Pineapples, not just for doilies...

I think most yarnies have a favorite stitch pattern. One that they love if for no other reason than it just looks pretty. For me it's the pineapple stitch. I know there are a lot of people who dislike them. They seem to have fallen into the same outdated realm as the granny square. Perhaps that's because too many people think of their grandma's old fashioned doilies when they hear "pineapple stitch."

But with the availability of fresh new yarns in vibrant colors, grannies have become trendy once again. And so I hope will be the case with pineapples. With talented designers such as Doris Chan using them in their awesome creations, they're once again earning their due.

To see some of my projects using the pineapple stitch visit my project page on Ravelry.

I've also used pineapples in a couple of my designs:

 

Pineapple Blossom Square

Pear Trivet

Apple Trivet

I definitely have more pineapple plans for the future, some of which will be original designs.

Out of curiosity, on which side of the pineapple fence do you sit?


Thank you Melani for inspiring this post!

New Phone and a WIP

The kids insisted demanded I need a smartphone. Although I like my old one just fine, my "dinosaur" wasn't up to their standards. I avoided it for a long time. I guess in my old age I've become resistant to change. But I finally gave in to the pressure last week. My new phone arrived yesterday. I've spent far too many hours playing with it and learning to use it, but I must say it's kind of fun to play with the new (to me) features.

My old phone did have a camera, but not quite as good as this one. Above is a sneak peak of my current WIP and upcoming new pattern. Picture taken with my new Kyocera Rise.

The Dreaded Project

When I first started this post I was going to share my favorite FO. While looking through my Ravelry Notebook I realized I couldn't narrow it down to just one thing. I love so many of them for different reasons. The colorful granny 'ghans, the cute amigurumi, the pretty bags, the lacy doilies... the list goes on.

But then I came across this. "The 4 Year Afghan". Started Dec 15, 2008, finished Dec 5, 2012. 10 days shy of 4 years. I'm almost certain that's the longest it's taken me to finish a project.

The colors aren't so bad. Not my favorite, but they are Damian's (the recipient) favorite so I went with them. The pattern, I usually like ripples, and this one looked nice, nicely written, not too masculine, not to feminine, so again, I went with it. Everything seemed right, so why did it take so long to finish?

I think it was the softer, rounded points.The ripples I'd done in the past had a more defined point. It was clear where the peaks and valleys were. With this one it was literally row after row of nothing but increases and decreases. I had to constantly count and keep track of where I was in the pattern repeat. Definitely not a mindless project!

Would I ever make the pattern again? I think the pattern would lend itself very well to a baby blanket, so yes, I think I might, but at another time and definitely in a smaller size.

So my question for you is, what is the longest it ever took you to finish a project?

Bunny Egg Cover

Bunny Egg Cover free pattern available for download on Ravelry. Enjoy! :)

 Download Pattern

Marshmallow Bunnies

I've been trying to hang a themed wreath on my front door each month. While looking for ideas for this month's wreath on Pinterest I came across this Bunny Peep Wreath from Stampin' Mama and fell in love. Not wanting to hang all that sugar on my door, I immediately thought of the Marshmallow Bunnies pattern from the talented Doni Speigle. Aren't they just too cute not to crochet?

I'll be using Perfect Pink and Lemon RHSS and a G hook. :) I have a small grapevine wreath I picked up at the dollar store. I think it's around 12". I'm not sure how many bunnies I'll need yet, but I think I'll start with 10 and go from there.

One side done... 19 to go. :)

Free Pattern Downloads

Just wanted to say I'm still crocheting and designing and have two new free patterns on the way later this month, so stay tuned crocheters! Also, please read below and comment with your thoughts and opinions regarding pattern downloads. :)

I've been mixing things up a little bit lately with some knitting projects. I'd wanted a knitted hanging towel for a while but never found the "right" pattern. I decided to sit down one day and "just do it." I liked the result so much I decided to share the pattern as a free download on Ravelry.

Textured Dish Towel PDF

A question for everyone: In which format do you prefer your patterns? 

When I first started sharing my free patterns I never thought it would go any further than just a few dishcloths and squares. But with over 75 patterns currently to my credit (and more on the way, I promise!), I've been thinking about reorganizing and streamlining the way in which I deliver them to you. With the popularity of Ravelry, and the ease of creating PDF's, I am considering offering them all as individual PDF downloads. The free ones will remain free, and you will be able to download them directly on the blog from a dedicated page. Or, if you prefer, you can add them to your Ravelry library so they will always be available to you, even if the blog is down for some reason.

ETA: Just to clarify, the PDFs would be for all of the patterns that are currently here on the blog as well as any future patterns that I offer. Also, they would only be available as a PDF. They would no longer be here as a web page.

Kicking off National Crochet Month

"Crocheted Room" 

origin unknown

It's been nearly a year since I moved out of my daughter's house into my own apartment. It had been a while since I lived in my own place. I have to admit it's quite nice to finally feel "at home" again. I've spent the past several years bouncing between family members' homes. In these types of situations space is always a commodity, so out of necessity (and keeping peace) I've given away, donated, or otherwise disposed of a lot of my old furniture and decorative items.

With all of my moving and shuffling things around, I did hold firm on keeping the necessities such as kitchen items, bath supplies, bed linens, etc., knowing someday I would have my own place again. I also managed, through it all, to hold on to the majority of my yarn and crafting stash. I'm still amazed I actually managed to pull that one off. There were times I was sure the family had had enough of constantly bumping into and tripping over my storage totes!

But we muddled through somehow and now I'm back to looking at a blank canvas. So with almost no budget, but with a closet full to the brim with crafty "stuff", I'm taking on the task of beautifying my new home with yarn, thread, and any other fun supplies I happen to have on hand. The rules are simple. Well, not rules really, more like arbitrary guidelines...

1. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
2. Spend little or no money.
3. Enjoy the process.

I'm not entirely sure where I'm headed with this project. I have a few ideas, small projects here and there--maybe a few larger ones as well (think filet tablecloth and maybe even mural??)--little bits of colorful and creative accessories to liven up the bland ecru walls. It will be a relatively slow process. Never-ending really. Continually growing and evolving. And I'm inviting you all along for the ride!

I've started a Flickr group so we can share our creativity and inspire others to enhance their living spaces as well. So come show us how you have used crochet or other DIY projects to decorate your home?