Category: Craft

Check mate

On By CarynIn Craft

My lap continues to be a playing board for cat chess. The stakes have been raised as the blanket I’m crocheting gets larger and there is actually room for a toe beans.

Photo description: working on my crochet with a calico cat in the mid-ground and dilute tortie in the background
Photo description: this is a very happy cat, she won a round of cat chess and gets to lay on the in-progress crocheted blanket

Yes. There are cat hairs crocheted indelibly into the blanket.

Whatever it takes

On By CarynIn Craft

Summer is coming to Texas, which means it will be hot. Hot during the day, hot at night, and hot in the morning. I found a recumbent stationary bicycle so that I can get some exercise this summer, because I have historical data that I won’t go walking in the summer heat. I also know that I am easily distracted, so I have two arm bags with different projects set up on the machine, and there is a stand for my phone so I can get some learning in while I craft and pedal.

Photo description: monitor view of a stationary bicycle with two cotton bags hanging from the handles, the left one has knitting and the right one has spinning with a drop spindle

Yarn chicken redo

On By CarynIn Craft
Photo description: crocheted blanket edge with scallops incomplete with not enough yarn left to finish

I lost at yarn chicken on a baby blanket edge. I needed to make two more scallops to finish and there just wasn’t enough yarn. Rather than scrap the whole edge, I ripped out just the last side and redid it so the scallops spanned 6 stitches instead of five. This gave me less scallops overall on that edge and I had enough yarn to complete the edge.

Photo description: crocheted baby blanket with scalloped edge before weaving in, showing the extra yarn

The blanket is based on Mary Maxim’s Easy Diagonal Blanket pattern, but done with alternating two rows of white, purple, and pink. I deviated on the edge too, by doing a single crochet all along the outer edge to hide yarn ends, then making 5-double crochet scallops along the edge.

I used acrylic yarn for the blanket because it is machine washable and dry-able, and new moms do not need any gift that can’t be easily washed.

Throwback Thursday: T21 bracelet

On By CarynIn Craft, throwback

In August of 2017 I made custom metal buttons for Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21) awareness bracelets by drilling two holes in aluminum discs and stamping them.

Photo description: six handmade aluminum buttons in two sizes stamped with “T21” or “Tri 21” and a looped ribbon stamp

I then crocheted braided bracelets and used the buttons for the closures.

Photo description: Trisomy 21 bracelet with custom button and blue and yellow crocheted and embroidered braid
Photo description: bracelet being worn on my wrist

Diagonally crocheted blanket

On By CarynIn Craft

I’ve started a new blanket. I think I said I wouldn’t crochet a blanket again, but I am enamored with the construction of this Mary Maxim pattern that is worked diagonally. The stitch pattern is very easy and worked in counts of three, which makes me inexplicably happy.

Photo description: beginnings of a blanket crocheted diagonally with scrap acrylic yarn laying on a dilute tortie cat

I’m using scrap acrylic yarn to do 3 row stripes in an alternating pattern. The colors may get …interesting as I go. I’m using a K sized crochet hook and the resulting fabric is soft and flexible.