Free Crochet Pattern Friday: Bolster Pillow Project

I mentioned this project in my Project Parade post, It’s a Victorian era pattern which is sewn onto a bolster pillow. You can find the original pattern here:

Bolster Pillow Pattern

Bolster Pillow Picture

I made the filet crochet mesh base:

I’m using pink crochet thread size 10 I think. I was given several balls of thread without labels, and I’m still learning how to tell the sizes just by looking at them. I’m also using steel hook size B(1.5mm).

Since my last post, I’ve made the stems and leaves:

They don’t look like much right now, but once they’re straightened out and starched, they’ll be fabulous!

The remaining part is a trio of roses, and I’m using a darker pink/mauve thread that should be size 10 as well. I’ll be using the same size hook too.

When I next post about this project, it should be done or almost done. I’ll be getting a purple bolster pillow to put it on. The picture doesn’t show what colors are used, but the pillow is much darker than the crochet. I think the light pink with darker flowers will look lovely on the dark purple pillow. We’ll see…

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!

Free Pattern Friday: Tablecloth Pt 6

I am learning some more new stitches. One of them, the star stitch, I’ve never even heard of! For those of you who are new here, I am adapting an afghan pattern called Rings of Change into a tablecloth using all the crochet thread in my stash I can. These threads are all sizes and colors, and I’m doing my best to arrange the colors as pleasing as possible.

This pattern is a paid pattern found on Ravelry and created by Frank O’Randle. He has the first 42 rounds of this 112 round pattern made into Mini Rings of Change, and it’s free.

Here is what the star stitch looks like on my piece:

In the above picture, you see Fan Stitch on the very top, next one down are ch2 and ch1 spaces and single crochets. The third line which you can barely see is made up of all double crochets. The next row down are the Star Stitches. Personally, I don’t think they look like stars…

Since Mr. O’Randle’s written instructions on how to make the star stitch left much to be desired, I went elsewhere to find out how to create this stitch, and I found it on my go to site: The Spruce Crafts

The above is the picture of her swatch of star stitches. I still don’t see any stars….

After the Fan Stitch which, I have made before, comes the Double Treble Stitch. I have never had cause to use this stitch, and it’s going to be a thread eater. Still, I have a full ball of green thread I can use for this row.

I’m up to row 62 now with another 50 to go, I think. Something like that. I may add some extra rows to give it more length. I’m going to start taking picture of it draped over the table I’m making it for so you can gauge my progress better that way. 🙂

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!

Free Pattern Friday: Tablecloth Pt. 4

I don’t understand why the Crocodile Stitch was such a big deal. Personally, I find it too much effort for very little result. If the pattern didn’t call for 3 rows of it, I wouldn’t bother with it. To make things even more annoying, the pattern is worked almost totally in reverse from the way other stitchers make it. I watched a video from the Crochet Crowd

It’s not like what’s in the pattern Rings of Change by Frank O’Randle. It has foundation rows made before the stitches are made.:

This row isn’t sitting down like in the video, it had to be curled down. I’m hoping the other three rows will pull it all down so they sit properly.

I know my stitches are small, but that’s not what’s causing me not to like the stitch. It’s just labor intensive and eats a lot of thread(yarn if you’re using it for the afghan in the original pattern).

Visually, I don’t see the appeal either. I think shells and clusters look nicer, but that’s just me.

That’s as far as I’ve gotten this week. I’ve spent more time cross stitching than crocheting because of this section, but I’ll try harder to spend more time on it. This section won’t last forever, and the journey once begun must come to an end.

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!!

YouTube Tuesday: Sally Pointer

I’m finally able to sit down and watch some YouTube videos, and I found this lovely creative in my suggestion list while I was watching the newest video from Darkest Raven’s Movie Minis.

I call myself a fiber artist, but this woman has really opened my horizons!! Did you know you can make thread and yarn from stinging nettles, brambles and burdock??? I didn’t, and neither did anyone else I asked. It must be a Northern thing or something – not sure. I’m from the South, and we do a lot of cotton thread and yarn by hand.

I’ve since watched a great many of Sally Pointer’s fantastic videos, and she provides historical background and information along with the different techniques and processes she discusses. She processes the fibers she’s going to use, cleans them, spins or twists them depending on what she’s doing and weaves and sews with the end result.

You can find her entire playlist of videos here : Sally Pointer

My current favorite is:

This video is an introduction to different natural fibers, and she has more detailed videos on her channel which I highly recommend.

Let me know what you think of this and anything else you’ve seen on my blog. I’d love to hear from you!

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!!

Free Pattern Friday: Tablecloth Pt 3

This tablecloth is an adaptation of a pattern written by Frank O’Randle and sold on Ravelry under the name Rings of Change. He has a free pattern called Mini Rings of Change which is the first 42 rows of the main pattern. The full pattern is around 112 rows. The original pattern is for an afghan as well.

I am using crochet thread and a size 1.0mm crochet hook. I’m not sure if that’s a steel hook size or not since I was given a hook with a blue plastic handle with 1.0mm on it, and I’m using it. I’m also using what thread I have on hand that was given to me over the years. None of them have labels on them, and they’re of various sizes. This makes the tablecloth curl in places, but I’m okay with that. This project is for me.

The last time I posted, it looked like this:

I believe I’d finished the Mini Rings of Change at this point and had decided to buy the full pattern when I could. I bought the full pattern this past week, and now, it looks like this:

The tablecloth is now at row 50. The next 4 rows create the foundation for the Crocodile Stitch. This is one I have been avoiding trying since it was first developed many many years ago. I just didn’t see the point in doing that much work for something with limited use. I can’t avoid it now, not if I want to continue with the pattern. So, I’ll tough it out and go on knowing I at least tried it once.

Overall, this project has been a lot of fun, and I’m going to have something pretty and colorful to use when it’s done.

What projects are you working on?? Share them in the comments as I’d love to know what creative things everyone is into these days.

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!!

As Promised – Peacock Project

I actually finished this project several days ago, but I had so much other stuff going on I didn’t have time to sit down to write a post until now.

This piece was originally supposed to be for an accent pillow. I found the pattern in a vintage pattern book circa 1915 – The Priscilla Filet Crochet Book No. 2 in fact. The pattern called for size 300 thread which I had no clue about so, I used what I had. The piece is now 47 inches wide by 55 inches tall. I am selling it on Etsy too –

https://www.etsy.com/listing/588687694/filet-crocheted-peacock

If the above link doesn’t work, please let me know. So far, it’s working.

That’s it for now folks, more to come, so see you on the flipside. Enjoy and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!

Well, I did it…

Actually, I did several things today – I’ve been quite productive.

I added the first two chapters of my one and only romance story(Southern Romance) – a novella – on Wattpad. You can view it here: https://www.wattpad.com/539886618

I also completed a floral doily whose pattern if from around 1920 or something. I won’t be doing another one for a while because I had to work with crochet thread and hook that were both small. My hand cramped, and I got eye strain. Uck.

I also completed a crocheted trinket box that, thankfully, used yarn instead of crochet thread.

I’m starting on a shawl tomorrow as well as continuing with a filet crochet project that may end up being a bedspread. I haven’t decided yet. Yes, I’ll post a picture of it when it’s done. 🙂

Crocheting and writing are my two main loves, the rest just fall in line depending on my mood at the time. 🙂

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!