Week 32: Make a Blanket or Toy For Your Furry Friends

I had great hopes for this week's Challenge having thought about what I was going to do well over a week ago. I've been working on my project and I even had a blog post title picked out: Waffles and Sunday Drives.

Well, the best laid plans . . .

So, here's what I have so far, a pet blanket that is taking me FOREVER to finish. Believe it or not, this is row 71!

It is crocheted with the waffle stitch (here's where the waffle part of my original blog title would have come in) and it's a very small stitch.  For some reason, I kept on with it despite the wonkiness and its out of shape unevenness. It's pretty much a hot mess.  But, since I've gotten this far, I do plan on finishing it. I like to use blankets like these in the car when we are driving (here's the Sunday drive reference for the blog title, but I'm not sure why, we really don't take Sunday drives, maybe it's an idyllic reference?) when I have my Yorkie on my lap. Her feet are very pokey otherwise and this way she can curl up and relax. The waffle stitch is comparable to what you see in thermal wear, small pocket shaped stitches that keep the heat in. It's pretty thick too, like a pad. When I finish it, I plan on putting a simple border around it. My hope is that somehow a border will make it look more even.

Here's my girl I'm making it for:

Her name is Daphne (a.k.a. The Bean):

Here's a picture of my "girls", Sally, Daphne and Abby:

This week for me has really been a challenge, but one I hope to finish soon. I will post a picture of the blanket when I finish it.

Thanks for joining me for week 32 of the 52 Week Challenge!

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Week 5: Learning the Crocodile Stitch

When thinking about what stitch I wanted to learn this for this week's challenge, I thought of the crocodile stitch. It's not something I had ever made before, and to me, the most interesting part is how it's constructed. I'm a big fan of stitches and designs that look complicated, but really aren't.

I did a search on Ravelry for a pattern and came across these darling Crocodile Stitch Baby Booties designed by Laura Tegg. They are a fun project, very quick to make, and also super cute!

I used Red Heart yarns from my stash and a size G (4.00) hook. The length of the finished soles measure about 3 1/2 inches long. But of course, the real attraction is the cuff, which are v-stitches and post stitches cleverly constructed into the "scale" shape.

Below you can see my first round of v-stitches and I've already made the first scale. I will skip the next v-stitch and work the next scale around the posts of the v-stitch after it. 

Below I am beginning my first front post half double crochet around the first post of the v-stitch and after that I will make 3 more around the same post, then chain 1.

Next, I will work 4 front post half double crochet stitches around the next post of the same v-stitch.

The first two rounds of the cuff are completed and I have my first set of scales. The next round is a repeat round of v-stitches. V-stitches are made between each scale, and also in the center of each scale, which is where the green arrow is pointing to in the picture below.

The next round of making the scales had me confused at first because the scales alternate and are staggered, not layered, on top of each other . Make sure that you are placing a scale in the v-stitch between the previous scales. Then you will skip the next v-stitch and make your scale in the next v-stitch. Lastly, you will repeat another round of v-stitches, then again work a staggered round of scales. 

Here is a closer detail of the finished cuff:

I really enjoyed this week's challenge, and now I have an adorable set of booties ready for gift giving. Plus it's fun to learn something new!

Thanks for joining me for Week 5 of the 52 Week Crochet Challenge! 
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