Crochet Crowd market bag challenge progress

I'm about halfway done and I have two days to finish this. Honestly, it's just like me to start a project a few days before the deadline. Next month, if there's a challenge, I'll have to give myself more than 7 days. 

The base was a cinch. I was worried about row 10, because Michael, one of the people who runs the Crochet Crowd, said it was hard and he had to modify it. I should have been worried about row 9.

It's a star stitch, but Red Heart doesn't seem to do diagrams with its patterns, so I didn't know what they meant. I had to rip it out and try again, and here's what I have so far. 

I'm going to try to finish this on time. Wish me luck! 

Quick DIY blocking board

That well-worn adage, "Necessity is the mother of invention," came into play today as I was finishing up my challenge flowers. 

The first one, called the long star flower, has long, thin petals that were hopelessly twisted up on my finished piece. I've been doing a bit of reading over on The Crochet Crowd (Facebook.com/crochetcrowd) where thousands of Internet hookers converge to discuss their projects and challenge each other to improve. I learned about blocking while I was there, and then I found a page where someone demonstrated the process on her blocking board. One problem - I don't have a blocking board, and funds don't abound at the moment. 

I have a craft room filled with yarn and other stuff, so I figured I could throw something together to get the job done. I have documented the process for your reading pleasure! 

For this project, you will need: 

- a piece of cardboard big enough for the crochet item you need to block

- two sheets of craft foam cut to the same size as the cardboard

- a piece of cotton fabric big enough to cover the cardboard and craft foam

- a stapler

-scissors

- a flat surface

Here's my piece of cardboard: 

Nothing fancy. I cut the flap of a box off and trimmed it down a bit. 

Next, I traced the cardboard on the craft foam pieces and cut them both at the same time. 

Thrills a minute, no? Then I cut a piece of fabric big enough to wrap over the edges like wrapping a present.

I used a basic office stapler (opened up flat) to staple the fabric down. I ain't got time for glue to dry, I was working on this while the kid was napping so I wanted to get it done. 

If you're less impatient than me, you might want to iron your fabric before stapling it! Again, ain't nobody got time for that around here. 

Here's the long star flower before blocking:

Infuriating. 

And here it is in the process of being spray blocked:

I hope it helps because I think it will be pretty!

I will post my results tomorrow! See you then. 

Flowers 26-30

Hello and welcome to this installment of the "200 Crochet Flowers, Embellishments and Trims" challenge! This batch taught me a new skill and gave me my new favorite flower. It also gave me no small amount of consternation, as I can't seem to get some flowers to keep from bunching up no matter what kind of yarn or hook I use.

For the most part, however, I did find moving up to an H or I hook with the yarns I've been using helped out with the squish factor. On the others, I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Here are my impressions of each flower pattern!

#26: Periwinkle

Love it, like it, loathe it: like it. It works up very quickly. 

Looks like photo: yes

What kind of project would it complement: a jewelry piece, or any kind of trim on a cute blanket or baby item. Ooh, imagine it atop a little baby shoe! Dead of the cute, I am.

Would I make it again: yes'm!

#27: Cluster Flower

NEW SKILL ALERT! 

The skill: tr3tog, or three treble crochets finished together. I did it wrong at first, but this book has a great section on how to create the stitches. My only gripe is there are no left-handed photos (that's right, I'm a southpaw) but I'm used to reading things backwards. 

Love it, like it, loathe it: like it! 

Looks like photo: yes it does.

What kind of project would it complement: an afghan, bag or scarf would be nice with these as an accent

Would I make it again: sure!

#28: Picot Daisy

Love it, like it, loathe it: this one gave me trouble. It wanted to squish up, and I think maybe I need to do the picots tighter.

Looks like photo: mine looks shaggier and squished. 

What kind of project would it complement: for some reason I envision it on a jean skirt.

Would I make it again: yeah, to see if I can do it right.

#29: Large Gerbera

Love it, like it, loathe it: Like it, but again with the squish.

Looks like photo: More or less

What kind of project would it complement: a girls hair bow, perhaps. It's another that's very frilly.

Would I make it again: yes

#30: Damask Rose

Love it, like it, loathe it: I am in love. This is my new favorite and I want to pin it in my hair and feel pretty forever.

Looks like photo: I think mine looks BETTER. 

What kind of project would it complement: it would make a gorgeous hair ornament.

Would I make it again: yaaaas!

Hopefully I will see you again sooner than later! 

Flowers 21-25

So here's the next five! I'm back in the swing of things, and I feel a bit of improvement. I think I may go back and try a few of my failures again once I finish all the flowers, just to see if I can improve my efforts.

Just a note:  I got a few of the names wrong on the last post, and I've gone back to correct them. 

#21: Gerbera

Love it, like it, loathe it: LOATHE. It's so many chains (read: snoozeville) and it's not worth it because it doesn't look good. 

Looks like photo: Not a bit! Mine is all wonky and stupid-looking.

What kind of project would it complement: Done properly, it would be cute on the end of a pen or something. 

Would I make it again: At gunpoint.

#22: Button Daisy: 

Love it, like it, loathe it: like it! My husband thinks it looks like a squid - with 8 legs I think it would make an adorable finger puppet. 

Looks like photo: yep

What kind of project would it complement: a wall hanging or blanket

Would I make it again: sure

#23: Open Flower

Love it, like it, loathe it: love it. This is nice and simple

Looks like photo: yes

What kind of project would it complement: jewelry or a flower crown, or even a bookmark

Would I make it again: absolutely

#24: Small Orchid

Love it, like it, loathe it: like it

Looks like photo: for some reason, my back loop petals don't line up with the front loop petals.

What kind of project would it complement: I think it would look pretty on a scarf, a brooch or even as a crochet bouquet.

Would I make it again: yes

#25: Orchid

Love it, like it, loathe it: like it

Looks like photo: yes, very much so 

What kind of project would it complement: same as the previous

Would I make it again: yes

I would love some feedback about this challenge I'm doing! If you're reading this, please leave a comment and let me know! 

Flowers 16-20

Sorry for the lack of posts! We've been traveling, and then we were cleaning like crazy because we had family here for Father's Day. Not sure if anyone is really reading this or missed the posts, but if you did, I'm sorry! 

I've decided to compose a form addressing my opinion of each pattern, because I feel like I wasn't being very helpful in terms of describing the pattern. If I just say I liked it, that isn't very useful information to you, is it? 

#16: Frilly Rosette 

Love it, like it, loathe it: like it. It is a loooot of chains, but the finished product is worth the toil.

Looks like book photo: yeah! 

What kind of project would it complement: it would make a nice barrette for a kiddo.

Would I make it again: yep.

#17: Quick Flower

Love it, like it, loathe it: love it! The name is accurate.

Looks like photo: yes, except for my fluffy yarn

What kind of project would it complement: it would make a nice trim on an afghan or baby blanket

Would I make it again: yes.

#18: Button Carnation:

Love it, like it, loathe it: love it. The photo doesn't do it justice

Looks like photo: not perfectly, but not a total disaster.

What kind of project would it complement: I imagine these on the straps of a little girls dress.

Would I make it again: yes!

#19: Pointed Daisy:

Love it, like it, loathe it: like it. I used one cotton yarn and one bulkier acrylic yarn, and I would not recommend that - use the same yarn and weight for best results.

Looks like photo: more or less. I suspect they did some shaping, and why wouldn't they? 

What kind of project would it complement: I'm not sure. Maybe an iPad cover or a handbag.

Would I make it again: sure

#20: Traditional Crochet Flower

Love it, like it, loathe it: like it, but not very much

Looks like photo: no. I made it twice and I couldn't keep it from bunching up either time. 

What kind of project would it complement: a chair doily? 

Would I make it again: probably not. 

Let me know what you think about the new rating system! See you soon.

Patterns 6-10

It's '200cfet' time! That's what I'm calling Claire Crompton's compendium of crochet patterns, "200 Crochet Flowers, Embellishments & Trims," because I am far too lazy to write that out every time. 

So here are the next five! 

These seemed easier, and I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting used to the swing of things or what. That's not to say there weren't mess ups, because there were assuredly mess ups, which I will detail below. 

#6: Small Rose

I liked it so much, I made it twice. That had nothing to do with the fact that the yarn nubbin I made the first rose with ran out before I could finish it. 🎶 Stash buster! 🎶

I'm fond of roses, in real life and in yarn. I can see myself using this in the future. 

#7: Rose Bud

This is just a smaller version of the earlier pattern. Easy peasy. 

#8: Leaf

I've been using a more complicated and less attractive pattern for leaves. No more, says I. I really like how this one kind of folds up along the center vein like a real leaf. 

#9: Irish Crochet Rose

This is the first pattern I've gone along with the color suggestions. I love pink and orange together. 

This bad boy is also a tale of misfortune. You'll note there are seven petals on the front layer of this flower - there are only supposed to be six and I have no idea what I did. As I was staring at the mystery in my hands and cursing, my husband says, "You're going to write about your wacky screw ups too, right?" So, yes. 

I think the fact that my child absconded with my g6 hook and I had to use a cheapy plastic one until I could locate my preferred hook (aluminum with a bamboo handle) had something to do with my distraction, but that still doesn't really explain how I got 7 flower petals into 12 stitches. 

#10: Large Simple Flower

This one pretty much looks exactly like it's supposed to. 

I am making a display for all these patterns - I got a huge 24x96 in. roll of cork that I'm tacking these all onto. I will make a post about the display as soon as I'm happy with it. In the meantime, I'll keep, um... Hooking.