The busy days of May

This month has been crazy busy! There are 5 family birthdays, Mother's Day, Etsy orders to fill and I'm getting ready for my booth at a local farmer's market. Not to mention Memorial Day, which is a big deal in my family, school winding down and graduations. WHEW!!! Needless to say, my hook has been hot.

This is one of the many things that has been on my hook. This patriotic garden flag can double as a wall hanging. The nice thing about this is it can be displayed from Memorial Day clear through Labor Day. :) The pattern is from Snappy Tots in her Ravelry store. I love her stuff and this pattern is great because she gives directions on how to make this in to several different things.

Once I get through this month, believe it or not it's going to be time to start thinking about the holiday season. YIKES! Guess I better get to hookin'!

Update on the Lacy Tunic

Well sadly, I think this one is going to go in the frog pile to be reworked. :( 

It's a gorgeous pattern but it turned out gigantic, I think due to the yarn I used. Even with leaving off the last two rows this thing is almost down to my knees. I thought about finishing it up (it's just tacked together in the pic) and using it for a bathing suit cover up this summer but it's such a pretty pattern I want to be able to wear it out and about. This in no way reflects on the pattern or the designer. I encourage you to try this lovely design out if you are looking for a pretty summer top. Just keep in mind that if you use something similar to Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton it works up much looser and stretches.

*Sighhhhh* well...back to the drawing board.

Squares vs. Inches (or how to size a C2C)

I belong to several Facebook crochet groups and invariably the same topics pop up periodically. The one that sets my teeth on edge every single time is when a poster asks, "How many squares should my (C2C) blanket be?" There simply is no right answer to this question. "Why?" you may ask? The reason is, there are so many variables that it is impossible to give an accurate answer. Blanket sizes are based on inches, not squares, stitches or rows. The size of your squares in your C2C depend on the type/weight of the yarn you are using, your hook size and your tension. 

For instance, most of the time I use a worsted weight (4) yarn like Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn or Red Heart With Love and my go-to hook is my Susan Bates bamboo handle J hook. I think my tension is pretty "regular", not too tight, not too loose. So I can count my squares and tell you how many I have using those variables but if you are using a different yarn, hook or your tension is different then your blanket will come out a different size than mine. The "safe" answer is the dimension of the blanket in inches. There are many handy charts out there if you Google blanket sizes.

Below I have crocheted 3 different swatches of 5 squares (or blocks) using different weights of yarns and different hooks. See the difference? The individual pictures indicate the yarn & hook used on each swatch.

Lion Brand Wool-Ease
7" x 7"

Red Heart With Love & J hook
4" x 4"

Bernat Baby Sport & G hook
2.5" x 2.5"

This is why you shouldn't tell someone their blanket should be XX squares. If you made the top swatch into a blanket and went with 50 squares it would end up being about 70" square. The bottom swatch would result in about a 25" square blanket. That's a big difference and could end up with some disappointing results.

I think too often we assume that everyone crochets like we do so our formula will work for them. No one crochets exactly like you and that is part of what is wonderful about this amazing craft we all love. 

Lacy Tunic

Spring is in the air and it's a perfect time to freshen up my wardrobe with this lacy tunic.

The pattern comes from BeACrafter, she has so many beautiful designs on her site that I can't wait to try. The original design calls for 200 grams of tape or ribbon yarn but I used Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton. I love the way this is turning out, it is so soft and has a wonderful drape. However, 200 grams of ILTC is not nearly enough. I'm not quite finished but I will have ended up using almost 400 grams/13 ounces. Thank goodness I had extra on hand! 

One thing I love about this pattern is it's worked in two identical pieces then stitched together to form the neckline and sleeves. Since this is my first foray into clothing I think this will be a great starter project.

If all goes as planned I should have this finished up in the next few days and I'll put out a full review and of course post pics of the finished product.

Stormy Waters

My Stormy Waters throw is inspired by the Juicy Fruits & Whipped Creme throw on redheart.com.

I absolutely love the texture this has and even though I wasn't completely sold on the colors I think it's going to turn out beautifully.

The stitches in this pattern are fairly easy after you get the hang of the criss-cross stitch. After that you just have to resign yourself to the fact of weaving in the oh-so-many ends that you have. Thank goodness for my Susan Bates finishing needles!

It's in the bag!

These ZootyOwl inspired bags are really fun to make! The multicolored-handled one will make a great beach bag (or yarn shopping bag). The lower right bag is for an awesome co-worker. I jazzed that one up with a toggle button for closure and a double pocket on the inside and the handle is long enough to make it a cross-body bag.
You can find the pattern on Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog. While you're there check out the rest of her wonderful stuff!