Slow Sunday Stitching ~ Wave Stitch Crochet Square

 

It has been a cold and snowy weekend, 

a good time to stay in and stitch with a cuddly lap cat. 

We had 8-9 inches of snow on Friday and it has not melted much

 due to freezing temperatures.

 Outside right now we are having a "snow squall." If you are from a warm climate and do not know what this is, it means that there will not be much snow but it is falling fast and furiously and the wind is blowing it around so that visibility is very low. If we were driving, it would be best to find a safe place to pull over and wait for the snow to let up.  Driving in a blinding snow can be dangerous because you cannot see the outlines of the road or a car that might be stopped in front of you,

or a pedestrian trying to get out of the storm. 

So being able to stay warm and snug inside is a blessing.

Nutmeg and I are working on the first block in the

Squares Crochet Along Pattern 8 @ The Inspired Wren

This is a wave stitch pattern that is done in multiples of 5 stitches

and there are 35 stitches in each row.

I admit that I had some difficulty following the written instructions for this pattern stitch.  It is written correctly, but I kept messing up on alternating the rows correctly and had to pull out a few rows more than once. 

I am a visual learner so I found the following video tutorial for this stitch very helpful:

Wave Stitch Video Tutorial @ Stitchorama

I love the striped waves in the video 

and have plans to make my second block in three colors. 

I started by making a Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) of 35 stitches. 

Click on the link below if you would like to learn how to start with this stitch:

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) ~ Video Tutorial 

~ Hooked by Robin

Then I chained 1 and turned and started my first pattern row, 

and in the back loop of my foundation row as called for in the pattern,

I alternated 5 slip stitches (Sl St)  with 5 half double crochet (HDC) stitches.

My second row repeated this row.

These two rows were followed by two rows which started with a chain 2 and repeats of 5 HDC followed by 5 Sl St across. 

After four rows the wave pattern stitch started to emerge.

Here is my block 15 progress.

Linking up tonight with

Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts

I hope to put in a few more rows before sleep. 

Sweet stitching dreams! 

Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 8

 Welcome to Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 8 

I have eleven blocks done for my 

Squares Sampler Afghan ~ Started Here

I am very happy with how this is working up. 

I am halfway though the blocks in this crochet along:

Crochet Sampler Crochet Along @ The Inspired Wren

My 12th block is done and it is on my blocking board.

I varied from the pattern in the crochet along:

Pattern Stitch 6 ~ Moss Stitch/Single Crochet Stripes.

I made a this fun ziggy-zaggy striped block using all my main colors. 

All the blocks call for a round of single crochet around the borders.

I chose the light gray that I had on my hook at the end of the block for this border.  

I intend to use the light gray as the main color and the in the outer border.

This is what the center of the block looked like without the gray edging.

This block worked up square and flat in part because I remembered how I used to like to start my crochet projects. 

I do not like to chain stitch the start unless I am making something like a granny square or round project.

For scarves and afghans and sweaters, I always started with a Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) row when the instructions told me to chain start.

This is what my foundation FSC row looked like before I started the pattern stitch.

This method makes a nice stretchy foundation row that combines the chain and a single crochet stitch.

I like this method because it is not tight and does not curl like a chain stitch start. 

If you are unfamiliar with this method, here is a good video tutorial: 

Foundation Single Crochet (FSC) ~ Video Tutorial 

~ Hooked by Robin

This is my first stripe for Block 12. 

You can see how this looks even top and bottom.

I am feeling more confidant about my crochet skills again

after many years away.

My sewing machine is still sitting idle while I am sitting and crocheting.

Crochet is my happy creative place right now.

I can hear my sewing machine calling my name, though.

Where is your happy creative place right now?

Please share! 

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