On the Hook..

Ripples are in fashion again..  be it for a cushion or an afghan. I have been hooked on Crochet the whole month of August, my knitting projects have taken a back seat. Varying between different granny designs and  ripples.. I am kinda addicted to them.. began with trying to create a soft ripple pattern and now I just cant stop!

My first ripple-gan is almost done and its fascinating for me to keep adding more colors to it.. here is a sneak peak..

 Absolutely love the rainbow colors and its so soft to touch ! This one is made with all 100% acrylic yarns so the afghan is hard wearing and can be tossed into the washer-dryer without any problems. Looking forward to some snuggle time on the couch !

Right now I am loving the pastels in my new Ripple-ghan.. This is one of my most favorite color combination for little girls. Its working up fast but I think I will run out of yarn on this one.. A sneak peak for all ripple fans..

 My variation of the Ripple-Ghan pattern will be up here soon.. watch out for the updates on my Facebook Page. Enjoy !

For the Love of KITTIES.....

This summer I worked with kittens at the local shelter. The kitten 'season' leaves a large number of unweaned litters.. with little kittens, often a few hours old who cant eat, dont know what they need to survive the day.

Their moms have either abandoned them or are driven away such that they cant find the babies anymore. These kittens are brought to the shelter and taken care of... I joined the group that takes turn in cleaning, feeding and nurturing these kittens. Here is my story -

I love animals!
I've been passionate about them all my life. Working with them, for their well-being has been very fulfilling. I've always found unconditional love and devotion in my four legged friends and it was for this feeling that I wanted to go back to do what I enjoy thoroughly.

This summer I met a cute litter of four kittens. They were so little that I could hide one in my palm ! They were fragile and vulnerable... In the first couple weeks the litter lost a brother and a sister.
This is what the babies looked like when they came to us -



Dont miss the food sticking to their faces... they dint know how to clean themselves and do the regular kitten stuff. Even then, aren't they just CUTE !!!
We had to syringe feed the kitties, induce them to go poopoo.. and keep them warm with heat pads below their beds to help them survive the night temperatures.

We struggled to feed the remaining two kittens - the orange one and the cute black with orange face :) Sometimes it was tough and required patience and perseverance.. in the end they made it.

At the end of the season, these two are healthy, playful and adorable kitties looking for a loving home. I wish they get adopted together coz they love to catch each other by the arm and do a rumble-tumble! They love to sleep on each other... throwing paws at each other... and do a lot of other things together !

From that day to this... it has been a fun experience.
Here is how lovely they look now...




I just love the gorgeous blue eyes !
This picture was taken after the kittens had a full meal and were about to take their afternoon nap and the orange kitty got thirsty. If you've had kittens you'll know its difficult to catch them on a cam coz they are so swift !

On the last day of the season, I crocheted a little orange fish toy especially for my fave kitties. Its to wish them luck and love for all times to come... and guess what! I think they like it !!!



I grew up with dogs and always thought I was more of a 'Dog-Person'. My experience with these kittens has changed that thought !

Truly, love knows no bounds......


UPDATE:  These two lovely kittens got adopted together. They found their forever home and loved the little Fish toy so much that they had to take it with them. I am so happy for them! Everytime I see their pictures, they make me smile. Love'em.

Baby Booties

I was going through websites and found a picture of a cute Baby Bootie pair. The pattern was knitted, so I made up my own Crochet version. :-)



Enjoy the pictures, the pattern will be up soon !!!

If you really like this, leave me your comments..
Here is the Knitting pattern -
http://members.home.nl/tdpj/Patronen/Bootees/Saartjes%20bootees.pdf

Crocheted Coaster Set

A simple and sweet project to begin crocheting...
thats what this is - COASTERS.

As seen in the picture, this is a set of 6 round coasters that fit into a round crocheted box with a lid. Making the coasters is very simple. All you need for this project is -

-2 skeins of 4ply worsted weight 100% cotton yarn
('Sugar n Cream' or 'Peaches & Creme' cotton yarn are good options)
-F sized Crochet Hook
-1 carpet needle
-1 big bead or button



COASTER PATTERN

4 ch, sl st in 1st ch to make a ring.
Round 1: 2 ch (counts as first hdc), 11 hdc in ring; sl st on top of ch 2 to join. (12 st)
Round 2: 2 ch, hdc in same st, 2 hdc in each st; sl st on top of ch 2 to join. (24 st)
Round 3: 2 ch, hdc in same st, hdc in next 2 st, * 2hdc in next st, hdc in the next st#, repeat from * to # around, sl st on top of ch 2 to join. (36 st)
Round 4: 2 ch, hdc in same st, hdc in the next 2 st, * 2hdc in next st, hdc in next 2 st#, repeat from * to # around, sl st on top of ch 2 to join. (48 st)
Round 5: 2 ch, hdc in same st, hdc in the next 3 st, * 2hdc in next st, hdc in next 3 st#, repeat from * to # around, sl st on top of ch 2 to join. (60 st)
Cut yarn and finish off.

Make six of these.



COASTER HOLDER BOX
We begin making the box from the base. Here is the pattern -

Round 1 to 5: same as above.
Round 6: 2 ch, hdc in same st, hdc in the next 4 st, * 2hdc in next st, hdc in next 4 st#, repeat from * to # around, sl st on top of ch 2 to join. (72 st)



Now to make the side of the box -
Round 7 & 8: 1 ch, sc in every st around (72 sc)
Round 9: 4 ch (counts as 1dc and 1 ch), dc in the same st(V-Stitch made), *skip next st; dc in next st, 1 ch, dc in same st #, repeat from * to # around, sl st on top of 3rd ch of the first four chain to join. (36 V-Stitches)
Round 10: 1 ch, *sc in the 1 ch space below, sc in the next st #, repeat from * to # around, sl st on top of 1 ch to join. (72 sc)
Round 11 to 15: 1 ch, sc in every st around, sl st on top of first ch 1 to join.
Cut Yarn, Finish off.

Lid of the box -
Round 1 & 2: same as above
Round 3: 2 ch, hdc in same st, 2 ch, skip next st, * 2hdc in next st, 2 ch, skip next st #, repeat from * to # around, sl st on top of ch 2 to join. (24 st, with ch 2 gaps)
Round 4: 2 ch, hdc in same st, 2 ch, skip next 2 st, * 2hdc in next st, 2 ch, skip next st #, repeat from * to # around, sl st on top of ch 2 to join. (24 st, with ch 2 gaps) Note: in this round we work only in the ch 2 spaces of the previous round.
Round 5: 2 ch, hdc in the same st, 3 hdc in the ch 2 gap, *2 hdc in the next st (these hdc are worked between the two hdc in the previous row), 3 hdc in the ch 2 gap #, repeat from * to #, sl st on top of ch 2 t join.
Round 6: 2 ch, hdc in same st, hdc in the next 4 st, * 2hdc in next st, hdc in next 4 st#, repeat from * to # around, sl st on top of ch 2 to join.



Loop -
10 ch, join in the first ch with sl st.
15 sc in the loop, sc on top of first sc to join.
Keep 6 to 8 inches of the yarn intact, cut yarn, bind off.

Putting it together -
Use carpet needle to sew in the ends of all coasters.
Sew the loop to one side of the lid.
Sew the other side of the lid to the box.
Check position of loop and sew the button / bead on to the box.
Sew in all ends, cut extra yarn.
Place coasters in the box, close box.

All done !!

The box could be kept soft or made stiff by using a stiffening product available at your local store. Hope you enjoy this simple project as much as I enjoyed making them. This crocheted set of coasters makes for a cute housewarming gift too.

Baby Booties

These are baby booties made of Dusty Rose Acrylic Yarn.
These were especially made for a dear friend who had her first baby girl!! We shared some very interesting yet dreaded classes in law school. :)

The booties fit a 6 month baby. The pattern that I followed for this one is right here -

http://crochet-mania.blogspot.com/2008/02/blog-post_24.html

This pattern inspired me to create some of my own. I am currently working on a Baby Booties pattern, trying to simplify it so that I can share it with everyone here !
Hope you guys will enjoy making these !!

Baby Boy T-shirt

It has been great fun working with all the colorful yarns this month !!

This is my first attempt at making a T-Shirt for a Baby. Hope you all will like the pictures. The pattern is as simple as making 4 square blocks and joining them together. A border was crocheted into the arms, neck and bottom for added cuteness factor.

Close up of the Arm:


Close up of the Border:


Close up of the Neckline:


I will add to this post, please check back for more details.

Baby Blanket - Granny Square Variation

How could we have a Baby Month and not have a special blankie on the occasion !
This is a Baby Blanket that measures 24 x 24 inches and is made of 4-Ply yarn. I used two colors for it... pastel green and lemon yellow. These have become my favorite over time.

Zizi loves the colors so much, she even wanted her special hair clip made with the same yarn ! :)




The baby blanket is made of 16 squares - 6 x 6 inches each. The pattern for this square is a variation of the traditional Granny Square. It has front post double crochet stitches which give it the 'x' look. The pattern is from Teresa's Blog -
http://crochet-mania.blogspot.com/

I'm a great fan of Teresa and have been following her thread for a while now. She's real fun to watch. I really enjoy trying out her patterns.


A close-up of the blocks:


For my blanket, I altered a few things in the pattern, like-

* Using the colors differently from Teresa's sample.
I've used Color A for rounds 1 & 2;
Color B for rounds 3 & 4
Color A for Round 5 & 6

* I added round 6 to the pattern.
After finishing round 5, Ch1, make 1sc in the next stitch to the end of the row.
In the ch 2 space make 3 sc, continue making sc around on all four sides.
To finish off, sl st in the beginning sc, cut your yarn.

* Added Tassels.
These were added to finish off the Blanket.

Adding the 6th round makes for a good finishing. The edges are well defined and not roundish anymore. Its also easy to join these squares together coz the lines are so straight.



Hope you will enjoy this project as much as I enjoyed making it !
Enjoy the pictures... Do leave your feedback !

Accessorising a Baby Dress

Few Daisies added a lot of cuteness factor to this already fun summer dress for a baby. Zizi offered to help out and model the dress for Yarnilicious. :)

The daisies are easy to make and can be added to anything you like as embellishments- a bag, a dress, hats, or even made into a hair clip !

Here is the pattern -

Ch 3, sl st in first ch to form loop.
ch 1, 8 sc in loop, sl st in first sc.
* ch 4, sc in second ch from hook and in next 2 ch, sl st in next sc, (Petal made) repeat from * 7 more times with last sl st in same sc as joining. 8 Petals made.
Finish off.

To attach to a dress use a similar color thread to sew on. If your crochet stitches are too close, it will make the petals to fold in. One way to correct it is spraying some starch on it and ironing.

Close up of the DAISIES -



Enjoy !

MY DAISY SQUARE

This baby blanket is made of Red Heart Acrylic Mix wool yarn. I decided to use two colors to make the flowers pop. The border for this blanket is my improvisation. This square pattern is not my original. I found it here - http://hometown.aol.com/wolfwitch77/daisy.html
It seems this website is not available any more. On popular demand, I am posting the pattern for the square here. ENJOY !!!




Square Size: 6 inches
Materials: worsted weight yarn, 2 different colors (your choice of colors)
size G-7 crochet hook (4.25 mm)

Ch 4, sl st in first ch to form loop.

RND 1: ch 1, 8 sc in loop, sl st in first sc, finish off.

RND 2: join next color yarn with sl st in any sc, * ch 6, dc in third ch from hook and in next 3 ch, sl st in next sc, ( Petal made) repeat from * 7 more times with last sl st in same sc as joining. 8 Petals made.
Finish off.

RND 3: join the first color yarn with sl st in back loop of first ch on top of petal, ch 3, 2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc in back loop of second ch on top of same petal; ch 3, sl st through both back loops together of 2 ch on top of next petal, ch 3, * 3 dc in back loop of first ch on top of next petal, ch 3, 3 dc in back loop of second ch on top of same petal, ch 3, sl st through both back loops together of 2 ch on top of next petal, ch 3, repeat from * 2 more times, sl st in third ch of beginning ch-3.

RND 4: sl st the yarn in any corner ch-3 sp; ch 3, (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in same sp; 4 dc in next ch-3 sp, 4 dc in next ch-3 sp; * 3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc in next corner ch-3 sp, 4 dc in next ch-3 sp, 4 dc in next ch-3 sp, repeat from * 2 more times, sl st in third ch of beginning ch-3. Do not finish off.

RND 5: ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next 2 dc, (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in corner ch-3 sp, sc in each dc around with (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in each corner ch-3 sp, sl st to first sc. finish off.