Sweet Violets Galore

Sweet Violets are blooming in little patches all around our house. (Confederate Violet above, Common Blue Violet below) I just read that they contain natural aspirin. The herbalist in me wants to go pluck them right up and brew a concoction, but I'm going to enjoy the blossoms a few more days before I succomb to that urge.
Thanks, Y'all, for all the nice comments on the crochet patterns. (Another Sweet Violet in lilac above.) What happened with all the pattern makin'? I'd searched for free crochet cloth patterns on Ravelry & was surprised to find how few there were in worsted weight cotton; so my little ol' brain started spinnin' (out of control) to help remedy the (tragic) situation.
Sigh. I figure I've done my duty now, so... back to selfish knitting for myself... :)

I started this knit shawl from a pattern I found in an old Peter Rabbit book, but I can't seem to get it just right. The directions are in English English, not American English so I'm having to assume a lot. This is just one part; there are sides to be added after the center section is completed. It's a tad complicated. I've started it in dk weight, Cotlin from Knitpicks on the left & Wool-Ease worsted weight yarn on the right..don't yet know which I'll end up completing.
Meanwhile, I'm crocheting this lovely shawl from Knottie by Nature on Ravelry. The pattern begins at the wide end so it won't be too awful long 'til it will be finished.
Here's my sweet potato at four weeks...it's just starting to vine out a bit.
We're already enjoying green onions from my little "outside the kitchen door herb garden." These were left in the ground from some I'd planted last year.I've already made salsa with a few of them. Dgd #2 loves them in ramen noodles. This patch of dead nettle  is in the backyard under a wisteria vine. I know some folks call it a weed, but do you see all those tiny purple flowers? I'm thinkin' it's a flower. Hope you're enjoying springtime as much as I am, Y'all.

Sweet Violet Cloth *

*Corrected - 3/27/08

Sweet Violet Cloth - Crochet

Size 8 in. x 8 in.

Materials:
1 ball worsted weight cotton yarn
Size G crochet hook

Ch 35

Row 1: 1 dc into 4^th ch from hook, * skip 2 ch, 5 dc in next ch, skip 2 ch, 1 dc in each of next 2 ch. Repeat from * to last 3 ch, skip 2 ch, 3 dc in last ch, ch 3, turn.

Row 2: 1 dc between first 2 dc, * 5 dc between the single 2 dc, 1 dc between 2^nd and 3^rd of 5c cluster , 1 dc between 3^rd and 4^th of same 5 dc cluster. Repeat from * to the end. 3 dc between last dc & turning ch, ch 3, turn.

Repeat row 2 until cloth measures 7.5 inches square.

Sc evenly around all sides working 3 sc in corners.

Break yarn & weave in ends.

Copyright © 2008 Toni in the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, All Rights Reserved

Tulip Stitch Cloth

Tulip Stitch Dishcloth - Crochet

Size: 8 in. x 8 in.

Materials:
1 ball worsted cotton yarn
Size G crochet hook or size needed for a fairly tight gauge.

Chain 35
Row 1: 3 dc into 4th ch from hook, *skip 3 ch sts, (1 sc, ch 3, 3 dc) into next ch, rep from * to the last 4 ch, skip ch 3, sc into last ch, ch 3, turn.

Row 2: 3 dc in first sc, * (1 sc, ch 3, 3 dc) into ch 3 loop, repeat from * to the last loop, 1 sc in last loop, ch 3, turn.

Repeat row 2 fourteen times for a total of 16 rows. At the last loop on row 16 do not turn; *sc in loop, ch 3, 3 dc. Repeat from * around three sides. Remember to crochet over beginning yarn as you round that corner.

End with 1 sc in base of beginning tulip stitch on row 16.

Break yarn & weave in end.

Copyright © 2008 Toni in the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, All Rights Reserved

Blossom Stitch Cloth

Blossom Stitch Dishcloth w/ Picot Edging - Crochet

Measurements: 8 in. x 8 in.
Materials: 1 ball worsted weight cotton yarn
Size G crochet hook or hook required for good stitch definition

Note: Picot stitch - ch 3 or 4 , sl in first ch

Ch 39
Row 1: (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc) into 3rd ch from hook, sk 1 ch, sc into next ch. *skip 1 ch, (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc) into next ch, sk 1 ch, 1 sc into next ch, repeat from * to end of row. Ch 2, turn.

Row 2: *1 dc into sc, ch 1, sc into ch sp, ch 1, repeat from * to end, 1 dc into turning ch of previous row. Ch 2, turn.

Row 3: *(1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc) into sc, 1 sc into dc, repeat from * to the end of row, working last sc into turning chain of previous row. Ch 2, turn.

Repeat (rows 2 & 3) x10 or till work measures 7.5 inches lengthwise.
Do not turn on the last row. Work picot in corner & continue down left side of cloth:

*Sl 3, picot, repeat from * around all sides. Break yarn & weave in ends.

Copyright © 2008 Toni in the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, All Rights Reserved

Happy Birthday...Southern Style

We celebrated Youngest's birthday over the weekend. These little white crocuses swayed in the breeze all the while.
It took a mere 4 hours to prepare her favorite cake for the celebratory supper. (It's supper in the South, Y'all.) Anyways, the cake of choice was a favorite of Gen. Robert E. Lee and named accordingly. It required a full dozen eggs, much grating of lemon & orange peels and some of the juice, too. Oh yes, it was well worth all the effort.
The batter rose pretty well with eight of those dozen eggs folded in. The two layers were then cooled & split crosswise to be filled with Lemon Jelly Filling...the rest of the eggs here.
Topped with Lemon-Orange Frosting and a sprinklin' of coconut it was ready for the big day. (Maybe, the General would have approved.) What else did we have for supper, you ask? Youngest wanted a supper of Southern Fried Chicken with homemade biscuits and gravy.
Sorry, they were gone before I thought to snap a picture. Just try to imagine them if you will.
Okay...after all, this is a knitting blog; a Ballband dishcloth. Great for cleaning up after any celebration ; knit with Cool Breeze Ombre worsted cotton.
I started a sweet potato vine to pretty-up the windowsill in my kitchen. This is two week's growth. If you'd like to start one just suspend the pointy end of a sweet potato in a jar of water with toothpicks; then step back and watch it grow. Knit & plant like there's no tomorrow, Y'all! ;)

Daffodilly Spring

The grandgals picked these daffodils from the pasture yesterday.
I've been catching up on dishcloth knitting the past week. They do make nice little gifts, afterall. This is the Empty Tomb cloth by Lindy. (Check out her blog; she's quite a talented , young knitter/designer.) I had a good chuckle over the little ruckus this dishcloth pattern stirred up when presented on the Monthly Dishcloth KAL group. Nothing changes, that's for sure. The real empty tomb has stirred up a lot of thinkin' for many years now & rightfully so.
Peaches & Cream Daisy Ombre yarn for mindless knitting...it's a good thing.
My version of Sue Schaefer's Finders Keepers cloth from Monthly Dishcloths, also.
More mindless knitting with P&C Strawberry Cream.
A few little crocuses wavin' bye till next week.....have a knittily meaningful week, Y'all. :)

Hello March

These daffodils in our pasture are the first ones we've seen this year. They started popping out last week during a snow flurry, but today they're really enjoying our 65 degrees F weather. The lovely weather will surely change in a few days, though, so we're enjoying it while we can. I've been knitting a lot the past week, but I'm not finished with a cute little blue something on my needles so I can't show that till next week. In the meantime...What's this? you ask. Psycho(delic) sausage links? _snickers_ No, they're knitted hair curlers! (Go ahead and click for a better pic.) Nifty, huh. I knitted them using leftover yarn & the free pattern from Mombot Companion. The curlers are easy to make & very soft so you can sleep quite comfortably in them. How innovative is this?
Now, here they are in a synchronized spiral formation...
Synchronized seahorse formation...
And lastly, the synchronized seahorse swirly romp. I'm thinking about entering them in the Olympics in Seoul. What do you think?
Granddaughter #1 has been busy designing a few things herself. She's been making dog collars for some of her stuffed toys, and here she's modeling a crocheted bracelet with a cute little flower.It, also, doubles as a headband for her little Husky buddy. Cute, huh.
Until next week, Y'all, knitlikeyoumeanit!