Crochet

Patterns, projects and techniques

Making The Most Of Your Crochet

by

cro ronnie afghan 1013

 

My friend Ronnie is a very talented crocheter.  She can glimpse a pattern and almost instantly see where a mistake might crop up.  She can look at my work and find where I’ve gone wrong right away – after I’ve counted each row a gazillion times.  She is a very prolific crocheter, turning up at our monthly crochet club meetings with a staggering number of FO’s that put the rest to of to shame.  I mean – Really!  When does she sleep?

I might also add that when I have yarn that won’t tell me what it wants to be when it grows up, it often winds up in the hands of Ronnie or DJ, both of whom are very talented at turning cast off yarn into works of crochet loveliness.  Several time, I have gotten my cast off yarn back int he form of a scarf or even an afghan!  That’s quite a trade!

That’s why I wanted to show off one of Ronnie’s latest projects.

This afghan is a generous TEN  feet by ? feet – just huge!  It’s title is Klimt Afghan.  If you are familiar at all with the work of artist Gustav Klimt, you’ll know why the afghan is so named.  Here’s one of his most famous works.  Check out those rectangles of many different sizes.  Clear inspiration for someone like Ronnie who took the original pattern and turned it into something uniquely hers.

cro klimt 1013

So, when Ronnie began this afghan, she put out a call to her crochet friends to bring their leftovers to her.  I did my share!  Others did too.  She was neither demanding nor picky.  She took all she received and turned them into this masterpiece.  Then, THEN, she had to join them all with black yarn.  That’s a hard chore for those of us with eyes over thirty or forty years of age!

The result is this lovely afghan.  The interplay of colors the way Ronnie has placed them, brings out the best of each group of colors.  She made the most of each partial skein or few yards of each yarn she used.  The picture does not do it justice.  Fortunately, I was able to see the afghan in person.  It’s a truly masterful piece.

PS – You may have seen this afghan as an entry in last month’s themed Giveaway on my blog.

Comments

  1. Thank you for your very nice comments.

    I hate to see/have those odd leftovers that take up space in my stash. It’s fun to take the different colors and simply “mix them up”.

    I might get lucky and get another project showcased by jd in the future.

Have you read?

Crochet Baby Beanie – A Sweet Beginner-Friendly Hat Pattern for Baby Showers and Handmade Gifts

This Crochet Baby Beanie is one of those simple little patterns that makes a really lovely handmade gift. It uses soft Bernat Softee Baby yarn for the hat, a fluffy Pipsqueak edging, and an optional crochet flower on the side, giving it that cute baby-shower-ready finish.

What makes this one appealing is that the shape is worked in easy rounds, starting with a magic circle and increasing up to 48 stitches before moving into the textured post-stitch section. The fluffy edging softens the whole look, and the added flower gives it a sweet decorative touch without making the project feel too fussy.

I also like that it feels like a pattern you could easily customize. You could skip the flower for a simpler baby beanie, change the colors for a more modern look, or keep the pink-and-white version for a classic handmade baby gift. It has that practical “quick weekend project” feel, which is always handy when a baby shower sneaks up on you.

If you’re looking for an easy crochet baby hat pattern with a soft, cozy finish, this one is definitely worth a look. It’s cute, giftable, and the fluffy trim gives it a little extra charm.