Just a Little Frustrated

[Hound dog]

I'm crocheting Oliver this nice baby afgan. It's using stitches I came up with by myself. Not hard, just time comsuming. I'm using peach colored yarn as so far what Nichole is getting for the new baby is mostly blue and she's already getting sick of the color blue. So what I'm making him, I'm doing in other colors to add variety to his wardrobe.

I go looking for a nice layette set or sweater set to go with the afgan. Doesn't have to be the same stitches, if the pattern is simple enough I can work it with the stitches I came up with and use the pattern mainly for size. I go to the store. Walmart here sells yarn fairly cheap, and since yarn is expensive, this is a good thing. No books. No patterns. I'm not happy. Not even any of those little freebie pamphlets that used to hang on endcaps near the yarn. So I go to JoAnn's. They have some.......but I'm poor, I can't shell out the money for the yarn and spend up to 20.00 for a book, 12.00 for a glorified pamphlet for patterns. omg I went to several other places. IF they had patterns they were ridiculously expensive.

So I go online. This morning I got a tad obsessive about it. lol I just spent 3 hrs searching. Most of what I came up with were beginner stuff and while not bad, it wasn't what I was looking for. Seems like anyone who has any skill starts charging. Now I don't mind that, but geez, could you at least make it affordable?

Then I finally stumble on to sites where they're salvaging and preserving vintage patterns. And I was in heaven. Now days I don't know if crocheters have gotten lazy or are in just too much of a hurry or what......but the patterns are awfully simple and while covering baby, they're just not that attractive. Vintage patterns are the opposite. Exquisite stitching, a ton of detail work, and beautiful. Many of these were offered for free, although you could buy the pdf. books.........and they're also fairly cheap. Now these are the patterns I remember! And were phasing out of printing by the time I was pregnant with Travis.

So I gave husband a heart attack as I printed a ton this morning. I had to explain to him that while I found them online......it doesn't mean they'll always BE online. Many sites close for various reasons.....and I may not find them again.

And I found a newborn layette for Oliver. Actually 0-3 months so he should be able to wear it in early fall......and Nana will have one ready when he out grows this one. lol

It's sort of sad that newer patterns are not this nice. These things don't go out of style. And it makes me think well gee......easy child and Nichole are just getting into this sort of thing and if it weren't for me hunting this stuff down because I KNEW these patterns used to exist......they probably would never find them......and other young people just starting out as well.

I wonder if that makes me "officially" old. lol

But seriously, if the companies that printed the patterns went back to many of the vintage ones.......they'd sell a ton. A shame.

 

[AnnieO]

They might make a ton... But let's be honest here. Lisa, my Mom is older than you are. And when her next grandchild is born? I won't have Nana-knitted (or crocheted) clothes. Maybe, if Mom's bored and I'm super lucky, she will make an outfit (she sews beautifully, if not as often as she used to). Maybe.

The thing is - people may be interested - but the kids that are just turning 18? Aren't going to want to take the time.

Actually, I think I'm going to start crocheting the family tree afghan again. Rainbow colored and is squares rather than a zigzag.

 

[hearts and roses]

So what is the site? I love to crochet and I'm in the process of making baby blankets/booties for the newborns at Hartford Hospital. I'd love to learn a few new things to give my blankets something special.

 

[Hound dog]

http://www.freevintagecrochet.com/baby.html

Step, I know. I taught my girls first when they were very little, then refreshed their memories as adults when they showed the interest.

Still it's a shame as these things were tiny treasures.

And your baby WILL have Nana crocheted outfits. As I enjoy making children and infant things MUCH more than adult things and I always need someone to make them for. lol I stopped for years simply because I had no one to make them for, made me very sad. I'm going to have some fun after this layette is done.......I found a really pretty one for girls and Nichole's bff is having a baby girl. yay!

 

[DammitJanet]

Lisa...I am in awe...I was going to give you the site that I found with patterns but when you said that most of them were too simple I choked...lol. The one I found is too HARD for me!

I have been trying to make a newborn size dress for the new grandbaby and I have gotten stuck so it is sitting. I managed to figure out hats quite easily but following the youtube video's for dresses confused me so I went looking for actual printed patterns and they even confused me. Now I am just lost.

I cant imagine anything harder!!!!

 

[AnnieO]

Years ago I crocheted my then-boyfriend a sweater when he went to CT for law school.

I way overestimated the size. Sweater looked good, but it was HUGE.

 

[hearts and roses]

Years ago I crocheted my then-boyfriend a sweater when he went to CT for law school.

I way overestimated the size. Sweater looked good, but it was HUGE.

This really made me laugh. Last year difficult child chose some cheap yarn we found at Job Lot (Vanna's something or other) and asked me to make her an afgan for her and boyfriend's bed. I got started, overestimated the length instead of just going in the room and measuring the danged bed. I was about 5 skeins in before I thought, "Hmm, this seems very long". When I laid it out on MY CALI KING BED it hung about 3 feet long on the length!!!! I was so torn about pulling it all out and starting over that I combed the web for other solutions...the only one was cutting it, but that sounds too risky for a crochet. Instead, I persevered and bought more yarn and am going to taper the ends. difficult child said she would use it for lying on the couch instead - hahahaha.

 

[KTMom91]

A good friend of mine just opened a yarn store, and as soon as my hand heals, I'm taking knitting lessons. Miss KT wants berets and headbands with crocheted flowers on them.

After I posted, I checked the site. OMG are the hats CUTE! May have to make some for me to wear...I love hats.

 

[susiestar]

I think this is why my mother buys all the crochet and knit patterns she comes across at estate and yard sales and our library book sale. They are treasure troves for this kind of thing. Mom's bff and bff's mom both crochet and bff's mom also knits as does her sister. They each have huge stockpiles of old patterns for the very reason you went online. Keep your eyes on those places for the patterns you want. Also consider posting on sites like www.yarntree.com and asking for websites. I have posted there for years with no problems and often someone there has exactly what I need and if it is for sale it is for the cost of postage or a reasonable fee.

I am glad you found what you wanted. If you have no one to make these for, consider joining a group that makes hats for newborns at the hospital or layettes for kids who have unplanned pregnancies. Or make lap size blankets for vets.

 

[Hound dog]

Janet patterns can be really confusing until you get used to them. But once you get used to them you can make all sorts of things you never dreamed you could make. Honestly though, sometimes even someone experience with it can have issues with a pattern. I started a sweater for the baby the other day.......got half way through and realized when they printed it they left out a big chunk of instructions for the sleeves......what I had looked nothing like what it should have. THAT irks me no end. But it happens. One I'm working on now is off by one stitch, usually takes several rows to notice......that I can fix as it's one stitch and doesn't affect the overall pattern that much except for appearance. It throws off her mock cable stitch so it doesn't line up correctly. If you'd want me to give the dress a shot just send me the link, no sweat. It may be the pattern itself and not you.

I've joined the yarn websites like Red Heart ect. That helps some. And I always keep my eye out for patterns at yard sales.......so far around here people seem to be holding on tight to theirs.

What really ticks me off is I should have a huge stack of my own patterns that I've collected over the years. I'd never ever toss them out. But I can only find a couple of them......and they're for older kids. The others should be here somewhere, but I haven't found them yet.

 

[DammitJanet]

http://www.craftown.com/baby/pat23.htm

 

[DammitJanet]

http://bevscountrycottage.com/janet-wolfe/1secgoinghome.html

I think I am going to try this one instead

 

[HaoZi]

HD, check your local library for books or magazines with the patterns and run copies of the patterns you really like.

 

[Mom2oddson]

I tried to send you a PM but your mailbox is full....

I just finished cleaning out my craft room and have a ton of yarn that I'm getting ready to give to Good Will. If you'd like it, I'll mail it to you. It's quite a variety....worsted weight, specialty yarns, dish cloth yarn and baby yarn. I'd love to send it to you if you want it. I have the largest rubbermaid storage box full of yarn to get rid of. (I still have 4 - 66 quart buckets that I'm keeping - now you know why I had to clean out yarn)

I also have a ton of Cross-stitch stuff that I can't use anymore (my eyes are just too bad for close-up work). If there is anyone that could use it, let me know.

 

[hearts and roses]

IF HD DOESN'T WANT IT - I WILL DEFINITELY TAKE SOME!!! I make blankets for the newborns of single/teen moms and could always use some free yarn!!

 

[Hound dog]

Momtoodd you can send them to Jo. I've got a local lady I need to pick up a rubbermaid of yarn/patterns from. (which reminds me I need to set up a pick up date with her) And I'm still working on yarn scraps from oh about 10 yrs ago. lol Yarn is too expensive to just toss out. But thanks for the offer.

Janet, I was going to try that pattern for Oliver (make it into a more male version), so I'll do it for you instead as I've found him a few others that are less girlish. I've already got it printed. That 2nd one looks much simpler and I've done a few of her other projects for preemies. She tends to keep it fairly simple. I think that might be better until you're more used to reading patterns.

 

[DammitJanet]

Thanks Lisa!!! Cool. I will try the second one then.

 

[Lothlorien]

I like to crochet, but I don't really know how to follow patterns. I've taught myself some new stuff on youtube. I wish you lived closer to teach me how to figure the rest out.

 

[DammitJanet]

Maybe we should just all go meet up at Lisas for a crocheting lesson....lol.
"Row 1: Chain 34, Difficult Child in 3rd stitch from hook, and in next 3 stitches. Difficult Child, ch 1, Difficult Child, in next stitch, Difficult Child in next 6 stitches, Difficult Child, CH 1, Difficult Child, in next stitch, Difficult Child in next 6 stitches, Difficult Child, ch 1, Difficult Child, in next stitch, Difficult Child in next 6 stitches, Difficult Child, ch 1, Difficult Child, Difficult Child to end."
ok tell me what all that means. I will tell you what I have so far and you tell me if I am right.
Chain 34 stitches to the end, turn. double crochet in 3rd stitch from hook and in double crochet in the next 3 stitches. Double crochet chain one then do another double crochet again and do all of this in the next chain. Difficult Child in next 6 stitches.....rinse repeat

 

[Hound dog]

Row 1: Chain 34, Double crochet in 3rd stitch from hook, double crochet in the next 3 chains, in next chain double crochet then chain 1 and double crochet (all in that same chain), double crochet in the next 6 chains, in next chain double crochet then chain 1 and double crochet (all in that same chain), double crochet in next 6 chains, in next chain double crochet chain 1 and double crochet (in same chain), double crochet in next 6 chains, in next chain double crochet chain 1 double crochet (in same chain), then double crochet to end of chain. That will end the first row.

The stitch Difficult Child ch1 Difficult Child is a V stitch. You'll have 4 in the first row.

So you can say it like this:

Double crochet in 3rd chain from hook and in next 3 chains

do V stitch in next chain. Then Double crochet in next 6 chains. Repeat this step until you've made 4 V stitches.

Then double crochet to the end of the chain. That would end row 1.

Sometimes I have to break it up that way because all the repeat part starts to run together and I'll lose my place.

In rows 2 through 4:

Chain 3 (she's assuming you know)

double crochet in the double crochet stitches, then in the chain stitch of your V (stitch) work the same V stitch pattern of Difficult Child ch1 Difficult Child


That should help you get started, if not let me know.