Sensations Yarn Scarves and Hats

I bought one skein of the sensations yarn. Thinking I could get a couple scarves and hats. The skeins look as big as the Caron one pound skeins but they have significantly less yarn. So I bought a second skein! I made 2 hats and 3 scarves. I liked this color partly because it reminded me of carmel fudge swerl ice cream!

The pictures to the right are of the hats. My niece was kind enough to "model" one for me. I suspect it looks so good because of her!

2 of the scarves I made were made using the pattern for January 27 in my 365 day calendar. It is called Tiny Textures. Basically alternating front and back post double crochets. It is hard to see the texture in the varigated yarn. The blue is the same pattern but smaller yarn and hook.

Clone Brush in MS Digital software

Yesterday, Carrie and I went to the Greenwood Car Show. We got there early so at least a few shots did not include a swarm of people too. I have posted all -- that are fit for posting in my public gallary.

I took a picture of a jump seat but there was a no parking sign right behind the seat. I cropped the picture and then used the clone brush to put sidewalk behind the seat.

I had to be careful as I was using the clone brush. Basically, you mark a spot on the sidewalk as the starting point. As I brushed, it moved with my strokes so I had to make sure I did not copy the planter into the back of the car.

I also used it to brush out the door knob of a picture of the red flying horse logo that used to be for Mobil. Someone had it on the side of their car.

I did a lot of cropping as well on the pictures.

Yarn Holder

One challenge we all face is keeping our yarn feeding without it getting tangled. This is a somewhat unique yarn holder :) but works fairly well. If you are like me, and have a cat that sits for hours on your lap, placing the yarn between her ears keeps the yarn feeding freely! Much better then when she sits on it!

Jury Duty Scarves -- 3 cute, one...

Last month I spent 3 weeks on Jury Duty. I decided while I was doing this, I would learn some new patterns and stitches. As is always the case -- for me, is some turned out better then others! I liked 3 of the scarves and I have not figured out what I must have done wrong on the 4th but I sure did not look like the picture with the pattern.

Some of the great things about being on jury duty:

• Learned the buses again.


• Got to hang out in downtown Seattle -- and eat out almost every day!


• Listened to my book on tape and crocheted on the bus each day.


• Met some great people who were on the jury with me.

Crochet Cable Starter Scarf. This scraf is from the Knit and Crochet Today PBS show. I like that they show how to do tasks in both knit and crochet. The web site is linked to the right. This "cable" is done using front post doubles and triple crochets. I have been thinking about trying it as a "panel" afghan. I think it would look neat as an afghan with the panels done in different colors and then sewen together. Another great -- take along project.

Basket Weave Scarf. This is also a stitch that is in my 365 patterns calendar. It looks like some of the stitches go sideways but it is again done with the front and back post double crochets. I also did this in light green. Left over yarn from the "KCLS Meeting Afghan"!

Mile-A-Minute Scarf. This was on the inside of a skein of Coats & Clark yarn. However, I certainly did something wrong! It called for 2TRCL which I interrupted as 2 Triple crochet clusters. When in fact it meant 1 cluster with 2 triple crochet stitches on each side of the 3 chains. If the picture to the right had been included, I would not have made the mistake. It is included in the online instructions.

Tip: If there is a pattern number on the instructions you find either on the skein wrapper or free patterns in the store, you can go to that company's website and enter that code and usually you will see the instructions on their website. Some will also include corrections and/or comments from people who have used the pattern.

Peppermint Twist Pattern (April 8) from 365 Crochet Stitches a Year: Perpetual Calendar . I purchased this for myself (for Christmas) from the Cultured Purl yarn shop in Gilman Village, Issaquah WA. The link is to the calendar on Amazon. This scarf is a bit too wide. The great thing I like about the patterns in the calendar is it gives you the number of stichets to complete one pattern plus the extra stitches for the beginning chain. This is done with front post triple and double crochets. That is what gives the look like the opposite color is in the other color's row. Do do a front post stitch down into the other color. This pattern is like the cable pattern above in that it has a very definite right and wrong side.

KCLS Meeting Afghan

Two weeks ago we had a craft fair at work. About 16 people participated. A BIG thank you to Susan L. for organizing it and guarding our prized possessions. I displayed 2 afghans and 3 scarves. The picture of the afghan is one I created during meetings at KCLS. When I was not making scarves for the Warm for Winter project during meetings, I was making this afghan. The basket weave scarf on the left side of the afghan was used with left over yarn.


Yarn and hook: For this project I used a J hook. I used most of 2 1-pound skeins of Caron yarn in each color. It really depends on the size you want it to be and how loose. The one I am making right now (on vacation), I am using an I hook. The border color does not use as much yarn as the shell part. It is also great in one color.


The first time I made this pattern, I was in North Carolina visiting a friend who had just had a baby. Needless to say, we were home a lot during the visit. I had her take me to the local discount store and I bought yarn and a hook. I was able to finish an afghan as a thank-you gift when I left! I also made an afghan for my cousin while she was in the hospital last winter and I was spending HOURS with her in the hospital.

It is my favorite pattern. It is SOOOO easy and a great take along project. You can create the panels on the road and then put them together at home. Also great for summer project. Put it together in the fall as we weather gets colder.


To Begin: Chain 6, connect with a slip stitch.


First Row: Chain 3, 3 dc, 3 c, 3 dc (shell), dc in top of chain 3 of previous row, 3c turn.

Second Row: Create a shell in the 3c of the previous row, dc in top of chain, 3c turn. Repeat row 2 until it is the length you want. Note: You will go around this for the border.

Border: beginning in the 6 chain circle at the beginning. With the right-side facing you (the first row shows the front of the double-crochets)The picture to the right shows the tops of the double-crochets in the first row, the tops sort of slant toward you.

3c, 2dc,2c,3dc in the beginning chain; 1c; in the next space 3dc, 2c, 3dc (this will create the back end of the sort-of arrow tip at each end of the panel) 3dc in each space until you reach the last side space. In the last space on the side, 3 dc, 2c, 3dc. In the 3c space at the end of the panel: 3dc, 2c, 3dc; 1c; 3dc, 2c, 3dc in first space on the second side, 3dc in each space up to the last side-space. 3dc, 2c, 3dc in last side space, slip stitch in the top chain of the 3 chain to join the chain.

Sew panels together. Hold the panels with the wrong sides together. You will work in the back side of the tops of the stitches only. Begin at second chain of the center chain of the 3dc, 2c, 3dc created in the first side space. Go to the end and then work in the ends.

You can do this one of 2 different ways (well, probably more then that!). The pattern says to sew the panels together with a yarn needle and doing the whip stitch. Why I do not use this method any longer is that you have cut yarn to thread through so you either end up being short or waste yarn. As a rule of thumb, I would measure double the length of the panel to cut. I was usually right...

The way I have been sewing them together lately is just doing a slip stitch, that way I just stay connected to the skein of yarn.

Rhododendron Park

Saturday a group of us went to the Rhododendron Park on the Weyerhaeuser Campus in Federal Way. (http://www.rhodygarden.org/page/page/1083572.htm) It was a beautiful, sunny day. Not too hot for walking but not so cold my fingers froze while taking pictures!

If you would like to see more pictures, I have posted them on picassa. http://picasaweb.google.com/pctrainer98/RhododendronPark.

Cozy Crocheted Capelets

It must have been the cold winter that made me decide to make soooo many of these! The first one I made was for my niece who is finishing up college at Whitman College. Her room is in the basement and so I thought she could wear it as she studied. I don't know that she ever used it but... I was sending her a fleece blanket and I remembered when I was in my basement bedroom, I had a hard time keeping my shoulders warm. It is hard to wrap a blanket over your shoulders and still be able to turn pages and/or type!

Then I made one for myself using the Homespun yarn. That yarn was too big so the capelet also was too big. However, it fit my sister. She has taken it to work to wear on those days that it is cold. I actually saw her wearing it! She liked it so well, she is planning on making one for her friend who is about to start chemo therapy.

I tried one more time to make one for myself! I used the Red Heart Really Soft yarn.

My older sister, only wants us to donate to her endowment at the University of Washington for her gifts. I did that, but I also make her a capelet. They have a condo in Sun Valley. While the unit is beautiful and has everything in it, it can be a bit cool. For this one, I used Vanna's yarn. The colors were pretty but it ended up taking THREE skeins of yarn. A review I had read about her yarn was that it was expensive for the amount of yarn per skein. I have to agree. Of course, I have used the Red Heart Super Savers for most of the afagans I have made -- they have lots of yarn!

Warm for Winter

At the Stitch & Pitch Mariner game this summer, a group was handing out flyers about making hats and scarves for the homeless. That was all it took for Carrie and I to go to town with making hats and scarves. I also discovered it was more fun to crochet while watching the games at the ball park than to keep score! I now have crocheting in my car all the time!

I have made over 20 scarves for 2008! The blanket was made by our friend Darcy who lives in Alaska. 3 co-workers also contributed hats and scarves. I have to admit a few of the knitted hats were so nice, I was temped to keep them for myself. Many of the scraves were made using a pattern I got in a breast cancer kit basically chains and single crochets with a LARGE (N or P) hook. Lots of the others were just solid singles, doubles or half doubles. I also started making single Mile-a-Minutes panels as scarves.

Want to participate? Here is more information: http://www.interfaithcouncil.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=161

Kirsten's Seahawk Afagan

I made this afagan for my oldest niece. I was working on a "mile a minute" afagan during a Seahawk game and she asked me to make her one. So, of course when I asked her what colors, she said "Seahawk!" This is a double-sided patterns of shells. The doublesiding happens by doing a row of chain-7 between the row of shells and drawing the chain up into the next shell row.