Leilani Blanket | Crocheted Gift

 I've been engaging in some late-in-the-season gift-making. 

This blanket was requested by one of our daughters 

who gave me some guidance on the colors

 and the design she would like and this is the result! 

I hope it's what she had in mind and I really hope she likes it!

UPDATE:

Pattern now available at the following Apple Blossom Dreams shops:

I am so excited to release the 

Leilani Afghan/Blanket Crochet Pattern!!!

The pattern is available by clicking on the following shops:

Etsy

Ravelry

Lovecrafts

I have named this the Leilani Blanket and am in the process of writing a pattern for it.

I will call out for testers as soon as the pattern is ready, 

but that might not happen before Christmas, but then again it might.

This blanket was crocheted with two strands of either Scheepjes Colour Crafter 

or Style Craft Special DK but two strands of any dk/sport weight or worsted yarn

or one strand of chunky acrylic yarn will work.

Stay tuned for more on this one....😊

and in the meantime....

Warmly,

Astri

Vintage Rainbow Afghan | Upcycle for Grandaughter

Many, many moons ago

(that reminds me, did any of you see the "Flower Moon" last night? Incredible!)

I made this little baby afghan for one of our granddaughters.

Her eighth birthday is this month and she asked if the blanket could be 

enlarged beyond the baby blanket size.

Talk about warming my heart!

Her mom thoughtfully mailed the blanket to me for adjustments.

This is the original:

It's the Vintage Crocheted Blanket Pattern

purchased from

Churchmouse Yarns and Tea.

Click here for the pattern.

Since I've been crocheting with the same yarn for the past ten years, 

I had nearly every color of either Scheepjes Colour Crafter or Stylecraft Special DK

 needed in my stash.

(You can only imagine my delight!)

A variety of stitches were used to extend the length and width,

like this:

Sometimes when one free-forms it some strange things can happen...

The first six rows were double v-stitches from the pattern then all of a sudden

the rows turned into shells (5 dc)....hmmmmm.....

 Here's the beginning of the first shell (double v-stitch) row after each end was extended.

The finished "Upcycle":

I'm so excited to send this off in time for the big day!

This has definitely been a

project!

and I hope you are enjoying one too!

Warmly,

Astri

Meadowlark's Foot Infinity Scarf | Crochet Pattern

Ooooooooo....just in time for holiday gift making or colder weather.

The Meadowlark's Foot Infinity Scarf has been revisited

 with bright happy desert or dessert colors, if you may...

... just in time for holiday gift-making

Scarf with No Border/Edge.

This is Astri's daughter; she is so proud of her!

It's snowing and this scarf is keeping her warm.

Scarf with DC cluster border.

(This is a rare selfie of Astri, can you imagine how many tries this took 

due to being in the last year of my fifties??? Ack!)

Scarves are good for that neck thing, ya know. 

😉

So how about making one with a little help from

Apple Blossom Dreams?

The crochet pattern that can be found in the

Etsy shop by clicking here.

This particular scarf is made with Scheepjes Metropolis sock yarn of all things!

A color pack of this luscious yarn can be found at Wool Warehouse by clicking here.

You'll have plenty of yarn from this pack to make several of these in different color combinations.

Here are some different versions from the same scarf pattern:

  

 These two have a shell edge/border.

 

These two have no edge/border.

The recommended yarns in the pattern can be found at Wool Warehouse by clicking here.

I wish you all a relaxing and fun time preparing for the holidays.

Warmly,

Astri

Blush Blossom Crocheted Baby Blanket

Hello and happy 2019!
I'm hoping this year will be filled with a lot of crochet and a lot of love!
🌸

For the first post of 2019, I would like to share this crocheted baby blanket.

The final touches were finished today.

Update:
 This pattern has now been released and can be found at
Love Crafts by clicking here
or
My Etsy Shop by clicking here.


It's for a dear family member who is bringing a bundle of love into this world this year.


Does it look a little like apple blossoms?

The pattern is hot off the press and out for testing.
Stay tuned for the listing.

Update:
 This pattern has now been released and can be found at
Love Crafts by clicking here
or
My Etsy Shop by clicking here.

Hoping that 2019 is off to a good start for you!

And as always,

Warmly,

Astri

Super Hero Colored Blanket Done!

Finally finished:

An afghan for our grandson that loves super heroes!

 It's the Puffy NOLA Sunset Afghan in Super Hero Colors!

Pattern found here.

And the pattern looks like this too:

I used Stylecraft Special DK yarn on this one, as well.

The yarn can be found at Wool Warehouse.

A single strand instead of doubling up the yarn as shown in the pattern.

Our Grandson lives in California and there was no need for a heavier blanket. ;-)

(I'm not sure a heavy blanket is needed in NOLA, either - at least not now!)

 Which super hero colors do you see?

A row of bobbles was added to the black border too.

In hopes all is well with all of you!

Shhhhhhh...Bunny Rose Blanket

Can you keep a secret?

Oh good!

I'm going to surprise Bunny Rose with her very own

Mini Granny Rose Afghan.

Shhhhhhh...

 It's finished but I want to wait to give it to her once I have made a coordinating pillow. 

I used the granny rose pattern from here or here,

but crocheted only two rounds for the rose instead of three

with only two granny rounds as shown in the photos. 

Squares are joined with single crochets. 

The blanket is 4 squares by 7 squares = 28 squares.

(Afghans fold better if you use an even number of rows - I forgot this time.)

The border is one row of hdc in white, and just a simple shell border in meadow,

 but the pattern comes with a picot border that would be cute too!

(All yarn is Stylecraft Special DK stash that I purchased from Wool Warehouse. :-) )

All folded up and ready to give

(Once the pillow is done, that is.)

I'm so excited!

I'll take photographs of the gift giving and share with you.:-)

OVER THE SHOULDER YOGA MAT HOLDER!!! Free pattern

Shoulder Holder Yoga Mat Strap Pattern!


This is Little Bug #6, modeling the yoga strap. :-)

From yesterday's post:

Do you ever crochet something, in a pinch, that you need NOW and then realize it was so cool
 that you should have taken the time to photograph the process in order to share the pattern?

Well that happened here...

but at least it gave me the opportunity to make another one for the tutorial
 and make it sturdier than the first. :-)
Now I have an extra. haha.

Who knows it may end up as a gift or a give-away one day.

OVER THE SHOULDER YOGA MAT HOLDER

 CROCHET PATTERN
(US terms)

Gather supplies

An "I" hook (5.5 mm) 

Scissors and needle.

Yarn:

Scraps are great for this!

 Maroon yarn was used, as well.

These are all Encore classic - worsted wool blend.

.

I always make sure that if this is for Little Bug #6 or FDIL #3a

 that the colors chosen are colors that I basically do not like and then I put them in a

 "crazy-nonsensical" combination. (IMHO)

This ensures that I will not like the finished color scheme, but they will. 

Hah! 

I've given up on trying to figure out these young ladies. ;-)

UPDATE: 

I have been finding that a worsted cotton works really well.

Also, experiment with less than 210 beginning chs 

(all other instructions will be applicable)

 for a shorter strap.

Here we go:

With TWO strands of worsted yarn,

(You will be using two strands throughout except

for shell edges, then you will use one strand.)

ch 8

sl st to first ch to form a loop

ch 210

9 chs back from end sl st into 9th ch.
So you will have one long ch strip with two loops on each end.

sc in the next ch and each ch all the way 

to the beginning of the loop at other end.

*Once you get to the loop, then alternate working 1 sc,
then 2 sc in each st around the loop.
(This will help keep the loop from curling.)

Once you arrive at the other side of the loop,

 continue working a sc in each st back to the other end. 

You will be working the stitches into the other side of the original chs.

Once you arrive at the other loop, crochet around it alternating 1 sc and 2 sc in each stitch.

(same as * above.)

Then it should look like this.

and this.

Weave in those ends.

Measure from the end of the loop down the number of inches you need to 

fit around the circumference of the rolled yoga mat. 

All yoga mats are difference thicknesses - I came up with 15" for this one,

but once it stretched I realized it could have been 14".

14" would be pretty good for most standard mats.

Now with a SINGLE STRAND of an equally lovely coordinating color ;-)

sl st the new color 14 " from the end of one of the loops.

You can ch 1 here if would like...or not.

It doesn't look like I did. 

sk 1 and 5 dc in the next st.
(Sorry photo shows sl st next to loop - which I accidentally photographed first -
ignore this and pretend this photo is 14" away from the end of the loop.
Oh man, it's a good thing this is a free pattern...gee whiz. ;-)  )

like this.

** *Now sk 1 st and sc in the next st,

sk 1 st and 5 dc in the next st.*
This will start forming the "shells".

Continue from * to *

until you are 14 " away from the other end.

This photograph is correct.

This one too. ;-)

Now with a color of your choice sl st directly across 

from where the last shell row ended.

Repeat the same pattern of shells from **above.

The shells should line up like this.

Weave in those ends and you should have something that looks like this.

Now here's the tricky part:
Pull one loop through the other...all the way to where the other shell part ends.
(You'll be pressing some pretty thick stuff through the loop, but it will be OK.


like this.


It will look like this.
Now take this end that you looped and pull through the other loop on the other end.
(This will be even thicker stuff, but once again it will be OK.)

Attach to mat and you are ready to hit

the gym or ready to gift this to someone who will hit the gym.

NAMASTE!!!