Diagonal Box Stitch Shrug

I'm still making projects in Diagonal Box Stitch.  This time, it's a shrug.  I have a small amount of leftover glitter (metallic) yarn by this yarn company, called Bonbons "party".  I just have enough to trim the neckline and bottom edge of the shrug.  I would have trimmed the sleeves also, but I did not have enough.  The main fabric is made with 1 skein (315 yds, 6 oz) yarn from.  Crochet hook used is size:  5.00mm.  The shrug size is small.

Continues Crochet -- Six-Petaled flower Motif

Whatever happened to this project?  It is finished.  The rectangular scarf measures 14" W by 45" L.

This project is complicated but fun to make.  I still have to write the pattern.

Work Log

I have lots of crochet projects that I want to do for 2013 so I developed a Work Log Calendar that would help me in recording the number of hours each day and month that I spend on any project.  The sample Work Log Calendar is shown below: 

Diagonal Box Stitch In Color

WIP--Making the Diagonal Box Stitch in Color.  In this project I'm using Lion Brand Vanna's glamour which is a fine yarn category (2).  The crochet hook I'm using is 3.75 mm Boye aluminum hook. I change the color of yarn in each row, alternating the two colors.  I do not break the yarn to start the new color.  I simply leave one yarn at one end while I work on the other color at the opposite side.

Walking Down Memory Lane

Every now and then I glimpse into my past to see what I have accomplished.  It is not a bad thing to do this, as long as the act itself encourages me to move forward and accomplish other new things.  I was glad and happy when I made the pattern from scratch and sewed every single wedding gown and bride's maid dress at that point in time.  One of my favorite among these is shown above and below:

If someone asks me today, would I  make a wedding gown again?  The answer would be,  no.  Simply because I no longer have the desire to do so.  I have to put my heart in everything that I do and if my heart is not in something I'm doing, then there is no creativity or energy to do so.

Now, I'm more interested in yarn and fibers, so let me see if I can revive that creative energy that enables one to create something beautiful despite all kinds of hindrances and limitations.

Back to the original thought that lead me to write this post-- I was searching for a dressmaker's form to help me in designing crocheted garments, when I saw this blog.  I thought, it is very interesting.  I actually cloned myself back in my dressmaking days, but I constructed the clone from flat pattern of my body measurements and I stuffed it with fabric remnants and pillow stuffings.

Increased Pageviews!!!

Wow!!! 276 pageviews by 4:08pm today is the highest that this blog recieved since it was started.  It coincides with my effort in learning how to increase traffic on this blog.  Thanks to google analytics, it is possible for me to know which topic attracts the most views and other interesting info. such as the traffic source.  If you are interested in doing the same, try this  link

Now I need to learn how to attract followers and keep them interested in my blog so that they would come back often.  I have to think about what they need and want.  What do crocheting women like myself look for in a blog?  Good helpful information related to their interests? Yes.  Entertaining?  Yes.  Interesting?  Yes.
Beauty? Yes.  I feel, that I failed on most of these most of the times.

I want to be a serious blogger that consistently meet the above criteria of meeting the needs of viewers and this is the hard part because it would take time and dedication.  For my blog to be interesting,  I have to become an interesting person myself.

How can I become that person?  I need to have a positive outlook, be interested in learning new and different things, especially things related to my interests. I have to learn and master the communication tools that is available in this high-tech world.

FO--Diagonal Box Stitch Cowl or Scarf

I just finished another Diagonal Box Stitch Cowl.  This can be worn as a short scarf or a cowl.  My intention was to make it as a cowl but decided to leave the sides open so it can be worn in different ways.  Please note the scalloped edge which I  prefer over the straight edge.  Hair accessories made of plastic with no sharp metal components can be used instead of  buttons to close the front and wear it as a cowl.

Wear it like this:

or like this:

or like this:

I like it worn like this last photo.

Jokes -- Funny Crochet Riddles, Jokes and Terminology

Clean Jokes only (no lye soap necessary).

1. What is a yoyo?  A yoyo is when the hook and the yarn dance the tangle!

Seriously:   Yo is a crochet term which means yarn over.  The yarn is NOT coiled over the hook for single crochet (sc), coiled once for double crochet (dc) and twice for triple crochet (tr), before inserting the hook on specific stitch.  Please click link below to see video tutorials:
click here

2. How did the hook sing to the  yarn?  Strand by me......

Seriously:  I like this song,  "Stand By Me".  This is one of my favorites.  Please click the link below and listen:

http://stlyrics.com/lyrics/standbyme/standbyme.htm

Seriously:  Please find the definition of the word "strand" here:   The yarn itself can also be called a strand.

3.  A man and his wife had a big fight over her ever-growing stash of yarn and the man wants to get rid of all  the yarn.  If the stash of yarn can talk, what would they say to the wife?  I would like the readers to figure this out.

Seriously:  Please learn more about yarn weights and its many different varieties here

Light Hearted Humor  About Crochet Instructions and Crochet Designers:  These puns are directed towards me and not to the professional Crochet Designers out there--it is a good form of release for me in my attempts to write  readable crochet pattern instructions.

4.  Why do crochet instructions always have asterisks * * in them?  Because if it's not asterisk, the designer could have used some other symbols that stand for unprintable words!!!

Seriously:  * * (asterisk) in crochet, means that any instructions between two asterisks  is to be repeated so many times as specified by the instructions.

5.  Crochet designers can't spell and do proper grammar.  Why?  because they are too busy ripping and repeating the same stitch over and over again!!!

6.  What are the three favorite words of Crochet Designers?   Repeat (rep), skip (sk), next (nx).

Seriously:  Read something about one of my favorite designers here

Do you have any good original crochet related jokes to tell?  Please share and let us laugh together!!! 

Crochet -- Changing Colors Without Breaking The Yarn

This is a photo of the scarf that I've done in Continues Technique with color changed between rows and motifs joined row by row without breaking the yarn.  The apearance of the scarf edge can be further improved by adding another round of edging using one of the colors only all around the scarf.

This photo shows another example of the same Technique as mentioned above.

Diagonal Box Stitch Cowl

Pattern will be available soon on my private blog.  If interested in viewing the pattern, please email me (zoecglover@gmail.com) so I can include you on the list with the names of people who can view the blog.

Thank you:)

Zoe