Pictures, and the lack thereof

I promise I've been making stuff. I've even been taking pictures! The problem is, I usually post those pictures on my Facebook, then delete them from my camera's memory card. And since you apparently cannot save pictures from Facebook, I do not have those pictures on my laptop. ~sigh~ Sooo, if y'all want to see what I've been hooking lately, check out my Facebook. Warning! There are also pictures of me (gasp!), but don't worry, I don't post inappropriate images like some others my age. :)

Sorry guys

So I know I haven't posted anything in a while. I have been crocheting, just not photographing. If anyone actually reads this, drop me a comment and I'll get my camera clicking.

A Quick Note about Nature

Most flower patterns have multiples of 3 or 5 petals. Why?
I'll tell you why: Fibonacci.
 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, etc. How does this strange number sequence work? 0+1=1 1+1=2 1+2=3 2+3=5 and so on, as far as your lovely brain can compute, and beyond.
It shows up everywhere in nature, and it is a truly unique sequence because there is no constant number being added, or multiplied or divided by. The two previous numbers added together make the next number. A continuous spiral of nature number magic.
I'm a fan, if you didn't notice. It started with Taken. Every Sunday mom and I would stay up to catch the new episode, and now we have the shebang on DVD. Check it out, its pretty good if you're into sci-fi, like me.
Isn't nature awesome :)
Blessed Be and Happy Hooking

Super Simple Flowers and Leaves

So lately I've been crocheting a bunch of flowers for my sister-in-laws scarf (see Flowers For Joan ) and thought I would share some simple patterns with you all.
All of these are done with a size G hook and medium weight yarn.

Abbreviations:
Ch- Chain
ss- slip stitch
sc- single crochet (single stitch)
hdc- half double crochet 
dc-double crochet (double stitch)
tr- triple crochet ( this is done by yarn over twice draw up a loop and pull through two loops, *draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through two loops, * twice, yarn over a nd draw through remaining two loops.)

Five Petal Flower
Ch5, join to first chain with a slip stitch to form a loop.
Ch7, *Dc in loop, ch4* 4 times. Join with ss to 3rd ch.

From here I have done two different patterns. The Basic pattern is my own (I'm sure other people have done it but I didn't use a pattern I found)  and the Pansy pattern is one that I found on Ravelry.

Pansy
In each of the first 2 loops work "sc 1, hdc 1, dc 1, tr 3, dc 1, hdc 1, sc 1".
If desired, change
colors. In each of the remaining 3 loops work "sc 1, ch 3, tr 2, dc 1, tr 2, ch 3, sc 1".
Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Note: Note also: Just as the ch 3 (the first part of the ch 7 at the beginning of round 1) is a substitute
for dc 1, "sc 1, ch 3" and "ch 3, sc 1" (in Rnd 2) are substitutes for tr 1.

( Copyright 2010, Carol Schoenfelder, All Rights Reserved )

Basic
In each loop work sc 1, hdc 1, dc 1, tr 3, dc 1, hdc 1, sc 1.
Fasten off and weave in ends.

For the pansy I usually do two colors, and the Basic I like using variegated color yarn.

These four are all the Basic Five Petal Flower, done in white, rainbow, black grey and white, and variegated pink. (the white was actually done differently, sc10 into the ring before doing the spokes in every other stitch).

A pansy done with an F hook in read and white Patons Grace yarn.

Sorry I don't have pictures of any of my other roses that are not sewn to anything.

Leaves
Ch9, turn.
Ch1, sc, hdc, dc, 3tr, dc, hdc, sc into back loops only.
Ch1, now work into front loops, sc, hdc, dc, 3tr, dc, hdc, sc. ss to ch1.
Insert your hook into the gap in the beginning chain (which should run the center length of your leaf). ss.
Ss in all of the gaps (9 ss, one for each chain) and ss in the ch1 at the other end. Fasten off and weave in your end, or use it to attach to a pretty flower, or underneath a bug.
Try all different kinds of greens or any color. I even did one with white and light purple held together that came out rather pretty.

Here are four of my leaves with a rainbow flower. The one under the flower is a solid green. A brown, tan and green camo yarn was used for the far left leaf. The middle used a slightly fuzzy variegated green, and the far right leaf was a silvery light green sport yarn. I have also done a black leaf, a couple leaves that were purple and green Loops and Threads Impeccable ( I think Fresh Lilac is the colorway) and a red leaf that was longer as an experiment in the way of poinsettias.

Blessed Be and Happy Hooking!

EDIT 2/8/2012
I realized after posting and doing another rose that I wrote the pattern down wrong.

Rose:
The chain is a little trickier than I originally wrote. When I do the roses, I don't actually count the chains. I say, 'single stitch, chain, shell, chain, single stitch, chain, shell, etc," and chain one for each. So, for 8 shells (scallops, whatever) it should be 33.
I had to draw out a little thingy like this --*---*---*---*---*---*---*---*-- where the *'s are shells. hehe. You can do something along the same lines to figure out how long you want your chain. Basically, you ch2, ch(4 x number of shells), ch2, plus 1 to turn.

SO, now that the not so difficult, but a bitch to explain part is over ~sigh~
Ss across your entire chain, turn
again, ss across. (you could also dc if you want. you basically just need a base for your 'petals' and to sew through.)
Now, ss, ch1, skip one st, 5dc in next stitch, ch1, skip one st, ss, ch1, skip1, 5dc, etc. you should end on a single stitch. If you still have a stitch or two left at the end, don't worry. Just ss into them, then fasten off. Leave at least 5-6 inches of tail for sewing.
Starting at the end opposite your tail, begin rolling your rose. I find it helps to roll it around your thumb a little. when it's all rolled up, thread your tail through a blunt, large eyes yarn needle, and sew through the bottom of your rose. Make sure you go through ALL the layers of your base row, or your rose will fall open and apart. This takes some practice. I like to sew zig-zagging across the base.

There you have it!

Blessed Be and Happy Hooking!

Flowers For Joan

My sister in law has this super long scarf that she made on her Knifty Knitter. It is all shades of black, grey, and white, and so we decided to make tons of colorful flowers and pom-poms and appliques for it.

 

See? It became so heavy that most of these aren't even on the scarf right now. She makes the pom-poms and hana-ami flowers, which are like a bunch of loops sewn together in the middle. I crochet all kinds of flowers. There are a lot more that she has that haven't been photographed yet. There is also one little ghostie applique that I crocheted, but however it is sewn on it looks funny.

 The pink squiggly thing is a hana-ami flower.

 That white rose is a newer endeavor of mine, as are the leaves (there is one silvery green and one dark forest green). I will be posting the patterns for those in another blog post. They are both super easy!

 In this picture you can see a grey and burgundy pansy with a dark green leaf. The rainbow flower above it is one of my favorites, and I made an extra one for myself.

 Here is that rainbow flower, and some leaves.

 These flowers are all the same super easy pattern.

Here is one of those pansies. And that is all I have right now.
Blessed Be and Happy Hooking!

Valentine's Day Granny Arm-Warmers

This is probably my favorite armwarmer pattern that I've done. It is my own design. That paper the armwarmer is sitting on is my drawing pad that I use for drawing/writing patterns that float about in my head.

Here's the pattern, then.
More experienced crocheters, granny square to 4 rounds, switching colors as you please, you can see mine has four colors in order, gray, pink, black, red, and so forth. Skip down to Round 5 to continue.

If you've never done a granny square, here are step-by-step directions. Also check out Crochet Geek: Crochet Traditional Granny Square 5 Rounds. And while you're on You-Tube, watch some tutorials by The Art of Crochet by Theresa. Actually, just subscribe to her show and to Crochet Geek.


OKAY! So I've gotten quite a bit of progress done. Here's what I have so far.

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in grey, pink, black, and bright red. use as many or as few colors as you want!

hook: H

Directions:
Round 1 (grey) Chain 4, join with sl to form ring. Ch3 2dc in ring. *Ch2, 3dc* 3 times in ring, ch2 and join next color
to top of ch3.
Round 2 (pink) CH3, turn so you are dc'ing into the CH2 sp. 2dc, CH2, 2dc in space. *ch1, 3dc, Ch2, 3dc in space* 3 times.
ch1 and join new color to top of ch3.
Round 3 (black) CH3, turn so you are dc'ing into the CH2 sp. 2dc, CH2, 2dc in space. *Ch1, 3dc in ch1sp, ch1, 3dc, ch2, 3dc
in sp* 3 times. ch1 and join new color to top of ch3.
Round 4 (red) CH3, turn so you are dc'ing into the CH2 sp. 2dc, CH2, 2dc in space. *Ch1, 3dc in ch1sp, ch1,3dc in ch1sp,
Ch1, 3dc, ch2, 3dc in sp* 3 times. ch1 and join new color to top of ch3.

Round 5 (grey) CH3, turn so you are dc'ing into the CH2 sp. 2dc, CH2, 2dc in space. Now, pull out your loop or place a
stitch marker so you don't come undone, and lay the granny square on the back of you hand. Decide where you want your
thumb-hole to be. Continue doing 3dc clusters as before until you reach where you want your thumb-hole. Now, Ch5,
skip one ch1 sp, and 3dc into the next ch1 sp. Continue as before to complete this round. Fasten off.

Round 6 (pink) Now since I don't know which side you ended on, this might be a bit confusing. If it is, I do apologize.

For this round, three sides will be done in 3dc clusters, and one side ( the top, toward your fingers if you slip your thumb into the thumb-hole. In the picture, I started on the other side of the top.) will be done in scallops. We are going to do the scalloped side LAST so start on the side
across form your thumb-hole.
Sl in Ch2 space, ch3, 2dc. ch1, 3dc in ch1 sp. (notice we did not do a corner here, just one cluster) continue along this side and the next two. When you come to the last corner, DO NOT MAKE A CORNER. 2dc, ch2 and ss (single stitch) in the ch2 sp.

Now ch1 and 5dc in the middle dc of the first cluster on the previous row. ch1 and ss in ch1 sp. continue along this edge.You should end with 5 scallops, one for each of the clusters on the previous row. On your last scallop, ch1 and ss intothe ch2 sp, then sl to the bottom of the ch3. (It is kinda difficult to get your hook through the chain, so I suggest switching to a smaller hook, just to get through that chain..) Fasten off.

Round 7 (black) Lay your granny with the scalloped edge away from you (now called the top, cus it is hehe) and the thumb-hole to the right. Insert your hook through the top of the ch3 that started the last row. Join new color with a slip stitch and ch5. 3dc into the next ch1 space. Continue as normal around to the opposite side. After you 3dc in the last ch1 sp, ch5 and sl to the top of the ch2 on the previous row. (by top, I mean the 1st ch you did) Fasten off.

Round 8 (red) Insert your hook through the beggining ch5 from the previous row. Sl the new color on and ch3, 2dc in the
chain and 3dc in the next ch1 sp, and continue along this edge until the last cluster. For the last cluster, only
do 2dc, then ch2 and ss in the space. Now we begin the bottom scallops. As for the pink scallops, ch 1 and 5dc in the
middle dc of the previous row, ch1, ss in the ch1 sp, repeat across the bottom edge. After your last scallop, ch and ss
in the ch2 of the corner below. Ch1 and 3dc in the next ch1 sp, continue in 3dc clusters to the end of this edge. Fasten
off and sew the two red cluster edges together. Also, I do suggest sewing in all your ends before sewing the edges
together, preferably as you go along actually.

And there you have it! A super-cute pair of granny arm-warmers for Valentine's Day!

Blessed Be and Happy Hooking!

Phone Cases and Pipe Bags

As the title suggests, I've been making phone cases and pipe bags. Several of my friends smoke out of glass pipes, so I thought that some crocheted cases were in order. I used the same basic pattern as my 2-Hour Dice Bag and just made the base of the bag big enough to fit the 'head' of the pipe (the bowl end) and long enough to, well, fit the pipe.  Add a drawstring with one of those pincher thingies they put on drawstrings for jackets and stuff, and voila! A snug, safe case for your glass piece. Pictures will ensue at a later date.

As for phone cases, here ya go:

Yarn- charcoal Cotton-Ease  by Lion Brand and red Patons Grace held together.
(I also did one with some bright orange Simply Soft and a bright blue Grace)

Hook- G

Pattern is worked in without joining rounds.
Chain about two chains longer than the short end of your phone, ch1 to turn.
SS across the chain, working in back loops only, ch1
Now ss across in the other side of the ch. ch1
Half-Double Crochet (HDC) in your first ss, and all the way down.
HDC in your ch1 sp, and down the other row of ss.
HDC in your last ch1 sp.
Now just work rounds of HDC until you have a pouch tall enough to fit your phone, plus a row or two. I added a little ch10 loop on one side of mine to make it easier to get out of my pocket, and it also serves well as a key ring, if you don't have too many keys. I even slip my I.D. into my bank card sleeve with my card and a little cash and I don't even need my wallet. I have so many requests for them, I'm going to need to get more Cotton-Ease.

Blessed Be and Happy Hooking!


EDIT: Here are some more pictures!

This pipe case is light blue Cotton-Ease and a silvery green Bernat Satin held together with a bright blue Caron Simply Soft drawstring. It is available for sale in my etsy store, CraftsByChi.

 Unfortunately, my camera sucks, so it is hard to see how pretty these colors really are together. The blue is a soft matte while the green is shiny.

 Here's a slightly better picture and you can see the whole thing.

 This is the bottom of the case.

 These two pipes are two of a set of triplets from a while back, the third was purple. All three are filled with opalescent, black-light reactive liquid. As you can see there is no purple; sadly, it was broken. Sticky, too. And kind of smelly. But you should have seen the floor when we turned on the black-light! Anyway, I made a set of cases for the remaining, Boo (the pink) and Piccolo (the green). Both cases are crocheted with two strands of their respective colors, with a contrasting drawstring of the opposite color. And what's really great is that red, and therefore pink, and green are opposites on the color wheel. :)

These are the three pipe cases that I did (all in one day!) to protect these during a move. The one on the left is bright orange Simply Soft and blue, green, white, and brown Loops and Threads Impeccable, which is lovely and thick and soft, which is why I bought it, just for cases. The drawstring is bright orange and dark blue.

 Another picture. You can see the colors of the left piece a bit better. All custom cases that I make are made to match the piece they are intended for, and fitted to hug the piece, some with just enough room for a lighter.

 A fourth piece, done for blue and black swirled Sapphire (or blueberry, we haven't decided), is bright blue Simply Soft held together with black Cotton-Ease. The drawstring is the same.

 This is the one piece that was not done to match the piece it is for, which is blue and yellow. It is two strands of Loops and Threads Impeccable. One strand is lavender, plum, sage, and dark green. The other is varying shades of blue and green.The drawstring is those two and a dark plum Lion Brand Vanna's Choice braided together. I had promised this piece a case a while back, started two or three different ones, and finally said the neither the owner or I was leaving until this was done!

And now for some phone cases!

 My husband ended up getting the same phone as me when his decided to not turn on anymore. Luckily we have AT&T which means SIM cards! So no data was lost. So he got a bright green Simply Soft and black Cotton-Ease phone case. I found that Simply Soft gets all fuzzy pretty fast, so it's not really the best for phone cases, being slipped in and out of pockets so much.

 I also sewed a flower onto mine, which was tedious and frustrating, and it is already all fuzzy, not to mention the end of the tail is poking out. So for future reference, use cotton flowers on phone cases.

But it is a cute flower. :)

Well, Blessed Be and Happy Hooking!