Saturday, January 27

Keeping My Hands Busy

Over at the Grill there was a recent post asking what kinds of crafts the CBs are interested in. I've done lots of needlework over the years, trying my hand at embroidery, candlewicking, crewel, cross stitch (and I might go back to it one of these days) and knitting. But the one that I always come back to is crochet. Mostly afghans and baby stuff when someone I know is getting married or having a baby. But I've done a few for the house as well. Here's a sampling:

This is the first one I ever did. It was easy enough but all those zig zagging stripes made me dizzy. Plus each stripe was only one row and I couldn't carry the yarn over so I had a zillion ends to weave in when I was done. Never again, I have vowed.



This one I really like. This picture is close up so that you can really see the pattern. Its called Garden Trellis and I think its very aptly named. It does look a bit like ivy on a trellis, don't you think? And I was surprised at how easily it worked up. I liked this one so much that I did it again in red and gray. Didn't look at all like a trellis with the different colors but it turned out great. I don't have a picture of it though.


Here are two pictures of the last afghan I did, with one being close up to show the colors and pattern better. I don't think the colors show true in the picture though. The three used are a deep wine, forest green, and a wine, green and blue variegated. It was done in strips, alternating colors.

Then the strips were sewn together to give a plaid effect. I really like the finished product but I hated sewing them together. Probably why it took me forever to finish.

This is the one I'm working on now. In the pattern they used shades of brown and cream, but I wanted something more colorful, while still being subtle. I'm making it for a friend's wedding and I know the furniture they've decided on (chosen from their respective living rooms) is blue and tan. So I went with a denim blue for the main color, thinking it will work with anything, alternating with royal purple and winter white. I've got a long way to go on this one yet.

6 comments:

GatorPerson said...

McB, Those are absolutely beautiful. What stitch is the latest one? Bands of one color, maybe single crochet, then bands of 2 colors, treble? Love it.

Garden trellis. Lovely.

BCB said...

McB they're all beautiful, but I LOVE the wine and green and whatever one (looks like purple to me). LOVE IT! Can I have it? Those are my colors.

I made an afghan once. It's pitiful. One of those zigzag patterns, but the most basic one ever invented -- you know which one. Blues and white. I made it more than 25 years ago when we had first moved away from MN and my dad was going to have open heart surgery and I didn't have a job in the new city (Atlanta) yet. The stitches got tighter and tighter as I became more and more stressed. So yeah, it looks pretty pitiful, one end narrower than the other. But I did finish it, Dad survived the surgery and I got a full-time job not long after. Some efforts are best not repeated.

Geez. It's been so long since I had to sign in with my Blogger name, I couldn't remember my password. Sheesh.

McB said...

GP - Thank you. The last one is all afghan stitch. 3 solid rows followed by 3 two-toned, blending into each other (purple, purple-blue, blue, blue-white, white, white-blue, blue, blue-purple and so on). You've done afghan stitch, right? I think you said something about it before. Easy enough although my hands are small so the adding on part gets heavy there at the end.

McB said...

BCB - thank you. Good luck getting it away from my mom, who won't even leave in on the loveseat for fear that the cat will get on it.

The colors aren't very true in the close up. Its all more muted than it looks, and the purple is actually a wine/green/blue blend.

Well do I remember those old afghan patterns. They were sold in kits, right? We have one done by one of my grandmothers - yeah probably 25 years ago - in brown and gold.

Anonymous said...

I love the plaid-looking one, too. Couldn't you do it all in one piece and not have to sew it together? I tried doing an afghan once that was done in strips. My stitches got tighter, then looser, and back again. Try sewing five strips together when they're all different sizes. Hi, BCB! *waves*

My best one was a Granny Square type, but, being a chronic overachiever, I had to make mine a Twenty-something Hexagon. I did it in college, or shortly thereafter, and I still have it. And I still love it. It's big enough to go on a queensize bed. Gorgeous colors, too, emerald and forest green, ivory, espresso brown and medium taupe. Lots of folks have coveted that over the years, but I've never had any urge to give it away. *bares her teeth* You're a better woman than I am. ;+)

McB said...

Zaza - Its worked lengthwise so no you couldn't do it all one piece with this particular pattern. But you could, I'm sure, do something that ended up looking much the same working widthwise.

Your story reminds me of one I did where I accidentally changed hook sizes about 1/3 of the way through. Didn't notice until I was about 3/4 of the way through and I couldn't get the edges even when I tried to fold it. But it still looks good, as long as you don't care that it isn't square.