow house, and I realize I've been neglecting you.  Not to worry...you're not alone.  I just sat down and replied to a couple of emails that were over a month old.

I guess it's time to catch up, eh?

Even though summer isn't always the most comfortable time to crochet, I've completed a few things since I last posted, and I have more in progress.  I'll post the completed projects after they've been given to their new owners - wouldn't want to ruin any surprises! - but in the meantime, here's a sneak-peek at a current work in progress:

These grey and purple motifs are almost 12" square, and I'll be joining 25 of them together to make a checkerboard afghan.  I'm using bulky acrylic yarn that I got through a trade, and I think the combo of the bulky yarn and the lacy motif will make this blankie quite interesting.  I'm about halfway to the finish line on this one...stay tuned for more pics of the completed project!


See you soon,
One Crafty Broad

Olivia's Baby Gifts

One of my good pals at work is about to become a grandmother.  She recently commissioned my services to make an oversized baby blanket, and the shower was this past weekend. 

When I realized the amount of yarn I had left over after the blanket was done, I decided to contribute a couple of gifts of my own as well.

The blanket measures 48" by 48" and the dress is sized or a newborn baby girl.

Here's a close-up of the stitch pattern on the blankie and the dress.

I love working with this stitch, and I think I'll be making something for myself using it soon.  The fabric is so soft and cozy.

Olivia's one-of-a-kind dress.

The granny-to-be saw the dress and blankie, and apologetically asked if I might be able to make a headband to go with it.  Giggling, I told her that I had already started the process...it just wasn't done yet. 

I'm hoping to see a picture or two of the little one with her new loot when she sees fit to join us.  With her family's permission, of course, I'll try to post at least one here for all to see.

Lacy Bedspread: Completed!

And this post, my friends, could be alternately titled, "FINALLY." 

Let the record show that today, January 25, 2012, I completed my first motif project.  Holy crap balls, did this thing take forever, but it was worth it. 

I have a feeling it won't be my last motif project, either.  Not by a long shot.  While it lacked the whole instant gratification factor of the smaller projects I've previously completed, there's something satisfying about putting all the little pieces together to make something ginormous.

So, without further ado, I present the completed lacy bedspread.

View of the details, from the foot of our bed

See?  It covers the whole darn thing!  Bonus.  :)



I think this may be my favorite shot so far of the completed bedspread.

Our bed is a queen, and the bedspread is constructed completely out of Lion's Pound of Love baby yarn in antique white.  I believe there are 69 squares, including the giant one in the center.  The border is simple double crochet, and I'm really happy I didn't try anything fancier.  There's enough detail in the bedspread itself without adding frilly poopers on the edges.

In case you can't tell, I'm pretty happy with it.  Not bad for a first foray into motifs, creating my own and winging it much of the time, eh?  Whaddaya think?

Lacy Bedspread: Part One

It may be hard to believe, but up until this point I have never constructed anything from motifs.

I found this so odd that I figured it was time to bite the bullet and go for it.

Here's the square I've come up with. It measures just over nine inches wide and is worked with a J hook using Lion's "Pound of Love" worsted-weight acrylic yarn in Antique White.

I figure it will take 90 squares to make my queen-sized bedspread, and I'm working on #23 as we speak.

Even cooler? My momma has decided to help me, so this will end up as a multigenerational family project.

Stay tuned for updates. ;)

Carrick's Baby Blanket

On Thursday, 7/7/11, Boss Man and his family welcomed a new little boy into this world.  Carrick is already surrounded with people who are in awe of him, and I'm sure he'll grow up to be a people person just like his daddy.

When I heard that baby Carrick had arrived, I wanted to do something special for him.  After digging through pattern after pattern for baby blankets, none of them appealed to me.  So I went back to my favorite prayer shawl book and found one I loved.  I modified it to make it lighter, almost lacy, since Carrick lives in Georgia, and I made it larger than the pattern called for.  The last modification is the white single-crochet border.

(Please forgive the horrendous quality of the pictures!  The camera battery was dead at home, so these were taken before my shift at work today with my iPod camera...could be worse, I guess.)

The fun part about finding the inspiration for this blanket in the prayer shawl book was that it gave me the idea to make it a "prayer blanket."  With every stitch, I said a little prayer for Carrick to grow up healthy and happy.  I hope he can feel that when he snuggles up with it.  :)