Mini Crochet Tutorial for Project Linus Sidways Shell begins at 6:39.
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Workshops open through January 2013!
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My yarn stash, which is a drop of water compared the the ocean that is my fabric stash, has been neglected for quite some time. I crochet most evenings, making blankets for The Linus Connection. I usually dig out the yarn I need and leave the rest.
Unfortunately, my poor yarn stash had been neglected so long, that I “lost” two small projects in there.
Oops!
I rectified this situation last night by sitting and sorting all of my yarn, rewinding messy skeins and bagging yarn by intended project.
There was one mostly completed dishcloth, using my Carpool Dishcloth pattern. After sorting the yarn, I sat and crocheted for five minutes and finished it up.
FIVE.
Really? I wonder why I left it unfinished in the first place…
The second project I found was a small stack of variegated and brown granny squares, made using my favorite technique, that I call Turn Around Granny. I turn my granny squares after each row, which keeps them from tilting. It also removes one of my least favorite parts of traditional granny squares: they have a front and a back.
These have been sorted out with more brown and variegated yarn and I will endeavor to make these my next Linus Connection afghan.
Now, back to enjoying my family!
Workshops are open!
My 8th grader is flying home from Seattle right now, on a plane full of middle school honors band kids, directors and (I’m sure) exhausted chaperones after a very successful concert at the Western International Band Clinic (scroll down to see Deerpark Middle School Honors Band).
Knowing he’s headed home after not seeing him for almost five days is making it a wee bit hard for me to focus on anything for more than a few minutes.
That’s a good time for crochet. I can let my hands work the yarn while my mind jumps around in excitement at seeing my kiddo!
Today, I’m working on the Box Stitch Carriage Robe pattern, which is really just fancy talk for a baby blanket! This pattern is an old favorite for children’s blanket charities, originally shared by a Project Linus volunteer.
Mine blanket will go to The Linus Connection, as usual!
While Project Linus and The Linus Connection are not the same organization, we do have the same mission, to provide blankets to children in crisis and all of our patterns can be used interchangeably.
Add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post.
In which I discuss general craftiness, updating my living room, Fandom In Stitches (we have a FB group for TABABOM!), The Linus Connection, specifically Stars For Linus, and making baby goodies!
Baby Sweater pattern by Beth Koskie
Rib Look Baby Hat pattern by Kathy North
Very Easy Newborn Booties pattern by Beverly A. Qualheim
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Where in the world would I be without friends?
Floating in a sea of empty Internet, no Bee, no Linus. That’s where I’d be.
Fortunately, none of those things are true. Whew.
Over the last several weeks, I’ve received oodles of packages in the mail from friends sending donations for my favorite cause, The Linus Connection.
I mention Linus often, because it’s a big part of my life. I’ve been volunteering as a blanket maker since late 2002. I’ve been the webmistress of linusconnection.org since 2003. I’m currently in my second term on the Board of Directors. I write all of the Linus Connection blog posts. I’m in charge of blanket sorting and distribution. Most of my local friends were met either through or because of my participation in The Linus Connection.
Like I said, it’s kind of a big deal to me.
When the Central Texas fires occurred, and I mentioned Linus and that we, the volunteers, would do everything we can to fill the requests of facilities that are helping the children affected, my friends, both near and far, stepped up.
They stepped up in a big way.
Stars For The Linus Connection
a free 12″ pattern
for best results when printing, set scaling to “none”
We have already donated two Stars For Linus quilts and a third is in the making. I continue to accept not only Stars For Linus blocks, but Wonky Star blocks.
In addition to Stars For Linus blocks, I’ve received quilt tops, completed quilts, and a stack of afghans.
Like I said, my friends stepped up. See the full list of those that have donated.
In addition to the stack of quilts I showed in this post, the following wonderful offerings were donated to Linus yesterday, thanks to a few of my friends:
Donated by Mary
Donated by Amber
Donated by Amber
Donated by Amber
Donated by Amber
Donated by Kristel
Donated by Kristel
Quilting Close-Up…triangles!
Donated by Kristel
Have you mailed Stars for Linus blocks or made a blanket donation? There’s a flickr group for that!
Would you like to help The Linus Connection raise funds for blanket-making supplies? Buy a raffle ticket! They are super inexpensive ($1 each or 6 tickets for $5). Click on the banner above for details. I am also personally happy to accept paypal payment or U.S. checks or Money Orders made out to The Linus Connection for your tickets. Please include your name, mailing address and preferred email so I can fill out your ticket information and mail the stubs to you. If you’d like to send a check or money order, please email me for more information.
Yesterday was The Linus Connection’s twelfth Birthday and our Annual Blanket Challenge. If you have not already seen all the amazing blankets that were entered in the Challenge, go see! We had an absolutely stunning turn out, breaking our previous record for number of blankets turned in for the Challenge.
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Remember this, when I posted about the UFOs and such I’d like to get finished in 2011? Well, the end of February saw me finishing these blocks above into this afghan below!
The black/red squares came from a Twilight Crafts swap in 2009. I made all the white ones to give it a checkered effect and to help the black/red blocks really stand out.
I crocheted all the blocks together with white yarn, then crocheted around with black. Once I changed to white yarn, I crocheted evenly around and then continued with the border, most of which is done in hdc. The finishing row is a reverse sc (aka crab stitch), which adds a really awesome ridged texture.
I really like the finished product and have decided that I will keep this one for myself. Quite a few of my friends participated in this swap and it makes me happy to have a little piece of their craftiness!
Remember the stairs? I will have something to share about those very soon!!
14 days until my bee’s annual quilt retreat!
SEWHOOKED SHOP |SCHEDULE | SEWHOOKED FB
JEN FACEBOOK | TWITTER | FLICKR GROUP
SEWHOOKED SHOP |SCHEDULE | SEWHOOKED FB
JEN FACEBOOK | TWITTER | FLICKR GROUP
…and a little bit of rambling!
SEWHOOKED SHOP |SCHEDULE | SEWHOOKED FB
JEN FACEBOOK | TWITTER | FLICKR GROUP
SEWHOOKED SHOP |SCHEDULE | SEWHOOKED FB
JEN FACEBOOK | TWITTER | FLICKR GROUP
Sewhooked 