Lacet Table Runner

Similarly to my last post, I have a family order to complete.  My MIL would like a crocheted table runner.  Now, it might be that I'm just not looking in the right places, but I had a terrible time finding patterns to choose from.  Well, part of that could be because I wanted to continue using up some #10 thread that I already had around the house...

We threw around some patterns and decided on this Lacet Table Runner pattern.  Looks pretty easy, I thought to myself.  Yeah, about that ... one of two things quickly became apparent.  Either I was NOT accomplished enough to read a "vintage" pattern or else the pattern was missing some key elements that I was used to seeing.  Actually, I'm not convinced that it wasn't some of both.

Anyway, after ripping out the same few rows several times, trying to make heads or tails of row 3 (which seems to me like a double row or some such nonsense), and having to wear a bandaid for a few days because I kept stabbing myself with the No. 6 (1.0mm) crochet hook, which is by far the SMALLEST hook I've ever used, I decided to just do it however I wanted to and make notes.  I'm quite happy to say that it's coming along nicely now.

I will be circling back around and putting the updated, non-vintage version of the pattern here on the blog in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled.  I'd love to have a tester or two. :)  Volunteers can comment below and I'll make sure you know when it comes out.  (Is there anyone here that actually follows this blog?  Lol.)

Until next time, may the stitch counts be ever in your favor.

Update - 1/24/29:

Here is the pattern.  I haven't finished mine yet, so I intellectually worked the pattern "backwards" to finish out the ending of the pattern.  I still have another 3' or so to go (ughhhhhhhh)...

Foundation/Row 1: Using a No. 6 steel crochet hook and size 10 crochet cotton, chain 136.  (A tip I learned recently is to chain a few extra because you can always just tink those extra stitches, but it would be a pain if you came up short on the foundation row and had to take out all of row 1!)  DC in 4th chain from hook (counts as first DC here and throughout). 131 DC. (132 DC)

Row 2: Ch 3 (again, counts as first DC). 2 DC.  *Ch 3, sk next two st, sl next st, ch 3, sk next two st, DC. Ch 6, sk next 5 st, DC.* Repeat from * to * nine more times.  Ch 3, sk next two st, sl next st, ch 3, sk next two st, 3 DC. (26 DC, 11 (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, 10 ch-6 sp)

Row 3: Ch 3, 2 DC. *Ch 6, sk (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, DC in DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in DC.* Repeat from * to * nine more times.  Ch 6, sk (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, DC in next 3 DC. (26 DC, 11 ch-6 sp, 10 (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp)

Row 4:  Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in DC. (2 DC in ch-3 sp, DC in sl st, 2 DC in ch-3 sp, DC in DC, 5 DC in ch-6 sp, DC in DC) across to last ch-6 sp.  Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next 3 DC. (2 (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, 121 DC)

Row 5: Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 6, DC in next three DC. (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) across to last 2 DC before the ch-3 sp.  2 DC. Ch 6, DC in next three DC.  (2 ch-6 sp, 66 DC, 55 ch-1 sp)

Row 6: Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next three DC.  (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) across to last 2 DC before the ch-3 sp.  2 DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next three DC.  (2 (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, 66 DC, 55 ch-1 sp)

Rows 7-14: Repeat rows 5 and 6.

Row 15: Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 6. (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) ten times.  (DC in next ch-1 sp, DC in next DC) 34 times. (Ch1, sk next st, DC in next DC) ten times. 2 DC, Ch 6, DC. (2 ch-6 sp, 101 DC, 20 ch-1 sp)

Row 16: Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3. DC in next 3 DC.  (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) ten times. 2 DC. *Ch 3, sk next two st, sl next st, ch 3, sk next two st, DC. Ch 6, sk next 5 st, DC.* Repeat from * to * four more times.   Ch 3, sk next two st, sl next st, ch 3, sk next two st, 3 DC. (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) ten times. 2 DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next 3 DC.  (8 (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, 5 ch-6 sp, 36 DC, 20 ch-1 sp)

Row 17: Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 6, DC in next 3 DC. (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) ten times. 2 DC. *Ch 6, DC in next DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in DC.* Repeat from * to * four more times. Ch 6, DC in next 3 DC.  (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) ten times. 2 DC. Ch 6, DC in next 3 DC. (5 (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, 8 ch-6 sp, 36 DC, 20 ch-1 sp)

Row 18: Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3. DC in next 3 DC.  (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) ten times. 2 DC. *Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in DC. Ch 6, DC in next DC. * Repeat from * to * four more times. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next 3 DC.  (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) ten times. 2 DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next 3 DC. (8 (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, 5 ch-6 sp, 36 DC, 20 ch-1 sp)

Repeat rows 17 and 18 until about 3" short of desired length, ending with row 18.

Ending row 1: Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 6, DC in next 3 DC.  (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) ten times. 2 DC. (2 DC in ch-3 sp, DC in sl st, 2 DC in ch-3 sp, DC in DC, 5 DC in ch-6 sp, DC in DC) five times. 2 DC in ch-3 sp, DC in sl st, 2 DC in ch-3 sp, DC in next 3 DC.  (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) ten times. 2 DC. Ch 6, DC in next 3 DC. (2 ch-6 sp, 101 DC, 20 ch-1 sp)

Ending row 2: Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next three DC.  (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) across to last 2 DC before the ch-3 sp.  2 DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next three DC.  (2 (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, 66 DC, 55 ch-1 sp)

Ending row 3: Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 6, DC in next three DC. (Ch 1, sk next st, DC in next DC) across to last 2 DC before the ch-3 sp.  2 DC. Ch 6, DC in next three DC.  (2 ch-6 sp, 66 DC, 55 ch-1 sp)

Ending rows 4-11: Repeat ending rows 2 and 3.

Ending row 12: Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next 3 DC.  (DC in ch-1 sp, DC in DC) across to last ch-1 sp. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next 3 DC. (2 (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, 121 DC)

Ending row 13: Ch 3, 2 DC. Ch 6, DC in next DC. *Ch 3, sk next two st, sl next st, ch 3, sk next two st, DC. Ch 6, sk next 5 st, DC.* Repeat from * to * eight more times.  Ch 3, sk next two st, sl next st, ch 3, sk next two st, Ch 6, DC in next 3 DC. (26 DC, 10 (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, 11 ch-6 sp)

Ending row 14: Ch 3, 2 DC. *Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next DC. Ch 6, DC in next DC.* Repeat from * to * nine more times. Ch 3, sl in ch-6 sp, ch 3, DC in next 3 DC. (26 DC, 11 (ch-3, sl, ch-3) sp, 10 ch-6 sp)

Ending row 15: (This probably needs to be worked fairly tightly.) Ch 3, 2 DC. (2 DC in ch-3 sp, DC in sl st, 2 DC in ch-3 sp, DC in DC, 5 DC in ch-6 sp, DC in DC) ten times. 2 DC in ch-3 sp, DC in sl st, 2 DC in ch-3 sp, DC in next 3 DC.

FINAL ROW!!!!!  Ch 1, sl st across.  Finish off, weave in ends, block.

Please let me know if you find any mistakes, as I wrote this looking at the work I'd already done rather than writing it down as I go.  I will get it figured out and fixed right away!

Final update 3/24/19:  My table runner has finally been finished, blocked, and delivered.  Here are a couple of pictures of the finished product in its new home!

Blueberry Swirl Cowl

My sister in law wanted me to make her a new hat.  As we all do (well, at least as I do), I got into my stash to see if there was something there that struck her fancy. After narrowing it down to two super bulky yarns, we looked up some different hat patterns.

We settled in on Perky Little Hat by Sharon Lentsch (which is a free Ravelry download) and I got started.  Super quick and easy pattern!  Then came the big problem.  Well, I suppose the second big problem because, I mean --- Have you ever TRIED to tie the string on a pom pom made of super bulky yarn?  It's DEFINITELY a two person job!

Anyway... the big problem.  When you only need to use a little over half of a skein of super bulky yarn, what do you do with the rest of the skein?  You make a matching cowl, weighing the remainder after every round.  I am super excited to share this with you all!

I LOVE how this turned out AND I got to completely use up a whole skein of yarn from my stash with no left overs.

So here's what you need to know:

Abbreviations & Terms:

CO – Cast on

K – Knit

P – Purl

YO – Yarn Over

K2tog – Knit two together

Materials:

• US size 15 circular needles

• Tapestry needle or crochet hook to weave in ends

• Super Bulky yarn – I used 1 skein of Yarn Bee Effortless in “blueberry” to make the cowl and the Perky Little Hat by Sharon Lentsch.

Pattern:

CO 40 using size 15 US needles

Join in round, taking care not to twist. (Here is a link to the way I like to do the join. Joining in the Round) Don’t forget to put in a marker at the beginning of the round!

Round 1: K around

Rounds 2 & 3: P around

Round 4: K around

Rounds 5-??: (YO, K2tog) around. Repeat this row as many times as you like. I did it 13 times. Make sure that you are weighing your yarn as you go. I played yarn chicken and ...

 .... got really lucky!

Repeat rounds 1-4. Bind off. Weave in ends.

I hope you love this pattern!  Feel free to sell items made with this pattern, but please don’t claim it as your own.  If you post any pictures of it, please give me credit for it!

I called it blueberry swirl because the color of the yarn is blueberry and the diagonal lines formed by the K2tog/YO pattern swirl around the hat. And, seriously, Blueberry Swirl sounds like an amazing dessert (or maybe just like the Smurf ice cream I got at King's Island as a kid).

I am anxious to make another one and maybe play with the diagonal patterns a little bit more, so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, hop over to my Etsy shop to check out my very most favorite design, the Twists & Turns Scarf.

Until next time, may the stitch counts be ever in your favor.

Music Momma Arts Sale!

Hello faithful followers!  Check out Music Momma Arts and use the coupon code FACEBOOK15 to get 15% off of your order between now and the end of August! New items were uploaded last week!

Tree of Life Earrings

These and much more! What are you waiting for?  Go check it out!

The Latest and Greatest

I have spent about two weeks working on a custom jewelry order for my Etsy shop (Music Momma Arts).  It was my first custom order for jewelry that wasn't all based on something I'd already made and it was quite an experience.  Our communications were, of course, all via Etsy conversations and I quickly learned that a picture truly IS worth a thousand words. 

So anyway, the bracelet was fairly easy to do (as soon as I found the instructions again).  When I finished that, the customer asked if I'd make a necklace as well.  "Piece of cake," I thought.  HA!!!  Here is the first necklace, but it wasn't what the customer was looking for.  I'm adding one more layer to it, but I ran out of rings. After I finish, it will go up for sale as well.

(FYI, that black stand is about 6" tall, so that's not quite "to scale.")

After some Google pictures were shared, here is the finished product.

Once my creative juices got flowing, I wanted to add some earrings. (More selling power, right?)  Two different designs are shown here, but then I was told that she can't wear heavy earrings.

So in the end, I'm sending this completed set and adding in some super light earrings on the house.  Hopefully she'll love them!

And that, my friends, is two posts in one week. Huzzah!

It's Been a While...

Ok, so it's been two years (since the last time that I sat here at the eLEAD professional development conference), but since I only have 8 followers ... I'm sure you didn't miss it too much.  I just sat with +Kristi Shrode in a session about Adobe Spark. I am excited about using it more for my websites and social media than I am for education, but excited nevertheless.  Here's what I made:

Keep an eye out ... I'm hoping to upload a few new patterns in the next month or two!!

Confession: I'm a Geek

I love music. I love teaching.  I love technology.  I love teaching music and I am occasionally terrified of technology much more than my high schoolers terrify me.  I admit that I am currently sitting at a technology conference for teachers.  Here's my first tweet.

Impressive isn't it?  My husband is sitting beside me making fun of my mad typing skills.  My brain is feeling completely overloaded with all of the information that I have received in the last 36 hours.  In the middle of the session about Google Sites, I gave up and just started jotting down notes in the body of my new website which is probably somewhere in the abyss of the internet, being accessed by a creeper in the middle of nowhere instead of being offline like I mean it to be.  Information is overwhelming.

Let's see, some of the tools that I've learned about (so that I can remember them in the future):

Twitter (I've finally succumbed to this)
Aurasma
Quiver
Shazam
Google Classroom
Musictheory.net
Google Sites
Storify.com
Formative
Kahoots (Check out my second tweet. I won!)

(OK, I admit that I find it a bit creepy that all of these people tweeted the picture of my name.)

Do you have favorite teaching apps that would work for music? I'm in one of those moods right now that I would like to explore tons of different things.  Is there anyone out there that would like to be a geeky music teacher with me?

Sundays with Suna

This is my first attempt at creating and writing a knitting pattern.  I made this hat for my daughter Susanna (nicknamed Suna by her two year old brother).  Of course, she is in the 97th percentile for head circumference, so it BARELY fits.  I blame her daddy for her big head. :)

(Isn't she the cutest thing ever?!)

Below is the pattern.  Please let me know if you run across any problems in the pattern.  I'm new to this!  Happy knitting!

Be sure to add it to your Ravelry queue by clicking here:

Sundays with Suna on Ravelry

Also check out my other patterns in my Etsy store:

Music Momma Arts