Keeping a Crochet Journal

A few days ago I talked about keeping a record or journal of your crochet projects. Of course this can be kept for any craft you may do but today since I am basically a crochet person I am going to talk about a Crochet Journal.

This may seem like a daunting task at first but it is easy enough to do if you fill it out with each new project you start even if not finished right away. And what a wonderful way to go back and refresh your memory about stitches, yarn, hook or any other item you may have forgotten because it has been setting on the side lines for such a long time, while other more important or interesting projects have caught your eye.

So lets begin...
The journal itself can be as simple as a spiral note book or as elaborate as a hand crafted book made from your own imagination. Mine is a simple note book. Now, you can tab it if you like by using a ringed binder of course. Create an index if you like in the first few pages and add to it as you go for easy reference later. Also use plastic sleeve covers if you like for neatness and cleanliness. I happen to have a notebook handy so that is what I will use, no tabs and no index in this case. May be sorry about that later. Like I said though this is your journal and you will do what is best for you.

Okay, so now that we have discussed a possible book, pages and possible book layout let's talk about the page layout. What should I include? I like to include as much information as possible and yet only what is going to be important to me and the recipient if ever they ask a question about the project they received.

I will present here a list of items I include in my journal and possibilities/examples for their use.
PROJECT NAME ~ Amazing Star Throw
You can name type of project such as knitting, crochet, scrapbooking etc.

DATE STARTED ~ I like to keep this near the top but you can place it where ever it is convenient for you.

DATE COMPLETED ~ I like to keep these two together.

PATTERN USED ~ What pattern, magazine, site or location of project instructions. This is where I usually provide a link to the pattern or book I used.


This next section is about the materials used. In my case it is basically about the yarn.
YARN BRAND ~ Caron, etc.

YARN TYPE ~ Wool, acrylic, etc.

YARN WEIGHT ~ Bulky, worsted, baby, etc.

YARN COLOR ~ This one is obvious but I would like to suggest that you do no be afraid to mix unusual combinations and they often work better together than you may think and others may see delightful things in color combinations that you think are awful. So experiment, get crazy!

YARN AMOUNTS USED ~ This one can be difficult but there is a way to keep track of amounts used. Of course this is going to depend a lot on you and your gauge, if you use different type of yarn than called for in the pattern. But at any rate you can get a good estimate and I will go into this on Tuesday next week, since this is already going to be a long entry. You of course can enter here what the pattern calls for and leave it at that.


HOOK SIZE ~ I always forget this after laying a project down for a while and I find if I leave the hook with the project then when I need it I can't find it and think I have lost it.

SKILL LEVEL ~ This is according to your own level of understanding and not necessarily those of the pattern creator.

NEW TECHNIQUE LEARNED ~ Do you learn anything new from this pattern? Write it down.

SPECIAL ITEMS USED ~ Buttons, ribbon, string, fabric etc.

LAUNDERING INSTRUCTIONS ~ How to wash and dry so recipient will know. It is always nice if you print this up for them and include it with the item so they can reference it when needed.

PHOTO LOCATION ~ Print and paste or include a photo of completed project. I keep mine on disk so I would include what disk or some are on Flicker. Just mark someplace where you can see the project if you don't have a physical copy.


And finally...
COMMENTS ~ Here is where you can enter anything special you did, like change pattern directions. Add something new or a border information. What you thought of this pattern, if it is one you would share or one you would toss in the fire.


So there you have it... a peek into my journal. Share your ideas.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Wednesday WIP

I have had this one on my hooks for a long time now, but it is finally coming to a conclusion. It is the Amazing Star Throw and I purchased the pattern on eBay. This is once again a pattern that I selected to do my own thing with. There are only 9 squares here and mine is a throw not an afghan.

Here is a photo of one of the squares after I added a round of Fushia. I used scraps again so all the squares are different in color and the Fushia round is one of my choice since I want to make the squares larger than the original pattern since it will be smaller than an afghan.

This next picture shows all 9 squares laid out as I will join them. But I am not done with the squares yet as I still want to add more rounds. But wanted to get an idea of how they would look and of how large it would be before I added more to the squares. They all look so different and I think I like the effect that you get with the light and dark best.

This last picture today show one square completed before joining. I still have 8 squares to finish off but I also want to use the Flat Braid joining method again. It is new to me and I want to reinforce it in my head so I won't forget how to do it. If you prefer you can go to uTube and watch this video of the technique, but it does have more than one video. Just google it and you will lots of options to learn.

I did use it on my Calendar ghan CAL which is almost done except for one square yet that has to be done. You will see that soon, anyway it was the first time I used the Flat Braid technique for joining and found I really liked the look of it. I hope to have this Star Throw finished by next week then I will move on to the Snuggle that I started. I may make it yet before the end of the year.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Tip Tuesday - Labels

Before I begin with todays tip I want to let you all know that I have been selected as the winner of 3 skeins Lorna's Laces Shepherd Bulky yarn. I was so surprised when I went to Ellen's blog, at Go Crochet and found that I had been selected. Thanks so much Ellen, it was a pleasant and unexpected surprise. I did not even remember entering.



Now on with todays tip...

Have you got a stack of labels from your yarn with all those great patterns that you hope to get to someday? Well what do you do with them all to keep them organized?

It is a great idea to keep these for more than just their patterns. They contain lots of other information on them that is valuable, suchas washing instructions, yarn weights and more. You might even consider using this information for a project journal. Yes, labels are important items for every crocheter.

There are several ways to keep them neatly so they are not creating a mess in your home.

You can keep them in zip lock bags.
You can keep them in a shoebox.
You can keep them in a folder, organized in plastic sleeves and tabs. Sorted by yarn type or brand name or even by type of project, afghans, baby items, hats etc..
You can use this last method also for storing graphs.

These are just a few ways. I am sure if you sit and think on it a bit you can come up with some ideas of your own. If you have a unique idea leave a note and I will publish it here with a link to your site.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Motif Mood Monday

I recently ordered a book from my RA_Yarnsandmore Group called Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs. This is a great group and Jean is a super duper nice person so take a look and join us if you want to belong to a great group.

Anyway, I got a bit off track there. So, I really like this book and want to try each motif in the book and I will share them with you on Mondays. Then I got to thinking, a dangerous thing for me, what can I do with all these motifs after I make them. So I went on an Internet search and came up with this site, which was only one of many.

Here is a photo of the first motif that is offered in that book.I have always loved what Kathy, my friend, calls "foo foo squares". And these motifs can all be turned into squares. I love the popcorn and puff stitch centers. They look so flower like. I am sure that after looking things over, you too, may get in a motif mood. I hope you all will join me in sharing your motifs in your blogs.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Stack of Hats

These are the final 11 hats that were requested by Alicia's friend. He is Jamaican and these were all made using their National Colors. I used an 'I' hook and Caron and Red Heart yarns. The pattern can be found here. That is mostly all I have done this week is make these hats. I have one more to make in all black for Chris who stays with us. Oh and I did make one other in all red. I really like this pattern a lot.

Before I close today I want to let you all know that starting in January on Sundays I will be posting a story. My sister has requested that I share with you all a story I have been work on and I am finally going to do it. So stay tuned.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Squares Saturday

When you came here I am sure you thought that you would find crochet squares. Maybe some granny squares...



Well, to tell you the truth that may be what you find here someday. But today I wanted to mention how our life is filled with squares and how we are surrounded by them. Some of them are even human!

Today I want to show you a different type of square, one that surprised me and I think it may surprise you also.

SQUARE WATERMELONS

It is not as surprising as I originally thought. They have been grown since 2003 in Japan and you can read more about how they are grown at these two sites My Square Watermelons and Wikipedia.

From what I read you can try this with other fruits and veggies also. So that is what my Saturday Squares are bout this week. Next week I will take you on another square journey. Life is surrounded by squares. Just look around you.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Hats

The beginning of a spiral technique for a hat.







Further progress as I work on the hat.








This is a view of the hat from the side, as it is completed.






This is the view from the top of the hat.








This is the hat completed. I got the idea from a book I purchased from Gourmet Crochet, called Alicia Collection. It was a book of pillow patterns.







This is four hats I made for a friend of my daughters.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

The Story Behind The Patchwork Persuasion Afghan

Photo From LionBrand site.

Sandy, one of my readers wanted to know about the history and story behind the PP (Patchwork Persuasion) afghan. So here it is, since I was a bit lacking or vague about it originally.I stated that I was not happy with the results and that I was not going to continue to make the squares as the original pattern (above) required. Instead I would complete it in my own manner. Why? Because I was not happy with the way the pattern was written.

Before I go into why I was not happy with the project let me tell you about it's history. I was tired of small projects and using all of my sisters yarn up, since I had not brought any with me due to luggage space. So, I looked for something I could use scraps with and planned on leaving the project there so I could work on it each time I came. When finished I would give it to someone who lived in California. I guess sis thought, I just did not want to take it home due to not having room to pack it and so said we could ship it, that she did not have room to store it. She of course was being generous and I had not told her of my plan. Of course she never made me feel bad about using her yarn. She was always more than generous with all that she provided me with. It was my own conscience that made me feel that way. And she did not know my plans at all so her sending it home to me was also an act of kindness to her knowledge.

As I worked on it and assembled a few square I began to lose interest it due to some of points below. And I really did not want to give it to anyone because I felt it was inferior workmanship, and therefore did not press the issue of shipping it. So, it was started in California and shipped to Michigan after I left to be completed at home.

Once here I still not like it and didn't want to finish it. My mind won't let me frog easily and this already had 40 squares done. All that time, yarn, work and ends tied in would be wasted if I did not complete it so I pushed myself to get it done. Coming up with a plan to do it my way without making more squares which I was unhappy with anyway.

Here are some of the problems, that for me, resulted from this pattern. I will give you the list then go over each point with an explanation.

Square, not square

Once the square was completed it seemed to be too pointed in the center.

First row curled

In the middle of the first row there should of been added stitches to create a flat corner. There was not and so the first row seemed to curl under at the corner creating a small hump in each square.

No finishing round on square once completed

I like my squares to have a nice finishing edge to them and a proper count so they go together easily. These edges were like working with raw cut edges of fabric and it felt unfinished to me.

No instructions for assembly

The instructions gave no clue as to methods for assembling each small square into a larger square and had all these carried yarn threads on the edges.

Assembly looked messy

I ended up just using whip stitching which showed through to the other side and of course you could not match color due to all the color changes.

Assembly buckled and did not lay flat

Of course this was due to the lack of extra stitches in the first row. It made the square hump and buckle when all were joined.

This is not a project I would recommend to anyone. But since it was given to someone I know personally and visits regularly I do get to see it often. It is used each night and now lays quite flat but I am still not real proud of it. I am glad that Chris loves it, uses it, and is kept warm by it.

So, there you have it! The sad, sad story of the Patchwork Persuasion Afghan disaster.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Persuasion Patchwork Afghan

Here is the dreaded ghan I have been working on finishing the last few days. Been really dragging my heels on this one. It is the Persuasion Patchwork from Lion Brand that I said I was not happy with, well as you can tell I am still not over joyed.

It was started in California, finished in Michigan and is being given to Chris a friend of my daughters. It was made with scraps as you can tell. All worsted weights and an "I" hook. Pattern is at Lion Brand under afghans.

Now, I am hoping to work on the Amazing Star afghan. And by the way Chris loved it, even though I don't he said he loves all the colors and that it even included his favorites.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Finishing WIP And Failures

I will start this post by saying that I frogged my Doctor Who Scarf. But I am not giving up on it. I will begin a new one next year with the right colors and by doing it crochet with a single crochet stitch, that is something my sister suggested. I think it is a good idea as I do crochet faster than I knit. So be it what it is, I consider this a failed project.

Now, do you remember this square from a few days ago when I posted it. I said it was the last project I was working on while in California. The pattern was called "Patchwork Persuasion" and I mentioned that I was not happy with the results of the square after they were sewn together.

Here are the squares sewn together and blocked. As sis said they do look better but I will not be making more of these squares. But I will not waste my time by frogging this scrap project as I do like the look of it so far so I will add a border to this and make this the center of the ghan. I will continue with scraps to add a border.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Mum's The Word

Here it is - Mum's the Word, and it is a beauty. I am not sure I got it right but it is close enough. I did make a change in the last round by putting only 1 dc, ch2, 1 dc in the corners. I did that so that my count would come out right for my border. I can hardly wait for next month's square. And April has great plans for next year also.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Squares And Scarf Set

This is another Hat and Scarf set I made for one of my daughters friends. He asked for red, green and black as a color combination. I used scrap yarns I had except for the green which is Caron in Kelly Green. Hook size used was an "H" and the pattern for the scarf came from Happy Yellow House Nov. Scarf Pattern. The hat had no pattern and just did my own thing hoping it would come out good and I did do some frogging to get what I wanted. Hope he likes it. I did not measure the scarf but used a hook size one size smaller than called for in the pattern. It is an easy pattern. Just hdc v st. which gave it a zig zag pattern effect. I did add one extra row making it 11 instead of 10 rows.

This is a picture of the border round I plan on putting on the Calendar Ghan I am making. I am hoping to join them as I go using the Flat Braid join as you go method. This will be a new learn for me this year. I have never done Join As You Go before but have always wanted to learn a proper method of doing this that was easy.

Here is what I have done as my first round on the square shown:
Working border on 39 sts. with 1 extra st in each corner.
Rd 1: sl st in center st of corner, *(sc, ch 3, sc in same st), ch 2, sk next st, sc in next st across to next corner st*, repeat between * three more times. join with sl st in first sc.

I will repeat this according the video shown above. Wish me a fortunate journey.

This is a photo of the last square I made for the same ghan. I still have Nov. and Dec. to complete. This one is called Pretty In Pink. I am getting close.

I noticed as of today that April has finished the Nov. square called Mum's The Word, so I will be heading over there to finish that one up today hopefully.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Another Two Bite The Dust

Here are the next two squares in the Calendar Ghan. This one is Pineapple Blossom and it was so easy to do. I gave all the info on these squares in a previous post but forgot to mention that they are all 12" squares.

This one is called Heat Wave and I have only one more before I can start working on this months square. I can't believe how fast they go. I am getting excited now about joining them.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Two More Calendar Squares

This is the square called Patriots Pride in the Calendar Squares series being hosted at Dishcloth Diaries.

This one is called Summer Romance. Both squares were made with an "I" hook using Caron One Pounder yarn. I have chosen to work with three colors, Nutmeg, Cream and Taupe. I still have five squares to make and we are currently working on Novembers Square called Mums The Word. I am not that far yet but will get there eventually. My next square to make is Heat Wave and it will be done in Cream.

I don't know if she will share how to join these or if we will just join them on our own but I do have some ideas of what I will do regardless of our choices. More on that later as I get closer to that point.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Newsboy Hat and Flowers

This is a lovely picture of the flowers I received from Julie and Barbara before I left. Two new friends I made while in CA. We had a game night weekly. We played several games but Rumicube was the best and what we played most.

This is one of my favorite things I made while in California. Sis found the pattern in a magazine. I think it was Crochet Today for Dec. I used an "I" hook and Simply Soft yarn. I have always liked the look of a Newsboy hat and the added flower on this one really caught my eye.

It was a great find sis and the added gem stone that you added to the center really sets off the flower. What super ideas you come up with, just like mom.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Hat And Scarf Set

Here is another hat and scarf set I made in California. This is two views of the same hat.

Once again I don't have the pattern site and can't remember the name of the set.

I used Simply Soft yarn for this one also. I used an "I" hook.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

First And Last

This is a hat and scarf set I made while at sissy's house. It was the first project I made while away. But did not finish it until I got home. I applied the trim in a Simply Soft Heather Green. It was made using up some of the Simply Soft White that sis had and she is not crazy about using that yarn as it splits while working on it. It could use a tighter twist for sure, but I absolutely love the sheen and softness of it.

I don't remember what size hook I used but the pattern is called Picket Fence and you can Google it to find the pattern since I no longer have the site addy. I did make adjustments, as usual, to the pattern of the scarf. I do not think the hat pattern came from the same site, but perhaps it did. I am sorry I am so vague on this project, I should of kept better notes while away from home. I hope you like it. I know I do.

This is the last project I was working on while at sissy's. I did not finish it and it is currently on it's way to me, as sissy shipped it the day after I left. I was using an "I" hook and the pattern can be found at Lion Brand under Afghans. It caught my eye because I love scrap projects.

The pattern was called "Patchwork Persuasion" and there are many things about this pattern of which I am unhappy. I won't go into all of them but suffice it to say that it could of been written better. I have done patterns similar to this and they turned out much better. Sissy seems to think that once blocked it will be okay. I like things to lay flat or nicely before when possible. Anyway, I will post the finished product when completed.

In the meantime I have several more projects in the works already that I would like to finish before the end of the year. My next project to work on that I have started is the Calendar Afghan Squares from Dishcloth Diaries. I am off now to start on the rest of those squares.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Sis' New Family Member And More

Well, I have returned home and things are a mess here as I expected. I shipped home three boxes of gifts from my sister and other things I purchased while there. So I have to find a home for all these new things and I am running out of room. My room is a disaster as I try to reorganize things. I slept on a bed last night that was piled high with clothes that need to be hung up, so today is closet day. Once that is done other things around here need organizing and cleaning too. I will get to it all. So in the meantime I will show you, over the next few days, some of the other items I made while as Sis' house. She was ever so generous with her yarn supply. I don't think we even made a small dent in it either. Well my house is now becoming a YARN BARN also. Anyway on with the new news for today...

Is this a lovely picture of Luna, Scarlet and Nick's newest family member? She is such a good dog and so well behaved and trained. She is so good with the cats and Gizmo has accepted her and she him. They are friends but Jade is a little standoffish yet toward Luna. But from what I have been told she acted the same when Gizmo came to live with them also. But before I had left there to come home she seemed much more relaxed and all three had been left alone in the house without fur baby incident.

This is me with my new niece. Both pictures were taken before we left for service on that Sunday. My visit there was so wonderful and my sister went all out to make sure that I was well taken care of, it was so nice of both Nick and her to open their home to me. They are two of the best hosts you will ever run across.

After service we stopped at Ballano's and I had my very first cup of 'Cafe Au' Latte', caramel flavored. So thick and foamy. I have never had coffee that tasted so good. It was expensive! But so worth it and look how pretty it was. This will have to be a tradition on my future visits. I really love it.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Autumn Has Arrived

It is autumn and we can still see Jehovah in all his Glory as we gaze around us. Scarlet, brown and gold leaves as they fall to the ground whisper to us of Jehovah. The breeze abounds in the air and shifts them crinkling and crunching all around.

Autumn is one of Jehovahs most beautiful seasons, there is so much to smell, see, and feel. Of course I do not have to worry about the leaves and their disposal so I can sit back and enjoy their pleasurable side.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!

Twists Bag

This is the first bag that I made that I have ever lined. My sister showed me how to do it and it was simple but then she remembered some adaptations that she had previously made which I will use next time. This is a picture of the lining I used which has the perfect colors in it to match the yarn I used.

The yarn was a variegated yarn in cotton and the color was Vintage Twists and the hook was a size "H". Seems I have used that hook a lot lately. The pattern for this purse can be found at #308 LILY SUGAR N CREAM, and is called TWISTS CROCHET BAG. It was due to have some fringe on the flap but sis purchased such a nice ring with a terrific saying on it and I did not want to cover it up with the fringe so I omitted that part.

That's it today. Ghost, OUT!