Dishcloths

Right now I have several LARGE works-in-progress going on, and the finish line for them still looks very far off in the distance.  So I like to break it up with some smaller, more immediate gratification projects -- like crocheting dishcloths:) 

There are many, many ways of making these, but I like a little variety, so I got The Big Book of Dishcloths, which has 99 different patterns (what's amazing is that this is not nearly an exhaustive list -- you can still find plenty of others on the internet and elsewhere).

This is a very straightforward, no frills kind of book.  The photographs of the stitches are in black and white, stitch explanations are brief but sufficient even for me -- a fairly new crocheter -- to follow.  There is an element of surprise to it because stitched up in 3-D looks a little different from the 2-D photos.  Below is a page from the book:

And here is #80 all stitched up:

#80

I enjoy the book because it gives me the chance to try lots of different stitches and techniques on a smaller scale.  There is no difficulty rating so I just pick and choose ones that I think I can do and am interested in doing.  This is one of the first ones I did:

#12

Here are some more. The bottom two are recently done and haven't been through the wash yet.  Unfortunately it looks like I'm getting worse at keeping them square.

#21

Part of my problem is making the foundation chain too tight.  I think I actually crochet a little loose, so I  have to exaggerate the foundation chain.  My other BIG problem is putting an edging on.  In this picture below I think I did too many stitches on the left side.  

#83

This last one was so crooked even I didn't want to use it.  I unravelled the whole thing and redid it from scratch.  It's a lot better now although one of the corners is still stretched out.

#24

I enjoy making them but there's still a lot of room for improvement.  Any of you crocheters out there have any tips for me?

Knitted Toys

I am not a knitter.  BUT, my teenage daughter is.  Two or three years ago, a very nice lady from our church got her started with a dishcloth.  There was, as might be expected,  a lot of frustration in the beginning, and my daughter laid knitting aside for awhile to pursue other crafts.  Then she picked up the Klutz Knitting book and taught herself some more. (When you are learning a new skill, you cannot beat those Klutz books.)

She has made lots of scarves and hats, all impressive to me, but it is these little knitted toys that are SOOO cute.  The problem with them is they are knitted in the round.  As I said, I do not knit, so I couldn't help her figure this out.  But one thing about my daughter:  she is DETERMINED.  So she tried and tried until she finally figured it out for herself, and now there is no stopping her.

The book she used to learn how to knit in the round was Itty-Bitty Toys by Susan B. Anderson.  All the following cuties are from Itty-Bitty Toys or from another of her books called Spud and Chloe at the Farm.  All of Susan Anderson's books are adorable.  She also has a very helpful blog called  Spud and Chloe, chockful of doable projects.  We love her stuff!

This ball is one of my daughter's first projects in the round, and is destined for a small boy cousin.

This little silver bear was a gift for a baby at church.

Isn't that a friendly face?

This cat was a present for a little cousin.

This hippo was for a friend's birthday.

The sweet little cousin who got this pig loved it as much as I do :)

What a personality!

Love, love the squiggly tail!

Here is Chloe herself:

A little Christmas mouse, one of the earlier toys:

A little brown bear that went to a sweet baby boy:

A little dog knitted during a car trip out west:

A giant giraffe that went to a special little girl at our church:

He was  probably the most complicated.

Back view:

It will be awhile before the baby is as big as the giraffe!

Santa  and his sack are the newest creations, and Santa is enjoying the holiday season right now on a shelf in my living room.

Here's a better look at his beard.  Hello, Santa!

My daughter doesn't have a blog of her own, so every once in a while I just want to brag on her!  I'm amazed at what she can do and I know when she's grown up she'll run rings around me.  I cannot take any credit for any of this.  My main job is to purchase the supplies :)  and to encourage and smooth things over when they get too frustrating.  Other than that, I try to stay out of the way and let her work her magic!

Learning to Crochet

Last summer I took a notion to learn to crochet.  Now it wasn't completely foreign to me, I'm sure I crocheted something back in high school or earlier, plus one of my grandmothers had been a prolific crocheter, but I really didn't remember much about it.  My daughter suggested Klutz because she had learned to knit from the Klutz knitting book.  If you are unfamiliar with Klutz, they are a company that specializes in how-to books.  Our family has several of them, and they have all been excellent.  After reading glowing reviews on Amazon, I ordered the  Klutz Crochet book.

It did not disappoint.  The instructions were clear, plus the book came with everything to get started:  a crochet hook, two types of yarn, yarn needle, stitch markers, button, and a cute handy case.  Once you have the book, you're good to go.  I spent a couple of months learning the stitches, doing some things over and over until I understood them, and making everything in the book.

Projects include a jewelry roll, a clutch pouch, flowers (I had to make several before I got the five petals it was supposed to have -- I kept getting six or seven), a hat (which turned out well but too small for my giant head), a granny scarf

and a mesh bag for soap, which now hangs in my shower and gets regular use.

Everything was made with the included yarn except for the hat and scarf.  Those are kind of the finale projects and you need to buy your own yarn for them (which by this point you actually look forward to doing).

After finishing the book, I felt confident to delve into whatever crochet adventures I found beckoning.  Other than yarn, the only purchases I've made are a variety of bee-u-ti-ful crochet hooks -- I love their glowing colors -- and a pretty blue pair of small scissors.

If you are pining after all the crocheted goodies on pinterest but have no crochet abilities, I highly recommend you get Klutz Crochet.  It got me started and now I can't quit thinking of things to make.