New Bag for Crochet Collection

Today I have started designing a lined bag that I am going to include in my e-book that I am curently in the process of creating the patterns for. It is a tri-color checked pattern. It is going to be about 16 x 14 inches big. Here is a picture of what I have been doing.

My e-book is going to have about 5 patterns. I have 2 cardigans (the one from my previous post) and I think I will have 2 bags but I have not decided what I will use for the 5th pattern. I am thinking something more lightweight like a tank top or vest or something.

Here I am going to post a couple of videos of how I am creating this three color check pattern and how I do the color changes. I think I will include a link to this blog in my e-book to use the video as a tutorial. Here are the videos.

For the color changes you will change color at the end of the row. Whether you are doing a double or single crochet you always bring the new color through the last two loops on the hook.

Click here to watch "Crochet-Tutorial---Color-change"

This next video shows how I create the check pattern. You work one row of each color and repeat the three color sequence until you are at your desired length. I do not like to cut the yarn at the end but instead I carry them up the sides of the work. This way you do not have a bunch of ends to weave in. It is easy to do it with this pattern because the color you need will be at the correct end when working with three colors. If you only had two colors it wouldn't work out as well and then you would either cut the ends or add extra balls of yarn to the work.

Click here to watch "Crochet-Tutorial---Tri--Color-Check-Stitch"

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So there are your two tutorials in the Crochet Department today.

New Year

Well here it is February already. I need to try and find more time to do this. I still have many projects going on at once. Work is still pretty crazy right now so I am thrilled to have time to knit and crochet I just am having trouble updating my blog. I just completed another hoodie vest that I have sold and I am in the process of designing a new crocheted cardigan.

I have one front done already. It is hip length with a fitted waist.

My goal with this one is to try and get the pattern out for people to download once I am done and it turns out okay.

Here is a picture of the hoodie vest I have sold.

The main yarn is Dream Baby DK from Plymouth Yarn Company and the strips are ModaDea -Dream. It is really soft to touch. I still need to sew on buttons to the band . The ModaDea is a worsted weight so when I was figuring my guage 2 rows of it in single crochet was the equivalent to one row of double crochet with the DK.

I still plan to get 25 things for charity done as well this year. It is already turning into a very busy year.

I have been working very furiously to get some projects completed before Christmas. So I have not been posting very much. Aside from that I have been very busy at my full time job at the hospital I work for. Then, I made the mistake of taking on a time consuming cardigan for my future father in law. The only reason I decided to do it was because my Fiance is always telling him about the stuff I make and so he said he wanted one. I started it over six months ago but I keep working on other projects putting it off. Now here I am a few weeks before Christmans and I still have a sleeve and a half plus all the blocking, sewing and borders to go. I hope I can get it done without rushing too much. I've already had to rip alot out because I have messed up somewhere in the cable pattern.

Anyway here are some pictures so far.

The back and the almost done sleeve

I will post a picture of it when it is completed.

Decreasing Fully Fashioned on the Knitting Machine

Here is a another tip for converting hand knitted patterns to your machine. Anytime a hand knit patterns reads like this " K2, K2 together. Knit to last 4 stitches and Sl1 K1, Psso. K2" you are decreasing fully fashioned to shape the garment. This creates slanted stitches and keeps he edge of your garment nicely lined. On the machine what that means is that you will decrease on each end and in order to get it to look right you will place the third stitch from the end of each side on to the adjacent needle.

Then you will need to move the 2 stitches over one to close up the gap.

Here is how the finished piece looks with fully fashioned decreases.