Afghans on the brain

1 down, 27 to go...

I don't know why, but I've been on an afghan kick lately. Maybe it's the season (winter demands an afghan on every chair and at the end of every bed), maybe it's because I haven't made one in a year and boy, are there some good patterns out there. Unfortunately, because afghans take so long, being on an afghan "kick" really just means I'm daydreaming about a dozen and praying that I have the stamina to finish just one.

I'm making this rose throw from the March/April 2010 Crochet Today. It's my first "pieced" afghan, made up of individual blocks that have to be sewn together. This method is a lot more time consuming than an afghan worked in one piece, but also easier to work on in the interim (more portable), and with way more design possibilities. Right now I have all of the center rosettes done, and 9 of the 28 blocks fully stitched. I imagine it'll be another month or so, at least, before the whole thing is complete and festooning the back of my couch.

In the meantime, I'm dreaming of other afghans. I have two weddings coming up for which I'd like to make afghans, so I've been browsing and bookmarking other patterns. For your stitching pleasure, here are a few I've collected, all free:

• Blackberry Salad striped baby blanket from Moogly. I LOVE the bobbles and the bright colors. I've never been a huge fan of pastels, even for babies, and the colors she chose are just so pretty and fun. And of course the color and striping possibilities are endless.
• The Lazy Hobbyhopper combines two of my favorite things by demonstrating how to crochet a granny ripple. I don't think I've ever seen that done before, but I love the effect. I can't wait to try it out on a project of my own.
• This isn't quite an afghan tutorial on its own, but Eggbird's springtime hexagon pattern would make a stunning pieced afghan.
• Lion Brand's website has a ton of free patterns, including dozens (hundreds?) of afghans and throws. I've had this sampler throw bookmarked for quite awhile. In the bright colors they use, it's cheerful and modern; in a more subdued palette (perhaps all one color), it becomes an elegant heirloom piece (like this sampler throw). My parents actually have a similar afghan crocheted by one of my grandmothers. It's a nicely worked sampler piece; unfortunately, it was made entirely in shades of orange. Ahh, the seventies...
• Speaking of heirloom pieces, what about this stunning Magnolia afghan? That center panel is just beautiful. Normally I'm not a big fan of variegated yarn, but I think it works nicely here.

I haven't even began to browse Ravelry's afghan patterns; I'm afraid if I do that, I'll spend the rest of my life stitching blankets and nothing else.

What have you been making lately? Anybody else out there with afghan fever?

Amigurumi Android

(He's stuck to the computer with velcro.)

My dad is a computer geek, and he loves anything free, open source, and Google-related (especially his Android phone)--so when I saw this free pattern for a crocheted Android robot, I knew I had to make it for him for his birthday.

It was pretty easy and fast to make, and it turned out very cute. I made just a few changes to bethsco's original pattern. Mine has black eyes, not white, because all I had on hand were black safety eyes and I didn't have time to go searching for a white alternative. I used either an E or F hook (I can't remember which) instead of the recommended H hook, in order to make it smaller. I also used Lion Brand's Cotton Ease yarn in lime, which I thought was closer to the color of the actual Android logo.

(Side note: that lime green yarn has been so much more versatile than I ever would have expected when I bought it. It's been the perfect shade for Cthulu, Yoda, and now the Android bot. Go figure!)

Free patterns: cacti

photo from Flickr user Nadia308

I am about to start a brand-new, very exciting, grown-up job. I will have my very own desk and a computer I don't have to share with anyone. This is thrilling.

Naturally, I want to personalize my space a little bit--all the more important since my workspace is a warehouse. It'll be roomy, but not exactly homey. So far, I've got a fun job-related poster, a photo of my handsome fiance, and a small whiteboard with colorful markers for my to-do list. What more could a girl want for her first desk?

Crochet, of course! And also plants. Unfortunately the space doesn't have any windows (and I'm not sure that a potted plant--with dirt and the possibility of bugs--belongs in an art storage warehouse). So real plants are out.

So, I decided to make my first installment of Free Patterns from the Internet all about crocheted plants. Cacti, to be specific. Too cute, right?

The first cactus comes from Ana Paula's Amigurumi Patterns, and features an adorable smile and a sweet bow.

The second pattern comes from Flickr user nadia308, who provides step-by-step photos and instructions. I love the itty-bitty cactus flowers (see photo above). (NB: Nadia's Flickr profile indicates that she's in Australia, so she uses different stitch terminology than the US. Double-check to make sure you're doing the correct stitches.)

You could really have fun with your choice of fibers for these patterns. If there was ever an occasion for green fun fur, this could be it. The right yarn might come pretty close to the actual texture of some cacti (except soft instead of spiky).

And if you want a huggable cactus but don't want to make it yourself, well, that's what Etsy's for. A quick search for "crocheted cactus" turns up 90 results, for patterns and finished objects alike. (And a couple of complete non-sequiturs, but that's what makes web searches fun, right?)