• Crochet - New Yarn

    Choose your yarn and pattern wisely

    June 14, 2019 - By 

    There are times when you abandon a project and can’t even unwind it because the yarn doesn’t unravel well. I was working on a scarf that I had set aside and forgot the pattern and when I started working on it again, I did something different. The different wasn’t really noticeable but the yarn wasn’t working well with that pattern. When I tried unraveling it, it snapped apart. The yarn worked better with an openwork pattern rather than shells and cables. I don’t know the name of the yarn, I bought it at JoAnn in a value bag and it’s unbanded. Now, the partially completed project and the yarn will be going in the donation bag because the yarn is too frustrating to pull apart.

    I don’t even think anyone will want to try to unravel this yarn, it just breaks when it’s pulled apart forcefully enough to separate. I would use it again if I had some, but would not try to change the pattern or unravel it.

    There are two other scarves that I am working on now. I like the colors of one, but the yarn is rather scratchy. The other, same manufacturer is much softer. I think it depends on dye lot of other things. I know in the future not to buy that particular color way. Easy to work with and nice and bright but a bit scratchy.

    When I went to Dollar Tree today, I saw some yarn that I considered buying. I think it was mislabeled because the label had the wrong color and weight. The band said light teal and that the weight was 4 but it was neither of those things. I passed. Yarn that looks good, or feels good isn’t always good to work with it may be even more trouble what it’s worth.

    For me, once I find a yarn that I like to work with, I like to try lots of different color ways and combinations. There are some that I like more than others. Often it is easy to stick with the yarns you know because when they are pleasant to work with, it’s easy to get into a rut. That is why I try different yarns to be able to make a fair comparison and to have an idea of yarn that an be substituted for or paired with another.

    Lately, I have gotten into a rut of just using the same yarn, which is why I found the colorful yarn from my working stash. The colors are vibrant and that is what drew me to the yarn. Nothing can be done about the scratchiness, but the drape can be improved by using a larger hook and different stitch pattern. Cables work well with soft but sturdy and strong yarn. A larger look will always improve the drape but nothing can really improve the scratchiness.

    The only way to determine what yarn you like, it to sample the unknown…

    Happy crocheting!

  • Crochet - Hat and scarf goals - hats - Vacation crocheting

    How much yarn to pack for vacation?

    June 8, 2019 - By 

    In a few weeks I am going on a trip to Costa Rica and staying at an all-inclusive resort. I have started making a list of things that I need to get that I normally wouldn’t take on vacation – extra sun screen, bug spray and maybe some tablets for stomach issues. What I am having trouble figuring out is how much yarn should I take with me.

    A couple of years ago I went on a cruise and we had several days at sea. I didn’t plan well and ran out of yarn on the trip. There were activities such as a knitters and natters group and outdoor movies both of which allowed me to have a lot of time to crochet. When we were reached on port that was close to a Walmart, my new friends told me to go there to get more yarn. Walmart in warm climes don’t have any yarn. Two of the ladies in the group also went to check because they didn’t think I would go. I had started rationing my travel stash to crocheting only during the time our group met.

    This resort is remotely located and there is a lot of time to relax by the pool and beach, and there’s a long ride from the airport to the resort so I want to make sure that I have enough yarn on the trip. I will be going away or six days, plus the flight time so I don’t know. I was thinking of bringing several small projects – enough for five scarves and a few skeins for hats.

    Deciding which clothes and shoes and extra medical/toiletry supplies I need is less difficult to determine than it is for projects. Just as on the cruise, there are going to be activities and time to relax, read and sit in the shade or sun. I crochet to relax and can read my Kindle while doing so. How many projects do I need?

    Trip Advisor and general all-inclusive recommendation lists give suggestions about bringing an insulated cup for your beverages and aspirin or other things that might cost considerably more at the resort. Most resorts have books available to read, but they suggest bringing a paperback or two to read. No one gives suggestions about how many projects to bring for an all inclusive resort.

    When I went on the cruise, I finished five projects because a new friend gave me some yarn and I combined it with the leftovers of the other projects I brought. I didn’t just sit around and crochet all day on vacation. We stopped at several ports and I didn’t take a project when we went sightseeing. I took glockenspiel lessons, went to lectures, shows, talks about the different destinations, participated in wine tastings and happy hours, enjoyed the scenery and other activities where I didn’t have time or light to crochet, yet I still ran out of yarn. I think I need to ask my friends in my knitting group how much they think I should bring. They would be able to give me some guidance. As of today, I am considering enough for five scarves and three or four skeins of yarn that I use for hats. I can make at least two hats from a skein, three if they are less ornate. Hopefully, that will be enough since there is a lot of time for relaxing and a scarf takes about 3-4 hours to make and a hat about 45 minutes. Sitting around and lounging pool side with a drink and project sounds fabulous. It will be more fabulous if I can chat and have a conversation with friends while drinking a cool beverage and working on a project. This will still give me an opportunity to read, participate in activities and nap of course. When I have crochet projects, I can still talk to people and not be cut off from the conversation as I am when I’m reading.

    Ideas, suggestions? Yarn for five scarves and four skeins for hats. That should keep me occupied. The amount is what’s the issue. I generally have a couple of extra hooks with me, just in case I lose one.

  • Crochet - red hats

    Halfway there

    May 31, 2019 - By 

    I few weeks ago I reached my halfway mark for scarves – 25 out of 50. Last week, I finished my 30th hat. Though hats are smaller than scarves, the hat milestone meant more to me since I haven’t been making hats as long. (Or at least hats that I felt I really liked.) Over half of the hats that I have made this year are top down. I think I prefer bottom up hats – start working at the brim, upward and then decreasing for the crown. I have figured out the math to make several interesting patterns so that the decrease will be even and the crown warmer.

    I think I prefer the bottom up method of hats. There are many different ways of making hats. There’s another way that I make hats, side to side and then seam the rectangle/parallelogram up the side. There are only a couple of patterns that I like to make using this method. Top down works but most of the fun and interesting motifs require a lot more fiddling with the math to do the increases so that the pattern goes all the way to the crown.

    The more you practice, the more you learn. Each hat and scarf I make, the more I learn. The last few brim to crown hats I made, I tried something new with the decreases so that the crown would be warmer and fewer holes showing through because of the decreases. I can’t say that the idea for making brim to crown hats was a eureka moment. In fact, it was while I was watching some of my knitting friends make hats that way that I figured I could do that and use the motifs that I like that way. It’s not even June yet and I have passed the halfway point for both scarves and hats!

    Spring will eventually stick around in Chicago, then summer and then it will be deadline time for the little red hats before you know it…

    Happy Crocheting!

  • Creative reuse - Crochet - Odd balls

    Pre-planning yarn chicken

    May 20, 2019 - By 

    I have two yarns I want to put together and I was trying to maximize the size of the scarf based on the amount of yarn that I have. I was pre-planning with avoiding yarn chicken if you will and this fear of not having enough yarn combined with the desire to not buy a jumbo skein just to complete a row was at the forefront of my mind. I started with a pattern in mind, then I realized that I wouldn’t have enough yarn to do that, so I started again, realizing I wouldn’t have enough yarn for that, I started a third time and thought of possibly adding a third yarn to the scarf to stretch it, but then realizing I didn’t like that, I put the skeins away with the hook and the portion that I already started and began another scarf knowing that I had more than enough to complete the project.

    I didn’t want to set myself up for failure and despite that box of yarn that arrived at my house last week, I am trying to use up yarn that I have by making projects with interesting stripes and color blocks. One of the yarns in a partial skein and the other a partial cake. I have an idea how much is in the cake. The partial skein however…. I think if I wind it up into a ball I will have a better idea of how much yarn I have.

    I wound both of the partial skeins into cakes and I don’t have enough for what I wanted to do, for now both skeins will have to wait until I discover more yarn in my working stash that will work with this. I put the skeins aside and decided to work on something else. In other words this yarn hasn’t spoken to me yet…

  • Crochet - Patterns

    Make a pattern your own

    May 10, 2019 - By 

    These notes look like chicken scratch – I understand them, but the notes that I have in my pattern books aren’t for anyone else – just like when you are sharing a recipe with someone that you have memorized, you wouldn’t just give someone a list of ingredients and say go for it and expect the same results.

    To me, this means something and I would use this again to remind myself how I started a particular scarf.

    There are so many patterns that I know that I just sometimes look at a yarn and think that would be great in a shell stitch or basketweave. The same yarn can look quite different when a different stitch pattern is used. The hook make a difference but the stitches also make a difference as well. It the same when you give someone ingredients to create a meal and you might not get the same dish – it’s all about how you make it.

    When I make afghans, I may plan or I might just buy some yarn that I like and go from there. Rarely have I ever decided to make something specific, purchase the yarn for it and have the pattern already planned. Generally tat’s for gifts and I know the recipient. It’s likely that I may never meet the recipients of the hats, scarves and afghans that I make, so I just have to go with the feeling. It sounds hokey but it is, Just as someone can look at ground beef and decide to make hamburgers, meatloaf, tacos or sloppy joes, a skein of yarn can become almost anything. The possibilities are mind boggling!

    Try a different stitch pattern with the same yarn or even change the hook size to one larger than you normally use – the drape will change and you will see things differently. Using a different size hook or a hook made of wood instead of metal may change how you feel about a yarn.

    Explore the possibilities with yarn!

    Happy crocheting!

  • Crochet

    Merry Christmas!

    December 25, 2018 - By 

    Merry Christmas, hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with loved ones. Invite someone to celebrate with you and spread some cheer.

    Happy Crocheting! Whip up something nice for yourself or someone else…

  • Crochet

    Planning and finishing

    September 3, 2018 - By 

    Log cabin style completed Labor Day weekend 2018

    I’m already planning my next mystery ball. I like working two stranded but I think I may use a sport weight for the solid color next time, so that the afghan will have more drape.

    I do have two mystery balls of yarn all ready to go. I have some navy sport weight yarn that has been waiting to be used that I acquired from the estate of a lady who owned a yarn shop. The yarn is a fine acrylic, not too soft, but sturdy and navy is a neutral color. So, why not give it a go? I think I might like the drape of the sport weight with the worsted mystery ball together, but what is most challenging is that I may or may not have enough to make a very large center portion of the afghan if I do a granny square or rectangle. Since this yarn is already in my working stash, I won’t have to worry about buying something I may or may not like.

    Completed Labor Day weekend 2018

    Another project that is in the works is small batches or odd lots of shades of gray. Though this would not be a mystery ball because it is more like small batches of odd lots of yarn and longer color runs.

    The most compelling and interesting blend would be to use up some of the reds. Matching shades or coordinating blue, grays and browns are not as challenging as matching or coordinating shades of red. Though I have been thinking about and planning my next mystery balls, I have finished up a couple of afghans this weekend and a scarf that I had been working on. I have a new scarf that I started Saturday and three other afghans in the works, but in the meantime, I’ll share the ones I have finished and when I make more progress on my mystery balls, I’ll share pictures of those too.

    Happy Labor Day!

    Scarf made from Premier Sweet Roll; completed Labor Day 2018

  • Crochet

    Portable project?

    August 3, 2018 - By 

    Progress during a movie in the park

    After three “sittings” a.k.a, summer events in the park, my afghan is now too large to be considered portable. I started this granny square afghan last week, during a movie and then worked on it Monday and Tuesday. Since I was seated outside, with the work on my lap as I turned it so it wouldn’t get dirty, I made good progress. After three outings, this is no longer a portable project. This is now homebound and I should be able to finish it during a movie or two this weekend.

    Progress at a concert in the park

    The questions becomes, when is a project too big to be portable? If you are taking a project and you will be relatively stationary with a bit of space – like on a road trip (as a passenger) or on a lengthy train ride you may be able to take a larger project than say a daily commute or a plane ride. A plane ride make offer a lot of time to crochet or knit, but there are space constraints.

    Progress during a double feature…

    When a project too big? Whenever you don’t feel like toting it around anymore… It’s a person’s preference, but for me, after three “outings” this afghan has grown too large to fit in a reasonably sized bag to carry on public transportation and will now be finished at home.

    Crochet on, good people!

  • Crochet

    Mystery Box of Yarn

    July 13, 2018 - By 

    The excitement, the fun, the thrill of unboxing yarn from a yarn of the month club.

    I have always been interested in the yarn of the month clubs. They always look so great. I’ve also been interested in wine of the month clubs, but the things that stops me from subscribing to either is the choice. Someone else make a choice of yarn or wine for me. Whenever I get the itch to do that, I would rather just go to a yarn shop (or wine) and pick out something new or different. If it’s yarn, maybe a color that I’ve never tried before or a blend

    I was watching a couple of videos last night of a yarn blogger who was excitedly opening different subscription boxes and I got caught up in the excitement. So I checked out the sites of the boxes and was like wow, That’s cool… but I could go patronize a local yarn shop by purchasing a enough of a yarn I’ve never tried to make a hat, scarf or shawlette. It wouldn’t be the same as having a mystery package arriving at your house. I was always that kid who loved grab bags at different stores when we went on vacation. The thrill of the mystery bag was always more exciting than what found when I opened it. The same goes for wine of the month clubs. Even those curated for your preferences – red, vs, white, dry vs. sweet, etc. always seemed to fall short. My friends who tried them, were never over the moon about what they received.

    Instead of $30 a month, I think I might try spending a similar amount on an unfamiliar yarn, even if I don’t spend the entire amount, it would be nice to try new yarns.

    Several hours later…

    I found an online Jo-Ann coupon for and I decided to use the 25% off coupon to buy some yarns that I had never tried before. A couple of yams I had seen or felt but there were only limited color ways in the store. I maximized my coupon by buying things that were already on sale and even though I had to “gasp” pay for shipping, the sale price and the coupon made up for it. In a week or so I will have several new yarns to try. Now I wait. It may not be as much fun as a mystery box of yarn showing up at your house, but since I’ve never used any of the ones I purchased, it will still be a surprise to me.

    Now I wait…

    In the meantime, I have more than enough yarn and projects to keep me busy, like the one below [my current lunch project].

  • Crochet

    I like this scarf

    May 26, 2018 - By 

    I like this scarf, I like this yarn and the one remaining ball that I have from the project is going directly into the donation bag. This is a tape like linen yarn which changes from a flattish cotton tape to a sleek satiny section and changes colors throughout. The colors are fabulous and this made a wonderful scarf with incredible drape. Since I choose a shell pattern, it will be warm but I wouldn’t want to use this for an afghan.

    I purchased the yarn in a sale online which I just decided to try because the “price was right” as my father says about a deal that is too good to pass up. The yarn which is cotton and viscose and a #3 could possibly be used for a shell or a light sweater.

    There are several projects that I am working on now. One afghan I keep at work to crochet during lunch, another that I started because everything else in the works was too large or not enough to work on during my knitting meetup group and a scarf that is the perfect purse sized project. Unless I really don’t like the yarn, I finish the project, and end up finishing several things all about the same time. My current count is 5 afghans in progress and one scarf since I finished the other that I was working on. When projects become too unwieldy to carry every day, I just have a larger project that I can leave in one place. During lunch, I can complete three hats or a scarf a week. Since I donate afghans as well, I figured, why not just keep a larger project, that I don’t have to transport as often.

    Some of the things that I have in progress are shown below. Generally, on the first day, I get a good burst of crocheting energy and lots gets done, then the items get added to the rotation and finished in good time. “Good time” depends on how excited I am or interested in the project which makes me want to work on it more frequently.

    Even though I have several projects in the works, I am always looking to see what my next project will be and which yarns from other projects can be combined to make an afghan or a scarf. I had some yarn in a couple of bags in different places and then realized that I could combine the colors with some bridge solids to make something interesting. I haven’t decided how the afghan will start, but these colors are a good start for something new.