Category: Crochet (Page 2 of 3)

hooks and tools

December 27, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

Look what else I got for Christmas!

I’m so excited! I really like working with bigger yarns. I can’t wait to get my hands on some and make lovely chunky things.

In other news, I finished the second sock of the worsted lavender pair and though I’m super stoked to have done it I’m feeling like I don’t want to be near another sock anytime soon. Maybe if I get over it I’ll try toe-up and see if they drive me any less crazy.

Grain is coming along but I’m starting to feel like I overestimated my love of endless garter stitch. It’s beautiful but I’m more and more reluctant to work on it. I’m not sure I can keep it up for another few thousand stitches.

And last but not at all least, after some swatching and playing around I decided to keep the same hook on my big brown throw. Mostly it’s nice to be working on it again.

a speedy Christmas

December 26, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

My oldest bought me a swift! Needless to say all of the hanks in the house are rapidly becoming cakes.

I hope you had a lovely holiday if you celebrate and a great one if you don’t.

a “big brown” dilemma

December 24, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

So I have this granny square throw underway that I refer to as Big Brown. It’s made of RHSS stripes in the colorway Latte and it looks fantastic in 1′ squares with the way it makes the colors pool. It was the first project of any size I took on after I started crocheting again.

I pulled it out last night to work on it and discovered that I have a problem. The hook I’ve been working it with is really too small for my tension and the yarn. I was having trouble hooking the yarn and my wrists were complaining that it was just too tight. The kids are encouraging me to just continue but I don’t think I’m up for the discomfort.

The problem is that I already have a substantial portion of the thing done. Not half, but enough to make me pause rather than just diving in with a bigger hook. And since I only have so much yarn to work with, there are potential problems with reworking squares if needed.

I think the best thing to do is probably to work a full square with the bigger hook and see how it looks and feels before I stress too much about how to handle this. It’s another bump in the crochet road but how boring would it be if it went smoothly?

Little Skinny Scarf

December 23, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

(Yarn by Ray from Knitivity.)

Following the sock fail I decided to do something fun with the yarn and set up a cute little scarf. I used my own Rectangle Granny Bookmark base row with a multiple of 4+2 then just played. It turned out to be a great length to just toss around your neck and is very light and warmer than it looks.

I have half the skein left and an idea what to do with it. We’ll see how that goes.

Foundation Single Crochet

October 6, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

Of all the techniques I’ve forgotten, I think I miss this one the most. If you’ve never had the pleasure, it makes your starting chain and your first row happen at the same time, which gives an edge that is not so restricted in stretch as a chain. It’s downright flexile, in fact. Here’s a tutorial with several variations from Vashti Braha.

I’m not on the verge of starting anything new, but next time I need a foundation chain this is where I’ll turn.

Temperature…scarf?

October 6, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

I’ve been thinking about doing a temperature blanket for a few years now but haven’t been able to wrap my head around the details. I’m 100% certain that I picked up the notion of doing a scarf from somewhere in my wanderings, but it popped into my head as if it were my idea. I think it would be a much more manageable project, though I still feel as if it might wind up suitable for the Fourth Doctor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Doctor) (if you scroll down you can see the scarf in question). As a scarf it’s quite low-risk in time and yarn cost compared to a blanket, so I may just give it a go. And seeing as my birthday is next month and I love having a ton of projects going, I may just make it birthday-to-birthday instead of Jan 1 to Jan 1. I get to go yarn shopping for my birthday that way!

WIP: the silver scarf

October 5, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

I couldn’t sleep last night so this went from a few inches to almost 2 feet long:

I’m sure there are mistakes in it but I love the overall effect. The stitch came from a book by Tracey Todhunter called The Step-by-Step Guide to 200 Crochet Stitches.

This is number 125, Garland Lace.

The yarn is Red Heart Soft in Light Grey Heather.

I’m mildly obsessed with it, so it might actually be done before the weather turns truly cold. I’m keeping this one for me. 🙂

Last Burst of Summer

October 5, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

It was 87 degrees today! Not weather for a lap full of crochet. Looks like it will be cooling down into deeper fall over the next week, which delights me. It’s been a beautiful summer but I’m ready for things to get cozy.

With the warmth the last couple of days there’s no crochet progress to report, but I did plan out another project and order the yarn. It’s for someone close to me so I feel I should be cagey about it, but if all goes as planned it should be fantastic.

What I have been doing is gaming. My other huge hobby is video games, and most of the time it’s The Elder Scrolls Online. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s an MMO and like all MMOs it’s a crazy time sink. I have to be careful of it as there’s a ton to do and it’s easy to let hours pass. Instead of cleaning my house today I decorated one of my virtual ones. It does look amazing however.

As I really get back in the crochet groove, though, I find I have less and less time for it. The game can’t compete with the rhythm of the stitches and the fabric growing under my hands. It’s a kind of satisfaction that you can’t really explain, and I can’t express how glad I am that I picked it back up.

WIP: a happy blankie

September 28, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

I’m not always the biggest fan of granny squares for baby blankets. I worry about little fingers getting caught in the spaces and their potentially being too heavy. After my earlier struggles and given their reliability though I decided to make an attempt at one for my stubborn, stubborn blanket…and it’s coming out beautifully. Gaps are fine, the colors are singing, and it works up fast. We’ve got a winner.

I’ll try to get photos soon.

In Time-Out: the sad blanket

September 26, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

So I wrote before about difficulties I had trying to manage a blanket for Project Linus…the stars just wouldn’t align. So I switched yarns and started again. This is the current state of that attempt:

There was more than twice as much fabric there before I frogged.

This time it wasn’t a problem with the yarn, though, it was a problem with me. I have no idea how I managed it but I got extra stitches at the end of several rows and the thing was just too crooked to save by easing it back in. Weirdly I only did this on one side. Even weirder that I did it at all. I have no idea where my mind must have been.

Working on it again is just too much for right now so it’s safely put away where I won’t think about it for a while. I’ll no doubt finish it eventually, once the sight of it doesn’t make me cross anymore. I’m definitely losing the race to finish a blanket, but I firmly believe in putting good vibes into your projects so definitely better late than cranky!

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