Baby Easter Basket Set All Finished

The baby booties...

The baby bonnet with pretty lilac ribbon tie...

The baby dress back with two pearl buttons...

The baby dress front with a pretty flower and pearl button....

The Easter Basket set...baby blanket, booties, bonnet and dress!

I'm so glad it's all finished.  I had fun making it but I must admit the booties were a challenge.  It took three tries before I finally got it...(duh) you do have to count the stitches to get it right.  

The Baby Dress is by Beverly Button and can be found on Ravelry (here).   I really liked this pattern and it was easy to crochet too.  I modified it slightly by adding an extra round of shells on the bottom of the dress in purple rather than adding the picot edging.  I also didn't decrease the neckline either when I added the edging in purple - and I deleted the neck front ruffle.  I backed the flower with felt and sewed it on the dress with another small piece of felt placed behind the dress.   The size is newborn to three months. 

I better get this off in the mail soon as my niece is being induced on May 16th!

Previous posts with additional information can be found (here) and (here) and (here).

Please join me for:

Make It My Day at Backyard Eden
Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursdays

Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Wendy at The Shabby Nest for Frugal Friday
 Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special

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Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday  

Little Bunny Loves Easter Basket

I love my blankie!

My little ty Bunny, Happy Spring, is all wrapped up in his new blankie...

EASTER BASKET!

Doesn't he look cute?

I blogged about Easter Basket's ripple pattern (here).

The corner has three Spike stitches separated by four single crochet stitches.

I winged the edging...making it up as I went along.  

This is my first time using a "spike" stitch and I like the results.

Another look at my edging

In case you would like to try my edging (American stitch terms):

Round 1:  (color Soft Lilac) start in corner stitch chain 3, 2dc in same stitch, *dc in next stitch repeat dc to next corner, 3dc in corner stitch* repeat * 3 times to end.  Join with slip stitch, fasten off.
Round 2:  (color Lemon) start in corner stitch chain 1, 2sc in same stitch, *sc in next stitch repeat sc to next corner, 3sc in corner stitch* repeat * 3 times to end.  Join with slip stitch, fasten off.
Rounds 3 - 6:  (color Soft Lilac) start in corner stitch chain 1, 2sc in same stitch, *sc in next stitch repeat sc to next corner, 3sc in corner stitch* repeat * 3 times to end.  Join with slip stitch, fasten off.
Round 7:  (color Lemon) start in corner with spike stitch, then *four sc in next four stitches, spike stitch in next sc* repeating around* to the end.  Join with slip stitch, fasten off.  There should be three spike stitches in each corner each spike stitch separated by four sc stitches.  You may have to adjust the single crochets stitches to make it look uniform.  My spike stitch looped down to round 3.

Working a "spike" stitch:  Insert the hook over the number of rows down from the row being worked, taking the point right through the fabric to the wrong side.  Wrap the yarn over the hook and draw through, lengthening the loop to the height of the working row.  To finish the "spike", complete the stitch in the usual way.  When working "spike" stitches take care not to pull the loop too tight as this will distort the fabric.

Working the Spike Stitch

Yarn used:

Bernat Baby Jacquards in Easter Basket variegated yarn (90% acrylic/10% nylon) for the ripple body;

Bernat Softee Baby, 100% acrylic in Lemon for edging.  

Loops & Threads Snuggly Wuggly baby sport (100% acrylic) in Soft Lilac for edging.

Hook size:  G

"Easter Basket" all laid out.

She's a small baby blanket measuring 28 inches by 34 inches.  

The blanket is very soft and lightweight.  It will be perfect for summer.

Introducing "Easter Basket"!

"Easter Basket" is a gift for one of my nieces who is expecting her first child, a girl, this May.   I have some yarn left over so I may try to make booties and a little top.

Let me know if you try my edging.  I hope you can read my instructions...I'm very new at writing them.

Join:

Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Cielo at The House in the Roses for Show of Your Cottage Monday

Easter Basket Baby Throw WIP

Another ripple!

Easter Basket

... my second ripple will be a small baby throw.   

I'm using Lucy Attic24's fantastic Neat Ripple Pattern (here) again.

 I love this variegated 90% acrylic/10% nylon yarn, Bernat Baby Jacquards, plus it sure saves time and effort of changing colors and weaving in ends.   Actually the name of the yarn color is "Easter Basket" which I thought makes a cute name for the throw too.  The yarn was excellent to work with and is very soft and lightweight.  It will be a perfect summer throw for my niece's baby due in May.     

Starting "Easter Basket" my second ripple throw.

Since taking these photos I have finished the ripple body - it took two skeins to complete.    

I used a G hook for this project. 

Now I will have to (yippee!) make a trip to Michaels to get some light weight baby yarn for the border and edging.   I was going to use the pretty green cotton yarn, Bernat Baby Cakes, shown above but it is too thick of a yarn for this delicate throw. 

Remember when I mentioned I was using a wooden dowel to unwind my yarn as I crocheted (blogged about here).  Well, my rough version of a yarn holder worked sort of but needed some improvements like a good base foundation and a way to make the yarn spin better.  I didn't want to put Hubby to work making something for me. 

So I did an Internet search and found containers shaped like bottles to put your yarn in and then the yarn fed out of the top of the bottle.  But I thought this type of bottle container ~ while good at keeping one's yarn clean ~ could still fall on the ground and roll away (shown here).  

Then one day I was in Ravelry (here) and saw an advertisement for a "yarn tamer".  There was a website (here) to view a demo (here) and it looked just like what I was envisioning.  I decided to try the taller version.  It was easy to order it online and it arrived quickly.  I used it the same night and it works great holding my yarn in place and spinning it out as I crochet. 

My "Yarn Tamer"

And the "Yarn Tamer" is lightweight and compact so it should travel nicely too.   This neat little tool should make my crocheting more pleasant!

Well, thanks for joining me as I ramble on about my crocheting.    

Please join:

Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Cielo at The House in the Roses for Show of Your Cottage Monday