Pattern: Ruffle Border - Design by Cheryl Lambert.

I created this border for the Steps with Ruffle Border Lap Blanket in red and white.

Colors: A (white) and B (red). Use any color(s) you like!

Row 1: With Color A and wrong side facing, sc in each st around with 3 sc in each corner; join with sl st in 1st sc; turn

Row 2: With right side facing, (sc, ch 2, sk 1) around; join with sl st in 1st sc; do not turn

Row 3: sc in join st, (3 dc in ch sp, sc in sc) around ending with sl st in 1st sc; do not turn

Row 4: sc in join st, (dc in 1st dc, 2 dc in 2nd dc, dc in 3rd dc; sc in sc) around ending with sl st in 1st sc; finish off

Row 5: With Color B and right side facing, join with sl st in any sc; (ch 1, sk 1, 2 sc, ch 1, sk 1, sl st in sc) around ending with sl st in 1st sl st; finish off

[At this time, the instructions above have not been tested.]

• Size: 33 inches x 45 inches
• Colors: White, Cranberry, Claret, Dark Safe, Medium Sage, Sage (Red Heart Super Saver)
• Pattern: Flower Picture Afghan - Design by Cheryl Lambert
• Hook: I
• Date: start January 21; finish February 7

This is a simple picture afghan of a single flower, stem, 2 leaves, and 2 fallen petals. The free chart of the flower pattern is to the right.

The squares were crocheted following the Two-row Granny Square Pattern for Patchwork Quilt Picture Afghans I posted a few days ago. The border is something I made up as I went along: almost the same as dc in a standard up-down ripple pattern: 1 row white, 3 rows cranberry, 1 row dark sage.

This is a free crochet pattern for an easy 2-row granny square that can be used for patchwork quilt picture afghans (smaller granny squares can make more detailed pictures), like the above blanket with sailboats and fish (in this Leisure Arts leaflet: Perfect Patches -- 5 Afghans to Crochet (Leisure Arts #3888)) or the above quilt-like afghan with flowers (in this Leisure Arts leaflet: Patchwork Afghans Thru the Year, Book 2 (Leisure Arts #3223)"). See also my blog post listing lots of books and leaflets with picture afghan patterns.

Solid Color Granny Square Pattern

Row 1: ch 4, join with sl st (loop formed); sc in loop then ch 2 (this is first dc), 2 dc in loop, ch 2, (3 dc into loop, ch 2) three times, join in top of first dc. Turn.

Row 2: sl st in ch 2 space; sc in same ch 2 space then ch 2 (this is first dc), 2 dc in same space, ch 2, 3 dc in same space, ch 1, (in next space: 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1) three times, join in top of first dc. Finish off - leave tail of about 8 inches to use to sew together granny squares to create the desired pattern.

Two-color Granny Square Pattern

Colors A and B.

Row 1: With Color A, ch 4, join with sl st (loop formed); sc in loop then ch 2 (this is first dc), 2 dc in loop, ch 2, 3 dc into loop changing to Color B at end of last dc, ch 2, (3 dc, ch 2) twice, join in top of first dc. Turn.

Row 2: Continuing with Color B, sl st into ch 2 space; sc into into same ch 2 space then ch 2 (this is first dc), 2 dc into space, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1, (in next space: 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc changing to Color A at end of last dc), ch 2, (into next space: 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1) twice, join in top of first dc. Finish off - leave tail of about 8 inches to use to sew together granny squares to create the desired pattern.

I decided to play around with the Pattern Maker for Cross Stitch software I bought a few years ago. It creates a color chart from an imported photograph or graphic. It can also be used to create images from scratch - much like drawing. I bought it so I could play around with converting some of my photos to charts, but haven't yet gotten around to doing that.

I found a NASCAR logo sticker that probably came with the really cool Tony Stewart Collectible (kinda like a doll) that Bill gave me at Christmas. We don't do gift exchanges, but he saw it in an Oakland truck stop/gas station and had to buy it for me as a gag gift! I was very delighted!!

Anyway... I scanned the sticker and for the past 2 (3?) hours have been playing around with the software to fine tune the design. Looks pretty good!

The chart can be used with any craft that requires a charted design.

The NASCAR logo copyrighted by NASCAR.

This charted design is copyright © 2006 Cheryl Lambert. Free for personal use. Objects made using this design cannot be sold. The design cannot be sold without my permission.

I've had this simple design for a duck on my mind for a while... The idea came from something similar I saw months ago (but I cannot remember what or where!). I was cleaning my home office and used this project as a distraction from that task...

The charted duck design can be used to assemble granny squares for a crocheted afghan or jacket or placemat or... Or use the chart for a filet crochet project (afghan, pot holder, hot pad, doily, scrubbie, placemat...). Or a cross-stitch project... Or mosiac... The design can be a solid color, or use different colors. Use red. Or blue. Be creative!

This charted pattern was created using Adobe Photoshop, but anyone can create their own designs using graph paper and colored pencils.

Copyright © 2006 Cheryl Lambert. Free for personal use. Objects made using this design can be sold. The design cannot be sold without my permission.

Size: 9 1/2 inches x 84 inches
Color: Dark Plum (purple) (TLC Essentials; less than 2 6-ounce skeins)
Pattern: My own (see below)
Hook: M for scarf; L for border
Date: January 2005
Time to make: About 5 hours

While I like the wimple I made for myself in November, the wind blows right through the front onto my neck (I used a larger crochet hook to make it not as tight around my face, but now it's not tight enough!). I may take the time to re-make the wimple, but first I decided to make myself a hooded scarf so that I could adjust the coverage around my face and neck. The pattern below is my own.

[Update January 23, 2005] 84 inches is way too long for someone who's 5-foot 3-inches at the most! As the scarf stretched, it reached my knees! So, I pulled out the scarf and am making it again. This time, I'm using an L hook for the scarf (so the scarf is less airy and less stretchy) and a K hook for the border. I may leave off the hood this time.

[Update January 24, 2005] The new scarf is 68 inches long - just right for me!

Size: 7 inches x 68 inches
Colors: Covered Bridge (red) (Lion Brand Homespun; less than 1 6-ounce skein)
Pattern: My own (see below)
Hook: P
Date: January 2005
Time to make: About 2 hours
(Yarn swatch image from Lion Brand website - this is the actual yarn color.)

Since there was a full skein of the Lion Brand Homespun yarn leftover from Corinne's Courthouse Steps afghan, I decided to whip up a scarf for her on January 1. The pattern below is my own.

Two Christmas tree charted designs. The third and fourth Christmas trees use the second layout complete with decorations, one using different color ornaments (such as granny squares with a circle motif in the center), the other in red and white. A yellow star tops these trees (crochet a star motif and sew it on the top of the tree).

Large afghans can be made by adding squares around the tree. Make the background squares at the bottom of the tree white (for snow!), make white hills (snow!), make the sky navy blue, add squares with white star motifs or a moon to the sky...

These charted patterns were created using Adobe Illustrator, but anyone can create their own designs using graph paper and colored pencils.

Copyright © 2004 Cheryl Lambert. Free for personal use. Objects made using either pattern can be sold. Patterns cannot be sold without my express permission.

This charted turtle design can be used to assemble granny squares for a crocheted afghan or jacket or placemat or... Or use the chart for a filet crochet project (afghan, pot holder, hot pad, doily, scrubbie, placemat...). Or a cross-stitch project... Or mosiac... The design can be a solid color, or use different colors. Use red. Or blue. Be creative!

This charted pattern was created using Adobe Illustrator, but anyone can create their own designs using graph paper and colored pencils.

Copyright © 2004 Cheryl Lambert. Free for personal use. Objects made using this design can be sold. The design cannot be sold without my permission.

This charted turtle design can be used to assemble granny squares for a crocheted afghan or jacket or placemat or... Or use the chart for a filet crochet project (afghan, pot holder, hot pad, doily, scrubbie, placemat...). Or a cross-stitch project... Or mosiac... The design can be a solid color, or use different colors. Use red. Or blue. Be creative!

This charted pattern was created using Adobe Illustrator, but anyone can create their own designs using graph paper and colored pencils.

Copyright © 2004 Cheryl Lambert. Free for personal use. Objects made using this design can be sold. The design cannot be sold without my permission.

Finally...a few photos of the sample swatch have been added to the Two-color Reversible Shells Afghan crochet pattern entry.

[Updated November 27, 2006: If you have problems printing this web page, try this stripped down version of the page.]

Based on my son's Two-color Reversible Shell Baby Blanket, I created the following pattern for a Two-color Reversible Shells Afghan. They are very close, but not identical. My pattern results in shells that are more centered (symmetry is one of "my things"!) instead of a little off center. My son's blanket was made over 25 years ago. I have no idea what the pattern was or where it is. In fact, I'm not even sure I made the blanket! My Mom thinks she may have made it.

I created a 9-row sample swatch of 8 shells across so I could provide closeup photos of the details, but I left my digital camera at work so that'll have to wait. [UPDATE November 25, 2004 1:10pm - photos added above.]

Size (not stretched): 8 inches high laying on its side (without rolled-up bottom); band 20 inches around (stretches a little)
Colors: less than 1 3.5-ounce skeins each Olympic Blue, Jockey Red (Red Heart Classic)
Pattern: My own (see below)
Hook: H
Date: October 2004

These are the new versions of the hats for Eddie's boys (both have 20-inch heads). The pattern is one I made up on the fly. The hat can be made to fit any size head by starting with 1-2 less or more sc for Row 2 (remember that the stitch totals for each row will then be different and you may need to adjust the ends of some rows - try it!).

The wide stripes are 1 row sc, 1 row dc, 1 row sc. The narrow stripes are 2 rows sc. Some of these rows are increasing rows to widen the hat. Some are rows to increase the length (height) of the hat.

Choose whatever colors you want for A and B. Or, use different colors for each stripe. Or, use the same color for the entire hat. Or... Use your imagination!

Easy and Fast Shawl

Pattern by Cheryl Lambert, 2004. Initially based on, but modified a lot for the N hook, Style No. 2338-220 from Bernat's All Shawls, Leaflet 220, Copyright 1976.

Yarn: Caron Cozi 7 2.5-ounce skeins
Hook: N
Size (not stretched): 8 inches high laying on its side; band 18 inches around (stretches to 23 inches); 11.5 inches across the top circle
Gauge: 4 sc = 2 inches; 4 sc rows = 2 inches

Row 1: ch 3 loosely, join with sl st to form ring.

Row 2: ch 3, * yo, insert hook in center of ring, yo and draw up a loop 2/3 inch long, yo and pull through 3 loops on hook, ch 1 (long hdc made), repeat from * twice more, ch 2, turn (3 ch 1 spaces).

Row 3: 2 long hdc in first space (inc st made), * 1 long hdc in next space, repeat from * to last space, 1 inc st in same space, ch 2, turn (5 ch 1 spaces).

Beret (hat, cap)

Pattern by Cheryl Lambert, 2004. Initially based on, but modified a lot for the N hook, the White Mohair Beret from Annie's Attic Headline USA, Leaflet 87H54, Copyright 1991.

Yarn: Caron Cozi 2 2.5-ounce skeins
Hook: N
Size (not stretched): 8 inches high laying on its side; band 18 inches around (stretches to 23 inches); 11.5 inches across the top circle
Gauge: 4 sc = 2 inches; 4 sc rows = 2 inches

Note: Work in continuous rounds; do not join or turn unless otherwise stated. Mark first st of each round (important for keeping track of where you are!).

Round 1: ch 4, sl st in first ch to form ring, 8 sc in ring (8 sc).

Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (16).

Date: August 1981

I've been looking through old photo albums this week - and found this August 1981 photo (on the left) of my favorite granny square blanket. I made it for my new double bed - which the blanket covers in the photo.

In 1990-1991, I wanted to make a king-size version of this blanket using a different set of colors for our bed, but I didn't have the pattern anymore (Mom may have it in her collection of pattern books). I ended up re-creating the pattern by studying the old blanket. I'm not a pro at writing out crochet patterns so I don't know all the do's and don'ts, but here is the pattern described as I know how to describe it.

Lately, I've been using the following method to join granny squares and panels and strips:

It is easier (but not required) if there is a single or double crocheted row around the outside of each square before joining. I've assumed there is a row of sc in the instructions below.

Hold two squares (or panels or strips) with right side facing (for ridge on the top) or with wrong sides facing (for ridge on the bottom); in corner of one square, join with slip stitch; ch 1, join second square in corner with slip stitch, ch 1; * slip stitch in next sc on first square, ch 1, slip stitch in next sc on second square, ch 1 *; repeat between * across to next corner; tie off. One side of the squares (or panels or strips) is now joined.

Alternate: Slip stitch in every other sc. This results in a zig-zag effect.

As best as I could write down the instructions, this is the Half Hexagon granny "square" pattern I created for the hexagon lap blanket I made for my boss' mother. I used the half hexagons to fill-in the 3-sided gaps left when the hexagons were joined.