Posts

Granny squares fascination

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We took a class on Granny Squares (Making a Crocheted Granny Square Scarf) at the Midwest Fiber Festival last weekend, and really enjoyed it! Granny squares are addictive - once you start making them, it's hard to stop. In the weeks before the class, I used up all of my scrap yarn making squares (which will become a small blanket), and also made some potholders using some Queensland brand yarn from littleknits.com (95% recycled cotton, made in Italy). The potholder square patterns are from Ravelry. The "solid square" pattern needed a little bit of modification, namely, turning the square over and crocheting every other round on the opposite side. Otherwise, the square biases or skews (at least, it did for me in this yarn). I used the cotton yarn single for some squares and double for the light green one, with the back side of all three potholders in plain single crochet with the yarn doubled.  

Recent lace knitting

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I'm blocking these today - on the left, DK weight yarn in Thistle Leaf stitch, on the right, Cascade blue-faced leicester wool in Oriel pattern. (Both lace patterns from Barbara Walker books.) I used size 8 needles for the Thistle Leaf stitch and size 6 needles for the Oriel stitch, and both items are edged in crochet to make blocking easier. 

"Frosted" Pop-Up Sale at Tower Grove Park Dec. 15, 2024 9a-1p

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Norah's Knits & Handcrafts will be a vendor at the Tower Grove Park Frosted Pop-Up Sale on Sunday, December 15, 2024 from 9am to 1 pm, in the park near the Piper Palm House. There are several races (5K, etc.) and other events in the park that are part of the "Frosted" winter events as well. Piper Palm House is on the north side of the park just east of Center Drive (the extension of Tower Grove Avenue that goes through the partk).  I will have handmade (handknit & crocheted) scarves, shawls, purses, fingerless mittens, hats, cowls, and handmade flannel baby blankets for sale. Visa & Mastercard accepted. 

Finished items - Crocheted cotton baby blanket & 100% cotton potholders

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  Here are a few recently finished items. The baby blanket is all cotton, mostly #4 weight. The potholders are also all cotton, in the style I have been making recently. On the blanket, a few of the colors were lighter weight yarn, which involved finessing the last row of  some of the squares so that they ended up all the same size. 

Pics of items being blocked (follow up to prior post)

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Handknit Fashion Baskets - Donations to local charities

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I've been putting together "Handknit Fashion Baskets" to donate to several local charities, to use for raffle or silent auction items. The one pictured here will be a Raffle Item today at a fundraiser for Roosevelt High School Football Breakfasts (our local public high school). I've donated several others to local charities - to the MICA Project, Five Star Senior Center, and DeSales Community Development. I will also be donating one to a Rock & Roll BINGO fundraiser for Roosevelt High School's 100th Anniversary in 2025 (event to be held October 27). Sorting the items to put in each basket has been fun!  

Recent items - mitered square (Noro yarn), crocheted potholder, crocheted scarf

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