12.23.06
Merry Christmas!
Just in case I don’t get any computer time tomorrow or Christmas, I wanted to make sure now to wish everyone a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! 
After my friend, Helen, gave me the bright idea of using my old yarn stash to make baby hats and blankets for preemies, my old knitting and crocheting addiction was aroused. . . and while out shopping, I found some really fun looking scarves, which inspired me to make some scarves this year. Originally I was just going to make one for my sister since she liked some that we saw, but I managed to whip out eight of them. From the picture of them below, you may deduce that I have very casual taste (with a bit of hippy, ha!)
I knitted the three on the left and the cream one around my neck. The four on the right are crocheted. I still need to finish the tassels on the green one on the far right. And since I have a lot more yarn left over, I want to make one with those little granny squares. Maybe I’ll start making plans for socks for next Christmas. . .
Instead of my stash of yarn getting “smaller,” it has grown bigger! As I mentioned above, my old knitting and crocheting addiction was re-kindled, so just as I started using up my old yarn, I bought more! Sigh. . . I don’t think I’ll ever be without a stash of yarn somewhere. So below is a picture of “some” of the new yarn that I haven’t gotten to yet, but am itching to get to. I’ve already got an idea of what I’m gonna do with it, hehe.
Since our family starts celebrating Christmas on the 24th, I likely won’t have time until after Christmas. Tonight I have to start wrapping, so I can have all the stockings stuffed before the festivities begin tomorrow. I’ve already got my Mrs. Santa hat on, so I’m off! Merry Christmas to you all! May it be wonderful!
Marlakins
patti said,
December 26, 2006 at 11:35 pm
Marla,
These are great! Granny squares…. one of the things we gave my daughter was a kit to learn to make granny squares and then stitch them together into a scarf. I don’t know how to crochet other then a chain. She and I spent hours yesterday starting and pulling out a granny square but we are having great difficulty getting past the center section. Do you have any suggestions? When it says to put the needle through the center to make a double crochet we do but it never looks like the picture. I wish I was better at this so I can help her. Maybe you can help???? Otherwise, I told her we were going to just keep at it until we succeed. Try and try again…. this is a good time to practice that principal with her. Grace taught herself how to crochet and really wanted to start doing bigger stuff so we though this little kit would be great but I’m beginning to wonder!
Hope you had a very merry Christmas!
patti
Administrator said,
December 27, 2006 at 4:18 pm
Hi Patti: I’d love to help out, if I can! Um, how does it look wrong when you do it? You are yarning over through the center ring, and not through the individual chains, right? I know there are different versions of granny squares. . . one example is chaining 6, then slipping the chain together to make a circle. Then chain 2 which will stand as the first double crochet, then double crochet 2x, then chain 2. The next and following should be 3 double crochets, then chain 2. The beginning of each new row has the chain 2 to stand for the first double crochet. At the corners, you do the 3 double crochets, chain 2, the 3 double crochets again in the same corner so that it turns. (The corners are the chain 2 spaces). Is that the way your pattern is going? Basically, you crochet in the chain “spaces,” not the actual chains like some other patterns.
Let me know if that helps any. If not, I’ll try to hunt down some more illustrations or if all else fails, I’ll try to take some pictures. I’m so glad that your daughter is starting this! How fun! And addicting! Yikes! What colors is she using? The varieties are endless! And I think that is what makes it so addicting. I keep thinking, “Oh, I could do it this way, or do it that way, or use this color with that one. . . ” Next thing you know you’ve got all these projects going. Ha!
I’m “assuming” that her instruction booklet has all the different basic stitches, right? Also keep in mind that the American terminology is a little different from the English terminology. I checked out a booklet from the library that has a little legend for it. If you would like it, let me know, and I’ll copy it for you. It also has a conversion chart for their needle sizes. I like that particularly when you buy foreign yarns, which use their terminology.
Okay! Have fun with it! Can you take some pictures when you’re done with it? I’d LOVE to see it. In search of yarns and patterns, I’ve stumbled upon other knitter’s blogs. . . wow, some of them are soooo good! I don’t have any of them up right now, but if you’re interested, I can hunt them down again or you can do a google search. They’re sprinkled all over the place and they all have pictures of their work. I’m not at their caliber, but I enjoy it!
Hugs!
Marla
patti said,
December 27, 2006 at 10:40 pm
Marla,
Okay – her pattern has her doing a 6 chain to start. Then grabbing the last stitch of the chain and pulling through the center to get her center circle. From there she is doing what you said. But as we go along making the double crochets it stops looking like the picture somewhere along the line! I think we do fine with the first double crochet. It’s seems to be when she/I try to do a corner that we are having trouble. She’s getting really frustrated and wouldn’t even touch it today but I told her we are going to work through this if it kills us! I know she’ll be so glad we did once we get there! She told me she was just going to chain stitch squares. oy. She’s so much like me…. too easy to give up when the going gets hard. I think that’s part of the reason I want us to push through this. I want her to learn not to give up because I did give up too easily on stuff when I was younger and I missed out on some character lessons. I can’t remember the exact colors her kit came with. Orange, blue, pink, yellow, and two others. It’s really a perfect kit for a little girl! If we can just figure this out. : )
Maybe you could take a picture of the center already done and the first double crochet already done and then doing the corner thing to start the square part of the granny square?????
Thanks.
patti
Administrator said,
December 28, 2006 at 10:06 pm
Okay, Patti, I took some pictures. Hope these help.
The third picture below is the first set of 3 double crochets with the 2 chains immediately after it. That chain 2 space will be the first corner.
The picture below is continuing on with 2 more sets of 3 double crochets and 2 chain spaces. That totals 4 sets of 3 double crochets and 2 chain spaces in between each set. Close off just like you did with the first 6 chains.
Then continue on by adding 2 double crochets. This represents your first set of 3 double crochets.
Below is the second row with the first set of 3 double crochets and the 2 chains added (that will represent the corner).
The picture below is continuing on with adding the next 3 double crochet set in the “same” corner 2 chain space.
After the 2 sets of double crochets (separated by the 2 chain spaces), you chain 1, then start another set of *3 double crochet, 2 chains, 3 double crochet* in the next chain 2 space. That will be your next corner.
Chain 1 and repeat from * to *. Last one you chain 1 and close off and start new row with a new color at the next 2 chain space.
Okay, I hope this helps, Patti! If you or your daughter have any more questions, let me know!
Marla
patti said,
December 29, 2006 at 10:46 am
Wow! Thanks, Marla. From the pictures I can see that where we are getting hung up is at the 3rd picture. Our double crochets are somehow not connecting correctly to the center circle. I’m going to print these and see what we can do today or this weekend with them. I’ll let you know if we get past our stuck point or if we’re still stuck!
Patti
patti said,
December 29, 2006 at 10:31 pm
Hey Marla,
Thanks so much! We worked on this today. I printed off what you sent and between your pictures and instructions and what is in the book Grace actually did a good job figuring out the center ring!! She’s struggling with the second round of color but was much happier about things overall. After she gets a few done we’re going to send you some pictures so you can see the progress. Her first correct one was a little rough but I think by the time she does a few she’ll have the hang of it. One difference between your instructions and her kits is that yours say two chains for the corner and her instructions say 3. Three may have been causing her trouble. Don’t know just yet.
She did tell me tonight that she’s so glad I made her perservere on this because she is succeeding as she works on it. It is such a character flaw in me that I give up so easily so I really want to teach her perserverance. Looks like we might be succeeding! : )
Side note – Chuck on the forum wrote in that he’s been juicing multiple times a day and all of his counts are up including his platelets! Maybe someone else will help carry the banner for awhile, huh?
Thanks so much again! Looking forward to showing you pictures.
Patti