Month: June 2005

I decided to join a dishcloth exchange, thinking it would be a great way to experiment with motifs, stitch patterns, etc. while still creating something functional. It’s true! And not only that–believe it or not, crocheted dishcloths are great to do dishes with! There better than any rag you can buy in the store, and it’s fun to know you’re using something made just for you.

This one is done in the round. I was going for something floral, and I finished it with a ruffle because I thought it would be nice and scrubby.

I plan to take a better photo tomorrow in natural light. But I’m impatient, so there you are.

Here’s the pattern:

Materials: 1 ball Sugar and Cream (It took about half the ball)
Size H hook
Gauge is not important for the dishcloth.

[Note: each round is joined with a slipstitch, and the work is not turned but worked in the same direction for the entire piece]

Ch 3, join with a slipstitch to form a ring.
Round 1: 6 sc into center of ring. Join with a slipstitch, chain 1, do not turn.

Round 2: 2 sc in each sc in the ring. Join. Chain 1.

Round 3: sc in next 2 stitches, *[2 sc in next stitch, sc in next stitch], repeat from * to the end of the round. Join, chain 1.

Round 4: sc in next 3 stitches, *[2 sc in next sc, sc in each of next 2 stitches] repeat from * to the end of the round. Join, chain 3.

Round 5: dc in next 4 stitches, *[2 dc in next stitch, dc in each of next 3 stitches] repeat from * to the end of the round. Join, chain 3.

Round 6: dc in next stitch, chain 1, skip 1 stitch, dc in each of next 2 stitches *[ch 1, skip 1 stitch, 2 dc in next stitch, chain 1, skip 1 stitch, dc in each of next 2 stitches], repeat from * to the end of the round. Join, chain 3.

Round 7: dc in each of next 4 stitches, *[2 dc in next stitch, dc in each of next 5 stitches], repeat from * to the end of the round. Join, chain 3.

Round 8: dc in next stitch, *[chain 3, skip next 3 stitches, 2 dc in next stitch], repeat from * to the end of the round. Join, chain 3.

Round 9: dc in next 5 stitches *[2 dc in next stitch, dc in each of next 4 stitches], repeat from * to the end of the round. Join, chain 3.

Round 10 (ruffle): 3 dc in each stitch of the round.

Fasten off, weave in ends.

So, since this pattern is untested–if you try it–please let me know if you run into any trouble/errors, and I’ll fix them and credit you!

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Well, ok. If you are going to knit, you should have fun doing it! The Yarn Girls’ Guide to Simple Knits by Julie Carles and Jordana Jacobs is a crocheter’s knitting book. Why? Well, mainly because we crocheters are used to patterns that work up fast, and the high-fashion patterns in the book are all made with nice bulky yarn that works up quickly. It’s geared towards beginners but without the boring or shapeless patterns often offered to new knitters. Knitting basics are included with nice clear illustrations (there’s even a small section on using crochet for edging).

The patterns are all introduced with cutsie anecdotes about new knitters creating a sweater before they even knew it–if it only could be that easy! But the color photographs are clear and enticing. Speaking of the yarns–the yarns in the book are definitely on the expensive side. They’re beautiful, and of course, easily available because the authors own a yarn store, but they are not cheap. With careful gauge swatching, I’m sure less expensive substitutes could be used.

There are some great bulky sweaters, a cute cropped v-neck and some nice tank tops (the “sexy summer tank) looks great, and at 2 3/4 stitches to the inch, it should work up fast. The also include detailed schematics, so an adventurous “hooker” could easily adapt many of the patterns to crochet. The focus is on cute sweaters, but of course there are the requisite scarves and hats. My favorite scarf is the “hole in one.” It’s a great striped fuzzy scarf that is knit with a hole to sinch it on your neck. The intro text states “You don’t have to be Tiger Woods to knit this scarf.” but at $40.00/ball for the 100% angora yarn the pattern requires, perhaps you do.

Have you made anything from this book? Let me know–if you want to send me a picture, I’ll post it on the blog.

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I came across this georgeous flower on a flickr wandering tonight. I just love it! I would love to find out more about the artist who created it… Who are you Agent Gray? Do you have a blog? Please show us some more of your beautiful work!

I have to believe it when Eat Your Heart out Martha (a great site!) talks about The Cult of Knit after my trip to the bookstore today. While browsing for anything interesting on the crochet shelf (nada), I stumbled upon no less than FIVE books about the “spirituality” of knitting. Wow. The Knitting Sutra? Are you joking? What’s next? Tantric Knitting? (someone’s gonna run with that one, I know it!) Then there’s The Knitting Goddess and Mindfull Knitting, not to mention Soulfull Knitting, Zen and the Art of Knitting and of course, the bestseller: At Knit’s End.

I haven’t read a word of any of these books, so for all I know, they are life-changing. However, I am a little shocked to find them in my favorite HOW-TO section of the bookstore. It makes me wonder what I’d find in the woodworking or home-repair shelf. Maybe something like “Unclogging your Qi: Your drainflow and your inner energyflow.”

And then there are all the articles proclaiming that “knitting is the new yoga.” “The new yoga?” Is that like “the new black?”

So, are knitters really uptight folks who need a special class of self-help books to relax? I don’t think so. I know a lot of committed knitters–they don’t look like seem like they’re in a cult–only as addicted to or obsessed with their craft as any of my crocheting compatriots. Hmm…

But in case you’re feeling left out of the cult–Our Dear Lady Linoleum has discoverd a new moniker for crocheters who want to OWN the 2nd-class status crochet sometimes receives in the eyes of Knitters. In a discussion that occurred surrounding one of her blog posts, a reader let on that she and her husband refer to crochet as Hillbilly Knitting. I love it. Now Mme L. is going to create a webring for Hillbilly Knitting. Stay tuned!

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I was on a yarn diet until… someone on an e-mail list I subscribed to mentioned that Elann was going to be selling ORGANIC cotton yarn for under $3.00 per ball. The yarn is made by Pakucho, comes from Peru, and is this amazingly beautiful color-grown cotton.

What’s that, you ask? Color-grown cotton uses ancient heirloom seeds that actually grow in the colors you buy them in–earthy browns, beiges and greens. Of course because it’s organic, there are no pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and the farmers use environmentally friendly growing practices. You may have thought conventional cotton was pure and natural, think again.

Anyway, I orderd (gasp!) 20 balls, and it arrived only 3 days after I ordered it. The colors are even more vibrant and amazing in real life. Talk about instant gratification! I haven’t figured out what I will make from it, but I was thinking maybe a tank/shrug combo. Any other ideas?

There is a part of me that thinks I should never buy a new ball of yarn again–that with all the amazing ways to create and recycle fibers out there, I don’t need to. Then I cave. Hmm… maybe I need some of the other colors.

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Well I’ve been a little obsessed with all this shrug-making business, so much so that I forgot to mention that I had an article come out in the summer issue of CrochetMe. It’s on bowls and baskets–if you read the article and give a bowl a try, let me know! Better yet, send me a picture of yours and I’ll post it on the blog.

In other news, my mother is crocheting again after a 30-year hiatus. Believe it or not, it was the shrug that did it! She came with me to a class on baby hats, and she didn’t want to make a baby hat, but she said, “show me how to make that shrug!” So I did, and she is hooked again, so to speak. (sorry.)

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This week’s book was designed for those of us who do not like to have idle hands. The Portable Crafter: Crochet by Carolyn Christmas is small enough to fit in a purse, and most of the projects in the book use small amounts of yarn that can also be carried easily.

The book has project that are enticingly photographed, but no specific yarn information is given in the book, so a crocheter who wanted to reproduce a pattern exactly might have a hard time (though a clever “stashaholic” could probably make accurate guesses).

There’s a short introductory section with the basics of crochet, and over twenty-five patterns stuffed into the small volume. The patterns range from run-of-the-mill baby blankets and booties to a couple of furry purses. There’s a very easy flip-flop pattern and a pretty pair of socks crocheted in the round. The book has only one actual garment–a boxy sleeveless top that might make a nice beginner project. The patterns that really stand out are the hats and scarves. The Tasseled Beret & Scarf is stunning with its red fur mixed with tweedy wool–the hat has great finishing details and the scarf has novel bell-shaped edges. The Chelsea Hat & Scarf set is also beautiful with a complex but approachable stitch pattern and appealing colors. Perhaps my favorite hat is the Baby Cupcake Hat featured on the cover of the book. I love the ribbing and the color choices.

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I’ve just finished the 2nd version of Selma’s Shrug

The pattern is available on Lulu:

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