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Summertime and the thoughts turn to crochet? Maybe not for everyone, though for me, crocheting is a year round pursuit. This month, I’ve been finishing my red scarf goal and I’m on my twelfth scarf and the goal was 10. Before the end of the year, I hope to complete 5 infinity scarves and a few hats for a couple of groups and 28 more sets.

Crocheting never gets boring because there is always something to do and watching YouTube videos or looking at patterns makes me thing of different things that I would like to create. There’s always another project to start or new ideas that come to fruition. More complex projects require more concentration and there are times when I just want to mindlessly crochet. Working on a variety of projects has make me seriously consider the yarns that I have in my working stash. Instead of shuffling a bag of cast off yarn from one spot to another, I decided to just put a bit in the donation bag. For the first time in a while, I can say over 90% of the yarn that I have is yarn that I will use…eventually.

Purging yarn that I don’t like brought others to light. For the red scarves I had enough around the house to make 10 and then I started planning for future projects by putting coordinating colors together. There were a couple of hanks of a yarn that were the same color but not the same dyelot, so I used that as an opportunity to practice my color work. The yarns aren’t close enough in color to continue the work without a noticeable difference but by crocheting two rows of one color and two of another they blend together nicely. I had an oddball of a yarn from a previous project and decided to use it with a coordinating color as an accent.

While scrolling through Facebook, I saw that the Hat Not Hate deadline had been extended to September 13. I just happened to have a two tone blue yarn and started working on a hat by testing a pattern that I recently saw online. With a little manipulation, the motif that is for an afghan began to take shape on a hat.

For me, crocheting is like being at a picnic or a buffet, there’s a lot to choose from and enough to go around to make it interesting. I don’t get full and try new things to practice new skills but also go back to the tried and true for a bit of fun.

Happy crocheting!

There is nothing like getting your hands a little messy. When Easter egg dye was on clearance, I bought a few packages and used some of the colors. Since I had purchased several kits, I put the similar colors together, wrapped in plastic so that they would stay dry. Three colors that I thought would be in the red/orange/purple family weren’t. The colors ended up being orange, yellow and blue. After adding the vinegar and water, there was no turning back. My lovely assistant, my mother, selected the order of the colors before the tablets were dissolved based on what we thought they were. After they were dissolved, we changed the placement of the colors and put the blue between the yellow and orange then the dyeing adventure began. I used rubber bands to separate the hanks in approximate thirds, then soaked them a little to help the colors bond with the wool better.

The hanks were soaked, doused with all the dye for the particular section and massaged to ensure better coverage. Once the dye was exhausted, the hanks were wrapped in plastic and micro waved in two minute intervals until the water ran clear. The hanks were allowed to sit for a little to cool.

The yellow and orange were much more vibrant than I anticipated, the blue color ended up being a periwinkle color. Everything turned out well. I like the Swish Worsted base which is a superwash and can be machine washed and dried. I don’t know what it will be like in the future or how much it will pill since it is a Merino base but it’s soft and worked up well. I only dyed two hanks and for the future, for a hat and scarf set, I would dye three which would give me 660 yards and would be less limiting for projects that require more yardage. The previous dye project had a similar yardage but I’m planning to make a scarf with those two cakes.

There are still some dye tablets left and some bare hanks. Next time, I might go for a speckled look or “paint” several colors on to the hanks for a riot of color.

The yarn was used to for the 60th hat and scarf set, officially completing the hat and scarf goal for the year. I’ve continued making hat and scarf sets, but wanted to make something special to meet the goal. More hats and scarves = more people who will be warm this winter.

Happy crocheting!

More yarn has been purged from the working stash. After looking for space to put new yarn and wondering why I didn’t have any even though I have been using up a lot, I realized that there were some yarns that I didn’t like, weren’t going to use and felt no remorse adding them to the donation bag. One large container of yarn along with other yarn that I have abandoned have been added to the donation bag. A set of auxiliary hooks that I bought from Amazon and aren’t quite standard sizes have been added to the bag too. Now there’s space for the yarn I want to use.

As more yarn is added to the working stash, I give in to the temptation to start another project. Multiple projects is like reading multiple books at a time, As long as they aren’t the same pattern it’s not an issue just picking up where I left off. If I’m working on something with basketweave, I try not to start another project that requires a different number of repeats. Yesterday, a box arrived and a new yarn that I had never tried before was in the box, so I started a hat.

The yarn is also on sale, so I may buy more and keep it for later. There’s another yarn that I tried a new pattern and since it requires more attention than some patterns since this is my first attempt at it, I haven’t used it as my fidget crochet to keep me focused during webinars or meetings. Then I had a hat that I started the other day because I’ve made countless variations of this hat and let my fingers do the walking. More projects, more to finish and more projects to learn from. Every time I finish I think what would change if a larger or smaller hook were used. Do I like this yarn enough to stock up if it goes on sale? Can I combine the remaining yarn with something I already have to make stripes or an accent color in a different project? Lots of thought goes into a project even before the starting chain.

More yarn, more fun and more things to keep people warm.

Happy crocheting!

It’s ok to give up on a project. Some projects don’t work out. There’s some yarn that I have that was from a friend’s family that looked lovely. There were two colors of the yarn, both boucle: a cone of black and a royal purple. The purple I unwound from an unfinished project of that my friend never finished. The yarn is lovely, soft and fun, and I thought that would be an attractive yarn to use for a set.

We fought. After finishing the hat and working up about six rows or so of the scarf, I threw in the towel because I was tired of fighting the yarn. I took the finished hat, balls of the purple that I had unwound from my friend’s project and put them in a bag for donations along with the large cone of the black.

Life’s too short to work with yarn you don’t like. I’ve been getting rid of things in my house that take up space. I have been reading about minimalism lately and though it’s not for me, I can identify things that I want to get rid of – the boucle yarn was it. Actually, I doubt that creative people can really be minimalists. Though I did like having the yarn knowing that my friend had used it or bought it to use for projects and had even started on something, it was a struggle. I have other things to remember my fried by and this yarn does not give me fond memories, so I am letting it go so that someone else may enjoy it.

Happy crocheting!

A year of hats and scarves – won’t that get boring? Not to me. Many people might find making the same thing over and over again repetitive. To keep the projects interesting, I have been using different yarns and patterns or trying the same pattern with different yarn. Lately I have been making coordinates instead of matching the hats and scarves with the same stitch pattern in both, I have been using the same yarn and changing the stitch pattern. The sets are made for warmth and may be the only warm item a person has, so I try to make the hats that don’t have a lot of eyelets or lacy features. There are many different patterns to use for scarves but to have the pattern also match a skull cap/beanie can be limiting unless the design or pattern focuses on color. A few yarns don’t need a lot to make something unique, especially if they are color changing or novelty.

Instead of matching the hat and scarf in a set, I figured why not try to use a different stitch, with the same yarn: A coordinate, instead of an exact match. The yarn is the same and gives a bit more creative freedom to the process. If there are stripes in the hat, there can be stripes in the scarf, but why not mix the stitches and match the yarn. The results have been pleasing. Especially when there are patterns that don’t necessarily lend themselves to a hat or a scarf. Long rows of ribbing can make a scarf curl on the edges and it won’t necessarily work to make a border when using a color changing yarn. A scarf can have a design with a little openwork and still be warm, a hat, not so much.

I’m at the halfway point of the 60 set goal for 2021! Just completed 30 hat and scarf sets and it’s not even April, and I’m still excited about the project. It’s really not so much about being excited about the project as much as making the sets look unique, especially if I’m using similar yarn.

Happy crocheting!

The new yarn that I ordered was tempting me. I went to bed early the night the box arrived and didn’t play with any of the new yarn but the next day however, that was a different story. I selected a new yarn that I was unfamiliar with and started a hat. Within roughly 75 minutes of uninterrupted crocheting from the starting magic loop to weaving in the ends, I had a finished hat. The pattern is simple top down basket weave with two rows of single crochet for the brim.

First of all the yarn, Universal Yarn Classic Shades is a pleasure to use. It’s a 70% acrylic and 30% wool blend and I will likely buy more. Last year, I was using up the yarn I have, this yearn I’m buying yarn and using it. That’s not much of a challenge since I have been purchasing amounts in smaller quantities, just enough of a particular colorway for a hat and scarf set. When the yarn is easy to work with the project goes by quickly. I haven’t decided on a pattern for the scarf yet.

For my past few projects I have made coordinating hats and scarves, instead of matching ones. The hats and scarves use the same yarn but not the same stitch pattern; which makes it more freeing and fun. Instead of avoiding postwork, I’ve embraced it and use different combinations as shown in a scarf that I used alternating front and back posts in groupings of two to four, made a center section of five front posts and then decreased the number of posts in the same groupings. The odd numbered groups are in the front for one row and in the back for another.

Then the posts are alternated frontpost and backpost double crochet in the subsequent rows. I like the look but this works best with a lighter weight yarn so the scarf isn’t so wide. In the green scarf that I made in the two to five post groupings, the yarn was a little thicker than the multicolor. The green scarf wasn’t too wide – about 8 inches across compared to the 6 inches with the lighter yarn. For the sets I’m also concerned with warmth for an item that will block the air, so I avoid open- and lacework unless it’s a thicker yarn.

Happy Crocheting!

My mother asked me a couple of weeks ago if I wrote down any of my patterns. Sometimes, not really. “You should write them down to remember when you are using the same yarn.” I have thought about getting a nice notebook and writing information for myself, the closest I’ve come to is has been random notecards or scraps of paper/receipts. Some hats and scarves basic stitches but I do make some adjustments or have tips that I use for myself – such as using a larger sized hook when making the foundation chain for a horizontal scarf.  A recent hat that I made was designed on the fly with single crochet, and front and back posts and changes in hook size. “Did you write it down,” she asked. No, I made it up as a I went along. “Write it down.”

I had to look at the hat and make notes about what I did. Then I had to figure out what the scarf would look like, to keep it from being too wide, since I already knew that I wanted to make the scarf horizontally. I used the notes that I made for the hat to tentatively make notes for the scarf. One section I wanted a little wider, so I added another row of postwork. I showed my mother the notes and she said this makes no sense, she also doesn’t crochet. She showed them to my father and he said this is something you could use. He always teases us about measurements when we are cooking. Baking requires precise measurements, cooking does not, especially when it comes to spices.

With a sketch for a hat and scarf pattern in a notebook I made the hat and scarf again in a different yarn that was a little loftier in weight though still a worsted weight #4 yarn. Using the notes, I was able to follow the pattern without too much editing. For someone else to use this pattern, I need to write more specific language about the rounds for the crown but this gives me a good start and I won’t have to wrack my brain tying to figure out what I did. My notes remind me of handwritten recipes that I have from my grandmother and a late friend  – the ingredients are all there, it’s just assumed you know the mechanics.

The next time I make this hat it will be in a different yarn but more of a standard worsted weight. The original that I made was in a lighter weight worsted, the second iteration in the heavier worsted (green fleck) was fine but it gave a bulkier look and the scarf was wider. For the next try with the edited notes there’s another color changing yarn I want to use and will likely make more revisions or at least have notes for specific yarns used.

Happy crocheting!

Last year I decided that I wanted to use up a lot of my working stash, even before the pandemic. That worked well. Now in 2021 – all bets are off. I have taken advantage of sales and bought new yarn while still using some yarn that isn’t set aside for afghans. As much as I crochet and make hats one of my favorite patterns is the basket weave stitch or some variation that includes front and back post stitches. It doesn’t make a difference how many new patterns I try for hats: I like the look even in different yarns.

There are many places where I can find yarn and thrift stores are a good source. Though, I want to try to buy new yarn for the projects so the recipients will have something that was selected just for the project. It could just be an excuse to buy more yarn [and I have taken advantage of some great sales lately].

I’ve decided to just stick with what I know and use my favorite stitches to make interesting sets. My latest project combines post work and single crochet to add some texture. The scarf hasn’t been started yet, though this might be a good pattern to try with a different yarn. When I started working on the hat, there was no pattern. I just started with the basic circumference of a hat and made it up as I went along. For the scarf, I need to be more intentional and plan how many rows of single crochet and ribbing I will do so it will be more balanced and that I don’t run out of yarn. Once I figure that out I will definitely use this pattern in other yarns and compare the finished products. The yarn I’m currently using is a color changing yarn. Wonder what the design will look like in a less dramatic color or a solid? This will be a fun challenge to see how the pattern looks in different colorways.

The scarf will be started soon after I sketch things out or at least plan it out in my head, so I will have enough yarn. This will be fun!

Happy crocheting!

2021 will be a great year for crocheting. For this year’s crochet goals I’m thinking 60 hat and scarf sets and 10 red scarves. This will still give me time to make some other things. At first I was thinking 50 sets. But since I finished a set, a hat for a second and have made good progress on the accompanying scarf and the first week of January hasn’t even ended, 60 sets and 10 red scarves is a manageable goal. This will also give me time to work on some other projects or use some oddballs to make hats.

Since I finished my mystery balls with black, I’m looking forward to starting an afghan made with those this year. I’ve been buying yarn with reckless abandon and I’m itching to use some new yarn.

Happy Crocheting and Happy New Year!