Rita Miller

"Superhero" Dreamcatcher Afghan

2011-01-23T09:28:00.000-06:00

I made this "Spiderman" afghan for a friend's 4-year old's birthday. Made with Red Heart Cherry Red SuperSaver Yarn, Caron PerfectMatch Royal Blue, and Red Heart SuperSaver Black. Thanks to Gail E. (a.k.a. Stitch 'n Frog) for the pattern.

Classic Aran Afghan

2011-01-11T09:16:00.000-06:00

This afghan is made with Caron's PerfectMatch Claret. It measures 39" x 56" before the fringe; 39" x 69" with the fringe. Designed by Angela Tate, this pattern is from the February 2002 issue of Crochet World.

Lacy Ripples Afghan

2011-01-11T09:14:00.000-06:00

This afghan is made with some of my favorite colors: Medium Thyme, Light Thyme, Soft White,and Soft Yellow. It measures 47" x 53"

Gray Days Afghan

2011-01-11T09:12:00.000-06:00

This afghan is made with black, dark grey, light grey, and white worsted weight yarn. It measures 45" x 58". Designed by Martha Stein, it's published in the August 2010 issue of Crochet World ("Green Day Afghan").

Aspen Scarf

2011-01-11T08:59:00.002-06:00

Since returning home in early November, I've made 3 afghans and a scarf. This is the scarf. It's made with Red Heart Aspen Print and Warm Brown, and measures 8" wide x 53" long. Designed by Shari White, the pattern is from the August 2010 issue of Crochet World (called "Quirky Scarf").

I'm Back

2010-12-07T06:21:00.001-06:00

I've been back home since November 6th. My daughter is all healed, miraculously in only 3 months! She only needed to stay in the halo brace for 2 months, then she went to a hard neck brace. She was supposed to stay in that for another 4 weeks, but she went to a soft brace in less than a week, and then no brace in just a couple of weeks. Once she was out of the halo, she was able to drive herself, so there was no need for me to be there anymore. She went to the doctor on Nov. 28 and the X-rays showed the C-1 was 100% healed!

So now that I'm back home, I'm back to knitting & crocheting. Started & finished three afghans, a scarf, and finished my Padua shawl (not blocked yet). Now working on an Advent Calendar Scarf (http://www.von-stroh-zu-gold.de/muster/?p=40 and http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/advent-calendar-scarf) in Zephyr Emerald.

No knitting or crocheting for me

2010-09-18T07:05:00.001-05:00

My daughter, who lives in Massachusetts, broke her neck in a diving accident on September 5th. I have been up in Mass. with her since September 6th. It was such a last minute trip that I didn't have time to plan what knitting or crocheting to take, and I didn't know how much time I'd have to do it anyway, so I just didn't take anything. So I won't be adding any new items here for a while. She's in a halo brace and has to stay in it for 3 months. I plan on staying with her til she's out of that contraption.

Fancy Fulness Lace Shawl

2010-08-31T14:04:00.000-05:00

Started August 21, 2010 and finished August 27, 2010. Made with Jaggerspun Zephyr in Coral. Finished size 52" wides x 34" long. Designed by Birgit Freyer. More photos can be seen on my Ravelry page.

Ice Goddess Shawl

2010-08-24T07:44:00.000-05:00

Started August 9, 2010, and finished August 20, 2010 (12 days to knit). Made with Jaggerspun Zephyr in Teal. Finished size: 69” across tip to tip x 30” long. Also used 2,568 Sz 8 White Luster Beads from FusionBeads. Designed by Renee Leverington.

Bella Roque Shawl

2010-08-24T07:38:00.000-05:00

Started July 25, 2010 and finished August 2, 2010 (9 days to knit). Made from Jaggerspun Zephyr in Emerald. Finished size: 70” wide x 24” high. I just love the edge on this one. Designed by Birgit Freyer.

Ostara Shawl

2010-08-24T07:28:00.003-05:00

I started this shawl May 4, 2008 and finished it October 8, 2008. However, it only took me 18 days to knit it. During this time, my mother was in the hospital for 2 months and I was in Massachusetts to be with her. Then she died and I stayed in Mass. for another month. It took me a while to get back to this shawl to finish it. It's made from Jaggerspun Zephyr in Lilac and has 684 white E beads (similar to size 6 seed beads). You can't really see the beads well in these photographs, except for the last one (the closeup). Finished size: 32” wide x 57 long. Designed by Renee Leverington.

Summer Mystery Shawl 2010

2010-08-23T20:59:00.004-05:00

Started this shawl August 3, 2010 and finished August 8, 2010. 75” wide x 38” long x 55” along sides. Made with Jaggerspun Zephyr in Daffodil. Designed by Renee Leverington.

2010-08-04T10:47:00.000-05:00

I guess it didn't come out as bad as I had originally thought. It's still slightly felted and much smaller than it should be, but I guess it came out OK. The beautiful gold beads don't show up that well in the photos, but they look great in person!

I have more photos posted on Ravelry here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/RitaMiller/mystery-shawl-17

My Petroglyphs shawl ruined!

2010-08-04T06:55:00.001-05:00

Well, as luck would have it, I RUINED one of the most beautiful shawls I ever made! It was another of Renee Leverington's Mystery Shawls, MS17 - Petroglyphs. I am so upset at myself! I was soaking the shawl and couldn’t believe how much dye was coming out of it. So I kept soaking and rinsing and squeezing and re-soaking all day long. Finally, the last time I went up to rinse it yet again (in the evening), I noticed how weird the shawl felt. When I looked at it, I saw that it had felted!!!! I couldn’t believe it! I guess I must have “squeezed” it a few times too many. I didn’t wring it, I know that, and didn't use warm or hot water, but I guess the constant squeezing and soaking did it in. Lesson learned! But why did it have to be on one of the prettiest shawls I ever made?!

I was ready to just throw the whole thing away, but I decided to try to block it despite the felting. I had to pull the shawl apart in several spots that had felted together, especially along the neck edge, where the “eyelet” border is. I couldn’t even see the eyelets! But eventually I got that edge all pulled out and got the shawl pinned down. But the beauty of my work is gone. You can see that it’s felted: there’s no definition of stitches and the shawl itself is WAY smaller (and denser) than it should be, more like a shawlette now. Normally, these shawls are about 72” x 36”. This one is about 60” x 27”. And it just doesn’t have the beautiful delicacy that laceweight shawls have. I really loved this shawl and especially loved the yarn-bead combination that I used (Cinnabar Zephyr with metallic gold beads). I may make it again in the future just because I loved the bead pattern in it. I’m just not sure. All I know is I am devastated about it.

Anyone else ever had a yarn where the dye just wouldn’t stop coming out?

Found it!

2010-03-19T05:36:00.000-05:00

After my sister told me that she remembered giving me this pattern from a tear-off sheet, I looked through every place I could think of where I might have stored tear-off sheet patterns. As I was getting down to fewer & fewer places to search, I found the pattern! It's called "Summer Shine" and was put out by J & P Coats LusterSheen, leaflet #LW1177 ©1995. I looked on the Coats & Clark site and couldn't find the pattern to download, but at least I have it on paper. I've scanned it into my computer so now I have a digital version of it, too.

Anyone know this pattern?

2010-03-18T14:54:00.001-05:00

I made this top for my sister some years ago (actually, I made two, another one in white & beige), but I can't remember where the pattern is. It may be in a book or a magazine. I have literally thousands and just can't look through them all. So I was wondering if anyone recognizes it and could tell me what book/magazine this pattern might be in. Thanks for any help.

Some of my recent shawls

2010-03-06T08:59:00.004-06:00

Shetland Garden Faroese Shawl (knit) by Sivia Harding. Pics on Ravelry here.

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Flying Diamonds Shawl (crochet) by Vicki Mikulak. More pics at Ravelry here.

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Sari Lace Triangle Shawl (knit) by Sylvie Beez. More pics on Ravelry.

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Ostrich Plumes & Pineapples Shawl (knit) by Glenda Hunt. Ravelry pics here.

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Orchard Hill Shawl (knit) by Vicki Mikulak. More pics on Ravelry.

Disaster!

2009-11-15T08:02:00.001-06:00

Made this baby blanket (Mayflower Baby Blanket) from the Caron website out of what was supposed to be NO DYE LOT Caron PerfectMatch Royal Blue. I had bought 12 skeins of this from Herrschners a few years ago and it came 4 skeins to a pack. Since there's no dye lot number on this yarn, I just kept grabbing a new skein when I needed one. Apparently, the NO DYE LOT doesn't really mean what it says, since there were obviously dye lot differences between the skeins I used on this afghan. Of course, I didn't notice this darker stripe until the blanket was all done, washed, and blocked. So instead of a rather nice baby blanket, it's now a cat blanket.

Enchanting Diamonds

2009-09-14T18:10:00.006-05:00

"Enchanting Diamonds" baby afghan made with Bernat Ice Christmas in Ice White. This yarn has a sparkly gold thread running through it to make the afghan particularly elegant. From Our Best Baby Afghans. Designed by Ann Kirtley; finished September 7, 2009.

Textured Diamonds Lapghan

2009-09-14T18:08:00.004-05:00

"Textured Diamonds Lapghan"; finished August 28, 2009.

Spearmint Baby

2009-09-14T08:51:00.004-05:00

"Spearmint Baby" baby afghan from American Country Afghans, Winter 1993; finished August 11, 2009.

Denim Blues Throw

2009-09-14T08:48:00.007-05:00

"Denim Blues Throw" from Crochet! magazine, Sept. 2009, designed by Kimberly McAlindin; finished August 8, 2009.

Bobbles & Crosses Baby Afghan

2009-09-14T08:43:00.003-05:00

This is "Bobbles & Crosses" Baby Afghan from Beary Sweet Baby Afghans; finished July 31, 2009.

Precious in Pink Baby Afghan

2009-08-15T07:11:00.003-05:00

This is "Precious in Pink" baby afghan from Afghans for All Seasons, designed by Cathy Hardy; finished July 29, 2009:

Rose Garden Lattice Baby Blankie

2009-08-15T07:08:00.007-05:00

This is "Rose Garden Lattice" from Crochet World, Feb. 08, designed by Linda Whiteley; finished July 26, 2009:

Another year

2009-08-15T07:06:00.002-05:00

So glad to be past yesterday. But Melissa, Matt, & I did have some good laughs remembering some of the funnier things "Gram" said & did over the years. We love you & miss you terribly, Ma.

1 year ago today

2009-08-14T09:39:00.004-05:00

It was one year ago today that my mother died. Seems like just yesterday to me. It's been a hard year without her, even though we lived 1500 miles apart. I'm going to try not to be sad today, but to remember all the laughs we had over the years. I love you, Ma!

Summer Lace

2009-07-30T10:03:00.002-05:00

Also finished this one (Summer Lace Baby Afghan) on July 22, 2009. Nice combination of puff stitches and cross stitches.

Finished ABC

2009-07-30T08:36:00.013-05:00

Finally finished the ABC Baby Afghan on July 18th,2009. It finished at 41.5" wide x 44" long using a size H (5.0mm) hook. I had to use a size F (4.0mm) hook on the edging, though, or it ruffled like crazy. I also found out that this pattern is in the book Blue Ribbon Afghans from American State Fairs.

Amber's Hidey-Hole

2009-07-17T13:27:00.000-05:00

This is one of the hidey-hole places where our 4-year-old cat, Amber, goes when it thunders out!

ABC Baby Afghan - Day 2

2009-07-17T07:31:00.000-05:00

Got almost through 4th row of blocks (I-J-K-L-M) yesterday (7/16/09).

ABC Baby Afghan - Day 1

2009-07-16T10:58:00.001-05:00

Started crocheting the ABC Baby Afghan (http://www.crochetnmore.com/babysabcsafghan.htm) yesterday (7/15/09). Finished 2 rows of blocks (S through Z).