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!

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!

Vegas Knights

The [Las] Vegas Golden Knights were formed in 2017 and is the first major professional sports franchise to be based in Las Vegas.  The Golden Knights are the first team in NHL history to have started their inaugural season winning 8 of their first 9 games!  I think we can expect great things from this team!

If you would like the pdf of this graph, please email me at kendrascrochet@gmail.com with "Vegas Golden Knights" in the subject line.  If you have any questions, please include them in the body of the email.

From this graph, if you use 2 dc per graph square with an H hook, your blanket should come out about twin mattress sized (around 3.5 x 6.5 ft) before including a border.  If you'd like a smaller throw, add 15 rows to each side of the graph and you'll get around a 5 ft square-ish afghan, using a J hook and 1 sc per graph square.  If you've never made a graphghan before, please read my post on intarsia crochet for tips and a little background.

If you'd like me to make it for you, I can do that too!  Please email me for pricing.

Detroit Tigers

Old English D

Tigers are my favorite animal.  Michigan is my home state.  So of course I favor the Detroit Tigers over all other teams! The official logo is the Old English D you see here, though that has changed over time.  When the team first formed, they were cutting the logos out by hand and sewing them on to uniforms and caps, but the caps and uniforms were made by 2 different companies so they didn't match! Now, we still see different versions on caps and on banners and on uniforms...you get the idea.

Tigers are majestic, graceful, and beautiful. Another great thing about the mascot, PAWS the Tiger, is his affinity for social events!  He loves coming to office parties, community events, birthday parties (he can bring gifts from the Tigers!), weddings (he even has a tuxedo he'll wear-how cool is that?), special deliveries (I would dearly love to have a bouquet of flowers delivered to me by PAWS!), and school events.  What a great guy!

Tiger face

In the partial logo of the tiger's face, he looks strong, ferocious, and a little bit scary!  I haven't worked this one up myself but I might someday!  I do love him.  I spent a lot of time getting his face symmetrical, pixel by pixel.  If you want the pdf of either graph, please let me know at kendrascrochet@gmail.com with the photo caption of the graph you want in the subject line.  Any questions should be in the body of the email.  If you make an afghan from these graphs, please send me a photo to be featured here or on my Facebook. page!  Also, I really love seeing the work you do send to me.

Both graphs should be worked up using an H hook and 2 dc per graph square. The tiger face is larger than my usual graphs, and more squared off, so I would work a couple rows before deciding if the size will be right for you.  If you need help changing the size of your finished product, let me know and I'll do my best to help.  If you want a 4 x 5 throw of the Old English D, add 15 rows to top and bottom and 5 rows to each side and work up using 1 sc per graph square with a J hook.

Baltimore Ravens graph

Poe, the official mascot of the Baltimore Ravens, looks pretty fierce in this graph of the NFL team's logo.  When not cheering on his favorite team in purple, Poe enjoys hugging children in hospitals, visiting birthday parties, and bringing fun to area schools!  Get him on the home field, though, and he'll tell you to "play like a raven!"

Finished version.

Crochet this afghan using an H hook and 2 dc per graph square to get a twin-mattress-top sized throw.  To make it a bedspread, add several rows of dc border in the colors used in the main part of the blanket. To get a smaller sized throw, use a J hook and increase the rows by 15 on each side and 5 on top and bottom.  Use 1 sc per graph square.  To get a pdf of this graph, send an email to kendrascrochet@gmail.com with "Baltimore Ravens" in the subject line.  Any questions should be in the body of the email.   Leave your thoughts in the comments below and please click the share buttons, but remember to credit me with the design.  I do make items to sell, also, so if you'd like me to make it for you, contact me at the above email about prices and shipping.

A new version with text.  Ask for "Ravens Text" in your email request.

St. Louis Cardinals

Not to be confused with the NFL team Arizona Cardinals found here,  the St. Louis Cardinals are a Major League Baseball team (as you can figure out from the bat in the graph).  This graph is created to make a twin mattress top sized throw when using an H hook and 2 dc per graph square.  If you want a 4 x 5 ft throw instead, Add 15 rows to each side and 5 rows to top and bottom, then crochet using a J hook and 1 sc per graph square.  I'd recommend starting from the short side as the lettering is a bit involved if you try to do across those rows. If you'd like a bit more detail on the "intarsia crochet" method I like to use to keep colors from showing through, see my series on Intarsia crochet starting here.

If you'd like this graph, please email me at kendrascrochet@gmail.com with "St. Louis Cardinals" in the subject line and I'll send a pdf.  If you enjoy my work,please join my Facebook Page or leave me a comment below, or send an email.  If you make this afghan, please send me a photo to feature on my Facebook page, or to add here.

I've had inquiries as to whether I make and sell the finished product.  Yes I do.  If you have anything in mind you can't find on my blog I'll work with you to create something that you'll love.

Arizona Cardinals graph

To request this free graph (no written instructions) in pdf form, please send an email to me at kendrascrochet@gmail.com with "Arizona Cardinals graph" in the subject line.  When finished using an H hook and 2 dc per graph square it will fit over a double/full sized bed.  If you'd like it smaller, please put your request in the body of your email.  Comments on this blog go to an unmonitored account so queries made here will not get a response.

personalized baby blanket

I do love designing personalized afghans for my customers.  This one is for the baby of a Detroit Tigers fan.  I wasn't sure about the stripes, but they turned out cuter on the corners than horizontally.  Unfortunately, the local Walmart, where I get my yarn, didn't have Caron in Navy blue or a more subdued shade of orange so I'm actually making it in Caron's Ocean and a bright, almost day-glo orange.  I hope they don't mind! I would have waited, but the baby was born yesterday and I was asked to get it done ASAP!  What would you do in this position?

Intarsia tips/grad afghan completion, day 9

graph from which I created the afghan

 My project is completed and ready to be washed and dried before packing up to deliver. I spent a few hours a day for 9 days on this throw. I normally like to crochet top to bottom (or bottom to top if I'm honest), but when there are lots of color changes in a single row then the possibility to get all those colors tangled is very high! 

When I see a lot of color blocks (areas of the same color next to areas of a different color-like in the 2015) I sometimes will decide to work the afghan from the side instead. In the next picture you can see where I've started the very left edge of the tassel in the graph's design.  Even though the photo lays the work horizontally, it's the columns of the graph that I'm working. 
Getting started is the easiest part.  In the first day's work I only just started changing colors.  This particular graph I used 2 dc per graph square, while several graphs use 1 sc per graph square. So I count the number of graph squares and double it to get the number of dc stitches. This graph is 75 stitches high so I crocheted 150+1 for the starting chain (75 x 2 = 150 + 1 for beginning dc=151). Even though i start crocheting in the 3rd chain from the hook, I always used a ch 2 turning chain as first dc of the row (you may use a ch 3, but I think that makes my work look loopy and loose on the edges so I ch 2). When I got to the first color change row, I counted the number of purple squares before it turned to black, crocheted that far, then changed to black yarn and crocheted the black stitches over the working purple yarn (this is called "tapestry crochet") because there were only a few stitches of a different color.

The next day's work shows the black stitches getting wider and wider apart, I used a second skein of black (as you see in the photo) and did not carry them across the work.  Only one purple was used because there were only a few black stitches at a time to carry them under. Another thing I take into consideration is the contrast of the yarn.  Since this is a dark purple, it didn't show under the black as a light color would have.  This method of working each area of a color with a new skein of yarn is called "intarsia."

 On day 3 I started the white of the numbering and the cap.  At this point I did start another purple skein so I wouldn't be carrying it under the stark white and have it show up. In the photo to the left you can see several strands of working yarn attached to the afghan.  When I change colors I leave the previous color behind if I'm not carrying it through, and I pick it back up where needed as I work my way back.

There are some places where I decided to measure the yarn and cut it.  Instead of buying several skeins of yarn of the same color and using only part of each of them, I count how many graph squares of one color are in one area, measure how much yarn it takes to make up one graph square's worth of dc and figure how much yarn it will take to cover the whole area.  I pull out that much yarn and cut it off the skein then ball it up (as you see to the right) to keep it out of the way as I work.  Then I can use that new end of the skein in a different place on the graph when I need it.

At this point in my work, I realized I had miscounted somewhere along the line and was not going to unravel days and days of work to fix it! Counting stitches is important when doing colorwork.  It can throw your whole design off if you miscount.  Of course, as I was taught, you can hide nearly anything if you know how!  On this day, I had to fudge and blur my lines a bit to make up for a mistake that I didn't see was worth unraveling several rows and have a pile of unraveled yarn getting tangled at my feet.  Now I do unravel for big mistakes if I think they'll be noticed or if it is not possible to hide.

While I crocheted this portion, I was very excited because I was past the halfway point and could see the end coming nearer!  It went quicker too, because I didn't have so many color changes and even though it doesn't seem to take much time to switch yarn colors, it adds up and takes a long time to get through a project with a lot of color changes.  Even longer if you're carrying the unused strand through your work because you have to keep track of that and make sure you're covering it up with each stitch.

 You may also notice that I tuck in my ends as I go instead of leaving them for later.  That's my personal choice because I find the work tedious and prefer to do it one at a time and get it out of the way instead of doing them all at once and getting frustrated or mad because I missed one or I'm not finished as quickly as I thought I'd be. Besides all that it looks nicer! I get more satisfaction from my work as I progress if it looks neat and tidy.  I guess when I see ends dangling I just see more work and not how the final product will look!


Here, I realized that the miscount I made earlier was going to affect the design and that I needed to do something about it!  I think I hid it cleverly enough by adding or subtracting a stitch here and there in the design, or by increasing or decreasing where I didn't think it would be noticed.



Be honest, can you tell?  I don't think the recipient will know if I don't tell her!

My last step was to add a border.  You can't tell from the photo, but I went around it in purple first and the scalloped edge with white is done on purpose.  I wanted a more feminine look for this one than for the black one I did.

So, my project is completed and done on schedule, too!  Actually it's done a day early because I took a little extra time yesterday to complete it when I saw how close I was to being done. 

Grad afghan day 7

I only got a few rows done this time (I started washing dishes and scrubbed my whole kitchen! What is it about springtime that makes us do these things?) You can still see progress though. I may be a little behind schedule, but that's not a big deal on this project.  I have one more number to go to complete the 2015 and just to narrow the cap to a point. 

Grad afghan progress Day 6

Well, 6 days in and I'm about 2/3 done. Right on schedule!  But look at that tangled mess of yarn on the right!  Ugh!  It's going to take a while to fix that. I have about 8 strands attached at this point. A few more rows and the 1 will be completed and I can cut the white and have an easier time untangling that knot on the right. I'm wondering whether I have enough white left to complete this project, I may have to start another skein.  I'm using Red heart yarn. 2 purple (I think the actual name is "amethyst") "pounder" skeins, 1 white "pounder" and 2 black 7 oz skeins that still have plenty more yarn on them. It's looking pretty good,I think. minus the messy yarn on the right, of course.

Grad afghan progress, Day 3

this one is going to have a white cap instead of a black one.

Day 3 did not go nearly as well as days 1 and 2.  In fact, I had to unravel the last row of day 2 because the black border around the numbers was supposed to have been started and I didn't notice it. Then I worked about 4 more rows before I remembered the cap was supposed to be white in this one!  So I had to unravel all my day's work and start over.  There was a pile of unraveled yarn on the floor and it's gotten a bit tangled.  I can only hope I can keep it straight well enough not to know it up.  At a later point I realized I had worked over one of my strands that I wasn't supposed to cover so had to unravel another row to uncover it and make it usable again.  So today's progress isn't nearly as noticeable as it should be.

See all those strands at the top of the photo?  They're attached to skeins of yarn.  I count 12 different strands hanging from the work.  I do carry over, tapestry style, if there are only a few stitches and if the colors don't contrast sharply (for example, I try not to carry black or white over each other because it is very visible and not pleasing to they eye).  The first time I made this afghan I started at the bottom and had so very many strands hanging (just look at every time I had to change colors in the numbers when I worked it horizontally!) it was impossible not to get tangled up and I had to cut the yarn to unknot it. it was horrible!

I hope this visual helps with anyone trying to do colorwork.  I enjoy it but it can be a pain if I'm not careful.

Steelers throw

I was this far on my Steelers throw when my part of Michigan came under a travel ban due to snow accumulations so I was happy to put off my other obligations (taking my son to school, getting groceries, etc.) and finish it today!







I was happy to watch my newly recorded (on the dvr) Pride and Prejudice (my favorite story of all time, possibly). I hadn't seen the Kiera Knightley version yet so curling up with it and a project to finish sounded like a perfect day to me!

214 × 317 - imdb.com

I think it turned out really well.  I hope my cousin, who commissioned this for her husband for their upcoming anniversary, likes this as much as I do.  What do you think?









If you'd like to try it yourself, email me at kendrascrochet@gmail.com and ask for the Steelers graph.  It took me (57 double crochet stitches more than ) 2 black, about 1 and a half white, about 1 grey(I used 2 at once; 1 on each side of the circle) and a small amount of gold, blue, and red. I used a G hook and 2 dc per graph square. Final product has yet to be measured because my measuring tape walked off again, but it looks to my eyeballs about 4 ft x 4.5 ft.

swirl hat free pattern.

Skills needed: chain, double crochet, front post triple crochet, sl st join, magic circle

With WW yarn and H hook
magic ring, ch 3 (counts as 1st dc) 11 more dc in ring, join. pull tight (12 dc)
2. ch 3, fptr in dc before join(see note at bottom), dc in next dc, fptr in beg ch 3, (dc in next dc, fptr in dc in st before) rep around, join to beg ch 3 (12 dc and 12 fptr)
*note: to cover the tail, dc over it when making your dc stitches, but not when making the fptr.

3. ch 3, dc in same st, fptr around fptr from prev row's join. sk next fptr, (2 dc in next dc, fptr around prev fptr) rep around join (24 dc and 12 fptr)
4. ch 3 dc in same st, fptr around fptr dc in next dc. (sk next fptr, 2 dc in next dc, fptr around skipped fptr, dc in next dc) rep around, join (36 dc, 12 fptr)
5. ch 3, dc in next dc, (sk fptr, 2 dc in next dc, fptr around skipped fptr, dc in next 2 dc) rep around to lat 2 st.  sk fptr, 2 dc in next dc, fptr in skipped fptr, join. (48 dc, 12 fptr)
6.  ch 3, dc in same st. fptr around fptr in join from prev row. dc in next 3 dc. (sk fptr, 2 dc in next dc, fptr in skipped fptr, dc in next 3 dc) join (60 dc, 12 fptr)
7. ch 3, dc in next dc. (sk fptr, dc in next 2 dc. fptr around fptr just skipped. dc in next 3 dc) rep to last 4 stitches. sk fptr, dc in next 2 dc, fptr around skipped fptr, dc in next dc, join. (60 dc, 12 fptr)
8. ch 3, fptr around fptr to the right of join. (dc in next 3 dc, sk fptr, dc in next 2 dc. fptr around skipped fptr) rep to end, dc in last 4 st. join
9. ch 3, (sk fptr, dc in next 2 dc, fptr around fptr just skipped, dc in next 3) to last 5 stitches. sk fptr, dc in next 2 dc, fptr around fptr just skipped, dc in next 2 dc. join
10. ch 3, dc in next 2 dc. (sk fptr, dc in next 2 fptr around fptr just skipped. dc in next 3 dc) to last 3 st. skip fptr, dc in next 2 dc, fptr in skipped fptr, join
11. ch 3, dc in next. fptr around fptr from join. (dc in next 3, sk fptr, dc in next 2 dc, fptr around skipped fptr) to last 3 stitches. dc in last 3 st, join.
12.-15.  rep 7-10
16.-17 ch 1, sc in next 71, join.
18. ch 1, sc in next 19,  sl in next 2, turn
19. do not ch! (sc in next 5, 2 sc) 4 times, sc in next, sl in next 2, turn
20. (sc in next 5, 2 sc) 5 times, sc in next, sl in next 2, turn
21. (sc in next 5, 2 sc) 6 times, sc in next 2, sl in next 2
22. (sc in nex 4, 2 sc) 9 times, sc in next sl in next 2 turn
23. sc in next 56, sl in next 2, turn
24. sc in next 58, sl in next 2 fasten off

*note: putting the fptr before the dc just made is what causes the swirl pattern to appear.  You will always need to cross over dcs just made to make your fptr throughout the pattern

Graduate afghan graph for sale

Time to start planning for your graduates this year! I made this  2013 graduation afghan from the graph shown before it was modified for 2015. If you'd like a copy, email your request for the graph to kendrascrochet@gmail.com and I'll email you the invoice for $5. If you'd like me to make it for you, I can do that too!

Dr. Who Tardis Hat pattern

 Materials:Less than 1 skein Red Heart Royal Blue
Less than one skein white and small amount of black
Size H crochet hook.
 yarn needle

You will need to know single crochet, back stitching (for the lettering) reverse single crochet (optional), slip stitch (to join rows), Magic circle (see link below)




*Start with magic circle (go to www.allfreecrochet.com/Tutorials/How-to-Crochet-the-Magic-Circle)
*starting ch 1 counts as first sc throughout.
Instructions are given for size small. Size medium changes are in parentheses.
*Change colors by pulling new color through 2 loops that make the previous stitch (pull up a loop, yarn over with new color and pull through both loops on hook)

1. 6 sc in magic circle, join.
2. Ch 1, turn. Sc in same sc. 2 sc in each stitch around) (12 sc). Join.
3. Ch 1, turn. 2 sc in next sc (sc in next, 2 sc in next) 5 times (18 sc) Join.
4. Ch 1, turn. Sc in next, 2 sc in next (sc in next 2, 2 sc in next) 5 times(24 sc) Join.
5. Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 2, 2 sc in next (sc in next 3, 2 sc in next) 5 times (30 sc) Join.
6. Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 3, 2 sc in next (sc in next 4, 2 sc  in next) 5 times (36 sc) Join.
7. Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 4, 2 sc in next (sc in next 5, 2 sc in next) 5 times (42 sc) Join.
8. Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 5, 2 sc in next (sc in next 6, 2 sc in next ) 5 times (48 sc) Join.
9. Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 6, 2 sc in next (sc in next 7, 2 sc in next) 5 times (54 sc) Join.
10. Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 7, 2 sc in next (sc in next 8, 2 sc in next) 5 times (60) sc Join.
11. Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 8, 2 sc in next (sc in next 9, 2 sc in next ) 5 times (66 sc) Join.
12. (size medium only)Ch 1,turn. Sc in next 9, 2 sc in next (sc in next 10, 2 sc in next) 5 times (72 sc) Join.
13. Ch 1, turn. Sc in each sc around 66 (72) sc with black, join with sl st.
14. ch 1, turn. Sc in each sc around. 66 (72) sc join.
15-18. repeat row 14
19. (start windows)ch 1, sc in next changing to white (see notes at top){(sc in next 4, change to blue, sc in next, change to white) 2 times, sc in next 4, change to blue,} sc in next 3 (4), change to white, repeat {} sc in next 2 (4), change to white, repeat {}, sc in next 3 (4), change to white , repeat {} sc in next 1 (3)   Join.
20.  Ch 1, turn, (size small only) sc in next 2, (both sizes) changing to white {(sc in next 4, change to blue, sc, change to white) 2 times, sc in next 4, change to blue,} 2 sc (4), change to white, repeat {}, 3 sc (4) repeat {} again, 2 sc (4), repeat {}, (both sizes) 2 sc, join
21. Repeat row 19
22. repeat row 20
23. ch 1, sc in each sc around, join.
24. Repeat row 20
25. repeat row 19
26. repeat row 23
27. repeat row 23
28. do not turn, reverse sc around, join. Fasten off.
29. Back stitch lettering onto black band as shown.

If you  have any questions, email me at kendrascrochet@gmail.com and I will do my best to help!

Thank you  Beth, for testing this pattern for me! I appreciate it!

small hat diagram

medium hat diagram