8" Traditional Granny Square

Okay... my 6" blocks from the book 200 Crochet Blocks have all been turning out to be 8" instead. I'm using a 4mm/G hook and #4 weight yarn (rather than sport weight yarn--#3).

I thought all of my blocks would be 6" and I was at 6" at the round right before the last one so I stopped (if that makes sense?). When I realized my blocks were going to be 8" instead, I just added the last round to it, and it turned out exactly 8".

Here's a picture:

I love this block!

The Irish Rose Crochet Square

Oh, YAY! I'm sooo happy! I finally finished the Irish Rose crochet square on Craftster.org. The organizer created checklists to use instead of trying to decipher the pattern. I'm GLAD she did. I tried to breakdown the pattern and see if what I wrote out matched the checklist, and I couldn't do it!

I don't particularly care for this square. I think the block is too lacy for such a substantial rose, however, I am very happy that I made the square (and that it's over with finally!).

This pattern is by Ferosa Harold, but I don't have a direct link to it. I got the pattern off of the Craftster.org 2009 12" Crochet Squares CAL.

Crochet Hook Roll for Birch Hooks

I needed a crochet hook roll for my new birch hooks, and today, I spontaneously made one. It's made from pink and green fabric I bought at Joann's a couple of months ago. Here's what it looks like:

I wish the print on the green fabric went in the other direction, but oh, well... too late now!

Irish Rose Crochet Square

I'm waiting on somebody to post an answer to a question I asked so I thought I'd go ahead and post my green rose! This is for the March Craftster 12" crochet block. The pattern is called "Irish Rose" by Ferosa Harold (I'm not sure how to link to it other than through Craftster because the "host" made some corrections and posted the pattern herself rather than give a link to the pattern).

Anyway, it wasn't too difficult after I saw yellowduckie's YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRG0mS8-NeU) for how to crochet between the rose petals.

Now, though, I don't understand part of how to make the square that goes around the rose. I know how to make the shell stitch, but had to post a question for what does "shell in shell" mean? Does it mean in the SPACE from the previous round or what?


The pattern calls for a "H" hook, but I'm using a 5.5mm/I hook instead. I hope that's not too big.

The birch hook and Square Target

Yesterday I wrote that I was aggravated with the shallow throat on the birch hooks that I bought because I kept splitting the yarn. Well after I wrote that, I finished making the crochet square I was working on, and I didn't split the yarn a single time after that! Too funny. Not sure if I just got my groove on or what, but I didn't have any other problems.


Here's the "Square Target" square I made from 200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton. It's an easy/1-hook pattern. I made it in Lt. Celery, Robin Egg and Medium Thyme. Sorry the phto is blurry.

Oh yeah: birch crochet hooks!

Oh yeah! My new Britany birch crochet hooks arrived yesterday afternoon! I am SO happy to get them. I was going to empty the hook roll I made for my metal hooks and house these birch ones in it, but the birch hooks are 9" long and that hook roll only fits 6" long hooks. So, I'll have to make another roll (which is fine--I'm getting good at making them).

DK yarn vs. "Regular" acrylic yarn

So I'm still not good at understanding/knowing what weights yarns are. I just read a review on Amazon.com that said the blocks in 200 Crochet Blocks were designed with DK weight yarn (I don't have a clue what that is!). The same reviewer says that "regular" acrylic weight yarn is bigger and will make an 8" square. Oh, yay! I'm going to start all over again and make them with a 4mm hook and see what size they come out.

Big Round Crochet Square...

Craftster.org crochetalong

Hmmm... I finished the Big Round crochet square out of 200 Crochet Blocks and I don't like it. Well... it's not that I don't like it; it's that I don't like that every single stinking block I'm making is a different size--all TOO DING-DANG BIG despite how small of a hook I use. The book SAYS they're supposed to be 6" blocks, but so far, I've only gotten ONE to come out to that size. The rest, I'm having to eliminate rounds to keep them at 6". That exhausts me for some reason--well if not "exhausts" than surely disappoints the snot out of me!



So... I think I'm going to just re-make all of them with one size hook (and make them all the way through ALL of the rounds; I've been stopping a couple of rounds short, and the blocks just don't look finished). Then I'll take the biggest block and try to match all of the rest of the squares to that size by stretching or by adding extra rows around the edges. Sounds like a real pain in the rear, but I don't know what else to do.


Anyway, here's Big Round minus 2 rounds. I used Robin Egg and Winter White. (The photo is kind of dark because I took the picture at 6:00 this morning).

I'm such a dork!

My bamboo hooks are marked with the mm size on them and not the letter. So, I used the laser and engraved the letters on them. To MAKE SURE I wouldn't engrave on top of the mm marking, I engraved at the very end of the hook. A minor inconvenience, but I've been having to pull the entire hook out of its pocket to see what the mm and letter size are. Duh! I just realized I can put them in the pockets hooks down so the ends are visible! Why didn't I think of that before?

Birch Crochet Hooks

Okay, okay! I totally didn't need them, but I ordered an 11-piece ultimate set of Brittany Birch Hooks from Jimmy Beans Wool. I only need a 3.75mm/F because I don't have that size in bamboo, and I want/need one because I don't like the blunt-nosed metal Boyle's hook that I have. This set is D, E, F, G, G+, H, I, J, K, L and M. I'm getting used to mm sizes so the letter sizes are starting to feel foreign.

The set I bought doesn't come with a silk holder like the $101 sets have, but I'm getting good at making crochet hook rolls so I'll just make another one for this set (or I may just use the roll I made for my metal hooks instead--I'll banish those back to the zippered case I had them in).

The only reason I fell in love with these hooks is because I like the cool turned decoration at the ends! I'm really not sure why I couldn't find these hooks when I was buying the bamboo ones because I would have bought this set instead. I searched for "wood crochet hooks" and I guess I was stuck on bamboo, and ignored the birch ones. I also found several very expensive hooks (like $25+ each). I LOVE those, but I'm not buying them for myself.

6" Lacy Cross Crochet Square

Yesterday, I made a 6" Lacy Cross square from the 200 Crochet Blocks book that I'm loving right now. Nobody on the Craftster.org crochetalong wants to make this block (yet), but I thought I'd go ahead and try it. It's a 1-hook pattern, and it's on the same page as "Traditional Granny." I had no problems at all making the pattern EXCEPT that I'm still crocheting too big, and I had to do sc around the edges to get it to 6" instead of dc like I should have. I used a 3.75mm/F hook and Robin Egg TLC Essentials yarn (isn't it a pretty blue-green?!). I guess I can try a 3mm hook, but that seems awfully small, and I wonder if I'll have a problem splitting the yarn. I guess I'll just have to try and see. I really need to figure out how to loosen up.

200 Crochet Blocks Question...

Hmmm... When I started making the 6" blocks in the 200 Crochet Blocks book by Jan Eaton, I had no idea what size hook to use to get the patterns to come out to 6" so I scoured the book, and found a hook recommendation for the projects that are shown in the very beginning pages. BUT... it says to use a "Crochet hook size F (4mm)" and I can't figure that part out. According to my little chart and the metal hooks and the plastic hooks I have, it says that 4mm is a G and an F is 3.75. I would think that that's a typo, but the same thing is listed on 11 projects.

So... my question is: do I use an F hook or a G hook to get 6"? I'm so new at this I need explicit help! I've tried both 4mm and 4.5mm hooks and one came out at 6" with all the rounds; one came out at 6" minus one round; one came out 6" minus two rounds; and one came out 6.5" minus two rounds. I'm trying an F/3.75mm hook now (on the Lacy Cross square). On one hand I hope that works, but on the other hand, it's a blunt-tipped metal hook that I don't like so I hope it's too small! Hmmm... I wonder if I have a 3.75 plastic hook that has a sharper point? I'll have to check.

Ravelry Projects

Wow! I'm loving Ravelry. It takes alot of time to enter information about projects, books, yarn, etc., but it is very thorough and that way I can't forget, exactly, how I made a particular project or what kinds of yarn I have.

For example on the Projects page, I had to enter the following:

• project name
• pattern used
• the pattern author
• the size hook used
• who it's made for
• the yarns used
• notes/coments
• when started
• when finished
• a progress scale
• a smiley face
• how difficult the project is (on a scale from "piece of cake" to "impossible")
• and finally, a picture of the project

Whew! As I said: very, very thorough, but so worth it because I wouldn't keep up with this information in any other way.

Craftster March 2008 Cygnus Square

I can't believe it, but it looks like I haven't written about the 12" Cygnus square I made the other day! I was soooooo disappointed in this one when I finished with Round 12 because it was SUPPOSED to be finished and 12". Well, mine was only 9"!! HA! HA! I used the recommended hook size, but I wonder what weight yarn I was supposed to use??? (Like I understand enough about yarn weights anyway--and besides, I want to use the yarn colors I've picked out so it doesn't matter what weight yarn was suggested). Anyway, I had to add an extra row of TC and one of SC to get it to come out to 12"


This pattern is from the March 2008 Craftster CAL, and is a Chris Simon pattern called Cygnus (which is a male swan and a constellation).


Here are the lyrics to a Rush song (my brother LOVES Rush, and he's the one who wrote all of this out for me:)

Rush, "Cygnus X-1 book II Hemispheres"

In the constellation of Cygnus there lurks a mysterious and invisible force - The Black hole of Cygnus X-1. Six stars of the the Northern cross, in mourning of their sister's loss. In a final flash of glory, nevermore to grace the night.

Invisible to telescopic eye
Infinity, the star that would not die
All that dare to cross her course
Are swallowed by a fearsome force
Through the void to be destroyed
Or is there something more?
Atomized at the core
Or through the astral door - to soar

I set a course just East of Lyra
Northwest of Pegasus
Flew into the light of Deneb
Sailed across the Milkyway
On my ship the Rocinante
Wheeling through the galaxies
Headed for the heart of Cygnus
Head long into mystery

The Xray is her siren song
My ship cannot resist her long
Nearer to my deadly goal
Until the black hole gains control

Spinning whirling still descending like a spiral sea unending
Sound and fury drown my heart - every nerve is torn apart

I have memory and awareness
But I have no shape or form
As a disembodied spirit
I am dead and yet unborn
I have passed into Olympus
As was told in tales of old
To the city of Immortals
Marble white and purest gold

I see the Gods in battle range on high
Thunderbolts across the sky
I cannot move I cannot hide
I feel a silent scream begin inside -----

Next two squares

So, I know what blocks the next two people have picked for the 200 Crochet Blocks crochet-along on Craftster.org so I thought I'd get a head start and make them. My Sunshine Lace block was exactly 6" with a 4.5mm hook so I thought I'd use that size again for the "Willow" block (which is the first picture below).

Well... That pattern has 9 rounds. On the first block, I stopped because I thought it looked too big--and it is; it's 6.5" square after round 7. So, I dropped down to a 4mm hook and tried again. Once again, I stopped after round 7; it's exactly 6". It's supposed to have two other rounds, but oh, well... I think it looks just fine without them. (It's hard to see in the picture, but the top square IS bigger than the bottom square).


Next is "Traditional Granny." I stuck with a 4mm hook for this one, too, and guess what? I had to stop a round short on this one, too, because it was at exactly 6" already.

Maybe the yarn I'm using is thicker than what she recommends...? I just don't know. I don't understand why the Sunshine Lace square would be 6" exactly, and I'm using the same yarn and a smaller hook and my other blocks are STILL TOO BIG (and it's not like I'm crocheting too loosely because I crochet so tightly I sometimes can't even pull the loops through)!!! AAAhhhhh!!! Explain that to me!??? Ha! Ha! I'll just have to keep measuring the blocks and stop with they're 6". I don't think that's a big deal at all.

Big box of crochet books arrived yesterday!

A 7lb. box of books from Amazon.com arrived yesterday! Oh, how fun!

This time I got:
Crochet Me: Designs to Fuel the Crochet Revolution by Kim Werker
Double Stitch: Designs for the Crochet Fashionista by Erika and Monika Simmons
Sensual Crochet: Luxurious Yarns, Alluring Designs by Amy Swenson
Cool Crochet: 30 Hot, Fun Designs to Crochet and Wear by Melissa Leapman

First off, the first two books are Interweave Press books, and I LOVE anything by Interweave Press. The photographs are beautiful, and so far, all of the IWP books I have are the same 10" square size (so they all "match"). Plus, they list corrections to their books on their website.

Second off, there are a number of patterns out of all 4 books that I'd love to try. But, there are several I think are just hideous or flat out stupid. For example, in Double Stitch there's a one-armed shrug. I guess that's supposed to be very hip, but I think it looks stupid. In that same book, though, are some FABULOUS designs that I can't wait to try!

Third off, I haven't tried any of the patterns yet, but this is what I like/dislike about each book:

I really like the difficulty scale in Crochet Me. Well, actually rather than difficulty, it lists the concentration level required (from "Crochet at a party" to "Defcon 5: crochet in a very quiet room with the telephone off." This book, though, has the fewest designs I'd want to try. The silliest one is a felted, crocheted basket. Why would I make that??????

Sensual Crochet has some GREAT patterns, but it doesn't list the skill level or the time it takes to make the project. I like that it gives a little blurb about the author of the pattern.

Cool Crochet has some wonderful designs. It has a pictorial table of contents that lists the skill level of each project. There's even a sweater that has cables (probably out of my league right now, but it's an awfully cool sweater). I'll never crochet a bikini, though. And I don't like that alot of the patterns are exposed-belly-length. That makes the designs seem rather dated to me as that was the rage a couple of years ago, but now covered-bellys are the "in" thing.

Finally, Double Stitch! This book was written by twins, and has some very cool, very hip designs. Like I said before, I'd NEVER waste my time on a one-armed shrug; I would NEVER in a million years make crocheted boot covers (what the heck is THAT?); and the corset top looks like the tube dresses I used to make my Barbie with my KnitMagic machine). But... there are other designs that I would LOVE to make (like the FABULOUS deep-V halter and the t-neck top which has a zipper in the back rather than laces which I hate). I also like that most of the models are women of color which there needs to be more of.

Oh, fun, fun, fun! Now let's see if there's any room left on my bookshelf to put them!

Yarn Inventory

Yesterday, I photographed and inventoried all my yarn so I could post it in my stash on Ravelry.com. That took alot of time, but kept me occupied for awhile.

#1. I only have cheap yarn that can be bought at a chain store (Michael's or Joann's). #2. I only have one or two skeins of each one (except for Lt. Celery which I have 5.5 skeins of!).

BUT... the reason for both of those points is that I'm new to crochet and I'm not willing to spend alot of money on yarn (yet) if I'm not going to stick with it or if I find it too difficult to do. I'm not a yarn snob anyway, and even if I do get better at it and want to make say a wearable item, I'll still probably buy my yarn at Michael's or Joann's.

I'm Cheating!

I already know which blocks the next two people have chosen for the Craftster crochet-along that I started. They chose #189 Willow and #18 Traditional Granny. I'm going to go ahead and make those today! Will post pictures when I'm finished!

P.S. BGR says my yellow block is really a funny color of tan--it's called "Sandstone" so that makes sense; it just looks more yellow to me than tan. Regardless, I think it looks nice with the other colors I've picked out (Robin Egg, Off White and Light Celery).

New Craftster Crochet-along

So, Saturday, I posted an idea for another Craftster.org crochetalong. This time it's for people who have the book 200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton. We'll be making 24 blocks total--one every two weeks. Everyone is encouraged to participate, but the first 23 people who pm'd me would help me choose which patterns we'd be making for the rest of the year! Well... a BUNCH of people looked at the thread (like 173), but only 7 people responded. However, that's still I nice number; since we can each pick three blocks.

Anyway, I declared myself the first person to pick a pattern, and I chose #64: Sunshine Lace. It's an easy/1-hook pattern.

I initially thought I'd keep up with the blue and green theme I'm doing on the 12" blocks, but I went to Joann's today and found some nice lt. blue, lt. yellow, lt. green and off white that was on sale, and that will make a nice blanket.

My goal is to make FOUR 6" blocks every two weeks and sew them together (somehow--I'll have to figure out how to do that part later) to make a 12" block.

Here's what my two Sunshine Lace blocks look like. I made two of them in blue before I hit Joann's today. And that other one DOES look yellow, doesn't it? The color is called "sandstone" which I think of as a brown-ish color.

Anway, I made the yellow one with TLC Essentials yarn and a 4.5mm hook; it turned out exactly 6" square. The blue ones I made with 4.0mm hook and Lion Brand Pound of Love yarn. It's a little shy of 6" and I had to strecth it out some and block it to get it to size.

Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs by Edie Eckman: a review

I forgot to write that the other day, Edie Eckman, author of Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs found my blog and wrote a comment that she hoped I liked her book! How cool is that?!

The book got here a couple of weeks ago, and I love it! First thing I love is the spiral binding. This is especially helpful since both hands will be busy (attempting crochet) and I can't hold the book open. Second of all, I really liked the tips and tricks in the introduction pages. There are sections on sizing and gauge, how to follow instructions, reading charts, making starting loops, beginning and ending rounds, and "tidy joins"--all stuff that a more advanced crocheter would skip through, but that a beginner like me appreciates.

Next up are the motifs. I have to admit that I haven't made a single one of them, yet, but I've repeatedly flipped through the pages and oooohhhh'd and aaaahhhh'd over each them. I can't wait to try out a few. I really like that there's written directions and then an accompanying chart. I'm still learning how to read charts, but I like that I can look at the chart if I don't understand the written directions, and can usually figure out what I'm supposed to do.

Overall, this is a great little book, and I'm glad I bought it!