I Like Thursday # 140 ~ Suddenly Summer ~ Suddenly Not

 Good Evening! 

I am late joining my friends @ 

I Like Thursday @ Not Afraid of Color 

to share the simply joyful things in life.

It has been a very cool and rainy day so I am enjoying the blooms opening on the big rhododendrons outside my window from the comfort of my sofa today.

Last weekend it was hot for a weekend in mid-May in my corner of the planet.

It seemed summer unexpectedly had arrived mid-Spring. 

Then the strong on-shore winds that have been blowing all spring returned.

Today's day of rain was much more like an early spring day..

This weekend we are forecast to break heat records so summer will be back.

I think we shall have to put our window air conditioners in tomorrow.

Hopefully next week it will not start snowing.

With all these weather changes, there is no telling what may happen.

Time will tell.

My current response to the weather is to carry my yarn bag to wherever it is most comfy. 

On the good days, I took my yarn bag outside to my yard swing

and enjoyed the day until the evening light faded. 

You can see my Sea Shawl Finish ~ Here on my backyard swing.

While I sat I had plenty of backyard birds visit me,

like this pair of goldfinches.

This male cardinal is a frequent visitor. He must be feeding his mate and nestlings because he comes and goes from still dark early morning until the last light fades.

I enjoy all the birds, even our small flock of pigeons.

The purple iridescent feathers on this one are beautiful in the setting sun.

 

This is my new Tunisian Crochet start.

Nutmeg and I are making a shawl in another pattern and this lovely

Lion Brand Watercolor Yarn

This color is called Teaberry and it is beautiful shades of variegated pink.

This pattern has three different Tunisian Crochet stitches.

More later.

It is time to call it a night.

Good Night, my friends.

 I hope your Thursday has been lovely, too. 

Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 20 ~ Sea Shawl

... she stitches sea shawls down by the seashore ... 

Summer has arrived in the Scrapatch. 

Welcome to Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 20 

As my faithful followers know, I also stitch in my backyard ... and with my cats ...

and just about anywhere I can take my yarn project bag. 

Since summer has abruptly arrived here, I have been mostly doing just that.

I will try to make an effort to be more present on my blog and your blogs, too, my friends.  I have been finding google has put up a few roadblocks to leaving comments like I used to do.  I will try to circumvent rather than vent about it.

This is my most recent yarn creation, a triangular wrap shawl that I can use in winter as a neck shawl with my camel wool coat.  I plan to keep the shawl with me after I remove my coat to wrap around my shoulders for cool inside spaces.

For this project I started with this lovely

Scarfie Yarn in Seafoam by Lion Brand Yarn

It is part wool and very soft to work with and to wear. 

For this project, Maestro and I selected this 8mm 

Clover Tunisian Crochet Hook

This set is a recent addition to my tools, a Mother's Day gift selected by me and purchased at a great price here:  Clover Tunisian Crochet Hook Set on Amazon

This book was also gifted ... 

Tunisian Crochet Handbook by Toni Lipsey

This shawl started with this basic simple stitch 

Tunisian Crochet Triangle Shawl Video by Claudetta Crochet

As happens with my projects, it soon took a life of its own.

For the long neck side, I added several rows of this Front Loop Single Crochet (FLSC)  and Back Loop Single Crochet (BLSC) pattern with my regular size L - 8mm crochet hook. 

Then Maestro and I decided to add an easy shell border stitch pattern.

This may also be added with the Tunisian Crochet hook without the extension.

For my shell stitch border added to the two sides, I added a *Single Crochet (SC), skip 1 stitch, 5 Double Crochet (DC)* on both short sides. For the right angle turn, I crocheted 5 DC, Chain 1, 5 DC and then skipped 1 and SC in the next stitch. Then I resumed the *...* shell pattern repeat on the last side.

Here is a close up of the top and side borders in progress. 

Here is a closeup of the Simple Tunisian Stitch on the front and the shell border. 

Here is a closeup and the lovely nubby texture on the back. 

Here is my finished Sew Shawl on my backyard swing.

I will be carrying this with my to future trips to the seashore this summer

to wrap around me on breezy days!

What have you been working on this week, my friends?

Please Share! 

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Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 19 ~ Patchwork Crochet Sampler Throw

It s finished! 

 My Patchwork Crochet Sampler Throw ~ Started Here

Welcome to Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 19

My finished Patchwork Crochet Sampler Throw is 76" square.

When I started this project to revive and build my crochet skills,

 it was to be 20 squares for this

Crochet Sampler Crochet Along @ The Inspired Wren

It soon took a life of its own and I added setting rectangles

 and granny squares and my own border.

I will be adding "Patchwork Crochet Sampler Throw" 

and the hastag  #patchworkcrochet 

to all my posts for this to make them easier to find. 

This crochet throw is a nice size to snuggle under and share on windy days on our yard swing. 

This makes it a nice size for a topper for a queen size bed.

Folded, it makes a nice kitty size cushion. 

Nutmeg is happy to have tested it. 

My kitties and I have started a new yarn project inspired by these sea colors

which I will show you soon.

Maestro seems to think the cat needs to be out of the bag.

Katniss is still inspecting it though to be sure it is ready to share.

Nutmeg is all for testing it and keeping it under wraps,

as long is she may be the one wrapped.

More photos of this and my sea adventure soon!

What have you been working on this week, my friends?

Please Share! 

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I Like Thursday #135 ~ A Good Day for Yard Work

 

My Thursday morning started with these pretties greeting me.

My intention was to take this one photo and go inside and write my weekly post 

to all my friends of

I Like Thursday @ Not Afraid of Color 

It was so lovely outside today and my garden needed pruning 

so I started doing yard work and never did get inside

 to my computer until dark.

Some of my "yard work" involved a crochet hook, 

my swing and just enjoying the day.

So to all my friends.

Turn Around and Say Good Morning to the Night,

 one of my favorite songs by Elton John

I hope you had a good Thursday, too.

Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 18

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 

The cat on the lap requires lots of ear rubs for holding my crochet project in place,

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.

Most of the photos I have taken on my WIP this week have been like this.

Here Nutmeg has claimed the folded afghan on the table

 and Katniss looks to be waiting her turn.

Crochet time stands still for cat naps. 

The kitties and I are working on the 8th round of this border.

In truth, the kitties have thought it should be called done for some time, 

but the human wants a nice wide cozy border.

so I am still going round and round and my squares sampler slowly grows larger. 

I have done this stitch many years before and always called it the Rib Stitch because it resembles ribbing in knitting.  I have no idea what the proper name for this crochet stitch may be. 

When I was looking for more textures to add to my setting blocks,

I saw it here ... 

Crochet Bundle Up @ Daisy Farm Crafts

... and I knew it was what I wanted to make my for my border on this project.

On this site the border stitch is called

Front and Back Post Double Crochet (FPDC & BPDC) 

which accurately describes the stitch process.

There is a video swatch tutorial swatch for this stitch

 Here @ Daisy Farm Crafts.

I followed my own muse and I think my corners are different.

For turning my corners, I stopped the front post and back post repeat and stitched 5 regular double crochets one double crochet in the corner.  

When I come to the corner, I add a back post and then a front post double crochet to the first two stitches in the corner shell.  Then I make a Five DC shell in the third DC.  Then I do a FPDC and and BPDC in the fourth and fifth DC.  Then I proceed to do the alternating FPDC and BPDC along the side.

My 8 rounds started with a Single Crochet Row and 5 Double Crochets in the corner.

Then I made my first FPDC and BPDC in the post for the single crochet. 

When will it end? 

I really like this border and plan to continue on with the help of the kitties

 to make four more rows. 

What are you working on this week?

Please share! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter