Filet Crochet - Something from the past

 
On an international quilt mailing list that I belong to, for Jewish quilters, someone brought up filet crochet yesterday. Someone else sent an attachment with a photo of a challah cover she made with filet crochet. That prompted me to dig out my filet crochet challah cover that I made almost 30 years ago. We have several challah covers and sort of rotate using them.

Sometime during the year after we were married, we were visiting friends. I was very attracted to the challah cover that she was using and asked her about it. She said that her mother in law made several of them for the children and there's no pattern for it. After some begging, she allowed me to take it home to copy. I sat and charted the whole thing on graph paper.  It is backed with a piece of brown fabric. I don't remember when the wine stains are from and I never tried to get them out. It's probably too late now, they're probably set from being in the drawer for so many years. If I would want to bleach it, I'd have to take off the backing. Too lazy.

(Still no quilting?!?!) (LOL!)


Enjoy!

Debbie

Using up some yarn

Don't forget to stop by the One World One Heart Magic Carpet Ride full of great giveaways. It's on until February 15 and I'm #94 on the list of blogs. Be sure to enter my giveaway there.

I've been so lazy about blogging lately. Maybe some of you have some advice to help me with that?

While I've been working a little bit on many different things, I did finish one project! In an attempt to try to use up some of the huge yarn stash that I have from years ago, I joined a Mystery Crochet-a-long. I discovered something I forgot after so many years of only quilting. When I finish the afghan 'top', it's FINISHED! No need to sandwich, quilt or bind it! Only problem is that it doesn't look like there's any less yarn in the cabinets. 

It does need to be blocked but, here is the finished product. Each square is a different stitch pattern. It was a lot of fun. You should check out Carolyn's Gourmet Crochet blog.

Debbie

Birthday giveaways

Comments on this post are now closed. Thanks to all who entered. 

First, I just want to prove to you that I am working on the second sock, so here’s a photo.

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I also started yet another project, but put it away for the meantime, after making six test blocks. It’s from the Lion Brand blog’s hexagon crochet-a-long. I just couldn’t resist the hexagons!

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My friend Marie is having a giveaway to celebrate her birthday on October 1. She is doing the drawing on October 4, so you still have several days to enter.

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Marie mentions that she is honoring a late friend, Nora Creeach (the founding editor of CQMagOnline,) who used to do a giveaway on her mailing lists every year on her birthday. I actually won something from Nora once! But, I don’t remember what it was. :) I also was privileged to be Nora’s swap partner on one of the mailing lists and received a fantastic tassel from her. It is nine years since the swap and the tassel is still hanging from the lamp on the worktable in my sewing room.

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And now to MY giveaway!

 It’s been a long time since I had a giveaway and I’ve been itching to do another one. I’m lucky to have two birthdays. The one according to the Gregorian calendar was last week and the one according to the Jewish calendar falls out, this year, on next Wednesday, October 7.  

The gift package will include: One Carol Doak foundation paper piecing pattern, her Summer’s Welcome scenic pattern, plus a bunch of over thirty different fancy yarns, in two yard lengths, that are great for embellishments plus an assortment of 20 5” charms of batik fabrics from my stash.

I will use random.org to do the drawing after 6:00 am, my time zone, on October 7. That means you have until midnight, U.S. Eastern Daylight Savings Time, Tuesday, the 6th of October, to enter. 

To give a chance to the bloggers visiting from the Blogger's Quilt Festival (see button in my sidebar), I am extending the giveaway until midnight, Tuesday, October 13.

There are three  different ways to enter, with separate comments for each entry, on this post only.

For your first entry, just leave any comment or choose one of the items that you will be receiving if you win and tell me how you think you may like use it.

For your second entry, scroll down my sidebar until you reach my followers and add yourself as a follower.
For you third entry, mention, and link to, my giveaway on your blog.

Please make sure that your profile, with your email address and link to your blog, is linked to the header of your comments. If your email address is not in your profile, or you post anonymous comments, you MUST leave your email address in your comment. That's the only way I can contact you.


Good luck!

Debbie

How do you hold your yarn?

Be sure to read about the giveaways I’ve entered, at the end of this post.

Recently, Ann, of the Bella Crochet blog, had a post discussing how people hold their yarn or thread when they are crocheting. I do it differently than Ann and thought I’d share a photo of my hand, just like she did. It would be interesting to see how others do it.

I learned to knit and crochet from my grandmother when I was about six or seven years old. I am right handed and I hold it the same for crocheting and for knitting. Some people may do it differently for each.

I recently saw a video on youtube that, if I remember correctly, showed this way of holding the yarn and holding the needle(s) the same way that I do. The demonstrator said that this puts the least stress on the hands and fingers of all the different methods.  Unfortunately, I didn’t save that youtube URL and there are so many knitting videos on youtube!

I’ve also entered a few giveaways today. Here’s the details on them:

QuiltingB29’ Quilt Life is having a giveaway to celebrate her 100th post. She’s giving away eight fat quarters, a book by Marti Michell and a Quilt Journal. Go on over and enter!

Julie of Jaybird Quilts is giving away two giant pincushions to celebrate her newest moda bake shop tutorial. You can have a total of six chances to win!

Kim of Bitty Bits and Pieces is giving away a Charmed Gift Bag like the one she made for her newest moda bake shop tutorial. I have to make some of these bags! If you follow her so very organized point system, you can have up to 22 chances to win!

Have Fun!

Debbie