Poplar Leaf Embossed Dishcloth

by Kelly

For quite a while now, I've been working on an afghan using embossed dishcloth patterns as afghan squares.

I'm using autumn colors (red, orange, yellow and browns) and patterns for leaves, including a maple leaf and an oak leaf. But then I got bored, and couldn't find another leaf pattern that I liked. So I made my own!

I wanted to use yellow yarn, so I did a Google search for yellow leaves, and found elm leaves and poplar leaves. The elm leaf design I drew up looked even more boring than more maple leaves, so I tried the poplar, and was much happier.

Poplar Leaf

 I made my squares using Caron Simply Soft in Sunshine and size 8 needles. I love this yarn - it comes in gorgeous colors and is wonderfully soft and shiny, and machine washable since it's acrylic.
So here's the pattern. I don't have anyone to test knit this, so keep an eye out for any mistakes or typos. If you find any, please let me know in the comments and I'll correct the pattern. Thanks!

Don't sell or reproduce the pattern except for personal use. If you'd like to make and sell items using this pattern, please feel free. After all, you'll be doing the hard part - the actual knitting.

Here's the link to the pattern. This will send you to Scribd, which is hosting all our PDF's.

New Crochet Techniques - Colorwork

by Kelly

Just when I thought I had finally figured out this whole crochet thing, I stumbled across a few new techniques that totally blew my mind...

First, how about this jogless crochet technique for amigurumi by NeedleNoodles...

Needlenoodles

Then there's this invisible finish technique from Crochet Cabana, which uses the same method to get rid of that little jog that has always bugged me in crochet rounds...

and, for those of you who have already mastered the above techniques, how about a little Intarsia colorwork? And here I thought Intarsia could only be done in knitting - color me wrong! Of course, you have to be able to crochet with both left and right hands... or at least, that's how it's done by Carol Ventura...

She makes it look so easy! Myself, I think I'll stick with knitted colorwork. But if you'd like to give it a try, here's a great page of patterns for Tapestry Crochet. The cat pillow below is also from Carol Ventura, and looks especially awesome.

It's kind of like Assisi work, which is an embroidery technique. Even better, it's available for righties and lefties! Of course, which hand you prefer  doesn't matter so much, if you have to be ambidextrous to finish the pillow.
Carol Ventura does make the suggestion that a lefty and a righty could work together to finish a project. But that raises the question of who gets the finished pillow. Maybe that would only be an idea for good friends.