The Afghan Continues

I started this project with a Christmas date in mind. However, as usual my projects change. My husband has become attached to this unusual Granny Afghan and I am going to give it to him for his birthday. I have since found several other patterns to make for Christmas so it works for me. I get to experiment with different patterns. I still have more colors to add, but I like the results to date.

I found a new free ripple pattern at AC Moore this weekend from Lion Brand. The one I grabbed did not rip clean so I downloaded the pattern from their website yesterday. This is the first time I am going to be using the heavier yarn to make a project. The yarn was onsale at Knitting Warehouse and was cheaper than the price at JoAnn's.

If you arrived here looking for free afghan patterns check the following blog pages:


Free Afghan Patterns

Toy Theme Afghans

Bring a Project to the Doctor's Office

I am not a fan of waiting. Patience is a virtue and it is much easier to have when I am distracted. Books, magazines, and puzzles do not work for me. The distractions of children, noises, and the purpose for being in the office generally keep me from being able to focus my attention on reading. However, I found one of the benefits of crocheting is travel. When I have to wait, my travel bag comes with me. My loving husband outfitted my travel bag this past Christmas. He replaced my old hooks with new ones leaving the old set to sit in the travel bag waiting for any trip that requires prolonged waiting. He added a row counter and I had an extra scissors.

Now I take simple projects with me to various appointments and I am much calmer and patient while waiting. I have the benefit of knowing my time is not wasted. I am finishing work that I may not have been doing had I stayed home. I always bring more than I think I will need and during extra long waits have been glad of the planning.

This option is obviously not limited to crocheting. Those who have crafts that can travel can take advantage of these moments to complete tasks. I have seen knitters and people with plastic canvas working away at projects while we all wait. Others look on as if we are crazy, until the magazines are finished and the book loses its interest.

Waiting is never enjoyable, but it does not have to be wasted time. You can find something to keep you engaged and productive.

The Baby Blankets were a Hit

I mentioned in an earlier blog about this project about my preferences for baby projects. Just because I prefer colors that wash and shapes that do not require rectangle edges does not mean the recipients will also have the same views. While most people are polite on receiving baby gifts, it is great when you get positive feedback that people enjoy the items you make.

The bear blankie was also popular. Although, my husband was thrilled to discover the gift that entertained the toddler the longest was the gift bag. He found one covered with animals and the child created a game playing name the animal with his parents.

Therefore, while my projects were a hit, the award for best gift goes to my husband for the gift bag.

If you arrived her looking for free baby blanket patterns please check out:


Baby Blanket Page

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Rectangle Granny Square Project

I really enjoyed working with the bright primary colors on the Circus Baby Afghan. That project got me thinking about making some afghans for Christmas projects using primary colors for some of the younger children on my gift list. I went through my patterns looking for three candidates.

In the past, I have tried using the same pattern and different colors. I learned the last time I tried this that color variation does little to help keep my interest. Once I have completed a long project, I have little desire to repeat the project. My hope is that by finding three compatible projects to use the same color schemes I will finish all three.

I started the first project over the weekend and this where the projects stands. This pattern is from the out of print Annie's Attic Afghan club. When I complete the project, I will post the pattern number for anyone who may be looking to locate it.

I love granny squares, but have two issues with granny afghans. The first is making the squares all the same size. The second is having the patience to sew them all together. My Mom had a paper bag full of granny squares that my little sister and I played with for years. We would lay the granny squares out on the floor to design our own afghans. I do not know if Mom ever assembled the squares. It is too bad she did not donate them to a group that would have used them. I remember them as being beautiful squares, just needing someone who would put them all together. I suspect that even if I get the grannies to match, I may never have the patience to put them all together. I keep hearing about alternatives that allow you to assemble as you crochet. As of yet, I have not located a pattern that will let me do that.

This is a compromise and a practice pattern. I have never seen a rectangle granny. It has been fun learning how to work with one. There is also the size of the piece. Most of the items I crochet tend to be much smaller. It is challenging getting used to working with heavier pieces.

The other two patterns I am considering are variations on the ripple. It is a challenging goal to complete all three before Christmas. I will have to see how far I get before they need to ship.

If you arrived here looking for free Afghan or Baby Afghan Patterns:

Afghans Free Patterns

Baby Blanket Patterns

Toy Theme Afghans

Bear Security Blanket

The baby that I made the Circus Baby Afghan for has a big brother. I decided to make the Bear Security Blanket from B Is for Baby from Annie's Attic for him. I had made one of these before. Last time I followed the pattern colors. This time I decided to use some darker, more cleaning friendly colors. The white is beautiful, but hardly friendly to dirt. The green looks white in this picture, but it is a bit darker.

I like the idea of a transition blanket. The blanket combines a teddy bear with a shorter blanket that is easier to carry and less likely to drag on the floor. The child still has a blanket. The smaller blanket is not the burden that full size baby blankets are to travel with constantly.

If you arrived her looking for free baby blanket patterns please check out:


Baby Blanket Page

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Stealing Free Patterns

Recently one of the bloggers I follow pulled her free patterns from her blog because people are not only publishing but also SELLING her free patterns. This arrogance is unbelievable. As a freelance writer, I understand the frustration of having others steal your hard work.

There are mainly two groups causing problems for our generous designers. The first are people who take the free patterns and publish them on blogs, websites, or message boards from ignorance. They assume incorrectly that because the patterns are offered without cost, they are free to publish them and have no copy writes protecting them.

This is NOT true. If you notice there are no patterns posted on this blog. Eventually I may write some of my own, but for the moment, I have not chosen to do so. At some point, a designer may offer to let me share a pattern and I will make note of that on the pattern so people will clearly understand the terms of use. I do not publish patterns because I DO NOT have permission to use the designer's patterns.

The second group has a more devious issue. This group steals patterns. This is not a result of ignorance, but done to make money from the hard work of others. These people find free patterns and then sell them as their own designs. This is not acceptable.

Another issue that affects me as a blog writer is images. Images are not free for the taking. If you see a picture of a project you like, it does not mean you can grab it and use it because you lack one of your own. I have mentioned several times that I use Flickr and Morgue to find free photographs for my blog when I do not have my own pictures. I have worked hard to establish my own library of pictures to use for my blogs. These are my work and are not for public use. Yet people feel free to grab pictures without permission.

People offer free patterns for a variety of reasons. Some bring traffic to their blogs and websites. Others are hoping to increase sales for their paid items. The reasons they offer the patterns are not relevant to justifying stealing. They own these patterns and it is never OK to steal them.

If you want to share a free pattern, provide a link to the pattern. People can follow the link and download the pattern, just as you did. If you want to borrow a picture, send a message to the blog or website owner. Do not just take the item and assume it is OK. If you do not hear, move on and find another alternative.

This is not an isolated incident. Sadly, I have heard from more than one designer that they are reconsidering how they share their free patterns. At the heart of it is respect. If people continue to treat designers with disrespect, we can expect fewer free patterns.

Circus Star Baby Afghan

This pattern comes from B Is for Baby from Annie's Attic. I keep finding useful patterns in this book that I had not noticed before. Realizing I needed a baby blanket pattern, I started searching through my printed patterns and my books. I was looking for something that was not a rectangle shape. The ends can sometimes be challenging to keep straight. The star pattern seemed a great alternative.

The primary colors were also an attraction. They create a bright and cheerful blanket. These colors also have the advantage of making a blanket that is easier to keep clean. While the pastels are more traditional for babies, they tend to stain easily making them more challenging to keep clean.

This blanket will be headed off to a family friend soon. However, it has inspired me to think about looking at some crayon afghan patterns.

If you arrived her looking for free baby blanket patterns please check out:


Baby Blanket Page

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Free Easter Egg Dishcloth Potholder Pattern

I have looked at Easter dishcloth patterns in books and free patterns online. I had not seen an egg pattern that was practical as well as decorative until I located this free potholder Easter egg pattern.

The pattern was simple and quick to make. If you can handle single crochet and single crochet decreases, you can manage this project. The pattern is for a potholder that requires making two eggs and sewing them together for the potholder. I made only one. As I did with the shamrock for St. Patrick's Day, this will be my shaped dishcloth.

If you are looking for simple gifts to make dishcloths can be a great way to give people practical holiday decorations. There are many free patterns available for those who crochet and knit. With the variety of colors available in cotton yarn, it is easy to match colors to desired choices.

St. Patrick's Day is Here!!

I met a number of my crafting goals for St. Patrick's Day. I made some house items that are decorative and useful. One of my packages got out on time and one was late, but I finished them both.

Next year I would like to make some decorations for my home. I would also like to continue my collection of home items. I always set the goal of finishing my packages earlier, but that is always a matter of timing. I started early this year, but ran into challenges that I would not have anticipated. I suspect the same will happen next year.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe St. Patrick's Day. I am moving full speed ahead as I have three birthdays and Easter to prepare for in the next few months.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines


Pictures may not be used without written permission.

My Unicorn Arrived!

Saturday my unicorn arrived and I was thrilled. The item was even more beautiful than the picture on her blog. I posted last week that I won the unicorn as part of a contest at Mausica's Magical Menagerie. I will have to decide on a name for the unicorn soon.

One of the wonderful things about getting an amigurumi as a present is getting the chance to study other people's work. You can read books, look at pictures on blogs, but there is nothing like seeing the actual product to learn more about how others deal with the challenges of making amigurumis.

I encourage others to visit the site. She offers regular contests and some wonderful free patterns that I have linked to from this site.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Free Shamrock Crochet Dishcloth Pot Holder Pattern

This dishcloth was created from a free shamrock potholder pattern I found when I was updating my St. Patrick's Day patterns. I like this pattern better than the one I made from my potholder book. The shamrock is much more defined.

Lately I have been converting several potholder patterns to holiday dishcloths, as they tend to have the shapes and decorative aspects I have not seen in dishcloth patterns.

This one is already in service proving to be both decorative and useful. I have an Easter one in the works.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines


Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Barbie Irish Dress

Annie's Attic has created e-patterns for many of their patterns, but I wish they would revisit their old doll and toy patterns. I keep searching the vintage markets, but the competition is fierce and the prices can be intimidating.

This dress is my adaptation of the Irish Lass pattern from Annie's Attic's Fashion Doll Wardrobe International, 87D10. People are often frustrated that I cannot offer them all the patterns I write about here. My suggestion is to lobby Annie's Attic to offer these patterns as e-patterns. I respect copy writes and will not violate them. These books are still available on vintage and auction sites. Check with friends and relatives that make dolls clothes. I suspect I am not the only collector of these booklets. You may find people who are willing to loan you the pattern.

This dress was one of the most challenging Barbie outfits I have made. The pattern calls for Knit-Cro-Sheen. I used Knit Picks Finger Yarn and Bernat Baby Yarn. I ended up decreasing the stitches in the skirt. The top fit as written. The details were fun to try. The vest came out better than expected. The apron needs more work for me to be satisfied. I will try again. I will be revisiting this pattern. It made a nice addition to my St. Patrick's Day package.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

I Won a Unicorn Amigurumi

I do not tend to be the name that gets drawn out of the hat often, but I am thrilled that I won an amigurumi unicorn from Mausica's Magical Menagerie. If you love the little creatures as much as I do you may want to check out her blog as she has regular contests to enter for ami prizes.

While I make lots of these for gifts and for holiday decorations, I have never actually received or bought one for myself. This will be the first.

I will post pictures of my prize when it arrives. I received an email that it shipped today.

Time for Another Birthday Candle

I made this candle for a birthday last summer for one of my adult relatives. The pattern is part of a larger cake pattern found in Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too. The response was favorable and my intent was to continue the tradition. As I got busy with projects I have not made more candles.

I have several birthdays approaching and this would be a great project. These candles are great crochet items for all age groups. For younger children these make great birthday decorations. They are cute and not easily broken. They are small enough to be stored and used for multiple occasions without becoming a burden.

It will be fun to explore colors and alterations to the pattern as I work on this project. I will post the candles as I complete them.

Easter Eggs Have Arrived

I promised I would post photographs of this years crop. So far three are finished, I do have more to make. I love making these. They are a great project to make when you are tired, need something with limited focus, or just looking for something simple to make.

I also like the fact that you control what kids are getting when you make your own. Yes, you still are at the mercy of the people who manufacturer your yarn, unless you spin your own, but you can control choices in stuffing, manufacturing environment, etc. With all the toy concerns lately, making something as easy as these is a good solution for a multipurpose holiday item. You can use them as toys, decorations, or as I describe in an earlier post substitute Easter Eggs.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Hello Kitty

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Why Make Dishcloths?

I have had people ask this question and I asked it myself when introduced to the idea. One of my younger relatives knitted me my first dishcloth. I had never seen a cotton dishcloth before. I had bought a variety of different cleaning cloths, used rags, but never made any.

As I taught myself knitting and crocheting, the square projects were great practice. There were a variety of free patterns to try and it was a great chance to practice.

However, I continue to make the cloths because they are both decorative and practical.

The cotton dishcloths I have made have outlasted any of the commercial products I have purchased. While the cotton is not cheap, I do wait and buy the yarn with coupons or as a sale item. This reduces the cost of making them.

They clean quite well. Different stitches create better cleaning options. For instance, I like the flat panel crochet and knit ones for dishes and general cleaning. However, the stitches that create a variety of bumps make great scrubbing cloths.

These cloths are reusable. Use, wash, and reuse. This makes them very conservation friendly.

Since the yarn come in different colors, people can make a variety of decorative patterns. Celebrate holidays and seasons with a variety of colors and different knitted and crocheted patterns.

I continue to build my supply of dishcloths. I have not had to replace any of the original ones I made, yet. I am hoping to have a good supply soon.

If you arrived here looking for free home patterns please see the following blog pages:

Crochet and Knit Dishcloth Patterns

Kitchen, Bath, and Home

Towel Topper Patterns

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Easter Granny Square Dishcloth

I have been on a kick lately to make cotton dishcloths for our kitchen. My husband actually asked me yesterday if he could use one of the shamrocks to clean with and I laughed. I like decorative items, but my point in using cotton has been to make them practical, not just pretty. The shamrock has been put to good use.

I have been experimenting with a variety of granny squares. First, they are a fun pattern to play with and can be done in a variety of locations without having to carry many directions. Secondly, they make decorative items. Lastly, they have a scrubbing quality that flat panels have not given me. Those bumps do have a cleaning quality. Even though you lose some cleaning quality with the granny gaps.

The variegated cotton dishcloth yarn makes wonderful granny patterns. Last year, I made knitted and crochet basic square dishcloths. They were not nearly as pretty as the granny versions. I will continue to make both as they all serve different cleaning purposes.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Hello Kitty

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Crochet Eggs for Easter

These are some of the eggs I made last year. I already have three more crocheted for this year. They are waiting for pictures. These were made using the pattern from Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet. However, you can find free Easter Egg patterns on the Easter page, too.

I have been using up the ends of cotton dishcloth yarn to make this year’s eggs from and the plan is working well. I have been making spring dishcloths and using the remaining yarn to make my eggs. The cotton-variegated yarn makes pretty egg patterns.

These eggs are great for young and old. I am thinking of sending my MIL some to decorate with, as the colors are pretty. We learned last year they last rough treatment and are easy on the furniture during toss games. They can be used to hide if you give out prizes based on eggs found instead of having the prizes in the eggs. As my younger relatives have gotten older, I have found it more challenging to get items that fit into the eggs. I have resorted to a variety of clues in the eggs or color-coded eggs being equivalent to certain prizes. If I had enough crocheted eggs, I might eliminate the plastic eggs all together. However, by that time I will be looking at a new generation of children.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Hello Kitty

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Bunnyzilla or What Happens to Easter Puppets When the Pattern Goes Wrong

Sorry I have no picture folks. It was a frustrating day after working on a pattern from a vintage book to realize the puppet part was not right and it made the bunny look like something from a horror flick. His face was distorted. I considered using it for a Halloween project, but the part for the hand is just not comfortable for use. I have to go back and figure out where I went wrong with the directions. I was upset because I loved the way the arm part worked. I had a pretty pink bunny coming together, but there is something wrong with how I constructed his mouth. Therefore, it is back to the drawing board.

On the upside, I have a few more dishcloths finished and I have started the yearly production of crochet Easter eggs. I will have photographs soon.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Hello Kitty

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Hello Kitty Free St. Patrick's Day Pattern

This is a free pattern I located last year and saved on my St. Patrick's Day page. I purchased a package of these hats from Michaels last year and stored them. For those of you looking to make this pattern I do not know if Michaels is still carrying these hats. I am hoping to get out before the season is over and stock up again. Last year I used some of them for Barbie hats. They make cute additions to various decorations. I have some ideas about using them for other patterns next year.




If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without permission.