Ruffly Dress

This is a dress made for a little girl who became enamored of "Angelina Ballerina." I wanted to make something reminiscent of a tutu that would be fun to spin around in. She's a very active girl who enjoys her pretty dresses along with playing Viking.

I was inspired by several pieces on the internet, including MyLittleCityGirl, this pattern, and a Caron pattern which comes the closest to being what I made.

Made with Cascade Yarns UltraPima, in China Pink, Mint, Wine, and Sprout, using a C hook. Hopefully between the two camera phone pics the colors will come through.

The big project

I haven't posted in a long time... I changed jobs in real life and took up a crochet project that had me blocked, so I didn't take up my hook for quite a while except for the occasional little baby item. Finally around last Christmas I decided that I had to finish the project by making a different pattern than originally intended. This is a double-bed sized afghan/bedspread intended as a wedding (now anniversary) gift, made to the pattern for the "Moorish Mosaic" afghan in Interweave Crochet's Fall 2009 issue. The colorway is different and there are a whole lot more motifs to make up the size (60"x80"). The yarn is Vanna's Choice, a good selection for something that needs to be washable yet soft. Photographed on a king size bed, so it looks smaller than it is. No two motifs are exactly the same. I greatly enjoyed making this and am happy with the result.

another version of the sweater

Here is a picture generously contributed by GenKnit of the sweater that she made from the pattern below, without the long sc treatment. She uncovered a couple of mistakes in the pattern which I have corrected, thanks to her willingness to experiment with it.

Nice stripes and colors!

Sweater 3

This is another iteration of Sweater 2, below, using the pattern written there with a different set of colors. This uses the adjustments that were made to that pattern after Sweater 2 was made. The adjustments tapered the sleeve more gradually and increased the number of stitches over the shoulder in the raglan portion, which makes for more armhole ease.

This sweater is also going to the Afghans for Afghans youth campaign.

Sweater 2

This sweater is a variation on this earlier one. It is going to Afghans For Afghans youth campaign.

The yarn is all Lion Brand Wool, which was had at a great discount from out local job lot store. It is a child's size 12.

3/28/10 Update: minor corrections to buttonholes and stitch count when body rounds begin.

2/15/10 Note: there have been some updates to the pattern below, marked in red, to allow for more ease at the armhole. This increases the number of stitches over the shoulder when starting the raglan, but everything from that point on is basically the same. The taper on the sleeve has changed slightly to account for the wider armhole. Getting this proportion correct has been the biggest challenge to making this pattern!



Materials:
Lion Wool Prints, Autumn Sunset (2 3/4 oz/78 gr, 143 yds/131 m), 5 skeins, color A
Lion Brand Wool, Goldenrod (3 oz/85 gr, 158 yds/144 m), 2 sk, color B
Lion Brand Wool, Lemongrass (3 oz/85 gr, 158 yds/144 m), 1 sk, color C
Lion Brand Wool, Pumpkin (3 oz/85 gr, 158 yds/144 m), 2 sk, color D
Lion Brand Wool, Fern (3 oz/85 gr, 158 yds/144 m), 2 sk, color E

4 buttons

H, F hook

gauge: 16 sc = 4", 10 rows = 2"

Notes:

The key to a top-down raglan is that it is worked in one piece, with 4 "corners" where all the increases are made. The corners give the effect of a 45 degree angle "seam." When the yoke has reached the point where it is large enough that the corners can meet under the arm, the corners are joined and the body and sleeves are then worked in the round.

This sweater is worked starting at the center front neck opening. In order to make a nice rounded neck opening, this part of the sweater will be shaped over the succeeding rounds with increases at the front until the front opening is the proper size. Once the yoke has reached the size needed to fit under the arm and be joined, a collar and placket will be added. The plackets will be overlapped and crocheted together when the first body round begins.

work over all ends as you go.

stitches:
raglan inc -- 3 sc in center of group of 3 st in row below
front neck inc -- 2 sc in first and last st of row
fpdc -- front post double crochet.
bpdc -- back post double crochet.
long sc -- insert hook in sc 2 rows below, draw up loop to level of current row, YO and draw through both loops on hook
sc dec -- single crochet decrease. insert hook in next st and draw up loop, insert hook in st after that and draw up loop, YO and through all loops on hook

NOTE: This sweater could be made all in sc, without the long sc pattern.

make yoke:
with color A and hook H, 43.
row 1: 3sc in second ch from hook, sc in next 10 ch, 3 sc in next ch, sc in next 18 ch, 3 sc in next ch, sc in next 10 ch, 3 sc in last ch, ch 1 turn [50 st in row]
row 2: 2 sc in first st (front neck inc made), 3 sc (raglan inc made) in next st, sc in next 12 st, raglan inc, sc in next 20 st, raglan inc, sc in next 12 st, raglan inc, front neck inc, ch1 turn [60 st in row]
row 3: front neck inc, sc to center of previous raglan inc, raglan inc in center st, sc to center of previous raglan inc, raglan inc, sc to center of previous raglan inc, raglan inc, sc to center of previous raglan inc, raglan inc, sc to last st, front neck inc, ch1 turn [70 st in row]
row 4-8: continue working as for previous row, making front neck inc at beginning and end of each row and raglan inc in center of raglan inc of previous row until end of row 8. ch1 turn. [120 st in row]
row 9: front opening will be worked even from now on, no more front neck inc at beginning and end of rows. sc to center of next raglan inc, continue in established pattern to end of row, ch 1 turn.
row 10-26: work as for row 9. At end of row 26 there should be a total of 33 st across each front piece (excluding corner st), 70 st across the back (excluding corner), and 62 st across each shoulder (excluding corner st ). At the end of row 26, fasten off.

collar:
with color B and hook H:
collar row 1: attach yarn to wrong side of front neck opening, ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in side of next 7 rows, dc in back of starting chain all around side and back of neck (38 st), dc in side of next 7 rows, dc in last st, ch 3, turn. Ch 3 counts as first dc of next row.
row 2: work *fpdc in next st, bpdc in next st, repeat from * to end, ch 3, turn.
row 3-4: work fpdc around each bpdc st in previous row and bpdc around each fpdc st in previous row. ch3, turn at end of row, ch3 counts as first dc of next row.
fasten off.

placket:
with color B and hook H:

right placket
right placket row 1: attach yarn to bottom of right-hand front opening on front side, sc in side of each yoke row up to collar, make 2 sc in side of each row of collar, ch 1 turn.
row 2: sc in each sc to end, ch 1, turn
row 3: if sweater is for a girl, work buttonholes in this row as follows: *sc in next 3 st, ch 3, skip 3 st, repeat from * 3 times, sc in each st to end, ch 1, turn. Otherwise, make as for row 2.
row 4-5: repeat row 2, fasten off

left placket:
left placket row 1: attach yarn to top of left-hand collar edge on front side, 2 sc in side of each collar row, sc in side of each yoke row to end, ch 1, turn
row 2: sc in each sc to end, ch 1, turn
row 3: if sweater is for a boy, work buttonholes in this row as follows: *sc in next 3 st, ch 3, skip 3 st, repeat from * 4 times, sc in each st to end, ch 1, turn. Otherwise, work as for row 2.
row 4-5: repeat row 2, fasten off

join yoke and begin body:
overlap plackets with buttonholes on top, pin in place. Plackets should overlap so that the placket adds 4 stitches to the total size of the front section.

Attach color C to back underarm corner on the right side.

body row 1: sc in corner and each st across back to next corner (72 st). skip 62 stitches for shoulder, sc in next corner st, sc in each st across front to placket, work 4 sc in end of rows of placket, working through both layers of overlapped placket to next corner st (144 st), skip next 62 st, sl st to starting st, ch 1, turn.
row 2-3: sc in each st across. Join all rows with sl st, ch1, turn.
row 4: * sc in next 3 st, ch 1, skip st, repeat from * to end, sl st to join, fasten off. Turn.
row 5: attach color B. *long sc over ch into sc 2 rows below, sc in next 3 st, repeat from * around, sl st to join, ch 1, turn.
row 6: sc in next st, *ch 1, skip st, sc in next 3 st, repeat around to end, sc in last 2 st, sl st to join, fasten off. turn.
row 7: attach color D. *long sc over ch to sc 2 rows below, sc in next 3 st, repeat from * around, sl st to join, ch 1, turn.
row 8: repeat row 4.
row 9-10: attach color C. repeat row 5-6, do not fasten off.
row 11-12: repeat row 2-3, fasten off.
row 13-16: attach color A. repeat row 2 for 4 rows, fasten off.
row 17-64: repeat color sequence from rows 1-16, using colors B,D,E,B,A for rows 17-32, E,B,D,E,A for rows 33-48, D,B,C,D,A for rows 49-64.
row 65-76: attach color A. repeat row 2 until length from underarm is 15 1/2".

bottom ribbing:
using F hook, attach color D to right side of work.
row 1: dc in each st around, sl st to join, ch 3, turn (ch3 counts as first dc of next row)
row 2: *fpdc in next dc, bpdc in next st, repeat from * around, sl st to join, ch 3, turn.
row 3-5: bpdc in each fpdc in row below, fpdc in each bpdc in row below, sl st to join, ch3, turn.
fasten off at end of last row.

sleeves:
Use size H hook.
row1: attach color C to underarm corner, sc in each st around shoulder side of yoke to form sleeve, sl st to join, ch 1, turn. (64 st)
row 2-76 Repeat body pattern. At the same time, work sc dec at beginning and end of rows every 5th row until 32 st remain in sleeve, then work even.

sleeve ribbing:
use F hook.
row 1-5: attach color E, work as for bottom ribbing.

Make another sleeve for the other side.

finishing:
weave in any remaining ends.
sew buttons to placket to match buttonholes.
block.

for preschoolers at Pine Ridge Reservation

These hats and mittens were made for preschoolers at the Pine Ridge Reservation. Unemployment and poverty on the reservation is very high, it's tremendously cold in winter (9^o F on New Year's Day), and many of these little children have long walks down remote trails to get to their school bus stops on the main roads.

The hats are my own design - the earflap hats are variations on my earlier pattern (with corrections posted!) and the others use the same basic shape until you get to the earflap part and instead have 4 rows of ribbing (FPDC/BPDC). The mitten pattern is from "Bev's Marvelous Mittens". (The quilt was made by my MIL).

This is the last of the Lion Brand Kool Wool in my stash. It's a bulky gauge yarn, so all the items used an "H" hook. It is very nice to work with, I am sorry Lion isn't making anything equivalent to it these days.

[BTW I realized while taking the pix that the light blue hat needed a navy blue pompom. I had enough scrap to replace it before packing the box .]

Christmas present

This jacket is the "Mandarin Jacket" from Crochet! magazine November 2007. The yarn is Lion Brand Kool Wool (50% merino, 50% acrylic) in "Navy" and "Denim." This yarn is discontinued, which is a shame. It has great stitch definition, is easy to work with, nice twist, very warm (in spite of being "kool"), soft and non-itchy to people who are sensitive to that. I needed a few more skeins of Navy to finish and was lucky to find it on Ebay!

The frogs are one of the things that make the jacket interesting. These were from Windsor Button Shop.


And here is the recipient in the jacket....