Riot and Frolic

Man, Wednesday afternoon rocked my socks off.  Not only was it payday, but it was B-U-T-ful outside and my little ladies, G, and I went for a picnic.  

 Down to the river with some KFC, potato salad, sun and bare feet.  Miss Georgia (now referred to as "Mae Cake" by big sis) flirted with everyone that walked, ran, or biked by- smiling and waving and being a cute little goon.  

Minnesota?  You done good.

Are you ready for Part Two of your rug tutorial?  Like, you actually want to crochet something? 

Okay, here, we go:

Circle Rug- Part Deux

Make a slip knot (see yesterday's post or look it up on YouTube).

Make 6 chain stitches, then slip stitch into the first chain to make a circle.  

Make one chain stitch, then 11 single crochet stitches into the center of the ring.  It's fun because you don't have to go into an actual stitch.  Squish the stitches together as necessary.  (You just made 12 stitches.) 

Slip stitch into that lonely chain stitch you made to finish round 2.

Round 3 (and all rounds from here on out) starts with a chain stitch.  Now, make one single crochet (sc) into the first stitch of round 2 and then TWO sc into the next stitch.  Continue making one sc in a stitch and two sc in the next until you have made 17 sc.  ( You have made 18 stitches.) 

Slip stitch into your lonely chain to finish round 3.

Round 4- Chain one, make one sc in one stitch, and one sc in the next stitch, and then TWO sc in the third stitch.  Continue on your path.  One, one, two.  You'll make 23 sc.  (24 stitches total.)

I hope you're starting to see a pattern.  Like a mathy pattern.  Each round you do adds 6 stitches to the total number.  That's how you get a circle.  But don't be anal-retentive.  Here's my rule: keep it flat.  If your circle starts to look like a bowl, add a few more stitches in the next round.  If your circle starts to ruffle, take out a few stitches.  If it's just a little wonky looking, you can fix that when you're all done.  Really.  Patience, grasshopper.

Continue crocheting until you run out of "yarn."  Use your handy finishing needle to weave in any loose ends you might have, by threading your fabric in the needle and shoving it through a couple stitches this way and that.  If you used different colors like I did, you might have to do this a couple times.  

Hint three: if you use different colors or just had several balls to work with, when you start a new piece of yarn, stitch over the loose ends as you go.  Then you'll have less work to do at the end.

Hint four: you can be picky and turn and fold your fabric over as you crochet so you get mostly the right side of the fabric facing out, or just let it twist and go as it may for a scrappier look.

If you rug isn't laying flat enough for you, pull it every which way and shake it out a bit.  Most of the time, a little shaking works magic (just ask my dancing).  

If it's still not right, get it wet (a little bath for your rug) and lay it out in the shape you want it.  Outside on your lawn, on a bunch of towels inside, in your tiled bathroom, wherever.  Weigh it down on the edges with bricks or books or chairs or children and let it dry.  Then, check it out, it's perfect.  

That process is called blocking.  It's neat.  

Then you get this:

Or something like it.

(No naps were harmed in the making of this blog.)

Wow.  Happy Friday.