In which we present a pattern.

First, here are some blurry pictures of the necklaces I made for friends for Christmas:

I took this with my phone right before a gave it away.

Same with this one.

I got the idea for these because I wanted to knit a couple of Chevettes, but I'd run out of time. So, I decided I could probably come up with something that was similar, only in crochet. And so the kind-of-like-Chevette-only-in-crochet was born. (It's a working title.)

This is my first official-like pattern. So, should you find any mistakes (and you probably will) please let me know.

Yarn: Not very important, I'd go with cotton for the choker part so it doesn't irritate the skin. For the pictures below I used this, but that's just what I happened to have near me at the time.
Hook: I used a G, but use whatever works with your yarn.

Choker:
Chain 5, sc in 3rd chain from hook, 2 sc, turn,
*Ch 2 (counts as first dc) skip first sc, 3 dc, turn
Ch 3 (counts as first tr) skip first dc, 3 tr, turn
Ch 1, skip 1, 3 sc, turn*

Repeat from * to * until long enough to just touch around your neck.
1 sl st, ch 7, sl st into the next stitch that is not a chain, fasten off. This will be your buttonhole.

If you have a button, sew it on to the other end and you are done with the choker part. If you are like me, and live in a button black hole, crochet your own thusly:

Magic loop, sc 4. 2 sc in each sc, (total of 8 sts)
sc, 2sc around, (total of 12 sts)
sc, dec around (total of 8 sts)
dec around (total of 4 sts)
dec around (total of 2 sts)
Fasten off.
You get something that looks like this:

I hope yours isn't as blurry as mine turned out.

Yes, it is kinda funky looking, not to worry. Take both the ends, thread them through a needle, and sew it on to the end of choker.  Weave the ends into the button.  You get this:

See? Much less blurry after you sew it on.

The choker, as modeled by two bottles of sparkling apple juice.

The flower:

Magic loop, sc 10, do not turn

Shell pattern:
Sc and hdc in the first stitch; dc, hdc, and sc in the next stitch.

Continue around until you get to the first shell. Sl st into the first shell, fasten off. Leave a 3 inch long tail.
 
Leaf (make two):
Chain 7, sc in 2nd chain from hook, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc. You should be back at the beginning. Turn,
chain 1, sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st, finish off.

Sew the leaves to the back of the flower.

Pretend there are two leaves here.

Find a button (I used a bead - button black hole, remember?), and sew it to the flower and two leaves. Then slip the button in any of the spaces created by the triple crochet, or double crochet depending on the size of your bead button.

There you go.

Tada!

So many dishcloths... ahhhhhhh!

Way back in early September I mentioned I had a few projects to finish before I started Christmas knitting. This one turned into a Christmas gift because it took me so long.

They are Susi's Reading Mitts. I've made them before, but since then they've taken the pattern down, so I did some of it by memory and some of it by guessing. I didn't use the right yarn, and though I thought I'd gotten gauge, I hadn't. For these many reasons I got this far before I realized that they were too small.

Too small. Ouch.

I ripped them out, had a mourning period of about a month, and then started over. I'm going to claim having to start over as the reason why I didn't start on Christmas knitting early enough. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

So my Christmas knitting became Christmas crochet. And since I'd learned to make soap the easy way, I thought I'd make dishcloths to go with a bar or two of soap.  Fabulous gift idea, I know.

I used the nubbie scrubbie pattern for the most part.

I made a LOT of them. I think I can make that pattern in my sleep now.

I tried out the Interweave pattern, but I didn't like it as much. They were pretty, but weren't as scrubbie, and took more concentration.

I got tired of those so I tried out the Scrubbie Dots pattern. Lots of ends, I chose poorly on the colors, not my favorite pattern.

 After being thoroughly sick of making dishcloths I decided to make a hotpad for my MIL.

It turned out okay. I think if I'd reversed the colors it would have been better.

But the cool stuff happened when I threw out the patterns.

Next time: The necklace pattern I promised you a while ago, and pictures.

Christmas saved - Gingerbread is a go.

Yoga on Monday was wonderful. I found out there is going to be a partner yoga again some time in March. So Monday was not actually the last class, and I'm glad.

Tuesday I saved Christmas when I remembered that bead is another word for button. I'd finished two of my Chevette inspired crocheted chokers (pattern forthcoming, pictures soon), except that I needed to sew the buttons on. There were no buttons. None to be found in the house.  Despite the fact that I know SOMEWHERE I have a bag full, and all this less than an hour before the party where I was planning on giving them away. Enter the beads. Freak out averted. The party was great, and the gifts went over well.

This evening I went and made gingerbread dough with my sister. We argued about discussed how we were going to build this year's gingerbread house. We have the same end goal, but different ideas of how to get there. Eventually we agreed on a new plan and got down to the business of making the dough. I think we are getting better at it - it didn't take nearly as long as it did last time. We stuck the dough in the fridge, it needs to be chilled, and then spent the rest of the evening watching Doctor Who with my dad and DH. Perfect.
I hope your Christmas preparations are going well.

Holiday Blur

The holidays are here and I’m having a hard time keeping everything straight. So before I forget, here’s what we did this weekend:
Thursday I went to the gym for the first time in a month. I moaned and groaned my way through my workout, but I felt great after. So much so that I convinced DH that we HAD to go to the midnight showing of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. I loved it, no surprise as I am a huge fan of anything Sherlock. Getting up on Friday was difficult, but the movie was worth the exhaustion.

Friday afternoon I picked up my sister, who had just gotten home for winter break, and whisked her over to our place. She needed to do bit of laundry, so DH suggested we watch the beginning of How to Train Your Dragon. We ended up watching the whole movie. It was so cute! The previews did not do it justice. After the movie and laundry, we headed over to hang with P&S for food and fun.

Saturday DH headed off for disk golf, while my sister and I headed over to the parents’ to start on gingerbread house. After she put a Batman cape on my dog and chased her around the kitchen, we got down to some serious interneting. We’ve decided to branch out and make a house that is not in the Gingerbread Architect, the gingerbread bible that we’ve used the last few years. So after much pouring over Google images, while I crocheted, we came up with a plan. A plan we will start on Wednesday.

That evening DH joined my dad, sister and me to go see a production of Amahl and the Night Visitors that Mom was in. She was a shepherdess; I was very proud. After we waited for Mom to change, we all headed over to Hank’s Garage for the duck fat fries (yes, you read that right). It’s a Belgian pub, so you can get poutine, and the best crème brûlée this side of France. DH and I got home and tried to stay up till our houseguests showed up, but it didn’t happen.

Sunday we got up, I crocheted, and listened to the radio until K&V woke up. Then DH and I decorated the tree, while I made K&V watch the first episode of Grimm. Not the most Christmas-y show, but I really enjoy it and I wanted to share. That’s in the Christmas spirit, right? I got one of Victorian Texting Gloves that I was hoping to have done for V before they left, but I just didn’t have time to do them both. Since she has already seen and tried one on, I don’t feel bad showing it to you before Christmas. 

I'm almost done with the second one.

That afternoon, we went over to P&S’s for their Holiday Party. The spread was incredible: sausage, cheese logs, queso, pesto pasta, cookies, sticky toffee pudding, pigs in a blanket, the works. K of S&K baked goodies for Christmas and we had a few. The Snickers cookies were a treat, and the peanut butter fudge was wonderful. We decorated cookies, ate until we hurt, traded gifts, played a game of Killer Bunnies, and ate some more. K&V had to go to work today, so headed back to Dallas. I wish they could have stayed longer, but I’m glad they came.

We are going to the last partner yoga session tonight. I’m sad that it’s ending, but I think it has done us a world of good. I’ve still got a bunch of crocheting left, but I’m starting to feel like I might actually get everything done. Let’s see, Tuesday we’ve another holiday gathering; Wednesday is baking gingerbread; Thursday training at the gym; Friday is probably more gingerbread. That leaves Saturday, Christmas Eve, and Sunday, Christmas.

…Christmas is THIS Sunday?! Eeep! Somehow, I thought I had more than a week left. I may be giving gifts on Twelfth’s Night, because that’s been the plan all along. I swear

I'm going to write a post real quick...

Famous last words I know, but here it goes:

I've got 12 balls of cotton yarn in front of me. The pink one is looking at me sideways. I've been working on crocheting Christmas gifts till my hands have gone tingly, and I'm still not done. I've started improvising patterns because I'm sick of making the same thing over and over.

I needed something faster. What could be faster than the crocheted things I can't tell you about? Accessories! So you may be getting something that works with my theme this year, or you may be getting something that will go with that lovely outfit your aunt gave you. It depends on how sore my wrists get between now and Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I love making things for friends and family. I just started too late in the year; I should have started in June.
Okay, back to crochet... and Buffy.