Crochet Hydrangea

The crochet Hydrangea rock is finished!

I'm so happy with how it turned out...

I love this soft, peachy, pink that I used for the flowers.

I sewed them onto the top of the lacy cover before I wrapped it around the rock and finished it.

This way, they stand out rather than laying flat like the previous rocks I've decorated.

The lacy cover is different than any of the rocks I've decorated before.

The back looks like a flower...maybe a Zinnia.

This lacy rock is one of the biggest ones I've done.  It's about 3 3/4" x 3 1/4".

I used a size 6 crochet hook and cotton yarns from my stash.

Rockin' Out

The lacy crochet rocks I created in June were just the beginning!

They're so much fun that I just can't stop!

And, I have extra incentive...I had a request from Benita to make one for her.

Here are my newest creations...

Benita's only preference was to have green thread and a tan rock.  I tried to find a tan rock but didn't have any luck.  So, I got started working on a gray rock.  I thought a flower sounded like fun.

And, it seemed like something Benita might like.  I got started while I sat in a Starbucks in Long Beach and waited for my daughter's flight to come in from her Utah trip.  

It was a free-form creation...no pattern.  That meant lots of crocheting, ripping and

re-crocheting until I got it just right.  The flower part was easy.  It was the chains that 

create the netting/lace that surrounds the rock that challenged me on this one.

Eventually, I decided that this flower didn't want to be on that rock.  It just wasn't working.

Then, I found a tan rock!  It was a perfect fit and finally worked. 

I think the contrast of this green on the gray rock was nicer (in real life...not the picture)

than the green on the tan.  But, it creates a subtle, soft look.  It's about 3" x 2 1/4".
Here's the front...

And, here's the back...

I wasn't thrilled with the way that one turned out.  So, I made another one.

I'm pretty sure Benita likes red.  Her car is red and she has a red rose pin that I made.

This is similar to one I made in June.  I love it!  It's about 3 3/4" x 3".

Here's the back...

I was still determined to make one in green so I created another covered rock.

This one is a birch leaf made from a pattern.  However, the leaf doesn't

show up very well now that the lace has been crocheted around it.

I think it has an interesting look though.  It's 2 3/4" x 2".

I like the back...

After that one, I got the idea to make a pink flower with green leaves.

The flower and leaves are from various patterns in a book I bought when I was in Long Beach.

I think it turned out really cute.  I like the three colors.  It's 4 1/4" x 2 1/2".

Here's the back of it...

I'm having so much fun and the more I make, the more ideas I have.

The next one I want to try is to make red rose-like flowers with green leaves and white lace.

I have some wonderful flat, larger rocks that could work really well.  I'm excited!

In case anyone is interested in the book I found...it's "100 Lace Flowers to Crochet"
by Caitlin Sainio.  It has wonderful photos of LOTS of flowers and leaves that have
been crocheted and easy to understand written and charted patterns for each one.
I've only used a couple of the patterns so far.  But, I love it already and have a feeling I'll
use it a lot.  HERE'S a link to the book on Amazon where you can see inside.

Benita...let me know if you like any of these.  If not, I plan to have more soon.  :-)

P.S. What do ya'll think about my blog's new look?  :-D

Rockin' Out and on the Edge

I had so much fun crocheting the red lacy rock cozy that I just couldn't stop!

I've made two more so far and I know they won't be the last!

I used more stash yarn for this one.  It's an old ball of ecru cotton that I inherited decades ago.

It was probably old when I got it.  They sure don't make cotton thread like they used to!

This was so soft and silky to the touch and so different to work with.

I used a size 6 hook again and this one is completely improvised.

The shape of this rock brought a nautilus shell to mind.

So, I started out with a nautilus shape for the center and went from there.

Here's the back...

This round rock seemed perfect for a flower.

The gray color of the rock seemed perfect for pink.

I happened to have some coral/pink thread in my stash.

This one is improvised too.  I really like how it turned out.  Here's the back...

I'm having so much fun crocheting with cotton thread that I decided

to try something I've wanted to do for years...crochet lace edging.  

I flipped through a bunch of my patterns and decided on one this one...

I tried a smaller hook but realized that a six is probably the smallest I want to go.

The next size smaller made the stitches too small to see.  Crocheting with size six still bugs my

eyes out a little but keeps the stitches small enough to make the lace somewhat delicate.

I'm using Aunt Lydia's size 10 cotton crochet thread from my stash.

I started it morning.  I just have a bit more to finish on the edging.

Then, it'll be time for blocking.  I can't wait to see how it will look when it's finished.

Rockin'

Blog land is such an inspiring place.

One of the blogs that has been inspiring me is, "T's Daily Treasures".

Her crochet covered rocks always catch my eye.

I've been admiring them for a while and couldn't resist any longer...I had to make one!

I made sure to pick up a rock when I was at the beach last weekend.  

Yesterday, I pulled some red crochet cotton from my stash and a size 6 crochet hook.

I found a pattern on Ravelry for "Lacy River Rocks".  It had three different options

and the directions were very clear and simple.  I made option three.

The pattern leaves a big hole in the back but I wanted mine to completely surround the rock.

A little improvising did the trick.  I wrapped the front and side section

 around the rock and crocheted it closed in the back.

My daughter thinks this is a bit silly and I understand...that crossed my mind too.

But, there's something about them that just drew me in and I had to try it.

Now, I'm addicted!  This was so much fun to make and I love how it looks.

I can't wait to make another one.  I have a feeling a trip to the beach is in my near future!

I like to think of it as natural, earth friendly art.  It's just cotton and a rock. 

So, there's nothing to harm the earth.  It can be used for decoration or as a paper weight.

And, it's fun and allows for creativity as no two are alike and I can do some improvising on each one.

Moro Rock

Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park are basically one park.  They are right next to one another.  Roads meander through the forest from one to the other.  So, our week long trip Kings Canyon gave us the opportunity to see both parks.

On the day that we spent on the Sequoia side, we visited Moro Rock.  I'd never heard of it until this visit.  But, I found out that it's actually quite famous.  I even saw a picture of one of our past presidents standing at the top.  It's a huge granite dome, perched on the side of the mountain, 4,000 feet above the canyon below.  A 300' climb to the top and outside edge of it provides 360 degree views of the Great Western Divide or the western side of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.  It's also very exposed to the elements...

A stairway to the summit was first constructed in 1917 and eventually updated

and replaced in 1931 by the current concrete paths and 400 steps that lead to the top.

The paved paths and stairway meander up the sides

and criss-cross back and forth to the top.

There are interesting things to see along the way...expansive views, plants, flowers, trees...even fallen ones.  It was fun to peek at the view through this one...

Parts of the path require a little bending and ducking to avoid over hanging rock...

Some sections along the way are steep and narrow. 

For those who are afraid of heights, it can be a little challenging. 

Up...up...up...

It's a bit of a workout.  Especially, at the altitude of 6,725 feet.

Heres a section that shows how it alternates between concrete pathways and steps.

Sometimes it's quite narrow as it passes through big boulders and cracks.

There are some interesting rock formations along the way too...

Here's an interesting rock jutting out near the top with stripes of bright green lichen. 

That's my husband and daughter standing near it.

We stopped often to check out the views. 

This one is looking back toward the mountain we had just driven on.

Here's a view looking down at part of the trail we had just climbed...

A glimpse of the view we were about to see from the top...



There were prescribed burns going on that day.  So, the air was very hazy. 

But, if you look closely, you can see a road winding up through the mountains below. 

It's another way up to Sequoia from the valley below.

There it is...the top!

It was a fun little hike up.  My daughter was especially proud of herself for working through her fear of heights to get to the top and the lookout.  That's us...

The walk down was fun too.  We even noticed the sound of waterfalls and rivers echoing up from the valley below.  This tree is growing out of the side of the granite dome.  Amazing!

Moro Rock was a fun little adventure.  And, for my daughter,

an accomplishment that deserved a souvenir pin for making it to the top!

Next post...the redwood trees that Sequoia and Kings Canyon are famous for!