New Baby Granny Ripple Afghan: Tah Dah!!

Baby Granny Ripple Afghan!

After my last post are you ready for some good news?

First I have to tell you all that reading your comments brought tears to my eyes. Maybe I should have posted about this sooner because I didn't expect this outpouring of support. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences, faith and support with me. I am very touched and will keep you in my prayers.

You might have guessed since I just made a New Baby Granny Ripple Afghan that my darling daughter Angela that just graduated with a Ph.D. in Pharmacy May-2013, moved an hour and a half away from me for a very good job; the mother to Emma, my first grand baby born almost 1-year ago, (August 24, 2012), is expecting again and the baby is due January, 6, 2014! Woo Hoo! I am so excited and I just love being a grandma! 

You can probably tell by the colors that we don't know yet if it will be a boy or a girl so I tried to go neutral, (maybe I am leaning a little towards a boy), notice all the blue in it? I put very little pink just in case but I think it would be fine if it is a girl.

Anyway, this was the first time I've tried a "Granny Ripple" and I love it. The pattern is from Michaels and Bernat Baby Coordinates yarn.

I used a different yarn for my project...

My yarn is Cascade Yarns Pima Tencel. I really love this yarn. It is so soft and works up so nice. It has a slight sheen to it and I love the pastel colors, perfect for baby...

So here is all the stats:

Crochet Hook Size-G

Cascade Yarns-Pima Tencel (Discontinued-I was able to purchase on clearance from Jimmy Beans Wool about a year ago):

Content:

50% Pima Cotton/50% Tencel

Care:

Hand Wash

Weight/Yardage:

50g/89yd

Gauge:

5 sts = 1" on US 7

Knitting Weight:

Worsted

Update 8/16/2013: I forgot to add this to my
2013 stash-busting challenge!

Happy Crocheting!

Lost without a Crochet Project

Okay, here we go...



First of all, this last week I have been floundering...yes floundering, lost, without purpose, sporadically searching for something, anything that I can lose myself in, a crochet project that will be big enough to last more than a day!

For a few days I thought maybe I lost my mojo...I was panicking that I would never get back into my crochet groove again. This was a horrible feeling. I looked on pinterest, ravelry, your blogs, crochet magazines, and even the hundreds of patterns I have printed from my computer and are somewhat organized in protective sleeves in binders. I realized several of those are duplicates and definitely need organized by projects, big, small, potholders, granny squares, shawls, baby stuff, etc.


I looked and looked and looked and nothing grabbed me, well some things grabbed me but I didn't have the yarn needed to start or finish many of them and I CANNOT BUY MORE YARN. So, I was floundering.


Here's what happened...


I finished my angel dress and my first Just Crochet sweater and bonnet for Baby Emma, (she will be here soon, August 20th).

So...I didn't have another project lined up. I didn't want to just weave in all those ends on my Ripple and my Blues afghans. Not something I can get excited about but I was so desperate for a project I dare say I almost did it!



So I started with some small things...


My favorite easy potholder pattern, it was fun but didn't last long enough. 

Then, being inspired by Made in K Town post for Beyond the Square Motifs, I thought I would do some of those...

They were pleasing to work on but again...didn't last long enough.


So...I tried some more baby booties! Ugggh! I HATE doing baby booties. I have tried several different patterns, even bought one hoping it would be better than the freebies but oh no...I just can't do baby booties. They never come out the same size!




Either I can't be consistent with my tension or I just add a row or leave off something or one is turned wrong side out and the other is correct! Ugggh! Baby Booties Suck!! I'm feel very strongly about this as you can tell so I am going to show you all of the baby booties I have made but couldn't give to my daughter for Baby Emma.

 This is very sad...it looks like a bootie graveyard...
I'm so ashamed to show you all of my mistakes but I am curious...has anyone else had this problem with baby booties or is it just me?


Anyway...back to my mojo or lack of mojo...I had some scraps so I made these cute little granny squares and they didn't do it for me either.

So...I made a cute little flower coaster. Kind of cool but not something I wanted to do a whole set of.

Finally...


Finally yesterday I put all my scraps away and cleaned off the couch and thought...What have I been putting off making because I've been so busy with baby stuff??


Ah Hah!! That's right, an Ah Hah moment!




The Sidewalk Shawl...

This has been in my queue forever!! I had even bought the 6 skeins of the Debbie Stoller yarn in the Mercury for this pattern. Why it didn't dawn on me before I don't know but...it did the trick. Its back! That wonderful feeling of escaping in a new pattern that I have to pay attention to what I'm doing but not so difficult I can't watch TV and work on it. The yarn is lovely to work with, no splitting and so soft. It already is looking so pretty and I am excited because I will have to block it!! I know that's crazy but I've never made anything that is elegant enough to need blocking!! Woo HOO!


I think I have made it past the hump. Now I have a project that I can't wait to work on and don't want to stop. It's so good to not be lost, floundering. wandering around aimlessly. I have focus again and can get on with the rest of my life, happily knowing that waiting for me is the comfort of lovely yarn, beautiful pattern, and a soothing color anytime I want to pick it up! Ahhhh! Life is good again!


Happy Crocheting!!

A Peak at My Crochet Books

A peak inside some of my new Crochet books...

Annie's Attic Chemo Caps & Wraps is a beautifully photographed book with cancer survivors and surviving family members as models. 

The patterns are for caps and shawls/wraps, etc. None of them are plain or super easy. Each one is a very classy project that anyone would love to own. These projects would also make great gifts for friends and family.

Edie Eckman's The Crochet Answer Book is a must have book for anyone that crochets. From the novice to the expert, this book does have all the answers.

There aren't any pretty pictures to look at but lots of diagrams to show you exactly what she is talking about. It's small and compact to fit in your project bag to take with you anywhere as a reference. I highly recommend this book!

Another book by Edie Eckman called Around the Corner Crochet Borders.

Now this one has beautiful photograph and colors. Each one has a written pattern and a chart pattern to follow. There are also a few tips on choosing the right size border for your project. I will never have to worry about what border to add on any of my afghans. This book has everything from wide lacy, elaborate patterns to small, simple borders. She also discusses color choices and the difference it can make when you use them in borders. This book is Amazing!

Okay, I have to be honest...I only bought this book for one pattern. The Bobble Zig Zag ripple that Astri from Apple Blossom Dreams

I looked everywhere and couldn't fine a pattern that I liked as well so I had to buy the book.

 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns by Jan Eaton

Now this book has both knit and crochet ripple stitch patterns. When I first heard about this book I though there can't be that many different ways to do a ripple. Boy, was I wrong. This will be a book I will use often. I love doing ripples and there are so many different ones that I will never be board. Some are vintage looking and some are the soft wave ripple or even a super sharp pointy ripple but my favorite is still the Bobble Zig Zag ripple and I can't wait to make it. If you knit and crochet this book is all the better for you.  I don't knit and have no desire to learn but I would recommend it to those of us that love to do afghans and such.

That's it for today. I hope this was helpful to some of you thinking of buying any of these books. Hopefully I will have pictures up of my projects sometime this weekend. 

Happy Crocheting!

New Books Have Arrived!

Hello Blog Friends!!

Looky what I got in the mail over the weekend.

I am so excited and I have to tell you...

All of these are worth every penny. I wasn't disappointed in any of them. They are awesome. I will be taking some pictures of the inside and do more of a book "review" later but for now I just wanted to let you know that I got them.

Crochet Borders by Edie Eckman

Chemo Caps & Wraps from Annie's Attic

The Crochet Answer Book by Edie Eckman

I haven't received this one yet so not sure it is as wonderful as the others but...I have heard great things about this Ripple book from some of you that have it.It is supposed to arrive tomorrow so we shall see.

200 Ripple Stitch Patterns by Jan Eaton

Also, I have been busy with several projects lately but I can't show them to you until I give them to my daughter, (she reads my blog, isn't that sweet!!) Anyhoo, I can't wait to show them to you and see what you think. A big hint...

They are things I have never in my life made before and one of them I can safely say I will NEVER make again! Lol! 

So...stay tuned for some new projects coming soon!

Ripple Tah Dah!

Ripple Goodness!!!

Sharing from my camera, a photo by Crochet Attic on Flickr.

Here it is! All done except working in the ends which will happen soon. Now I will be moving on to some smaller projects for a while.Of course Sonny had to get in the picture! Look...he's even smiling for you all.

This week I am hooking up at:

Happy Crocheting!

Rainbow Ripple - Almost Finished!

My Rainbow Ripple is growing in leaps and bounds...

Isn't it incredible?

Here it is up close...

I know, I know...It's almost finished...

but, I am okay with that because...

I bought some new yarn over the weekend for my next project...

I'll give you a little hint...

For Christmas I got the best present ever...

I'm going to be a "Grandma"!!

I am sooooooo excited!!!

My DD and SIL are expecting their first child in August and I will finally be a Grandma!

So...you know what that means...

I get to crochet Lots and Lots of cute baby stuff!! I will be updating you all soon to show you my next project!!

Happy Crocheting!

Crochet Ripple and Granny Update

Here is what I've been doing...

2012 A Granny A Day...yes I know...there is only 12 and this is the 17th day but...I ran out of Vanna's Choice -Brick...so I went to my local Michael's store, (where I bought the Brick and Mustard a while back) and guess what?? They don't carry the Brick anymore!! UGGHHH! Why do they do that? This was my first time buying Vanna's Choice and I loved the Mustard and
Brick together. I made a pincushion with it and this was leftover from that. I thought I would start with these because I knew I could buy more as needed. WRONG! So...These squares will be a Pillow Top. I'm not really thrilled with yarn anyway, it splits really bad it not worth the price. I am disappointed in my Michael's and Lion Brand for making a cheap yarn.

Well... enough whining for one day... now on to my 12" January Crochet Block a Month!

I went back to my trusty Caron Simply Soft, which I used for my giant granny blanket. This is the first 12" square for this CAL! I love this pattern, I had made this before when I did the A Square a Day in May last year and it is a great pattern.

Now, this square was a "Filler" square option. I made this because I had made the above square and still had time left in the month to make this "Filler" square to fill the time before the February squares are announce.

I enjoyed making this one and it had great pattern instructions so it was easy to follow. Kind of fun too!

And of course my progress on my Rainbow Ripple blanket...

It is getting bigger! I'm going to be so sad when it is done. This had been the most relaxing and satisfying blanket I have every made. The colors keep me interested and the pattern and yarn just flow together so easily. It's going by fast and I will be sad when it is done...:( Crazy...I know.

Thank you for all you kind comments on my posts. I really do appreciate it. You all keep me going on my projects and inspire me.

This is where I'm hooking up this week!