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Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 18

A week's worth of crochet progress by The Cats and I ... 

Before ~ Posted Last Week

After ~ This Week 

which can make turning corners a bit difficult.

In this photo, Nutmeg is watching Maestro who is the blurry black form on the base of the cat tree.  Maestro is probably waiting her turn on the soft yarn nest.

Here Nutmeg has ...

Welcome to Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 17

The weather this past week has been more of the same ...

sunny days, breezy cold days, rainy days ...

and I have been inside and out working in my yard and inside on my many WIPs. 

It has been a good week.

I am on the last border for my 

Sampler Squares Crochet Afghan ~ Started Here

which I have been working on since the beginning of January.

It is nearing completion.

This border stitch is labor intensive and it tires my hands so I am managing about one round per day. Yesterday it ...

 Maestro, who is a very cuddly and affectionate cat

...  but not an actual lap cat ... 

says  "My Turn!

Maestro, who will sit on the cat tree or the sofa next to me while I crochet 

or patiently wait on the bed for me to bring the afghan to her,

must have been feeling a little left out.

As soon as I spread out my WIP on the bed, 

Maestro jumped in to help and check my work ...

and cut my yarn for me. 

help and inspection.

The ...

Welcome to Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 16

I have been slowly stitching the blocks for my 

Sampler Squares Crochet Afghan ~ Started Here

together into rows.

I have the rows completed and now it is time to stitch the rows together.

I have done no other stitching or sewing.

~

My moods have been "under the weather" this spring

and our weather has been all over map 

from warm sun to sleet to heavy rain to blustery winds

 to chilling cold and back again.

~

It is a stormy spring everywhere in the world

and somehow all of the storms seem man-made ...

Welcome to Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 15

It has been a busy week and we have been able to get some yard clean up done.

When I have been sitting inside, I have slowly been stitching the blocks for my patchwork crochet together.

I like to use a plastic yarn needle and the ladder stitch.

I start with a loop stitch that doubles my yarn.

I place my stitches just under the double loops of my single crochet edge stitcth.

The ladder stitch is an up and down  movement.

I think this makes and secure seam and I like ...

Sneak Peek!

My kitty and I are making something new.

I am calling this "Patchwork Crochet." 

What is on your design wall today? 

 When I was counting and sorting my pieces, I found I only had nine setting strips and that I needed ten to fit the puzzle together. So I made one more setting strip, the mini granny square flower at the bottom of the photo. 

These small daisy granny squares were adapted from this 

Daisy Granny Square Tutorial by Melanie Ham

There is a video tutorial in the link below:

Dainty Daisy Granny Square Video Tutorial @ JustBCrafty

Because I needed to fit eight squares in ...

Saturday was a stormy day.

I do not mind the rain as our spring has been dry at times.

It was a good day to get my sampler squares ready to lay them out together. 

When I sorted all my pieces, I found there were three blocks that were smaller or had uneven edges even though they had been blocked and squared.

My yarn is acrylic which is a type of yarn that does not take well to permanent blocking.  I could stretch them to make them fit with the others, but when I ...

Five Setting Strips Done!

I have been making progress on the pieces for my ...

My fifth setting strip is in this fun

Mesh and Bobble Stitch Pattern @ Daisy Farm Crafts

There is a 

Mesh and Bobble Stitch DFC Video Tutorial Here

I made my own variation of the sample stitch using my yarn colors

to the size needed for my setting strips. 

After completing the needed fifth setting stripe ... 

 into similar size setting strips.

Setting Strip number four is done for my 

Squares Sampler Afghan

This pattern is

Flower Rows by Daisy Farm Crafts

There is a video for this in the link below:

Crochet Flower Puffs ~ Video Tutorial ~ Daisy Farm Crafts

I really like this pattern.  When I showed it to my daughter she said they looked like little kitty paws to her.  Oooooh ... kitty paws! <3 <3 <3 

My third setting strip for my 

 Squares Sampler Crochet Afghan is done.

I like the way the bobble lines connect the colors of the blocks on either side. 

Colorful Bobble Lines Baby Blanket @ Daisy Farm Crafts

The how to video for this stitch may be found here:

Crochet Bobble Lines Video Tutorial @ Daisy Farm Crafts

The background stitch in gray is a Herringbone Half Double Crochet (HHDC) stitch,

alternated with lines of single crochet and 5 double crochet popcorn bobbles.

Setting Strip Progress for my 

 Squares Sampler Crochet Afghan

I will need five setting strips.

I am halfway there at 2 and 1/2 strips. 

Colorful Bobble Lines Baby Blanket @ Daisy Farm Crafts

The how to video for this stitch may be found here:

Crochet Bobble Lines Video Tutorial @ Daisy Farm Crafts

The background stitch in gray is a Herringbone Half Double Crochet (HHDC) stitch,

alternated with lines of single crochet and ...

 Squares Sampler Crochet Afghan

is done. 

This  is where I found this free pattern:

Candy Dots Baby Blanket Crochet Stitch @ Daisy Farm Crafts

The video tutorial for this stitch may be found here:

Candy Dots Stitch Video Tutorial @ Daisy Farm Crafts

This is variation of their Wide Half Double Crochet (WHDC) Cluster

with a Puff Stitch making the candy dots,

This photo shows how this stitch looks the same on the front and back sides of the blanket. 

I am thinking to make one setting ...

I chose to make these Solid Granny Squares.

For these blocks I followed this free tutorial:

Solid Granny Square ~ No Gaps @ Sarah Maker

In the tutorial it suggests starting your ring with this:

Magic Ring Technique @ Sarah Maker

rather than the more customary "chain and form a ring" technique.

I know how to do both of these techniques,

but I start blocks worked in rounds with my own method that combines the two.

I chain 4 and join with a slip stich and then I wind the tail loosely around the ...

This is the layout idea for my 

20 Plus Crochet Squares Sampler

After making for of these cute 5 inch blocks from the

Granny Flower Granny Square Free Pattern @ Lullaby Lodge

My crochet kitty inspector has approved this plan.

Last block for my 

Squares Crochet Along Sampler ~ Started Here

I decided to finish with the same color that I started with and started it 

with my morning coffee. 

By the end of the day I made good progress.

I hope to finish this block soon!

Block 19 is done. 

One more block to go! 

Nutmeg has been very "paws on" with her help.

Nutmeg says, "As kitty crochet supervisor, it is very important for me to insure that Mommy takes sufficient rest and pet the kitty breaks."

"All set, Mommy, I am awake. You may have your yarn back."

Kitty and I finished stitching and adding the border to Block 19 

and it is drying ...

The storms have past, the sun is shining,

 the days are getting a little warmer again and I am looking forward again to spring. 

Tomorrow we may be able to open the windows again.

It is a good day to crochet.

Well, everyday is a good day to crochet. 

Squares Sampler Pattern 10 ~ Spider Stitch @ The Inspired Wren

This stitch is an easy one and I need only the written instructions.

The link to the where she found the stitch is old and does not work ...

Block 18 is on my blocking board.

 Here is the main page for this crochet sampler: 

Crochet Sampler Crochet Along @ The Inspired Wren

This is Block 18, a two sided Cable Stitch Block.

I decided to play with the colors and make a raspberry pink stripe in the center.

Then I decided to do the single crochet border in the same pink.

It is the only block I have edged in any other color than the light gray.

I like it but if it does not play well with the other blocks, I can pull out the pink edge and ...

Sunday's  Slow Progress

Slow Stitching my Cable Crochet Block

Slow Painting the bedroom walls. 

Here is a sneak peek at the new color on the walls. 

Mr. Scrapatch has done most of the painting for me.

I am finding the silver gray quite restful of my eyes.

Pattern 9 ~ Cable Stitch Square @ The Inspired Wren

It is actually a lot easier than I thought it would be.

The trick for me is keeping a good count of my stitches and rows.