266 Pieces. Done.

I am finally done crocheting all 266 motif pieces of the queen-sized bedspread I started last year. And this is how I monitored my count.

One word. Excel.

I am a sucker for Excel. You can organize anything on Excel, so I decided to plan my motif layout for this bedspread on it. Thing is, all the motifs on this project have the same design and only use the same 6 colors on each piece - so why have a layout? I had to make sure the order of the colors on each piece doesn't have the same order as the one beside it. The seemingly random look this bedspread has was planned. I am very detail-oriented, and it pretty much reflects on my choices for my crochet projects.

Excel also helped me monitor how many motifs I have made so far and whether or not I was doing the right number of this certain motif with a specific color order. 

Oh yes, I am O.C. that way. All I need to do now is to sew all of them together. The sewing part is not exactly what I am looking forward to, but it must be done. I hope to post the finished bedspread soon!

It's Confirmed. The Bedspread Is Meant For Someone Now.

So last month, I introduced you to the first cluster of motifs for a bedspread I am making (go HERE for the blog entry). I said it wasn't meant for anyone (yet). I did it because I wanted to make one. Well, someone wants it now. And it must be for a queen-size bed! I originally planned it for a double-size bed. I am not complaining. A challenge is always a challenge. I like it when my crocheting "prowess" is challenged.

I made an initial cluster, but I decided to make that cluster bigger. Why make an initial cluster? I have this thing for color combinations per motif. The motif placements may look random for this cluster, but they're not. For example, notice the color of the round before the white border per motif? I made sure a motif is not placed beside, below, or above a motif that has the same color for the round I mentioned. This initial cluster will be my basis for the next clusters. Each cluster has 30 motifs.

I did the math (yes, math!) and to make a 60-in. x 80-in. bedspread, I need to put together 9 clusters (plus 1 column of 3 clusters). There will be a total of 285 motifs!

This bedspread is actually meant to be delivered April 2014. I have a lot of time. Knowing me though, I might finish this before the year ends. I have this fear of not being able to deliver on time and I guess I just want to finish a project the soonest that I can so I can accommodate more.

Yarn used for this project is Red Heart Baby Sheen yarn. It is crocheted with Susan Bates Silvalium US F5 hook. This is an adapted pattern from "300 Classic Blocks For Crochet Projects" by Linda P. Schapper.

It Must Be The Time For Bedspreads

It's August and I just realized that around the same time last year, I started making the African Flower Bedspread. It's a combination of Cannon and Monaco mercerised cotton yarn. Just single strands.  If I chose to make it with double strands, it would have been heavy and chunky. 500+ pieces all handmade.

Now, I'm about to make another one, in a different design. Less colors, but the pattern has more dimension to it. I will be using total of 6 colors of Red Heart Baby Sheen yarn, but will play with those colors per round (I am trying to justify that this project will require the same amount of work I put into the African Flower bedspread - but really, it's not the same amount of work :p). The yarn is thicker than mercerised cotton, so I get a bigger size per motif (thus making it "faster" for me to get wider coverage per piece).

This is the first cluster. I usually make a first batch of motifs before making the rest of the required pieces. I like seeing how the pieces look like together, and it helps me figure out the color combinations for each row.

I went for the typical white border. It also feels fulfilling when you see the alignment of the spaces in the motifs. I'm talking about the "X" pattern of spaces crossing over from one motif to the other.

Each motif is around 4 in. x 4 in.

I'm planning to make a bedspread for a double size bed. It should be around 4.5 ft. x 6 ft. Based on my estimate, I would need 280 pieces (max.) to make the bedspread. Wusha. It took me 2-3 months to make last year's bedspread. I hope I can finish this one within the same time frame - or else it will fall into that void called WIP until next year. I have this thing with WIPs. If their shelf life goes beyond 3 months, they just stay there...forever! :p

This bedspread isn't meant for anyone actually (unlike last year's when a friend asked me to make it for her), so there's no pressure to finish right away. Let's see!

My First Colorful Chevron Afghan

I'd been wanting to make a chevron afghan ever since I discovered this pattern and the many color combination possibilities it offers. I finally found the time to start making one. And I must say, it's looking glorious so far!!! [Enter the sound of the gates of heaven opening]

I started making this one on Election Day in the Philippines just this May 13. I actually made the 1st row while waiting in line for my turn to vote. It was a long wait. I'm glad crochet is a convenient craft. You can take it anywhere!

Love, love, love, chevron!!! The color possibilities for this pattern are endless (didn't I say that earlier?!?)! This is still a work in progress. The size so far is 41 in. x 45 in. I'm planning to make it 60-in. long. It would make a good accent in any home that welcomes pops of color. The yarn is really light and I think it will be irresistible to wrap yourself with it under a rainy or cold weather. I am actually not planning to keep this afghan for myself. So if any of you are seriously (yes, seriously) interested to purchase this unique (like, really unique - unique to the extent that you will be the first and only one so far to have something like this in the Philippines), just send me an email at gantsilyoguru@gmail.com. Delivery will most likely be end of June or early July.

This is not an original pattern, but it is an adapted one. When I say adapted, I used an existing pattern and made changes to it so it could come out the way I wanted it. I used a different yarn and hook size and tweaked the pattern count and row stitches. This one is an adaptation of the pattern called "Bicolor Chevron" from the book " Comfort Knitting & Crochet Afghans" by Norah Gaughan, Margery Winter, and the Berroco Design Team.

Images from Berroco Fine Handknitting Yarns Website: http://www.berroco.com/patterns/bicolor-chevron

I pretty much think though that it is an original design on its own :) You take inspiration from other projects and make them your own :)

Red Heart® Super Saver: One Skein Is All You Need

I call them the "Supers."

A skein of Red Heart® Super Saver yarn is approximately 333m (364yds). This worsted acrylic yarn is described in Shop Red Heart's site:

"Super Saver has been America's best selling yarn for over 70 years. The great wash performance and no-dyelot solids makes this large skein the 'go-to' yarn for wearables, home accessories, and more."

With only 1 skein of Red Heart® Super Saver yarn, I was able to make this 23-in. x 24-in. small decorative throw (on the chair). Just add another skein to make it a full-fledged throw. Shade for this skein is Lemon (235). I'm actually planning to put this one in the car so I can use this to cover my legs when it gets pretty cold.

I used Susan Bates Silvalium® aluminum crochet hook (which you may pre-order here) size US J10 or 6.0mm for this.

I adapted this super easy (perfect for beginners) pattern from the original design by erin called "Single-Skein Blankie" published in Crochet Today! magazine's Jan/Feb 2010 issue.

The pattern uses another type of Red Heart® yarn, which, unfortunately, isn't still available locally so I used Super Saver instead. This pattern isn't free. Don't worry though because I found free ones on the internet which can be done using only 1 skein of Red Heart® Super Saver:

1. "Crochet One Skein Throw" by Red Heart
2. "20 Free Patterns for One Skein Projects..." a compilation on Crochet Concupiscence

If you're curious on how this yarn really feels, feel free to drop by GIGI Coffee & Cupcakes in the Felina Corporate Plaza lobby in Eastwood (just beside the Citibank building) this May 11 (Sat), between 12NN-2PM. This is actually my free time between my workshops on that day. I will have stocks of these Super Saver yarn which you could also purchase on site. A text message informing me in advance of your visit would be greatly appreciated. You may reach me at (0906) 269-5192. You may also order this yarn from me and I can have it delivered to your place. Just send me an email at gantsilyoguru@gmail.com.

If you cannot find the colors that you want here, you can check other available colors by going to this LINK. A skein of plain Super Saver is PhP 350. The multicolored ones go for PhP 360.

There are also stores within Metro Manila that carry Red Heart® yarn. You might want to check the store nearest you to see if Super Saver is available there. Go to this link for a list of these stores.

You may also pre-order a 6-pc. set of Susan Bates Silvalium® aluminum crochet hook from me here.

My Sofabed Spread

I finally found a use for the motif spread I did before. Check out my previous blog entry, "The Project I Had Nothing In Mind For" about this.

It just so happened that I was packing this project and I realized that it would look good on my new sofabed. Dang, it was really meant for this!

It's my first crocheted piece in my room (oddly enough)!

Another hooray for crochet! I'm so happy that this motif spread finally found its place!

Check out the makeover this room went through in my blog entry, "New Year. New Room. New Beginnings."

My Bedspread On An Actual Bed

Thank you, Tyzia (of Noah's Nest), for taking this beautiful picture of the bedspread I made on an actual bed! 

There's no such thing as a color overload when they all look so good together!

Check out my previous post on my bedspread here.

The Awesomest Bed Throw In The World!!!

At least in my own point of view :p And unfortunately, the pictures I have are not taken on a bed :p

But it's still awesoommmmeeee!!!

This is how it was packaged before I gave it to the owner.

I really won't say much about it because I have said a lot about it already in my past blog entries. Check out my old entries (in order of my progress) about it here, here, here, and here.

And here it is!!! Tadaaaaaa!!!

The pictures are outtakes from the shoot with "Good News Kasama si Vicky Morales" (GMA News TV) early this month. I was sensitive about it being on grass, so I required that a thick cloth be placed underneath it and those who touched it had clean hands!

I've never seen so much attention given to a bed throw :p

Here is a model holding the bed throw. I should have volunteered to hold it, but then she had long flowy hair and was made up :p I, on the other hand, was very oily and sweaty.

They just can't get enough of this bed throw.

I'm sure to post another blog entry when this bed throw gets a picture on an actual bed.

Here's the video of the segment we shot for GMA News TV.

Ready to Assemble!

Just finished crocheting 540 pcs. of motifs for my African Flower Challenge. The painstaking process of sewing them all up begins.

This is my stack of motifs. There are 24 different sets of color combinations.

I can almost see how this will look like, all 4x6 ft of it all spread out.

It Always Starts With Something Small

I wrote an entry before about taking on an African Flower Challenge. I needed to finish 540 pieces of hexagon motifs using only mercerized cotton to make an afghan/blanket with a size of 4x6 ft. Just an update, as of today, I've finished 513 already. The bigger task ahead is putting them all together. I will make my final reveal of the finished product this month (finally).

Let me tell you why crocheting sometimes doesn't make sense at the start. When you start with a round, you kind of doubt if it could look beautiful. You can't see the potential yet. The rounds look imperfect and you get very conscious of every stitch. Every seeming imperfection is highlighted.

Then you add another color. You get even more doubtful if the second color makes sense. It probably looks uglier. Somehow you can see the hexagon shape you're trying to achieve, but it's not enough to convince you you're getting somewhere.

Then you add another color and you can see something taking shape. You're driven to keep going.

Another splash of color convinces you that you are heading in the right direction. You're practically dying to finish it so you don't take any breaks. Even if your hands are beginning to hurt, you still want to continue and see it to the end. The seeming imperfections at the beginning don't count anymore.

You just breeze through the second to the last round. It looks better now with the added color. It would have been hideous if you just stopped at the previous one.

So you finally make it to the last round. You clean the loose ends and you're done. Great. Now you start thinking of the other pieces you still have to make and what you have to do after you crochet those pieces. Daunting, but achievable.

Crocheting is pretty much a journey from beginning to end. There's a finality to it, but it takes a lot of patience to get you from Point A to Point B. Patience more than skill actually. You learn the skill by having a lot of patience practicing. So don't be overwhelmed when you want to make something big. Take it one stitch at a time :)

Motifs Overload

Been working hard in taking on my African Flower Challenge.

So far, I have made 248 motifs (out of the 540 required - made adjustments out of the initial 480 motifs estimated). Here are some of the motifs stacked up before they are sewn together.

I figured the efficient (and fastest) way for me to crochet these motifs is to make the required number of motifs for one set of color combinations in one go. But earlier, I already stitched up motifs just so I have an idea how they look like together.

The picture above is a "cluster" of motifs. Each cluster is made up of 22-23 motifs. I calculated that I need 24 clusters to complete the 4x6 ft. size requirement. I have completed (meaning sewn together) 6 clusters and currently have 131 waiting to be sewn together. I'm planning to crochet the remaining balance of 292 motifs before sewing them up in clusters. I am planning to sew the entire blanket by connecting all the clusters I made. Gets? :p

I'm almost there! My fingers might get 6-pack abs once I finish the entire blanket. I hope I get to unveil it soon.

The African Flower Challenge

The African Flower Motif is a classic crochet pattern. It has allured many crocheters because of its many possibilities in terms of its applications and the color combinations that can be used. The motif is usually in a pentagon or hexagon shape.

I was challenged by a friend to make an afghan (the term for a knitted or crocheted blanket) made of African Flower Motifs. The size is expected to be around 4x6 ft. 

Here's a teaser. I hope to get this done by next month. 

The motifs are still unstitched. I chose to stitch them up by motif instead of crocheting each one to the next while working on the last round of each motif, to avoid any unnecessary stretching. So far, I've worked on 24 unique color combinations for this project. This afghan requires around 480+ motif pieces. I can't wait to show you the finished product soon!