Crocheted Blankets

I have completed 2 more baby blankets. I used the same edge for each one but with very different results. 

I pictured the first blanket in a previous blog entry with just the foundation row started. Now that it is done, I am pleased with the end result. As stated before, I cut the edge with the skip stitch blade at 3/4 inch and folded the raw edge over. Upon completing the blanket, I did not like this fold, but as I learned later I do like the fold (explanation later). Also as already stated, I put an extra chain stitch between the stitches into the fleece and that worked well at stopping some of the curling. For the second row, I chained 3, skipped 2 stitches, then single crocheted. According to the pattern, I should have only skipped 1 stitch, but with the  regular weight yarn, I decided to skip two. I am glad that I did this. (explanation later). The third row is 5 double crochets in 1 chain then single crochet in the next. I like the resulting scalloped edge. 

 

 

 

On the second blanket, the yellow edge, I decided to change all the things I thought I did not like on the first blanket. To start, I use the skip stitch blade at 1/2 inch so there would be no fold. I wanted to try a softer baby yarn so I used a size smaller hook. Because of the lighter weight yarn on the foundation row, I put 2 chain stitch between the stitch into the fleece, and pulled the yarn to the top of the fleece. So far so good. For the second row, I followed the pattern, chained 3, skipped 1 stitch, then single crocheted in the next. This made for very loopy chains, unlike on the first blanket when I skipped 2 stitches. I thought about ending the blanket with just the loopy chain stitches as the finish, but I decided to go ahead with the 3rd row. I did the same 3rd row as before, but this time because to the loopy chains, when stitching the single crochet in the chain, the chain pulled losing the scalloped edge. I had to pull the single crochet very tight to get any scalloped edge. Half way through the 3rd row, I was wishing I had just slip stitched in between the double crochets. Now that the blanket is done, I see that the fold would have added weight to the edge of blanket to hold the yarn up. The results of this blanket are not my favorite but I still like it.

 

So the question I have to ask myself is why did my first try come out better then my second try. Oh well, as always, it is a learning process. So, with all this new knowledge I have gained, the skip blade is out and and I ready to start another blanket or two.

Giving Gathering Another Try

One of my friend’s little girls just turned 1 year old. Since her mom refers to her as her little monkey, I thought I would make her a simple little dress with a monkey embroidered on the front. This also gave me the opportunity to try gathers again. 

 

To start, I was only going to make one dress, but after cutting out the dress with the stripes running horizontally, I realized that I had cut the dress out against the stretch of the fabric. Because I had plenty fabric and it is just as easy to make two as one, I decided to make a second dress, the vertical stripe one, with the stretch. 

For the gathered skirt, I tried the floss method of gathering as suggested to me the last time I made one of these little dresses. It worked great. I zig-zagged the floss to the top of the skirt and pulled. The floss made it easy to control the gathers and keep them evenly spaced. One thing that made it easier with the floss was that I could pin the starting and stopping points of the floss in place when I had the gathers that I wanted. Then I could even out my gathers without losing them on the ends.

I did learn two things though. One, have the starting and stopping points of the floss as close together as possible. On the first skirt, I started and stopped the floss a couple of inches apart. When it came time to sew the skirt to the top, I had to gather the two inches by hand. On the second skirt, I left no space and it gathered right together. Second, keep the floss close to the top on the skirt. On the first one, I sewed the floss lower on the fabric. Then when it was time to sew the top on, I sewed even lower and lost about 1/2 inch on the length of the skirt. I know that does not seem like much, but it is when the skirt is already so small.  It also just seemed to gather better when the floss was closer to the top of the second skirt. You may have noticed that there are more gathers on the vertical striped skirt than the horizontal one. This is because I used more fabric in the vertical striped skirt. I learned a lot while making of these dresses, and I figure if I make about 15 more, I will get the whole gathering thing down. 

I planned for my friend’s daughter to wear the dresses this spring when the weather is a little warmer, so I hope the size is right . I am excited to see the little monkey in her little monkey dresses.