Day or Night?

Night or Day?

                                Personally speaking, as long as it's by the water, it's all good!

Just as moons can be different colors, your Coral Reef Homespun has wide gradations of colors.

The Vanna's Choice sun has picot rays all around, not present in the Moon on the Water HS version. The HELP will show you how.

The link to all is here:

http://www.mainlycrochet.org/store/p345/Sixth_By_The_Sea_CAL_Square.html

ONLY ONE SQUARE THIS WEEK! This will give you plenty of time to catch up- weave in those loose ends, or even join the first and last rows together. I'm suggesting using the sc join method, using Hepplewhite for the HS version, and a simple overhand sewing stitch, using White, for the VC version. Also, a bit of rest is appropriate, as next week, we're doing 4 Landscape squares, and you'll learn, if you don't know already, how to change colors across a row to make a pattern both by words and by using a chart.

But for now,

Music to stitch by:https://youtu.be/FscIgtDJFXg

OR

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g2k5D-oq2hM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

OR

https://youtu.be/gytmVi-Wh5w

Enjoy!

Beach Glass

                                      
Bits of color on the beach- who doesn't feel like treasure has been found when finding a piece of smoothly worn beach glass?

A Cheryl Troyan Pelis photo of a piece of beach glass from my hometown of Riverhead.

This week's square celebrates the most precious color of beach glass there is - purple!
The colors we're using are Homespun Petunia Stripes and Vanna's Choice Eggplant for the centers of our four corners. The HS version is more tropically colored, while the VC version is definitely more coast of Maine!

The HELP I did for this one is done with the VC, the better to see where the stitches are.

 The color changes incorporate what you've learned so far, both the fasten off and attach a new color, as you did with the Multi Granny and the travelling that you did in the Full Granny. The stitches are in different combinations, but they are stitches you know. And, as always, it's one stitch at a time!

If you are behind, you'll be happy to know that next week it's one square only- the center of it all. There is a slight difference  between the HS and VC versions- the HS version has a moon and the VC has a sun. This will give you a chance to catch up- or maybe not.... since the corners here will finish off the top and bottom rows (see your construction chart!) I'll show you how I'm joining. Don't want anyone to have idle hands!
Here is the link for the pattens, the help, and the construction diagram......
http://www.mainlycrochet.org/store/p343/Fifth_BTS_CAL_Square-Beach_Glass.html

Remember, Life's a Beach!

A Tale of Intelligence over Art

                                                        The best laid plans......
I had to be close to Pemaquid today, so I figured, I'll take some unedged photos.

Carrying the afghan on my back and the camera in my hand, I realized after I maneuvered the treacherous stone stairway down to the rocks that retreat was the best I was going to be able to hope for.

I was barely able to lay the piece out on the rocks and keep my balance, so I chose to take what energy I had left and head back along the rocky path to the picnic tables, preferring to actually be able to get back and not end up wrapped up in my afghan out on the rocky ledge!

                           Next attempt will be in a little more civilized place, with some help!

                                                 Still, it was a beautiful day!

Changing Colors

A question yesterday made me think that it would be a good idea to show how I change color.....

I have intentionally changed the color from the square, hoping these colors would make the changes more visible..

You can see above the very last step towards completing the last sc of Row 1 One of the Waves Square. Don't go any further than this!

As you can see above in the next photo, you will finish off that last sc by changing color- pull the new color to complete the sc instead of the color you started with.

You will just continue with the new color as the pattern directs.

You have changed color, when you worked the Multi Granny, but that involved fastening off and attaching a new color.

Next week's color changes are done that way as well(beach glass), but further along....

we'll be doing changing colors within a back and forth row (landscape squares)

while the whirlpool squares change color circularly, and then there's intarsia too...

which is different in that it sets up blocks of colors that don't really mix.

What can I say, but you asked for it?! By the time your CAL squares are done, you'll have learned several types of colorwork!

Take deep breaths, ask questions, and remember that it really is always one stitch at a time!

Waves

"it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins, the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came."
                                 - John F. Kennedy

This week's squares are waves of color, worked in zig zaggy shell stitches in changing colors.

Squares not entirely finished, but yet attached You can tell that though the Homespun colors are the same progression, they look slightly different due to the coloration changes of the yarn. If you check out the construction chart, and have kept up so far, next week's squares will get us a complete first and last row. But that's next week. first this week, it's time to make some waves!
The link is here:
http://www.mainlycrochet.org/store/p342/Fourth_Square_for_the_By_The_Sea_CAL-_Waves_Square_pattern.html

Enjoy!

The Travellers

OK, last week, you made 4 multi colored grannies. This week, you'll be making 4 full grannies as well, but this time, they will be all one color (except for the edging). That's what I  mean by full grannies- instead of changing colors every rnd, you will be using the same color throughout. The good news about these full  grannies is that they have many fewer loose ends.

Just in case you forgot!

They are basically the same as the multi grannies except that instead of changing color, the same yarn travels over to the corner and it is worked there . There is a Full Granny Help for those who are still new to Grannyville. If you don't read the help, do still keep in mind that not changing colors every rnd will give you a faster "flow" to your stitching- a really good thing, but also something to pay attention to in terms of your gauge. It is very easy to stitch tighter or looser than the Multi Squares, simply because they are much quicker to stitch (guess how I know this?) Don't be upset by this, but do watch out for it. Change hook size if need be.
All links are here:
 http://www.mainlycrochet.org/store/p341/Third_Square_for_By_The_Sea_CAL-_Full_Granny.html

My box never got here (at least, not yet!) so my second Homespun rendition is done except for the edging and decent photographs. While I'm not really complaining about the full sun and warmth out there today, it does not make for a good photo taking day.  Just a taste here to let you see how many new techniques and patterns there are still to learn. This week's easy one ends the truly simple stitching, so enjoy the calm before the storm!