my blog looks so weird lately, all grey and no side bars or even top bars. Not even a comment box, I didn't change anything. So is this just my computer or does anybody else recognize this problem as well?
it would be very very helpful, if some of you might try to give me feedback on this, while I check google for a report on this subject.
so in case you don't see a comment box as well
twitter
instagram
google+
ravelry
hope to read you soon again, Diana
Edit - so I hope I fixed this issue, but it would be very helpful to see if anyone else is seeing the comment/top or side bar sections :)
7/30/2013
7/19/2013
only two to go
I hope you enjoyed the pattern of the small dahlia square I provided in my last post.meanwhile I've been to Montreux and coming home I've got only two squares remaining to finish all the squares for my blanket .. getting exited
Above is another view of my "leaning tower"
Looking forward a hot weekend with ice cream and joining eighty squares, how about you? Happy crocheting, Diana
Above is another view of my "leaning tower"
Looking forward a hot weekend with ice cream and joining eighty squares, how about you? Happy crocheting, Diana
7/16/2013
final spurt
I'm getting closer and closer to finishing my lovely flowery blanket, my first granny afghan ever! It will be adorable I can feel it. I have 66 squares finished, which doesn't sound much compared to other blankets that easily sum up 200 squares but my squares are huge compared to what I see throughout the net. So my afghan will be able to cover my queensize bed when whipped up ^__^.
Anyways 66 squares and trying to arrange them on the bed I knew I needed more small flower squares, which I'm making now. I first thought about only making another 6 squares (which would make 72 and 8x9 in the blanket) cause I feel a little tired making them. But really calculating and thinking about the finished piece I figured I could "force" myself to make another 8 additional squares, so I would be able to assemble 80 squares (8x10). Calculating and checking my yarn storage I need to order more green. And doing so I also ordered a few more gold skeins, just in case.. And I start to think about the edging..any ideas?
oh .. and I started thinking about joining them too. I googled joining methods when I started and found this one to be the one I would like the most, it would be less visible, but being a little too picky and realizing all the ends to weave in with this method I came up with an idea that in my head right now seems even better, less weaving and no wonkyness (as Carina calls it). But I haven't tried it yet so we will see how that works out
so long, happy crocheting, Diana
7/11/2013
piling .. or How I store my granny squares
since I'm making pretty good progress on my first granny blanket I thought I'd share something a lot of my visitors find quite amusing. My Leaning Tower of granny squares.
I first stored my grannies in a little box on the backrest of my sofa, then this box became too small. Should I start a new box? Or just throw them all in a bag? I wanted my grannies to lay flat and neatly so a bag was no alternative and so my leaning tower was born. Very simple my squares now pile on top of each other in the little box on the backrest of my sofa.
I just used two long strands of gardening wire, saved the ends, crossed them in their middle and bend in shape of the square. Putting the first squares on that wire thingy was a little difficult, the wires wouldn't stand still, but with the first few on the frame it got easier and easier. Now this is what I got and it works wonders ^__^
how do you store your single squares?
7/08/2013
my small dahlia - granny square pattern
as promised earlier I'm sharing my smaller version of the Dahlia granny square pattern by Joyce Lewis today.
I used three colors and this is also How I will write this pattern down. You can use only one color or even more than just three, that's totally up to you. Also you're choice of yarn and hook also depends on your tension while crocheting, so I'm not giving any advice here. I used Catania by Schachenmayr and an 3.5 hook (E). My version measures 2.25inches/8,5cm for each side. I'm enlarging my squares to be the size of the bigger squares in my blanket and also start to work the rest of the square on to sides only, this way the flower will be off-centered. This gives me some nice opportunities when putting them together later.
PATTERN:
center color
1 - start by making a magic ring and chain 2 and work 9 hdc into the ring
pull the ring closed (it will leave a little whole, which I liked and also was reflected in the plain squares of my blanket)
2 - chain 3, and repeat *hdc1, chain1* nine times, close with a slst into the second chain (you should have 10 chain1 spaces now)
Bind off
flower color
3 - turn base and with wrong side facing attach new color and work *sc1, chain5, sc1* into the next ch1sp, in next ch1sp work *sc1, tr1, sc1* repeat both step four more times (you should have 5 bumps and 5 ch5sp) - close with slst
4 - turn and continue with right side facing, chain 1, now work 3 slst into each *sc1,tr1,sc1* and the following stitches into the ch5sp *hdc1, dc4, ch2, sc1 into last dc made, dc3, hdc1* close round with a slst. (you should have made 5 pointy petals seperated by 3 slst)
5 - now work behind the petals. chain 1. *ch2, sc1 [into bottom of a petal or between two petals], ch2* close with a slst. (you should have 10 ch2sp, the first one a little longer)
6 - keep working behind the petals. chain5, sc3 into next ch2sp, sc2 into next ch2sp. sc1 between two petals, repeat from chain5 and continue with sc into the ch2sp. only work one sc into the last ch2sp, don't close the round with a slst
7 - work *dc5, ch2, sc1 into last dc made, dc4* into each ch5sp and anchor each petal with 1 sc between the sc3/sc2 of the former round, after making the last petal don't use a sc but a slst to anchor the petal
8 - chain1, *ch3, sc1 into bottom of petal, ch3* around (again you should have 10 ch3sp)
change to background color, I like to just make a knot here and hide the yarn ends
9 - chain5, sc4 into next ch3sp, sc3 into next ch3sp. sc1 between two petals, repeat from chain5 and continue with sc into the ch3sp. only work one sc into the last ch3sp, don't close the round with a slst
10 - work *tr1, dc4, ch2, sc1 into last dc made, dc3, tr1* into each ch5sp and anchor each petal with sc1 between the sc4/sc3 of the former round, after making the last petal don't use a sc but a slst to anchor the petal
!!! when making this round it's a good idea to anchor the inner petals of the flower. like this: when making the center dc of each petal, have a look at the inner petals, on the backside you can see two legs resulting from the sc that built the little pointy edge of the petal. use one of these legs and the ch5sp to create the center dc
11 - chain1, *ch4, sc1 into bottom of petal, ch4* around
12 - *chain1, into each following ch4sp work: [sc1, hdc1, ch1, hdc1, dc1]; [dc1, ch3, dc2, hdc1. ch1]; [hdc1, sc1, ch1, sc1, hdc1, ch1]; [hdc1, dc2, ch3, dc1]; [dc1, hdc1, ch1, hdc1, sc1]* repeat one more time.
13 - now start your classic granny pattern with dc clusters: ch3 move to next ch1sp and work dc3 into this ch1sp. ch1 and work dc3 into next ch1sp. Continue like this, in the corners (the ch3sp) work *dc3, ch3, dc3*.
!!! I'm anchoring the outer petals in this round using the dc stitches like pictured below
Abbreviation key:
hdc - half double crochet
ch - chain
ch1sp - chain 1 space
sc - single crochet
tr - triple crochet
dc - double crochet
slst - slip stitch
here you can see what the square looks like with one more round of dc clusters:
and this is what it looks like when being off-centered
hope you like this small Dahlia square and you give it a try. I have no idea if someone else is able to follow my pattern, since I'm not used to write patterns this way, maybe you like to give me feedback ^__^
happy crocheting
I used three colors and this is also How I will write this pattern down. You can use only one color or even more than just three, that's totally up to you. Also you're choice of yarn and hook also depends on your tension while crocheting, so I'm not giving any advice here. I used Catania by Schachenmayr and an 3.5 hook (E). My version measures 2.25inches/8,5cm for each side. I'm enlarging my squares to be the size of the bigger squares in my blanket and also start to work the rest of the square on to sides only, this way the flower will be off-centered. This gives me some nice opportunities when putting them together later.
PATTERN:
center color
1 - start by making a magic ring and chain 2 and work 9 hdc into the ring
pull the ring closed (it will leave a little whole, which I liked and also was reflected in the plain squares of my blanket)
2 - chain 3, and repeat *hdc1, chain1* nine times, close with a slst into the second chain (you should have 10 chain1 spaces now)
Bind off
flower color
3 - turn base and with wrong side facing attach new color and work *sc1, chain5, sc1* into the next ch1sp, in next ch1sp work *sc1, tr1, sc1* repeat both step four more times (you should have 5 bumps and 5 ch5sp) - close with slst
4 - turn and continue with right side facing, chain 1, now work 3 slst into each *sc1,tr1,sc1* and the following stitches into the ch5sp *hdc1, dc4, ch2, sc1 into last dc made, dc3, hdc1* close round with a slst. (you should have made 5 pointy petals seperated by 3 slst)
5 - now work behind the petals. chain 1. *ch2, sc1 [into bottom of a petal or between two petals], ch2* close with a slst. (you should have 10 ch2sp, the first one a little longer)
6 - keep working behind the petals. chain5, sc3 into next ch2sp, sc2 into next ch2sp. sc1 between two petals, repeat from chain5 and continue with sc into the ch2sp. only work one sc into the last ch2sp, don't close the round with a slst
7 - work *dc5, ch2, sc1 into last dc made, dc4* into each ch5sp and anchor each petal with 1 sc between the sc3/sc2 of the former round, after making the last petal don't use a sc but a slst to anchor the petal
8 - chain1, *ch3, sc1 into bottom of petal, ch3* around (again you should have 10 ch3sp)
change to background color, I like to just make a knot here and hide the yarn ends
9 - chain5, sc4 into next ch3sp, sc3 into next ch3sp. sc1 between two petals, repeat from chain5 and continue with sc into the ch3sp. only work one sc into the last ch3sp, don't close the round with a slst
10 - work *tr1, dc4, ch2, sc1 into last dc made, dc3, tr1* into each ch5sp and anchor each petal with sc1 between the sc4/sc3 of the former round, after making the last petal don't use a sc but a slst to anchor the petal
!!! when making this round it's a good idea to anchor the inner petals of the flower. like this: when making the center dc of each petal, have a look at the inner petals, on the backside you can see two legs resulting from the sc that built the little pointy edge of the petal. use one of these legs and the ch5sp to create the center dc
11 - chain1, *ch4, sc1 into bottom of petal, ch4* around
12 - *chain1, into each following ch4sp work: [sc1, hdc1, ch1, hdc1, dc1]; [dc1, ch3, dc2, hdc1. ch1]; [hdc1, sc1, ch1, sc1, hdc1, ch1]; [hdc1, dc2, ch3, dc1]; [dc1, hdc1, ch1, hdc1, sc1]* repeat one more time.
13 - now start your classic granny pattern with dc clusters: ch3 move to next ch1sp and work dc3 into this ch1sp. ch1 and work dc3 into next ch1sp. Continue like this, in the corners (the ch3sp) work *dc3, ch3, dc3*.
!!! I'm anchoring the outer petals in this round using the dc stitches like pictured below
Abbreviation key:
hdc - half double crochet
ch - chain
ch1sp - chain 1 space
sc - single crochet
tr - triple crochet
dc - double crochet
slst - slip stitch
here you can see what the square looks like with one more round of dc clusters:
and this is what it looks like when being off-centered
hope you like this small Dahlia square and you give it a try. I have no idea if someone else is able to follow my pattern, since I'm not used to write patterns this way, maybe you like to give me feedback ^__^
happy crocheting
7/06/2013
losing the reader
I'm sure every one has realized by now that google stopped their reader service at the beginning of the month. Haven't been online the last 3 weeks and not reading anything of course this fact just past me by. Now I found myself confronted with a little problem, what other service could do that for me and even worse How on earth would I be able to re-find all the blogs I had collected in my feed during the last years? The first problem was easily solved. Asking the inter-webs I came up with two out of the many solutions, one being bloglovin' the other feedly. The promise feedly would be able to find my google reader list was too promising. But as I was too late feedly didn't find the list automatically *sad-face*
Asking the inter-webs again .. google will provide this info in a list (that you need the download) until the 15th of July. So far so good. I got the list and opened it and added most of the blogs to feedly via hand. I was surprised how many blogs have stopped writing during the last years. And I was surprised how many food-blogs I had in my list. I miss some yarn blogs though *confused-face*
Soooo, point of this post? I love the feedly app (I never read blogs on my phone, now it's so easy) and what are your favorite knitting/crochet blogs? I want to add a few more to my reading list.
happy reading, Diana
happy reading, Diana
7/04/2013
froggin' and preppin'
about being a perfectionist could also be the title of this post!
Sometimes being a little too picky about my own stuff can be quite time consuming.. For my granny square afghan I'm using the Dahlia block pattern by Joyce Lewis** for the main flower, which is quite huge and so I went ahead and created a smaller version as well.
The smaller version contains only 5 petals in a round and I will publish this version here soon. BUT, yes there is a BUT and this makes me come to the point of the post, I made a little error on my first version, which was perfectly fine for me for the first eight squares I made. The little error wasn't really anything to worry about and no-one; really not a single person would have noticed it, maybe not even if I would mention it. The little error made the flower bump up a little in the middle. And it was making me crazy. Not crazy enough to find a solution to it after the first square I made (because I was noticing this bumpiness after the first square I made) because I figured it might block out. Eight squares later it was nugging on me, it won't block flat, it won't block flat completely, no it won't block completely even. So I finally tried to make some changes to my pattern, and of course I couldn't leave the former eight squares as they were .. I WOULD SEE IT, I was sure of. So I frogged and frogged, and started over. And because I had a lot of teal yarn left over after every square I made, I made eight plain teal colored squares too. (which is good, I need them anyway) The good point of being a little too picky I guess, I'm always way faster when re-doing something than I was before. And using my "enthusiasm" I also started a few new flower bases..
so long, happy crocheting
Diana **a little side note, I also made a few changes to the Dahlia pattern, linked above. you can find my alternations to the square here .. stupid perfectionism
Diana **a little side note, I also made a few changes to the Dahlia pattern, linked above. you can find my alternations to the square here .. stupid perfectionism
7/02/2013
my June 2013
most of the time this last month I was ill in bed. I reached very high when the universe asked who wanted to have a cozy little summer flu. Nevertheless, feeling like a walking dead didn't stop me from taking some pictures.. here we go, my June:
1. B is for…: Berlin! the city I live in, isn't she beautiful?
2. A moment: in every crocheters life, and so in mine, making the last stitches in a granny square..
3. On my table: is my favorite sweet: Maoam!. I have no idea if this internattionally known stuff, but I like sweets like these .. I have a very sweet tooth in general, but this kind makes it water more than other sweets
4. After dark: well, the sun just set, it's the view from my balcony
5. Environment: being at work, traveling, today my environment was a small city called Schwedt, it's quite nice there
6. Transport: well, a car (found in an Überraschhungsei/ a kinder surprise)
7. Bright: papaver .. they bloom everywhere this time of the year, I love it!
8. An animal: my co-driver ^__^
9. From down low: the Berlin poplars are blooming at the moment, which makes certain areas look like winter, all white, I tried to capture a little of that magic in this picture
10. You!: well .. no idea why there's no picture, I guess I just didn't find the time?
11. Something funny: all day I was thinking about this, quite hard actually, but nothing funny crossed my way, until I parked at home and right in front of me there was this dark purple car, a Trabbi express, weird
12. 11 o’clock: pm, I usually read, in June I was reading Drachenseele by Angela Planert, I wouldn't recommend it, It didn't rock my socks, but it was a nice, fluid read, I need to admit it
13. Kitchen: in my kitchen I have a cookie jar..
14. Texture: on the road again, I saw a few textures, the strawberries I ate in the car, the roof of my hotel, the octopus tentacles we had for dinner
15. From above: I've been on a little congress over the weekend which was at the baltic see. I also went to see my sortof hometown Rostock and then suddenly from above there came a super storm
16. Family: this is always hard for me, I don't have my family with me in Berlin..
17. Centered: one of my favorite and sooo simple summer dishes: sweetheart cabbage sauted with mango (and salt and pepper)
18. Street: hmm, it must have been empty ^__^
19. Currently reading: as I've already shared my currently read book (at 11 o'clock) I read the city mag with some icecream on the balcony, heaven!
20. Cute: and the flu got me! I had pretty high temperature and it also was the hottest day of the year so far .. the cutest thing that happened that day was the thunderstorm that cooled the air quite noticeable
21. Lunchtime: a light lunch, some pasta with pesto. being ill doesn't mean you couldn't eat properly right?
22. Enjoying life: my first visitor .. sweetheart brought me flowers .. he's such a romantic sometimes
23. Last: piece of cake, rainbow cake in particular. my favorite cake when I was little
24. Negative space: according to fatmumslim, who started this challenge negative space is to have a lot of space around your photographed object, here a strawberry
25. Sharp: a knife would have been to simple, right? so no picture
26. Empty: an empty box of strawberries, the only good thing about being ill was, that I was able to get my hands on my favorite strawberries (They're coming all the way from my home area and are always already sold out when I get home from work)
27. Into the sun: on the balcony, a shot through my basil into the bright sky
28. Red: and on my balcony there are also some red eyed flies sitting on my mint
29. In my bag: sweetheart came by to have breakfast with me, he found heart shaped whole grain bread rolls, isn't that the cutest bread roll you've ever seen?
30. Handwriting: a very simple but effective way to make new friends :)
and with this I'm leaving you for today, have a wonderful week friends ^__^
p.s. I guess this month will be filled with lots of updates on my flower granny blanket, I make good progress at the moment
2. A moment: in every crocheters life, and so in mine, making the last stitches in a granny square..
3. On my table: is my favorite sweet: Maoam!. I have no idea if this internattionally known stuff, but I like sweets like these .. I have a very sweet tooth in general, but this kind makes it water more than other sweets
4. After dark: well, the sun just set, it's the view from my balcony
5. Environment: being at work, traveling, today my environment was a small city called Schwedt, it's quite nice there
6. Transport: well, a car (found in an Überraschhungsei/ a kinder surprise)
7. Bright: papaver .. they bloom everywhere this time of the year, I love it!
8. An animal: my co-driver ^__^
9. From down low: the Berlin poplars are blooming at the moment, which makes certain areas look like winter, all white, I tried to capture a little of that magic in this picture
10. You!: well .. no idea why there's no picture, I guess I just didn't find the time?
11. Something funny: all day I was thinking about this, quite hard actually, but nothing funny crossed my way, until I parked at home and right in front of me there was this dark purple car, a Trabbi express, weird
12. 11 o’clock: pm, I usually read, in June I was reading Drachenseele by Angela Planert, I wouldn't recommend it, It didn't rock my socks, but it was a nice, fluid read, I need to admit it
13. Kitchen: in my kitchen I have a cookie jar..
14. Texture: on the road again, I saw a few textures, the strawberries I ate in the car, the roof of my hotel, the octopus tentacles we had for dinner
15. From above: I've been on a little congress over the weekend which was at the baltic see. I also went to see my sortof hometown Rostock and then suddenly from above there came a super storm
16. Family: this is always hard for me, I don't have my family with me in Berlin..
17. Centered: one of my favorite and sooo simple summer dishes: sweetheart cabbage sauted with mango (and salt and pepper)
18. Street: hmm, it must have been empty ^__^
19. Currently reading: as I've already shared my currently read book (at 11 o'clock) I read the city mag with some icecream on the balcony, heaven!
20. Cute: and the flu got me! I had pretty high temperature and it also was the hottest day of the year so far .. the cutest thing that happened that day was the thunderstorm that cooled the air quite noticeable
21. Lunchtime: a light lunch, some pasta with pesto. being ill doesn't mean you couldn't eat properly right?
22. Enjoying life: my first visitor .. sweetheart brought me flowers .. he's such a romantic sometimes
23. Last: piece of cake, rainbow cake in particular. my favorite cake when I was little
24. Negative space: according to fatmumslim, who started this challenge negative space is to have a lot of space around your photographed object, here a strawberry
25. Sharp: a knife would have been to simple, right? so no picture
26. Empty: an empty box of strawberries, the only good thing about being ill was, that I was able to get my hands on my favorite strawberries (They're coming all the way from my home area and are always already sold out when I get home from work)
27. Into the sun: on the balcony, a shot through my basil into the bright sky
28. Red: and on my balcony there are also some red eyed flies sitting on my mint
29. In my bag: sweetheart came by to have breakfast with me, he found heart shaped whole grain bread rolls, isn't that the cutest bread roll you've ever seen?
30. Handwriting: a very simple but effective way to make new friends :)
and with this I'm leaving you for today, have a wonderful week friends ^__^
p.s. I guess this month will be filled with lots of updates on my flower granny blanket, I make good progress at the moment
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