Goodby to this Blog

I have found it much quicker to post my projects on Instagram.  You can see me there at @melissabethgr.  I will leave this blog up, as a reminder to me of all I have done.  All new projects from now on will be posted on Instagram.

WIP Wednesday

This week I am crocheting a little more.  I finished my last radiation treatment today.  My oncologist encouraged me to keep as active as I can, so I consider crocheting a therapy for my cancer.  :-)

I started a new Corner to Corner baby blanket, using more yarn from my stash and a pattern from Ravelry.  I have used Simply Soft yarn in Baby Bright Ombre and Snuggly Wuggly yarn in Soft Lilac so far.  I am almost to the point where I will start decreasing, to make a rectangle.  I ended up buying more yarn today, as I ran out of the Simply Soft yarn.  I hope it will blend in.

My other project, Granny's Favorite prayer shawl, is 2/3 done.  I have crocheted 162 squares into 18 rows of 9 squares each.  I have nine more rows to go.   I like how it looks like several nine-patch quilt blocks.

I finished reading Daughter of Twin Oaks by Lauraine Snelling.  I really enjoyed this book, with it's surprising ending.  I also finished another book on my Nook, The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund. It is set in the 1600's, in England, around the time when the Puritans were being persecution by the Royalists.  At the end of the book, the author says the book is inspired by the story of John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrims Progress, and his second wife, Elizabeth.  I received both books for free from Book Bub and read them on my Nook Color.

I am sharing this post at the links on this page.

Pin It

Newborn Diaper Shirt

My crocheting has slowed down quite a bit recently.  I had radiation treatments five days last week, and it really tired me out.  I got something done on the weekend before last, but nothing much since then.  Two more days of radiation on my left arm and leg, and then I will be finished with that part of my cancer treatment.

I made a Newborn Diaper Shirt with the same Snuggly Wuggly Yarn that I used in the hat and sac in my last post.  The pattern was from Bev's Country Cottage.  This shirt will also be for a local charity.

I will be linking this post with the places on this page.

Pin It

Baby Clothes and Items

Since I had crocheted a lot of blankets recently, and am still in the middle of the Granny's Favorite blanket, I wanted to do a couple of projects that were fast, and could be done in one day.  I ended up crocheting three sets of baby clothes/items.

The first is a newborn baby outfit called "Little Boy Blue Long Pant Suit." The pattern is from Danette's Angels, a site that offers crochet patterns for use with charity items.  I used a skein of Canan yarn from Big Lots in Navy Blue and a K hook.  I even found some navy buttons in my button tin.  I decided to add a couple of rows to the legs and top of the pants and to the body and arms of the sweater, as this pattern was originally for a preemie baby.  This will be for a local charity.

My next outfit is a preemie kimono and hat.  Since I couldn't find a free pattern for a kimono, I adapted this pattern from Bev's Country Cottage.  The yarn is partly Bernat Baby Coordinates and some non-labled yarn from my stash.  I added several rows to make it longer, and added a tie to the inside, that wraps around the back.  The hat is a pattern from Momma That Makes.  If it does not fit the preemie I made this for, it will go to the NICU where she is, for another preemie.

Finally, I crocheted a preemie Post Stitch

Cuddle Sac and Hat from a pattern on the Preemie Hat Project blog.  I used Snuggly Wuggly baby yarn in Soft Lilac and trimmed the sac and hat with Canan baby yarn in Purple.  This will also go to the preemie baby mentioned earlier.  I am sure it will fit, as it is almost as long as the baby!

I am sharing this post with these linky parties.

Pin It

Newborn Baby Booties

When I saw this tutorial on Annasimplecrochet, I knew I would be making them.  After I crocheted one, it looked a little floppy, and didn't hold it's shape.  I also didn't have enough yarn in my stash to make two.  So, I decided to adapt the tutorial to my liking.

This is what I did:  I used one ball of baby yarn from my stash to make the sole.  Using an E hook, I began with 11 chains.  Then, I made an sc in the second chain from the hook and an sc in each stitch across.  For rows 2-18, I made a single crochet in each stitch across.  I finished with a rectangle.

For the sides of the bootie,  I used another color of baby yarn and crocheted an sc in the end of each row of the rectangle, up one long side, two sc in the corner, in each stitch across the short side, two sc in the other corner, and back down the other side in the ends of the rows.  I turned and crocheted a row of sc for rows 2-10.  Then I fastened off, leaving a long tail for sewing.  I overlapped the sides and sewed across the short section where the toes would be.  The booties turned out better for me this way.  They held their shape better.

This is not meant to be a pattern, but a description of how I adapted the tutorial to suit me.  I will try to answer any questions if you try this .

I am linking this post to these parties.



Pin It