Easy Peasy Scrubbie cloth [Crochet]

While browsing through a bin of yarn this past weekend, this Scrub It from Mary Maxim struck me as interesting.  A sample cloth was available on the display rack, and I found it right up my recent alley of creating wash cloths for the house.

After searching Ravelry for 30+ minutes, I was coming up empty handed on a simple washcloth/dishcloth pattern.  !!!  I know, right?!?!  There literally are hundreds of patterns out there, but I couldn't find a simple, easy peasy pattern.  **shrug**

So, I made up my own.  Super simple.  Easy Peasy!

This yarn calls for size 5mm knitting needles, so I used my H8 (5mm) hook.

The pattern established is a multiple of 2 (plus one).

I chained 32 +1 (33 chains), resulting in a cloth 9" wide.

Row 1:  Sc in 2nd ch from hook, dc in next ch.  Repeat *sc in next ch, dc in next ch* across the row, ending with a dc. Turn. (32 stitches)

Row 2:  Ch 1.  Sc in first dc, dc in next sc.  Repeat *sc in next dc, dc in next sc* across the row, ending with a dc.  Turn.  (32 stitches)

Repeat Row 2 until desired length achieved.

I quite literally ended my final row with 3 inches of yarn left!  (Just enough to tie off and weave the end in!)  Now, my toughest decision to make:  do I use the cloth for our dishes, or for our faces?!!?!?

Baby Sage afghan [Crochet pattern]

Baby Sage - 32" x 37"

Last Sunday, I started "doodling" again...

...which lead to a test-trial swatch.

This pattern is another excellent BEGINNER project, with only two stitches being used (dc and ch), and a single repeated row pattern.

Size:  32" x 37"

Hook: Size J (6.0 mm)

Level:  BEGINNER!

Yarn:  Red Heart with Love - each skein: 370 yards/338m.  Two (2) skeins need for pattern as written. (color: Lettuce)

Stitches used:  dc (double crochet) & ch (chain stitch)

Pattern

Chain: The pattern is a 6-ch repeat.  Chain multiples of 6, plus 4 (acts at 1 dc and 1 ch).

I chained 126 + 4.

Row 1:  dc in 5th ch from hook.  [*Skip 4 ch.  (dc, ch1, dc) in next ch**, (dc, ch1, dc) in next ch]   Repeat [ ] starting at * and ending last repeat at ** in last ch.  Turn.

Row 2:  ch 4 (acts as 1 dc and 1ch), dc in next ch1 space.  Skip 2 dc and ch1 space.  [*(dc, ch1, dc) in next dc**.  (dc, ch1, dc) in next dc.  skip ch1, skip next 2 dc, skip ch1.]  Repeat [ ] starting at * and ending last repeat at ** in 3rd ch of turning chain.  Turn.

Repeat Row 2 until desired length is reached.  

 

Happy President's Day!

Lori's Comfort afghan [Crochet pattern]

Lori's Comfort Afghan (50" x 53")

Approximate crochet time:  20 hours

Size:  50" x 53"

Yarn:  Lion Brand Vanna's Choice.  

  - Ten (10) skeins 123 Beige.  

  - Three (3) skeins 404 Dk. Grey Heather.

  - Three (3) skeins 101 Pink.

Hook:  Size J - 6mm

Level: BEGINNER!  

Stitches used:  dc and ch.  That's it!  Super pattern for a beginner :)

The sketch pictured above was drawn as a rough idea -- I am a much better visual learner than any other type of learner, however, here's my stab at the crochet written pattern...

Chain:  The pattern is a 8-ch repeat.  Chain multiplies of 8, plus 3 for the turning dc.

I chained 184+3.

Row 1:  2 dc in 4th ch from hook.  [*Skip next 2 ch, dc in each of next 2 dc, skip next 2 ch, 3 dc in next ch**.  3 dc in next ch.]  Repeat [ ] from * across, ending last repeat at **.  Turn.

Row 2:  Ch 3 (counting as a dc), skip first 3 dc.  [*3 dc in each of the next 2 dc (the dc are the individual posts from previous row).  Skip next 2 dc**.  dc in each of next 2 dc, skip next 2 dc.]  Repeat [ ] from * across, ending last repeat at **.  dc in 3rd ch of turning ch.  Turn.

Row 3:  Ch 3.  2 dc in first dc.  [*Skip next 2 dc, dc in each of next 2 dc, skip next 2 dc**,  3 dc in each of the next 2 dc].  Repeat [ ] from *, ending last repeat at **.  3 dc in 3rd ch of turning chain.  Turn.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for the length of afghan desired.

Color pattern followed

14 rows Beige

2 rows Dk. Heather Grey

4 rows Pink

2 rows Dk. Heather Grey

14 rows Beige

...

If I were to do this pattern again with the same yarn and hook...

I would decrease the initial chain by 16-24 chains (2-3 'cycle' repeats), and add to the length by another Grey, Pink, Grey, Beige cycle.  

I used up all my Beige and couldn't find any in local stores over the weekend :\

I suppose I could always buy online...if I really wanted to make it a bit longer.

Happy Sunday everyone :)

Speeding into another direction [Crochet]

Yesterday, while at Caitlyn's basketball tournament, I elected to work some more on the RWB corner-to-corner afghan.   It has been well over a month since it saw any progress.  Towards the end of the tournament yesterday, I decided that it had reached an adequate width, so it was time to start edging-off the corner growth.

I didn't have the pattern with me, but after a few trials-and-errors, I figured how to maneuver the corner edge.

And I was proud of myself.  I was able to figure it out without needing a pattern.

SO, that got me thinking....

and while driving back home, my mind started seeing possible crochet stitch patterns.  There was a vision that stuck...

And after sketching it the moment I got home....

okay.... actually, it was about an hour after getting home.  FIRST, the animals needed attention, the laundry needed to get started, a fire needed to be started and some groceries we picked up on the way needed to be attended to. 

BUT THEN, I sketched out the design, erased, sketched some more, erased....  

Quilting patterns are so second nature to me now, but crochet designs-----TOTALLY NEW TERRITORY.

With the excitement that ANY new project brings on, my crochet hook started smoking up a storm at 7:00PM.  I grabbed a bunch of yarn from my big purchase from the $1.49 sale at Shopko back in November.  Vanna's Choice - Lion Brand.  Colors:  123 Beige, 404 Dk Grey Heather, 101 Pink.

By 11:00, I was tired and had crocheted through almost two skeins of the Beige with ease.  SUPER easy pattern!  

Paul's alarm sounded at 5AM this morning.  

And NOPE, he didn't need to work.  SO, either he forgot to turn it off from previous mornings OR he had plans to get up to go ice-fishing.  Either way, he was back to sleep in seconds.  *I*, on the other hand, was awake.  

Toss-turn.  It's early Amy....go back to sleep.....

Psht.  5:18AM.  Climbed out of bed.

By 6:00, the crochet hook was back in my hand.  AND within moments, I could tell just how fast that yarn was smoking through my hands last night due to the yarn-burn I had on my index finger.

This is how I hold the yarn when I crochet.  I create my tension by having the yarn come between my pinky and ring finger, and then it hooks over my pointer/index finger.

LOOK!  After two hours of crochet this morning, you can see the wear of the yarn.  Imagine what my actual finger looks like beneath the bandaid!  The bandaid has worked as excellent protection--this yarn is a bit course coming out of the skein, needless to say.  

So far, I've completed 15 rows of Beige, 2 rows of Grey, 4 rows of Pink, 2 more rows of Grey, and am back to using the Beige.  The pattern has worked up quickly and easily.  And I'm geekily super excited to have created my OWN first crochet project/pattern.   

Oh, I'm SURE this design is out there somewhere.... just like if we were to start playing with 4-patches, 9-patches, HSTs....and lay units out.  Designs we make aren't "new".... but... they kinda are.  You have no pattern in front of you -- the design is from your own mind.  

Therefore, if any of my readers are also die-hard crocheters, let me know if this pattern has any official name. :)

Happy Sunday