CAL and Handspun Cowl Pattern

First, I'd like to share that I'm starting my very first CAL (crochet-a-long). Moogly Blog did this last year, however I didn't participate. I'm super excited to be starting it this year, and have already finished the first square "Tamara's Kismet." Basically, you get a new (free!) pattern for a 12 inch square every two weeks. At the end of November (24 squares) you'll have enough to make an afghan, using December to join/finish. I think this might be a commitment I can handle! :D I peeked through some of the finished ones from 2014, and really liked one someone did that was a totally mono-tone off-white. Inspired by her, I started with this yellow baby yarn. (I accidentally purchased a pound of this stuff, not realizing it was the wrong shade of yellow!) I'm also considering doing a second square in a multicolor palate, if I choose to do so, I'll share photos here. :) You may notice, I did add an extra hdc edge that wasn't in the pattern, my square was just shy of the 12 inch specification and the hdc add just the right amount! :)

Also, I finally finished working on a cowl I've been picturing since probably last August. I knew I wanted a cowl that was gray with a pop of another color. After lots of deliberation, I finally arrived at a hot pink color and my good friend kindly dyed wool for me using 'flamingo.' I've been spinning every since to prepare for the cowl, changing my mind on how it would look throughout, until I finally decided I was ready! Wouldn't you know it, with all that deliberation and planning time, once I finally made a choice, I jumped right into it without taking photos, measuring yardage, or anything! Darn my enthusiasm! The yarn is all wool, both are two ply and I think they are a bulky weight yarn. The middle is a 'candy cane' 2 play using solid pink and the naturally variegated gray. The outer colors are also two ply using the same naturally variegated gray. It's a VERY simple pattern, and more than likely this already exists elsewhere, but I hope you enjoy it. :)

A note about the i-cord. As you may imagine, my handspun yarn is often limited in yardage. I did have more, however it was a slightly different shade of gray and I tried very hard to limit the yardage so I didn't have to use this. For that reason, 3 i-cords were knitted and used to join the cowl. The i-cords sit on the back of your neck, and are nearly invisible if your hair is down. I originally did this to save yarn, however once I finally to to wear it, I realized that it also keeps my neck from being too hot and the wool from being too bulky in that area. (Remember, I live in Florida) :D I liked it so much, I'm definitely considering doing it on the next cowl I make. If you don't care for that look, simply make the knitted portion longer and join the edges together.

Supplies:
Bulky yarn, roughly 200-300 yds.
US size 10 knitting needles
Cable needle
Tapestry Needle
Double point needles to make an i-cord.

Construction:
I made the center section first, then picked up stitches along the edge and used a garter stitch to widen the cowl. The i-cords followed and were attached with a tapestry needle.

Middle:
Cast on 12 sts.
(Please note, I don't mention it in the pattern, but I do slip the first stitch of EVERY row to create a tight edge.)
Rows 1-4: knit in st. stitch
Row 5: (RS). k2, place 4 on cable needle, k4, k4 from cable needle, k2 remaining 2.
Repeat rows 1-5 until cowl reaches desired length. (Mine was about 20 inches or 17-18 'repeats'

Edges:
Pick up and knit stitches along the 'long' edge of the middle section. Work in garter stitch until cowl reaches the desired width. (Mine was roughly 2 inches, close to the width of the pink section.)

i-Cord Back:
Using the dpns, knit 3 i-cords 8 inches long, each.

Finishing: Use the i-cords to join the edges of the cowl. Weave in ends (I know, I didn't do this in the photos) and you're finished! Hope you enjoy!

~Farm Girl Teacher

Mother's Day Quilt

Happy Mother's Day to all the hardworking mom's out there! :)  You truly have the most difficult job in the world!

I'm going to be taking a break from my formal wear series right now to share one of my favorite projects in honor of Mother's Day.

Last year, my sister and I worked together to sew a very special quilt for our mom.

My mom had been saving t-shirts for years from things we were involved in. My sister and I collected all of these and refurbished them into this quilt. It has everything from VBS shirts to school shirts, sports jerseys to vacation destinations and now they can be easily enjoyed, instead of being stuffed into a box for 'someday.'

I have to honest with you, I kind of hate quilting, however this was easily one of my favorites, despite it being relatively challenging. The hardest parts were incorporating the massive amount of clothing, and matching up quilt blocks from t-shirts we wore before we could walk, to t-shirts we purchased as adults. For several things I kind of appliqued the graphic part of he shirt onto a background from another t-shirt, or combined two or three shirts into one block. The t-shirt material results in a very soft quilt that is certainly filled with memories. :)

I was also super nervous that the whole thing would go south and my mom would just wind up being really ticked that we cut up all our t-shirts. Luckily, everything was smooth sailing, and she wound up loving it! :)

What crafty things have you done for your mom?

~Farm Girl Teacher

Granny Square Tutorial

Several people have contacted me asking for assistance with my Granny's Baby Blanket pattern. (Ravelry, Craftsy, original post) The blanket is essentially a large Granny square, which is an awesome skill to learn as there is so much you can do with it. This is my first video so, be kind. :) The video explains how to do the square and walks you through three rounds in the granny square stitch. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments, I will do the best I can to answer you!

And without further ado,

Once you've mastered the Granny square, there's so much more you can do with it in order to take it a step further. Feel free to check out these resources, I own the book I recommend and regularly stop in on the blog I linked to. :)

This book is an awesome guide to all things Granny! It has some wonderful patterns for individual squares, as well as patterns for ways you can use the squares. I downloaded it onto my Nook, but in hindsight I think I'd have preferred a hard copy version as the layout gets a bit funny after it's been digitized.

I also love this blog. The author completed a Granny Square a Day challenge, that's right, 365 different granny squares (for free!) as well as colorway suggestions and more. (Seriously, I could spend HOURS on this blog! :) Hope you enjoyed!

~Farm Girl Teacher

Basketball Baby Booties

Basketball Baby Booties

Check out my new pattern!

I created the pattern on a drive from North Carolina to Florida as a gift for a friend of mine. (I swear sometimes that's when I do the best crocheting! It must be the large amount of uninterrupted time!) Anyway, she has just given birth to her son, Colton. I looked everywhere for a pattern like this, but couldn't find one I really liked, so...I made my own! :) They are fairly quick to work up and can be easily altered for boys or girls.

I also embroidered a 'C' for 'Colton, just to add a bit more personalization! :) Unfortunately I don't often crochet for babies (I don't have kids), so I made the sole 2 inches long (heel to toe). I know this is a bit large for a newborn, however I think it would be uncomfortable during the summer so he'd probably wait to wear it until it gets colder anyway.Plus, it is a laced shoe and can be tightened/loosened as needed.

Interested in this pattern? Feel free to visit my Ravelry shop!

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/basketball-baby-booties

I also made him an adorable pair of camouflage flip flops he can wear now! Although I have to wonder if our female ancestors would be rolling in their graves right now to see us making things like this?

Interested in this pattern? I purchased it on Etsy, go here to view! (I left off the back straps, if you're wondering why mine look a bit different)

I also used a bit of leftover yarn I had to made a small blanket for him.

I like the very boy colors, and that it won't make him hot, but is still sturdy enough to be baby-proof. This idea came from 'blankets' my mom crocheted for my sister when she was young. My sister had this GIANT crocheted blanket she called "Blankie." My mom made it before I was born, however my sister was the one who fell in love with it, to the point where she wanted to carry it EVERYWHERE as an alternative my mom made several smaller blankets that were about 8"x 8". They were much more convenient and smelled better as my mom would trade them out so she could wash them better.

It's essentially just a large granny square with a reverse single crochet edge and a couple color changes, however I went ahead and posted the pattern in my Ravelry shop for free. You're welcome to visit it here.

Happy Birthday Colton!

~Farm Girl Teacher