Thursday, January 31, 2008

Let's get the word out

Anyone got any great ideas for pushing more traffic over here? My first thought is to use Ravelry, but I'm certain that's not the only way to recruit. What ideas do the rest of you have?

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Log Cabin Block











Hi everyone! Finally my first log cabin square. I joined Fever at its start but had to think for a while what I might want to do and what I was able to do. I browsed the patterns here at the sight and chose the Crochet Collection Log Cabin. Being a quilter also( posted a photo of the 1/4 square log cabin I'd recently made, earlier), I kinda wanted to make something like a quilt for my first log cabin afghan. This pattern is perfect. When I have enough squares done I'll pick one of the log cabin quilt layouts and put it together. The great thing about this square is when your done your done. All the yarn ends are crocheted over at the beginning row of each color. All I have to do is weave the squares together and it's done. I love it! When I'm making a quilt and finish the top there is still putting the layers together, basting, quilting, binding the edges. Quilting is great, but my learning how to crochet is giving it some real competition. I'm working on a ripple(about 3/4 done) and doing some granny squares also. I tried a 1/4 square granny log cabin. which I was able to do but I didn't choose the right colors. Used light to dark shades of red which seemed to work, but when photographed the colors all ran togeather. So rip out and start over again using better color choices. I also want to try the single big log cabin afghan that a lot of you are making. At least this square worked out to look 1/2 dark and 1/2 light like I hoped so I have confidence to do more.


The quilt block and quilt pictured are not mine, but examples of what I hoped to follow with my crochet.




Sunday, January 27, 2008

Unfinished log cabin

I know I haven't posted in a while. My log cabin (and every other project I have) is currently stagnating in the work basket. But trust me, I have a good reason. Tuesday morning I was rear-ended. You can read more about it here. So, there will be no crocheting for a long while. My neck and back are killing me and making it through a day at work is about all I can manage. Think good thoughts for my recovery you lovely people. I am so close to finishing I can taste it.

Friday, January 18, 2008

I give up!

My incipient log cabin was stolen by my 5-month-old son. He's had such a marvelous time wrestling with it and chewing on it that it's got lovey status for the moment.

Which means, of course, that it counts as finished!

ROFL. Seriously? I'm starting to feel like there's something doomed about this project. I think I'd best wait a while before I start again...

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Finished Log Cabin

As promised, here are the pictures of my first finished log cabin. This one was a Christmas present for my sister (even though I didn't finish it by Christmas!).
I really enjoyed making this blanket and I liked the color combinations.
I had a little trouble getting the first couple of rotations to be even, so the center is a bit wonky. Once I realized my mishap, I was halfway done and didn't want to take it out. It's not noticeable to the inexperienced eye, but I notice it. Oh well...I still like the finished piece!

I used a size I hook and used half-double crochets for more drape. For the edging, I did four rounds of half-double crochet in green, with three half-doubles in the corner each time. The finished piece ended up being about 50 inches square (I ran out of yarn, so it's a nice lap blanket for my sister!).

Kounting Sheep

Sunday, January 6, 2008

First Log Cabin

Hi Log Cabiners!

My name is Jennifer aka Kounting Sheep. I came across this blog a couple months ago through either Granny-Along or No-End-In-Sight-Ripple-Along (I can't remember which one now!). I'm new to Log Cabin style, but not new to knitting or crocheting; I've been crocheting for nine years and knitting for three.

I don't have a picture yet, but I just wanted to post. I'm so excited because I finished my sister's Christmas present an hour ago tonight, which happened to be a crocheted Log Cabin blanket. The colors I used were green, yellow, blue, purple, and pink in not-pastely-but-not-too-bright shades. I plan on taking pictures tomorrow in the daylight, so I'll post as soon as I have those done. I also have another Log Cabin blanket in progress. It is individual log cabin squares in shades of pink that are sewn together to create a geometric pattern. I'm about halfway done on that one, so I'll try to post pictures of that one too!

Thanks for letting me join!

Kounting Sheep

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Thanks for inviting quilters!

Hi everyone! I was glad to see the invite for quilters. My two real passions are quilting which I have enjoyed for almost 30 years now, and crochet which I have been doing much more recently. My gram taught me how to make granny squares back in the 70s and those were very easy for me to learn. But for whatever reason I just couldn't get the hang of regular crochet. I tried and tried and did make a few thing but was never at ease with it like I was with quilting. Last fall I happened upon the ripple and granny alongs and they opened up a whole new crochet world for me. Of course I found may other wonderful blogs of crocheters. Seeing all the great things everyone was making inspired (forced) me to work and practice until I finally got it. I started a ripple afghan, have been making more granny squares, did some crochet winter scarves and made a few little amigurumi characters. I just love finally being able to crochet. With this new year I'm going to try out the log cabin, either one big log cabin afghan or the small blocks sewn into a big afghan.

The quilt block above is actually called a quarter square log cabin. I'm planning to use the mile a minute quilting technique. The blocks have been sewn into 3 long strips and put together with backing and batting. Now I'm going to machine quilt each strip then sew them together and do a little hand work to finish off and hide the seams. I've made a few other regular log cabins but those were donated to local childrens charities. Got in such a hurry to finish and get them to quilt guild for delivery that I forgot to take photos.


Hope I'll be posting soon with some log cabin crochet to show. The wonderful thing about crochet versus quilting is that when you crochet, both back and front are done at the same time except for tying in the ends. Instant gratification of finishing something. We all need that once in a while. With quilting you finish the top but it still has to be assembled and quilted. Still, I'm really happy when I'm doing either.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone is working on!

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Um, yeah. :)

Maybe a resolution? LOL.

Old LC frogged. New LC in the wings. Soon. Soon.

(Please excuse style. Must go keep daughters from actually hurting each other...)