I got two headbands completed today...

First one (stretchy full circle)  is made from Peaches and Creme 4 ply worsted weight cotton yarn (color 201 "sea mist")

And the second (tie-on yo-yos) is from worsted weight acrylic yarns I just had in my stash. I got the instructions from here.

DD just loves them both. Definitely easy and quick to make each of these. She already wants more in other colors for her collection of "hair things."  I have some other headband patterns I want to try out too!

Well, after getting a number of granny squares completed I decided to make those in to (I think) a cover for my computer chair. I just wasn't happy with the cheap-o yarn of the squares for an afghan but they'll be perfectly fine for the chair cover. I'll post on that project as I get closer to getting completed.

But, that said, I did get some new yarns that also coordinate with our living room furniture and found a nice, easy ripple afghan to work up with the new yarns.  Here's the FREE pattern I'm using for it.

Here's what I got done yesterday (day one) ...

Width is for a 55" wide afghan. This is just 5 rows so far (almost completed). But I want it to at least be long enough for my 5'9" tall body so I have a LOOOOONG way to go!LOL  it is super simple though with just double crochet, simple increase and decrease.

This is the first time I've worked with color changes, and that wasn't hard either!  I did find, after the initial ch 178 that I can officially say that I'm a tight crocheter. I thought I was anyway, just from having been working on other things, but this confirmed it. So much so that after trying to get the first row onto the foundation and struggling with that I decided to rip it all out and start over. I used a size larger hook and really focused on chaining loosely. Boy, even that was barely enough! I used a size smaller hook after that. LOL But I managed to get that first row in and I'm on my way!

Here's a close up of a section.

Colors showing are cream & cranberry (officially called "autumn") with hunter green and maybe a brown to also be added in.  Will post again on my progress.

Last week I made a water bottle tote. It was not TOO difficult to make, though it was marked as an intermediate pattern. Loved working with this cotton yarn, love the colors. Next time, though, I think I'll omit the flower stitches part and stick to single and double crochet stitches as  I like the solid striped look better than the open  look. I do like that the drawstring can act as either double straps or a long over-the-shoulder-strap. If I remember correctly, however, I made the drawstring with 100ch instead of the pattern's 80ch.

You can get this free pattern here.

My son has requested a waterbottle holder, too. I just need to find a nice "teenage boy"

color of cotton yarn first. And no, he doesn't want the flower stitches either. LOL

Well, as I posted previously I've been trying to teach myself to crochet. Thanks to some instant messaging between myself and my dear ol' friend, more research and practice from the internet, I'm coming slowly along. Here are some of my recent "things."

A washcloth....

Does ANYONE actually USE these crocheted washcloths? And if so, for what?

I attempted to make a doll purse for my DD's American Girl Doll. (shown upside down)

But it just wasn't turning out right. LOL

So I tried again and this time got it right!

It matches the one I made for her own use. She just loved it.

She thought it was hillarious that the pattern was really for a cell phone!LOL

Then I attempted to make a granny square...

As you can see it is HORRIBLE! LOL ... BUT, it was the beginning of a lightbulb moment!

I can't tell you HOW THRILLED I was to have gotten ONE corner done correctly!

That was very reassuring!

So I frogged it, tried again and eventually came up with

something that looked like it had potential!

With a bit more help via instant messaging and a bit more trial and error on my part I figured the darn thing out...

It still isn't perfect but that was fine by me! I *GOT* it!

I finally understood the general concept!

I practiced more on getting my tension and stitch lengths more consistent (I think that is an ongoing lesson.)

Since then I've begun making a different granny square and will be making a

whole slew of them for an afghan for the living room. Here is what I have completed so far.... (I still have a long way to go!)

Forgive the photo. This was taken with the kids' digital camera as my Canon DR was charging. The middle square is actually a "sage green" like the top photo in the blog entry...with the top one being an off white, bottom being a chocolate.

I've also taught myself the popcorn stitch. LOL Just playing around I made this...

No telling WHAT it is... LOL

I've found some nice blogs and websites with great instructional videos and/or photos, and a few fun blogs just for inspiration. I even checked out a couple books from the library. It was real nice sitting in the car with my son while my daughter had soccer practice. I worked on a granny square (the brown one with the hook still in it above) and my son handstitched a drawstring bag he's working on. (I'll share a photo of that in the next few days when he's done.)  

Huh. Who knew! I just learned how to crochet! I think i started trying like Tuesday night. And this morning I finished my first-ever crochet project.

It started out as a "trial run" practice thing, just making the silly potholder that had instructions on the cone of yarn I had bought. But, as of last night, when it was time to fold over and bind the edges, i decided to make it into a little purse for my DD. So I added a handle, extended one side to be a fold-over flap, rigged a button & loop on it and VOILA! Maybe something she can use to carry some doll stuff or whatever. I don't know.

Anyway, here it is.

So very far from perfect, but the edges are square and it works. I should have laid it out nicer so the rows look straight (they are) but I was in a hurry. This was just some cheap yarn I had bought to practice with.

Here is the blog that got me thinking "Hey! I should try to learn to crochet!"  http://craftydaisies.com/category/learn-to-crochet/  (scroll down to the bottom for the lesson #1)

And here are a few more sites I've since bookmarked. (Please leave me a comment with some of YOUR favorite crocheting sites!)

Crochetville

Yarnstorm

Annie's Attic

Woolcrafting- granny squares   (I think I might try my hand at granny squares next)

I have no grand plan to make anything amazing.... just having something new to do is fun enough. I just wish I had lots of different yarns to play with!LOL