Berry Sweet

This is another EdgeryDoo Fleece afghan that will be donated to Project Rest Assured.

For this one I used Caron Simply Soft in bright colors, and modified an edging pattern from Lyn at AngelCrafts. I like the way the edging mimics the flowers and strawberries in the afghan.

The Cat in The Hat

My sweet friend Bree saw some of the edged fleece blankets that I've made for Roswell Park Cancer Center and for Project Rest Assured, and surprised me by sending me a beautiful Cat in the Hat fleece blanket to edge and donate.

I don't know anyone at any age who doesn't love Dr. Seuss and Cat in the Hat!

It just happened that a few days before it arrived, I was bargain shopping for yarn and bought this soft peacock blue yarn on sale. The color couldn't have been more perfect! I did a simple shell edging all the way around.

Bree-ghan will be donated to Project Rest Assured - a great charity group that sends hand-crafted afghans to kids in foster care in the Cleveland area.

Thank you, Bree for being so generous! Some child is going to love this!!

WW Week One

First weekly weight watchers weigh in - down two pounds!

It was easy to stick to the plan. I found so many low point options for lunch and dinner, that I indulged in Pizza for dinner - not once but twice this week.

Biggest obstacle - water. I KNOW from past experience that drinking water helps with weight loss - and just makes me feel good - so if I can get on track with water and exercise - this could be good.

My back is hurting so we'll attack the water challenge first, then see what we can do about putting down the hook and putting on the sneakers a bit more. :)

Embrace-A-Doo

This is a fast and simple pattern for a fleece Embrace Shawl made with the Edgerydoo.

This pattern is great as a charity project for cancer centers, hospitals, nursing homes and hospice. It is for a ruana-like shawl or wrap – it has shoulders to stay put, and opens in the front so that it is easy to put on and take off – even with an IV.

Start with a piece of fleece – any color or pattern that you like.

Mine was 28” wide by 43” long. These measurements need not be exact – you want the width to be approximately twice the width of the wearer’s shoulders and the length to be approximately twice the length of shoulder to waist.

Fold the fabric in quarters and use the Edgerydoo to trim the edges, cutting curves in the bottom outside corners. After cutting, go ahead and use your Edgerydoo to pierce holes all the way around the edges.

Now refold the fabric once from top to bottom. In the center of the creased edge, you want to cut your neck-hole. Mark the center and use your 8” square template to cut out a square neck hole. (see picture below).

If you don’t have the square template, you can use the basic triangular Edgerydoo and simply mark the center and cut with either straight or curved corners (as shown in the photo below)

Now, refold the fabric once from side to side, and cut from the neckline down the front of the fabric (do NOT cut through the back)

Using your piercing tool, punch holes along both sides of the front opening and around the neckline.

Your finished fabric will look something like this:

The neckline may be square or round.

Now get your yarn and hook and add whatever edging you like. You can do a simple crochet edge all the way around – or get wild with fancy edging and colors.

If you have a square neck as shown above, fold back the corners and stitch in place to form a simple collar. If your neckline is round, leave it plain. If you choose, you can add ties to the front.

The pink shawl on the left has a shell edging pattern. The purple shawl on the right has a simple single crochet edge. The Embrace shawl below has pockets that were cut and pierced using the

Edgerydoo, and then sewn in place.

Have fun, get creative, and do share pictures of your work!

This is a copyrighted pattern. Please feel free to enjoy it for charity or personal us. You may link to this pattern, but please don't post it elsewhere without permission.

Tirimasu

So sweet and no calories!

I just love this pattern. I did mine with baby weight yarn, so it's a small size - perfect for newborns or for a car seat cover.

Wow

I generally don't have more than one blog entry a day, and today I'm on my third.

I just read something that was incredible, frightening, beautiful and inspiring.

I did a bit of googling on the lovely Tiramisu Blanket from my last post and about it's designer, Alicia Paulson. While looking at some of her patterns and gorgeous work, I came across this blog entry from last year. Reading it I was stuck by her bravery, her spirit and her wonderful writing skills. It's a tough story to read - she was run over by a garbage truck. I can't even imagine the pain and the fear, but her story is worth reading.

If I may quote one lovely passage:

I absolutely do not believe that everything happens for a reason; I never did, and I still don't. I believe that we fashion sense out of the things that happen, and create a kind of meaning in the result. And at the end of the day, you just gotta plow on through! There is no time to waste or worry.

What a strong lady!
And if you read her story, check out some of her beautiful craft work at her store link. She has an amazing talent!

Sweet, Sweet Tiramisu

Since I first saw it, I just loved the Tiramisu Baby Blanket Pattern. I finally got around to trying the pattern. I'm using varigated yarn, and while I think it's beautiful, I love the cream version that the designer posted better.

I have a ways to go yet before I work on the edging, but much to my delight, I have managed to keep both edges of this blanket straight! I think that even though this is all Single Crochet, the simple pattern of doing two stiches together is helping me to not increase or decrease at the ends of rows.

This pattern is so simple and so very pretty. I used the tiramisu edging pattern for my "Sleep Tight, Little Lamb" blanket, and I can't wait to see how this blanket looks when it's finished! I'm using baby yarn so my gauge it more tight than the designers, and the overall blanket is newborn size, but I think it will be nice - and square! Of the sweet sweet taste of Tiramisu success!!

I hope to donate this to Marine Corps Kids which should be in full swing soon!

I did it...

and I'm going to blog it to keep myself accountable.

I re-joined Weight Watchers. A few years ago I got serious about eating right and exercising. I lost a lot of weight, looked great (if I may say so myself), felt great, and had great habits. One painful divorce and a few years later, the weight is back. I'm not as fat as I was, but I'm even heavier, and I don't like the way I look or feel.

She doesn't know it, but my dear friend Lynn - who was a great inspiration when I was on WW, just inspired me to rejoin on-line, so I signed up. It's prepaid and I'm cheap so I better just do it!

I did the flex point system in the past and it worked for me. This time I signed up to try the core program. It provides a list of healthy filling foods that you can eat when you like, and then gives some guidelines for special treats. I don't know if this will work as well for me as the flex system did, but I can switch programs if I'm not successful.

So.....tomorrow I go to the grocery store to buy a lot of healthy foods and I get serious about my food choices. I need to also get off my butt and get serious about exercise. WW sets healthy goals - attainable ones, so while I need to lose more, my first goal is to lose 15 pounds.

I'm not going to blog my eating/exercising - but once a week I'm going to post my progress (or lack of) to keep me honest and motivated.

So.... wish me luck!

The Cameras Don't Lie

I had a bad day

Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You've seen what you like
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

It's a stupid stupid song that makes no sense, but I'll admit to liking the cheery little ditty.

Except that I had a really bad day, and a fake smile and a coffee to go ain't cutting it. I'm trying to leave work at work and just come home and Live, Laugh and Crochet, but I'm having a lousy day, so if anyone wants to leave a cheery little comment, it would be most welcomed!

Practice Makes Perfect

....so I need a bit more practice.
Here's my second attempt at an EdgeryDoo Embrace Shawl. I like this one better. I used a scalloped edging with a raised stitch around the collar.

I also cut this one differently, leaving less space between the front panels - more like a classic ruana. My cutting was a bit sloppy. I think I'm trying to cut through too many layers at once, and when punching holes through mulitiple layers, some are placed too close to the edge.

The crochet trim covers most of the problems, and this is useable if not perfect. I'll donate this one to the Cancer Institute, but I know that I can perfect it if I keep trying.

Feelin' Groovy

When I purchased the bright floral "tie-dye" fleece on Ebay, I knew it was time to try my first patchwork granny blanket with my EdgeryDoo.

I hate to brag about my own work, but I just LOVE this blanket. It's soft, bright and cheery, and I'm so pleased with how it came out! And I made it in one day!

Tater Tot likes it too! You can see him hiding behind it when I hung it on the love seat to photograph.

This blanket will be going to The Roswell Park Cancer Institute in New York, where I hope a patient will like it as much as Tater!

Embrace-a-doo

I thought it might be fun to try doing my Embrace Shawl in fleece with my Egerydoo.

I think that this is a good charity project for chemo patients and folks in rehab. Using fleece they can be made more quickly than in all crochet, and they're soft, warm and washable.

This one was a good starting point, but its not quite right yet. I'm going to create a pattern that's slightly more shaped. I left too much "neck space" on this one, and I think I should make a tiny sleeve rather than the flat wrap.

I also find that as much as I love my Edgerydoo, I don't do well when I punch the holes through multiple layers. I end up with some holes too far into the fabric and some too close to the edge. I'll probably send this one to the hospital, but I know I can do better. Luckily there was a sale on fleece at Joanns - I have plenty of fabric with which to perfect it!

the power of yarn

my dear friend Cindy sent me a link to a wonderful story. I was written by a knitter, and it really touched my heart. Just wanted to share. Click here.

Sleep tight, Little Lamb

This is a blanket that I made with my Edgerydoo. I really love how Edgerydoo makes it so fast to make baby blankets and afghans.

For this one I used the edging from the Tiramasu Baby Blanket pattern. The whole project - from trimming the fabric through weaving the ribbon took just a few hours to make!

This one will be going to a co-worker who is expecting her first Grandaughter this September.

Martin-ghan

Inside every young boy there is a super hero!

I bought this fleece blanket and edged it in two shades of blue and one row of Superman red.

I'll be sending this one (and Livie-ghan) to Project Rest Assured for kids in foster care.

Livie-ghan

After a stressful day at work, there is nothing like finishing a quick crochet project! I just finished this blanket for Project Rest Assured - a charity group that donates afghans to kids in foster homes.

I purchased this Strawberry Shortcake fleece blanket and finished it with a simple edging of Tropez yarn. It has texture, sparkle, and fun fur, and, I think, is the perfect edge for a little girls blanket.

Denying the Frog

After my horrible start on my gradated blue blanket, I thought I had no options but to frog it. That was really a bit upsetting. The nice ladies at Crochetville, were (as usual) very supportive, and urged me to find a way to make it work. Well, I couldn't......


But - I did find a way to use what I had done, and while it's not what I set out to make, I ended up with something that works.




I didn't set out to make a bag - I wanted a baby blanket, but the only way I could think of to utilize the odd shaped piece that I had was to make a bag with a slanted flap.

It actually worked out fairly well. I sewed up the sides, made a strap and added a button. Since it sort of has a faded denim look, I found a buffalo nickel button that seemed to work, and in a few hours I was able to turn a big flop into something I can use. Hubby suggested a matching cap, and now I have a set that I'm going to send to Roswell Park Cancer Institute.





It was nice to find a way to save a project gone bad, and in the process I got to try something new. This is the first time I've ever lined a bag - it's not perfect, but it's ok. I even put a pocket in the lining.




Many thanks to the ladies at Crochetville and to my wonderful hubby who inspired me to save this project!

Oh so pretty!!!!

After all the really nice compliments I got on my Van Gogh Closet blanket, I wanted to do another in boy colors.

Wow - even I think this is beautiful! The plan was to continue white across the body and the gradate the other edge back to dark blue. I love the color effect - love the pattern - love love loved it!

Yep - I said Loved - past tense. Sadness and disgust have descended on TheWorm because once again...

Much to my dismay......

A Worm can't crochet a friggin straight edge!!!!!!!

Sob! This would have been so pretty. I can't even salvage much from frogging because of the color changes every few rows.

Sob

Stashbuster

On Crochetville there was a crochet-a-long called Van Gogh's closet to make graduated color pieces. I thought this would be a GREAT opportunity to use up some of my huge stash of baby yarn. I think it came out pretty - and I have LOTS of baby yarn left to do one in "boy" colors.