Work-in-Progress Phriday 3/1/13

I am halfway through the second cowl I'm working on, but no photo of it this week because it's in the car. I started a pair of cabled socks. I did the gauge swatch and then got one toe just about finished.

Work-in-Progress Phriday 2/15/13

Last week, we bought a new-to-us crochet magazine, Love of Crochet, Winter 2012 issue. I couldn't resist the Cozy Cowl by Carrie Carpenter, and I had the right yarn stashed already.  This is my first filet crochet project. I got a couple rows in and realized I'd done things wrong, but as I like my unintended modification, I'm going with it. :-)

Crochet Project: Chili Pepper Cowl 2

I completed another Chili Pepper Cowl this week. This one is for my boss. Everything is the same as the first one, except I changed the stripe pattern a bit.

Crochet Project: Bow Tie for Barnum

At the last minute I decided I could offer a crocheted dog bow tie, like the one I made for my Guide Dog Jack awhile back, as a fun little prize in the special raffle for those who participated in the recent 10th edition of the Assistance Dog Blog Carnival. And carnival founder Sharon, from After Gadget, won the bow tie for her service dog, Barnum!

Sharon chose the Vanna's Choice in "Aqua" and Red Heart Super Saver in "Heartfelt" from my yarn stash for the bow tie. I used a size G hook and, as I did with Jack's bow tie, I made a few slight modifications to the pattern, since it is for a large breed (Bouvier des Flandres) dog. I worked the Bow section longer (50 st) and a few rows wider (10). Likewise, I worked the neck band a little wider (6 st) and the middle section a little wider (3 rows), to be a more appropriate size. I also added a button hole in the neck band and sewed a button to the back of the bow tie, so it can be fastened around the dog's neck instead of having to be slipped on over his head.

I think Barnum is going to look great in his new bow tie! It should be arriving in Sharon's mailbox soon. :-)

Crochet Project: Chili Pepper Cowl

I finished this quick cowl in a couple hours at craft group. I love how soft and snuggly it is. I used half a skein of Lion Brand Quick & Cozy in the colorways Paprika and Lemon. The pattern is free, and I made mine using a P hook. I think I'll use the rest of the leftover yarn to make another cowl for a gift.

Crochet Project: Yin Shawlini

My camera is dead, so project photos are coming from my iPhone or iPad for the next few posts. I love this little shawl! I used just under 2 skeins of Southwest Trading Company Yin yarn in the 819 colorway, a pretty pinky coral. I ran out of yarn in both attempts to complete the edging, so I left the shawl without a border, but it kind of scallops a bit on it's own. I followed the charts for this free pattern and used an L hook.

Crochet Projects: Hats for Gifts

The last couple weeks have been incredibly busy, especially at work, leaving me exhausted by evening and too tired to crochet much. Tomorrow is the last riding lesson of winter session at my therapeutic riding facility, which also means the last lesson with my interim instructor. Last year I crocheted a gift for my instructor, so I decided to make gifts for my new instructor and my two helpers. I did manage to complete hats for the helpers, but Hubby did the hat for my instructor. Three hats in 4 days was too much for me.

I made these hats basically the same. I wanted to use bulky yarn for speed, but I needed an easy-care yarn, and an open pattern for breathability. They're made from this free Lion Brand pattern, with most of one skein of Lion Brand Homespun in Montana Sky, and a G hook. The yarn label calls for a K hook, so switching down to a G was a bit difficult at first, but I quickly got the hang of the bulky yarn and smallish hook. I love this pattern! It's probably the first hat I've made that didn't end up with extra stitches in each round. Working in the chain spaces instead of in the double crochets was much easier for me to count the stitches easily and keep the rounds even.

I made a couple modifications to my hats. I skipped the chain for the starting round and did an adjustable loop instead. I only did 10 rounds before the brim, and only 3 rounds on the brim. After trying the hat on several times, I modified so the hats wouldn't be too big. Nothing worse than a hat brim sticking in my eyes, and my helpers need to be able to see well in their work at the TRC.  I left the flowers off the hats, too.

Work-in-Progress Phriday 1/18/13

I had a lot of time to crochet on Sunday, and some Monday night, so I made huge progress on my Shawlini.

Shawlini, worked past the center point, decreasing now

Shawlini stitches, close up

I worked a few more rows on my Motivated Heretic, too. I'm working row 34 now.

My crochet charity group at work met this week, and I'm so proud of my blind students/group members! They've finished 6 baby blankets to be donated to the children's hospital. I'm washing and blocking the blankets this weekend. Many of the blankets are patterns that they came up with on their own. :-)

Work-in-Progress Phriday 1/11/13

WIP Phriday is back, after an unexpected family emergency during the holidays. I'm working on two projects this week.

First up, I'm chugging away on my Motivated Heretic. I just added the 5th skein of yarn in the other day, and I'm at row 32.

My second project is a small shawl. It's a pattern I found online, and I had some trouble with the written instructions, so I've been following the chart instead, and I kind of like it. :-) I'm finished with the first increase section, with several more increase repeats to go.

Crochet Projects: Christmas Stocking and Cowl

I finished two quick projects before Christmas. One of them, the Christmas stocking for my nephew, I don't have a photo of without his name, but the stocking is the same yarn, pattern, and hook as these stockings I made for his parents two years ago.

The other project was an Infinity scarf for a coworker who gave me a bunch of yarn she didn't want to keep. I told her to pick some yarn from what she gave me, and I'd make her a project. She doesn't have an Infinity scarf, so that's what I chose to make with the yarn she picked out. The yarn is a novelty mohair blend made by No Boundaries, which is discontinued. it was super soft and very pretty. I used an M hook and did treble crochets until I used up both skeins, then slip stitched the two ends together. My coworker loves it!