Thursday, May 30, 2013

New Doily and a Bit of Quiet Time



Earlier this week I finished a pink pineapple doily. Its vintage pattern is from 1951.




I have a small round table that I occasionally set up in the garden for a cup of tea. My new doily is perfect as a table topper for it. The size is just right.




Yesterday I had a chance to use my new doily. I managed to get both my boys to take their naps (usually the older one does not sleep during the day), so I had a bit of quiet time to myself. Typically I would sit down and crochet, but yesterday I decided to spend my quiet time reading (usually I only read before going to bed). And my backyard seemed as a perfect place for it. 

I brew myself a mug of tea and set up a cozy little spot. I spent about an hour reading.

I’m a big Agatha Christie’s fan, and right now I’m reading The Body in the Library. I’m also reading a book by John Curran called Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks

Both books make great reading and I took pleasure in reading a bit of each. I also enjoyed my tea, my new doily, a few blooms from my yard, and my short solitude.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pink Pineapple Doily, Star Doily Book No.87, American Thread Company, 1951

Ch 11, join to form a ring, ch 3, 24 d c in ring, join in 3rd st of ch.

2nd Round. Ch 6, tr c in next d c, * ch 2, tr c in next d c, repeat from * all around, ch 2, join in 4th st of ch (25trc).

3rd Round. Sl st into loop, ch 5, d c in same loop, * 1 d c, ch 2, 1 d c in next loop, repeat from * all around, join in 3rd st of ch.

4th Round. Sl st into loop, ch 6, tr c in same loop,* 1 tr c, ch 2, 1 tr c in next loop, repeat from * all around, join in 4th st of ch.

5th Round. Sl st into loop, ch 6, d c in same space, * 1 d c, ch 3, 1 d c in next loop, repeat from * all around, join in 3rd st of ch.

6th Round. Sl st into loop, ch 8, tr c in same space, * 1 tr c, ch 4, 1 tr c in next loop, repeat from * all around, join in 4th st of ch.

7th Round. Sl st into loop, ch 5, d c in same space, * 1 d c, ch 2, 1 d c in space between next 2 tr c, 1 d c, ch 2, 1 d c in next loop, repeat from * all around ending round with 1 d c, ch 2, 1 d c in last space, join in 3rd st of ch.

8th Round. Sl st into loop, ch 6, tr c in same space, * 1 tr c, ch 2, 1 tr c in next loop, repeat from * all around, join in 4th st of ch.

9th Round. Sl st into loop, ch 6, d c in same space, * 1 d c, ch 3, 1 d c in next loop, repeat from * all around, join.

10th Round. Sl st into loop, ch 3, 1 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in same space, * ch 4, s c in next loop, ch 4, 1 tr c, ch 4, 1 tr c in next loop, ch 4, s c in next loop, ch 4, 2 d c, ch 2, 2 d c (shell) in next loop, shell in next loop, repeat from * all around ending round with ch 4, s c in next loop, ch 4, 1 tr c, ch 4, 1 tr c in next loop, ch 4, s c in next loop, ch 4, shell in next loop, join.

11th Round. Sl st into shell, ch 3, 1 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in same space, * ch 2, skip 2 loops, 10 tr c in next loop, ch 2, skip 2 loops, shell in next shell, ch 1, shell in next shell, repeat from * all around ending round to correspond, ch 1, join. All shells are worked in same manner for remainder of doily.

12th Round. Sl st into shell, ch 3, 1 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in same space, * ch 2, 1 tr c in each of the next 10 tr c with ch 1 between each tr c, ch 2, shell in next shell, ch 1, shell in next shell, repeat from * all around ending round to correspond, ch 1, join.

13th Round. Sl st into shell, ch 3, 1 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in same space, ** ch 2, s c between 1st 2 tr c, * ch 3, s c between next 2 tr c, repeat from * 7 times, ch 2, shell in next shell, ch 1, shell in next shell, repeat from ** all around ending round to correspond, ch 1, join.

14th Round. Sl st into shell, ch 3, 1 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in same space, ** ch 3, skip 1 loop, s c in 1st loop of pineapple, * ch 3, s c in next loop, repeat from * 6 times, ch 3, shell in next shell, ch 1, shell in next shell, repeat from ** all around ending round to correspond, ch 1, join.

15th Round. Same as last round but having 1 loop less in each pineapple.

l6th Round. Same as 15th round but having ch 3 between the 2 shells in each section, ch 3, join.

17th Round. Sl st into shell, ch 3, 1 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in same space, ** ch 3, s c in 1st loop of pineapple, * ch 3, s c in next loop, repeat from * 3 times, ch 3, shell in next shell, ch 2, 1 tr c, ch 3, 1 tr c in next loop, ch 2, shell in next shell, repeat from ** all around ending round tocorrespond, join.

18th Round. Sl st into shell, ch 3, 1 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in same space, **ch 3, s c in 1st loop of pineapple, * ch 3, s c in next loop, repeat from * twice, ch 3, shell in next shell, * ch 2, 1 tr c, ch 3, 1 tr c in next loop, repeat from * twice, ch 2, shell in next shell, repeat from ** all aroundending round to correspond, join.

19th Round. Sl st into shell, ch 3, 1 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in same space, ** ch 3, s c in 1st loop of pineapple, * ch 3, s c in next loop, repeat from * once, ch 3, shell in next shell, ch 2, * 1 d c, ch 2, 1 d c in next loop, repeat from * 6 times, ch 2, shell in next shell, repeat from ** all around ending round to correspond, join.

20th Round. Sl st into shell, ch 3, 1 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in same space, ** ch 3, skip 1 loop, s c in next loop of pineapple, ch 3, s c in next loop, ch 3, skip 1 loop, shell in next shell, ch 3, skip 1 loop, cluster st in next loop (cluster st: 3 d c in same space keeping last loop of each d c onhook, thread over and pull through all loops at one time), * ch 3, cluster st in next loop, repeat from * 5 times, ch 3,  shell in next shell, repeat from ** all around ending round to correspond, join.

21st Round. Sl st into shell, ch 3, 1 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in same space, ** ch 3, s c in remaining loop of pineapple, ch 3, shell in next shell, * ch 2, 1 tr c, ch 2, 1 tr c in next loop, repeat from * 7 times, ch 2, shell in next shell, repeat from ** all around ending round to correspond, join.

22nd Round. Sl st into shell, ch 3, 1 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in same space, ** shell in next shell, ch 2, skip 1 loop, * 1 d c, ch 2, 1 d c in next loop, repeat from * 14 times, ch 2, skip 1 loop, shell in next shell, repeat from ** all around ending round to correspond, join.

23rd Round. Sl st into shell, ch 3, cluster st in same space, ** cluster st in next shell, ch 3, skip 1 loop, cluster st in next loop, * ch 3, cluster st in next loop, repeat from * 13 times, ch 3, skip 1 loop, cluster st in next shell, repeat from ** all around ending round to correspond, join.

24th Round. Sl st into 2nd loop, ch 4, tr c in same space, * ch 2, 2 tr c in next loop, repeat from * 12 times, skip 2 loops, 2 tr c in next loop, repeat from 1st * all around in same manner skipping last 2 loops and joining in 4th st of ch.

25th Round. ** Ch 4, skip 1 loop, * d c in next tr c, ch 4, sl st in 3rd st from hook for picot, ch 1, d c in next tr c, ch 3, repeat from * 10 times, d c in next tr c, ch 4, sl st in 3rd st from hook for picot, ch 1, d c in next tr c, ch 4, skip 1 loop, s c in center space between next 4 tr c atbase of scallop, repeat from ** all around, join, cut thread.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Shells and Chains



This stitch is a variation of good old shells. To make it “lacy” I added chains between the shells.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be the best choice for a baby blanket (I think the holes are too big), but I can imagine a chunky scarf or cowl made with this stitch will look quite pretty.  





Multiple of 7 plus 2 (I started with ch 30 to make the swatches shown)

Shell in this pattern: (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) all in same space.

Turning ch 3 is referred to as “last dc” at the end of rows. 

Row 1: shell in 6th ch from hook, *ch 3, skip 6 ch, shell in next ch* across; dc in last ch. Ch 3, turn.

Row 2: *shell in next shell, ch 2, sc in next ch-3 space, ch 2* across, ending with shell in next shell; dc in last dc. Ch 3, turn.

Row 3: *shell in next shell, ch 3* across, ending with shell in next shell; dc in last dc. Ch 3, turn.

Repeat Rows 2-3.



Sunday, May 26, 2013

V-Stitch Baby Beanie, Size 3-6 Months




Back in February I shared my pattern for a V-stitch newborn beanie. This is the same pattern but adjusted for a bigger size (3-6 months).




The hat measures about 14 inches (35.5 cm) in diameter and 6 inches (15.25 cm) in height.

I used Bernat Baby Sport yarn, and US size E (3.5 mm) hook.

Gauge: 3 first rounds = 3.5 inches (almost 9 cm).

In this pattern V-st is (dc, ch 1, dc) all in same space.



This pattern is my original design. It cannot be posted on other sites or distributed in any other form. If you would like to share this pattern, you can post ONE image on your site with the link to my original post. You can use this pattern to make items for personal use or for sale. If you sell finished items from this pattern, you must give design credit to Lacy Crochet blog (lacycrochet.blogspot.com). Please, respect my work. Thank you!

Ch 5, join with sl st into ring.



Round 1: Ch 4, *dc in ring, ch 1* 11 times. Join with sl st into 3rd ch of beginning ch-4.



Round 2: Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 4, dc in same ch-1 space, V-st in each ch-1 space around. Join with sl st into 3rd ch of beginning ch-4.



Round 3:  Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 4, dc in same ch-1 space, V-st into next space between two V-st of previous round, *V-st into next 2 V-st, V-st into next space between two V-st of previous round* 5 times, V-st into next V-st. Join with sl st into 3rd ch of beginning ch-4.



Round 4: Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 4, dc in same ch-1 space, V-st into each V-st around. Join with sl st into 3rd ch of beginning ch-4.



Round 5: Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 4, dc in same ch-1 space, *V-stitch into next space between 2 V-st, V-st into next 4 V-st* 4 times, V-st into next V-st. Join with sl st into 3rd ch of beginning ch-4.



Round 6: Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 4, dc in same ch-1 space, V-st into each V-st around. Join with sl st into 3rd ch of beginning ch-4.



Rounds 7- 14 same as Round 6.



Round 15: Ch 1, *sc in next V-st, sc in next space between two V-st* around. Join with sl st into beginning ch-1.

Fasten off.



The pattern for this beanie in newborn size is available here.





More baby hat patterns from my shop:







Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Dainty Butterflies



Each of these lovely butterflies requires only 5 yards of cotton thread and about 5-7 minutes to crochet!




But number of ways one can use them is endless. For instance, I can imagine how darling they would look as appliqués on a little girl’s dress. Or maybe as hairclips in her hair.



 I can also picture such butterfly as a decoration on a small wrapped present. A butterfly pin would look lovely on a hat or a purse.



They are quite small (only about two inches across) and can be used for handmade cards and lots and lots of other craft projects!







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Sunday, May 19, 2013

Crochet Tablecloth Update



I can’t believe I’ve been working on this tablecloth for a year now! But finally I’m getting towards the end. I only need to crochet a couple more square motifs!

I already started blocking my motifs. I thought it would be easier to block them separately and then join together rather than blocking the entire big piece.

I don’t use the fancy blocking technique with pins and padded surface. What I do is I wet the motif, gently squeeze the access water, put it on a towel, and smooth and straighten it. Once the motif dries, it looks much better than it did before.



I also started joining the motifs together. This job is even more tedious and boring than crocheting the motifs!

So far I only joined four motifs, but I must tell you I had to redo it twice.

The first time, I noticed that one of the motifs was joined with the wrong side up. So I had to undo it. The second time, I missed one stitch and as the result, the meshes weren’t matching. So I had to undo it again. That was quite frustrating, but at last all the four motifs were joined correctly. By the way, I use slip stitch on the wrong side to join the motifs since I don’t really know of any other way of joining them.



It looks really nice so far. Once all the motifs are joined, I'll start working on the trim (still sounds like a lot of work). Then I will only need to iron the tablecloth (especially the seams) and it will be done!





Thursday, May 16, 2013

Lacy Stitch Baby Hat Size 3-6 Months, Free Crochet Pattern



Last week I posted my pattern for a newborn hat made in lacy stitch, and I promised to work out the same pattern for a bigger size. Here it is!

I made two of these hats – one in yellow and one in green. Both look lovely.







This pattern is my original design. It cannot be posted on other sites or distributed in any other form. If you would like to share this pattern, you can post ONE image on your site with the link to my original post. You can use this pattern to make items for personal use or for sale. If you sell finished items from this pattern, you must give design credit to Lacy Crochet blog (lacycrochet.blogspot.com). Please, respect my work. Thank you!

The hat measures about 15 inches in diameter and 6 inches in height.

I used Snuggly Wuggly yarn by Loops and Threads and size E (3.5mm) hook.

Gauge: 3 first rounds = 3.5 inches.

In this pattern V-st is (dc, ch 1, dc) all in same space.

Also, when I refer to “shell”, I mean 3 dc in same space.




Ch 5, join with sl st into ring.



Round 1: Ch 4, *dc in ring, ch 1* 11 times. Join with sl st into 3rd ch of beginning ch-4.



Round 2: Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 4, dc in same ch-1 space, V-st in each ch-1 space around. Join with sl st into 3rd ch of beginning ch-4.



Round 3:  Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 4, dc in same ch-1 space, V-st into next space between two V-st of previous round, *V-st into next 2 V-st, V-st into next space between two V-st of previous round* 5 times, V-st into next V-st. Join with sl st into 3rd ch of beginning ch-4.



Round 4: Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 4, dc in same ch-1 space, V-st into each V-st around. Join with sl st into 3rd ch of beginning ch-4.



Round 5: Sl st into next ch-1 space, ch 4, dc in same ch-1 space, *V-stitch into next space between 2 V-st, V-st into next 4 V-st* 4 times, V-st into next V-st. Join with sl st into 3rd ch of beginning ch-4.



Round 6: Ch 3, 2 dc in same space, *skip 4 spaces, 3 dc in next space, ch 3, skip 2 spaces, sc in next sp, ch 3, skip 2 spaces, 3 dc in next space* around, ending with ch 3. Join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch-3.



Round 7: Ch 3, 2 dc in same space, *skip 4 dc, 3 dc in next dc, ch 3, sc in next sc, ch 3, 3 dc in next dc* around, ending with ch 3. Join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch-3.



Round 8: same as Round 7.



Round 9: Ch 3, 2 dc in same space, *ch 3, sc in space between next 2nd and 3rd dc (it’s the space between two shells), ch 3, skip next 2 dc, 3 dc in next dc, 3 dc in next dc*  around, ending with 3 dc in next dc. Join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch-3.



Round 10: Sl st to last dc of shell, ch 3, 2 dc in same space, *ch 3, sc in next sc, ch 3, 3 dc in next dc, skip next 4 dc, 3 dc in next dc* around, ending with 3 dc in next dc. Join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch-3.



Round 11: same as Round 10.



Round 12: sl st to last dc of shell, ch 3, 2 dc in same space, *3 dc in next dc, ch 3, sc in space between next 2nd and 3rd dc (it’s the space between two shells), ch 3, skip next 2 dc, 3 dc in next dc* around, ending with ch 3. Join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch-3.



Round 13: same as Round 7.



Round 14: same as Round 7.



Round 15: ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next 5 dc, *2 sc in next ch-3 space, sc in next sc, 2 sc in next ch-3 space, sc in next 6 dc* around, ending with 2 sc in ch-3 space. Join round with sl st.



Fasten off.


More baby hat patterns from my shop:





Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Small Flower Doily (my first written doily pattern)


This is my first ever written pattern for a doily!

I did sketch a few doily symbol charts in the past, but my goal is to learn how to write instructions as well. 

When one is learning, a good idea is to start with a small and easy project because a big one can be too overwhelming and discourage the learner. Don’t you agree? 







So I started with a small doily (only seven rounds), which involved basic stitches such as single crochet, double crochet, slip stitch, and of course chains.

The design is not intricate at all, but as I said this is my learning attempt. I do hope to be able to come up with more elaborate doily designs in the future.

I used size ten crochet thread and size 5 Boy’s steel hook.

The doily measures 5 inches in diameter.









Ch 12, join with sl st into ring.



Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in ring, ch 2, *2 dc in ring, ch 2* 9 times, join with sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (10 dc-2 groups, 10 ch-2 spaces)



Round 2: Sl st to next ch-2 space, ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in same space, ch 3, *3 dc in next ch-2 space, ch 3* around, join with sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (10 dc-3 groups, 10 ch-3 spaces)



Round 3: Sl st to next ch-3 space, (ch 3, dc, ch 2, 2 dc) all in same space, ch 2, *(2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) all in next ch-3 space, ch 2* around, join with sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (20 dc-2 groups, 20 ch-2 spaces)



Round 4: Sl st to next ch-2 space, (ch 3, 2 dc) in same space, ch 3, *3 dc in next ch-2 space, ch 3* around, join with sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (20 dc-3 groups, 20 ch-3 spaces)



Round 5: Ch 3, 2 dc in same st as joining, ch 3, sc in next ch-3 space, ch 3, skip next 2 dc, 3 dc in next dc,  skip next ch-3 space, *3 dc in next dc, ch 3, sc in next ch-3 space, ch 3, skip next 2 dc, 3 dc in next dc, skip next ch-3 space* 9 times, join with sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (20 dc-3 groups, 20 ch-3 spaces)



Round 6: Ch 3, 2 dc in space between 2 dc-3 groups of previous round, ch 5, sc in next sc, ch 5, *3 dc in space between next 3rd and 4th dc (in between next 2 dc-3 groups), ch 5, sc in next sc, ch 5* around, join with sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch-3.



Round 7: Ch 3, 2 dc in same st as joining, ch 3, skip next dc, 3 dc in next dc, ch 3, sc in next sc, ch 3, *3 dc in next dc, ch 3, skip next dc, 3 dc in next dc, ch 3, sc in next sc, ch 3* around,  join with sl st into 3rd ch of beg ch-3. (20 dc-3 groups, 30 ch-3 spaces)



Fasten off. Block. 

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Saturday, May 11, 2013

V-Stitch Baby Afghan with Scalloped Trim



I wanted to come up with a beginner’s level baby afghan pattern, so I thought what can be easier than a V-stitch.

This baby blanket is quite small in size; it’s a preemie size.  The reason I made it small is because I want to donate it for a charity that provides hospitals with handmade baby blankets and hats. They need baby blankets in preemie sizes as well as regular ones.

The blanket is super easy and quick to make. And, of course, with little adjustments it can be made in a bigger size. 








This pattern is my original design. It cannot be posted on other sites or distributed in any other form. If you would like to share this pattern, you can post ONE image on your site with the link to my original post. You can use this pattern to make items for personal use or for sale. If you sell finished items from this pattern, you must give design credit to Lacy Crochet blog (lacycrochet.blogspot.com). Please, respect my work. Thank you!

Skill Level: Easy


Size: Approximately 28 inches (71 cm) square.



Pound of Love by Lion Brand, Antique White


US Crochet Hook Size E/4 (3.50 MM)


V-st in this pattern is (dc, ch 1, dc) all in same space.





Ch 113 loosely.



Row 1: V-st in 4th ch from hook, *sk 2 ch, V-st in next ch* across, dc in last ch. Ch 3, turn.



Row 2: V-st in next V-st across, dc in 3rd ch of turning ch-3. Ch 3, turn.



Repeat Row 2 until you have 58 rows in total. Do not make turning ch 3 in the last row.



Trim


Round 1


Working in end of rows: ch 2, hdc in same space, *ch 1, 2hdc in next space* across. Ch 1, (2 hdc, ch 3, 2 hdc) all in corner space.


Working into original chain: *ch 1, 2 hdc in next ch-2 space* across. Ch 1, (2hdc, ch 3, 2 hdc) all in corner space.


Working in end of rows: *ch 1, 2 hdc in next space* across. Ch 1, (2 hdc, ch 3, 2 hdc) all in corner space.


Working in last row: *ch 1, 2 hdc in next  V-st* across. Ch 1, (2hd, ch 3) all in corner space. Sl st to join the round.



Round 2


Sc in space between next 2 hdc, *4 dc in space between next 2 hdc, sc in space between next 2 hdc* across. 6 dc in corner space.


Sc in space between next 2 hdc, *5 dc in space between next 2 hdc, sc in space between next 2 hdc* across. 6 dc in corner space.


Sc in space between next 2 hdc, *4 dc in space between next 2 hdc, sc in space between next 2 hdc* across. 6 dc in corner space.


Sc in space between next 2hdc, *5 dc in space between next 2 hdc, sc in space between next 2 hdc* across. 6 dc in corner space. Sl st to join the round.



Fasten off.




More baby blanket patterns from my shop: