Craft-A-Day : Bird Week !!!

New week, new challenge!!!

Any idea????
Well, Sarah gives us some...

• a Plush Bird

• a Bird Card

• a Bird Magnet

• a Felt Bird Ornament
• a Bird Gift Tag
• a Paper Bird Mobile

• a Mini Bird Topper

So.......other ideas to add to the list?????

My mind is starting right now to develop new crafty possibilities!!!!

If you love to join me in this adventure, please do it and remember that you are really welcome, anytime!!!
If you want to read more about this crafty journey, please read this post or just scroll to the top and click on Craft-A-Day Year Project tab (just under my blog title&description on the right!)! Thank you !!!

xxxx Alessandra

Penguin Week : my crafts !!!

Honestly, I didn't know what to do with a penguin!!!!!
I like penguins, but what to do with them???

Luckily Tobia had a birthday party to go and he asked me to prepare a card, but not too fancy...you know boys, right?
So I traced the biggest penguin from Sarah's BOOK and ...

....TA-DAH !!!! ....

This was a really simple craft!!!!
I wanted to add some more embellishments, but my little guy gently said to me that it was "beautiful mum, it's ok!" so.... ;oD

xxxx Alessandra

My LINK !!!!

Make it ! Vertical garland !!!

I don't know if you have done some (or just one! ;oD) embellished granny squares from my tutorial, but in case, I would love to show you what I did with mine!!!

I took all 3 of them and with a pom pom maker ( the small one), I did 9 (you can do less, more or none at all!!!) little and colourful pom poms

I decided even to add a yarn doll ( HERE the instructions!) ....

I had in mind a vertical garland, so I started to join (using knots) the pieces from the bottom-up, and the first elements were the yarn doll, one pom pom and one of the embellished grannies

As you can see from the above picture and the following one, the red pom pom seems the wig of the yarn doll!!!!

Then I collected other 3 pom poms to join (knotting the tails in the back, as  I let pass them in the corners of the granny squares) the last granny to the 2nd one...

At this point I joined the first granny to the one in the middle, with the help of other 3 pom poms

Last touch : on the top of the corner of the first granny, I simply knotted a red velvety ribbon ( I made a loop big enough to hang the garland somewhere!) and the last 2 pom poms left

The garland can dangle from a chest of drawers

or from a bookcase, for example

...this is where I like it most!!!

xxxx Alessandra

today link : Craft Schooling Sunday !!!! See you there!!!

Make it ! Granny Square Panel !!!

I told you!!!! Our "granny squares adventure" is not yet completed!!!!

First of all you need to group some yarn, a hook, a pair of scissors, a tapestry needle, some ribbon, a little branch (and some acrylic colours if you want to decorate it!) and pom poms !!!

You have to crochet a basic granny square. If you like you can have a look at my tutorial here!

As you can see, this time, I worked 9 rounds for my granny square. Each corner is done with 2 chains, not 3 and each round is closed with the invisible join, not with the slip stitch.
You can choose to make your granny even bigger or smaller than mine! It's up to you, honestly!

To complete my granny, I decided to border it with 2 rounds with single crochet stitches (remember : I use the american crochet terminology!) in 2 different colours. In each corner, I did 2 SCs!!

With some fluffy yarn and the pom pom makers do some colourful pom poms

I'm going to use them to decorate my panel (do you remember this one or this one, too????) !!!
But these are not the only decorations I'm going to attach to it.....oh, no....!!!!
I will add even some butterflies : do you remember my sweet chubby butterfly ???
....Even these ones, still so popular.....

Add everything you choose (or you prefer to let your panel plain? Why not? It's ok!!!)! I had to do simple knots for the tiny butterflies (choosing for each of them the same yarn of their bodies)

Remember to paint your little branch/stick before to slide it in the top of your panel

Some more knots for the pom poms at the bottom...

....and for the little ones at the top, beside the ribbon (to hang the panel!)...

...and look for the right spot where let it hang...!!!!!....

xxxx Alessandra

today links : Creative Friday  and Link your Stuff!!!

Catania Grande Project #4

....THE END!!!!!
YES!!!! I've completed the crocheting of my table runner (oval and with a scallop edging!!)!!!!!

Do you wanna see?????

I began to work from Round 14 (in the above pictures I'm showing you were I started!), where I decided to make a thick base for the scallop border

Then, Round 15 (do you see little pink tulips, like I do?)

So, after completing the green round, I picked up the red yarn and Round 16 began

Another round with green (Round 17)

.....and, finally, the Scallop Edging (!!!), with red and hot pink alternating each other (very me, I think!)

What is left?????

...just some red (20g) and some hot pink (25/8g). No green at all!!!

I didn't need to block my table runner! In the case you do, instead, just spray some cold water and let it dry flat the time is needed.

The oval table runner with scallop edging measures from scallop to scallop : 57cmx37cm.

I wrote even the PATTERN....

You can follow it using the photos (they are so many, so I hope helpful!!!) that I showed you in

• CATANIA GRANDE PROJECT (from start to the end of round 3)
• CATANIA GRANDE PROJECT #2 (from round 4 to round 10)
• CATANIA GRANDE PROJECT #3 (from round 11 to round 13)
• CATANIA GRANDE PROJECT #4, that is this post (from round 14 to the scallop edging)

OVAL TABLE RUNNER WITH SCALLOP EDGING : THE PATTERN

I've used :

Hook : 5mm

Yarn : Catania Grande (100% cotton) in 3 different shades : lime (1 ball)
                                                                                                red (2 balls)
                                                                                                cyclamen (2 balls)
             each yarn ball weighs 50g

1 pair of scissors
1 tapestry needle

Stitches used in this project (US crochet terms) :

• chain
• single crochet (SC)
• double crochet (DC)
• half double crochet (hDC)
• slip stitch

I started my project by using the lime green cotton.

Begin by crocheting a chain of 35 loops (or chain stitches, if you prefer!). By doing that, the central part of our oval table runner will have 30 chains (no increasings) until the end of round 13.

If you prefer to have a longer table runner and so a thin oval, just crochet a longer chain! My table runner is more circular!

Round 1 : wrap the yarn around the hook and insert it in the 5th chain from the hook and work your first double crochet (DC). DC in the next 29 chains and work 5 DCs in the last stitch. Turn sideways and continue to work  along other side of your foundation chain (that is in the unused loops of it) by working 30 DCs. In the last stitch, work 4 DCs and slip stitch (or use the "invisible join" as I did in each round). 70 stitches.

As you can see,  your oval is forming. Infact, you'll have the 2 ends of your work that are curved (where you have your 5 DCs in the same stitch). Note that you will go around each curve by increasing by 5 : a total of 10 increases per round, ok?

Between the 2 curves, we have the central section of the table runner, that resembles a rectangular shape. We have a top and a bottom. In this specific case, both top and bottom have 30 stitches each.

When I was working on this project, I used to put a little safety pin in the first stitch and in the last stitch (#30) of the top and of the bottom (total : 4 pins). In that way was easy to know where each curve started and ended.

Before starting a new round, I tend to trim the ends in .

To make my life easier, as I was using the invisible join at the end of each round, when starting a new round, I used to push my hook in the back loop* of the first stitch of the round (that is the one just the one before the first Dc of our top). This is even the stitch close by the "fake one"(that remains on the right of the real stitch) formed using the invisible join!

Round 2 : change colour : cyclamen. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch that stands before the pin. Work 30 DCs in the top. Work 2 DCs in each stitch of the first curve. Work 30 DCs in the bottom. Work 2 DCs in the first 4 stitches and 1 DC  in the last stitch. Slip stitch or invisible join. 80 stitches.

Round 3 : change colour : red. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch before the pin! Work 30 DCs in the top. In the curve, increase in this way : 1 DC in first stitch, 2 DCS in second stitch. Repeat this pattern other 4 times! Work 30 DCS in the bottom. Work 1 DC (in first stitch of the 2nd curve), 2 DCs in 2nd stitch. Repeat this pattern other 3 times. Work 1 DC in the last but one stitch and 1DC in last stitch. Slip stitch or invisible join. 90 stitches.

Round 4 : change colour : cyclamen. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch before the pin! Work 30 DCS in the top. In the curve, repeat this pattern 2DCs in first stitch, 1 DC, 1DC five times! Work 30 DCs in the bottom. Second curve : repeat 4 times 2 DCs in first stitch, 1 DC, 1 DC. Then 2DCs in same stitch, 1 DC in last stitch. Slip stitch or invisible join. 100 stitches.

Round 5 : change colour : red. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch before the pin! Work 30 DCs in the top. Start the curve with : 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DCs. Repeat this pattern other 4 times. Work 30 DCs in the bottom. In the second curve repeat the same pattern : 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DCs four times. Then 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC. Slip stitch or invisible join. 110 stitches.

Round 6 : change colour : cyclamen. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch before the pin! Work 30 DCs in the top. In the first curve : 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC and repeat it other 4 times! Work 30 DCs in the bottom. in the second curve repeat the identical pattern : 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC 4 times in total. Then : 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC. Slip stitch or invisible join. 120 stitches.

Round 7 : change colour : green. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch before the pin! Work 30 DCs in the  top. In the first curve increase as follow : 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DCs. Repeat it other 4 times! Work 30 DCs in the bottom. In the second curve : 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DCs and repeat the pattern other 3 times. Then : 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC. Slip stitch or invisible join. 130 stitches.

Round 8 : change colour : red. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch before the pin. Work 30 DCs in the top. In the first curve, repeat 5 times this pattern : 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC.
Work 30 DCs in the bottom. In the second curve, repeat the pattern 4 times : 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC. Then : 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC. Slip stitch or invisible join.
140 stitches.

Round 9 : change colour : cyclamen. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch before the pin! Work 30 DCs in the top. In the first curve increase in this way : 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC,  1 DC and repeat this pattern other 4 times! Work 30 DCs in the bottom. In the second curve, repeat the same pattern used in the first curve, only 4 times! Then : 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC. Slip stitch or invisible join. 150 stitches.

Round 10 : change colour : red. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch before the pin! Work 30 DCs in the top. Repeat 5 times this pattern in the first curve : 1DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC,
2 DCs, 1 DC. Work 30 DCs in the bottom. Even in the 2nd curve repeat the same scheme as in the first one, but only 4 times!!! Then : 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DCs. Slip stitch or invisible join. 160 stitches.

Round 11 :  change colour : cyclamen. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch before the pin! Work 30 DCs in the top. In the first curve : 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC and repeat this pattern other 4 times! Work 30 DCs in the bottom. In the second curve repeat the same pattern as in first curve, but only 4 times. Then : 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC. Slip stitch or invisible join. 170 stitches.
Note : in this round, just 11 stitches before the end of the second curve, I had to start a new cyclamen ball!

Round 12 : change  colour : red. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch before the pin. Work 30 DCs in the top. In the first curve : 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DCS, 1 DC and repeat this pattern other 4 times. Work 30 DCs in the bottom. In the second curve, repeat the same pattern of first curve, but only 4 times! Then : 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 2 DCs. Slip stitch or invisible join. 180 stitches.
Note : just 3 stitches before the end of the first curve, I had to start a new ball of red!

Round 13 : change colour : green. Chain 3 in the back loop* of the stitch before the pin! Work 30 DCs in the top. In the first curve repeat 5 times the following pattern : 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC. Work 30 DCs in the bottom. Repeat the same scheme of the first round in the second one, but only 4 times! Then : 1 DC, 2 DCs, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC, 1 DC. Slip stitch or invisible join. 190 stitches.

Round 14 : change colour : cyclamen. I join the cotton in the 16th stitch (counting the stitches from the first pin in the top), then chain 2 , *skip one stitch, work 2 half double crochet in same stitch, repeat from * until the end of the round. For a mathematical reason, when you arrive just before the end of your round, you'll notice that between the first chain 2 and the last 2 half double crochet shell you will a space with 2 stitches, not one! So, to avoid the creation of a hole, just crochet another 2 half double crochet shell in the second stitch! Ok ??? Slip stitch or invisible join.192 stitches.

Round 15 : change colour : green. In any "space"(note that there is no chain-1 space between the shells! ;oD), join the new yarn and chain 1. Then 1 single crochet (or SC) in the first stitch of the shell and 1 SC in the "space" between 2 shells. Repeat until the end of the round! slip stitch or invisible join!

Round 16 :  change colour : red. Join in any stitch and chain 2 and 1 half double crochet in the same stitch (first  2 hDC shell), *skip one stitch, 2 hDCs and repeat from * until the end. Slip stitch or invisible join.

Round 17 : change colour : green. Join the new yarn in any "space" between two shells and chain 1. Then *1 SC in first stitch of the shell, 1 SC in "space", 1 SC in first stitch of the shell, 1 SC in "space", 1 SC in first stich of the shell, 1 SC in "space" , 1 SC in first stitch of the shell, 2 SCS and repeat from * until the end. Slip stitch or invisible join.

SCALLOP EDGING : 

I work with 2 colours : red (first colour) and cyclamen (second colour).
The scheme for the scallops is the following :
join any yarn you choose to start with in the first stitch of the first curve and chain 1. Skip one stitch and work 4 DCs in the same stitch, skip one stitch, *1 SC, skip one stitch, work 4 DCs in the same stitch, skip one stitch and repeat from * until the end of the round.
Note that the last scallop tends to be of the same colour of the first one, so I decided to work the first stitches of the last scallop in the same shade of the first one (red) and the other two stitches in the other shade (cyclamen)!!!!!


Hope my instructions are clear enough for you all!!!
If there is any problem/ question, please feel free to contact me and I will be more than happy to help you!!!!

My Ravelry notes can be found HERE !!!!

I have to thank enormously MAAIKE for this great opportunity to work with her and to have a try with "Catania Grande" cotton! I really enjoyed this experience and it has been a good challenge for me as a crocheter : it helped me to build a stronger confidence in my crochet skills!!! My self esteem had a full blast !!!! Thank you!!!!!

Please note that, for a time zone issue, I'm posting my project before the other two ladies!!!

I'll update their links asap, when I'll be informed that their posts will be ready, too!!!

Sorry for the inconvenience !!!!

XXXX Alessandra