My first finished shawl

After trying to make 3 different shawls this year, my 4th one was the success.  I was a church earlier this month when I was pulled over to a bench full of yarn and simple knit and crochet shawl patterns.  I agreed to take some yarn home and make a prayer shawl for my church.  I picked a very simple knit pattern from their pattern selection.  It is a lot narrower than I thought a shawl should be.  It looks more like a scarf to me.  I think that next time I will double or triple the cast on amount.  This used up 1 skein of Caron's Simply Soft yarn.  I used size 15 knitting needles for it.  Here is the super simple 5 row repeat pattern.  Why yes, that is a weird mess up right in the center of it.  I'm not really sure what happened there.

Autumn Colored Projects and more

I made another V Stitch bag using my refined pattern.  I made it for one of my crochet classes, so that I could show my students how to make a flat circle, how to make increase stitches, and how to make simple bag handles.  They learned other things along the way as well.  I used Cascade yarns Pacific Chuncky, 2.5 skeins of it, and I size J hook.

I made this granny square style orange kerchief using Plymouth yarn Dreambaby DK yarn.  I made it a little to large.  Next time I'll make 16 rows instead of 18.  I really like this yarn.  It lays really nicely and feels very soft.  It is considered a good yarn for baby items.

  During one of my classes the ladies want to learn how to make a flower.  This is a pattern that the store that I teach at had.  Its a strange pattern, and I'm not fond of the flower.  This week I'll be teaching them how to make one of my favorite flower patterns.  I used kool aid dyed Fisherman's Wool by Lion Brand for this flower.

For one of my classes I wanted to show the ladies how to make a bobble stitch, so we worked on this bobbled Christmas tree pattern.  Some of the ladies finished their trees, and one lady even made a pillow out of her 2 trees.  I'm currently making another one that I designed.  It will be a pillow for the store that I work at.

Here are the candy corn amigurumi that I made earlier this month.  The smaller one was made using an E hook and  Plymouth yarn Dreambaby DK yarn, and the other one was made using an F hook and Caron's Simply Soft yarn.  Here is the free pattern for it.  I used puff paint for the faces.

Here is another pattern that I like to teach to my crochet students, the granny square.  I used the same Plymouth yarn Dreambaby DK yarn as I used for the candy corn amigurumi.  I started making another one using the white yarn last week.  I think I'll make a blanket out of a single large granny square.

Soda Tab Bracelets, Dishcloths, and Bag

Last month was a busy month for me.  I started a 2nd job, teaching crochet at my local yarn shop.  My kids went back to school.  Also a lot of other things started back up again.  I'm slowling falling into my new routine / getting use to the new routine.  I love teaching classes, and the group of ladies that I'm teaching are very nice.  I've gotten some nice comments from them.  The young lady that I was teaching weaving to finished her first woven scarf last month.  On Saturday we started knitting a scarf together.  I am also experimenting with dyeing wool with natural things for my job at the textile museum.  I even helped with a school group that was taking their fleece to fabric lesson.  I've updated my website so that all of my upcoming classes are on there.  Basically things are good and very busy here.  

I made these 3 soda tab bracelets for my mom for breast cancer awareness month.  She is going to share them with some friends.  I also made a 4th and gave it to someone before I had a chance to photograph it.  Here is the free raverly pattern for them.

While watching World War Z, I made this dishcloth using this free pattern.   Its an easy pattern, so I was able to knit this while watching the movie in the dark.

I made this dishcloth, because it is the first homework assignment that I handout to my crochet students.  It is a very simple dishcloth to make, and it allows them to practice making single crochet stitches, find the next stitch, and try and keep the sides even.  Here is the free pattern for it.

I just finished crocheting this market bag on Friday.  I teach my crochet students how to make it during their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th class.  In the 2nd class they learn how to crochet a flat circle (the base).  In the 2nd class they start crocheting the sides in a V stitch pattern.  In the 4th class they learn how to make the handles.  This is my own pattern, which I tweaked a little after making this bag.  I am currently making another of these bags but using the tweaked pattern and chunky yarn.  I used Cascade Yarns Pinwheel for this bag.

September Doll Show

I was so happy when my job gave me a bunch of mohair yarn on cones.  It was so pretty.  I didn't remember how itchy it could be though.  So my solution was to make some doll items with it.  It still want to make some human things to though.  I followed this free pattern to knit this hat for my Monster High dolls.  I love the way that it looks on her.  I used a long tail cast on for it, even though the pattern didn't say to.

I used this free pattern to make the witch hat, and then I attached it to her head with a small, clear rubber band.

For the caplet I used size 6 dpns and some mohair yarn.

• cast on 21 sts with long tail cast on
• join in the round
• k2, p2 - repeat to the end and finish with a k1 (for 3 rounds)
• k6, kfb, repeat = 24 sts
• knit 1 round
• k7, kfb, repeat = 27 sts
• knit to desired length and then bind off