• Crochet - hats - red hats

    Inspiration is everywhere

    August 3, 2019 - By 

    A few weeks ago, I found a crochet-a-long for an afghan that piqued my interest because the center section would allow me to make a creative top down hat. I made a hat with a few modifications to the center section of the afghan because I didn’t want it to be too big. It was ok and on the smaller side, but the next one I made worked out beautifully, then I decided to make a third with a change in the pattern – same basic premise and it also turned out well.

    As I’ve mentioned before, patterns are like recipes. Instead of moving forward with the afghan crochet a long, I was inspired to use the beginning techniques to make a hat. I like the flexibility of the bottom up or brim up hat, but I like how the top down hats seem to be warmer and have fewer holes in them in the crown.

    I was online and saw the first portion of the Study of Planet Earth afghan and thought I could use that in making a top down hat that would be warm. I changed things a little bit since I’m making smaller hats and I know that the crown should be in the four inch range. The techniques used in the video can be adapted for an adult hat since the crown is larger. Once I got to the proper diameter of approximately four inches for the crown, then the decreases stop and I just continue crocheting in the round, until the hat is the right height, then single crochet in the last round or two.

    Since I’ve almost met my goal for scarves (four in progress as I’ve been concentrating on little red hats) I’ve been thinking of donating to the Seamen’s Christian Institute. I want to make sure that I follow the guidelines of an organization before sending any item. On their page there are several patterns, mostly for knitted garments. The Seafarer’s scarf seems enticing and I’m interested in challenging myself to create a crochet version. There are a couple of different ways to do it, but I’m up for the challenge. The knitted pattern has the dimensions listed and that will be my starting point for the crochet version. As much as I’ve searched Google and Ravelry, I can’t find a crocheted version of the Seafarer’s scarf. As I always say – patterns are suggestions. The approximate dimensions are given for the knit patterns as well as suggested yarn weight. To me, as a crocheter that means challenge accepted.

    Now all I have to do is pick a color and make sure I have enough for a hat and scarf. Stay tuned!

    Happy crocheting!

  • Crochet - hats

    Met my scarf goal… now what?

    July 18, 2019 - By 

    Forty nine completed scarves as of today, July 18, 2019. My goal was to make and give away 50 scarves this year. I have 49 completed scarves. I don’t know how that happened. This has happened before where I just finish something and then begin a new project or two after putting the last one away and not thinking about my goal being met. I guess I just lost count.

    The way that I discovered that I had two additional scarves was when I decided to consolidate my storage and put them all into one container. I counted the finished scarves several months ago and put 20 into one of the containers that I use. When it was full, I put the completed scarves in different nooks and crannies in my home. This weekend, I gathered them up to transfer them all to my workroom, which is when I discovered 2 scarves that were hanging out in another container.

    The red hat tally has also been inching upward. The goal for hats is 60 and currently I have 50 with two in progress. I reached the end of my preferred red yarn that I used for hats so I ordered more and it is ready to be used.

    This isn’t the first time that I have found more completed works in my workroom. My friends in my knitting group and my family members tease me about my crocheting speed. I don’t think I am that fast. But I guess I don’t think about how quickly I work and actually complete projects. Which may be why I have no problem taking things apart when I am not satisfied with how they look.

    I need to set new goals. Maybe I will reset my scarf goal to 75 and 10 adult hats. Then when I meet the red hat goal, extend that as well. There are still a few things that I have been planning and want to do before the end of the year – dyeing yarn with egg dye, making a color block scarf with some odd lots of yarn from previous projects and purging more yarn from my work stash that I don’t like to make more room for completed projects.

    Happy Crocheting!

  • crafting - Crochet - Vacation crocheting

    The right amount of yarn

    July 7, 2019 - By 
    KODAK Digital Still Camera

    Costa Rica was great! I had a relaxing time and saw monkeys, iguanas, colorful magpies, lizards, raccoons, pelicans, vultures and more. We stayed at a resort near the forest and Pacific ocean which I considered glamping because we were so far away from a town and I’m definitely a city girl.

    KODAK Digital Still Camera

    There was a lot of time to relax. I preferred sitting in the shade near the ocean where there were boats, birds, crabs, monkeys and other sights to occupy my time as I crocheted. For those who have been following I was wondering how much yarn to take on my trip. I took enough. I had a couple of skeins that I didn’t use for hats, but I did make six hats and seven scarves on the trip. The last row and a half I finished at home, because I don’t crochet on planes, not enough space to move about. I either read or sleep. There was some yarn left over and I will incorporate it into other projects but now I know how much to bring with me for a relaxing trip. There was a lot of time sitting around, though I did participate in a wine tasting, nature hikes, chatted with some other people at the beach, evening entertainment at the disco, plus other activities. I didn’t feel as though I missed out on anything and leisurely worked on my projects.

    On this trip, crocheting at the beach became “my thing.” People who saw me would come over and start a conversation about my work. A few people even said they didn’t think of bringing anything. I said “I can crochet and look at the scenery, so I brought crocheting, because I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the view by reading.” They agreed. I don’t always get to have several days with large blocks of time where I can just sit and crochet. Now I have a better idea of how much yarn to bring with me I feel like I am truly a seasoned traveler. Plus, I have learned something new that I can use when I am ready for my next trip – how to plan the amount of yarn to bring. The right amount of yarn is the amount that you will use and not be a social hermit or miss out on anything.

    Happy crocheting!

  • Crochet - Vacation crocheting

    Fear of not bringing enough yarn…

    June 25, 2019 - By 

    In a few days I am leaving for Costa Rica and I am getting ready for my trip. I still have a degree of uncertainty about how much yarn to bring, but I have decided to bring enough for a few hats (5 skeins) and enough yarn to make 6 scarves. I was thinking five until I started reading more about travel times. I can look out the window and be engaged with

    other people when I’m crocheting. Reading is a closed activity, whereas crocheting allows me to be able to still talk to people. Plus, the ride from the airport to the resort is approximately 90 minutes and there is time lounging by the pool or near the beach and that is definitely crochet time. Some of the people in our group are going to the spa one day. I’m not a spa person, but I can definitely finish a hat in that time.

    The yarn for the “Costa Rica collection” has been selected. Using my last trip as a guide and considering a day at the resort equivalent to a day at sea on a cruise, I think I have enough packed. Now I am considering this a personal challenge to make hats and scarves. This is going to be fun!

    I opted not to bring my Kindle because I only use it to read a little and I downloaded a game I like to play. The Kindle is also heavy and takes up room that I could have for souvenirs – I want to buy a mug for myself and of course yarn in my carry on.
    At last night’s knitting group meeting, I showed them a picture of the yarn I was taking, explained the time, place, etc and they think I’m bringing enough. In the back of my mind, there’s still the fear that I won’t have enough. A few years ago, I ran out of yarn when I was on a cruise where we had several days at sea and sightseeing, plus outdoor movies. Some people worry about the fear of missing out or the fear of packing too few clothes. I have been traveling since I was a child and my family’s motto is always make sure you have money and your passport, you can buy the rest. Warm vacation spots aren’t the places where you can easily buy yarn. When I’m sitting, I”m crocheting. Lots of sitting on this trip means lots of time to crochet.

    I’ve been topping off my toiletries in my kit which is generally ready to go, I have sun screen, bug spray (things I normally don’t carry on vacation) and have figured out some outfits to mix and match for the trip – day wear and a few nice outfits for the evening and an optional sightseeing trip. It’s this yarn thing that is giving me the flux.

    I’ve made my decision on what I’m taking and if I run out… it won’t be that I didn’t make a valiant effort. If I run out of yarn, I will just have to “be like everyone else and nap” as my best friend suggested.

    Look for pictures of the “Costa Rica” collection soon!

    Happy Crocheting!

  • 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!