Week 31: It’s Adopt a Shelter Dog Month - Crochet a Toy or Blanket For Your Local Shelter

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and in recognition of that, this week’s Challenge is to make a blanket or toy to give to your local animal shelter. 

When I first started crocheting, making pet blankets was a great way to practice my stitches and it started me on the path to becoming a designer. They are terrific projects for beginner crocheters and the blankets can be made by working rows or by working in rounds. I still have those blankets I made years ago, they wear really well and have been laundered many, many, times. 

Contact your local shelter first to make sure they will accept your blanket or toy donation. You can also check out the Snuggles Project here. This website is a great resource for finding shelters, and they also have a free pattern library. The Snuggles Project has been around for years, and I am happy to see they are still up and running. 

For other ways to help your local shelter, check out the list at PetFinder.com. There are many great suggestions, such as helping to promote special events for Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.

One of my first self published patterns is a swirly cat toy. Pictured below is my most adorable cat B.C., who sadly, is no longer with us. I love to look at this picture of him though, he was quite the character - a fierce warrior, and yet a snuggly cuddle bear. He was the first pet we adopted when we moved into our new home. He got a new home too, and we got the best cat - ever!

Click here for the free Swirly Mouse Toy pdf crochet pattern 

Thanks for joining me for week 31 of the 52 Week Crochet Challenge!

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Week 10: What Was Your First Completed Crochet Project That You Made?

The first complete crochet project that I finished was a baby blanket and a stuffed bear to go with it in. This was in June of 2002. This was also the beginning of my pattern organization (which you can read about here).

I have absolutely no idea where the blanket pattern came from, but it is a basic rectangular blanket. I think the stitch pattern is probably something like the cobblestone stitch (sc in next, dc in next, working on an even number of stitches). It has that look to it also. The bottom chain is much tighter than the last row, which is common for newbies and this made the blanket crooked. But I was (and still am) terribly proud of that blanket. It was a gift for my newborn niece and I made it with my own two hands. I loved every minute of making it (maybe with an ounce of frustration in there somewhere!), but I FINISHED it. I had a big sense of accomplishment, which made me want to make something to go with it.

The bear is an even bigger accomplishment for me because I think it was quite complicated for a second project. The pattern is Boo-Boo Bear from Irene's Crochet Class website, which sadly, is no longer available. But, I have my copy that I printed out and made notes on.  I think it turned out really cute, and I made a bib for the bear too.

Here's a picture that I had to scan because the original was photographed on film (remember that? lol).

I've crocheted hundreds of projects since then, but I won't ever forget my first (and second). Not only was it special to me because of that, but it was a gift for a loved one, a new life in our family, and what a happy celebration that was!

Thanks for joining me for Week 10 of the 52 Week Crochet Challenge! 
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Week 7: Make a Scrap Project From Your Yarn Stash

I have to admit that I've been enjoying this weeks challenge for awhile now. When I was creating the 52 Week Crochet Challenge I happened to be in need of a new project, and a scrap project was just the thing. I decided on a blanket and this is my work in progress (WIP):

The blanket is crocheted using the half double crochet stitch, which I've come to think of as my Goldilocks stitch. (It's not too tall and not too small, it's not too loose and not too thick - it's juuuuuuuust right.) What I really love is that there is no thinking involved, other than which color I'm going to choose next. As for the colors, I chose a range of greens, purples, and blues for the stripes. I only have a few guidelines that I decided on, which came about as the work progressed:

• I am using a light blue color consistently throughout, between the color stripes.
• The light blue stripes are 5 rows, and usually the first and last are partial rows.

That's pretty much it. Here's a closer look:

As for my ends, I'm not going to weave them in, and I'm not working over them as I go. I've knotted the ends together on the wrong side and I'm going to trim them short so I'll have little tufts on the back of the blanket. I think it will be a fun and interesting look. I will post more pictures when I'm finished.

Thanks for joining me for Week 7 of the 52 Week Crochet Challenge! 
It's never too late to join in the fun and there's no need to catch up, just jump right in:

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Celebrating National Crochet Month

Welcome and thank you for joining me on the first stop of today's Tour Through Crochet Country. I am honored and happy to be included in this celebration of National Crochet Month with so many fabulous designers! As a group, the participating CGOA designers have chosen a special charity to support this month -Project Night Night.

With that in mind I am offering a free blanket pattern. This easy blanket is a great carry-and-go project. It is made up of 9 individual 12 inch blocks which are then joined with crocheted seams. You can add rows or columns of blocks to make larger size blankets. This would also make a great scrap yarn project. Please consider donating a blanket or making a monetary donation to Project Night Night. If you do make a donation, please add to our group totals here.

I have been a Professional Member of the CGOA since 2009 and I started a local chapter, the Mi Stitchin' Time Crochet Guild. We crochet for local charities (as well as Project Night Night) and I really enjoy our meetings. We have a lot of fun! Click here to find a local chapter near you. It's a great way to share your love of crochet and meet new friends.

I am fortunate to have had patterns published in Crochet World and Country Woman magazines. I am also the author of Crochet-opedia which is set to be released in June of this year. (I am so excited about that!) I hope to be adding new patterns to my shops soon. You can find my patterns at redberrycrochet.com, Etsy, Ravelry and Craftsy.

Thanks for stopping in, and please visit Cari Clement for CGOA, your second stop of the day.

Tomorrow's stops include April Garwood and Mary Colucci for CGOA. 

 In case you've missed any of the previous blog posts click here for a complete list of participating designers.

I would like to thank Amy Shelton and Donna Hulka of Crochetville for organizing this amazing tour - thank you so much!

Bright Striped Blocks Blanket pattern

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