Wearing of the Green

Hmm. Now how did that happen? I was minding my own business and just happened to look up from my hook one day and it was suddenly March! WTF?! I had intended to do a "motifs through the ages" thing by posting something for each month of the year. Alas, but time can be a harsh mistress. Fortunately, this particular "mistress of crochet" is quite forgiving - especially when it comes to myself and those imaginary deadlines. :-)

So, March. (Forget February for now - ugly baggage in my attic about Valentine's Day anyway). Soo. Ah, of course - St. Patrick's Day. Now, what to make that isn't too much of a stereotype or worse yet a complete cliche. Something still green and fun. Hmm. Well,(to be perfectly honest)I made this last year but it is simple and the 15th doth approach fairly quickly soooo:



Clover Heart

C.A. Lira 2009

Heart – Green

1) ch2, sc1 in 2nd ch from hook, ch2 turn
2) sc in 1st sc , sc1 in turning ch of prev row, ch2 turn
3) sc in 1st sc, sc1, 2sc in ch, ch2 turn
4) sc in 1st sc, sc3, 2sc in ch, ch2 turn
5) sc in 1st sc, sc 5, 2sc in ch, ch2 turn
6) sc in 1st st, sc7, 2sc in ch, ch2 turn
7) scdec (including 1st sc), sc4, ch2 turn
8) sk 1st sc, scdec, sc1, scdec, ch2 turn
9) scdec (including 1st scdec), scdec (including ch), end off
10) insert thread in 6th sc (center), sc4, 2sc in ch, ch2 turn
11) scdec (including 1st sc), sc2, scdec, ch2 turn
12) sk 1st sc, scdec, scdec (including ch), do not turn
13) sc1 into the side of last scdec and continue left down to tip of heart (9 scs)
14) ch1, sc into the side of the next st continuing up and around (10 scs)
15) sc1 into each of next 3 scs,
16) slst into side of next st, slst into sc beneath center sc, sl st into side of next sc,
17) 2 sc into next ch2, sc2, slst to next st, end off


Wee Clover – darker green
Ch8, slst in 4th chain from hook (hub ch), (ch3, slst into hub ch) 3 times, end off.

Strap - Black
Attach into side of sc at right end of R6, ch11, slst into side of sc at left end / (beginning) of R6, slst11, end off

Buckle – Gold
Attach in 4th sc of R5, ch2, sk2 sc, slst in next sc, (turn 900, slst3) 3 times, end off

Assembly
Tuck stem of shamrock under ch2 of buckle.


I made a chart but I don't think it's particularly helpful. I'll add it to this post anyway. Uhm. Later today (forgot to change it to a jpeg - dopey me)

So I hope you enjoy.

C

chart:

Happy New Year.

Happy enough anyway. Only 3 days in and I finally got around to posting this small tribute to the festivities. It was going to be much more clever with a Dec 31st champagne cork pop, clinking flutes glasses, pointy hat and a blow tickler - the curly blowy thing I think is what we call it in America ;-). If anyone knows what we really call them, please tell me. I hate having such obvious holes in my already severely limited lexicon.

What? Oh. Oh yeah. I managed to finish the cork pop before my Xmas gift fully incubated and let loose on my upper respiratory track. Hope you enjoy it.

You know, I didn't realize until just now that the foam and cork look a little like a stick figure doing the "Walter Houston/I found gold" dance from Treasure of the Sierra Madre. That's a cool little surprise. Mmmmm. Wow. These over-the-counter decongestants are really having a party with the fist-full of pharmaceuticals I normally take for the aches and quirks of my rapidly approaching geezerdom.

Oh yeah, ...pattern. Happy Happy



Champagne Cork Pop

Cecilia A. Lira 12/31/08-1/1/19

Notes: hk sz 9 (1.75mm), thread sz 10, final size 2 ¾”

Bottle
1) ch7, sc6, ch2 turn

2 - 9) sc6, ch2 turn

10) scdec (include same st as turning ch), sc3, scdec, ch2 turn

11) sc4,ch2 turn

12) scdec (include same st as turning ch), sc, scdec, ch2 turn

13) sc2, sc again in last st, ch2

14) scdec (include same st as turning ch), scdec last 2 sts, ch2 turn

15 – 17) sc, ch2 turn

18) sc same st as turning ch, sc

Foam
19) ch12, (2slst in next ch) 5 times, slst2

20) ch11, (2slst in next ch) 4 times, slst2

Cork
21) ch4, sc in 3rd ch of ch4 (hub), 2sc in hub, ch2, slst to hub,

22) sc in ch under hub, hdc in next ch, ch1, slst into side of hdc just made,
slst to next ch

Foam
23) ch12, (sk1, slst next) 6 times

24) slst next 9 chs, slst to next sc on bottle, end off

Crochet Christmas Cactus

Continuing with the somewhat Dickensian idea of Christmas past, here is the ornament/fridgie I featured in my 2006 Xmas Card project. It is so much more fun to make than to write down so I had to work up the pattern from my truly sketchy 2 yr old notes, which were written in pencil, a very light pencil, with a lead that apparently fades a little over time. :-) That will teach me to use ink. ;-)

Ok so here's to a Merry Cacti Christmas:


Festive Version



Subtle(r) Version

Christmas Cacti

Cecilia A. Lira 2006 (revised 2008)

Note: crochet thread sz 10
hook sz 9 (1.75mm)
finished height 2.5”

blsc – sc around back loop of stitch


1) Ch18
right arm
2) ch17, sc7, sc dec, sc7, ch2 turn
3) blsc6, blsc dec, blsc5, 2 blsc last st, ch2 turn
4) blsc dec, blsc3, blsc dec, blsc 7, ch7, turn
body
5) sc 27, ch2 turn
6) blsc 26, 2 blsc next st, ch2 turn
7) blsc 28, ch2 turn
8) blsc 26, blsc dec last 2 st, ch2 turn
left arm
9) blsc dec, blsc 8, ch 15, turn
10) sc 9, sc dec, sc 3, sc in side of next, blsc next sc on body
11) ch2, blsc4, 2 blsc next st, blsc 9, 2 blsc next st, ch2 turn
12) blsc dec, blsc8, 2blsc next st, blsc7, blsc 14, end off


Decorate as desired.

Examples in photos are decorated with gold and silver lame metallic crochet thread, plastic metallic colored star beads, red AB silver lined round hole size 10/0 glass beads and matching metallic sewing thread used to tack down crochet thread at ends and before and after each bead.Final product glued to cardstock for stability.

"Festive" cactus features the "right" side of the pattern and "Subtle(r)" cactus features the "wrong" or reverse side.

Christmas Boot Crochet

A blast from the fairly recent past. I've only been making my own X-mas cards for three years now, but each one has featured a fridgie/applique ornament with a Texan theme. In 2007 it was a Santa Claus Cowboy Boot. I already kinda posted it at Ravelry but I've revised the instructions and added a chart and will link it properly this time.





Santa Cowboy Boot Appliqué - revised

Cecilia A. Lira 2007 (revised 2008)

Note: crochet thread sz 10,
gold lamé crochet thread
hook sz 9 (1.75mm)
finished height 2”


Heel/Sole – Black
1) ch7,ch2 turn
2) sc6, ch2 turn
3) sc6, ch11, end off

Boot Body – Red
Attach at last ch of black
4) ch2, sc3, hdc2, hdc dec , dc3, 2dc in next st, dc6, ch3 turn
5) dc8, hdc2, hdc dec, sc4, sl st, ch1 turn
6) sl st in sc, sc3, sc dec, hdc, hdc & dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, dc7, ch3 turn
7) – 9) dc9, ch3 turn
10) dc9, end off

Cuff – White
Attach last ch3 of red
11) ch3, 2 dc in same st, dc8, 3dc in last st, ch3 turn
12) dc3, hdc, sc, sl st2, sc, hdc, dc3, ch3, sl st to next st, end off

Strap - Black
Attach at end of R6, ch11, sl st to start of R6, slst11, end off

Buckle – Gold
Attach in 4th dc R5, sl st 2, (turn 90 degrees, sl st3) 3 times, end off

Cats All Over the Place.

Now who would have imagined that the aromas of Thanskgiving would drive my cats that extra level of bonkers that makes them so darned endearing? :-]

These last two cat appliques are my favorites. They are in my usual, more confusing style - hard to figure out just what I mean by the written directions. Hope the charts help out! :-)



Stretching Cat Appliqué
C. A. Lira 2008

Note: crochet thread sz 10
hk size 9 (1.75mm)
finished height ~2”

ch21
Hind Leg
hdc, sc, sc & 2 hdc in next st, sc, hdc

Tail
ch12, scdec, sc4, scdec, sc2, hdc & dc in next st, dc in side of hdc, dc in same st as hdc

Rump
trc, trcdec

Chest
trc2, dc, dcdec

Head
Ear
ch5, slst, hdc, dc

Nose
ch3, sc, hdc, slst side of dc

Mouth
ch2, slst, sc in ch under ear

Neck
sc in side of dcdec of chest

Shoulder
hdc in same ch as dcdec of chest, sc

Front Paw
slst5, hdc, slst in same ch, end off






Cat Loaf Appliqué
C. A. Lira 2008

Note: crochet thread sz 10
hk size 9 (1.75mm)
finished length 1 ¼”

ch11
Rump
sc, hdc2, dc4, hdc

Head
Ear
ch5, slst, hdc

Face
ch1, trc in ch under ear, ch1, slst in side of trc, hdc next ch

Front Paws – top
sc side of hdc, slst2, ch1

Front Paws – bottom
sc3 in lps remaining from base ch

Tummy – under
slst3

Rear Paws – under
ch1, sc, hdc3, sc

Tail
ch5, slst to body at st 3rd from end, slst 2 at angle on body,
slst back in 6 slsts slst2 next ch, slst, slst to body, end off.

Cats Galore

Now for the second installment of the Cat Pack - another sitting cat but this time in a more judgmental pose.

Now a much easier to understand free pdf download at my Ravelry pattern store.

Cat Attack Appliqué
C. A. Lira 2008

Note: crochet thread sz 10
hk size 9 (1.75mm)
finished height 1 ½”

Sitting Cat
1) ch3, slst, sc, ch2, ch3, slst, sc, ch2 turn
2) sc same, sc2, 2sc, ch2 turn
3) sc5, ch2 turn
4) scdec, sc2, scdec, ch2 turn
5) (scdec) twice, ch2 turn
6) sc same, sc, 2sc, ch2 turn
7) 2sc same, sc3, ch2turn
8) sc4, 2sc, ch2 turn
9) sc same, sc6, ch2 turn
10) sc6, 2sc, ch2 turn
11) sc same, sc8, ch2 turn
12) sc9
13) ch14, sc, (2sc) three times, sc6, (2sc) twice, sc7, ch2 turn
14) sc same, ch2 turn
15) 2sc, slst to body, sc3, ch2 turn
16) sc same, ch2 turn
17) 2sc, slst to body, end off

Cats Aplenty - Oh No! Pattern Wrong!

Please see revised instructions!

In a magnificent display of decreasing mental capacity, I had to be reminded that cat behavior extends past the noisy, hissy, back-arching, Halloween-flavored carrying on.

Thanks to a suggestion posed by the lovely Lilli Tupu (she of the fully functioning cerebral cortex), I dusted off my own neurons recently and came up with some more cat silhouette appliques.

Since I'm always in need of an excuse to post more regularly, I'll dole them out in batches. Soooo....


Cat Pack Attack - volume 1 - The Window Kitties





Window Cats Appliqués
C. A. Lira 2008


Note: crochet thread sz 10
hk size 9 (1.75mm)
finished height 1 3/8”, 1 ½”, 1 ½”, respectively

Please see revised instructions!

Wider Window Cat (worked as per instructions – flipped in photo)
1) ch3, slst, hdc, ch2, ch3, slst, hcc, ch2 turn
2) sc same, sc2, 2sc, ch2 turn
3) sc5, ch2 turn
4) scdec, sc2, scdec, ch2 turn
5) sk1, (scdec) twice, ch2 turn
6) sc2, 2sc, ch2 turn
7) sc same, sc2, 2sc, ch2 turn
8) sc same, sc4, 2sc, ch2 turn
9) sc same, sc6, 2sc, ch2 turn
10) sc8, ch2 turn
11) sc8, ch2 turn
12) scdec, sc5, scdec, ch2 turn
13) sk1, scdec, sc3, scdec
14) ch12, hdc, sc, 2sc, sc7, sk1st & 2 R, slst to body, end off


Rounded Window Cat
1) ch3, slst, hdc, ch2, ch3, slst, hdc, ch2 turn
2) sc same, sc2, 2sc, ch2 turn
3) sc5, ch2 turn
4) scdec, sc2, scdec, ch2 turn
5) sk1, (scdec) twice, ch2 turn
6) sc2, 2sc, ch2 turn
7) sc same, sc2, 2sc, ch2 turn
8) sc same, sc4, 2sc, ch2 turn
9) sc same, sc6, 2sc, ch2 turn
10) sc8, ch2 turn
11) scdec, sc5, scdec, ch2 turn
12) sk1, scdec, sc3, scdec, ch2 turn
13) sk1, scdec, sc, scdec
14) ch12, hdc, sc, 2sc, sc7, sk1st & 2 R, slst to body, end off


Window Kitten
1) ch3, slst, sc, ch2, ch3, slst, sc, ch2 turn
2) sc same, sc2, 2sc, ch2 turn
3) sc5, ch2 turn
4) scdec, sc2, scdec, ch2 turn
5) sk1, (scdec) twice, ch2 turn
6) sc2, 2sc, ch2 turn
7) sc same, sc2, 2sc, ch2 turn
8) sc6, 2sc, ch2 turn
9) sc6
10) ch12, sc, (2sc in next st) three times, sc7, sk1st & 2 R, slst to body, end off