This week it's Tie-Dye, Pincushions and Camo (don't forget the books!) Hi there! I don't know if it's hot where you are, but in north central Massachusetts the mercury has blasted through the top of the thermometer and the humidity is residing consistently in the "tropical" zone. As far as I'm concerned this weather is inappropriate for anything except exotic plants and certain members of the animal kingdom. Humans (especially this one) not included! At our house we have one air conditioner. It's centrally located in the dining/living room and we gather around it in hopes of maintaining some margin of sanity. So far so good, yet I question how long we (my family and the A/C) can hold out! The one thing that the heat has not stopped me from doing is starting new projects. It must be some sort of condition that I suffer from that causes me to thrive on juggling multiple tasks . It's not just in the crochet world, but in the book world too, as I always have at least two novels and one audio book going as well as the reviews that are in the works. It used to worry me, now I just go with it! Eventually things get done, and those that don't must not have been that interesting anyway.
Turns out I never did get to that Yarn Along post. I will tell you that the book, The Sisters Brothers is a quirky delight. It's a western set in the 1800's and the main characters are outlaws. But truly they are the most endearing hired guns you're likely to ever encounter! Good reading if you like off-beat humor and unconventional sentence structure.
There is one more project that I've been toiling with this week - Hats. Specifically for the My Mountain project (more on that soon!) I'm working on some designs that combine my favorite granny square and doily components with traditional cloche styles. I finished one that's good, just not perfect - yet... but don't you worry, I'll be sure to show you what I come up with! So that's what's in my project bag today. How about you? What do you like to work on when the temperature hits broil? I'd love to hear how you stay cool. I was also wondering how many of you work on multiple projects simultaneously. And if you do, what's your secret for getting them finished?! Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me. Even though it's Thursday, I'll be linking up with some of my favorite Wednesday blogs! Scroll down the sidebar to see who I'll be visiting with. Until next time friends, Stay cool, be blessed and stitch & read with love!
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I'll show you how I did it without spending any money |
It's an age old question, and in crochet (as in many other hobbies - wink, wink) the answer is YES! How much it matters (I'm talking about crochet now) is quite surprising. I don't make a lot of things that have to fit - so for most of my work I get by without making a gauge swatch. Should I do it more often? - probably, but when you're making things like shawls, hats and mitts there's really no need. There have been times, where in order to have something come out the way the pattern says it will, I've taken the time to swatch. Certainly it can save anguish in the long run, as nothing is more aggravating than spending countless hours on a garment only to find it doesn't fit (you, the person you're making it for, or anyone you'd even consider giving it to). Plus it helps you get to know the pattern you're going to be using. Let's face it, some patterns look good on paper, but when you spend some time with them you find out that you don't like them nearly as much as you thought you would. If you're a swatcher (occasionally or otherwise), you've experienced the impact that hook size has. It's generally not dramatic, but when worked over a number of rows you can see how much a difference it makes. So what happens when you change hook size and yarn thickness? Well obviously you're going to get pieces that are different sizes. What's surprising is how significantly different the sizes are. Take a look at these squares. I'm making a throw with this pattern and was trying to decide what kind of yarn to use. It calls for dk/sport acrylic, but I was leaning toward worsted cotton. I made one of each. I liked the way the cotton felt, but the baby soft acrylic had more stitch definition. If I used the cotton, I wouldn't have to make as many squares, but in the end I decided on the dk/sport. |
1. Single Crochet around the motif using crochet thread that matches your "plain" item. 4. Spritz the motif with plain water to wet, then pin it to open up the stitches and straighten the edges. 7. Fold up the edge a bit and take a small stitch under it to anchor the thread and hide the knot. | 2. For square designs, work 3 SC stitches in each corner for a smooth border. 5. Once the motif is dry, pin it in place. Where and how many is all up to you! 8. Now using small stitches, sew into the back loop of each SC stitch around the item. | 3. Finish the round using the invisible join. Not sure how? Click here! 6. Using plain thread in the same color as your border, thread the needle and tie a knot. 9. Finish off by tying a knot close to the fabric and then passing the needle under the motif and out the back to hide the knot. |
That's it! That's all it takes to turn something plain and ordinary into something unique and extraordinary! If you think it's too hard, please don't be intimidated! The first time I tried it I was so worried that my stitches would be uneven and the motif would fall off! Believe me it's so much easier than it looks. And, it's a great way to put your thread creations to work. I don't know about you, but I have plenty of flowers and motifs that are just looking for a place to show off! I turned these simple fingerless mitts into something special by adding flowers to the outside of the wrist. |
I'm sure that there are plenty of churches, day cares and charities that can use things for baby. Or I can store them away for the grandchildren I hope to have someday - a long time from now! Let me just say that I didn't set out to make a baby toy. I already have her gift underway, and truth be told I should have been working on that! What happened was I borrowed a copy of this new book Classic Knits, and was so excited by all the lovely projects that I had to make something. The little kitty looked like he'd be easy to make and before you know it I was sewing his body together. I made him out of cotton and he's just a soft and sweet as can be (you can say, "awwwww!"). And then, Gosia and I were working together last week and a book called baby knits came into the library for her mother-in-law. Turns out that baby knits is the companion book to classic knits. Both are new this year from DK Publishing. There is an abundance of cuteness in the pages of this book! As the two of us flipped through we came across the kitty I made. As it happens that pattern and a few other baby items are in both books. I took Gosia's comment on the kitty as a good sign that she'll like the one I knit for her! Now, back to Classic Knits. Oh is it a beauty. It's got lots and lots of outstanding pictures that really make you want to start knitting right away. For me, the visual ascetics are spot on. You know how it is sometimes when you pick up a book and everything just works. Well, that's how this one is for me. The colors, the photos, the page layout, the large size and even the feel of the paper are right. And then of course there are the patterns. They really are "classics" - like cardigans, v-neck vests and crew neck sweaters. The kind that are fashionable always. While baby knits has many of the same features it is much smaller and a paperback. Don't get me wrong, it's still a very nice book, but not one I would purchase. Actually, I very rarely buy books because the library makes them so easy to get. Classic Knits however would be a welcome addition to my personal collection and I have been dropping some significant hints. We'll see what happens! |
Turns out it's not as easy as I thought. My first stop was Ravelry. When I searched "Knit and Crochet Combination Patterns" I was rewarded with 7 results. The one afghan it contains is actually a knit sampler with crochet edging. Hmmm.... Not quite what I'm looking for. I tried a variety of different searches with very disappointing results. Time for Google. This lead me to Crochet Pattern Central and Knitting Pattern Central, websites that I've had good luck with in the past. Here's a funny thing. Both sites have a tab at the top for Knit & Crochet Combo Patterns. The one on the knit page links to a blank page while the one on the crochet page links to a moderate size list. Anyway, I was once again disappointed with the results. While the patterns do employ both techniques most of the ones I looked at were knit projects with crochet trim, and I didn't find any "sampler" patterns. After wondering aimlessly through a variety of blogs and websites I decided that perhaps the only way to get what I'm after is to come up with my own. By searching for knit or crochet "sampler" patterns I was rewarded with a much larger selection. I'm sure a lovely blanket could be created by combining my favorites from this group. Somewhere along the line I did find one combo pattern. It's the blue sampler afghan from Red Heart. There remains one afghan that has been on my radar for some time. It's the Groovyghan by Tracy St.John. This eye popping burst of colors, shapes and lines simply captivates me. I love the way that Tracy uses so many different crochet techniques. By combining horizontal and vertical lines with circles and squares there's so much movement and energy I can't help but smile every time I see it! |
| Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me. I included this short video of "Flight of the Bumble Bee" because I think it is an appropriate theme song for The House of Bee. Take a moment and have a listen. If ever a piece of music embodies an image - this is the one. I was breathless by the end! Until next time friends, Be blessed and stitch & read with love! |
I'm Robin and this is
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