Colorful blanket

The blanket that I have been working~ <3

I use Stylecraft's Lucy pack, blocks are from book : 200 crochet blocks author: Jan Eaton. Great book, highly recommended.

Margaret's Scarf

Yarn : 10 ply yarn = Worsted 4 / 8 ply

Hook size : 6.50mm hook / 5.00mm

Measurement:  

10 ply yarn 

-- approx 8 1/2" width for child scarf

-- approx 6 1/2" width for adult scarf. If it is too wide for your liking, down size your  hook.

8ply yarn 

-- Approx 5inch children size

-- Approx 7 1/2 inch adult size

US terminology

Abbreviation:

sc - single crochet

dc - double crochet

st - stitch

ch - chain

Level : Intermediate to Advance Intermediate

 

*** Please get familiar with the pictorial, it is to help you learn this new stitch. The picture shows where to put the hook through. The decrease row shows you where to skip the 2 stitch that we have increase to make this stitch puff. Please watch carefully where you should skip your 2 stitch to even out the stitch count number or you will end up skipping too many and it will be uneven.

 

Margaret's Double Crossed Stitch Explanation :

Increase Row:
Skip one stitch and go into next stitch and make 2 DC. 2DC into the stitch we skipped from behind of the first 2DC we have just worked.

Pic 1

Pic 2

Decrease row:
chain 1, turn, sc into same st, sc just before the first set of puffy stitch, skip 2 st (PIC 1) and sc the next st (PIC 2), repeat to end of row. Here you can see you skip the 2SC to obtain the puff and even out the fabric from the previous increase row.

. 

Margaret's Scarf  -- Child / Adult

Instruction

Row 1 - Start with slip knot and chain 20 / 30 (ch20 for child size, ch30 for adult size)

Row 2  - DC into 4th chain from the hook (count as 1st dc) and DC across (18/28)

Row 3 - chain 3, turn, make Margaret's Double Cross Stitch into next 2 stitches to end of row, 1dc on the top of ch3 previous row. (8/13 group of Margaret's Double Cross  Stitch) (34/54 stitch count)

Row 4 - chain 1, turn, sc into same st, skip 2 st and sc the next st, *sc the next 1 st, skip 2 st and sc the next st* repeat to end of row, last sc into top of last chain from previous row, (18/28)

Row (last) - Ch3, turn, dc to the end. (18/28)

Repeat row 3 and 4 until you are satisfied with the length. I crocheted 51inches long, cut the yarn, fasten it and sew in the tails.

Copyright: This pattern may be printed for personal use only. You MAY NOT in any form reproduce or distribute this pattern in part or in whole through any venue, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without written authorization of the publisher. You are granted permission to sell the finished product for profit on limited basis only. I wouldn't mind if you would like to credit me in your work. I want to thank many friends who have contributed in testing this pattern and correcting grammar mistakes that I have made. Thank you in advance for choosing this pattern.

This is a pattern written and designed by Miki Wilkins. I wrote this pattern in honor for my mother in law Margaret because that was how I accidentally made up this stitch from making her a pot holder. If you have any questions regarding the pattern feel free to contact me. You can find me on

Facebook at : www.facebook.com/Mikiscraftycorner

Blog:  http://mikicrafty.blogspot.com.au/

Ravelry: Mikicrafty

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mikicrafty

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MIkiCorner/

Email: muiyee78@gmail.com

Have fun hooking! :)

Strawberry Shortcake Lalaloopsy

I was approached by my client just before Christmas to make her because she ordered a Monkey who wear scarf and The Very Cranky Bear. She wanted the Lalaloopsy to be a mix of Strawverry Shortcake and Lalaloopsy. She gave me a picture of Strawberry Shortcake and put down pull amount so I can make this cutie.

 Here is the picture of The Very Cranky Bear and The Monkey Who Wear Scarf.

Rainbow unicorn is on the far left.

Alas, I did. She turned out GORGEOUS! Everyone loves her, even my girls who watched the whole process wanting to hug her. When I shared her on my facebook page : Miki's Crafty Corner it went viral. I follow the based pattern from AdoraBellaPlushies. I changed the boots bigger, the rest is the same other than her clothes and headband.

It's wonderful she is being loved and cared for~

Margaret's Double Cross Stitch Pot Holder

Yarn : 8 ply cotton, you can use pure wool if you like.
Hook size : 4.00mm hook for 8ply cotton, 5mm hook for pure wool
Measurement: 8ply cotton: approx 7" Pure Wool: Approx 7"
US terminology
Abbreviation:
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
st - stitch
ch - chain
Level : Intermediate to Advance Intermediate
 
Margaret's Double Cross Stitch :
Yarn over, skip one stitch and go into next stitch and make 2 dc. Yarn over, 2dc into the stitch we skipped from behind of the first 2dc we have just worked.
 
Instruction
Row 1 - Start with slip knot and chain 30
Row 2 - DC into 3rd chain from the hook and DC across (28 stitches first chain not counted here and throughout the pattern)
Row 3 - chain 3, turn, double crochet into same stitch, *dc, make Margaret's Double Cross Stitch,* repeat from * to * until the remaining 3 stitches, dc into the remaining 3 stitches.
Row 4 - chain 1, turn, sc into same st, sc next 3 st, skip 2 st and sc the next st, *sc the next 2 st, skip 2 st and sc the next st* repeat to end of row
Row 5 - 20 - Repeat row 3 and 4
Row 21 - chain 3, turn, DC into same stitch, repeat DC to the end of row.
Row 22 - chain 1, turn, repeat sc to end of row
Row 23-41 - repeat Row 21 and Row 22 Please leave a long tail for sew in the piece.
Edging - Fold the piece into half and sew around the edge, last st ch 10 and slip stitch into bottom of the stitch.

Copyright: This pattern may be printed for personal use only. You MAY NOT in any form reproduce or distribute this pattern in part or in whole throught any venue, electronic, merchanical or otherwise without written authorization of the publisher. You are granted permission to sell the finished product for profit on limited basis only. I wouldn't mind if you would like to credit me in your work. Thank you in advance for choosing this pattern.

This is a pattern wrote and designed by Miki Wilkins. I have wrote this pattern in honor for my mother in law Margaret because that was how I accidentally made up this stitch from making her a pot holder. If you have any question regarding the pattern feel free to contact me. 

You can find me on
Facebook at : www.facebook.com/Mikiscraftycorner
Raverly: Mikicrafty
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mikicrafty
Email: muiyee78@gmail.com
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MIkiCorner/
Have fun hooking! :)

Miki's Crafty 2013 look back

After a long idle, I wasn't idle. I have been very busy on facebook. My last rant back 2012 Jun, only to find out I attempted to crochet BUT failed to do so because I didn't know what I was doing. Yes I was struggling, much more than now. I was mentally wasn't in the right place to do what I wanted to do, to achieve what I wanted to achieve. I was not focus. Looking back the 2012 me, I find myself today more confidence, more focus and more determine. I absolutely enjoy what I do now, I am beginning to see where I want to go in 5 years.

After the failed Jun 12 attempt, I stop crochet till Dec where I told myself JUST DO IT! Shhhhh Nike don't sue me for copyright! Since 2012 Dec, I have not stop crochet. I work very hard to get a grip what I was doing, many hours to how to make sense from this stupid string of fiber and hook. I was told, crochet is a SKILL and worst come to worst, FROG IT. Oh yes, there is no loss in crochet, nothing is ruin unless you said so!

There, there was my whole 2013, keep telling myself to hook it hook it HOOK IT!7 I use my last 2013 project picture to end my 2013 look back. It was a great year of discovering new skill, and new me. Thank you 2013. Welcome 2014, more hooks and yarn, more creativity juice producing~

Struggling

I find myself struggling keeping sales up, I don't know... Maybe it has something to do with my negative emotion that I keep failing to control lately. I bet stuff I made are not happy when I feel like crap! I haven't work much lately, my husband keep telling me I shouldn't treat this as a business and should stay as hobby as it's not making profit. I don't know what to do, I am frustrate that he is not backing me up. I am frustrate that I am losing patience with people who placed order but not replying messages. I am frustrate over am I not doing enough or I have over done? I know nobody is going to give me advice in such matter, prob just tell me to quit or move on to different things like my husband suggested. Maybe I should, I don't know! I tried crocheting and get criticize at and I blame myself for quick sharing. My regular customers aren't ordering, what have I done wrong? Is it because I told people that I treat this as a hobby considering my price is way too cheap? Or maybe because my design is no longer attractive? What should I change and where should I go????? T_T Depress and sad all around... I do feel like living in an isolated island lately, sigh... I hate this me. I want to cry, but I've lost the ability to do so...

Random +1

Hello, I figure since I have been living for the past 33 years and done nothing really spanktastic I should start blogging to write my stories for people who wants to know me and for my children to read who is their mum when they grow up. Who knows if the site will survive by then. :)

I find it difficult to control what I want to say at times, terribad habit. Please don't mind my cyberslang as I have been online since I was 17. Uh huh, almost half of my life has been spent ONLINE haha. What I want to say is, I can't be bother to change who I am. My parents think I should be different and I have always not live up to their standard, think they given up trying tho.

>.< I have dishes to do, clothes to hang, baby who just fell asleep on my chest atm and my other daughter's room is like a bomb just exploded! -_- Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... I want today to be over so I can actually gain some game time for tomorrow! YES TOMORROW IS DIABLO III RELEASE DAY! Hahhahaha, oh wait gamerz r loser? Get a grip, it's call take your mind off things that bothers you! What bothers me? Being separate with my eldest for the past 9 years is very bothering me! Me think I have been being better since she likes calling me and chit chat with me for random things as well as being able to see her in couple of weeks really helps my mind. Oh oh oh, my crafting which I don't really treat it as business also helps me heaps! There are fair a few ladies would like me to treat it seriously as a business but I don't know if I should or not. I treat it casually as hobby at the same time I want it to become a stable income as my husband don't work back to uni and I am looking after the little ones at home. Then again, that means I will have to jack up the price to pay for expenses such as running a website, shopping cart addon, name cards, stickers, packaging so on and so forth which I don't think I am put enough thoughts and effort into it YET! I enjoy making them as a hobby and want it to be affordable for many SAHM. I went to Diva last night and found out my price is quite under what they would sell in a margin especially when most of the orders are custom orders.

Ah well, at the moment we have enough to feed our children and NOT IN HUGE DEBT! So that's +1 yay!!!

So... writing this makes me feel dumb as who in their right mind would read this?????? @_@