Poor, Neglected Kitty

I haven't worked on these squares lately, but need to get back to them soon! There are still eighteen Hello Kitty squares here. Fourteen need faces, and then they will be done.  Total squares on the table - thirty!

On another note, check out my tutorial for JAYG - or joining squares as you go. I'm not using it on the kitties, as they are going to be donated to Love-Squared, mixed in with other squares, to make awesome blankets for homeless children here in Toledo.  

I did use JAYG on the granny patches blanket, which is now getting a border! FINALLY! I'll post a "ta-da" photo when it's done.  In the meantime, here's a picture of the work in progress...

See that nice, flat join? Yup, that's what you get with JAYG. It's also great for self-blocking, as it pulls the squares into shape.  If you haven't tried it - it's time to give it a go.  You won't be sorry!

Hello Kitty!

What have you been working on?  I've got 18 of these in progress.  Faces will be added at the end. For the pattern, go here.  Made by K provides an excellent tutorial for making Hello Kitty squares, as part of a scarf project (which I made a few months ago.)

To get 8 inch squares, I added an extra "granny" row, and either a row of single or half double crochet, depending on the yarn. Some of this yarn is Red Heart, which required the single crochet edge, while the I Love This Yarn needed a half double crochet edge to make the same size.

To make her bow, I made rectangles of single crochet... 4 rows of 12 sc. Leave long ends to weave into the center, wrap around for the middle of the bow, and tie off at the back. Stitch into place.

Here's a picture of the scarf I made for my niece. 

The Week in Review

Crochet things....

8 inch squares for Love Squared.....

Here is a link to the directions for the spiral square!

More for Love Squared, and about 15 Hello Kitty faces, waiting to be made into squares.

My sweet Gertie-bird. This week, we took her to the vet for extensive testing. She has not been feeling well and has developed facial sores, lost the hair on her face, and seems weak. Gertie is having a hard time getting up and down the stairs, and even just jumping up on the couch. We hope to get to the bottom of this in the next week or so, when all her test results come back.  Keep positive thoughts for a diagnosis that is easily cured and managed!  Gertie is a Newfoundland/Golden Retriever mix. She is the sweetest pup on the planet.

Animal Squares

Obviously, these squares haven't been blocked, so they look a bit wonky in these pictures.  I wanted to get them posted anyway. I'm impatient like that! They will be given to Love Squared and included in blankets for homeless children.

Hello Kitty - followed these instructions.  I improvised the bow, making a rectangle from a few rows of half double crochets, then wrapping and tying yarn around the middle. Super easy.

This lion pattern is an Anne Halliday design from Color-Bright Creatures, published by Leisure Arts. The original design is done in a hexagon.  I'll be making more animal shapes from this book over time, as it includes really cute piggies, frogs, birds, turtles, bears, and puppies. Great for including in kid's blankets and for using up leftover yarn!

Looks like the faces on both squares are tilted just a little. Guess I'll have to be a little more careful about that on the next one.

Same as above, but with a larger crochet hook, so the design is a bit bigger.  He still needs a face!

Hello Kitty Hats

hello kitty hats, a photo by ElizabethTore on Flickr.

This was a quick, easy hat to whip together. I used a J hook for the larger hat, which is large enough to fit an adult. The smaller hat is for a 5 yr old, and I used an I hook.

The pattern is from Crochet in Color.

Hello Kitty Scarf

Hello Kitty Scarf, a photo by ElizabethTore on Flickr.

Finished this cute scarf for my niece, following this tutorial by K.

The pattern was fairly easy, with good instructions.