Lots of Crochet!

(This post was written on June 29)

I’m still working on my 2010 KAL afghan; I’ve finished the first clue, and I’m 2.5/3 squares done clue 2. However, my pace has been slowed by all of the crocheting projects I’ve done!

I tried a new coaster pattern. It’s really pretty, and most of these ones on Ravelry had white in the main petal part, which looks really nice, but I didn’t have any white. For that coaster, I learned how to do a front post double crochet (FPDC). It’s pretty easy to do, and it looks really neat. The single crochet border on the flower looks great too, and really makes the coaster pop!

The flowery not-leaf

With Canada Day coming up on Sunday, I looked on Ravelry and Google to try to find a free, small, easy maple leaf pattern, preferable crocheted. I found a few nice ones that cost money, and a few that were too big, and some that were too complicated for what I wanted (and knit). I was pretty surprised given all of the other things you can find patterns for. So I did two things: first, I tried making a little flower pattern I’d noticed that looked leaf-like on Ravelry because it was done in red and somewhat pointy- mine didn’t come out like that, even after I added a stem. Second, I tried making my own pattern! I wrote down how many I chained to start, but then I didn’t write down what I did for the bottom leaf part, and it wasn’t anything simple... it was pretty random actually. I wrote down the rest of what I did though. I’ll post the pattern once I figure out what I did for the bottom, hopefully tonight after I’ve bought some red yarn. The pattern is more complicated than it probably needs to be, and how one of the ends is weaved in is important. Three different pieces of yarn are used for it.

My own pattern for the maple leaf

What I was envisioning using the maple leaves for was attaching them to safety pins, and wearing them on shirts. I’ll definitely wear one, and I’m going to make my dad one. I’ve also got some family from the USA coming to visit this weekend, and I thought I could make some for the kids as Canadian souvenirs.

Next, thinking of my dad’s upcoming birthday, I’d already decided what to get him- er, I mean make him. I’d also picked up the supplies to make it too. But, hey, why not make a few more things. First there was the cupcake. I just picked a small cupcake pattern from Ravelry, of the many I’d favourited, and set to work on it. I learned how to crochet in the front loop only for that one. Once the icing and cake parts were done, I couldn’t wait to stuff it, even though I had no stuffing! So I grabbed some Kleenex, and then some more. It took 5 tissues in all, but I think it’s filled pretty well... seamed on the other hand... I don’t like how I seamed it, and it turned out a bit crooked, but it still stands, so that’s not so bad.

Then on June 29, I made my dad’s main present. Knowing he loves rollerblading, I tried to find a pattern for a rollerblade appliqué, but even worse than the maple leaf, there were none to be found! There were patterns for ice skates, but they all hinged on using something for the blade and working from there. I still used one of the patterns to try to make the rollerblade boot, which turned into my first attempt. That took place in May, when I was first learning how to crochet. Attempt 1 didn’t work out well, but attempt 2 was better. I saved it to work off of once I got the yarn. But once I got the yarn in the beginning of June, I felt I needed to get better at crochet. Finally, yesterday, I started again with attempt 3. It was okay, but not quite there yet. Attempt 4 made the grade! And I learned from the maple leaf, and wrote down how to make it this time. I mean, I did have to duplicate it myself once anyways. The keychain (which is what the final gift is), is double sided, with button-wheels sewn in between the two layers as wheels, and some white yarn as laces.

Once both appliqués were done, I sewed them together with the yarn, on all sides except the bottom. My mom helped with the button-wheels, and then I added the “laces”. I’d originally planned on putting the key ring right through the top corner of the boot itself, but that turned out harder than I thought, so I crocheted a chain for the key ring. I’m super happy with how it turned out, and I hope it holds up if he uses it. 

Things I learned:

• how to crochet in the front loop only
• how to do a front post double crochet (fpdc)
• how to make a stuffed project (kind of)
• how to make my own maple leaf and roller blade appliques