Photo Rounds For Windowpane Square by Chris Simon

2012.05.05

Rounds for the Windowpane 12 in Square by Chris Simon

These are photos of the Rounds for the 2012BAMCAL Square for May.  Purely coincidence that  both this square, and the 6 in. choice were designed by the same person?  Or, just a really good crochet designer? Chris Simon's website is www.yarncrazy.com.

I usually like to play with color changes when I hook  my squares for this BAMCAL, but although I do like the multicolor versions in the chat thread for this square, I just really like the way it looks in a single color.  So, that is how I hooked it for both of the afghans I am making this year.  Just like with the 6 in. square by Chris Simon, the Gem Star Square, that I did a photo tutorial for earlier, the instructions are very clear and easy for this square.  As I hook my squares, I keep up a Word page, and take notes of any problems, unclear parts, or corrections I make as I go.  If there are none, I type "as written," meaning that I simply hooked the round as it was written.  If I do make any notes, I write them in BLUE so I can tell what was original instruction, and what I changed or added.  The only changes I made for this group of round photos, were that I kept the Round numbers going rather than starting them over when I started the "in the round" part.

Round 1: 
 as written

Round 1

Round 2:

as written

Round 2

Round 3:

as written

Round 3

Round 4:

as written

Round 4

Round 5 (Round 1):

as written

Round 5

Round 6 (Round 2):

as written

Round 6

Round 7 (Round 3):

As written

Round 7

Round 8 (Round 4):

as written

Round 8

Round 9 (Round 5):

as written

Round 9

Round 10 (Round 6):

Round 10

Round 11 (Round 7):

as written

Round 11

Round 12 (Round 8):

as written

Round 12

Round 13 (Round 9): 

I measured at this point and got 11.5 inches.

I used 9B (the sc round)

as written

12 in!

Round 13 Final Round

 Here is the finished square in red:

 Thanks again to Chris Simon for a really nice square.  And thank you for making the design free.

Yours,

f1bercat

shaping the planet one windowpane at a time.

Pay it Forward with Crafting!

2012.05.04

(Warning!  Spoiler Alert!  If you are doing the SKA Mock for May by Rose Hiver, and don't want to see it in advance, there is a photo of the cuffs at the bottom of this post)

1.  Pay it Forward

Yet another thing to give me a reason to craft - as if I needed one! I saw this post at Kara's blog {lbk creations} , and knew I had to participate, and I think I am her first commenter, so I hope I get to be one of her three! I've copied this from her:

If you’re interested in participating here’s the info:

I will send a surprise gift to the first three commenters on this post. The gift will be handmade by me. It will be sent sometime in the next 365 days. A year seems like a long time, but that’s what makes it a surprise gift. We all love getting surprises in the mail, right?

1. In your comment, tell me your favorite color or colors.
2. To sign up and receive a gift, you must play along, too. Pay it Forward on your blog, by promising to make a surprise for the first three people who comment on your blog post.
3. You must have a blog.
4. After commenting here, you must re-post this or something similar to your blog in 48 hours. If not, I choose the next person who comments.

Please leave me a way to get in touch with you - an email, Facebook, or Ravelry ID. Something. I will send to anywhere, so don't hesitate to join in!

2. New Follower

Hello to my newest follower, Barbara!  So happy to have you officially following.

3. Finished Objects

Yes!  I have actually finished my Liz Marino Gift Knits Club Snuggly Socks (Better than French Vanilla - or for short, French Vanilla Socks).

Over last weekend, I cast off these socks and my Squash Blossom Lyra's Socks.

I HAVE to finish the fish hat I am making for my nephew, A, for his wedding.

I HAVE to finish the placemats for my sister K's, housewarming gift.

I HAVE to finish the Coco the Cat (and her clothes) I am making for my niece, and god daughter, M's birthday.











I HAVE to finish the RED HOT SWEATER for Tony!  (no photo as I have not been working on that)!

I love these so much, .

 I immediately cast on another pair

and, another pair of socks for SKA/SolidSocks May challenge.

 At one point, as I was counting the cast on stitches (why can't I count to 36?), I actually thought that I need some one to be my Interventionist and say to me, DON'T DO IT!  But, well, I really want these socks.  The SKA/SolidSocks ones are a Mock (mystery sock) by Rose Hiver (Love her designs) in Cascade Heritage Socks Turquoise, and are for ME.  The French Vanilla Socks are in some Cascade Heritage Hand Painted sock yarn that I bought last year at Churchmouse Yarn and Teas.  They will be for my son, J.

Addicted to socks.

4. Top Photo

As the blossoms are just about finished on my Fuji Cherry for the year, I will be switching my top photo to my Chinese Poppies and Black Bart Irises.  I am not sure if I will alternate the two plants, or exactly how I will show their progress from bud to flower.  Probably I will do the poppies first, as they are just about ready to bloom, and the Black Barts are a bit behind.  I need to find something to show the scale of these flowers.  I'm thinking...

but here they both are today:

Chinese Poppy

Black Bart Iris

 Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet sock after sock after sock after sock

Miss Your Bus, Find a Knitting Group!

2012.05.03

 

Last night was the regular Wednesday Stitch N Bitch at Crossroads Mall for the Eastside Stitchers.    A group of regulars was sitting, stitching, chatting, drinking coffee (some were eating lemon poundcake!), when a NEW Stitcher walked up.

Here's the story:  Tara1682 missed her bus to work.  Not a horrible problem, in fact, a great opportunity.  So, she gets on the next bus and.... SOMEONE IS CROCHETING.  It is our own Ellyol.  They chat (as knitters do), and Tara learns that there is a great group meeting regularly for fun and fiber on Wednesday nights.  Public transportation is truly the best.

Who did Tara1682 meet at her first Eastside Stitchers Wed?  and more importantly, what was Tara1682 knitting?  (as well as the rest of us)?

Tara brought a beautiful cable scarf.

 Ellyol was weaving in ends on a black (I swear it was black not purple) and green hat:

Ellyol also started a pair of Cowboy Boots:

Colleen had made some progress on her lovely lavender lace baby blanket.  She said that she should have known she was in trouble when she saw the number of stitches needed to cast on.  I think it's worth it, though.  Truly lovely work.

Chockelet is still working on her Noro lace scarf:  See the spines of the library books near her scarf?  One of the totally cool things about Crossroads Mall is that the King County Library System has a small Library stop in the mall.  You can go on line and reserve a book and have it sent to the library of your choice in the County Library System.  When the book arrives, they email you to come pick it up.  We can get our library books right at Crossroads (and return them there also).  What did Chockelet check out?  2-at-a-Time Socks! 

MsWiz has made great progress on her Green Blob.  I know she is sick of all the stockinette, but really, she has made huge progress, and just needs to keep on knitting. Tiny needles, fingering weight yarn, stockinette.  EEK!  But, she is almost to the good part.

Allifer and I were both working on our placemats which will be a housewarming gift for my sister, K, (Allifer's aunt), who has bought a new house.  I had about 3 colors finished when Allifer showed up.  She started her 2nd mat, and in 1/2 hour passed me up.  Why am I so slow?

We hope these to be finished next week so that we can get them in the mail.


OOO!  I almost forgot.  I wore my Subtle Socks that I finished on Friday.  I haven't posted the finished photo of them here.  They fit perfectly, I love the color, the feel of the yarn, and I love the pattern.  Pattern is Lyra's Socks by DXM Patterns (DeusXMachina on Ravelry), yarn is Miss Babs Yummy Sock in the Squash Blossom colorway.

I have also finished my first pair of Snuggly Socks from the Liz Marino Gift Knits Club.  I don't have a photo yet, but I will try to get that up tomorrow.  Liz calls this pattern Snuggly Socks because they are stretchy, easy to make, and comfortable.  I call them Better Than French Vanilla Socks because the pattern is super easy to remember, and they have everything you want in a vanilla sock, but are so much nicer.  Anyway, I cast off the first pair (they will be a wedding gift for my nephew's new bride), and immediately cast on another pair.  The new ones will be for my son, J, the dancer.  So far I have 2 rows =)

Stay well.  I am off to the Pike Place Market in Seattle to buy some fresh Salmon and have it shipped to my father-in-law in Arizona for his birthday.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet one fabulous fishy gift at a time.



 

Tutorial for Multi-Color Gem Star Square by Chris Simon

2012.05.01

Gem Star 6 in Square by Chris Simon

H hook

This is a tutorial for my multi-color version of the GemStar 6 in Square by Chris Simon.    Instructions for this square can be found on Chris's website, YarnCrazy.com.  Chris has generously allowed me to do this photo tutorial.  If you have any questions, comments or corrections, please leave me a comment here, or message me on Ravelry (I'm f1bercat) and I will get back to you ASAP.  The original instructions are in black; anything I have added (mostly my yarn color changes) is in blue.  This tutorial is mostly to show how I changed color.  If you want a more complete tutorial on how to hook Chris Simon's square, please check out my post from  April 30, 2012.

Stitch Guide:

Small Cluster - holding last loop of each st on hook, dc in next 3 sts, yo, pull through all 4 loops on hook

Beg Large Cluster - ch 2, holding last loop of each st on hook, dc in next 4 sts, yo, pull through all 6 loops on hook

Large Cluster - holding last loop of each st on hook, dc in next 5 sts, yo, pull through all 6 loops on hook

V-st - (dc, ch2, dc) in indicated sp

Round 1

with color 1 (white)

Ch4; join with slip st to form ring. 

Ch 3, 15 dc in ring. 

Join with sl st in 3rd ch of beginning ch 3.

cut yarn.  

Round 2

Join color 2 (red) with ss in any dc.

Ch 3, 4 dc in same st.

 (ch color to white but do not cut red)

*# ch 2 (I chained 1 red and 1 white), small cluster (using white),

 ch 2 (this time, 1 white and 1 red)*

use red and hold white behind at top

5 dc in next st. 

Repeat from # twice, (holding unused color behind and wrapping in top of stitches to hide)

then from * to * once. 

front

back

Join color 2 (red)  with sl st in 3rd ch of beginning ch 3.

showing the back

(drop color 1 - white) 

Round 2

Round 3

with color 2 (red) 
Beg large cluster,

ch 3, V-st in next ch 2 sp,

*# ch2, V-st in next ch 2 sp, ch 3 *

large cluster,

ch 3, V-st in next ch 2 sp.

Repeat from # twice,

then from * to * once. 

Join with sl st in top of beg large cluster.

cut yarn.

Round 3

Round 4

Attach color 3 (blue) with ss in top of any large cluster.

Ch2, 3 hdc in next ch 3 sp,

3 dc in next ch 2 sp,

*# (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in next ch 2 sp, (corner made)

3 dc in next ch 2 sp,

3 hdc in next ch 3 sp, *

hdc in large cluster, (middle of side)

 3 hdc in next ch 3 sp, 3 dc in next ch 2 sp.

 Repeat from # twice,

then from * to * once.

(attach in 2nd ch with ss) Finish off. 

Weave in all ends (EEK!)

Round 4 Finished Square

 If your square is not laying flat, Joanold in the 2012 BAMCAL group on Ravelry suggested that in Round 4 where it says 3hdc use 2hdc, and where it says 3dc, use 2dc.  


Hope you all enjoy this quick hook.  4 rounds.  Count them, FOUR.  

 Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with lots and lots of Gem Star squares (thanks to Chris Simon)