Christmas Granny Rose

We returned from our travel van trip to Williamsburg, Virginia yesterday. 

 I managed to crochet a little bit.

For this throw I'm making three panels... 

comprised of three blocks of nine squares each...

 alternating red roses with roses in three different yarn shades of green...

 (there are four shades of green if the "leaves" are counted)

One of the green yarns, Loops & Threads in Soft Fern, has more of a yellowish cast to it. 

I'm not sure if I like that shade in this throw.   

 I used it mainly because it is acrylic and when I purchased it I thought it was a closer match to my favorite green yarn. 

Unfortunately my favorite green yarn in this throw (duh...I lost the label so I don't know what it is!!!) is the yarn I have the least of... I have just a small amount left so I am using it for the blocks with a green rose in the center block...limiting its use just the center rose of those blocks. 

 I found another cotton yarn in green that is very close to my favorite (unknown) yarn... Sugar'n Cream Scents in Aloe Vera.

So I'm alternating the cotton Sugar'n Cream Aloe Vera green roses with the slightly yellowish acrylic Threads & Loops Soft Fern green roses (two in each block) with my unknown favorite green yarn for just the center green rose square.  

Whew...I'm dizzy from all the greens!   

I'm still not sure I will use the yellowish Loops & Threads Soft Fern green - I may replace those roses with the Sugar'n Cream Aloe Vera green roses. 

 It doesn't look terrible but you know how it is when you want a certain look.

As far as joining the squares I'm experimenting with red Caron's Simply Soft yarn.  

I may join with red and green yarn rather than all red. 

 Decisions...decisions....

I was in bed last night...all of a sudden I grabbed my iPhone and took this photo of my bench cover. 

 It's difficult to photograph in the day time - our bedroom is dark and any light coming in always cast the furniture in the dark. 

 I tried to show you what it looks like in our bedroom... that's all I can say. 

 LOL!

Thanks for visiting!

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Where's the Sun?

Where did the sun go? It's so dark out today.

I took the outside photo above during dusk last night. 

 That's our Dogwood tree with all its beautiful blooms.

I'm loving the way the sides are turning out on my bench cover, Spring Bouquet.

Soooo happppy!

I added a row with bobbles along the bottom too.

Almost done...just a few more rows to add and then slip stitch the corners.

This photo was taken yesterday when the SUN was shining!

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Spring Bouquet Blooming

You know I wasn't totally happy with how the sides on my bench cover, Spring Bouquet, were turning out. 

 It was becoming too much of a ruffle look for me.

So I thought about it for a few days and one night I grabbed it and frogged back to the yellow border. 

There...it was done!  Now I could redo it.

 I find when I'm working on a project without a pattern like this one that it is better NOT to sew in the loose yarn ends as I go because once I do that it is almost impossible to frog any of my previous work if I so wish to do so at some point. 

 This was easy to frog back.

Of course I made some changes.

I went from doing "rounds" around the sides with double crochet stitches to doing "rows" in single crochet for each of the sides. 

 Once I reach the length I need for the sides I will slip stitch the corners together.

I am pleased with the results so far as it is lying flatter then before and has a more tailored style.

What a beautiful day!

I'm sitting out on my screened-in porch as I type this listening to the birds and enjoying the sunny morning with my cup of coffee.  It can't get any better than this.

Thanks for stopping by to visit me!

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This & That

Here's my new crezdena table runner, Cherry Stripes. 

 It still needs to be blocked and I'm not sure when I'll get around to that little project.

Our dogwood trees are in full bloom looking beautiful.

I'm working on the sides of my bench cover, Spring Bouquet. 

 I could continue as is and just gather the sides to fit the bottom of the bench. 

 But I may frog back to the top and reduce my stitches on the sides for a more fitted cover.

What do you think I should do? 

 I hate to start over on the sides and I ask myself "What if reducing makes it too tight?"

The bench sides do curve out from the top so I may be on the right track as it is now. 

 I have to think about this before making changes.

                                                                   Source Pinterest


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Hooking Along on Spring Bouquet

The seat area of my bench cover, Spring Bouquet, is completed.

I figured out a way to straighten out the ripple edge without taking the "ripple" out of it. 

 On the wrong side I chained across the length of the ripple edges side to side and attached each chain strip to the other side with a slip stitch.

I did one row of double crochet across the chain. I did this on both ripple edges. 

 Then I did several rounds of single crochet around the whole top (down the sides and across the outside edge of the chained piece) until the top piece completely covered the seat area of the bench. 

 Using the same color yarn on the wrong side I attached the inside edge of my chain strips to the seat sewing them together.

Now I will work on the sides of the bench cover.

You can see here how the ripple edges are loose and I didn't lose any of the "ripple". 

 I'm pleased with the results.

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Spring Bouquet

Finally after practicing on several pieces and drawing a diagram to follow I started crocheting another bench cover using Jan Eaton's "Bobble Zigzags" ripple stitch.

I'm using Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton yarn that I have on hand in Spring flower colors and a J hook.

The top area of my bench seat is 30 inches by 21 inches. My foundation chain is 112 plus 2 stitches (pattern repeat is 16 plus 2) so I'm repeating the pattern seven times.

This is a fun stitch and not really hard - it just takes me a while to get the stitch right on ripple patterns.

The most important thing is to make sure the foundation chain is correct as that is the basis that the pattern is built upon.

I told you it would be colorful!

Well, I better get back to crocheting.

It's a beautiful Spring day here with the sun shining!

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Bobble Zigzags...sort of

I'm practicing Jan Eaton's "Bobble Zigzags" stitch over and over again...

You must visit Astri's blog and see the beautiful ripple blanket she crocheted using this stitch.

 The following photos are from her blog, Apple Blossom Dreams.

My goodness but her ripple is beautiful! 

 I loved her ripple so much I decided to use the stitch to make a cover for our bench in our master bedroom.

But first I have to practice the stitch to make sure it is starting and ending properly for the measurements of our bench. I'm practicing in two yarns and hook sizes in cream and white. Of course the cover will be full of color when I get around to picking my colors.

It probably won't look like Astri's but if it's even half as nice I will be pleased.

Once I know the length of the repeat I can figured out the chain foundation count.

Please visit Astri - she has a wonderful blog! 

 What an inspiration she has been...thank you Astri for sharing your beautiful ripple blanket with us!

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My "April Sky Blue" Bench Cover

I finished my crocheted bench cover which I have named "April Sky Blue".



The top seat area is done in Sarah London's "Wool-Eater" stitch. I mostly doubled crochet in shells around the sides adding various rounds in yarn shades of white, cream and light yellow.



I'm pleased as punch with the textured look and feel of the bench cover.



I love Edie's "Crochet Borders" book.


I modified and used just the last round of #127 on the edging.




It goes perfectly in our blue and white Master Bathroom!

What's next?

Well...I have another bench in our Master Bedroom that needs a new look....


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