Working on a circular loom!

So, I know I have that damn blanket to finish, but sometime you have to work on something else to get you back in the game. That's what I am doing now. One of my coworkers decided he couldn't work on them and gave me his circular looms. I went and bought some nice light yellow red heart with love yarn and I decided I would make myself a scarf with this circular loom. It's pretty interesting and I feel like I am making more progress on this than I would if I were crocheting or knitting  (knitting... don't get me started...). Anyway, I have about a foot of work done so far and I think it is pretty easy. I think once I get home I will create a couple tutorials on how to get started. Let me know if there is something specific you'd like to see. Thanks!

Delay after delay...

Sorry everyone for the lack of updates on this afghan. It's tough to provide updates when everything you have looks the same. Anyway, in the next couple of days I think I will put up something on how to do a whip stitch (or how I think a whip stitch is supposed to be done). Maybe you guys will get another video.

On the subject of the video I made before... do you feel like it helped at all? The angle I had to work with was a little weird and I had to do it on my phone as well. I have a digital camera now that can take video and I think that will be easier. Let me know if you have any thoughts on the video or if you have any requests.

Please keep checking back for updates!

Granny Square Delay

Sorry about the lack of updates recently. I typically buy my yarn from Walmart (cheap and around the corner) but two trips in the row they were out of the yarn I am using. Red Heart with Love Peacock blue. So I ordered via Amazon. It was an add on item so something else had to be purchased along with it. Anyway, I have three skeins of yarn and that should keep me busy for a bit. Hopefully I will be able to get more squares done soon. I will keep you all appraised of the progress.

My Crocheting Story....

“To be a person is to have a story to tell.”
                                          — Isak Dinesen

I can't remember when I learned how to crochet, or why I learned how to crochet, but I know my mom taught me. She taught me how to crochet with some yarn and a pink Boye crocheting hook. When I was younger I didn't really crochet right. I pulled my stitches way too tightly which made everything way more difficult. The starting chain I started with would be too tight, so when I tried to do my first row of actual stitches it was more difficult than it needed to be.

Coffee cup holder sans button

I got so mad and my hands would hurt so much, but I pushed on. My mom kept telling me I was making my stitches too tight but I couldn't figure out a way to teach myself how to make them looser. It took me so much time to just make a row of stitches. I only knew the single stitch at the time too, so obviously it took even longer. I think I tried to make a scarf, and then stopped at a pot holder.

After the failed scarf-turned-pot-holder project, my mom knitted me a scarf, since, ya know, I couldn't crochet one for myself. At that point she tried to teach me how to knit. Who have thought I couldn't do anything with that either. Even with knitting I was pulling my stitches too tight.

I was never able to really get one hook in the yarn behind the other so I could do the whole knot one pearl two dealie-o. I don't even think I gave knitting an actual chance because I don't remember even trying to make anything. That was years ago though, and my memory is faulty, so I might have given it a chance.

Tiny Persian rugs

I kept that crocheting hook my mom gave me for a very long time. I can't remember the last time I saw it and I don't know why I never picked crocheting back up until now. When I looked for it recently, I realized I had misplaced it, and I became irrationally upset because I didn't know where it was, and I still don't.

Six months ago while I was at work, I was training a group of about twenty individuals. One of the women (we'll call her Susan, because that's her name) was knitting. Something about that made me want to start being crafty again. I think it might have been a combination of that and me wandering down the  yarn isle of Walmart and finding a beautiful blue yarn (Red Heart with Love Peacock Blue) and wanting to do something with it. I made a scarf.

After the successful (albeit a little wide) scarf was made I decided I wanted to make something... more. I had previously found this beautiful picture online of a stained glass window of a peacock. It was so riveting. I wanted to copy it somehow and carry it around with me at all times. Why not a scarf that looked like it?

More peacock blue, along with a light blue, a goldenrod yellow and dark green yarn was soon purchased and my design slowly came to life. I taught myself how to do a double stitch, triple stitch and how to crochet in circles. I even taught myself how to change yarn colors (not sure if I'm actually doing it correctly but whatever).

Personally, I like making things. I like being able to use my hands and make something come to life. I love to write, draw and build things. Some of those things I'm better at than other things, but that's alright. When I first decided to make this blog I thought about just making a crafting blog, but then realized I don't do enough other craft stuff to warrant a craft blog. So I made Stitched and Rows to chronicle my misadventures of crocheting.

I check my blog multiple times a day to see how many people view it. I secretly hope that hundreds of people look at my blog, but I know that won't happen and if it does it won't be for a very long time. I just want to show people that you  can make that thing you thought would be cool, even if it is a peacock scarf, and when I make things I like them to be unique, cool, and most of all useful. No sense in taking all that time and making something that no one will use.

Hats are pretty darn easy, and I think my proudest achievement as far as hat making has been the hat I made for my brother. Him and I have had this little bit of a running joke regarding Zoidberg (yeah the lobster alien doctor from Futurama). Years ago my parents gave me a custom made coffee mug that they had written all over. My brother decided to write the following on it:

(\/)(',,,')(\/)

Need a hat? Why not Zoidberg?

A couple years ago my mom routed a gift to me that was for my brother. It was a matte black picture frame that you can write on with a silver pen. I drew Zoidberg on it and wrote "Need a frame decoration? Why not Zoidberd?"

I wanted to keep that tradition alive so I made him this awesome hat. It took me forever to find the right color of yarn (either it was too pink or too orange) but I finally found some in Walmart that had a more "home made" quality to it. It was a little more as far as price but it was worth it. I don't know if he wears it at all, but it's pretty awesome looking.

The Broseph (he hails from Brohan)

Even if he doesn't wear the hat, I can smile knowing he wore it at least once and I know if he wants, he can wear it again.

I've made a couple of hats, one scarf, several tiny little Persian rugs, a coffee cup holder (with a hand made button) and failed at plenty of things along the way. The important thing about it though is that this time around I haven't gotten frustrated. I love making things and I don't think crocheting should be looked at as a chore.

For whatever reason you create,

make sure it makes you happy.

Granny Square Afghan Update

It's out of control!

Granny Squares Galore!

So I've been making more and more of these granny squares, sewing them together with what I hope is a whip stitch (I don't know if I'm doing it right but it's staying together so we'll just roll with it) and then sewing said rows together. So far I have three rows.

It's all coming together quite well and it's pretty darn awesome to actually see the progress I'm making. The only issue that I'm facing is that I'm running out of my awesome peacock blue yarn. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but half the time I can't find it at Walmart. Now I suppose I could order it online, but I'm an instant gratification type gall, so I typically wait and buy it in store. I went in today and they didn't have it. They didn't have it the other day when I went to buy more of the dark green that I'm using for the border.

I'm toying with ordering it online, but when I look on Amazon it doesn't tell me exactly how much yarn I'm getting for the almost $8 I'd be spending.

I still have some but not a lot. I probably have like... one or two more squares worth. I guess if I run out of blue yarn and I can't find it anywhere, I could always continue to show you guys how to make all of those stitches you didn't know you wanted to learn how to make. Anyway, if what I'm doing isn't making a whole lot of sense, you can check some of the previous updates and see what the overall pattern should be. It will make more sense once you can visualize the whole thing. Lucky for me I'm about 25% done with this afghan. Wish me luck in finishing it!

 

Triple Crochet and Double Triple Crochet Stitch

This entry will tell you how to do both the triple crochet and the double triple crochet. They don't look that different to me, so I'm not sure what the differences are, as far as looks are concerned. Below you will find the steps for both stitches. Let me know if anything needs to be clarified!

The triple crochet stitch is something that leaves a lot of space between the stitches. The triple employs the same technique as the double, where you yarn over multiple times between the stitch. This stitch would be a good way of covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time, although there are gaps between the stitches, so I don't know if it is something to be used when making something intended to keep you warm.

As always, start with a good chain stitch. Once you have your chain to the appropriate length you want, chain five more.

1. Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the 5th chain stitch from your hook.
2. Yarn over and pull it through. You should now have a total of four loops on your hook.
3. Yarn over and pull through the first two loops on your hook.
4. Yarn over and pull through the next two.
5. Then yarn over and pull through the last two.

Triple crochet stitch

Repeat these steps until you complete your last triple stitch in the last chain stitch of your base chain.

Chain four and turn your work (or turn your work and chain four, I don't think it really matters to be honest).

Yarn over twice and, skipping the first stitch, insert your hook into the second stitch (the chain stitches you did will take the place of the first stitch), yarn over and pull through. Repeat steps 1-5 to complete your triple stitch.

Keep doing this until your work is the size you'd like. Once you've complete your last triple stitch for your project, make a slip stitch and close it off.


The double triple is basically the same but there is one extra yarn over loop you'll have to deal with.

Start with a chain stitch, loop over three times and insert your hook into the 6th chain stitch from your hook. Yarn over and pull through. You'll have five loops on your hook now. Yarn over and pull the yarn through the first two loops. Yarn over, pull through two, yarn over pull through two and yarn over again and pull through the last two loops.

Double triple crochet stitch

And there ya have it! You've now learned the triple crochet and the double triple crochet stitch! Yay!

Granny Square Afghan, cont'd

(afghan, not Afghan)

Here's another update on the granny square afghan I'm making. I've decided to share the afghan pattern that I made (not a stitch pattern, but a picture of what I want the thing to look like). Anyway, It's pretty rudimentary, but I hope you you guys like it.

The colors don't really mean anything, they're just there so I can know from a glance what goes where. It's going to take forever to make considering I make only 2 squares a day (because it's hard to make these when I'm at work, and there isn't enough light in my living room for me to work and NOT get a headache). But at least you guys will get plenty of updates.

The number below the granny squared below coincides with the number for the cube in the design. It's almost like... color by number, except it's crochet by number and it takes like, 10000000000 times longer. 

1	2
3	4

b (plain blue square)

Between these fancier squares, I'm just going to have some plain blue ones. The outside will have a border. The border won't be plain green squares, but stitches on that side of the square will be green. I'll make some to show you what I mean. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the update. Hopefully this will go quicker than I think it will. Words of encouragement would be appreciated. Thanks!

She is a Peacock in Everything but Beauty

Peacock scarf...

The stained glass

So I started this project quite a while ago. I lost the concept drawing a while back, but in general it was supposed to be a really colorful scarf based off of a stained glass window I had seen on the internet. The stained glass is really pretty and I tried to capture that, but something tells me I didn't do that well. It's hard to capture the stained glass look when you're working with yarn. When I was first getting all the yarn, there was not a true emerald green available, so I got a dark green instead. Only when I was basically finished with all of the tail feathers did I find an emerald green.

Anywho, For these feathers I used the half double stitch for the majority. For texture, I ended up doing a double stitch on the stock of the feather. The feather on the top left, I attempted to incorporate the emerald green I found, but I honestly don't know how it's all going to look once it's pieced together.

To start these "feathers" I crocheted in circles, changing colors when appropriate. I actually messed up on some of these because I would forget to change colors or they would be completely messed up (crooked and such).

I'm still trying to figure out how the hell I'm going to make the body of the peacock, so if anyone reading this has any suggestions as far as a stitch or anything, let me know and we'll see how it works. I was hoping to make smaller triangular shaped stitches, but nothing is really sticking out to me as far as the shape and how it will all look. Also, these colors are going to look familiar because all of the yarn I originally purchased was for this peacock scarf project. I really need to try to finish something before I start anything else, but meh. Anyway, let me know what you think!

Granny Square Afghan, cont'd...

Alright, so with having the day off so our new air conditioner could be installed, I had a little bit of time. I know it isn't much, but here is an update. I decided that I would also add some emerald green and gold coloring to the mix. I like the pattern I've made thus far. The squares that are a single color don't take as long to make, but they're also kind of boring. Also, tying off and hiding the ends of all the loose strings is a bit of a hassle, and I'm pretty sure the I do it isn't the "correct" method. My thought on that is, as long as you like the way it looks then how can it be wrong?

Anywho, I connected my squares with that I think is a whip stitch. I don't know if I'm doing it correctly, but going back to my previous point; I like the way it looks so I don't care. Now I just have to make like, 70 more of these suckers and I'll be set.

The reason why I need to make so many is because my boyfriend is 6'8", and I would like this to at least cover part of him. Not all of him because I think I'd give up on the project before it was finished. Anyway, I'll go over how to connect these dang squares the next time I have seven of them in a row. Please leave comments and let me know what you think so far!

Granny Square Mistake

So, I will be the first to admit when I've done something wrong (well, sometimes, heh) but I realized I was putting too many double stitches in for the border of my granny squares. So here I am now, unravelling the squares I have completed already to fix them. Sigh.

Creating a Granny Square

How to make a Granny Square

Hey there guys! I hope the video quality on this isn't too bad. I had to shrink it down in order for it to load on the site so hopefully it's still viable.

The captions in the video have the steps you'll need to complete. Hopefully my man-hands didn't get in the way (man hands... it's a Seinfeld reference).

Once you complete the inside of the granny square, you'll need to do the border next. You can use any color you want. I'm pretty sure there's no etiquette here, but because this is for my boyfriend, and green is as manly as blue, I chose green.


This is the inside of the granny square. The larger the gauge of hook you use, the large the square and holes will be. Because I'm fond of my 5.00mm hook, this is the way mine looks.

Choose the border color you want. Like I said, I'm going with this dark green. Insert your hook into the first stitch BEFORE the two chain stitch gap, make a slip stitch.





 Once the slit stitch is complete, chain three. Just like the inside part, this will take the place of a double crochet stitch.

After the chain 3, do a double crochet stitch, chain 2 and then make two dc.

For each stitch onward, it will be one stitch per spot. The corners will be a two sets of two double stitches separated by a chain of two.


... I hope that made sense.

This is the border. As you can see there is only one dc for every space.

Once you get to the end (aka the beginning) of the border, make a slip stitch to close it off.

Completed granny square.

Granny Square Afghan

Making an granny square afghan

So, I didn't know what a granny square was either until I was looking through a pattern book my mom sent me and my boyfriend requested that I make him an afghan (afghan, not Afghan (big difference)). After looking through different styles, he told me he wanted one like how his grandma used to make. I found the type he wanted and proceeded down the rabbit hole.

Af·ghan

ˈafɡan/

1. A woolen blanket or shawl, typically one knitted or crocheted in strips or squares.

I'm sure you've seen them, these granny squares. They're about 10" by 10" and look holey. If you're unsure what I'm talking about, I've gone ahead and pulled a picture from google for you. They're typically made from a bunch of different colors. I'd say a lot of people got these types of blankets from, you guessed it, they're granny's (nana, grandma etc)!

First square!

Anywho, I'm going to make my boyfriend one, and this is going to be the first post about it. At first he requested blue, because blue is a manly color (or at least the manliest I have in my yarnventory (yarn-inventory)).

I thought it was going to be severely boring, so I decided to add a dark green to it as well, so sort of break it all up. I have two different colors of green, dark green and emerald green. I felt the dark green went better with the blue I am using. I believe the green is called hunter green and the blue is peacock blue.

I've only made a couple so far as I keep getting side tracked by other things. I really need to baton down the hatches and get this taken care of. Summer is just starting, I know, but I need to work on this because my boyfriend is 6'8", and in order to make this usable for him I'm going to need a lot of these darned squares. I'll be making a video on HOW to make these darn squares, because it will take too many picture to get this across, and I like making videos. 

1. 
   

The Double Crochet Stitch

How to make the double crochet stitch

Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay on this. I got a little sidetracked with a new project that I am forgetting to document for you guys. Anyway, this post is going to be all about the double crochet stitch (abbreviated dc). I'm using blue yarn for this as it pleasantly co-insides with this new project I'm working on.

1. First thing to do is to start with your beginning chain stitch. Once you're at your desired length, add three more chain stitches.

2. Yarn over the hook, insert your hook into the 4th chain stitch from your hook, yarn over the hook and pull the yarn through.

3. You should now have three loops on your hook.

4. Yarn over the hook and gently pull it through the first two loops on your hook.

5. Yarn over again and pull that loop through the two remaining loops on you hook.

Steps 1-5

You've successfully completed your first double crochet stitch.

Finished double crochet stitch

Repeat these steps until you get to the last chain stitch.

Turn your work, chain three and yarn over. You want to skip the very first stitch in the row directly below your turning chain, so insert the hook into the next stitch.

Repeat the double stitch pattern. You'll want your last double crochet stitch to be in the top chain of the previous rows turning chain.

Chain three and voila!

Keep doing this until your work is complete!

The Half Double Stitch

Yo, knitta’s, I’m really happy you learned the single stitch and I’mma let you finish, but the half double is my favorite stitch of all time.

/dropsmic

No, but seriously, the half double really is my favorite stitch. It’s a small enough stitch that is versatile for anything (hat, scarf, tiny Persian rugs) but is large enough to make projects not take forever. I like to use other stitches for the pattern and texture they provide. This post will walk you through the half double stitch.

Starting chain

First, create your chain (if you don’t know how to create the starting chain, please see the post “A Chain Is Only As Strong As It's Weakest Link”).

With your last chain stitch loop on your hook, loop the yarn around your hook (aka yarn over or yo) gently insert the hook through the 3rd chain stitch from your end stitch, yarn over and pull through the chain. You should now have a total of three loops on your hook. 

Yarn over

Insert hook

Three loops

Yarn over again and pull through all three loops on your hook. Repeat these steps until you finish your last half double stitch on the last chain stitch. With one loop on your hook, do two chain stitches. Turn your work. Now, you should see on your previous row of stitches what looks like a little indent. This is actually where you’ll insert your hook for the next stitch. So, yarn over, insert your hook into the first stitch of the previous row, yarn over and pull through. With three loops on your hook it’s just like it was previously.

Yarn over	Gently pull through	Half double stitch complete!
Chain two	Turn	Indents

Rinse and repeat until you get to your desired project size.

Have fun!