Favorite Sweater Granny Stripe Blanket

March is National Crochet Month, believe it or not.  It's also National Celery Month.  I'm pretty sure you can just make up whatever celebration or awareness event you want and call it a National event.  I mean, do you think it's a coincidence that someone very dear to me is having his first colonoscopy soon and it just so happens to be National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month???  

I've been so enamored of knitting lately, that it had been a while since I'd taken on a large crochet project.  But I started and finished a large blanket recently (back in February, when it was National Bird Feeding Month and Great American Pies Month... not sure if that last one is about dessert or Don McLean...)  I shared in my Instagram stories that the inspiration for the blanket was from a girl's Old Navy sweater I bought about five years ago.  The sweater colors and color scheme are so cheerful, and I love stripes!!!, I just knew that I had to adapt the sweater into a blanket for our home.  Also, since Clare wears a size 7 and is still squeezing into this size 4/5 sweater, we may have to retire the favorite sweater soon (someone suggested a pillow cover!)  It will be nice to have the blanket in its place :) 

Quite a few people asked about the specifics for the project, and you know I'm always happy to chat about yarn and craftiness!  So here are the details.  Please let me know if you have any questions, and if you make your own, or a spin off, I'd love to see your finished product - tag me @ordinarylovely on Instagram :)  And link back to here if you write about it!

* For the basic pattern and granny stripe technique, I used crochet superstar Lucy's tutorial from her blog, Attic 24.  You can get it here.  Out of respect for her work, I will not discuss specific pattern construction here.  

* I used a 4mm crochet hook.  My absolute favorites are Clover Amour hooks <3   (I used a 5mm for the starting chain)

* I used all worsted weight yarns.  The light brown yarn is Big Twist Sincerely Yarn, from Joann, in Oatmeal Heather.  I believe I used 6 skeins.

* The colored yarns are all I Love This Yarn, from Hobby Lobby.  When I'm making something with basic acrylic yarn, I Love This Yarn is my go-to stuff because the color selection is practically unparalleled. (Ok, maybe it's rivaled by Stylecraft's or Paintbox's color selection, but I can't buy either of those brands locally, but I can GO to Hobby Lobby and choose exactly what I want from their large, LARGE selection.  Oh, and, Dear Paintbox, Stylecraft, and Hobby Lobby, I accept free yarn in exchange for honest reviews ;) ) Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn is also very soft and makes a comfortable acrylic blanket, not a scratchy one (you know I'm talking about you, Red Heart SuperSaver yarn...).  It also washes very well.  One thing about Hobby Lobby that I don't love -- and I hate that I even have to admit there is one thing -- they only accept one coupon at a time.  So, that really stinks when you need a lot of yarn at one time.  HOWEVER, this yarn is on sale right now, so run, don't walk, to your neighborhood HL (or hop on over to their website) and pick up your colors now.  You'll get a good discount on every skein.  (Sorry, I don't know how long the sale is on for.  But if you go, let me know and I'll give you my list of what I want ;) ) 

* Here are the specific I Love This Yarn colors I used to match the sweater as closely as possible (which was practically exactly!  Thanks, Hobby Lobby!)  I only needed one of each skein.

350 - Hot Rose

210 - Antique White

113 - Mango

111 - Hot Orchid

40 - Red 

357 - Keylime

364 - Glacier

110 - Turquoise 

80 - Royal 

* I started with the Oatmeal Heather and alternated it every row with a color.  I did three rows of color in each "stripe", except white, which I kept to two rows just because I didn't want it to stand out much.  So, I started with an Oatmeal Heather granny cluster row, then a row of Hot Rose, then Oatmeal, Hot Rose, Oatmeal, Hot Rose.  Then on to the next color section, so, Oatmeal row, then White, Oatmeal, White.  

So, knowing that every other row would be an oatmeal heather row, and all colors (except white) would repeat for three rows per "stripe" (is this confusing?????) here's the color order I used:

rose

white

mango

orchid

red

rose

white

glacier

orchid

rose

red

keylime

turquoise

mango

orchid

white

mango

keylime

glacier

turqouise

keylime

turquoise

royal

turquoise

glacier

royal

keylime

The border is one round of granny clusters, one round of half double crochets, and then a round of reverse single crochet to add a sturdy, textured edge.  

The final dimensions are approximately 60'" x 75".  

This blanket is so colorful and cheerful!  It just makes me smile!  (Plus, granny stripe is so mindless, it's great for working on while watching Netflix, or listening to a book on Audible as I did!  It worked up so quickly, I've already started another one!)  I hope you've found this info helpful and I hope you  get to make one!

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Crochet Starter Kit or Gift Set for Beginners

Have you been thinking about learning to crochet?  No????  Oh!  I get it - it's because you already know how ;)

Well then, maybe you know someone else who'd like to learn?  The holidays are a perfect opportunity to put together a gift set for yourself or for any beginning crocheter!  

I remember when a friend told me she wanted to learn and asked me what she would need to get started crocheting.  You don't need a lot, but it certainly can help to have a little guidance.  So here's what I would include in a "Starter Kit" for someone who'd like to learn how to crochet.

(1) a good hook

It took me a while to find the hooks that I LOVE, but I now they are what I recommend to everyone, even beginners.  Maybe especially beginners.

My favorite crochet hooks are the Clover Amour Hooks, with grippy handles.  The handles feel fabulous while working, not slippery, or too skinny to hold.  And they are a bit longer than many other handles so you have better control over them since they fit in your hand better... I think :)

If you're a veteran crocheter, just do yourself a favor and go buy the 10-size set now!

But for the purposes of a starter kit, I recommend the size H/5.oo mm hook or the size J/6.oo mm hook.

(2) a worsted weight, light-colored yarn

It is best to learn to crochet with an acrylic yarn that isn't too slippery... but isn't too scratchy either.  For beginners, I think Lion Brand Vanna's Choice yarn is a great place to start.  It's a great yarn - soft, easy to use, great colors - and it meets my not-slippery, not-too-scratchy recommendation.  

I recommend a lighter color yarn for learning because it's easier to see individual stitches.  The Vanna's Choice line has many colors, so you'll probably have a hard time picking just one :)

(3) a tapestry needle

A large-eye needles is necessary for weaving in the ends of your project (the yarn tails that hang from your work at the beginning and end of a piece, and any place you changed color).  I find steel needles work much better than plastic ones, and recommend a set like this...

(4) stitch markers

Stitch markers may not be a necessity for a beginner, but they can be very useful when learning to count stitches in a row or count rows themselves.  These stitch markers are inexpensive and easy to use (they close like a safety pin so they won't easily fall out of your work) ...

(5)  how-to materials, tutorials, and guides

In addition to the essential tools, a beginner may also need some learning materials if there is no handy friend/teacher nearby :)

Some learn best with a physical book, with pictures and descriptions.  Although I haven't seen this book firsthand, I previewed several books on Amazon and this one looks like a great beginners tool to me.  I think it would be a wonderful addition to a starter crochet kit/gift :)

How to Crochet: A Complete Guide for Absolute Beginners

Some may prefer the audio-visual approach, in which case I have two words for you:

YOU. TUBE.

There are a gazillion learn-to-crochet tutorials on youtube.  You may just have to jump in to one or two to see if they're suited to you.  Some may go to slow or too fast.  Or maybe you need a left-handed tutorial.  Poke around, I guarantee you'll find one that you can learn from.  I previewed this tutorial and it was well done :)

And don't forget about Pinterest for pictorial instructions on how to do basic stitches as well as charts of common abbreviations, and instructions on how to read a pattern.  If you were preparing a gift set, you certainly could print out and laminate some of these to include <3

So, what do you think?  What other tools, materials, or information would you include in a gift set for a beginner crocheter???  I'd love to hear about it in the comments.  

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Defending Crochet (to Myself and the Masses)

Crochet Afghan Repair

All About My Crafting (and an Etsy shop coupon code!)

(All photos in this post are items that are currently available in my 

Etsy shop, Ordinary Lovely.  

You can click RIGHT HERE to check it out!)

Blogging has sort of taken a back seat for me lately...  I may have a few posts up my sleeve for this fall and winter, but I've been blogging long enough though to know that I should never write that out loud ;)  Those posts in my head, or up my sleeve... whatever... may never happen and I'm mostly ok with that.  I miss blogging a lot, but can't make it a priority right now since it's not one of my priorities. Hmm...  Family life, homeschooling, and dealing with all the produce we get from our CSA every week have been almost all-consuming.

Crocheting and sewing - that's what I've been doing in my snippets of free time lately.  And I wanted to tell you a little about it :)

I've had an Etsy shop since 2011, I think?   I was inspired to start it while on an Opus Dei retreat, when the name/concept came to me during a quiet moment.  Well, all the moments were quiet because it was a silent retreat, but you know what I mean.  I prayerfully considered the name "Ordinary Lovely" not only as a way of life, but as a vision for a shop that sold Catholic Saint dolls (that's what I started with) as a way to make the Faith an everyday encounter for young people.  

My shop is still "Ordinary Lovely," and the name and idea has obviously grown to include my blog and Instagram account.  The concept is the same though - we are called to sanctity and life in Christ through even our most ordinary efforts and moments.  

For me, spending time sewing, crafting, and crocheting is just me being me.  It's always been a part of who I am and what I love.  It's one of the interests and skills I've been given.  I think God expects me to use it - to delight myself, to spread cheer, to serve and celebrate others, and to glorify Him in small, ordinary ways.  

I recently answered some questions for a short "interview" about me and my craft... I thought I'd share some of it here with you :)

How did you start/learn your craft?  I've literally been "making" things for as long as I can remember, and I have this "embroidery" project from 1986 as proof.  (I was 7.)  

My mother sewed clothes and was an avid cross-stitcher, so there was always fabric, floss, and needles around the house that I could use.  She taught me how to use a sewing machine and I remember making stuffed toys and easy skirts when I was in middle school.   I also recall having unfettered access to the family glue gun, which I used for all manner of projects.  

I learned to crochet while I was a Residence Director at Franciscan University.  Some of my staff would host learn-to-crochet programs in my apartment for our dorm residents and I guess I picked it up!  It sort of fell by the wayside until I was expecting my fourth child and nesting manifested itself in a need to do something with yarn.  Now.  So I started making baby hats, and after that learned quite a bit more about special stitched and following patterns from YouTube and trial and error!

I still enjoy both sewing on my machine and crocheting.  I tend to crochet more though, since it's a craft that I can take with me on the go, and that I can do in the living room, in the midst of family life (as opposed to squirreled away in my attic sewing room.)

What inspires you in your work?  Where do you get your ideas?  I typically get ideas based on what I'd like to see or use in my own home or what I'd like my children to have among their own playthings and keepsakes.  Growing up we had so many handmade items in our home from both of my grandmothers and my own mother (clothes, crocheted sweaters, toys, wall hangings, ornaments, etc...)  Living with so many handmade things made ordinary items more meaningful.  It made everyday, practical items lovely to behold and use.  Now that I have my own home and family, if I need or want anything (a kitchen apron, a baby bib, a child's toy, etc...) I tend to think, "I'd love to have one around that's handmade and meaningful, rather than a generic one from a big box store."  My heart smiles when I see my kids play with their handmade toys, wear the aprons I made,  or clean up a spill with a crocheted dishcloth.  I  wouldn't experience that same enjoyment over a factory-made/store-bought toy, apron, or dishcloth.  

What distinguishes your product from others that are similar to it?  What makes your product unique?  My products are unique because they are always changing.  I tend to have a short attention span when it comes to crafting, so I'll really dig into something and produce a lot of it, and then I'll get interested in something else and move on.  I've tried mass producing one particular product for sale, but for me, that lack of variety and creativity makes me very weary and grumpy.   I LOVE creating, but NOT under those circumstances.  Earlier this year I relaunched my Etsy shop as a way to supplement our income after a job change for my husband.  But my work isn't serving my family if it makes me a grumpy wife and mom, a distracted home schooler, or a neglectful housekeeper, so I'm often trying something new to keep my skills and attitude fresh (I'm hoping to teach myself knitting via YouTube after the first of the year!).  

The items I offer are perhaps distinguished from other like them for two reasons.  First, I usually only sell things that that have been a hit in my own home or with my family and friends.  Most of what I sell has been "field-tested" so to speak!  Secondly, and I do not intend for this to sound smug (!), I love everything I make!  I feel like it's a good sign for my business when I'd happily keep everything I've made.  When I send something off to a customer, I'm confident it's a good product - one that's been tested in my own home (often by rough and rowdy kids) and one that I'd happily keep and use if no one else wants it ;)  

Where do you sell your product?  Items currently for sale are listed at OrdinaryLovely.etsy.com .  I also accept customer requests/orders as busy life allows.  You can see snippets of what I'm working on and items listed in my shop on my Instagram account, Ordinary Lovely.  

Please feel free to browse my shop!  Blog readers get a special discount until the end of October because I love you guys!  Use coupon code READERSSAVE10 to take 10% off your order.  Coupon is good until October 31.  
Happy crafting!  

Blog? What Blog? (7 Quick Takes)

You practically forgot about me didn't you?!?  I admit, it's been a while since I've been here.  If have no good excuses either -- I just didn't feel like blogging.   But I missed the friendships and conversation here and kept thinking about things that maybe one day I'd write about. 

I'm not sure that I'll be cranking out all kinds of new posts now that I've dipped my toes back into the waters, we shall see...  

For now, my fingers could use a little exercise at the keyboard and I thought I'd hit you with a few quick takes on what I've been up to...

(1)

Not blogging.

(2)

Revamping our homeschool schedule and introducing some new materials.

This has been a really great change for us these past five or six weeks.

Last year James was still a morning napper and we were able to get our work done during his morning nap and then finish up the odds and ends during his afternoon nap.  

This year, no morning napper + only one independent reader = near total implosion of the homeschool.

I got sick of complaining to Russ that everyone needed more individual attention from me in the mornings when all our brains are fresh fresh fresh.  

Apparently Russ got sick of hearing me complain about it too ;)

He offered to keep the three younger kids out of the dining room from 7 - 8am three mornings a week so that I could get in a whole hour's worth of lessons with the boys before he even left for work in the morning!!!

Isn't he the best?!?

Our new routine is: Mondays and Wednesdays, we're up at 6 and Russ and I alternate going to 7am Mass (usually with one or two kids) while the other gets things ready for the big kids to leave the house for tutoring at 8.

Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, we're up at 6, I have a cup of coffee, take a shower, and do lessons with the boys from 7 to 8 while I have a second cup of coffee.  (They alternate working with me and independently)  Then after Russ leaves for work at 8, I have another cup of coffee (surprise, surprise) and eat my breakfast while I do lessons with Ruth (and James is *hopefully* being supervised by the big boys since they get a break then.)

Here's what it looks like from where I sit and do my thang...

boys have already had breakfast and done morning chores, so after they're done here, they get a break for about 1 or 2 hours!

usually I finish all of Ruth's work with her in the morning (math, reading, and handwriting, as
well as the homework she has for the Study Center)

This new schedule is - to say the least - AWESOME!!  We get so much work done!  And my children get the one on one time they need with me.  It is truly amazing how much work you can do when you're not chasing a two year old around and up and down and over and out and behind and oops!  It's been three hours and we've still only done one math equation........

Now three days a week are crazy productive, important things like reading and spelling are not falling through the cracks like they had been,  and we all still get free time later in the day.  Win - Win - Win.

We've also started using some new books and program after a mid-year review of sorts.  The state of the homeschool was, um, shall we say, lacking.  So it was with much excitement and gusto that I started Aaron on not one, but TWO new grammar books, as well as Wordly Wise for vocabulary.  And Dominic is starting All About Reading this upcoming Monday as our final "push" to get him reading.

So, that wasn't really a quick take, but I really wanted to tell you about it because I think these changes have literally saved us from self destruction :)

(3)

This photo is a hint at what I've *really* been up to during my free time.
And it is the sweetest evidence of a "100 Easy Lessons" child in the home <3 <3 

And I've still be crocheting.  Obvi.  That's probably the main reason I don't blog much anymore.  If I could dictate blog posts into some sort of dictaphone-to-blog program while I crocheted, then maybe I could keep the cobwebs from collecting here.  But as it is, I've been busy working on some projects for (maybe) reopening my Etsy shop as well as pieces of Ruth's blanket...

I've got about 30 of these made... 12 left to go.

AND I'VE BEEN MAKING POMPOMS!!!!

Life is decidedly better now that I have a pompom maker and can just put perfectly puffy balls of yarn on anything I want.

hats for three sweet new little baby girls :)

And speaking of yarn...

Here was a cute little ornament I made for my sister (and fellow crochet lover) for Christmas :)  I just love it!

(4)

James turned 2 last month!  I could just go on and on about how much I love that kid (his singing!!  ohh!!! <3 <3 <3) and about how much of a handful he is (his modern art with diaper cream and baby powder)... but quick takes, I know.  

James thoroughly enjoyed his cake with sprinkles!   And he even got some new toy cars that I "wrapped" by taking them out of their packaging and then putting them back into the brown Amazon box in which they arrived.  It was very... celebratory.  In a kind of distracted mom urban industrial sort of way.

He's still not a talker, by any means, but more and more we know what he's saying, even if everyone else thinks he just said asldkfasldhfjopinrckjsdnfdsfsmcuh.

Man, I love that kid!

This was the first time that we've had a two year old and didn't also have a newborn or a newborn-coming-soon.   It feels... different.  Like maybe he was the last newborn and maybe there won't be any more two year old birthday parties here.  Obviously I don't know for sure.  Some days I'm sad about the prospect of no more babies to come.  And some days I'm loving that prospect.   But mostly James keeps me running so that there's little time for melancholic introspection on any subject, and of course we're open to life and we're planning to keep on loving the family we've got, so it's all good.  (That's the best way to wrap up a topic when there's plenty more to say about it but this is not the time and you just need to shut it down.  It's all good.)

(5)

Dominic made his First Holy Communion and started altar serving!!!

The story starts back in early December when we had our pastor and parish seminarian over for dinner.  During the course of the dinner, Father invited Dominic to start altar serving even though he hadn't received his First Communion yet.  So the the Sunday before Christmas, Dominic went to speak to Father after Mass.  Both the priest and I thought he was going to ask about when he could start serving, and instead he said, "Excuse me.  When can I make my First Communion?"  Our pastor said, "How about next week?"  And so he did!  

It truly was blessed circumstances!

(You can read about why I've been so happy that my children have (thus far) received their First Holy Communion at the regular Sunday morning Mass we attend here)

And he's since been altar serving <3

(6)

I said that the school changes were the biggest changes around here lately.  Not so, actually.  Russ started a new job the Monday after Christmas.  It's been a huge change.  We had been praying about a change for him for well over two years, and when this new opportunity worked out (when many others hadn't) we thought it was the right move.  It's been a rocky transition, and while we feel certain that we didn't make any changes lightly, it's hard to see that this was the right one while we're trying to navigate what it means for our family.  There really have been so many changes, and most of them don't feel like good changes or "worth it" changes as this point.  If you have a spare prayer to offer for Russ' peace in his new position, I'd truly appreciate it.  I know he would too.  I think the fact that we, along with many other friends and family members, have been praying for this situation for so long, keeps us believing that we made the right decision and now we just have to have faith (and patience!) that it will improve.

I sure do love and appreciate this guy :)
(so do the kids <3)

(7)

And finally, a few words about Lent.  Here is my motto for the year:

Who needs a hair shirt when you can wear jeans? (Lent 2016)

One of my Lenten penances this year is to wear jeans at least once a week.*  

 Sheer torture.  

If you know me in real life, and have seen me recently and I was wearing jeans, believe me, I was in appropriate Lenten agony.  I just hid it.  Because I didn't want to be like one of the pharisees and their phylacteries.  Or the fasting hypocrites and their disfigured faces.  Or whatever.  You know.

On Ash Wednesday the reading was "Rend your hearts, not your garments."  Basically, God was talking to me, because if there's anything I want to do to a pair of jeans, it's rend them.

*I'm doing some other things like, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  So, don't worry ;)

*   *   *   *   *   *

Friends, I've missed you!  I hope you had a wonderful and fun-filled January.  
And I pray your have a blessed and transformative Lent.
Hopefully, I'll be back here again soon.  But if you're on Instagram, that might be the best place to stay in touch with me.  Quick and easy Instagram really lends itself to my busy life these days -- and I'm grateful to have that outlet to continue sharing little bits of this blessed and lovely life <3  

Check out what other Quick Takers are chatting about this week over at This Ain't the Lyceum.

Oh, yeah!  And I got to participate in a spiritual reading recommendations post that Kelly shared!  Check that out too!