Turkish 3-Loop Bead Crochet

It’s been so long since I blogged that I’ve almost forgotten how!

The crochet-a-long for January in the Crochet Jewelry of the Month Group on Ravelry is Turkish Loop Bead Crochet.  They provided a video on doing the 3-loop beaded method as well as some tutorials on the 3-loop and the 2-loop methods.

It’s an interesting stitch and I like learning something new.  So this is the project that I ended up making.  I did the 3-loop method, used size 10 crochet cotton, a size 8 steel crochet hook, twisted bugle beads (about 1/2″ in size) and size 8 seed beads.

This photo shows the bracelet and one of the bugle beads that I used.

From 2012 Projects

This photo shows the clasp that I used.

From 2012 Projects

If you like combining beads with your crochet then give this a try.  There are all kinds of suggestions for bead combinations.

New Inspiration

I have been in a huge craft slump for what seems like a very long time.   I have been wanting to do something new, but inspiration just wouldn’t come.  One day last week I did a search on Ravelry for groups and found one called PlayShop.  I spent the next day or two reading threads and blogs.  Played with a little tea bag folding – I’m out of my comfort zone with paper so this was a good thing.  I’ll post pictures of those when I figure out what to do with them.

Anyway the PlayShop group had a tutorial on how to make a Button Fairy, so here are the ones that I made.

From July 24, 2011

This is a vintage button fairy.  I googled vintage lady or women, and selected this image and printed it on photo paper.  I happened to have some vintage buttons which I used, and added a seed bead hanger at the top.  Here is a close-up of it.

From July 24, 2011

The next one is an actual fairy.

From July 24, 2011

A close-up.  My camera just did not do this one justice.

From July 24, 2011

Last but not least I have been wanting to make a fabric journal for the longest time.  While watching some videos to get inspiration I found a video on how to make lollipop flowers, so here are mine.  The black ones are made from chintz fabric, and the white one is an inexpensive lace.  Any fabric that will melt to a flame will work.  I got to play with fire and fabric!

From July 24, 2011

This one I used little gold potato pearls

From July 24, 2011

This one just some inexpensive little white pearls

From July 24, 2011

This one I used some pink potato pearls and I think I’ll use it on my crazy quilt that’s been in the making for a few years now.

From July 24, 2011

All in all a very satisfying weekend.  Now to experiment with paper beads!

Tussie Mussie Ornament

Tussie Mussie Ornament

From 2011 Projects

I was given a little challenge and this is what I came up with.  I couldn’t find anything on Ravelry or the net like it. 

Most Tussie Mussies are made from a round doily, either paper, crochet, knit, etc, then folded to make a cone shape.  So here is mine, cone shaped right from the beginning.  I’m giving you the directions to make the basic shape, then it’s up to you to decorate as desired.  Directions require you to have basic knowledge of crochet and terms.

Materials

• Aunt Lydia’s Size 3 crochet cotton
• size 1 hook (2.35mm)

Directions

• chain 26, join
• Row 1: ch 1, sc in each chain stitch around, join ch 1 (25 stitches)
• Row 2-9:  1 sc in each sc, join, ch 1
• Row 10: *3 sc, decrease over next 2 sc* around, join, ch 1 (20 stitches)
• Row 11-12: 1 sc in each sc, join, ch 1
• Row 13: *3sc, decrease over next 2 sc* around, join, ch 1 (16 stitches)
• Row 14-15: 1 sc in each sc, join, ch 1
• Row 16: *2 sc, decrease over next 2 sc* around, join, ch 1 (12 stitches)
• Row 17: 1 sc in each sc, join, ch 1
• Row 18: *2 sc, decrease over next 2 sc* around, join, ch 1 (9 stitches)
• Row 19: 1 sc in each sc, join, ch 1
• Row 20: *1 sc, decrease over next 2 sc* around, join,  don’t ch 1(6 stitches)
• Row 21: sc in 2nd sc, decrease over next 2 sc twice (3 stitches), join, fasten off.  Weave your end through the bottom and up the side.  This will give you a nice point.

Strap

• Fold your cone in half (side to side) to find the edge stitch on one of the sides.  This stitch and one on each side of this stitch will be where you start your handle for a total of 3 stitches.  Join yarn to the right of the edge stitch, ch 1 sc in that stitch and the next 2 stitches, ch 3 turn.
• hdc in the last sc – this will give you a half dc, ch 1, hdc.  ch 3 turn.
• hdc in the last stitch.  Repeat until handle is desired length.  With the chain one spaces you can leave as is, or weave a ribbon through the handle later if you choose.
• When handle is desired length, fasten off and sew to opposite side.
• I thread a very narrow piece of ribbon through the handle.

You are done, decorate as desired.  Have fun!

This pattern is  for personal use only and should not be used to make items for sale or copied and redistributed as your own.

From 2011 Projects

The little critter that I put inside is a pattern by Amy Mielke called Little Crocheted Teddy Bear.  I used a size 5 steel crochet hook and DMC Baroque Crochet Cotton.  I rearranged a few things to make him look more like a little dog while he was in the ornament.

Sampler Blanket – Sort of

I found this pattern called “Warm Up America”  designed by Kathy Wesley published in “It’s Great to Give” by Coats & Clark.  It’s a knit/crochet blanket made up of 7 x 9 squares.  I am not a “guage swatch” person when it comes to blankets, but with this one since it uses knit and crochet I felt it was needed to make sure the blocks would come out  the same size.  The pattern calls for a size 8 needle and a size H hook.  I needed  size 7 needles and a G hook in order for my blocks to be 7 x 9.

Working 7 x 9 squares is like doing dishcloths.  Easy take-a-long project, if I get bored with knit I just do a crochet block. In the pattern booklet there are 4 block patterns for knit and 4 block patterns for crochet.  As I started working the patterns I realized that all of the knit blocks have very close stitches and all of the crochet blocks were very open.  Let’s face it, I get bored easy.  So I decided to play with some other pattern stitches and come up with a variety of blocks.  That is how I came to think of it as a Sampler Blanket – Sort of.  Not every block is different as I would think a true sampler would be.

There are so many different stitch patterns, this is where I truly began to have fun.  Some of them just didn’t have the right “feel” for the blanket or their stitch pattern repeat was too long to fit into 7 inches comfortably.  A lot of this is a matter of personal preference.  I did find that I had to work several rows either knit or crochet to get a “true” measurement on the block.  I did a lot of ripping, but with this I really didn’t seem to mind it.

I will share with you the block patterns that I made for this blanket outside of the published patterns.  You’ll have to get the booklet  for those.  I used standard abbreviations for knit and crochet, you can find explanations for those in many places.

Please keep in mind that your guage may be different than mine.  My suggested chain or cast on stitches are just a guide to get you started.

Cross Stitch Block-crochet

1. Chain 28
2. DC in the 5th stitch from hook
3. Dc in the 4th stitch from hook(at this point you will have 1 dc and 1 set of crossed stitches)
4. Skip 1 chain, dc in the next, dc in the skipped stitch
5. repeat step 4 until 1 chain is left – dc

You should have 1 dc, 12 sets of crossed stitches, 1 dc.   Chain 3, work your cross stitches over the cross stitches from the previous row, end with a dc on top of your ch 3 from the previous row.  Repeat this row until you reach 9 inches, then fasten off. 

This is the way I’ve always done this stitch, I’ve seen other versions.

From 2010 Projects

 The following stitch patterns are from the Reader’s Digest- Complete Guide to Needlework.           

 Woven Stitch - crochet

This is a really simple block and I think one of my favorites.

1. ch 31
2. sk 2 ch, 1 sc, *ch 1, sk 1 ch, 1 sc*, ch 2 turn
3. *1 sc in chain space of previous row, ch 1*, 1 sc in the turn ch sp, ch 2 , turn
4. Repeat row step 3 until you reach 9 inches, fasten off.

This stitch is a multiple of 3

From 2010 Projects

Alternate Stitch - crochet

1. ch 28
2. sk 3 ch, 2 sc in next ch, *sk 1 ch, 2 sc in next ch*, ch 2 turn
3. *sk 1 st, 2 sc in next st*, ch 2 turn
4. repeat step 3 until you reach 9 inches, fasten off.

This stitch is a multiple of 2

From 2010 Projects

Up and Down Stitch - crochet

1. ch 26
2. sk 2 ch, 1 sc in next ch, *1 dc, 1 sc*, 1 dc, ch 2, turn
3. sk 1 st dc, *1 dc in sc of previous row, 1 sc in dc of previous row*, 1 dc in ch 2 of previous row, ch 1, turn
4. repeat step 3 until you reach 9 inches, fasten off.

This stitch is a multiple of 2 ch

From 2010 Projects

The next post I publish on this will have some of the knit squares that I made for the blanket.

First Flower of Spring

Warm weather is finally peaking its head in the door.  Thank goodness, I feel like I may actually be able to breathe again.  I know it’s too early for it to last, but I’m enjoying every minute of it while it’s here.

In honor of that wonderful feeling, here is a picture of the First Flower of Spring

From Just Because

Snow, Snow and more Snow

Here are some pictures of our huge snowfall earlier this month.  Due to power and internet outages, I wasn’t able to post them until now.  We ended up with around 27″, way too much snow.

From Just Because

From Just Because

From Just Because

From Just Because

Bison Shawlette

It’s snowing, it’s snowing,  again!!  Not like when I took the pictures for this fun shawlette.

This is the Bison Shawlette pattern from the 101 Luxury Yarn One Skein Wonders book.  Be sure to check here for the errata for this book and especially the new chart for this pattern.  I thought I had the newest one until I ran into a problem.  Looked again and found it had been updated.

From 2009 Projects

From 2009 Projects

 I used size 4 needles and some wonderful yarn that I found at a festival this fall, it is called Wolle’s Yarn Creations Color Changing Cotton.   The color is Autumn Lake 2.  Here is a link to the yarn on Ravelry.

This was a fun pattern and is on my list to make again someday.

Celtic Knot Scarves

I have gotten so far behind in posting my projects.  I hope better late than never applies here.

I made these for my daughter.  She likes Celtic Knots.

This first set is Celtic Cable Neckwarmer.  This is such a fun pattern and goes very fast.  I think it kept me interested which made the time fly by.

From 2009 Projects

I used Plymouth Yarn Colorspun Encore Worsted.  Size 7 needles for the ribbing and size 8 for the cable.  Next time I will use a size 6 needle for the ribbing, just to pull it in a little more.

I only used half a skein so I made this hat to match

From 2009 Projects

This pattern is called Button-Tab Hat and is a free Ravelry download.

This last project is called Celtic Knot Scarf and is also a free Ravelry download.

From 2009 Projects

From 2009 Projects

This is a wide and very very long scarf.  I used 1.5  skeins of Vanna’s Choice Yarn and size 9 needles.  I had to steam the edges so they wouldn’t roll.  This makes a really warm cozy scarf.

Hope you all have a safe and happy weekend!

New Year New Beginnings

It’s a new year and a time for new beginnings or so they say.  I consider spring a time for new beginnings.  Everything starts fresh and feels wonderful then.

The holidays are over so maybe things will settle a little more in to the “normal” range, although I’m still trying to figure out what that is.

Here is a picture of my 3 kitties.  The picture in of itself is not remarkable. The remarkable part is they are sharing the same piece of furniture.  I have never seen it before and will not likely see it again.  So I have to post it for posterity sake.

From Just Because

You’ll notice that they saved a spot for me, sweet things.

Daytime Moon

Just thought I’d share a picture of the moon in the daytime.

From Just Because