Needlework Tuesday - Crochet with a Sense of Humor

 Needlework Tuesday is open to all readers looking for inspiration, encouragement or who want to share their recent needlework project. Introduce yourself in the comments and be sure to leave a link to your current post. Feel free to grab the cute little mouse for your post.

Ever get that urge to make something impractical but fun.  That mood struck this week.  I just had to make an apple cozy.  Several months ago, Tracy at Pen and Paper sent me a link to a new magazine in the UK. It was featuring a pattern for an apple cozy.  I thought it was very cool at the time, but didn't get around to making one.  I did sign up for their email list.  When the most recent posting arrived, it again featured the pattern as National Apple Day in the UK was on October 21.  The first one I made out a too thick wool and I am in search of a giant apple that will fit.  This time I made it with a thinner cotton and a much smaller hook 3.5mm.  Perfect.  The pattern was posted by The Guardian newspaper. This pattern says to use double crochet, but I used single crochet.  My sister tells me that the terminology is a bit different between our countries.   Check out the really cool pumpkin apple cozys.  Should you decide to make this project, beware, it might lead you to think of making jackets for your other fruits.

 Last week I showed you the yarn that I purchased for my snowflake afghan.  I just love how these colours are looking.  I made up the first motif while visiting with my parents.  My mother was curious how it went together.  How long before I get her picking up the hook again???

Yes, I did make this project one before.  To see how the motif goes together visit this earlier post. Are you interested in making this afgahn, visit the Red Heart blog to download the pattern and to watch the instructional videos.  They clearly show how to make this comfy blankie.

Son's stocking is now finished.  Love the adaptation to make this cable.  Very manly.  I pictured it with the measuring tape this time so you could get a better idea of the size.  I should be able to fit lots of loot, I mean goodies, in this.  Pattern not available.

It was a challenge this week to make the seventh stitch pattern for Grandma Coco's Papa Bear Sampler Scarf .  I think it was mostly that my needles are dark and the yarn was dark.  It didn't help that I was trying to knit in the evening without insufficient lighting.  This pattern is called Twisted Texture.  It involved knitting in the second stitch on the needle and then going back to knitting on the first one.  Not really a difficult thing in itself, but I did have some trouble with splitting my yarn or inserting the needle point in the wrong spot.  It was worth the extra effort.  Looks better than in this photo.  Cheryl now has up the instructions for week 8.

 Not one to shy away from a challenge, I have been browsing thought Ricky Tims' Convergence Quilts.  It's my mother's book and she has been planning to make at least one of the projects.  We're planning to make the "Original Haarmonic Convergence" quilt together.  In the mean time, I had to give the basic technique a try.

 Using this scap fabric.  It's cotton with a water resistance coating (came from a friend).  I trimmed it to about 36 inches square. Note the diagonal light and dark areas.

Next cut it into 2 inch strips.

 Offset the strips by 1 inch.  And sew them together.

 All sewn together and all seams pressed to one side.  Now rotate 90 degrees and repeat process, only this time you offset by a complete unit (2 inches) so you can match all those millions of seams.

This is my new fabric in the original orientation.  NOte that there still is that light and dark diagonals.  I have now removed all those extra bits from the edge and will use them in a border.  I do think to make it more interesting I will have to applique something on the top.Or possibly a thread art image of a radiant sun.

This is the fabric I purchased last evening from the guest at my local guild meeting.  It was dyed by Jane of Dye-Versions.  This piece measures about 37 x 53 inches.  I think it will be perfect for when mom and I do our project together.


What have you been working on this week.  


Sherrie, from Just Books. has started on a new afghan, I guess we are all planning to be warm and cuddly this winter.