Hooked Up

After a bit of a hiatus, I finally have gotten back into crocheting.  What finally got me going after nursing a sore wrist and a college freshman through her first semester?  My Outlander Fans swap that started January 1st.  Based on A Breath of Snow and Ashes (ABOSAA), the sixth book in Diana Gabaldon's excellent Outlander series, the swap features the Highland Games in which four clans (Beauchamp, Fraser, MacKenzie, and Murray) compete for points.  For this gathering of the clans (i.e., swap), we are crafting things in response to a series of challenges tied to ABOSAA.  Bowing to my competitive streak, I have submitted an item for each of the six January challenges. 

 JANUARY PROJECTS

Beauchamp Felted Cap:

This lightly felted helmet (above) was made for a friend of my eldest, one of a set of twins who helped her survive her first college semester.  DN #1 (dear niece) is always a willing, if not a jokester, of a model.  I used 3 skeins of Lion Brands Landscapes.  I gifted DN with the remaining 21 skeins -- 24 skeins or 1,320 yards gone from my stash.

Book Tie-in:    We had to craft something for a friend.  I chose to do so in in colors reminiscent of the Beauchamp clan colors.

Asclepian Comfort Pack:

This little 8 x 10 cotton pouch features a lined hot pack filled with lavender-scented flax seeds.  It's Egyptian cotton construction allows it to be heated in the microwave or cooled in the freezer.  Let me just say that Knitting Fever's King Tut 100% Egyptian Cotton yarn is one of the most scrumptious cotton yarns around. The sc-ch stitch pattern produced a wonderfully textured yet soft fabric.  Previously selling at $15, this yarn been discontinued but I have a few skeins left.  Easy to make, Donna Hulka's pattern can be found on the Crochet Me website.  182 yards gone from my stash.

Book Tie-in:  The rod of Asclepius, also known as the asklepian, consists of a serpent entwined around a staff and is an ancient symbol associated with medicine and healing. The name of the symbol derives from its early and widespread association with Asclepius, the son of Apollo, who was a practitioner of medicine in ancient Greek mythology. This comfort pack makes a fantastically relaxing and comforting combination that soothes the body and mind. Use this pack on your back, neck, feet, or anywhere that could benefit from a little TLC.

Stone Circle Hat:

Hat number 2 was a gift to the friend of DN #2.  Said friend loves purple so hence Lion Brand Yarn's Sock-Ease in Grape Soda.  Unfortunately, the wool-nylon blend of  is a bit scratchy.  I only hope it gets softer with washing.  285 yards gone from my stash.

Book Tie-in:  Many members of the Beauchamp Clan are not linked by blood but rather by their ability to be transported by the circles of stones that only they can hear. In ABOSAA, Donner is looking for a safe way back home, through the stones. In addition to the stones encircling the hat’s edge (see unblocked version at right) , lines of stones are aligned along 8 spokes or axes, drawing the travelers to its center, to their destinies. In Wiccan spirtuality, the number 8 vibrates: power, practical endeavors, status oriented, power-seeking, high-material goals, sacrifice, money-oriented, decisive, and stern -- traits that travelers like Otter Tooth and Donner were seeking to fulfill in their journeys to the past.

Roger's Neck Garter:

This slim cowl is made from Kraemer Yarns Tatamy Tweed DK acrylic cotton blend.  Although the manufacturer calls for 3.75 mm needle, I used a 4.5 mm hook combined with what I call a “back bar hdc” stitch to create a slightly loose gauge without losing the drape or being holey. Crocheting into the back bar created by the original yarn over results in a reversible plush fabric. Despite the “thickness” the fabric does not feel knotty or cumbersome.  Nice yarn.  250 yards gone.

Book Tie-in:  This little neck garter is a gift for Roger from Bree, to warm and sooth his throat from the winter chill. Bree wants Roger to know that she understands his pain and will do what she can to help alleviate whatever discomfort she can. Although Roger loves Bree in the muted colors of homespun, Bree hungers for the brighter colors of her own time. The muted tones of this blue-green homespun styled yarn represent a bit of a compromise, but, as we know, Roger lets Bree have these little victories.

Jenny's Wedding Pouch:

This little cotton bag used a full skein of Gjestal Baby-Bomull, a Swedish yarn that translates simply to Baby Cotton. 197 yards from my stash.

Book Tie-in:  Jenny Fraser, like all the Frasers, is verra proud. Wanting to put her best foot forward, she made this little bag as her only outward luxury during her 18th century Highland wedding to Ian Murray. Forever practical and lacking the resources to spare pearls for something that would be used infrequently during her lifetime, Jenny imitated the look with a bobble stitch. Always practical, Jenny intends to pass the bag to her eldest daughter upon her marriage.

Firecracker Beret: 

The third of three hats made this month, this one for sister Connie Jean down in Houston.   Constructed of Lion Brand Yarns Amazing (yeah, that its name), the yarn at times felt a bit scratchy while working the hat but luckily produced a hat soft to the touch.  'Twas a quick project started in the wee hours of the new year as I awaited phone calls from family living out west.  176 yards gone.

Book Tie-in:  Playing on the firecracker red and orange Aurora colorway, the beret represents the wee matches Briana spent much of the winter of 1773 creating.  Despite the threat of a house fire hanging over her parents heads, despite her husband's uneasiness about possible fire in their own home, Brianna insisted upon experimented with bringing instantaneous fire to her hearth.  This hat would serve to keep her fiery red hair under control as well.

All in all, six projects totally 1,222 yards -- all out of my stash..  I'm gearing up for the February challenges where I plan to finally make the Stone Path Hat, item number 2 on my Bucket List.

As an aside, I am the chieftess for Clan Beauchamp, as well as the chief chieftess for our biannual gathering.  The Games have been played five times before, and I am proud to say that we Beauchamps have triumphed each time.  My clan sisters are a wonderful set of women.

Playing Hooky

"My name is Victoria and I am a truant blogger."  Lowers head in shame.  "It has been more than six months since my last post (not counting last week)."


You are now supposed to say, in unison, "Hi, Victoria."


With blog truancy comes guilt.  True, I have not blogged much this year (as my sister Constance is wont to remind me of on a rather regular basis), but I have not strayed far afield the world of crochet.  Although I have had a lot of work and family demands during that time, I did manage to play a little "hooky."
  
In February, I felted my first Fedora hat -- four skeins down but first, I had to add them to my stash.  In May, I made a pair of mittens -- two skeins used but purchased four more to finish the mittens as well as another pair.  In July, I attended the Knit and Crochet Show in Manchester, New Hampshire, where I picked up nine skeins of yarn.  Later that month, I made a silk purse, using up one skein purchased in NH and another purchased to finish the project. I also added a double sized skein to justify the cost of shipping.  In August, I made Vicki Mikulak's Flying Diamonds Shawl; although beautiful and fun to make, it was not quite a stashbuster at less than 2 skeins.  In the early days of September, I finished a cover for a hot water bottle, using yarn gifted from one Raverly swap partner.

My yarn adventures introduced me to several new yarns, including a couple that already were in my stash:


Frog Tree's Picoboo -- a pima cotton/bamboo blend in a sport-weight yarn that is actually closer to a light DK.  Wonderfully soft, it drapes well and shows stitch definition without being stiff.  Here it is worked up into a hot water bottle cover.

Habu Textiles' A-111 1/2.5 Tsumugi Silk Combination -- an unusual 100% silk yarn that has several colors within each strand.  This is not a yarn to highlight highly textured crocheted stitches, although it does an admirable job of subtle stitch definition, such as Dee Stanziano's Pushmi-Pullyu stitch technique.  Why this yarn is called a fingering weight yarn, I don't know.  rather, it works up like a DK and most folks are using a 6 mm needle or 4 mm hook.  Here it is as a silk purse.

StyleCraft's Signature Chunky -- this "Plain Jane"-named yarn is far from nondescript.  A 50/50 wool/acrylic blend from Britain, it is luscious and very soft, and, dare I say, inexpensive.  I started off with two skeins but had to order more to finish these mittens in the Peacock colorway.  I even ordered extra skeins so I can make a set for myself. This picture does not do them justice.


Looking back, several projects were completed, but overall, not much stashbusting done.  Counting yarn gifted from swaps, yarn purchased by me for me, yarn gifted to others during swaps, yarn used to make various projects, and yarn purchased to complete projects, I would say that my stash remains about the same.  Playing hooky has been productive.

It's Easy to be Green (or Blue or Red or Yellow or . . . )

Who says market bags have to be boring? Who says they have to be bland to be eco-friendly? With just the right yarn, one can turn vanilla beige into a Sinfully Beautiful Vintage Shopping Bag in a deep royal blue.

The original vintage pattern (Bestway Leaflet 1240) calls for this round market bag to be made of double stranded 4-ply string. Not finding any string, I chose to soften things up a bit with Omega's Sinfonia 100% mercerized cotton sport weight yarn, which I also worked in a double strand. Surprisingly, I was able to make the same guage as called for in the pattern.

The resulting pattern is quite stretchy: I easily stuffed eight 7-oz skeins of Red Heart yarn in it with no problems whatsoever. Imagine the groceries you can stuff in this little bag.

Twilight's a-Comin'

Twilight -- the books and movie -- seems to be on everyone's mind, at least with most of the teenage girls I know. They]ve started to call themselves Twilighters. Hah! What was old is new again.

Twilight, for those of you blissfully unaware or unfamiliar with the saga of teenagers Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black, you obviously don't have a life-- I'm quoting one of the Twilighters skulking in my house. In the past year, I have learned a lot about the first three books and I haven't even read them. One can learn a lot by just hangin' on the periphery, chauffering Scouts to events, challenging them to a game of Guesstures, and hosting sleepovers. The Twilight series is the story of Bella, who moves to the small town outside of Seattle. At school, she wonders about a group of five beautiful teens, who sit together in the cafeteria but never eat. As she grows to know, and then love, Edward, she learns they are all rescued vampires, part of a family headed by saintly Carlisle, who has inspired them to renounce human prey. Jacob, who also has fallen for Bella, is one of a group of werewolves who protect the forest and who are mortal enemies of the vampires. Of course, Jacob and Edward clash. So what else is new in a teen novel. With all this erotic blood lust, I'm just a bit surprised that this book falls in the 12 and older group. I think 14 and older is more appropriate.

I joined the Twilight Knitting Swap on Ravelry.com so that I could learn more about the book, as well as to get to know more folks on Ravelry. The Swap, my first ever, has paired me with a young woman who, surprisingly, several years ago, used to live on my very same street, albeit about 3 miles down the road. Now in Indiana, she is a member of the Vampire coven. I chose to hang with the Wolf pack because all the Twilighters are quite ga-ga over Edward and Jasper, another vamp. Me, I think someone should play the devil’s advocate (no pun intended). Besides, I realize that I have kept a handcarved ironwood wolf on my desk for more than 13 years. How prophetic.

The SWAP requires that I send a knitted or sewn bag in my partner’s team colors, a pattern with yarn in my partner’s team colors required to complete a small project, and stitch markers in my partner’s team colors. A bag! A knittted bag! Well, first things first. The bag won't be knitted. I want it to be good so obviously knitting is out. My knitting skills are abysmal -- I can work it straight enough for a sweater but a bag, something with curves, and any other special stitches are way over my head. I've been able to settle on a pattern and yarn for the small project. I've even managed to find a few other goodies. But selecting the bag has been a bitch. I spent the past two weeks trying to figure out just what kind of crocheted bag would be perfect for a knitter. A simple tote, a clutch, a purse. Nothing seemed right.

Checking my stash, I found my Gjestal Baby Bomull, a fingering weight cotton yarn in crimson red, royal blue, and yellow gold. Perfect match for the Coven's colors. I thought, a colorful market bag that has a variety of uses. I began to work it up -- what you see is the bottom of the bag. But something just wasn't cutting it. So, this now moves to my WIP pile -- work in progress. This bag will still be done but not for the swap.

I toyed with Tunisian, one of my favorite forms of crochet. But I can't find my tunisian hooks. Just too many totes to look through. You ought to see my room. Actually, I wouldn't want you to see it. I don't buy shoes but I do seem to collect tote bags to put projects in -- Girl Scouts, crochet, magazines, genealogy, unwanted bills, etc. So Tunisian is out. Late last night it hit me -- the perfect pattern so I bought the yarn today on my lunch break. Of course, I can't tell you anything about it, other than it's colors are black and red. I hope it works out. You'll just have to wait.

In the meantime, Breaking Dawn, Book 4 in this saga, is due August 2 and I have been volunteered to take four Twilighters to a Border's release party. I will be bringing my Twilight SWAP project with me to keep me occupied.