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June-Finishing Up

June-FInishing Up is a reality. It’s hard to believe how many projects are on the verge or finished already! June is more than 1/2 way through? If I work hard I can finish another 5-6 projects and really clear the work list. Work and fun have been happening the past two months. I haven’t written or talked to you in several weeks now and so much keeps happening. Life is just like this, it seems to be flying past.

June-Finishing up the studio move

Finally the studio is beginning to take shape. There are a few more boxes to take back upstairs- Now that I can see them. I’ve recently moved about 8 painting projects out of the studio and into the living room. Which makes the living room cramped for a few days. The biggest two projects will go home this week which makes a little extra elbow room in the studio. Also several of the sewing boxes moved back upstairs which makes even more room.

I still have all of the tools and attic type storage type boxes. These will find their way to another place soon. I was even able to use the carpet sweeper since I could see it. Yay for me. Carpet sweeper because vacuums do not like the chunky bits that end up on the floor. Also the long strings of yarn and thread tend to clog up the vacuum works.

The photo below shows it shortly after the move. It is looking so much better. I’ve added an rug to catch the paint drips. It’s a great photo of one of the between stages of the vanity shown below. The painted version is so much better.

June-Finishing Up

Finishing Up Paint Projects

Several different paint projects are completed and while I’m waiting on the photos to do a big unveiling. They moved out of the studio and so today was a big day of computer work and nothing but computer work. It appears that when we changed web servers for the blog we lost all the patterns in this shop. Today I spent the day adding as many as I could back. The free ones are a bit more ify. They have vanished and I’ll need to do back up from the hard drive.

The newest paint project is staring me in the face. While the base coat is on, I’m not quite sure what needs to happen next so it is incubating while I dream up the right designs for the next step. Another idea that has been in the works is a pattern flip book. Reusing the detail patterns adds some continuity in my work and giving them names helps me remember the basic design. Creating a flip book out of 3×5 cards might be the inexpensive way to keep designs at my fingertips.

June-Finishing Up

Finishing up the Crochet Memory Blanket

The last memory afghan is well under way. I’ve started sewing the squares together so that I can stretch out the boring bits with the fun parts. I’m not much into sewing squares together. It will also tell me if I need to buy some more yarn. While this isn’t an issue for me. It is better for the client if I don’t load her back up with yarn! The purpose of the project was to use up as much as possible. I might write up a pattern for this afghan it is turning out pretty. It also makes good use of stash yarn! Do you want a written pattern for it or can you figure it out?

June-Finishing Up

You can find the basic floral granny square pattern like the white squares here. Let me know if you want me to write out the 3-d flower squares.

Three cheers for June-Finishing Up! I’m so glad that it is happening. I’m beginning to be able to breathe with the to do list getting smaller.

Talk to you later,

Karen

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Saying Yes

I found myself saying yes to the craziest idea in January.  It wasn’t a great idea but it was a very cool idea. A new and interesting idea. Do you ever say yes and then regret it? I know that I did and there was really no reason for it. It is a really common problem. Are you a “yes”  person? The book shelves are full of volumes telling us how to stop saying yes so often. Put up boundaries, set limits, organize your life better, plan time off, fence in your time, schedule time for yourself.

This chair is on consignment at one of our local art stores and finished in this same time frame.

Saying yes, was to crochet not one but two custom crochet blankets and paint several different custom pieces of furniture. Now you know that this isn’t something that happens often at the Studio. A chance encounter with a Facebook marketplace purchase became a custom order for two custom crochet blankets and a coffee drinking friend. There is a pretty generous deadline as she understands that there are also custom painting orders in place.

The crochet blankets are using her Mother’s yarn, which is a brand I don’t use often. The colors were varied and some of it decades old. The yarn was still in great condition but this seemed like an incredible challenge. Rebelling, at first; the crocheting was concentrated on the colors that were added to fill in the missing colors needed to make one of them brighter and more suited for a child. The other was for the client’s daughter. The brief was to crochet two afghans 1. for the grand-daughter of the original yarn owner and 2. for the great -granddaughter of the the original yarn owner. What a great idea! How could I not do this? Family love and memories mixed in with another’s yarn stash, a chance to make something out of nothing.

This is just part of the yarn stash I’m working from.

Then the math began, how many squares to create the afghans. It became a monstrous project. Ta Da – 180+ 5′ granny squares later. This is the current adult granny square afghan. Sewing each square together rather than using the joining as I go method is slower. It is creating a beautiful finished product. Is this afghan finished. Nope, they’re not finished but I’m not afraid of either of them any more.

And also Painting…

These custom painting orders have also been happening in the middle of crocheting these two blankets.

The curio shelf from the hCrochet and Painting post and then also this table are all custom orders from this time.

It’s been a fun and busy time. The Studio is looking full and it needs cleaning from top to bottom in the worst way. The good news is that it’s been incredibly stretching. I love what I’m doing and saying yes was the right thing to do.

Talk to you later,

Karen

P.S. Painting will show up in the blog from now on as it seems to take up just as much time as the crochet. It hasn’t been healthy for me to sit and just crochet. Painting furniture requires me to move around more and keeps the creativity flowing. Oh, I also accept custom orders for painted furniture just leave a comment here or on the facebook page.

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Crochet and Painting

The weeks have been speeding by and much has happened here at the Studio; painting and more painting, and also tons of crochet. Sharing my painting is more uncomfortable for me as it is so much more personal. Only recently has it been that I’ve felt that what has been painted is good enough to share. That not good enough feeling keeps so many of us creatives down. The painting is such an outpouring of the joy in my heart these days that I can’t not paint.

Painting

Painting has been taking over my life and I couldn’t be happier. It is a good thing and keeps me moving around and busy. If you follow chocodogstudio on instagram then you have seen these pieces in process. It seems like time has flown by and it has. At least 5-6 pieces have been painted since the first of the year with several others in a partially painted state. The studio is so full with furniture that it can be hard to move around and open the curtains.

Hand Painted curio shelving unit with each shelf smaller than the other. The shelf supports are turned wood and painted in a variety of very bright colors and finished to a high gloss. Each shelf is painted in a different rainbow color with patterns painted on each shelf.
This shelf unit is also a custom piece and is already home.
A brightly painted patterned table about the right size for an entry hall. It has a piecrust edge and is oval in shape with six legs.
This table isn’t quite finished but it’s getting close to the end.
This photo shows an oblong octagon shaped table with 3 legs next to a brown leather couch. The table is hand painted in a variety of patterns and colors.
Here you can see how pretty and practical the painted table is in a living room. The glass top protects the table from hard use.
This little occasional table was a custom painted piece. These are the legs to the table shown above.

Crochet

The newest project is this cute granny square that I’m sharing with you. It’s will be used in a memory afghan using my client’s Mother’s yarn stash. Isn’t that a sweet idea and such a good one. There will be two blankets coming out of this yarn stash. Blocking the squares will get rid of the wonky squares and ease the slight difference in them. Since this is crocheted out of varying brands of yarns the difference in the gauge of the yarns is affecting the size of the squares slightly.

Floral Memories Granny Square Tutorial

Center

Using an infinity ring, CH2 and HDC into the ring 11 times, for 12 total stitches. Pull the center tight to close the center of the flower. Weave in all ends as you go.

2nd round

Ch 3 HDC in next space chain 1,* HDC in next space chain1, Repeat from * around the circle. Slip stitch to join. There should be 12 CH 1. ch1

3 round (petal round)

*Crochet 4 DC into the next CH1 space from the previous round. CH 1 into the next space. Repeat from * around the circle. SS to join to the first ch1.

4th round

Chain 4, ss to join to 3 DC in petal. CH 3, DC to the SS from the previous row. *Chain 3, ss to join to the 3rd DC in the petal. Continue from * around the flower. SS to join CH 4.

5th Round

CH 2, HDC 2 into same CH 4 group. *HDC 3 times into next CH 3 group.
Create 1st Corner in the next CH 3 group, HDC 1, DC 1, CH1, DC 1 HDC1. HDC3 times into next CH3 group,

Continue from * around the block creating three more corners. SS to join to 1st HDC group.

6th Round

CH 2, HDC in each stitch until corner. At corner, HDC 2 times, CH 2 times, and HDC 2 times. Continue crocheting HDC in each stitch. Treat the other three corners the same as above, SS to join, Tie off and cut yarn.

This pattern is short on photos but this blog post doesn’t post today it might be months before you see anything!

Talk to you later,

Karen

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After Christmas 2018

Crochet

The after Christmas lull has hit the house. Times of reflection and general grumpiness seems to be the rule rather than the exception. Too much Christmas food after months of eating lighter just doesn’t seem to sit well with me anymore. Nothing a couple of days of lighter eating won’t fix. Crocheting has been happening here and some baby blankets are in the works to restock the shop. A blue granny square blanket and also a pink one are the favorite color combinations so far. It would be nice to finish something before more family comes in on Saturday.

The newest blue baby blanket in the works.

Painting

There has been tons of painting going on. It has been incredibly fun to get so much painting done. The work has stacked up with the possibilities of a couple of custom orders in January. I am working hard to get the current work completed and out of the studio. The paint studio will most likely be moving back downstairs. The items getting painted just keep getting bigger and it is harder to navigate the stairs with them. Also paint, yarn and fabric just don’t mix well in small spaces. The paint seems to jump off the paint brush at bad times and it makes me nervous to have it around so much paint. I did manage to finish up the boys Christmas quilts. There were three quilts given out to the grandkids on Christmas eve. It was wonderful to have that big project out of my project line. They had been sitting around for two years waiting to get finished.

Talk to you later,

Karen

I hope that you and yours have had a wonderful holiday season. That it is filled with family, fun and the quiet time that you need.

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Christmas Chains, Yarn and Crochet

Christmas chains, yarn and crochet; there isn’t much painting this week. The studio is full of soft goods right now, quilts for small grandkids, yarn from Black Friday shopping, products to ship and projects to finish. Are you ready for a small breather in your hectic schedule? I know that we are. Some time off doing what we love, maybe a little home repair, a little deep cleaning, a ton of family time, church time and time to reflect. Like you, we live a rather normal life; well, as normal as it can get. Family time has been a little more intense the past several months. It is good to see that some crochet is starting to happen again. It fills a deep need to create and is more portable than painting and it keeps me balanced.

Yarn Shopping

This post contains affiliate links

Crochet has been filling my time more since Black Friday shopping. My crochet momentum is back, finally! The family knew when the soft squishy packages started arriving that Black Friday shopping had been a serious occupation for the Studio. Good thing that some of these projects have used up a little of the yarn. Hopefully, the projects planned for the yarn will work up quickly and fill the Etsy shop. A few photos of the beautiful colors soon to be coming your way with new patterns (hopefully) or remakes of older patterns in new colors.

Christmas Chains

 

Christmas Chains

Crochet

Here is a little of what I have been working on these days.

Christmas Chains

The Baby Hexi which seemed to take all summer.

Christmas Chains

A new take on the Ruby Red with Lion Brand Landscapes “Twilight” (Amazon link) just to give folks another viewpoint of the Ruby Red in colors other than pink/red.

I also worked on a cute crocheted paper chain style garland for the Christmas tree. Super simple to crochet. I used all of the silvery yarn on hand and created two separate chains. The instructions are included below.  Here they are in process. These chains were fairly quick and I crocheted a bunch in one color and then joined them with the other color. Super fast and easy, great for beginners or children for learning to crochet. Also great for using up small bits of scrap yarn!

Here they are on the tree.

 

A few more more links will be added when there is a little more time. They were crocheted out of silvery grey and red Stylecraft Special DK but they would be beautiful out of bright cotton yarns or all white, even tropical colors would be beautiful. Crochet them any color and it will still add a fun look to your Christmas tree.

Christmas Chains Garland Pattern

Supplies

  • DK weight yarn in Red and silvery grey,
  • Size G crochet hook
  • Scissors
  • Large eye needle for sewing links.

Link:

Chain 25,

First row: HDC in the third chain from hook and HDC across the chain, keeping the chain untwisted.

Second row: chain 2 HDC in each stitch across the the previous row. Tie off and cut with a long tail.

Sew one end to the other using whip stitch.

Finished one chain. Continue creating links being sure when sewing to link the chains together to create a Christmas Garland.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year everyone. All online shops are open this year for the next several  weeks. We have family visiting and hubs in off work for weeks between December 17 and January 1st. Should you need any help on any crocheting or orders, please bear this in mind. I will be stopping by to check on things but not as often. The last day to order from Etsy and Amazon for Christmas delivery is Tuesday Dec. 11th.

Merry Christmas and Talk to you later,

Karen

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Life

Life

Life keeps happening  here. Do you ever feel that your life is one frustration after or another or that the frustrations are all stacked up like so many building blocks? Life has been rather that way here in Oklahoma. Looking out the studio window has been really rare these days. First one thing and then another pulling me away from what “I think” is more important-only to find out it isn’t that important after all.

The continuing saga of the water leak is over. The last little bits done have been done for several weeks now and they don’t seem like that big a deal.  Which is good! We have another construction issue starting this week.

Learning Applied

There have been some learning experiences from all the construction taking place in the house. Painters- have you ever seen professionals at work preparing to do their job. Here is what I am learning from their work and why I am even telling you about all the work we have had done.

  • Clear out the old
  • Plan
  • Prepare for the work
  • Make sure you have the right tools
  • Lay the groundwork or frame work to the best of your ability
  • Be careful and neat while you are working
  • Finish the job
  • Clean up and put your tools away when you are done.

This seems to be a lesson I learn over and over. I tend to dash in and get started without counting the cost, having the yarn or finishing other projects first. This creates a huge backlog of projects in my WIP stack and projects get forgotten.

Life

How to Crochet like a Professional

If we apply all the lessons listed above we can come up with a short list of how to apply this to crocheting.

  1. Clean your yarn bags and baskets out of the old work and yarn from previous projects first
  2. Plan your work, play with the color pegs or yarn to find good color combinations or determine your color range.
  3. Write down or photograph the combinations you want to use.
  4. Practice any new stitches until you are more confident.
  5. Gather all of the tools you need and put them all together in your project bag.
  6. Read through the instructions at least twice to make sure that you have everything.
  7. Check your gauge and crochet
  8. Weave in your stitches as you go. It does make it less tedious at the end and makes it easier to work.
  9. Finish your work completely.  Ask for any help you need before you reach the point of no return on the frustration.
  10. Clean up your tools when you are finished working.

Life

When you take a break in the middle make notes on  the pattern where to begin next if the work is complex,  or at least finish the row or color you are using before you set it aside. Tie off any ends firmly if the color is done so you can continue work later. Tie it off loosely or use a stitch marker (or safety pin) so it doesn’t get frogged if someone picks up your work to Ooh and Ahh over. (Forgive them, they just don’t know any better.) 

Crochet

Crochet HAS been happening here in the studio, though I have spent a ton of computer time the past few months getting things set up. Though I have to admit that it hasn’t been at the top of the list. There has been a ton of painting happening. While I love crochet sometimes I need a vacation from it and we lost the remote to the television for a week or two. Living a healthier lifestyle has also been a huge contributing factor.

Painting

Painting has been happening and it is going extremely well.  Here are a few photos of finished projects.

LIfe

LIfe

The armchair is for sale at an art store in town and the stool has already made a customer very happy.

Talk to you later,

Karen

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A few Tools and the Blue Monday Scarf

Today we will learn a few tips and tricks that help me with my crocheting. They are in my tool bag. It has been awhile since you have seen my tool bag.  There are a few new ones since then.

My Newest Crochet tools

This post contains affiliate links .

The Handy Dandy fringe board

This is quite simply a floor laminate sample from my neighborhood flooring store. I bought mine at Lowes. Originally, we bought it to check out new flooring for one of our rooms but it was hijacked into the tool bag.

Here it is in all its humble glory. It replaces the paperback book that was being used.

A few Tools and the Blue Monday Scarf

See the grooves at either end. You can cut a long 8″ fringe or a cut it at both ends and have a shorter 4″ fringe. The scissors fit in the grooves at either end. It makes fringe making so easy.A few Tools and the Blue Monday Scarf

The  Clover Pom pom  makers

These tools are bought and are available online or in the craft shops. I purchased mine at Michael’s. They are the Clover pom-pom makers (affiliate link) in two different sizes.

These are great and so easy to use. If you are going to make several pom poms then they are worth your money. They come two to the package. The smallest size pom pom maker is in the crochet tool bag and not in the photo. (FYI I am not being paid for this endorsement of Clover products. There are other pom pom makers out there that may be better, study up and get the best for you.). A few Tools and the Blue Monday Scarf There are instructions on the back and then you wind the yarn around the little

wings, fold it all together and then cut the yarn and tie off the pom pom so that it doesn’t come apart.
A few Tools and the Blue Monday Scarf

The tool bag

The tool bag is essential to keep all these little bits and pieces corralled. A zipper pouch works great, a pencil bag would also work. Here is my tool bag. It has grown over the years but it helps keep the crochet hooks, a pen, my large eye needle and everything else altogether in one place. A few Tools and the Blue Monday Scarf A few Tools and the Blue Monday Scarf

The Blue Monday Scarf

Here is the Blue Monday scarf. Why is it named blue Monday? It was started on one of “those” Mondays, when nothing was going right. Crocheting this scarf was such a joy. The rows added up quickly. Yarn was being used that would some day make someone very happy as opposed to it sitting in my yarn stash gathering dust and adding guilt. Looking at the changes in the colors and how it was so bright and beautiful that I just couldn’t helping smiling and it just changed the whole day. This is why it is named Blue Monday, it can help you overcome the Monday blues!


The luscious fringe and rich vibrant colors just make a beautiful scarf. The best part is that it doesn’t take that much yarn if you choose to buy yarn just for this project.  Though, there are plenty of beautiful yarns out there that would also crochet into your own version of Blue Monday. It is ready to go and in the  Etsy shop and the Studio Shop.

The background

While there doesn’t seem to be much happening here on the blog these days. Quite a bit has been happening in the background and under the surface. I took an online course or two. I’ve been busy uploading all of the photos from the beginning of Chocolate Dog Studio to a new photo manager, sorting and attempting to make them more manageable.A new computer just made this necessary and I couldn’t put it off any more. Home repairs have been huge in the past 6 weeks. A water leak has morphed into this huge now we have to fix this and then that. Also another repair has shown that some major home repairs are on our plate for the coming weeks. Life has been running fast around here.

This has also been a time of planning and thinking about the future and what it holds. Hopefully, there will be some new crochet coming up soon if I get a chance to sit down.

Take care,

Karen

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The Labor Day Sale

Today is the beginning of The Labor Day Sale!

The Labor Day Sale 2018

Why is there a Labor Day Sale? It’s time and there will be a slight increase in item costs in the Etsy shop after September 2.  Instead of just increasing the prices, here is a sale to let you take advantage of the lower prices.

There is a new pattern and new pattern bundles available in both the Etsy shop and the Chocolate Dog Studio shop.

  Blue Monday Scarf

New Pattern Bundles

There are new pattern bundles on the horizon. I love pattern bundles. They save money and allow you to really explore a stitch combination before you move on to another. These new pattern bundles are obvious pairings. Like the two eyelet scarves. Many of the same colors are used in both and the stitch is the same. Since neither scarf uses a whole skein of yarn, there is no reason not to crochet both!The Labor Day Sale 2018

The patchwork heart afghan and patchwork pillow are another pattern bundle that just makes sense and saves your $. Together they make a great statement for Valentine’s day or to show someone that you love them. Pick their favorite colors and your favorite yarn and get started.

These are two of my favorite new pattern bundles and I hope to put together many more.

Check out these patterns at the Etsy shop!

 

Talk to you later,

Karen

 

 

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Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge

Do you remember the Use Your Stash Challenges? Earlier this summer I started the Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge all at the same time. Yarn and partially finished projects have been filling my Studio boxes and making it hard to work, find what I need and let’s not talk about the GUILT.

  • from not finishing that afghan.
  • from wasting money on yarn that I will never use.
  • from too many unfinished objects (UFOs) filling up my crochet space.
  • from ____________ you fill in the blank.

It is bad when the  guilt is so obvious that my friend noticed. She looked at the stuff. Heard my plea for help and said “You need another Challenge” and something that sounded like “you have already started the challenge by crocheting all those scarves this past week. Why not give do another?”

It’s good to have  an encourager in your life. She is one of mine and she is awesome.

Here is the Challenge. Ta Dah……

The Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge.

No acronym, no cool title, no rules- except just get started. The goal is to use your yarn,get things completed, out of storage and to get rid of the guilt. Here is what I have been working on during the challenge.  It is totally unplanned, fun and random. Crochet by the seat of the pants with some creative repurposing of crochet blanket starts and several”why did I Start this project”. There were also several “Oh I have tons of this yarn left…. what can I make out of it” – projects that look nicer than I could have dreamed. I have also been buying yarn to finish projects as I go. It is nice to finally have so many finished projects rather than the huge storage box of UFOs that I did have.

Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge

Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge

Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge

Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge

Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge

There are three of the black granny square scarves but one photo works for today. There are at least 4 more scarves in the works. They need everything from borders, blocking to photography and listings written. Several new patterns have developed that need writing and editing but the yarn backlog is finally getting smaller.

Life

Life is more chaotic than normal this summer and is wiping out the time spent on pretty much everything to do with the Studio. Just normal everyday things like water leaks, birthdays, going to lunch with your Mom, spending time with Grandkids and then an unusual one or two like Hubs had surgery. He is doing quite well but the recovery is going to take a longer time than we had planned. While crochet has been happening there just hasn’t been a bigger span of time to write a blog post, edit a pattern or photograph the scarves. I hope to get the chaos resolved in the coming weeks.

Talk to you later,

Karen

P.S. You can read one of the other challenge rules here if you like more structure: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/?s=Use+Your+Stash+Challenge