Mama's Stitchery Projects

Making lap blankets for the elderly and infirmed is an amazing way for stitchers to contribute charitably in an enjoyable and fulfilling way.  Charitable lap blankets are usually designed to fit in the lap of the wheelchair bound.  Since they are so much smaller than a full throw, they are quick to make.

This blanket is reversible. The sample is 32 inches square and made from 100% Acrylic worsted weight yarn with a Size I (5.5mm) crochet hook. The sample took approximately 17 ounces or 760 yards of yarn. The pattern can be worked in a single color, or if desired, color changes can be made between sections.

The pattern can be easily modified to make any size blanket.  Begin with a multiple of six plus three chain stitches.

Gauge:
14 stitches and 11 rows = 4 inches in single crochet

Abbreviations:

ch = chain
dc = double crochet
sc = single crochet
tr = triple (treble) crochet

Directions:

Chain 111.

Ridges

Row 1: Sc in second chain and in each of the following chains to the end (110 sc). ch1, turn.

Row 2: Sc in the back loop of the first sc.  sc in the back loop of each of the following sc. (110 sc). ch1, turn.

Rows 3-8: Repeat row 2 six times.

Diamond knobs

Row 9: (Now working in front loops) sc in first sc and in each stitch across row (110 sc). Ch1, turn.

Row 10: Repeat row 9.

Row 11: Sc in first two sc.  (Tr in the next sc and push the middle of the stitch to the back of the work, sc in next two sc, tr in next sc and push the middle of the stitch to the front of the work, sc in next two sc) across to the end of the row (36 tr, 74 sc). Ch1, turn.

Rows 12 and 13: Repeat row 9 twice.

Row 14: Sc in first two sc.  (Tr in the next sc and push the middle of the stitch to the front of the work, sc in next two sc, tr in next sc and push the middle of the stitch to the back of the work, sc in next two sc) across to the end of the row (36 tr, 74 sc).  The tr stitches will go to the opposite side of the tr stitches on the row three rows below. Ch1, turn.

Rows 15 and 16: Repeat row 9 twice.

Rows 17-22: Repeat rows 11-16.

Ridges

Rows 23-29: Repeat row 2 seven times.

Row 30: Sc in the back loop of the first sc.  sc in the back loop of each of the following sc (110 sc). Ch3, turn.

Clusters

Row 31: (Now working in front loops) in second sc work cluster as follows: (yo, insert hook and draw up loop) three times, yo and pull through 6 loops, yo and pull through remaining 2 loops. (Ch1, skip sc, cluster in next sc) across to end of row (55 clusters). Ch3, turn.

Row 32: In first ch1 space work cluster, ch1, (cluster in next ch1 space, ch1) across to end of row. Cluster in turning chain (55 clusters). Ch3, turn.

Row 33: Repeat row 32.

Row 34: In first ch1 space work cluster, ch1, (cluster in next ch1 space, ch1) across to end of row. Cluster in turning chain (55 clusters). Ch1, turn.

Ridges

Row 35: Sc in the back loop of the first cluster.  sc in the back loop of each of the following chains and clusters to end of row. sc in turning chain. (110 sc). ch1, turn.

Rows 36-42: Repeat row 2 seven times.

Crossed doubles

Row 43: Now working in the front loops, in the second and third sc work a crossed stitch as follows: skip a sc, dc in next sc, yo, go behind that dc, insert needle through front loop of skipped sc and then complete a dc.  Make crossed stitches across the row and dc in last sc  (54 crossed stitches). Ch1, turn.

Row 44: Working in front loops, sc in first stitch and in each stitch across row, sc in turning chain (110 sc). Ch3, turn.

Rows 45-52: Repeat rows 43 and 44 four times.

Row 53: Repeat row 43.

Row 54: Working in front loops, sc in first stitch and in each stitch across row, sc in turning chain (110 sc). Ch1, turn.

Ridges

Rows 55-61: Repeat row 2 seven times.

Row 62: Repeat row 30.

Clusters

Rows 63-66: Repeat rows 31-34.

Ridges

Rows 67-74: Repeat rows 35-42.

Diamond knobs

Rows 75-88: Repeat rows 9-22.

Ridges

Rows 89-95: Repeat row 2 seven times.

Row 96: Sc in the back loop of the first sc.  sc in the back loop of each of the following sc. (110 sc). Finish off and weave in end.

Edits:
4/13/15 – changed sc to stitch in row 9 so that it works for when it is repeated later.
4/24/17 – corrected row 42 to repeat row 2 instead of row 30.

I am so smitten with Ravelry.  I just haven’t gotten over how much I enjoy the Ravelry world. A couple of days ago I came across this almost finished scarf in my huge pile of yarn.  It seemed silly not to just finish it and reclaim the 10.5 circular needles.  There were only a few feet of yarn left, and no label, so I had no idea what the yarn was. I started doing some looking around in Ravelry and found it!  It is Yarn Bee Topkapi and the color is called Manisa.

I’ve had a book of snowflakes for a long time, but had not made any.  I’ve made other ornaments such as hearts and bells and used a supersaturated sugar solution to stiffen them, so I was excited to finally make some snowflakes.  I was thrilled with the results and the tree was stunning.  I made four each of eleven different snowflake patterns from American School of Needlework Crochet 101 Snowflakes by Delsie Rhoades and Kathy Wesley.

Hospice distributed all the lap blankets my friend took the same day she took them.  I was concerned that they might need more, so whipped out a batch of some that I knew I could make quickly.

This is a pattern I created to make a more practical lap blanket in the Navajo style I learned from my grandmother.

A couple more of Lyn’s blankets which are so quick and fun.

When digging through my humongous stash of yarn, I came across this throw I had started many years ago.  It is just a grid of double crochets spaced by a single chain.  I had intended to weave yarn going the other direction to give a plaid affect, but this was never going to happen.  I just edged it with a green double crochet border and stuck it in this batch.

This is an quick and fun pattern by Lion Brand.  I might use this one again.

This is a stitch pattern called Shell and Stripe from the Reader’s Digest The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches.

To slide one last one into this batch, I did a super quick pattern with two stands.  I had one pound skeins of pink and yellow that I combined to make a peach blanket.

I’m very pleased with how my Christmas tree skirt turned out.  I knitted it in the round, and it measures 50 inches across. The crocheted fringe took 7 oz of yarn!

My friend took another batch of items to hospice in early December and I had five items in the batch.

These are two more of the round ripple blankets that are so quick and fun to make.

This kitty pattern was just so cute I just had to make it.  Other people were making it in lots of non cat colors, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do that.  I will most likely use this pattern again if I come across more cat colored yarn.

Yet another fun pattern called Jacob’s Ladder that I got to give a try.  I would make this one again as well.

This is a pattern I have made many times as a baby blanket, but this time as a lap blanket.  It’s hard to see the design with this knobby yarn. The pattern is Repose by Carol Prior in Leisure Arts Big Book of Quick Knit Afghans.

I was so excited to learn that a woman I used to work with was going to have a baby.  The bedding she chose for the baby’s room was a toile pattern with off-white background and light blue and taupe accents.  I searched around and decided this pattern named “Mint” for Friends by Brooke Shellflower in Leisure Arts Our Best Knit Baby Afghans would coordinate with toile.  I made a toile tote to use as a gift bag.

I recently shared my potholder pattern on Ravelry and got a lot of positive response. A knitting group in Oregon posted about collecting hand made potholders to include in Thankgiving food baskets for the needy and linked to my pattern. I was so excited about such a project I dug out a bunch of cotton I had on hand and whipped up a dozen and mailed them to Oregon.

With the small bits of leftover cotton I made three hodge-podge potholders for myself.

My cousin John was married in November and I sent some hand made gifts.

Only two in this picture, but I made three of these red cotton dish cloths using a pattern by Cathy Waldie.

I made three red cotton potholders with my own beloved pattern.

This autumn print mitered afghan was so much fun to make but was definitely a labor of love since I had to work on it nonstop for nearly three months.  It is made with Vanna’s Choice yarn which I liked working with and with a pattern by Chris de Longpré which I will most definitely use again and again.

I have been making this double thick potholder for years and several years ago took the pictures and put together the instructions in a word document.  I decided it was time to share it in a more usable format, so added a pattern section to this blog.