When crochet gets better

This oddly shaped object is one of the first dishcloths that I made more than two years ago when I was learning how to crochet. It's made of cotton and I still use it occasionally.

As you can see, my skills have improved with practice and knowledge since then. Here's the most recent dishcloth that I made for my Rockford Crochet January exchange partner in Caron Simply Soft Blue and white acrylic yarn with a nylon thread running through it. Ripple stitch pattern for the main part and a lacy scallop shell pattern for the edging.

These are the other items that I sent to her which she received earlier in the week. She loved the colors that I chose. The thread bookmark has a bow-shaped button that I sewed on. I'd bought a bag of buttons and thought to try out a novelty one for the bookmark. I used double crochet and cross-stitch double crochet stitches.

I've been in my bedroom listening to a short story audiobook, Murder for Revenge, edited by Otto Penzler while working on a large tote bag. All Red Heart yarns; double-stranded. It'll be four colors: Grey Heather, Magenta, Light Raspberry, and Petal Pink when I'm finished. I'm not using a pattern, just making it up as I go along. At this point, if it were stiffer, it'd make a nice basket for something.

Tasty crochet

I finished the pink 13"x 14" granny square with picot edging the day before yesterday. It was just one of those things where I made it because I just wanted to see how it would look. I didn't use a pattern. I think it is very pretty, but lacy things are just not my taste. I'm going to give it to my friend Kathy who will surely call it a doily.

Something else that will hopefully appeal to someone else's taste is this scarf that I must've made last month or so. The worsted weight yarns are purple, teal and brown. What happened was that I came across the ball of fun fur yarn that you see I used for the edging and decided that I wanted to use it up.

I'm going back to my bedroom to listen to an audiobook and continue working on this scrap blanket. I'm using black throughout for the second strand and I like the way it looks.

Crochet quickie

This is a mauve hat that I made for my January Exchange partner. The large rose pin with fun fur is one that I've had for a long time and just threw it on there for the pic.

Below are 4 and 6 inch granny squares that I made just to see what the colors looked like together. The left one is teal and bright yellow.

I've been crocheting a multi-color scarf that I'm going to donate. Finished a Grey Heather one before that and also started making a tote bag for myself.

A couple days ago I received a very nice, non-generic letter of gratitude from the executive director of Norman C. Sleezer Youth Home regarding the donations I made last month. This morning I wrote to the Hanes company requesting donations of socks, panties, and bras for the residents of the facility. Hopefully my email will get a prompt response. I've continued to crochet more items to be donated to the foster home as well as finding things around the house that I no longer want or just don't use.

I need to finish two of the walker/wheelchair totes that I made last week or whenever.

I'm hungry and my feet are cold and I have to go watch The Waltons and crochet. Bye!

Crochet possibilities

I have been crocheting a lot. Today I made a couple 6" squares for my Rockford Crochet January Exchange partner. They are lovely. I experienced glitches with both patterns. I had never made one of the squares before so I had to do some thinking about what I was trying to do which is something that I usually don't care for while crocheting. I had to rip out stitches for the basic granny square a couple times because I didn't have enough double crochets for one cluster and one too many for another. Eventually my hands took over and I was able to let my mind go to other thoughts.

Have been getting annoying static electricity shocks when I touch things in the house especially when turning on light switches. Not enough moisture in the house. I had to take my Vicks Vaporizer apart to clean it out. Had to use an unusual tool meaning that I had to get out of bed and think about what I was doing. Winter creates so many nuisances. Bah!

I finished the Royal Blue scarf that I had been working on. Took several days after the fun for me to finally weave in the few dangling ends. If I were a drinking woman, maybe getting blitzed would make me feel less dreadful about weaving in ends. I crochet a lot of things and that means lots of dangling tails. Bah!

I'm almost done with a scrap blanket that I started with the intention of donating to Sleezer. Will be long enough to cover a person up to their shoulders. Well, it will cover me up to my shoulders. Have collected other things around the house. There's a bottle of aqua/turquoise nail polish that I don't use. It occurred to me when I was looking at it sitting atop my makeshift dresser that I have yarn the same color which means that I can make a hair scrunchie to go with it!

Oh, again I was so excited about crochet possibilities that I didn't want to go to sleep last night. I started making my first wheelchair caddy. I began using a pattern that I found online, but ended up deviating from it. I'm only making one rectangular panel so I won't have as many you-know-whats to weave in. Thinking I'll go on a streak of making them. I want to try different color combinations. The one from last night will be mainly Skipper Blue. A big log of yarn. The label was old. Anyway, the contrast color will be Red Heart Monet.

One night, probably weeks ago now, I impulsive decided to start making rug mugs to sell in the future. I got this colorful bouclé yarn on sale from JoAnn Fabrics some time ago. It has wool content. I also made two and a half rug mugs with Homespun "Wine" using single crochet.

Looking forward to starting another blanket.