Cathedral Rose Window Afghan

Links will be added here as found...

Pattern for sale here

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'Thee' blog post containing many links, corrections etc.

Similar pattern= Stained Glass Afghan, published in Crochet Today !Nov./ Dec 07 here..

mintlatte's CRW planner copy of the afghan here

Here is a cute little Cathedral Window Motif..fun to test colours with...Design by Dot Drake


The North window of Notre Dame de Paris.


























Emily and original colour choices.

New colour choices.. and the first rounds complete...

update on Dec. 26th,

Update Jan. 3

Best laid plans and all that...argg...Turns out I'm short on my older Simply Soft colour 'Embroidery Print".. not the same as their new one. So....for now I've started a new CRW.. using the colours recommended in the new version of the pattern. Yes.. I too have trouble getting an accurate photo of these colours...

Red Heart: black, gemstone, amethyst, and teal

Update here Jan. 6th.

Yarn

From Elan,

We've found these categories to be somewhat broad
in gauge categories. On our website we've
decided all our yarns into 10 gauge categories,
which allow for more accurate substitution of
yarns.

For your future reference, here are
the gauge categories used at Elann:

List of Gauge Categories at elann.com

8-11 st/4" Polar Weight (which includes
some yarns with less than 8 st/4")
12-14 st/4" Bulky Weight
15-16 st/4" Chunky Weight
17-18 st/4" Aran Weight
19-20 st/4" Worsted Weight
21-23 st/4" DK Weight
24-26 st/4" Sport Weight
27-29 st/4" Fingering Weight
30-32 st/4" Baby Weight
33-40 st/4" Lace Weight

Plotting Kitties?

You be the judge...

Where's the kitty to english dictionary anyway ? :D

Poor Kitty

Thanks Riss !

In Bloom market bag

Done in all Lion brand cottons and using one of the patterns in this leaflet...



All the patterns in this booklet are equally nice, and easy to follow.

I originally only meant to use this for running up to the grocery.. but find the colors make me feel happy..and have been using it for everyday pocketbook duties.
I did slightly widen the shoulder strap to increase weight carried comfort.. and also lengthened the strap to fit messenger bag style. Makes it a darn handy bag.

Yes.. that's a Ripple Blankie in there on an outing. ;)

Jewel of an Afghan

This is a Ruthie Marks pattern...done is Caron Simply Soft.

Pattern in this booklet
Ruthie's Easy Crocheted Afghans

BTW... ALL of the patterns are equally nice.

Yes.. it's full of bobbles, but they go fast once you get 'in the bobble groove'.

Yes.. same rose garden...just earlier in the year. This seems to show the detail a bit better ..
yes, that's me..had my hair up on top of my head that day it seems. ;)

Blanket of Roses complete

And it only took me about a month to photograph it. ;)

Which I see now.. needs a complete redo. Sure didn't come out well on Blogger...back to the drawing board. Seem an almost bad picture seriously degrades in the transfer.

Here is the pattern Blanket of Roses Afghan

Soft Waves Ripple update

Yeah... First week of Rose Festival here in the City of Roses, Portland Oregon.
So it seems only appropriate to hike a whole three blocks over to one of our neighborhood rose gardens...since it's not raining as one would expect this week. This also happens to be a spot I enjoy sitting and rippling. :D


Pattern here 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns .


Yarns.. Caron Simply Soft, RH Soft Yarn, and a few pale tones of TLC Essentials.


Hook : Clover Soft Touch sizes G / 4.4 mm and H / 5.0mm .
Started with 200 ch. wide. Measures 50 inches wide.

Blanket of Roses afghan

Bits and pieces so far... Started January 29th, 2007.
Outer edges of the hex are poofy...adding more dimension.

front and back views

See.. Granny squares included too !

Blanket of Roses pattern

Babette... A journey in color

A journey in color is the phrase used in the article http://www.interweavecrochet.com/2006/materials.asp , and the phrase that continues running through my head as I crochet these little squares.
UPDATE : magazine sold out...PDF available here.

I am using the colors in the pattern..which is not the way I normally do things.
I love bright, mixed colors.. and never what patterns suggest for the larger audience.
Thinking I must learn to use colors more "normal".. I have seen nothing but drab.
But.. I feel like my choices have become routine, and in the middle of my Ripple-a-Long ripple...there it was... my standard choices screaming ..."it's time for change !"

Went through and through my pattern books and magazines.. when there it was .. the end of my quest. The Babette Blanket !
Bought that issue just for this moment in time. ;)

My resolve is constantly being tested.. as I come onto a positively hateful color mix in a particular square.. but I persist. I will NOT slip back into my old ways on this blanket.
What I have found is there is always a REASON for the 'hateful' square being there when viewed as a whole blanket.. and fudging will downgrade the finished product at this point.

I find myself enjoying the guessing as to the influences to this combination of color. It feels a bit Pennsylvania Dutch ? or Brazilian ? Yet as I focus on the shapes / numbers/ balance.. it feels Asian to me ? Enjoying the mystery for now.
Here's hoping the squares tonight happen to be pleasant ones..*lol* The last two ,last night were almost my undoing.

Yarn
I used a mix of Simply Soft, TLC Essentials, RH Soft, and Bernat Satin in my attempt to duplicate the original that I fell in love with. My afghans are washed often, so the acrylic works best.

Tips and Tricks
1. Do the last large block first !
I find I am in good company while viewing other Babette's on Flicker.. many of us run out of steam on the last block.. 'cause it's huge.. and now we are finding the process less interesting...and the prospect of the huge block a bit over whelming.

2. To lessen the number of ends to weave in...and speed up the joining process... eventually I learned ..
When starting the last color of each square.. do it about three chains before a corner. As that color is finished.. slip stitch to the corner... leave a long enough length of yarn to join two sides. ..plus a bit to weave in.
Once I figured this out.. things really moved along.













My Ravelry Projects

More color choices here in the Flickr Babette Pool

Ripple in an Oregon Spring

I remember when I planted only a very few, very tiny purple hyacinth bulbs here. True to their reputation.. they have increased beautifully.

And the ripple increases as we speak.

The facts:

Pattern is the soft waves from Jan Eaton's book, " 200 Ripple pattern stitches".

Yarns : Caron Simply Soft, Red Heart Soft Yarn, TLC Essentials in their lighter colors, as they are thinner yarn due to the dye, Bernat Satin, and a few unknown stash scraps.

Hooks: Both sizes G and H...depending on the yarn size. With the thicker yarn I am using the smaller hook..which seems to help the various yarns appear uniform in size.

I'm loving this experience.

Closet Rippler here :)

Finally here...

I have been so inspired by all of your entries.
Beautiful work.., and such fun blogs !


Been rippling for a few weeks now.
Slow but sure ...
Realized I should let you know how much I appreciate the time you have all taken to share with the rest of us quiet ones.
We thank you.

Plan What plan ?

Tons-o-Fun though. :D

Kitties and crochet

Kittens and crochet...



a natural match ?



Mikey thinks so.





and so do his little sisters.










Louie's never really cared one way or another.