Shell Look Crocheted Baby Afghan Pattern and Tutorial

Shell Look Baby Afghan




I've had several questions about my Shell Look Baby Blanket pattern.  Some of you are no-reply bloggers, so I couldn't answer your questions directly.  I decided to do a tutorial on this easy to do (but difficult looking) crocheted afghan.  

Click here for the link to my post with just the pattern.  
At the end of the post, there is a Print PDF button if you would like to print and save it.

Here is a tutorial for the afghan with photos.  

Size approximately 30" X 30".

Use 3 - 4 skeins of worsted weight yarn.

Size H crochet hook (or size appropriate for the yarn you are using)

Directions:

Chain 83.    (Multiple of 3 plus 5 stitches) 

Row 1: In the 5th chain from hook work (sc, hdc, dc); *skip next 2 chains, in next ch work (sc, hdc, dc); 

This is what the first row looks like.  Arrows show the two skipped stitches.



Continue *sc, hdc, dc all in the same stitch, skip two stitches* all the way to the end.  When you get to the end of the first row, it will look like this.



Do a double crochet in the last stitch.   Chain 2 and turn.




The arrows show the stitch where you will put the sc, hdc, dc (in the top of the dc from the row below).



When you get to the end of the first row you have sort of a "clump" of stitches.  I tried to show with arrows where you skip the next two stitches (black arrows) and double crochet in the next stitch (white arrow).



This photo shows the end of several rows.  The double crochet at the end and the chain 2 will create a straight edge.

I did a test piece to show you the stitches using a solid color.  But I think this pattern looks really complicated when you use a variegated yarn.

My measurements and hook size are just how my blanket turned out, but depending on how tightly or loosely you crochet, you may get a smaller or larger blanket.  If I work a few rows on an afghan, I sometimes make a decision to rip it out and start with a longer chain.  But more often than not, I keep going and then add a border (or several) around the outside when I'm finished to make it larger.

I hope you are finding some time to crochet a little today!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  

If you have questions email me at lakrug@comcast.net

My Crochet UFO Container

It's been a long time since I've posted.  It has been a busy summer, and I don't do quite as many yarn projects in the summer as I do in fall and winter.  Welcome to my new followers and subscribers.  I'm glad you're here and that you waited so long for me to post.  

I have been doing some cleaning and sorting, and I thought I'd share one of my containers of yarn with you.

There are a lot of UFOs in here plus lots of pretty yarn. 




I really like Simply Soft yarn for afghans and projects that I know we (and the cat) will be using.   Simply Soft is made by Caron and can be found at a lot of different retail outlets.  I love all of the pretty colors that are available.

I thought maybe you would enjoy a peek inside of my container of yarn and UFOs.  This is a Flower Petal Pillow that I started from a pattern over at Attic 24. 

Here are 3 African Flowers that I made ages ago.  The pattern for these is on Ravelry, and there is a You Tube video available if you just google African Flowers. 

I don't remember what the left motif is.  I think it is from the book Crochet Motifs that is on my shelf.
The motif on the right is from a free Red Heart pattern called Pokey Dot Throw.

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This is my Crochet Shell Afghan in progress.  You can find it in my blog post titled Crochet Shell Afghan Tutorial.  I've made a little progress on it since my last post about it.



This is a Granny Square Ripple afghan that I have started.  I really like this one and would like to get back to working on it again.

This one is a Wavy Ripple Afghan.  I've made a couple of these for baby gifts.  The pattern is written by my daughter.  I will find it and post the directions soon.

These are just knit squares using my leftover yarn balls.  Cast on 25 stitches and then knit back and forth for 50 rows.  I'm not sure that I really had a plan for these.  I was just looking for a simple knit pattern to use up my leftovers.  

 

I hope you are finding some time to crochet or knit a little today.  

Thanks for stopping by!  
I'll try to not stay away so long next time.  
I appreciate your visit.

Once in awhile I get an email asking about something on my blog.  I cannot answer you if you are an anonymous blogger or if you are set as a no-reply blogger.  Click here for a link to a great tutorial showing how you can fix this.
  I love your comments and questions and would love to be able to reply!

Never Ending Granny Square Afghan Progress

This is my progress so far on my Never Ending Granny Square Afghan.  Here is a link to a great You Tube video tutorial.  I'm almost at the end of my first three skeins (one of each color).  I have 2 more of each color so it will end up a bit larger.  I'm using Cascade 220 yarn.  I had 3 skeins each of the black, lime and white.



The photo above is the afghan on point so you don't see the twisted look in the center.  When I made my Giant Granny Square Afghan seen in this post and this post, I turned my work over after every round.  That prevents the afghan from being "in a twist".  When you are working with 3 skeins (or 5 as shown in the You Tube Video), there is no choice but to go in all one direction.   The great part about this afghan is that you don't have all of the ends to weave in after each round.

I've started my blanket over from the one shown below.  I think I did something wrong when I started it (I was following a different tutorial), and my center ended after the green without spiralling.  

If you look at the one on the right (below) that I'm working on now, and compare it to the one on the left you can see a difference.  See how the one on the right spirals out from the green center.  The one on the left doesn't.  It begins as a regular granny square.  I'll tear that one out and use the yarn on the bigger blanket.

 

This has been a fun project, and if you would like to see other versions of this Never Ending Granny Square Afghan go over and visit Cyn's blog.  Cyn is using 5 skeins of yarn, and she tells a great way to keep your yarn from tangling when working on this project.  She was the one that found the tutorial on line showing this Never Ending Granny Square and sent the photo and link to our little group.  You can also look at Pat's afghan in this post.  She is using 5 skeins.

I hope you are finding some time to take a few stitches today.

Thanks for visiting!

Spiral Granny Square Afghan

My friend, Cyn from Cyn's Quilted Travels blog finds the greatest crochet patterns, and she always tags me on Facebook so I can go check them out.  I have no very little will power so I usually grab a hook and some yarn and join in.  This is our latest venture:  The Spiral Granny Square Afghan.  I'm not sure that I did the center right, and I really don't like the way it looks like it is in a twist so I may start over.  I think my center should have spiraled out starting with the lime in the center.  If you go over and visit Cyn's blog, she has a post up that will tell you how you can crochet with multiple skeins of yarn and keep it from tangling.


 

I really love the lime, black and white color combination.  I bought some of each of these fabrics at our Dear Jane retreat in Shipshewana, Indiana, last month.



This quilt was hanging in Lolly's quilt shop for inspiration.




I hope you are finding some time to take a few stitches today!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

More Granny Squares

I've been sorting through some of my yarn and unfinished yarn projects and came across these granny squares.  It looks like I've done 18 rounds, and on round 19 I used the same color of blue.  I don't know what I was thinking when I did these or what the plan was.

 I guess it's a good idea to put some sort of notes in the bag with your project along with the kind of yarn you are using and the size crochet hook (or knitting needle) and the pattern name or a copy of the pattern.  Usually when I stop one project and start another, I have good intentions of coming back to the one I just left.....but that doesn't always happen.



I could make more squares and join them, or I could make two giant granny afghans.  Here's a link to the other giant granny that I made along with my tutorial on how to make a granny square.

I know if I don't take the time to weave the ends on these two blocks before I go on, I'm going to be really sorry.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Tunisian Crochet Afghan

This is my daughter's Tunisian Crochet afghan that is from the same pattern as the one I showed you in the previous post.  As you can see, she has figured out the increase and decrease at the corners.  I really like the colorway she has chosen, too.

 

This is mine so far.  As you can see by comparing the photos, I just don't quite have it yet!   We are both using a size K crochet hook.  This afghan is started by chaining 10, turning and then doing rows of Tunisian crochet.  We did our corners by using a video we found on you tube.  Once I get all 10 of those stitches on the K hook, those first 2 or 3 are really hard to do in Tunisian.   (I'm just using a regular crochet hook since it's only 10 stitches).

I keep looking at mine and am probably going to try those corner turns a couple more times.  If that doesn't work out I will move on to Plan B.



This is the yarn that we are using  I love the subtle color change.



Thanks for stopping by!

A Few New Projects

I've started a few new projects since I last posted.....

This is the flower petal pillow from Attic 24 blog.




I started a scarf pattern I found in an old magazine in some of my leftover Colts color yarn.

I saw this Tunisian crochet blanket on Pinterest and have been trying to figure out how to increase and decrease at the corners.

This is one of my old stand by patterns for making an afghan.  It is a double crochet done while you skip a chain in the row below.  Then when you turn and come back you do a double crochet in the skipped chain.  I'm using Homespun yarn that I bought at my local JoAnns store.  This throw will be on the back of my chair for our cat, Tiki and I to use on chilly evenings.  

Here is a closet look at the pattern.

 

Hope you are finding some time to stitch!

Thanks for stopping by.

Diagonal Striped Crocheted Pillow

I just finished crocheting this diagonal pillow using the colors that I used in my Cath Kidston granny square afghan.




I just love the stripes.  I found photos of several of these pillows on Pinterest and followed the link to this blog:   The 8th Gem .    She made her pillows using moss stitch.  I really like the look of half double crochets, so that's what I used.  Here's how it looks on our bed.  Think I need more?

The pillow is made by crocheting a chain that is the same length as the diagonal of your pillow form.  You turn and crochet (I did hdcs) back down the chain, add a stitch in the end, and crochet down the other side of the chain.  You keep going around that center chain, creating a tube that fits diagonally around your pillow. It's quick, easy, and I love the look.

She doesn't show how she closed her pillow, so I just made this up.  I stitched about 5 inches in from each corner and then slip stitched along the opening adding loops so that I could button the pillow around the form.  This way I can change to another pillow cover easily.

 

I should be working on UFOs, but I started and finished this pillow pretty quickly.

 I hope you take some time to take a few stitches each day.


Thanks for stopping by! 

Granny Square Love

Sorry.....I was tweaking some settings on my blog and accidentally took this post down.

This is one of the crochet books that I got for Christmas.  Granny Square Love by Sarah London is a great little book for granny square inspiration even if you already know how to make granny squares.




I love this photo with the little yarn balls in the bright colored plastic strainer!  

Look at this colorful market bag.  If I make this it will probably be used to carry a yarn or quilting project.

Christmas stockings.  I've thought about changing out our usual Christmas stockings.  We have the red velvet stockings with the white cuff, and our names are "written" on with glitter.

This pillow would be nice if you read in bed or if you have small children around.

 

These projects look like they would be pretty quick to do either for yourself or they would make great gifts. I think the granny square is my favorite crochet block, and I'm glad it is making a comeback all over the internet.

Here is the granny square afghan that I finished this fall.








  I hope you are finding some time to make a few stitches today.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Still Making Christmas Ornaments

I am still in Christmas mode and have been making  Christmas ornaments.  This little crochet stocking is pretty easy to make.  The pattern is over on Angie's (Sucrette) blog.  You can find the pattern, Little Christmas Socks, listed over on her side bar.   I think several of these would be cute all crocheted together in a chain.  This was my first try.  I think I need to move up a needle size on the next one.  The "lumpy row" by the heel is where I crocheted over my threads.  Next time I will take time to sew them in instead.  I also realized that I grabbed the wrong size crochet hook after I was finished.






Last year my daughter and I made these tiny Christmas stocking ornaments from a pattern that she adapted.  She drew up the fair aisle designs.  You can see how small these are compared to my Starbucks mug.



You've seen all of those neat red and white knit Christmas ornaments all over the internet.  This is my first attempt at knitting a Christmas ball.  I love these things, but it has been so long since I've knit anything on double point needles that it just felt awkward.  So I have to practice on this one for awhile.  I'm thinking that maybe I can come up with a pattern that is knit flat and then stitched up afterwards.  I know the time to work on Christmas things (at least for me) is right now while Christmas is still fresh on my mind.  Stay tuned.

 

If you have a pattern or a link for these knit Christmas balls, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!