Can't Get Enough of the Flowers

Hello Again,
I have been bursting with excitement about my Japanese flowers. I really love them and try to sneak in time each day to make some, but of course my full time job has been getting in my way. Last week I "cracked" the pattern, well my interpretation of the pattern, and I have been making lovely flowers ever since. I think I will stick of a color scheme for my next Japanese flower project because I am having great difficulty deciding what colors to use and trying to have proper variation.

Usually each night before J goes to sleep (he goes to sleep earlier than I do), I relax with him prior to his bedtime and then I do some late night crocheting or research while watching my fav tv shows (we all know what everyone will be watching tonight - Thursdays...). Last night as I added on flowers I kept drapping it over J to see how it looked as a blanket, but he was complaining it was too warm - which it is starting to get very warm again. Crocheting blankets in the heat is not ideal but maybe mild weather will hang around just a little bit longer (mild being under 80 degrees F).




Laying Flat on the Floor... Can you see my little mistake in there?




Drapped over a chair. The flowers look so much larger than I imagined. I LOVE IT!

The pattern for the shrug/shawl/scarf is to be worked as a trapezoid shape, 4 flowers deep and then as wide and you want. I am going to stick with the trapezoid shape for now and see how it goes. I think I am going to bring this WIP into the office today to share with the ladies in person because I think it looks so fab in person (I am getting a little obssessed...you can probably tell).
I hope your day is fabulous and for many of your up north, I hope you enjoy the spring-like weather coming your way!
XOXO Susan

First Japanese Flower

Hello Again,
A few days ago Lucy over at Attic 24 revealed her newest WIP and I think everyone fell in love. She found some great photos and a pattern for a japanese flower shawl/shrug. There was only one problem for me... the pattern was in French. For those of you who know me personally, you may remember I did take a year of French as an undergraduate college student, however... I could only translate the last part "bravo!" and that part was mostly because my elementary school music teacher, Mr. Lady, used to tell say "Bravo!" whenever we would do a nice job playing our instruments.

So, I really didn't think I could wait for someone to post an English version of this, many people on flickr and Lucy's comments section have provided additional pattern links but still in French, or at least not in English. This evening, I had some time to try to translate the diagram here into the flower. AND I think I did it!

Go to the link and look at the diagram. From looking at Lucy's photo and other crocheter's flowers the first three rows are pretty easy to make out.
To start: Ch 6 and slip st to make a circle
Row 1: ch 3 (counts as first dc),  11 dc into the circle = 12 dc (1 is the chain 3), slip st to connect
Row 2: ch 3 (counts as first dc), *ch 2, dc into the chain space and ch 2*, *repeat for each chain space = 12 dc total (1 is the ch 3 and 11 dc)
Row 3: add new color in a chain space and ch 3(counts as first dc), 3 dc in the chain space, *ch1, 4 dc in chain space*, * repeat into each chain space = you will have 12 groups of 4 dc's around the circle

Here is where it gets tricky. Note: this may not be what the pattern really should be, but this is what I did and I think it looks like it works.
Row 4: Start your new color in the chain space. Slip st until you get to the second stitch of a group of 4 dc. Ch 5 and slip st into the third dc stitch. Continue to slip st until you get to the next group of 4 dc's. So you are going to slip st around the entire circle and making a chain loop at the second and third stitch (the middle) of each group of 4 dc's.

Finishing Row 4: Once you have gone all around the circle you will do a single crochet connecting the 4th row to the third row (connect by the chain in between two dc clusters).

Then do 8 dcs inside the chain 5 space you made. *Sc connecting to the row below, then go directly to the next chain five to make the next petal with 8dc*, repeat until all of the chain 5 spaces are full petals. End with the final sc to the chain space in the row below and slip st and fasten off!

I hope this helps others who could not translate from French to English. I was just telling one of my students earlier this week that my next thing on my "After the dissertation to-do list" is to learn some more French, and these great "French only" patterns provide another incentive! Isn't it funny how these things all come together?
XOXO SH

Hat Happiness

My very first posting was a baby hat which was made for the Caps for Good program. The university I work at, FGCU, has a strong commitment to service learning and our students complete service learning projects each year. We have a student who is working on a project to make hats/caps for new babies in need, so the majority of the hats I have posted will contribute to her project. Several of my co-workers have been knitting and crocheting the last two weeks to help make baby hats. We have some cupcakes, some flowers, and some pom poms! My friend Carolynne made the four hats in the top right photo, and the two hats on the bottom right photo are my attempts to make the green sparkly one she made (the pattern is free and can be found here). My colleague Gil made the other cupcake hat and is working on a little pumpkin hat right now. Her cupcake hat inspired me to make the pink and blue one! We've been having a great time talking about crochet every chance we get the chance (during break time of course).

I have been enjoying the photos many other crochet like Lucy and Jacquie are posting of their bulbs in bloom. Since we cannot plant bulbs in the ground here (doesn't get cold enough for them to freeze), I enjoy the store bought potted bulbs too. When I first purchased this one there were two flowers starting to show. By the next morning there were three as seen below and then the second photo was the third day! Each day more flowers appear. I love tulips but I can't wait to see some daffodils.

Well, the sun is shining and I must do some work on this chilly Saturday morning. Luckily I have my tulips to stare at in between breaks, and I will sneak in time to finish the charity baby hat to add to the finished pile. Hopefully my afternoon will be filled with some tennis and some Japanese crochet flowers attempts. Check back tomorrow to see how they turned out!

XOXO Susan 

Hearts

Well... my desk arrived! The desk was the easiest piece to put together out of all the different furniture we have purchased from the Canopy line. The desks and file cabinet are at home in our upstairs loft. Notice my lovely pink chair - this is my second pink chair, the first one cracked at the bottom and my husband found a replacement for me after the chairs were no longer sold in stores when we first started dating. Unfortunately this chair just started to crack at the bottom too. I suspect before long, I will fall out of it when the crack increases and a pieces breaks off completely. I applied some glue to the cracking area last night in hopes to make it last a little longer (J doesn't want to see it go, haha).

 I've been hearing many complaints of cold temperatures in the north, so here are some yellow hibiscus photos to warm you up. My pink ones tend to produce more flowers, but I noticed the yellow one had some blooms yesterday.

I've been crocheting a little bit too, but unfortunately this week didn't allow for as much crocheting as I would have liked, TGIF (for those of you who may not be familiar with TGIF it means Thanks Godness It's Friday!). Here are my two latest baby caps for the Caps for Good Charity. We are coming close to the end of the event. I tried a different type of flower on these ones to add a little variety.

I am looking forward to spending some time with my yarn this evening and Saturday and Sunday. I have some plans to try out some new patterns (flowers) that I am sure you will LOVE so be sure to come back and visit. :)
Happy Friday, XOXO
Susan

Love is in the air

Hello and thanks for popping in today to see my lovely surprise for Valentine's Day!!!!

Alice over at Crochet with Raymond posted her pattern for blunting for a new crochet class she is teaching and I love trying little projects in between my larger ones. I never really saw something like this crocheted before nor did I know the proper name was bunting - but I knew I needed to make some to decorate my office at work. My office at work is pretty bare. I get so consumed with doing research, I don't find the time to make my office look home-y. I also have a theory about decorating it, as soon as I decorate my office I will get moved to a different office location. I am not hoping to move, but if an office becomes available on the other side of the hall (the more scenic side) I would love to hop over to the other side of the hall.  

So, Monday evening and Tuesday I stitched up these bunts and stretched them out yesterday.

I didn't have a cork board to stretch them out on so I wet them and stretched them out on a towel and covered them with another towel and placed a large heavy book on top. Stretching on a cork board or another type of board and pinning them will work much better.

After I made five I made a chain and attached them as I chained.

Ta-Dah - The perfect little garland for Valentine's Day!

My hibiscus plants are the most reliable plants in our garden. Through the cold winter spells and driest drought conditions, the hibiscus plants always come through, and the flowers are beautiful!

Yesterday I popped outside to get some fresh air in between conference calls and meeting and snapped some photos to share.

I must run and observe one of my colleagues teach this morning. Enjoy your day and take some time to enjoy nature outside!

Susan XOXOXOXO