KFI: Crochet Mesh Scarf

I actually made this scarf back in January, but since I wasn't blogging at that time it's all brand new now!

According to my Ravelry notes it took me about two days to crochet. I find that very surprising because scarves should take longer than that, but I suppose it makes sense when you keep in mind I used a big hook and an open stitch.

I suppose if you tack on the swatching time it was a bit longer than two days.

Let's get right to business, shall we?

Crochet Mesh Scarf
Materials: Euro Yarns Thick 'n' Quick Merino (100% merino, 176 yards)
Hook: 10 mm (N/P) (or size necessary to obtain gauge)
Gauge: 5 sc and five ch-4 spaces equals 6"
Size: 6" wide by 75" long

Note: US crochet terms used throughout.

Abbreviations: ch=chain. sc=single crochet

Pattern:
Chain 22

Single crochet in second chain from hook and in each chain across (20 sc)

Set up row: Turn, *Chain 4, skip next 4 sc, Sc in next (5th) sc, rep from * across, ending with sc in last sc (5 sc and 5 ch-4 loops)

Pattern stitch: Turn, *ch 4, sc in ch-4 loop, rep from * across (5 sc and 5 ch-4 loops)

Repeat pattern stitch row until almost out of yarn.

Last row: Sc in each chain and sc across. (20 sc)
Fasten off last st and weave in ends.

Background Blather
I know you are just burning to know how I came up with this pattern. I shall keep you in suspense no longer.

Thick 'n' Quick Merino is a textured yarn. It is a loosely spun thick and thin merino base wrapped with a tightly spun merino binder. This makes it all soft all the time. It is also a chunky yarn with a suggested knit gauge of 2.5 to 3 sts per inch.

When I first saw it I felt it wanted to be a big loopy scarf that would show off its texture.

I started with knitting. I worked a swatch of diagonal openstitch (May 8 in Perpetual Calendar) on US 15 needles. The knit swatch is in the left in this picture.

I kept messing up the first two rows, or my stitch count was off, or something that I don't quite remember aside from the fact that it was a rough start.

Once I got it going I worked one pattern repeat and decided I didn't like it. The false start biased me against it, of course, but the stitch in general took more concentration than I wanted to give. Also, it wasn't as open as I had envisioned.

Then I fished out the N crochet hook and worked what is essentially the market bag stitch. First I worked it with ch-5 loops, but deciding that was too open I switched to ch-4 loops. The crochet swatch is on the right, with the bottom half in the ch-5 version.

I guess it was a little Goldilocks and the Three Bears, because that final incarnation was just right.

I was pleasantly surprised by how long the scarf ended up. It is long enough to wrap once and still hang down to my waist. It is also long enough to do that thing where you fold it in half and tuck the tails through the loop.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the final result and hope you enjoy it, too.

Hooray, Crochet!

Today begins National Crochet Month.

Yippee!

Since I cannot crochet at the moment with this bum elbow, let's just talk about it instead.

I first learned about National Crochet Month in 2008. I was inspired enough to design a Crocheted Guinness Dog Toy in its honor.

Samson destroyed it by pulling out all the stuffing a few days after I made it, but they still have the fabric. I suppose that makes it an empty Guinness can dog toy?

Anyway.

A Crocheter is Born
As I've mentioned in the past, I was so young when I learned to crochet that I don't remember that first lesson.

I do remember learning the double crochet stitch.

It was in the summer. We were visiting my aunt and her family in upstate New York. Grandma was sitting in a lawn chair crocheting. My younger cousin and I were sitting on the grass next to her "crocheting." We must have been making squares of fabric using just slip stitches because I remember Grandma saying that whatever we make would be nice and warm, but it would take us forever to make.

And she taught us the double crochet stitch.

Now this next bit is going to sound crazy, but you must keep in mind this was in the 1980s before the internet was widely available...for years after that summer the double crochet stitch was the only one I used.

You are probably asking yourself how I managed. Looking back I wonder that, too.

But then I was a kid. I owned one H hook. And I mainly made afghans and maybe a few scarves from the super inexpensive acrylic yarn you could get at craft and department stores.

I couldn't even tell you if any of those childhood projects still exist, but I suspect there weren't many of them. I don't think I was as prolific back then as I am now.

But I was happy in my double crochet world.

Everything Changes
I also remember the project that inspired me to learn more stitches and techniques.

My younger cousin had a magazine with a pattern for a stuffed cow in it. (Actually, it has horns and no udder, so I guess technically it's a bull.)

I coveted that cow something fierce. In fact, I still have him. Tucked away somewhere safe where Samson can't eat him.

In order to make that cow I had to learn how to work a single crochet stitch and how to work in the round.

Thank goodness for library books, because my Grandma was dead by then!

Strangely, I can't remember when I originally got my hands on the pattern, but I know I didn't finish him until I was in college. I had him with my on my Junior Year Abroad. I might have finished him while I was in England. At least he didn't have a name because it was then that he was dubbed Junior.

In any event Junior, and the books I had to track down to make him, opened up the possibilities for me. I learned lots of new stitches. I started designing my own stuffed animals.

Seek Inspiration
As you can see by the doily at the beginning of the post, my crochet skills have advanced from those days of just being able to chain, slip stitch, and double crochet.

However, even though I've been doing this almost all my life, I know there is still a lot about crochet left for me to learn.

These crafts help us grow, develop, expand our minds, and challenge ourselves.

My point is, don't expect to know it all and be an expert overnight. If you are just learning, expect to be frustrated, but keep your eye on the goal. Crocheting is a specialized skill and skills take time to be acquired. (Oh, this is where I should say something trite about hand crafts helping us slow down in our busy, digital world.) After all, you didn't learn to ride a bike, drive a car, or cook a decent meal on your first attempt, did you?

And if your craft is stagnating, look for a new inspiration. Maybe you need a new project that will offer a challenge and inspire you to take your skills to the next level. Or maybe some squishy new yarn in a fiber you haven't used before will wake you up.

Go forth and seek your stuffed cow!

KFI: Basic Crocheted Fingerless Mitts

Why should crocheters be excluded from the fun of making and wearing fingerless mitts?

After all, they can fold a square in half and seam it shut just as well as any knitter can. Better, maybe, since crocheting a seam shut is so much easier than mattress stitch.

I would take a moment to mention that I've been crocheting since I was a child. I was so young when I learned that I don't remember being taught! Although I remember my grandmother teaching me the double crochet stitch, which leads me to believe she taught me in the first place.

Anyway, you don't see me crocheting much because extended crochet sessions hurt my wrists. booo! Knitting does not, unless I really, really over do it.

Happily, these little mitts only took a few hours to work up so I think I escaped unscathed.

Sizing
Let's put the sizing discussion up front today, shall we?

This finished mitt has a circumference of 8". My hand, as we established yesterday, is 7.25" around. That's a lot more ease than I like in my mitts, but if your hands are bigger than mine you might be fine.

Single crochet fabric isn't elastic in the way knit ribbing is. These mitts aren't going to cling for me.

To size for yourself you might want to do a little math. I got a gauge of 4.5 sc per inch. Multiply that by my 7" hand and I get 31.5. So I should have gone with either 31 or 32 sts for fit consistent with what I prefer (i.e., snug).

Clear as mud? Excellent.

Yarn Quantity
Then next thing to consider is that crochet takes 1/3 more yarn than knitting does. While the knit mitts yesterday only took around 11 grams of yarn each, leaving wiggle room for resizing with a single ball, this single mitt took 22 grams out of a 50 gram ball.

These mitts, at these dimensions, will very likely use up the entire ball of yarn. If you will be resizing at all you'll want a second ball. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Let's get down to business! I think this pattern will be suitable for a beginner. You just need to know how to chain, single crochet, and slip stitch.

Actually, the concept is suitable for beginners, hopefully my directions are as well.

Basic Crocheted Fingerless Mitts
Materials: Louisa Harding Kashmir Baby (55% Merino Wool, 35% Microfibre, 10% Cashmere; 143 yards) 1 or 2 balls.
Hook: F/5/3.75 mm (or size necessary to obtain gauge)
Gauge: 4.5 single crochet per inch
Size: Finished mitt is 8" around and 6" long

Note: The mitts as written will very likely use all the yarn. I suggest you divide the ball before starting to ensure you have enough for both mitts, or buy a second ball.

Note: US crochet terms used throughout.

Abbreviations: ch=chain. sc=single crochet

Pattern:
Chain 38
Sc in 2nd chain from hook and in each ch across, turn (36 sc)

Ch 1 (does not count as stitch), working under both loops sc in each sc across, turn.

Repeat this row until piece measures 6" from beginning, or desired length.

Finishing:
Secure last loop, but don't break.

Lay fabric on a flat, firm surface. Lay your hand and wrist on the fabric positioned the way you want the finished mitt to fit. Attach markers above and below your thumb to designate the thumb hole.

Fold fabric in half long-wise. Beginning with last loop, seam the mitt shut by working single crochet down the open long edge to the first thumb hole marker. Break yarn.

Reattach yarn at the other end of the mitt and work single crochet up to the second thumb hole marker. Working through one thickness of fabric, slip stitch up one side of the thumb opening, slip stitch or single crochet across break of first seam, slip stitch down the other side of the thumb opening. Break yarn, weave in ends.

Turn mitt inside out before wearing.

Embellishing
In the pattern I have you work under both loops, which gives you a smooth fabric. Another option is to work under just the back loop, which will give you a little ridge on every other row. Personally, I like the ridge usually, but I wasn't in the mood for it this time.

The smooth surface of the fabric lends itself to embellishment. If you are very clever you could embroider flowers or some other design on them. (I am not clever in that way and know it would probably be a train wreck if I attempted it.)

Another option is to attach cute buttons or flower or some such. Really, the possabilities are practically endless.

One Day Bowl

Since you know that nothing is simple with me you will not be surprised that this little bowl that took me around two hours to make has a very long back story.

We had a staff member at the store named Trudy. (Hi, Trudy!) She was not with us for very long when her husband retired and they moved south.

Before she left she gave each of us a little gift of yummy chocolates and one of her favorite books, "Everyday Sacred" by Sue Bender.

It's one of those quiet, meditative books. Not really a self-help book, but still about looking at the world around you and shifting your perspective on what you see.

This was actually my second attempt at reading it. I had started at one point, but guess I wasn't ready for the message. This time I stuck with it and enjoyed it. I might even troop over to the library to find her first book.

What does this have to do with yarn?
The main image and central theme of the book is a bowl and accepting what is placed in that bowl. Which is all explained quickly in the first few pages, so I haven't spoiled anything for you there.

Turns out I'm fairly suggestible, which is something I already knew about myself, because after spending all that time reading about bowls and looking at bowl drawings I had a sudden desire to make a bowl.

Here, fishy fishy
This is not the first time a book has caused me to create something with yarn, and I'm not talking about patterns or stitch dictionaries.

After college I read "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. One of the characters was obsessed with goldfish and spent a considerable amount of time making little metal ones.

That was a much longer book than Everyday Sacred so it might have been more understandable that after finishing it (or maybe while I was still reading it?) I designed a crocheted goldfish. I still have him. I'll have to take a picture for you. He's adorable.

Back to the Bowl
Of course, I've seen patterns for felted bowls. And I made those felted wine cozies a few years ago. So I had the concept.

It made sense to make a bowl out of yarn, since it's my medium of choice.

I cast through my mental stash for feltable yarn. I just wanted to whip out a little bowl to satisfy the urge, so I didn't want anything complicated like making a striped bowl from scraps or something. I also didn't want it to be massive or take forever to make.

The single skein of green Naturgarn by Viking of Norway fit the bill. It even says "for knitting and felting" right there on the label.

[Ah-ha. I see on the website it is labeled "new." This is one of the yarns I received for my freelance project. You should check with your LYS, but it might not be in stock in the USA until the fall. I should check on that.]

Pattern Recap
Naturgarn is 100% wool. 50 meter/55 yard skein. At a suggested gauge of 12 sts to 4 inches. The recommended knitting needle is a 8mm/US 11. It has just a wee halo and is what I believe is called "singles" as the structure is just one fluffy, loosely twisted strand. My color, Lime #632.

I was planning to crochet my bowl, since it is faster and more structural than knitting.

Although I'm not a big felter, I understand that working at a looser gauge is desirable. I guess so the water can really get it between the stitches.

My crochet hooks jumped from a 6.5mm/K to big, plastic, mystery ones aren't imprinted with a size.

I went with one of the mystery ones. Perhaps a P. I'm really not sure.

I started the bowl with six single crochet in the starting loop. After working the bottom in single crochet I suddenly got bored and switched to double crochet.

I fiddled around a bit with working a back-post dc to turn the corner, but the sides were curving up naturally, so I ended up ripping that out and just working plain dc.

Really, this bowl took just over 2 hours to crochet. Let's see, we watched an episode of Dr. Who on-demand, two episodes of Jeopardy! off the DVR, and an episode of Justified off the DVR. So, taking out commercials, but I did fold a load of laundry...so call it 2 hours.

How is that for a fast project?

After I finished it I thought it looked a little more open than I anticipated.

This was not an issue because we were all getting together at Pam's house for a knit night, so I dragged it along.

She figured it would be fine with a few runs through the washer. I said I was going to hand felt it. Margaret and Laura both cried, "Are you insane?!" or something to that effect with the point being that's why washing machines were invented.

Machine felting it seemed like a waste of resources to me, since it was just one little bowl, but by the time I got home I had come around.

Two quick trips through the agitation cycle and viola! A bowl.

I stretched it over the bottom of a big canister of Quaker Oatmeal to shape it.

I forgot to measure the dimensions of the pre-felted bowl, but the finished one is about 3.25" tall, 5" across, and 17.5" around.

The light does shine through in places, which I think is a combination of the overly big hook and the double crochet stitch. The bottom, in single crochet, is much less, um, translucent?

Still, I think that adds to the charm of the bowl. I mean, it's not like I'm going to eat soup out of it. Of course, part of my attitude might be in the spirit of Everyday Sacred's message of accepting things as they are.

More bowls! More Bowls!
This bowl was so quick and satisfying that I have a desire to make a second one. This urge can be satisfied because I have a second skein of Naturgarn in color 670, which is a blue/purple multi.

This time I think I'll go with the K hook. Still might stick with the dc though. If I switch to a smaller hook AND a shorter stitch the second bowl might end up too small.

Can't wait to see how the variegate looks felted.

When Should a Handmade Sweater Retire?

This is on my mind since I think I may be wearing my current sweater for the last time.

I cannot show you a picture of this very cute sweater at the moment because my Flikr Pro account expired back in November. I've been resisting renewing it. I tried just now and got an error message.

Anyway. It's a crocheted sweater from (I believe) the May 2002 issue of Crochet! Magazine, which makes it around eight years old.

It's in a power blue Bernat boucle yarn (that has been discontinued and was hard to work with) with big white buttons. It has a retro style, so I wear it with a pencil skirt or peg pants and look very Mary Tyler Moore.

I put it on this morning, and well, it's kind of stretched out. And it's a little pilly, although that's hard to see with the boucle. It was never the most fitted sweater. The last time I wore it I noticed it was getting a little more generous in the body width. But today it seems to be hanging badly, and the spaces between the snaps (the buttons are for show) are gapy.

Of course, I wore it anyway. But even as I left the house I knew it should probably be retired.

That made me sad because this is the second sweater I ever made. Sure I've been crocheting since I was little, but I always stuck to blankets and toys and never got into the whole clothing thing.

Unless you count that 70s halter top I made out of red, blue, and yellow craft cotton that never did fit right.

Not the First
Which explains my lack of sweater crocheting right there. Growing up I only had access to patterns in library books, which were full of 70s fashions. What respectable child of the 80s would make one of those?

But then attractive crochet patterns started cropping up and it was time to take the plunge.

Of course, here I am mooning over retiring this blue sweater when it's not actually the first one I've retired. I unofficially retired the first sweater I crocheted (not counting the halter top, which I never actually wore) a few years ago.

The first sweater I crocheted was The Big Easy a free pattern from Lion Brand using Homespun yarn. I used the Fiesta colorway (I believe), which is now discontinued. It's a lovely blue with spot of red, white, yellow...oh I don't know lots of colors.

I crocheted it in one marathon weekend session. I got lots of compliments on it. Mainly from the yarn color than the actual sweater, I always thought. The sweater is just an oversized turtle neck. And, oh boy, was it oversized. I could pull it down past my butt. It wasn't the most flattering design. In fact, I always meant to frog it and shorten it, but never did.

Instant Yarn Snob
I had a distinct lack of motivation to rework it because of the nature of the yarn. Homespun, although attractive, quick to work up, and good for blankets, is just horrid for clothing (in my opinion). Being 100 percent acrylic it doesn't breathe at all. Sure, the sweater was a nice, warm, slouchy sweater to snuggle in, but I used to be able to feel the sweat trickling down my back because the yarn wasn't absorbent at all. I actually bought some white t-shirts to wear under it to combat the issue, but that just made me warmer.

Then the yarn started pilling and the sweater hasn't left the shelf in ages.

In fact, between the Homespun sweater, the blue sweater I'm currently agonizing over, and a spring top with granny square flowers (which is also a wee bit stretched but I can still wear) out of yet another acrylic yarn, I suddenly transformed into a yarn snob.

I'm all about the natural fibers for clothing, or blends at the most. (I'm looking at you Rowan Calmer.)

We Need a Checklist
Of the sweaters I made while living in New Hampshire the only ones still in circulation are the white top with the granny square flowers and my first knit sweater (scroll down to "Inspiration") out of Lion Brand Wool-Ease.

They are both still in good shape and fit for public consumption.

My other handmade sweaters are much newer as they are recent projects from 2004 forward.

I probably won't have to worry about retiring another sweater for a few more years.

But shouldn't there be a way to tell it's time?

Do you just ditch it based on age?
That wouldn't work for me. I don't even ditch store bought closed based on age. I don't tend to go for trendy pieces that will be outdated quickly, so I think I can get away with it.

Is it all about looks?
That's what's going to do in this poor blue sweater. It's just not flattering any more.
I think this would be my main factor. If the item is showing wear and tear it's probably done.

How many sweaters have you retired? And what were your reasons?

Book Review: Beautiful Hand-Stitched Jewelry

Wow.

I mean, wow. There are some creative people in the world and the things they come up with just boggle my little mind sometimes.

Take the stuff in Beautiful Hand-Stitched Jewelry: Crocheted, Embroidered, Beaded by Emi Iwakiri (128 pages, 200 color illustrations, $19.95, ISBN 978-1-906525-36-1) for instance.

I was all prepared to mock the first half of this book to cover up my own feelings of inadequacy since I can barely sew on a button.

But after spending some quality time together, I realized the poor book doesn't deserve my sarcasm. No, it wants to be my friend and invite me into its textile world.

There are 35 projects in the book, some of which are variations on a main project—such as a bracelet based on the principles introduced to make a necklace.

The first half of the book features items constructed out of beads that are either sewn out of fabric or created from strips cut from old cashmere (!) sweaters. Which is a really environmentally sound method, when you think about it, and should be good for people who like to pick up old sweaters at thrift shops.

The directions seem clear and easy to follow, without going into excruciating detail, and include both illustrations and explanatory text. As many of the projects have only five or so little steps, they appear rather achievable, even for someone such as myself who can't sew her way out of a paper bag.

Well, at least until I got to the line that says, "Make 78 balls." And I realized my attention span isn't up to the challenge.

Flower Power!
Oh, but the back of the book is where all the action is.

The back of the book is all crochet patterns!

The patterns again cover necklaces and bracelets with fibers ranging from raffia and lame to silk and cotton.

And so cute that I just had to make these adorable rings right away. The patterns called for silk yarn and No. 8 pearl cotton, but I used some Luster-sheen that has been in my stash since, oh, 2002 or something.

I made the blue flower first on Thursday. This is why I needed the C crochet hook, and the yellow bead is the other bead I bought that day. So the blue ring cost me all of 50 cents for the bead.

Then on Friday I made the yellow ring with some of my beloved hematite beads in the center. I fancy this one looks like a sunflower. Then I made the white one, which is actually a different pattern from the first two. I was going to use a variety of colors in the center, but it turned out they didn't harmonize, so I just went with the red.

So the yellow and white ones basically cost me nothing because it was all from my stash!

I have pink and lavender Luster-sheen as well, but I had to draw the line somewhere. (Although I might break down because I'm wearing a purple shirt today and the first thing I thought was, "Drat, none of my new rings match.")

They each took about an hour, with the most fiddly part being sewing the little bitty beads in place and then attaching the flower to the ring. But Hubby was at a graduation party on Friday, so there was no one to stop me. hehehe.

Well, that is, the blue one would have taken a hour if I had remembered to work each petal in a different foundation stitch and didn't have to rip back. And if I had refreshed myself on how to work a double treble, rather than working three normal trebles and thinking "Hey, that doesn't look right" and having to rip back, again. But, really, once I got over being me they just zipped along.

Another project that intrigues me is a chain made out of lame yarn which reminds me of a smaller, crocheted version of those big, knit chain scarves that were in Loop d'Loop.
I wonder, if I made a really long one, would Hubby let me use it as a Christmas tree garland? Considering the way he balked at the Wee Hats, probably not.

And a Techniques Section
The waaay back of the book covers equipment and techniques you will need to make the projects. There are illustrations of the embroidery and crochet stitches used and instructions for making pompoms and tassels.

I haven't seen this book or any of the patterns on Ravelry yet, but it only just came out in March, so people might not have caught up with it yet.

If you are into sewing and textile crafts, I think you'll really dig this book. Crocheters will find a lot of inspiring stuff as well. And knitters, well, it's about time you got with the program and learned more about the other craft. Then you can have cute flower rings, too.

PS—My profile picture is me, in pigtails with the blue and yellow rings. snicker. The loops are two small for a full ponytail. But now I'm plotting...

So Close, So Far

My mom has expressed concern about me calling them "Damn Doilies."
She's worried Aunt L will find out.
I said Aunt L isn't online. It is very possible my mother-in-law now reads my blog because she is on Facebook and my blog feeds into my Facebook profile. But she hasn't said anything.
You may remember I fell into the habit of calling them that when I was trying to expand the first one to 12 inches.
Really, they've been fairly easy since then.
I guess it just proves that doilies and I don't mix.
Back in 2004 I crocheted a nice pineapple one for myself, with the intention of making two for under the lamps on the living room end tables.
It makes a lovely centerpiece for the coffee table.
Actually, you've seen this pineapple doily before, it was the inspiration for the fancy cuff on the long neglected Peacock Socks.
Anyway.
What you see in the top picture is the process of working the first round of the crochet edging, which also binds off the knit body.
You have to crochet two stitches together right off the knitting needle.
I believe I've complained in the past about how fussy and awkward a process it is, and I thought I'd finally try to prove it.
For reference, I'm using US1 needles and a steel crochet hook!
But that first round is done. Now all I have to do is work the second row, which is far easier, and the Damn Doilies are out of here.

So Far
I have also quietly, and in fits and starts, been working on the Cotton Ribbed socks.
You have probably forgotten about them as I started them a while ago and haven't mentioned them since.
Well, last night I ripped the first sock, which I had only just finished, all the way back to the 18th row.
You might remember I had been agonizing about stitch count for these socks because I didn't want them to be baggy.
I don't know how well you can tell in this photo, but I had decreased away, um, eight stitches from what I had originally cast on.
This left me with a 40 stitch sock.
This did not sound quite right, since I am a grown woman, even if I do have small feet.
But, of course, I just kept knitting.
The entire time I was working the foot I suspected it wouldn't fit nicely, but kept thinking, "Well, I'll have a better idea after a few more rows."
I believe I ended up that small because I ended up decreasing on both sides and wanted to keep the ribbing correct. I probably should have decreased at one point, which would have led to fewer stitches removed.
I finished last night, but didn't kitchener the toe, or even cut the yarn. I put the sock on and sat there for a little while.
Sure enough, it stretched over my foot, but felt like a sausage casing. It just wasn't comfortable. It did loosen up after a couple minutes, but was still pretty unacceptable.
So I decided to go back to the original number of cast on stitches (48) and just work the entire sock that way. Hopefully my plan of using the ribbing to give them stretch and cling will work out.

Harf? What Harf?

Look at my cute doggy!
Do you see where Samson is sitting?
On the loveseat.
In MY spot.
I ran to the store and when I got back he peaked over the back of the couch at me and wagged his tail as if to say, "Look how cute and comfortable I am. Are you really going to move me?"
And, of course, I didn't. I moved the green blanket instead.
Perhaps this is why he thinks he out ranks me in the pack?
Did that distract you? No? You want knitting content?

New Socks!
Eyelet and Feather
As you noticed in a post last week, the Cat's Pajamas Socks (now elegantly renamed Eyelet & Feather Socks) have been unleashed on the knitting public.
I have seven favorites so far on Ravelry and one queued (but no purchases yet, sigh).
Last week's knitting time was focused on making a sample sock for the store since I don't want to split up my original pair, as happened to my poor Rainbow Swirl Socks.
I believe I mentioned recently that I had 40 grams of Cat's Pajamas Yarn left over from the original pair? I'm not sure how much yarn the original pair took because despite my little bout of weighing all my socks and scraps I don't seem to have weighed these. However, I made a third sock just fine.
Maybe that is a reason I like Lucy Neatby's yarn, I can get a pair and a spare out of it!
In case you don't remember why the Rainbow Swirls are scattered to the four corners of the country: one original is in the dining room credenza, its mate is at the store as a sample of our Sock Club patterns, and the spare is down south for its star turn in that new sock book coming out this year.

Cubes and Cables Anklets
Then last night around 10 pm EDT, I unleashed the Cubes and Cables Anklets on the world.
I designed these socks for the February installment of the store's Sock Club.
These seem to have hit a nerve on Ravelry. So far I have 39 favorites and 10 queues, but again no purchases. Whaaa! Is $5 not a reasonable price? pout.
Oh well, at least I'm not trying to making a living at this pattern publishing business. I'm just looking to support my yarn habit and have some extra spending money.

Yes, yes, the Heart Harf
After I finished the spare Eyelet and Feather Sock last week I returned my attention to the Harf.
The break was good as I was starting to get fatigued with it and was able to return energized. (What is re-energized not a real word? Is it just redundant?)
Last time I checked, which was a few rows ago, the scarf bits measured 21 inches long from the point where the ribbing of the scarf changes to the reverse stockinette stitch of the hood.
When I have it on this reaches just below my belt.
I still have 100 grams of yarn left to knit. This is what is left of the current ball I'm using as well as what is left over from the first two balls I used to knit the hood bit.
I think it will come out a rather pleasant/adequate length.
I'm vaguely debating fringe. But it will depend on where the pattern breaks when I run out of yarn.
If I run out at the end of a full panel repeat, I'll probably skip fringe. But if I'm going to run out mid panel I'll probably tink back to the last full panel and then use the left over yarn as fringe to use it up and avoid waste.
It's all very exciting this plunge into the unknown!
Ok, I'm exaggerating.

Crochet Mischief
However, I did not work on the Harf last night.
I've had a small project knocking around my brain for a while now that I've finally decided to act on. (on which I've finally decided to act?)
But I'll tell you more about that tomorrow when I should have pictures and will hopefully be done.

Yo YOs

After work yesterday I went to a Lace 101 class at Knitting Central.
D was teaching it, she does a lot of nice lace knitting and has taught it in the past. (She's also a busy girl and hasn't updated her blog in a while.)
Did you know there are five different ways to work yarn overs, depending if you are going from knit to knit, knit to purl, purl to knit, etc.?
Yeah, you read that right five ways!
I had no clue, which is why I crashed the class. She was showing me some when we were working Saturday and I was dumbfounded.
I won't go into detail here, but would encourage you to take a class at your friendly local yarn store if you have a burning desire to know.
If you can't wait for a class, I believe there was an informative discussion of YOs on that blog let me explaiKnit.
(Which might indicate that I just accidentally lied about not knowing there were five different YOs. Well, let's say I knew there were different YOs, but maybe not exactly five. Do you forgive me?)
But it's so much easier to have someone show you these things.
During class, D discussed the uses of different increases and decreases and the various YOs.
She explained that there are different abbreviations that can be used to indicate just which YO should be worked, but most patterns (American ones, at least) just say "YO." This forces the knitter to decide for themselves, which doesn't offer much help to those knitter who don't know about the different YOs.
Poor YO-less knitters.
Then we made a squidgy little sample swatch, practicing the YOs, and getting a feel for the pattern for the scarf they'll make.
I say they because, as you know, I have way to many deadline projects going on to stop for another scarf at the moment (although it is quite lovely).
Of course, once I started working some of the new/different YOs I actually had trouble working the standard YO. sigh.

Crochet YOs
This knitting business is very complicated, with its five different ways to make a hole.
When you want to make a hole in crochet all you do is work a chain. The more chains you work, the bigger your hole.
Doesn't get much simpler.
Of course, in crochet they aren't called yarn overs, they are called spaces.

Relevance to my life
I'm not sure how this new information will influence my current projects.
The YOs on the Eyelet and Feather scarf are all between two knit stitches.
And the Harf, thankfully, doesn't have YOs at all!
It might all come into play, however, for the scarf I want to make with my Mohair Splash yarn. I would have to look at the stitch pattern I selected to see where the YOs fall.
But that is a task for another day.

Speaking of Scarves
Cynthia was at the store, so I showed her my progress on the Eyelet and Feather Scarf in the Cashmere Sock Yarn in relation to submitting it to the book.
She thought I should go up a needle size. She suggested it would get me more length on the finished piece.
Fortunately there is time to swatch and fiddle around some more. I do have a little over a month before the deadline. I'll probably work on that tonight.
Actually, I have two interviews tonight for my next Yarn Market News article, so I'm not sure how much knitting I'll accomplish.
Last night I didn't get home until 9 pm. As I was pretty fried at that point, I actually wimped out and worked on the Harf.
With the potential needle change for the blue scarf the Harf actually required less brain power!

Project Flashback

In this picture I'm about 20 years old on my Junior Year Abroad in the UK. I'm standing next to a telephone box in Edinburgh Castle in, uh, Edinburgh, Scotland. (Of course, why would Edinburgh Castle be anywhere else?)
I show you this picture not as another attempt to prove I deserve my self-declared nickname, but to draw your attention to the scarf I'm wearing (which I now realize you totally can't see).
(ahha! If you click on the picture you will be taken to a bigger version where you can make out the scarf.)
Not being able to see the scarf clearly is sad, because this seems to be the only picture I have of this scarf. Which is odd considering I used to wear it all the time.
It is a crocheted scarf I made composed (constructed?) of repeating blocks of red, blue, and black squares.
I seem to remember is was cleverly constructed so that the block started out big and got thinner (shorter?) as they progressed to the center, at which point they started getting wide again.
There was a regular pattern to the colors too, but I don't remember if it went "red, blue, black" or "black, red, blue" or "red, black, blue, black" or any of the other countless combinations you can make with three colors. And I can't figure it out from looking at the picture, because I can't see enough of the scarf.
I can tell you it would have been made with an H hook using all double crochet stitches, because for a while that is the only hook size and stitch I used for all my crochet projects. (No, I didn't follow patterns much when I was younger. Why do you ask?)
Also, this scarf was soooo long that I could make a loop that reached my waist and the two ends would still almost reach my ankles. (Why, yes, I have been a Dr. Who fan for years. Why do you ask?)
That was a lot of crocheting.
If I sound a little melancholy about this awesome scarf, it's because the scarf was lost during a move many years ago.
Which is why I'm fairly certain this is the only picture of it, because, trust me, I looked after I realized it was gone (some 5 or 6 years after that picture was taken).
For quite a while now I've also been dragging around one skein each of red, black, and blue Red Heart Super Saver yarn to make a new one.
Why have I not?
Because despite all I can sort of remember about the scarf, these vague scratchings are all I can find that remotely resemble a pattern. And damned if I can remember what they mean.
Sigh.
Really, 32 blocks total? I don't think so.
(Ps. that coat was also in the box. It was a nice coat.)
(PPs. Yes, those are Gonzo bow-biters on my sneakers.)

Pick Me! Pick Me!

Now that's a job I could totally do.
Hey, Interweave! Interweave Press, look over here!
That's right, Interweave Crochet, I'm talking to you.
Come on, I know you have to have one of those search engines set up that notifies you whenever you are mentioned online.
Now that I have your attention, I hear you need a new editor-in-chief. I wanted you to know I'm available, well I'd have to give two-weeks notice and move to Colorado, but those situations are easily remedied.

I'm Your Woman
Perhaps you'd like to hear about my qualifications?
I have a BA in Literature with a concentration in Writing.
I was a beat reporter on a weekly newspaper in New Hampshire for three years, I've been an associate editor at my current magazine since 2006, and I've been a staff member at a LYS since 2005.
All of which means I'm accustomed to meeting deadlines, I have experience in magazine publishing, and I know about yarn.
Really, what more could you ask for?

Consumer vs. B2B
I'd like to take a moment to question this prejudice you people on the consumer side seem to have against us folks here on business-to-business publications.
We are all writers and editors. We all string together words to provide information to our readers.
I know my magazine has editorial integrity. Just as you wouldn't write nice things about, say, Rowan just because they sent you pretty yarn to play with, I wasn't obligated to write nice things about Hitachi just because they gave me an iPod at a press conference. We write about these companies because it is information our readers can use.
My magazine is respected by our readers, they point to us as an authority they can trust. (Actually, I'm fine here, and I would say that even if there wasn't the outside chance Boss Man might read this, but a girl has to keep her eyes open and check out opportunities.)
So you don't have to worry about me not understanding what is going on, or selling out.

Up With Crochet!
In addition to my writing and editing skills, I'm an accomplished crocheter. In fact, I've been crocheting for so long I don't even remember how I learned.
I've also designed a few items. Perhaps you have seen my adorable Crochet Guinness Dog Toy? It is available as a free download on Ravelry, where it has been favorited 12 times, added to 12 queues, and downloaded 25 times. Which shows I did something right.
Crochet is still an overlooked art form. Your publication, the Crochet Guild of America, Crochet! magazine, and others have done a lot to raise crochet's profile, but there is still work to do.
We must continue to find current designers who are creating fashionable and functional garments to wear. We have to make knitters jealous of our projects in order to grow the ranks of crocheters. And we have to show that crochet is contemporary, toiletpaper cover have their place, but crochet is so much more than that.
Of course, a magazine is still a business, and we must explore avenues beyond print to maintain success, such as online media and social networking. I am familiar with some of these options through my current position.
I'd love to discuss my qualifications with you further in person.

You Know Who I Am
You should already have my resume on file. I applied to one of your online editor openings, after all I know basic HTML. Not that you called...what do I have to do to get you to notice me?
Just cross reference my blog with the resume of an "Ann M" who has lived in NJ, TX, NH, and CT and you will probably find me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
TravelingAnn

Must Resist Hat

Must stay focused on stealth sock!
Yesterday morning Hubby said the car said it was 41 degrees Fahrenheit. This morning my car said it was 39 degrees. Now, we're pretty sure the cars exaggerate on a regular basis, but when I was standing on the platform waiting for the train I could believe it. And I thought to myself, "I want a new hat."
I have made myself two hats, which I usually rotate. I made them both when we were living in New Hampshire.

Hats Off To Me
First there is my fuzzy green hat. It is crocheted out of Lion Brand Chenille Thick and Quick in the forest green color. I believe it is a modified version of the hat that was on the ball band.
I ended up with this yarn in this color because one year my mom wanted a fuzzy green scarf for Christmas. This was before I became a yarn snob. (Not that there is anything wrong with Lion Brand, but I think I would consider more choices now.)
I had a skein leftover, which was enough for the hat. It's
warm and I usually get lots of compliments when I wear it.
But since I made it in 2001 or 2002 it is starting to get a bit floppy and stretched out.
I tried to get a picture of me wearing it, but Baru kept attacking me and Hubby was watching the debate. So I stuck it on a cantaloupe.


The other hat is what I call my elf hat. I like to wear it when I'm feeling whimsical. It is knit out of Lion Brand Chenille Thick and Quick, Jiffy Thick and Quick, and a third yarn I can't remember because I'm at work and the information is at home. This was also a free Lion Brand pattern. It is actually part of a set which includes a scarf, mittens, and bag. I think it was called the Zig Zag Set.
I never made any of the other pieces. I don't think knit mittens would keep my hands warm enough, the bag was vaguely interesting, and I have plenty of scarfs. Add to that the Chenille is even worse to knit with than it is to crochet with and it just wasn't going to happen. I don't think I actually got gauge on this project, at least not on the brim.
Another impediment to achieving gauge was that I was a fairly new knitter and the size US11 needles I was using were either from my mother-in-law or a yard sale, so they are long, plastic straights. ack.
Baru continued to involve himself in my activities with the camera and hats. Or maybe he just wants the cantaloupe. He likes cantaloupe. But then Baru like most everything you can eat. (This picture is actually a better representation of the color of the Lamb's Pride than the solo shot.)

Hat I'd Like to Know Better
The hat I'm resisting casting on for is Coronet from the Winter 2003 issue of Knitty.

Now back during my glorious month working at Patternworks I picked up the yarn to make this hat. It was going to be my first cable project (I skipped ahead and make that Karabella scarf #KK239 [that link should take you to the pattern page on Karabella, don't know if it will stick/work] instead for Hubby).
Don't know why I've been slacking, other yarn and patterns caught my eye. I already had hats. I learned how to cable.
But now. Now my ears are cold and I'm thinking it's time to finally cast on four plus years later.
But I have to finish this sock pattern first!
(This also is proof that a yarn diet can be good for me on many levels.)

Gratuitous Baru Picture
Hubby postulated that the reason Baru (and Samson, truth be told) kept bothering me is because they wanted me to take their pictures. He thinks they've already become accustomed to the camera and that if I have it out I will be trying to corner them.
If he's right, then they could make all our lives easier by standing still when I aim it at them!
(His tongue isn't orange. He has a squeeky basketball in his mouth.)

Variety Is the Spice of Crafting

Which is a darn good thing as it gives us an excuse to endlessly start projects without finishing our current project. And if someone is foolish enough to confront us on the matter, we can easily respond, "Oh, I need multiple active projects in order to avoid repetitive motion injuries in my hands and wrists."
I must pause here to mention that Hubby has never been foolish enough to comment—or more accurately question—on the number of projects I have going at once. He only occasionally comments if I have been working on something for a long time and then suddenly switch, which can be put down to curiosity. And the only time he has protested a mid-project switch was when I was making his Yankee Socks, then he campaigned for them to be finished.
Which is all a round about way of saying, are you as tired of hearing about this endless Sundae trim as I am of knitting it? I'm closing in on the end. I'm now at a length were I have to start attaching it to determine whether I have enough yet. Which is going to make it far less portable.

The Hat to the Rescue
Fortunately, I have P's crocheted hat to fall back on.
I was able to get gauge with the LionBrand HomeSpun and a size L crochet hook. But I wouldn't recommend it—the fabric is rather floppy.
My hooks are, apparently, scattered throughout the house for some reason. I had to troop up the the attic to find the L and I'm sure I own and N but couldn't tell you were it is, and there is an, uh, J in the dining room credenza with some more HomeSpun that I was planning to use to make a baby blanket for my cousin's new baby (who will be a year old in February). Not quite sure I was thinking, allowing all these hooks to wander.
Anyway, the hat was making me feel pretty useless last night as I couldn't get one of the increase rows to work out. It's using basically the same progression I used for my Crochet Guinness Dog Toy and other circular crochet items I've made, so I don't know what the problem was. Whether I followed or ignored the pattern, my stitch count was off.
I blame the HomeSpun, I couldn't see what I was doing. And the Giants game prevented me from counting properly.
So I packed some Cascade 220 and an H hook for the ride this morning—and beat that increase row into submission! The pattern is correct, it's the crocheter that is defective.
I'm going to be extremely bad and work the rest of the hat in the Cascade 220. This will allow me to confirm the numbers but not the size. So I'll have to rework it in the HomeSpun to check measurements.
My kingdom (queendom?) for a smooth, chunky yarn!

Two Timing

This no crochet thing is really cramping my style.
Because of it I have kicked the first Peacock Sock to the curb and cast on for the second sock.
I was able to knit on the first sock during the ride home yesterday and it now has a 3 inch leg.
The problem is I did not measure or otherwise mark the amount of yarn used in the cuff attempt, which was half the point of that exercise (the other half being to see how it looked), and now I'm not sure how tall of a leg I can make.
So I've moved on until my hand is good and rested and then I'll just have to be patient and only do one round at a time or something.
I'm planning a knit lace cuff for the second sock so people could have a choice, so there shouldn't be a problem with finishing at least one of them.
(I've been using "so" entirely too much lately.)
Of course this is all out the door Friday when the Ravelympics start.
Not much progress was actually made on the second sock last night. The second ball of yarn had been used for swatching purposes originally. When I pulled the swatch out the yarn was all crinkly. I can't be bothered with wetting it and all, instead I just reballed it to get to the other tail.
I'm so wicked.

Bored and Pathetic

Warning, major whining ahead.
I should have known better. In fact, I do know better. But I couldn't resist the siren song of my yarn.
And now my wrist really hurts. And I have only myself to blame.
I resisted on the train ride home, but knitting/crocheting is how I relax after dinner. I was trying to be good. Instead of actually working on the sock I started transcribing the doily pattern to suit my needs, writing down stitch and space count for each round, etc.
Then Samson decided to snuggle. And we've already established I can't resist my puppies.
Now Baru sits with me on the couch. He curls up on my feet and puts his head on the arm rest. Some times he stretches out, but he basically doesn't interfere with my activities.
Samson sits on me. He puts his butt down by my feet and his head in my lap and gets attitude if my yarn or project tickles his ears. After all he was there second.
So writing was not possible.
First I knit a few rows. Things were fine. Then I couldn't resist any longer.

Doily Goes Down
I had to figure out how to make the cuff smaller. First I yanked out the last 3 rows.
Between the pineapples are columns of 2 treble, ch 2, 2 treble sets. On row 5 an additional ch 2, 2 treble pair is added (putting 6 trebles and 2 ch-2 spaces in one space). This is where the pattern really flared out and started getting taller than the pineapples.
So I reworked one row without the extras. It helped, but the columns were still taller.
I've decided to drop the columns down to double crochets instead. (and remember, these are all American terms.) It will make them shorter, but shouldn't affect the pineapples, which are all single crochets and chains.
Last night and went ahead and yanked back to the first round. I'm going to leave the first round made up of treble crochets, I don't think it will harm anything.

But, oh, that train ride is long
And now my left wrist is seriously sore and I had to get out the wrist support thing and everything is asking me what's wrong. sigh.
Which all means the only thing I could do on the train this morning was sit and be pissy. Well, I was listening to music, looking out the window, and being pissy. But still. Really makes me appreciate how knitting and crocheting helps pass the time.
Oh, and I thought I would be slick and dug out my poor neglected TipToe Socks so I could weave in the ends on the train. No dice. The pinching/holding position to stabilize the sock is too similar to the position my hand is in when I crochet.
To add insult to injury, I'm listening to a book on my iPod. I transferred the CDs to my desktop and then into iTunes. This is allowed, the company's website even had tips. Anyway, the discs didn't transfer over quite right. So all the tracks on all the discs are just labeled in order from 1 to 99. To avoid confusion I'm only synchronizing one disc at a time. And disc two ran out on the ride home yesterday. grrr. But I'm all loaded with disc 3, so the ride home tonight shouldn't be as bad.

Eavesdropping is Wrong
The guy sitting across from me on the shuttle bus yesterday was on his cellphone talking about baseball trades that I knew Hubby would be interested in. But Hubby hadn't called me, so I called him. Then I had to tell him that I was calling because I overheard that guy's conversation, which I'm sure the guy heard. Hubby said he watched ESPN until the 4 o'clock trade deadline, didn't see anything and switched to Voyager. Then he switched back and saw what the guy had been talking about. Hubby said it was only announced like 5 minutes ago, so he was surprised the guy on the bus knew. Anyway, the news made Hubby happy, so it was worth it.
But I have to be more subtle in the future.

Wow, That's Huge

The crocheted cuff came out a little bigger than I expected.
From the center to the long point is 4 inches. gulp. The pineapple, which is what I was really after, is a respectable 2 inches.
As you can see, I wisely stopped before the fan bit at the end.
Sadly, I can't try it on to see whether it might look good on a leg because the foundation chain and single crochet row is too tight to go over my heel. Which gives me doubts about the sock top.
Grrr.
I'm thinking, maybe, if I can tone down the in between long part, that might help matters. Maybe if I stick with the 2 treble pairs without expanding them on the last 3 rows that will keep the length more in line with the pineapples.
Those long bits, at the very end at least, are actually the beginning of the big pineapples.
Alternately, I can take another look at the calendar. There was a pineapple pattern in there that had rows of straight up double crochets around the pineapples. But it looked like only one pineapple and the base was 22 + something, so it would have taken a lot of fiddling to get it to work. But I might be able to hijack some of the principles behind it.
The sad part of this prototype is that I'll be yanking it out eventually. However, that will be in aid of working it onto the sock for real, so it will be a noble sacrifice.

Train Chatter
One of the other knitters came over on the ride home to see what I was up to. Apparently they were aware that I had been working on a sock and I was obviously not working on a sock at the moment.
I explained the cuff idea.
She declared the bit I had done (two rows shy of what you see) lovely and expressed the opinion that the socks would be cool/pretty. So at least I'm not totally off base. Unless she was just being polite.
Unless I'm being paranoid because it's bed time and I'm sleepy.

Not Having Fun

And Knitting and Crocheting are supposed to be fun. And relaxing. But they weren't either last night because the cuff wasn't working out.
Actually, while I was trying to beat the pattern into submission, Hubby was being very cranky at the Yankees for losing again. So I'm not sure whether it was my own annoyance I was feeling or I was getting the tension off of him.
To make matters worse, when he was letting the game spool in the DVR so he could fast forward through commercials he switched over to playing his Medal of Honor video game. Which was on a really tough mission so he kept dying. So both his activities were making him cranky. sigh.
It was all so annoying I considered fleeing the living room, but I didn't. Because I am a supportive wife.

Stupid Lace
The portion of the pattern I chose at the big pineapple was just not fitting gracefully into the 48 sts I had available. I couldn't balance it/space the touch points evenly.
I even got out paper and attempted to make a chart. Much scribbling and erasing was going on while Hubby was wishing someone would pay him millions of dollars not to do his job properly. And Samson decided to snuggle, but he didn't want pets he just wanted to have his head on my paper. (See why I almost left?)
I ended up busting out the 365 Crochet Stitches Perpetual Calendar I received for Christmas. There were some stitches that had potential.
Then I took another look at the doily pattern. The smaller pineapples have a more flexible start. Through some careful counting on the existing doily I determined it would be possible to fit whole repeats onto my 48 sts properly.
Yipee.
And at that point it as late enough to legitimately start getting ready for bed, so I was able to flee the living room and still seem supportive.
Yipee, again.

Cuff Progress
The new plan was implemented on the train this morning.
I was able to fit 6 repeats of the base stitches, which should equate to 6 pineapples.
The next hurdle will be figuring out how to end it. I really like that fan bit at the end of the doily. I think it will be a better ending than trying to cut the pattern off in the middle.
However, I don't want to have to go through the big pineapples to get to it. That would be too much cuff. Currently I suspect that I can jump ahead to the beginning of the fan and drop it in where the big pineapples are supposed to come in.
But goodness knows I've been wrong before.
I'm making rapid progress, so I might even find out on the ride home tonight.

Doing Math Was an Option

Which kind of blows, doesn't it?
I mean, I got into this craft for the notions and the yarn, not so I could crunch numbers. Sheesh, I stopped liking math sometime around high school geometry.
But applying the row gauge information I diligently wrote down to some new measurements of my foot might have prevented me from needing three attempts to get the heel correct on my current sock.
(Yeah, pictures, they would probably be helpful.) The current sock is out of Mountain Colors Bearfoot yarn in the Elderberry colorway. I'm working it toe-up, which I recently realized, I don't usually do. In fact, I think I've only done one pair toe-up, the second pair I ever made.
Don't get me wrong. I like toe-up. I've advocated for toe-up. I just haven't used it much. So I don't have an idea of the depth to work the foot before starting the heel.
Which is odd, considering part of the point of going toe-up is that you are supposed to be able to try it on.
Cuff down, on the other foot, for those I know where I want the sock to reach on my foot/toes before I start the toe decreases.

Back to the Heel
Despite the number of times you have read me typing that I don't like short-row heels, I'm working a short-row heel. And I was trying the sock on. And the needles were reaching the front of my ankle, but the sock kept coming up short meaning I really had to stretch it to get it over my heel. (Cinderella much?) Which makes me kind of glad I wasn't trying to do a reverse heel flap. That would have been really annoying to pull out and rework. And I wouldn't know where to begin.
Well, actually, I'd probably compare it to a top down sock and try to start the gusset where the other gusset ends...
Anyway, my heels seem to be going in threes recently, so the third attempt was finally long enough. Snug but not to tight. (Oh, I was using a lifeline on the row before I started the heel shaping so when I had to pull back, tada, the kite string was there to catch the stitches.)
Right, pictures. Well the yarn is dark so I would need good sunlight to get a good shot and the train was late yesterday...

About the Cuff
However, I've given over on the sock leg for the moment. I want this pair to have a lacy cuff that folds over. I'm inspired by a doily I crocheted a few years ago (2004?). (A single doily. Doesn't work very well for having doilies under both living room lamps.) After I conquered the heel last night I dug the doily pattern out. Now I'm trying to figure out where to start in the pattern to get the portion I want.
People on the train this morning must have been wondering what I was doing today. Sitting there with a pamphlet, an ecru doily, my yarn and a crochet hook, trying to find the place on the doily that the pattern was referring too. I got two and a bit repeats this morning. I think I need to figure out how many touch points I need on the cuff of the sock to determine positioning. If I can get three repeats in it will probably work, otherwise I'll have to start at a different point in the pattern. Or, possibly, find a different pattern to use. Because, since I'm starting in the middle of the pattern, it is referring to working this stitch in that space. Spaces I don't have. So I had to guess and just work in different parts of the chain as I move around it.
In case you are wondering, I'm not working this attempt onto the top of the sock in its current state. I went to the other end of the ball and made a foundation chain. What I want to know (other than repeats and positioning) is how many yards the lace cuff will use, which will guide how tall I can make the sock. Of course I must also consider the possibility that if the cuff ends up hanging down 3 or so inches and I can only work a 2 inch leg, that might not work. And it would also really suck if I ran out of yarn before I ran out of lace. At least I already divided the original skein in half.

Speaking of weighing yarn...
Blue Jitterbug=36g, Purple Jitterbug=34g, Sol Joy=24g and Sanctuary=5g. The Purple Jits took 76 grams to make, so I have plenty in these scraps for another pair. And I have a whole unused skein of the Mardi Gras Jitterbug that can contribute to the cause as well. Hmm, I wonder how the Madelintosh Glazed Sock Yarn compares to Jitterbug gauge wise?
Ok, I'm just thinking aloud now. Actually I was thinking aloud somewhere around the lace cuff discussion.

Willy Nilly

sos08 Alchemy Girlfriend Cable Socks
Originally uploaded by TravelingAnn
Most of the holiday weekend was spent working on the felted wine cozy prototype. I cast on for it Thursday night. Spent Friday on the couch knitting on it and watching the Twilight Zone marathon on the SciFi channel. Then finished it off Sunday afternoon. I did take a picture of it, but the picture is at home and I'm at work (lunch break!) and I haven't been able to figure out how to get flickr to allow me to blog two photos in the same post.
Oh, well, duh that's what the url box in blogger is for and the link to this pic html that Flickr provides. Still, it always seems to end up a weird size the few times I've tried it. This is the thumbnail size because when I used one of the other sizes for my first sock the other day it came out huge. I can't seem to win.
Anyway, the wine cozy was making me pretty cranky by the time I finished, namely because it took longer than I expected, I know I won't truly receive a price that will cover my time, and yet I was putting pressure on myself to finish it so I didn't work on any other projects. In the end I think it took a little more than 8 hours.
But then I felted the bugger. Felting is so fun and it ended up so cute (although bigger than I was expecting/planning) that I was all energized and cast on for the version with vertical stripes. It also felted much quicker than I was expecting. Not even one cycle. But I was basing the time and shrinkage on my Felted Ravelry Bag, which was much larger and a different color.

What was I talking about?
Ok, well, since I've buried the lead already, I might as well go with my original story. (I had been composing this blog post in my head and then thought, don't start with this story, get to the point. But after that wine cozy digression, what have I got to loose besides your attention?)
I was so young when I learned to crochet that I don't remember learning. I remember my grandmother teaching me and my younger cousin the double crochet stitch. We were sitting next to her making chains and blocks composed of chains. She was like ok that will be nice and warm but you will never finish anything. And she showed us the double crochet stitch. How I originally learned to hold the hook and chain, couldn't tell you. Double crochet was the only stitch I knew and used for years and I happily started blankets, made clothes for my stuffed animals and scarves for myself.
Then one day, I think I was in college already, my cousin found a pattern for an adorable stuffed cow. I wanted to make it badly enough that I got books from the library and figured out how to crochet in the round and other stitches. After that I was unstoppable and designed several adorable (if I do say so myself) stuffed toys. Finally, in 2001 or 2002 I took the plunge into crocheting sweaters.
My first one was the "Big Easy" from Lion Brand. In some lovely multi-colored blue based Homespun. I finished it in a weekend (and now I can't wear it because it feels squeaky).
Of course making clothes turned me into a yarn snob overnight.
But around the time all this was happening, I cornered my mother-in-law and got her to teach me how to knit.

The opening image
Coming back to the original point of this post, I don't know how much the age at which I learned these crafts has to do with it, but I've found that I follow crochet patterns to the letter and don't deviate at all. But I change knitting patterns willy nilly and sometimes on the fly.
The first sweater I knit was another free Lion Brand one out of Wool-Ease. It was supposed to be a striped crew neck in reverse stockinette stitch with ribbing on the hems. Well, there was a nice cream skein with little flecks of color on sale, so I ditched the stripes. As a new knitter (and without anyone to consult) I misunderstood the ribbing directions and discovered seed stitch. And I worked the sweater in normal stockinette stitch since I hadn't waited all those years to learn to knit to do a sweater in this weird lumpy stitch.
So I guess I was changing knitting patterns to some degree from the word go.
I'm about to unleash this tendency on my poor Alchemy Girlfriend's Cable Socks. My second pair for Summer of Socks 08 and the purple knitting pictured at the top of this post.
The pattern is written for one size at 6.5 sts per inch and I've suspected all along they might be too big, and in deed it looks like that is going to be the case. Which is why I hesitate to buy sock patterns unless they are written for multiple sizes (and actual alternate sizes, not just change your needle size adjustment. I tried that once, the socks are baggy. At least that pattern was free. [Didn't know enough about sock knitting at the time to adjust them down.])
I mean, sure the socks will fit as written, but they are going to be baggy and that will be annoying. Even if I do reserve them for house/bed socks.
Anyway, I worked through the first pattern repeat last night--20 rows--and tried the little bit on. It fits up where the cuff should go ok, but I'm really really certain it will be baggy at the ankle and on my foot. So I busted out the calculator.
My first calculation indicated I needed to ditch around 13 stitches! So from 58 to 45 based on the target gauge and how I like my socks to fit. That was not only ridiculous but would probably make it impossible to maintain the pattern. So I decided to meet it half way and just ditch 6 stitches bringing me down to 52 sts. Which should be a better fit, although not as snug as I usually like.
The easy thing to do would be to drop them out of the back ribbing, but that might pull the design oddly, so I'm thinking I'll ditch 3 from each side over the ankle and go from 2/2 ribbing to 1/1. Since I'm changing the sock anyway, I'm thinking I might change the back ribbing to another cable to disguise the fact that the ribbings don't match. I'll be on a roll at that point, so I'm thinking I might change the called for short row heel to my newly beloved Cuban Heel. Like the short row heel the Cuban Heel shouldn't interrupt the pattern.
Now I just have to chart out the ribbing decreases. Since the sock does fit well at the top, I've decided not to start over from scratch. Of course that will mean laddering the back of the sock down to alter the ribbing to cable. Depending on how fussy that is, I might end up starting over from the cast on.
In the mean time, I brought the felted wine cozy V (for vertical stripe) as my commuter knitting. It's mindless and fast and has to be done. And my lovely sock will be at home knitting. Hey I used to finish a pair of socks in 2 weeks just working on them at home before, why should things be different now?

Guinness is good for you

guinness
Originally uploaded by annmcclure2000

Ravelry, if you don't know, is like a social networking site for knitters and crocheters. But really, it's so much more. At the moment they are trying to control growth as they work the bugs out, so you need a password to get in. You have to submit your name and wait for an invitation. I received my invitation back in, oh, November, I had to wait about three weeks.

Anyway, once you get in you can post your projects and what yarn you used and modifications you made, like an online knitting/crochet journal. And we're all suppose to keep one of those like good little fiber enthusiasts, aren't we? At the same time you can see what other people are working on and comments/notes they made. For instance, I want to make Iris from Rowan 35. I was able to see how much yarn other people used and what they used for closures and trouble they hit sewing the sleeves on. Now I have my eyes open to all that. Oh, and you can have a project queue, too. As you wander around seeing cool stuff you click a button and it is added to your list so you can keep track of what you want to make and it what order.

And you can organize your stash, what yarn, color, how much. But who has time for that?

The place is massive. It's like the Louvre, or a hall of mirrors, or the King of Prussia Mall. Some place you can wander aimlessly for a long time, ending up nowhere near where you started and not sure how you got there. You get in and start clinking links, you search for a project and click on one someone posted. You decide to check out their profile. Then you start looking at their other projects because something is pretty, which leads you to someone else's profile. And before you know it you are looking at socks when you started on cardigans and you have totally blown your yarn budget (mentally at least). (and yes, I did just compare one of the world's great art museums to a big mall in Pennsylvania. I considered throwing Versailles in there, but I don't remember the palace being all that confusing, even if it is big.)

But the part that really sucks up time is the group boards. Messages boards for information, fun and nonsense. That's were the real danger is. If you just go in and update a project you can be done in minutes. But if you wander over to the boards, well, an hour later your puppy will be pointing out it's midnight and asking if you're ever going to come to bed. (Really this happened on a recent weekend. Hubby was away chaperoning a ski trip at Okemo in Vermont. I got on Ravelry at around 11. Pups had just been out. Knowing it was bedtime they had gone straight to the bedroom when we got upstairs. An hour later I was still playing and Samson came into the office and whined at me.)

One group I ended up joining is the Crochet Liberation Front. A group intending to raise the profile of crochet and free it from the shadow of knitting. Although I haven't been crocheting much since I learned to knit, I have been crocheting since I was little so I qualified.

I read in my current issue of Crochet! that the Crochet Guild of America had declared March National Crochet Month. The current CLF activity is planning a (virtual) party in honor of it. During the early planning stages I was snickering over the posts. One person was declared the head of the drinks subcommittee and she said she could handle handing out cups. So I pointed out we have to write everyones' name on their cup to avoid confusion. Which landed me on the drinks subcommittee, too. For some reason that inspired me and I dug out some black and white yarn and crocheted a pint of Guinness. (So now I'm in charge of the beer subcommittee of the drinks subcommittee. Me. The designated driver before it was cool to be the designated driver. I'm on the drinks subcommittee. Good thing this party is virtual.)

I see now that I should have increased a bit toward the top to keep the pint shape, but it didn't occur to me at the time because I was testing the height against a pint glass. The fabric was, as you would expect, following the line of the glass and looked pint shaped. Oh well. I stuffed it and gave it to Samson.

He was not impressed.

But the next day, a Sunday, when I got home he had it in his mouth when he came to greet me. They continued to play with it all week. I woke up with it on my head, I found it in various rooms of the house. They randomly carried it around and fought over it. All in all it was a hit. We were all happy.

And then yesterday Samson gutted it. Drilled a hole in the the middle of the black and pulled all the stuffing out. Then came and told me about it. The might hunter with his kill--on my bed. Sigh. I knew it wouldn't last, but figured it would last longer than six days.