23 - 24 - 25 and DONE!!

I did it!!! I don't believe it. The first one here is done from squares I showed you whan I first started this challenge, I don't know why it took me so long to use them. Then another never-ending-blanket, and finally another sewn blanket for the Baby Pack Project.
For those of you that are coming in late I challenged myself to make 25 baby blankets for charity in the month of December. These are the last three. For those that want to count or see the other blankets here are the posts the others are pictured on:

First seven

Another four

Six more

Four more

A quilt

And these three make 25!!!

Now I can make HATS!!

1st Baby Quilt is Finished

And that makes only 3 more blankets to go.

Hexagon Granny

This is the hexagon version of my never-ending-blanket square. You can make it with as few or as many rounds needed and join them together.

Chain 6 and join to form loop

RD 1: ch 3 (counts as dc) 1 dc, *ch 2, 2 dc* 5 times, ch2 and join should have 6 groups of 2 dc

RD 2: ch 3, dc in each dc, in each ch 2 sp *2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc* join

RD 3 : ch3, dc in each dc, in each ch 2 sp *1 dc, ch2, 1dc*

You can add rows by repeating Rd 3

And another 4 done 4 to go

Not much to say about these, another one made from my never-ending-blanket square and Baby Cloud yarn. Three sewn from fabric I bought at a thrift shop the other day. There are two of the pale blue ones on the right. The sewn blankets as well as some others are going to the Baby Pack Project.

Quickie Chemo Cap Free Crochet Pattern

On one of my Yahoo groups Bev's-Charity-Challange we were asked to make just one hat on Christmas day. Since I was over at my son's apartment I didn't have a lot of yarn with me except what I was using for a couple blankets, this is what I came up with. It's a really simple chemo hat, very soft and, at least I think it is, very pretty. I made it in less than an hour and I'm going to give you the almost-a-pattern pattern. It's just too simple to call a pattern. I used a varigated yarn and somehow it just striped perfectly. I tried to do it again, same yarn, same hook, same pattern and it wouldn't do it.

Quickie Chemo Cap

You need to use a super bulky yarn such as Red Heart Baby Clouds or Light and Lofty. I used a size N hook. I do crochet rather loosely so you may need to make adjustments, also I have two N hooks that are totally different in size so yours may not give the same size hat. The one I made will fit an adult woman.

Ch 4 and join to form loop

Round 1: ch 3 (counts as dc) 15 dc in loop and join (16 st)

Rd 2: Ch 3 dc in same st 2 dc in each st till end and join (32 st)

Rds 3 - 8: Ch3 dc in each dc and join

Rd 9: Ch 1 sc in each dc

See how easy? If you want to make chemo hats and have some suitable yarn it doesn't get any easier or quicker than this.

Six more done eight more to go

Another six done, I'm not going to do this type of challange again, I need some variety. I want to make hats!!! Just because. Just because it's something different!!
From top left hand corner going clockwise:

1. Yet another Never-Ending-Blanket

2. A blanket made in one large square with Baby Boucle that was donated by a very nice woman in one of my Yahoo groups. Thank you Angelika!

3 and 4 Two blankets made with baby homespun donated by Angelika and a white bulky yarn I already had.

5. A blanket made in the corner to corner fashion (will be posting pattern soon) made with self-striping yarn just to prove I could do something more than squares!!

And finally in the center (I almost consider this cheating) is a fleece blanket. I found a Project Linus site that explains several ways to make fleece blankets.

Too much going on

I have too many projects started or in the planning stage. LOL This is the clutter on my kitchen table. Yesterday I went to a store called Leftovers, where they sell recycled objects (such as toilet paper rolls and egg cartons) and crafting leftovers. I usually buy a lot of yarn there but this is the first chance I've had to go there since I bought my sewing machine and I bought two big brown paper bags full of fabric as well as another huge piece that didn't fit in the bags. Total cost was $15. So of course I had to come home and start planning all the projects I'm going to make with them. I also stuffed some yarn and patterns in the bags so I have those too.

I've already cleared some of that stuff off since I took the picture, I have to pull back and start getting some stuff finished!

(Notice my "helper" trying to get in on the fun?)

Purple String Quilt

OK I finished another quilt top although I am considering putting a border on it. I didn't do such a good job of lining up the centers but I promise to do better next time. I belong to a Yahoo group called
Heart String Quilt Project that makes this kind of quilt for charities. You can make the blocks, or offer to put them together or quilt them or do it all. The charity you send them to is up to you.

To make a string block you can use either a paper or fabric foundation (I generally use paper but for anything I'll send to the group in the future it needs to be cloth). Using your rotary cutter you cut strips of fabric, this is a great way to use up scraps. You can make them all the same width or vary it as I did. Many people use the same fabric or same color fabric for the center. Starting at the center you simply sew on strips, ironing as you go, until you fill up the block. After trimming it's ready to put together.

I'm hoping that was clear enough but if you have any questions or suggestions just use the comment button below.

4 More Blankets Done - 14 to go

I'm really beginning to wonder if I'm going to make it, I have so many other things I need to do. I need to step it up. I have another quilt top in the works and still need to finish the top I made last week before I can count it.

The blankets are:
top left; Another one finished using donated squares from Linda. That makes three I was able to finish with one small box of donated squares. Thanks again Linda.
top right; A never-ending-blanket in pastel
bottom left; This one I made using a yellow and white self-striping baby yarn with the awful yellow yarn I bought some months ago. The green cast to the yarn isn't noticable in the finished blanket and the striping of the other yarn is more subtle (and I think very pretty) than the striping yarn on it's own.
bottom right; I liked the effect of the yellow so much I combined two different shades of pink with a pink and purple self striping yarn for the forth blanket.

To read more about my December challenge go here.

Baby Pack Project

Can you imagine having a baby in a hospital and then taking it home wrapped in newspaper because you had nothing else to wrap it in? This is what some women in South Africa were doing and the reason the Baby Pack Project got started.
One of my Yahoo groups All-Crafts-4-Charity is working on items for this project for our January project, although it's a great group and you really should join, you don't have to be a member to help.
Here is the link to a blog set up just for this project that will explain what is needed and how you can help.

KZN Baby Pack

Just Rambling 12/14/07

I just got home from a four day live-in and only brought home four finished blankets. I'm falling behind in my goal or this month. I'm also running short on suitable yarn for baby blankets, I've been working a lot and haven't had time to go on any Yarn safaris lately. I hate to have to go to Wally World to buy yarn. I'll be posting the pics of the ones I finished later today.
Thing 2 is trying very hard to help here, I think she missed me but it's very difficult to type with a cat trying to push her head under my hand. This is my only time off this week. I need to do some Christmas shopping. Most of my gifts are handmade, but I wanted to augment them with a few goodies. I also want to make recyclable bags for wrapping presents rather than adding to the landfill problems. I'll probably be working on that today. OK, the things need attention so I'm going to go for now. Will be posting more in a little bit.

Dancing Diamonds Quilt Top

Do you see the diamonds dancing across the quilt top? This is the first one I've made in over 7 years and I will admit there is a learning curve going on again. Here I thought I knew what I was doing. It's an easy pattern though, it uses a paper foundation and you simply start with a four sided figure in the middle and add pieces until the paper square is filled. I used a 6 1/2" paper to start. After trimming and sewing the blocks together the finished size is 5 1/2".

A picture of the beginning is here.

My Challenge 7 down 18 to go

My personal challenge for the month of Dec. is to make 25 blankets for charity. I originally said they were all going to Project Linus but then I remembered that one of my Yahoo groups All Crafts for Charity was working on things for the Baby Pack Project so I will be designating some of them for that project.

Anyway, I was gone on a work assignment for six days, I'm a caregiver to the elderly, it was only supposed to be three. I have a lot of time to crochet while the client is sleeping, watching TV etc. so I was able to get seven blankets done towards my goal.

The first picture is two blankets made with donated squares. Thank you so much Linda for the squares, I still have enough for another blanket!!

The second picture (I know it's blurry but I think that's because of the yarn) is four blankets made out of Red Heart Baby Clouds yarn. These go so quickly, I use a size N crochet hook and just make a large granny square (square pattern here) changing color whenever I get the urge. It usually takes 2 1/2 to 3 skeins of yarn. My WalMart had this on clearance and I bought a lot of it, but this just about used it up.

The color combo in the third picture is just because I finished all the projects I had taken with me because it was 6 days not 3 and this was all I had with me. I think it came out pretty good anyway!

The Never Ending Blanket Square Free Crochet Pattern

This is the standard Granny square I usually work with when making my blankets. This particular square is one made for a never-ending-blanket. I like it because it's "mindless", I can do it with my eyes closed. I know that for sure because I've tried it. It's also versatile, you can make each blanket unique by changing the colors, where the color changes are and size of the square. I've made blankets with 144 small squares and I've made them with one really big square. Several people have asked for the pattern and I've referred them to a similar pattern that I've seen on the web. But it is similar not the same so I thought I would finally post my pattern here. This square is suitable for projects asking for squares with a minimum of "holes" or "no lacy patterns" and makes a very warm blanket. I need to name it, hmmm, maybe the Never-Ending-Blanket square??

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Never-Ending-Blanket square

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chain 4 and join to form loop

Rd 1 chain 3 (counts as first dc) 2 dc, ch 2, * 3 dc, ch 2* 3 times join to first ch 3

Rd 2 chain 3 (counts as first dc) *dc in each dc (3 st total), in ch 2 sp for corner, 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc* 3 times

Rd 3 and all other rounds start with 3 ch counting as first dc, dc in each dc and 2 dc 2 ch 2 dc in each corner

To change color simply end first color at end of round, join the new color anywhere ( I like to do it in a different spot than where I ended to make working in te ends less noticable) following pattern.

For pictures of blankets I've made with this pattern

Never-Ending-Blanket

Double Strand Lapghan

Project Linus Blankets

Baby Clouds Blankets (read down in post for the 'not quite a pattern' pattern)

Knitting Loom Class!!

The grandbabies came over to learn how to loom knit like grandma!! They're doing pretty good too.