Little leaves shawl pattern

 One of my oldest friend's mom was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. As if 2020 wasn't bad enough! She had surgery and underwent chemotherapy. When I asked her if she was warm enough (I've heard people on chemo get cold) she said she'd appreciate a shawl. I have a favorite knit pattern here so I decided to modify it a bit to suit her needs because I crochet so much faster than I knit. It's warm and cozy (instead of light and lacy, like the original - another reason for my choices of crochet stitches and ww yarn) and I hope that since I can't hug her in person (I'm very frustrated with social distancing!) that maybe this will remind her of how much she is loved. 

This shawl is a simple 6 stitch repeat that is worked end to end. Make it any length, width, and color you choose (this on is about 25 inches wide and 46 inches long). I like them big and full-coverage so that's how I made this.  I used leftover yarn from 3 different skeins and I thought the warm, fiery color scheme was appropriate. Fire colors also remind me of the mythical Phoenix, who burst into flames at the end of their lives and are reborn from the ashes.  My friend's mom has certainly been put through the fire this year! 

You'll need to know how to decrease over 3 stitches with double crochet (see how here), DC, and chain. 

With an H hook and WW yarn (I used Bernat) chain a multiple of 6, plus 4, plus one more. I chained 95.

1. DC in 3rd chain from hook and each chain to the end. Turn.

2. Ch 3 (counts as stitch), DC in next. (Ch 1, 3dctog, ch1, DC in next 3) repeat to last 2 stitches. DC in last 2 stitches. Turn.

3. Ch 3, DC in next, (ch 1, 3dctog, ch 1, DC over ch 1 sp, DC in top of 3dctog, DC over ch 1) turn

 Repeat row 3 to desired length.

Toy Story Woody graph and bonus Buzz Lightyear

Woody2

 The Toy Story franchise started in 1995 when I was fresh out of high school.  I didn't want to see it because I was too busy being adult and working my way through college, driving my own car (albeit bought for me, I did love this 20 year old Chevy Chevette in a Smurf-tacular shade of blue), and doing whatever else teenagers transitioning into adulthood do to  prove themselves grown up. 

I eventually saw it.  And I loved it.  I always felt my toys were alive in their own way and had feelings and thoughts and personalities of their own. This movie kinda resonated with me. I did have a favorite toy growing up (mine was Mickey Mouse) but I didn't take him everywhere like Andy did with Woody. I was way too afraid he'd get lost. There was no way I'd risk getting separated from my Mickey forever (he did come to University with me, though).  

Through the years I got lots more toys (I was about 3 years old when I got Mickey) but I was always afraid to have a new favorite because I didn't want to hurt Mickey's feelings. Andy was a bit older and more mature than me so he was able to get a new toy with as much favoritism as Woody.

Buzz Lightyear

Enter Buzz Lightyear.

Buzz didn't know he was a toy at first. Strange.  But he eventually comes to terms with it thanks to Woody.  Even through he may not have had to if it weren't for Woody in the first place...

But anyway, These graphs are made for a twin bed sized afghan when using 2 dc per graph square and an H hook. You can download or print the graphs at kendrascrochetedcreations.com   If you'd like me to make one for you I can do that too! Email me at kendra@kendrascrochetedcreations.com for pricing.

Enjoy!

Baby Shark graph

I have to be honest here.  I know nothing about kids nowadays. 

Baby Shark

I didn't know much about kids when I was one.

I have no clue why Baby Shark is so popular, but I feel certain that anyone reading this is humming that song in their heads, you know the one.  I guess there's something about the rhythm and the repetition that is appealing for young kids. I find it annoying, to be perfectly frank. While working on this graph I had to ask my son to give me another song to get stuck in my head because this one won't let go! 🤣🤣🤣

But I have to admit, he's adorable.  Look at those big anime eyes and huge grin.   I just want to hug the stuffing out of him.  But this one has no stuffing as he's destined to become a throw blanket.  I'll post a picture when he's completed, but for now, he's just a graph waiting to be worked up for a neighbor's youngster for Christmas.  

If you'd like to work up one of your own, go to kendrascrochetedcreations.com and save or print right from your browser.   If you'd like me to work one up for you I can do that too!  Contact me at kendra@kendrascrochetedcreations.com for pricing. I can personalize with a name as well.

I'll work this up with a J hook and 1 sc per graph square and end up with a throw blanket (about 4 x 5 feet).  

I love to hear opinions so leave a comment below, or contact me on Facebook or Instagram.

Finished!

Pennywise (It) graph

It

 I had a friend ask me about making a horror themed afghan for a son who enjoys horror movies. The style I do doesn't take well to a lot of detail so realistic looking faces are not an option for me.  They end up looking cartoonish. But here we have Pennywise the clown, well, sort of...This is the DVD cover for the newest version of the movie.

 

I made this graph to be a twin sized afghan when using 2 dc per graph square with an H hook.  I'll post a photo when I'm done working it up.

If you'd like to try it yourself, you can go to kendrascrochetedcreations.com and save or print right from your browser.

My first C2C graph! (Christmas themed)

Christmas boots

I've had several requests for my c2c graph of *whatever picture is being looked at* and I've had to correct the impression that all graphs are meant to be c2c. I had someone go ahead and make my Green Bay graph into a c2c style and it ended up being 9 feet wide by 13 feet long.  I'm not sure what she's using it for, but it 's good to have that information!

 
 I've never started out to create a c2c graph, though I like working them up myself.  I'm never sure how big to make the graph!  It took some trial and error (and tears of frustration) on my part to decide on a graph size for my twin afghans and I really didn't look forward to going through that again.  So for this one, I looked back to a graph that I worked up and had to modify to get the size I wanted and did a little math to find *voila* that a 40 x 60 graph in c2c would serve me well for a lapghan if I used an I hook to work it up.  

*Backstory on the process:

Basically, I liked the width of the blanket, but the graph I was using was square and it wasn't long enough.  I (yuck) did a few straight rows of dc across the top when I was done to make it a more acceptable length to me, hated it, donated it, and started again.  But this time I knew I wanted it to include those rows worked into the c2c. I added half those rows to the bottom of the graph and half to the top of the graph. When I finished, the graph was an acceptable size to work and it turned out great.

If you'd like to work this Christmas themed graph into a lapghan for  yourself, email me at kendrascrochetedcreations@gmail.com for the pdf of the graph.  "Christmas Boots" should be in the subject line and any questions you have should be in the body of the email.  I do not have instructions to work the c2c method, but if you need them, look here for them. That page also includes a link for a video tutorial as well as written instructions with pictures.

If you work it up, please send me a picture of the finished product!  I love to see my graphs turned into real world items.  I'd love to see this worked up with custom colors on the boots for maybe a favorite sports team.  Maize and Blue boots on a Christmas green background would be perfect for my family!   What colors will you use?

toy restoration

This is my 42 year old Mickey Mouse. I got him from my grandpa when I was about 2 years old. I remember walking with him through the department store and finding it on the floor. I picked it up, like toddlers do, and held onto it. When Grandpa realized I had it he tried to take it from me to put it back but I screamed (I don't remember this part! I remember being a VERY good little girl😁) and he couldn't bear to make his precious little princess scream so he decided to go ahead and get it for me. Unfortunately, it didn't have a price tag so he stopped one of the workers to ask and she tried to find another one like it that had a tag, but there was a problem.  There were no others like it in the store! The whole store! She asked other workers who had no idea. I don't know what price they settled on but my adoring grandpa bought me this Mickey Mouse and I've loved him best of all ever since. You can tell, can't you?  He's been gnawed on, bitten, cried on, slept on/with and loved to pieces. Literally! One time my dad and I were playing around and he acted like he was going to steal Mickey from me and when I yanked him back, the poor dear's arm fell off (Mickey's arm, not Dad's)! I was horrified and so was Dad! He immediately sewed Mickey's arm back on for me and told me it was his bionic arm since it was now stronger than the other one (at the seam).

This is what Mickey is supposed to look like!

I recently decided I'd clean him up a bit.  He has several worn spots, surface "stuff" on his face that I can't seem to wash off, general grunginess, scratched off eyes, missing nose, pilled fabric, his button is long gone and forgotten, and there are stains on his shirt I just can't get out! I've put him in the washing machine before but it didn't seem to clean him up any and now that he's considered an antique or vintage or whatever term they want to put on the old gentlemouse, I was afraid it would be too rough on him.

 I began by hand washing him with mild soap in the sink to get rid of the surface "stuff" stuck to him. The stains on his shirt didn't come out right away, so I used some baking soda and vinegar and a soft brush to rub it in.  It helped brighten up his hands, too! Ugh, I didn't take a picture of the nasty water, but it was pretty brown.  I found a reason for that though...

Once he was cleaned up in the sink I decided it would take forever for him to dry since he fell in and got soaked clear through. Since I needed to restuff him anyway (all the stuffing had migrated from his torso to his head and legs) I'd take the old stuffing out and replace it with new, dry, clean polyfill.  That's when I realized he was stuffed with...I'm not sure, nutshells? Maybe (did they put nutshells in toys in the 70s? I couldn't find any info to confirm that)? Which of course turned the water brown, like an unpleasant looking cup of tea.  So, I restuffed him, brushed him out  with a wire brush to help remove the stuck on filth that didn't come off no matter how hard I rubbed (and to fluff him back up...see the difference in my uber-loved Mickey and the new one? Yikes!) and replaced the button on his shirt front.  The button came from Grandma's button box that she gave me a few years before I lost her.  I used to make button strings in this box when I was very young and stayed at her house.

Grandma's button box...
with a few of my own added

bonus find in the button box

(grandma's button box in the corner)

 Oh, I also made a little mini pom pom for his nose and sewed that on too.  He hasn't looked like this in decades! Oh, do you see that worn spot on his nose?  Here's another one on the back of his head:

worn spot

I filled in the worn spots on his with some close-enough colored yarn I happen to have and brushed and trimmed that up.  My darling husband painted on new eyes (he still needs a touch up there but I was too excited to wait to post it!), and here he is!!

In all his newly restored glory! (Do you see his bionic arm?)

What do you think of him now?  I think he looks just about perfect. No surface dirt, a filled in masculine 😜 torso, button on shirt, no stains, no grunginess, no pilled fabric, eyes painted on, and a new nose! He should last another 100 years.

*That turned up collar on the right? It's always been like that.  I could have fixed it, but I think it adds to his charm.

Lighthouse silhouette graph

Lighthouse

I beg you to please read till the end.  Lots of information!

On February 17 this year, I lost a beloved friend.  She had been battling cancer, which she kept mostly to herself because she didn't like people to worry about her.  So when I got the message from her cousin (who was my best friend from the time we were 6 years old!) it was great shock to me. My friend, Stacy, had insisted that she was getting better.  She told me of recurring kidney infections, but not that her cancer had come back.  She was an amazing woman.  She had a great capacity to love.  She sewed purses and wallets and had a business doing so out of her home. Several months ago she had to put her business on hold and move back in with her parents.

Stacy's Star

Her birthday is coming up soon and her family wants to do a benefit for her to help her husband with the cost of her headstone and probably medical expenses and such.  I was asked to design a blanket in her honor that will be raffled off at the birthday fundraiser.

Stacy loved  lighthouses and had a collection of them so I decided to include her favorite item in the design.  And I think there is something poetic about sunsets, which Stacy also loved, so I included a background of a sunset.  I love the colors in the first one which is just titled "Lighthouse," but I was asked to make it with more of a yellow/orange theme.  When I did so, it seemed very bare so I added 3 birds flying off together.  I chose 3 because Stacy had 2 sisters.

At Stacy's funeral, there was a very moving story about an aunt who thought of her when she saw a bright shining star in the sky (which I can tell you is very appropriate. She really was the bright shining star in the family).  When I realized I hadn't made the graph the correct proportions for a 5 x 6 throw I added rows at the top and there was a lot of blank space so I added one single bright shining star in her honor.

All of that to say this: Until her birthday on April 17, 2020, I would like to ask for a donation of $1 for either graph if you'd like to make a lighthouse afghan of your own (the star and birds are easily skipped if you don't want them in there). Please PayPal me the donation with the title of the graph in the notes section of the transfer and I'll email you the pdf of the graph.  After April 17, email kendrascrochet@gmail.com with either "lighthouse" or "Stacy's Star" in the subject line and I'll email you the pdf free of charge.

If you'd like me to make you one, I would love to as I plan on donating the profits to the family for her headstone, or whatever they need it for, at the time of the benefit.  Temporarily, I'm asking $50 for the throw, if you pre-order by April 17. After then, the price goes back to normal. Email me to order.

I'm working on a finished product right now to be raffled off. If you'd like to order a raffle ticket, please let me know and I'll put you in contact with the one in charge of the raffle.  Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. Finished photo to be posted as soon as I"m done with it!

Time to slow down!

I'm starting to overwhelm myself a bit. I have at least 4 projects that I'm actively working on (a stuffed duck; a pattern for Sonic the Hedgehog's friend, Tails; and 2 bathing suit cover-ups that could also be  summer sweaters) and the same day I buried a dear friend, my mother was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I described myself as "emotionally exhausted" when I looked at my fast food receipt and saw that my order was wrong and did nothing to fix it. I usually have no problem correcting this type of mistake but I nearly burst into tears instead. Tears, because I was charged for 2 cheeseburgers I didn't order and was given Sprite instead of diet Coke!

Well, I certainly didn't mean to go off on that tangent! Let me show you what I've been doing instead.

There are a couple baby dresses in my Etsy shop ( www.etsy.com/shop/KendrasCrochet ) and I added this baby cardigan also. I wish I had a baby model!

Baby cardigan

The owl scarf is for my cousin to match the owl gloves and owl hat she already has.

Messy photo
of Owl scarf

A friend of mine lost her mother a few years ago. Her mother would split skeins of yarn into 2 ply balls for her baby blankets. I inherited her yarn collection. I'm using them here for a couple bathing suit covers. The blue one is a pattern I found in a crochet magazine.  Who's ready for summer? I am!

Crochet! Magazine 

The second cover up is from an unlabeled ball from that collection. If anyone recognizes this color please let me know because I am in love! Pattern from a pinterest post called Whirl Mandala Cardigan

Mandala
Cover-up

Then there's Sonic. After I watched the movie with my son and my dad, I had to make this!! It has a lot of fiddly parts and I had to redo the nose once and was tempted to do it over again, but my darling little prince ran off with him! I guess if it's good enough for him, I'm happy!

Sonic!

What's happening with me

I am finally, FINALLY, winding down from the holidays. I was asked to participate as a vendor in a local Frozen 2 party so I set up a table with stuffed Olafs, stuffed Svens, a couple throw blankets, and some scarves and hats. I actually have a few items left over that I'd still like to sell, so if you're interested in any of them please contact me!

I started my etsy shop back up. It only has a few items in it now, including Olaf and Sven, but I'm working on making more. There are a couple baby dresses that I think would be perfect for Easter or weddings, and I'm working on a stuffed duckie that I hope will gather interest for Easter as well.

I'm working on a pattern for sonic the hedgehog and I'm nearly done with him. I'll need a couple people to test the pattern when I'm done (any day now) so if you're interested, contact me and I'll send it to you. I'm not able to pay you, but you'll have the pattern for free!

What have you been up to so far this year?

Olaf scarf!

Snowflake hat

Baby dress

l

Sonic the Hedgehog free graph

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game character originated by Sega, but is very soon going to be in his own movie!  My son and I are beyond excited to see it.  My son is a gamer boy in the extreme!  He loves Nintendo's Mario best of all (graph can be found here) but I think Sonic is maybe his second favorite and with the movie coming out I figured I'd just have to make a graph...and possibly a blanket! 😉

I worked harder on this one than on any graph I've done before.  I usually try to use the least number of colors possible so there are fewer ends to tuck in and fewer places for something to go wrong. I decided to give Sonic a little depth though, and shaded/shadowed him a bit.  I'm sure if you want to cut down on the colors used, that you could omit the dark blue and use only one color blue throughout.

I created this graph to make a 5 x 6 ft throw when using 1 sc per graph square with a J hook.  If you'd like the pdf of this graph, you can go to kendrascrochetedcreations.com and save or print right from your browser.  If you'd like me to make you one I can do that too.  Email me at kendra@kendrascrochetedcreations.com for pricing. 

If you make this afghan, please send me a photo!  I love to see your work.  If you post it to social media, please credit me with the design and tag me.  I'm KendrasCrochet on Instagram and Twitter, and KendrasCrochetedCreations on Facebook.  If you have any questions about this graph, please let me know. 

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have an amazing logo in my opinion!  I mean, it's a little obvious, they're in Buffalo and their logo is a buffalo...

But look at it! The strength of the leaping buffalo, the perception of motion, and of course the red white and blue colors are always attractive!

This graph was made to create a twin size afghan when using 2 dc per graph square and an H hook.  I'd suggest working it from the short side to avoid too many color changes.  I like to use a method called intarsia where I leave the unused color hanging and pick up the new.  You can see photos of this method in this blog post.  If you'd like the pdf of the graph you can go to kendrascrochetedcreations.com and save orprintright from your browser.  If you'd like me to make you one, I can do that too. Email me at kendra@kendrascrochetedcreations.com for pricing.

If you make this please send  me a photo!  I'd love to see it.  When you share to social media please credit me with the design and tag  @KendrasCrochetedCreations on Facebook and @KendrasCrochet on Twitter and Instagram.  If you like it, let me know in the comments!

Pittsburgh Pirates graph

Do you know how the Pirates got their name?  They were originally the Alleghenys , but when they signed on a much sought after 2nd baseman, they were accused of making a "piratical" move and they embraced the term as their own and wore it proudly. 

The logo has changed over the years, as logos often do, but it has most often been a single "P" in some form. The most recent is this pointy letter P whose name for the font I can't find!  I believe they made it up just for the logo, but I could be wrong.

This graph was created to make a twin sized afghan when using 2 dc per graph square with an H hook.  If you would like to make one yourself, you can go to kendrascrochetedcreations.com and save orvprint right from your browser.   If you'd like me to make one for you I can do that. Email me at kendra@kendrascrochetedcreations.com for pricing. 

If you make one, please send me a photo!  I love to see your finished products.  If you share, tag me in social media. I'm @KendrasCrochet on Twitter and Instagram and KendrasCrochetedCreations on Facebook.

Let me know what you think!

Vikings football graph

ask for Vikings ball

I've attracted a lot of attention over the years with my Green Bay packer afghan (found here).  Eventually a Green Bay fan asked me if I could make this one,  with the football as the main focus.  Fast forward to last week and I was asked if I could use that one to make a Vikings version!  This is what I came up with.  I'm wondering if I should try again with a larger font to take up more space in the football (if you looked at the Packers one, it takes up most of the ball!) or if it's better this way where it looks like a printed logo.  What do you think?   Let me know!

Also, I'm not 100% happy with the V.  I tried and tried to make it looks better but this is honestly the best I could do (without remaking the whole thing bigger - which, as I said, is definitely an option).

Another thing that sort of bothers me is the background color.   I couldn't find a purple that I thought looked suitable for the Vikings so I came as close as I could thinking that if anyone made it they'd have to decide what color yarn to pick up anyway so it would be ok.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure my computer is color calibrated anymore (or maybe my tablet and phone aren't) because sometimes when I look at it, it's red! 

Back to the point: if you want the pdf of this free graph, go to kendrascrochetedcreations.com and you can save or print right from your browser.  I'd use an H hook and 2 dc per graph square to make a twin sized afghan, or you can add 40  graph squares on each end (to make it 200 across) and 30 to the top and bottom (to make it 150) and use a J hook and 1 sc per graph square to get a 5 x 6 ft throw instead. 

If you make one, please share a photo with me!  If you post it to social media, please credit me with the design.  If you'd like me to make you one, I can do that too! Just email me at kendra@kendrascrochetedcreations.com for pricing.

The Little Mermaid Free Graph

I remember going to see The Little Mermaid while I was in middle school. I'm not a huge fan of Disney princesses or anything but my friend was so excited to go see it and wanted to see it with me, so I went.  I loved it!  Mermaid Ariel falls in love with human Prince Eric and wishes to become human (add conflict, resolution, and happy ending) and you get a wonderful film!  I'm undecided as to whether to see the live action version, though the others I've seen (Lady and the Tramp, Aladdin, The Lion King) have not disappointed me.  I don't know, I just really like remembering Ariel in her original cartoon form.  I'll probably watch the new one eventually and I'll probably like it, but for now, nostalgia reigns.

This graph was created to use 1 sc per graph square with a J hook to get a 5 x 6 ft throw.  Personalization is available upon request (name goes in the wide blue area on the left), but I left that area blank to cut down on color changes.  If I made this myself I might choose a variegated blue for the water but that's a personal preference. If you'd like to make this afghan yourself, go to kendrascrochetedcreations.com and save or printright from your browser.   If you post on social media, please credit me for the design.  Tag #KendrasCrochetedCreations and @KendrasCrochet on Instagram and Twitter and @KendrasCrochetedCreations on Facebook.  If you have a finished photo I'd love to see it!  Post it to my Facebook page or email it to me at kendra@kendrascrochetedcreations.com. If you'd like me to make you one, I can do that too. Email me for pricing.

Minecraft creeper hooded blanket pattern

I was asked for a "Minecraft themed blanket" with a hood recently.  I don't know Minecraft so I did a quick google search and found something called a "Creeper" which is apparently the main antagonist of the game.  It looked almost camouflage with it's different shades of green pixelations, but I had copious amounts of green yarn recently donated to me so I chose 2 shades only and set to work.  I decided to keep it more simple than the random colors shown and decided on a checkerboard pattern instead.  Simply put, the checkerboard is 2 rows of alternating shades every 4 stitches, then change which shade goes where and repeat for 2 rows.

J hook
2 shades of green worsted weight yarn.  I used Red Heart Paddy green, and Mary Maxim Starlette Grass Green

Chain 189 (or a multiple of 4 +1 to desired length)
1. Dc in 3rd ch from hook and next 2, changing to second shade of green. dc in next 4, changing back to first shade. Repeat pattern to the end of he chain, using 4 dc of each shade, alternately
2. Ch 3, dc in next 3, changing to other shade. dc in next 4, changing back. Repeat to the end.
3. Changing to second shade of green, ch3. dc in next 3.

Repeat pattern throughout blanket, changing shades every 2 rows so that the colors form a checkerboard pattern.

Graphed out Creeper face

The hood, I had trouble with and would do differently if I had to do one again.  As stated before, it was to be a hooded blanket and I have a certain way of doing hooded blankets and instead of taking time to think about a different way to do it, I spent my time thinking of a way to make the design come out right in my traditional method. I got out my trusty graph paper and outlined  how many squares I needed for the hood (I use one third of the blanket width). then I graphed out the face.  Well, this isnt going to work because I sew one edge to itself to make the top of the hood so I had to cut the graph paper in the middle of the face.  Then I folded it up at a 45° angle and transferred it to the top of the outline. Mirror it for the other side and this is what  you get:

From graph to crochet!

My young teen recognized my finished product as Minecraft and seemed delighted with it so I called it good and sent it on to its new owner.

Finished design.  Not happy with the
results because the eyes are folded over.

Paw print heart free graph

I have a good friend who had the unfortunate experience to let her pet go with the help of a vet today.  I started thinking about how this pet had left her paw print on my friend's heart in the short time they were together.  I decided to design this graph for all our beloved fur babies.  This graph is easily customizable with a name (and dates) if desired.  The colors are up to you, but the graph was made to create a 5 x 6 throw when using 1 sc per graph square with a J hook.  If you'd like to make one yourself, please goto kendrascrochetedcreations.com and save or print right from your browser.  If you'd like me to make one for you I can do that too.  Email me at kendra@kendrascrochetedcreations.com for pricing.  If you make one and post a picture, please tag @KendrasCrochet on Twitter and Instagram. If you like the design, please share it with the buttons below.  If you have feedback, please leave a comment.

Smoother lines on graphghan designs

clunky stair step lines

Don't you hate that stair step look when you work on a graph and change colors?  You know the thing I'm talking about, the outline of  a design worked out on graph paper that doesn't have a smooth line when it angles to the side. Drives me crazy!  I figured out a way to smooth out those clunky stair step lines and I like my designs better now!

There's a simple fix.  It involves increases and decreases.   That's it. Very simple fix for a very frustrating problem.  My Olaf afghan has a lot of angles and this method worked great on smoothing the outlines out. I made a few of them for a Frozen 2 party where I'll be selling them.

Anyway, when you come to a color change that doesn't line up with the row before, that's when you increase and decrease the colors.  For example, the buttons on Olaf.  They're sort of circular so they involve color changes that aren't lined up.

Increase the number of black

At this particular point in the Olaf Afghan, the button on Olaf's front is getting wider as we work it, so when we come to the edge of the button we increase the number of black stitches. Of course, the first side we come to isn't shown (oops!), but I first decreased on the 2 stitches before the button then increased the first of the black stitches. The most important thing to do is to keep count!  Make absolute sure that you have the same number of stitches in each row and make sure that you have the correct number of each color in each row.

If you do this you will end up with smoother lines in your afghans. Of course, not every line will allow this.  That's ok.  Do it when you can and the overall appearance will be much less clunky and more professional.

Decrease the white

One tip on the Olaf afghan: There are lines to show where the legs attach to the body and where the head attaches as well.  They are lines of single stitches.  When they angle off to one side or another, put an increase/decrease before the line, put the (in this case, gray) outline stitch in the outline stitch from the row before, then increase/decrease after it.

If you have any questions about this please email me and I'll do what I can to help you.

Smooth lines!