All Things Crochet

I started this doily the other day and I wanted to make progress on it this weekend.

The first photo shows my progress after struggle to read the pattern and crochet the first four rounds.

I did a few more rounds yesterday and about 12 rounds today to get the product in this second photo.



This doily is called "Pineapple Blossom". You can't really see the pineapples yet. The pattern says the doily will ruffle slightly. Perhaps mine is slightly more ruffled then it should be as I lost the smaller crochet hook after the first day and a half and I continued with a crochet hook that is .25 mm larger.

Once the doily is completed I will wash and block it. This process will hopefully flatten it out properly. I can post another photo after this process is done.

Coupled with not having worked with thread for so long and a difficult to read pattern, I found the doily quite the struggle. I am just happy I've made it this far *smile and now feel I can complete it.

I will make another similar doily soon after finishing the first one. That way I can better learn the pattern. Stay tuned.

If any of you are crocheters, I'd love to hear whether you follow patterns and how often you find the patterns poorly written. Do any of you look at the pictures that come with patterns to help you decipher the instructions? Have any of you ever made anything larger than a doily (say like a bedspread or a table cloth). I've always wondered how long these projects take. They seem so daunting.

Assembling a Small Gift

I meet my friend for brunch today and before she leaves I wanted to give her a small parting gift.

It has always been more meaningful for me to give handmade gifts whenever possible and I think a wash cloth would make the perfect gift.  It is small enough that it won't take up much room  amongst the many things my friend has to move to her new temporary home out of town. It is also practical and she is a very practical person.

First I have selected a white knitted dishcloth with specks of light green and teal blue accent colours.

This is a close up view of the cloth.  I quite like this yarn and I should have bought more skeins of it but I only bought one.

 I added a nice smelling box of Dove soap.  This one is a green colour with a fresh scent.

 For ribbon I used a contrasting and complementary teal blue yarn to wrap the face cloth around the soap.

I hope she likes it.

Though I often don't give gifts anymore, from time to time I do like to remember someone with a gift. Thank goodness our Heavenly Father is not as inconsistent as I am when it comes to giving gifts and remembering us.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

James 1:17

Update:

My friend loved the gift. She shrieked with glee when she realized it was a washcloth and said she has been using only slivers of soap the last few days so the gift is handy right at this moment.  It gladdened my heart to know it was something she can use right now and that it is helpful to her.