Friday, January 24, 2014

Granny square baby blanket for the NC State Fair

This year I am trying to use the yarn I have on hand to crochet my projects for the NC State Fair this year.  This makes Mr. M very happy!  :)  I wanted to make a colorful baby blanket this year and I was originally going to do a corner to corner blanket.    I was inspired by someone that I found on Facebook that is a yarn bomber in California.   He is trying to crochet the world's largest granny square as well as planning a very large yarn bombing project later this year.  So I found a rectangle granny square pattern and started my blanket.  Below are pictures of the progress it took to complete the blanket.  It only took me a week to make so I am so on fire this year getting my projects done.

The six colors I picked from my yarn stash.
Yarn status half way through the blanket.
Blanket is complete.  Just have to sew in the tails.
Yarn that was left over at the end of the blanket.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Mission Chicken hotpad

Mission Chicken Hot Pad Pattern
by Angi Swartzendruber
January 16, 2014
 


A co-worker of mine gave me a picture of hot pad she had seen on the internet and said "can you make this for me?"  I searched and could not find a free pattern for this so I blew up the picture she gave me and I figured out the pattern design.  

Supplies Needed: 
 
1 ball of cotton for the body color
1 ball of cotton for the feather color
Small amount of red for the cowl
Small amount of yellow for the beak
H hook
Darning needle

**  Watch your tension so the circles don't curl and they stay even.  The chain 2 in the beginning of each row does not count in the stitch count for the round. **

Body (make 2)

With body color, chain 4 and join or you can use the magic loop method.

Round 1: Chain 2 (does not count) work 12 DC (double crochets) in the circle and slip stitch to the top of the chain 2, turn (12 DC)

Round 2: Chain 2, work 2 DC in each DC of previous round, join to the top of the chain 2, turn (24 DC)

Round 3:  Chain 2, work * 1 DC, 2 DC over the next 2 DC's, repeat * 10 more times, DC in the last DC, and then slip stitch to the top of the chain 2, turn (34 DC)

Round 4:  Chain 2, work * 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DC over the next three DC's, repeat * around work 1 DC in the last DC, and then slip stitch to the top of the chain 2, turn (45 DC)

Round 5:  Chain 2, work * 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DC over the next four DC's, repeat * around work 1 DC in the last DC, and then slip stitch to the top of the chain 2, tie off (56 DC)

Hold the two rounds together with the right sides facing out on each side and SC (single crochet) them together.  Do not tie off.


Head and Outer Body foundation

With the body color, work 10 DC in the first DC, then work 6 DC in the next DC, skip 2 DC then work 2 SC.  Now switch to the feather color.  Work 14 SC down the circle, skip 1 DC then  work * (3 DC, chain 2, 3 DC) in the next DC, skip 1 DC, work 1 SC, skip 1 DC, now repeat * around.  Tie off (10 shells)

To finish off the body SC around starting at the first of the two SC's done in the body color.  Work 3 SC in the chain 2 of the feather shells.  When you reach the top center of the body, work in a chain 10 (hanger) then finish working the SC's to the top of the V shape tie off right below the 10 DC cluster. 


Cowl

Using the red cotton, work a chain three in the first DC of the 10 DC cluster, then work 2 more DC's in the same space, slip stitch in the next DC, * work 3 DC in the next DC, slip stitch in the next DC, repeat 3 more times then tie off.  (Five 3 DC groups)

Beak

Using the yellow cotton, work a chain 2 in the DC next to where the cowl ended, work a HDC (half double crochet) in the same space as the chain 2, then work 2 DC's in the next DC.  Tie off.

That completes the Mission Chicken hot pad.  If you find any issues feel free to let me know.  You can contact me at theflyinghook@live.com.  Enjoy!!