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Friday, March 24, 2006

Listen to this post as an mp3 file (for posts after 3/6/06)
New, Improved Persnicketiness -- Now With Crochet, Too

Crochet News

OK, here's what I'm sure you were all waiting for with bated breath -- my first crocheted item. It's a lovely dishcloth:

click for bigger picture

Ooooh, aaaah. Look at that nasty pastel-colored kitchen cotton. I don't know how that got in my stash. Not my colors at all. Well, it's used up now, and that's a good thing.

In typical "first finished item" form, this dishcloth is not without several mistakes. I somehow lost a stitch going from single crochet to double crochet, and then I lost another when switching back to single crochet at the end. Oh well, I tried it again and I think I've figured out my mistake. I'm slowly getting the hang of differentiating and counting the crochet stitches, which mostly just look like a bunch of knots to me.

Now that the obligatory ugly dishcloth has been completed, I can move on to bigger and better things. Like this:

click for bigger pictureIt's the Garden Scarf by Michelle Ameron from The Happy Hooker. I'm using Cascade 220 from my stash. Not sure what I'm going to do with this, since I don't wear flowery things, but it looked like fun to make. I'm sure I'll find someone to dump it on.

I like making the flowers, but joining them with the inserting-the-hook-around-the-post thing is a little awkward for me. It took me many, many attempts to even figure out the directions. I think I get it now, although it's kind of lumpier than I would like.


Here's the photo in the book of the scarf. Mine's coming out much smaller, which is fine with me since these flowers are kind of giganto.

I think The Happy Hooker is a great book for learning crochet. Debbie Stoller describes several ways to do various things (hold your yarn, crochet into the chain, etc. - I'm not really up with the crochet lingo yet), all in a very conversational tone with her personal recommendations. I like it. The drawings could maybe be a touch better, but they get the idea across well enough. They are certainly better than the ones in some craptastic old Teach Yourself Crochet book I just found in my bookcase. The Happy Hooker has by far the better instructions -- they are much more complete.

Since I'm now a newbie crocheter, I've started listening to Crochet Cast. There are only 2 episodes so far, but I think it shows a lot of promise. I've also found some interesting crochet links, like Crochet Me, an online magazine which has some interesting patterns and tutorials.

Don't worry, I'm not going to get all crochet on your butt and turn this blog into the Persnickety Crocheter or anything like that. Just bear with my sudden infatuation, will you? You know it probably won't last long. ;)

Knitting News

I'm still working on the Lady E stole. Progress has been slowed (but not halted) by the sudden impulse to learn crochet. I got some great tips from Anne of Knitspot on how to overdye the lavender bits. I think I will finish the stole and live with it for a while before I decide whether to take that drastic step though.

Speaking of Anne, she has contributed an audio essay to The Mosh Knit podcast. It's in the latest episode (#4). Go check it out. Her essay is about the definitition of "subversive knitting" and what it means to her. I needed to listen a couple times to thoroughly absorb all of her points, but I think it's very thought-provoking. It's got me pondering about what subversive knitting really means to me -- hmmmm.

Well, I'm off to a Japanese Knitting Techniques class at WEBS tomorrow. Oops, I just realized I haven't yet done my homework for the class. Might have to do that during the two-hour drive to WEBS. Don't worry, I won't be the one driving ;)

Leave a Comment 8 comments:

MelissaKnits said...

Look at you, all crocheted...I have a couple of books you should peruse, and Pixie, whom you'll meet today, is the crochet queen, so bring questions...if you get this comment before you leave home...which you should not, since it's practically 7 and you need to be there for ten.....

Anonymous said...

The flowers look great! How 'bout as a belt? Yeah, me neither, I guess. In fact, that 127 Print sideways sweater I made had a belt (the flowers were joined with I-cord through the center), but I never quite had the nerve to wear it. (Of course, I barely have the nerve to wear the sweater.) But still... flowers need a different level still of confidence, and maybe youth. Still cool, though! Can't wait to hear about Japanese knitting!

Anonymous said...

heyheyhey! nice crochet! i used to crochet like mad and make all kinds of lacy complicated stuff, but knitting took over. i really like the crochet skirts i'm seeing though, so i might have to get out a hook and do a couple of those. nothing quite like them in the stores, and summer is coming. meanwhile,i love your scarf!

iam SO jealous of your japanese knitting class at webs. please talk about it in-depth next post!! i wish i could go.

Anonymous said...

ps: sorry, i forgot to thank you for listening to my essay; i was SO nervous (in fact, petrified), but doing it really helped me get over being shy about recording myself.

Amanda said...

Thank you for the offer of the blog help...I removed the offending bit and all now is back to normal... I am so jealous about the WEBS class...I second the motion for an in-depth post reguarding said trip.

Jana said...

I love the colors you picked for the garden scarf. It makes it look a little less frou frou and more like a normal scarf, which I like. You're so lucky to go to the actual WEBS store! I've only been to their booth at Stitches East each year and if the booth is any indication, I bet that store is amazing! Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Oh.My.GOD. You've been lured to the dark side (is it true? Do they really have cookies?)

Unknown said...

I am SO GLAD that someone else found the flowers to be smaller than in the book! I'm nearly done with my scarf, but was alarmed that the flowers were so tiny compared to those in the book.

Their model must be bitsy-little...