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.

A Crocheter's Bucket List

The Bucket List is a movie about taking the time to find the joy in your life.  In that film, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson hit the road to complete a wish list of to-dos before they "kicked the bucket."  Naturally, I have a few far reaching things I want to accomplish before I shuffle off this mortal coil, including walking atop the Great Wall of China, identifying my grandfather's father (try finding a oriental rug salesman from India who made his way to Kansas City only to have an affair with a mulatto woman from Sherman, Texas!), and getting a tattoo (okay, done that twice).


A bucket list is, in essence, a list of things you want to do or experience in your lifetime.  Ideally it will contain things that you wouldn't do in your average day.  But by keeping an up-to-date list of your hoped-for conquests, and referring to it every now and then, it stays at the forefront of your mind and therefore more likely to influence your daily activities.

Health issues have hindered my daily crochet activities this year.  So, to get my butt in gear, here are my top five crochet To-Dos:

[  ]  Finish my CGOA Master of Advanced Stitches and Techniques, a course for intermediate plus crocheters to stretch their knowledge and show mastery of advanced techniques and stitches.  Thought this would be a good way to practice those stitches I just can't seem to get a handle on . . . like post stitches.

[  ]  Make Lisa Naskrent's Stone Path Hat:  I hate post stitches.  Don't ask me why because I really can't explain it.  However, I love this little hat, particularly when Claire of Aylin's Woolgathers showed me hers done up in Berrocco Comfort Sock.  So I think I will give it a chance.  Perhaps with a little practice, I might change my mind about crochet post stitches.  Perhaps.

[  ]  Improve my knitting skills.  I know what you must be thinking:  Heresy! What's this talk about knitting on a crochet blog? I'm a firm believer that there are things I can take from knitting and use it to improve my crochet.  Knitters are encouraged to learn a bit of crochet.  I want to learn enough knitting so that I can use it to embellish my crochet.  Besides, what's a knitted scarf between friends?

[  ] Finish writing up the pattern to my Split Personality Shawl, done completely in split single crochet.  Why Split Personality, which is a neurosis in which the personality becomes dissociated into two or more distinct parts? This shawl is crafted using Split Single Crochet (split sc) in three distinct parts. The pattern shifts from a semi-solid mesh of split sc-ch to an open mesh of split sc-2ch mesh to a band of arches. In addition, split sc creates a faux knitted stockinette texture. So, thus the split personality -- crochet or knitted.  Actually, this really should be on my list of New Year's Resolutions but I will take what I can get.

[  ]  Figure out the best way to organize my stash.  Stashes of yarn can be a beautiful thing.  At least that's how it looks on TV.  You know, baskets of colorful yarn positioned in corners, on naked book shelves, that sort of thing.  Why hide them?  Currently my yarn is sitting in plastic bins in my closet or somewhat out of view in that no man's land between the bed and the window.  I think it might be cool to incorporate the good stuff from my stash into the decor.


So, what's on your list of top five crochet things to do before you bite the dust, fall off your perch, give up the ghost, or "kick the bucket"?

Crochet Lace: Your Great Great Grandma's Crochet

Crochet lace is one of the most beautiful forms of crochet, particularly when applied to the shawl or wrap.  There are so many new patterns, like Evan Plevinski's Elise shawl that I completed last month and Vicki Mikulak's Flying Diamonds lace shawl that I crocheted as my Falling Leaves shawl last summer. My most recent Finished Object: Tealiscious Half-Granny Square lace shawl trimmed with a lace edging modified from a chart by MyPicot.com. The yarn is KnitPicks Bare --Merino Wool Fingering Yarn dyed in a bath of Shapna Organic Black Tea that has a wonderful red undertone. A traditional, lacey crochet pattern enhanced by a great lace edging.

A search of Ravelry's patterns reveals more than 925 crochet lace shawl patterns, just one-sixth of the slightly more than 5,420 knit lace shawl patterns. Thankfully, the number of crochet lace patterns is growing as many contemporary crocheters look past their grandma's crochet to explore the historical application of our art.

Piecework Magazine celebrates and expresses, through its articles and projects, historic and ethnic fabric-related handwork. Lace figures prominently in this effort. For the past three years, Piecework has featured lace in its May/June issue. For many lace lovers, these issues are a goldmine, filled with the history of lace and modern updates for replicating some of the lace. Unfortunately, it's a knitter's goldmine. Crochet is conspicuous by its relative absence.

A quick perusal of the index of the three Piecework issues reveals five crochet-related articles -- one about replicating Laura Ingalls Wilders filet crochet doily, one using painter's tape to help keep loops small and consistent, one about Maltese lace versus Maltese crochet (i.e., hairpin lace), and two about a Crochet Lace challenge to replicate an edging. There also was an article about "crochet tatting" but for the life of me, I don't know how one would confuse a tatting shuttle with a crochet hook. Three issues but only two patterns.

The three annual lace issues featured articles that illustrate the history of a certain technique or style of lace -- intricate Orenburg lace, lace bonnets from the Netherlands, and the story of Herbert Niebling (the grand master of lace knitting!). No stories about the Mlle. Riego de la Branchardiere, who published patterns to replicate raised Spanish needle lace. No articles abaout Cassandra Hand, wife of the local Church of Ireland minister who introduced Clones lace in 1847 as a famine relief scheme. No stories about the role pineapple lace has played in home arts. In the spirit of openess and transparency, in 1993, 1997, and 2005, Piecework had included a few articles about Irish lace. But nothing more recent than that.

Admittedly, modern crochet, which dates to the early 1800s, is a relative newcomer to the realm of needle arts when compared to other handwork, such as knitting and embroidery. Yet, many contemporary fiber artists and designers endeavor to keep these arts alive, such as Doris Chan and her larger than life adaptation of pineapple lace to wearables, and Lisa Naskrent whose Dragonfly and Maia lace shawls seem to have a life of their own. Although my own lace shawls are not as intricate, I would hope that soomeday, my efforts (Bird of Paradise Shawl of my design) will, in some small way, help people recognize and celebrate the beauty that crochet lace is.

Perhaps it's best to let pictures do the talking. Olga Litvina, a Russian crocheter took a Japanese doily pattern and created this masterpiece!

I'll say it again. Crochet lace is one of the most beautiful forms of crochet.

Off the Hook

January has been productive.  I filed my taxes.  We removed the carpet from the living room (love the hardwood floors).   I  even managed to complete a few projects:

Terra Cotta Elise Shawl by Evan Plevinski.  Worked in Louet's Gems Fingering, this little gem (no pun intended) was fun to work.  Featuring a 2-row pattern repeat, I was able to take this along on my daily commute to work.  After the first six rows, the easily memorized pattern is relatively mindless.  This shawl is reserved.  Don't ask me to change my mind or name names.

Two Plum Delight Sun Ray Slouch Berets designed by moi.  Both lacy tams were hooked in Garnstudios Drops Delight, a sock wool yarn with a handspun texture.  Although billed as "luxurious and super soft," I don't think it stands up to this billing.  Despite this letdown, I love the yarn and its extraordinarily long, well matched color transitions results in striping that Garnstudios has dubbed "magic-print."   The pattern results in a beret with a touch of hexagon in the shaping.  Solution?  Block the hat on a 12-inch round melamine plate purchased at the local dollar store. 

While visiting relatives for the Christmas holidays, I made a hat for my twin sister.  She loves it but wanted another one to match her new coat.  Of course I promised.  She picked out the yarn and I made her this tam worked in double strands of Loops & Threads Impeccable.  

I frogged the Ostrich Fan Fandango shawl (lovely but complex pattern) because the gauge was too tight and I realized I would run out of yarn way too early.  I plan to redo with a larger hook in a different yarn.  I will keep you posted.

Almost off my hook

Likely to be completed first is a Denim and Navy Blue Winter Watch Cap.  With only about 5 rows to go, this one is reserved for my father.  My father's the type who will wear the same hat or pair of shoes until they wear completely out.  So, count me as surprised when he asked me to crochet him a hat when he has a perfectly serviceable winter hat to keep his gray head warm.  I'm not speaking out of school when I say he has more salt than pepper but he is quite happy he has a full head of hair at his age.  Paton's Classic Wool Merino yarn will ensure relatively easy felting to shrink this slightly oversized cap to fit my father's head.

 

Second up is a Half-Granny Square Shawl designed by Anastacia Zittel.  A one-row repeat has this cute little shawl flying off the hook and is just made for commuting.   Worked in Knit Picks Bare 100% Merino Fingering Wool that I tea-dyed some time ago, I may re-dye it in a bold evergreen.  This one likely will go out as one of my Pay It Forward commitments.  I'm not saying to who, though.

Okay, February.  Bring it on.

Paying it Forward 2011

Scattered around Facebook are posts about passing along our crafty goodness.  Called Pay It Forward 2011, folks like me have committed to making handcrafted items for the first five people who respond to my post.  Each person in turn is supposed to post her/his commitment to make handcrafted items for the first five people who respond to their post, and so forth and so forth.  What a great way to work off our bloated stashes.  I committed to six (don't ask) projects, five of which will hopefully will eat away at my yarn stash.  What I love about this commitment is that I get to choose the yarn and the project.


Just today, I completed the second of six handcrafted items which have eaten up two skeins in my stash.  Both completed projects are hats crocheted from the Garnstudio's Drops Delight, a 75% soft superwash wool/polyamid blend that features long yet smooth color transitions.  Nice yarn with great stitch definition and a slight tendency to split when knit, but I was crocheting.  Both hats use my Sun Ray Slouch pattern, slightly modified for a fingering weight yarn.  The first hat followed the pattern with few modifications.  For kicks, I decided to knit a ribbed brim to the second beret.  Easier said than done.  


Without thinking, I dove into my US 5 [3.75 mm] 30 inch circular needles and quickly picked up the horizontal bar created by the half double crochet stitches I used to make the body of the hat.  As I struggled with the first row of knit stitches, it dawned on me that I needed shorter circular needles.  I moved on to my US 3 [3.25 mm] 24 inch circular needles and managed to work a few rows of k2p2 ribbing before I had to move down to my Addi Turbo US 2 [2.75 mm] 12 inch circulars.  Picking up stitches was smooth and fast.  However, I realized that the ribbing I was knitting would fit a preemie rather than the intended adult recipient.   Stupidly, I had not taken into account that knitting stitches are skinnier than crochet stitches and so had forgotten to add stitches when I first cast on!  I frogged back to the last crocheted row and added a stitch for every four I was picking up.  Working from a base of five stitches, I chose a k3p2 ribbing.  One inch later, the ribbing still looked a bit smallish.  Time to take gauge.  Several measurements later, I found I should have added a stitch for every two I picked up.  I frogged again and bought a set of Hiya Hiya US 3 [3.25 mm] 16 inch circular needles before beginning anew with a k2p2 rib.


As they say, the third time's the charm.   The yarn ran out, the stitches bound off, but the hat fit.  It was tough going [7 hours to work a two-inch ribbed brim!] but I am happy with the results.   My neck is killing me.


All of this effort reminded me of the recent furor over crochet/knit combo patterns.  When the Fall 2010 Interweave Crochet (IC)  issue hit newsstands, the inclusion of seven knit-crochet combination patterns (out of 24 total patterns) created quite a stir.  Some dedicated crocheters announced they would cancel their subscription.  Others were pissed that they their subscription included the primarily knit with crochet embellishment patterns while the crochet-laden special IC Accessories Issue was not included in the basic subscription.  Most felt betrayed by the publishers of Interweave Crochet.


My complaint was less about the inclusion of knit/crochet combo patterns but more with the fact that the beautiful patterns were better suited to a knitting magazine showing how crochet can embellish knitting.  A crochet magazine should illustrate how knitting can embellish crochet, which is exactly what a cross-over pattern generally means for a crocheter. For a knitter, crossover is about how crochet can embellish knitting. Instead, what we got were patterns that showcased knit patterns (many of them at the intermediate or advance level) with a bit of crochet thrown in.


I knit a little but crochet a lot.  Although I prefer crochet, I would still like to practice my knitting skills. For me, given the demands on my time, adding knit to my crochet would help enhance my skills.  Unfortunately, there are few patterns that are primarily crochet with some knitting. However, encouraging the development of such patterns is what the intention of such a special section should have been. If crochet traditionally has been an embellishment for knit, let’s turn the tables. For example:

• knit ribbing on a crochet sweater/tank/hat/socks
• knit i-cord and other embellishments for a crochet tote/drawstring bag/etc.
• knit lace sleeves on a crochet sweater

After this weekend, I could have used a few educational articles about (1) how best to pick up crochet stitches to begin knitting (perhaps it is better to knit first and then pick up stitches to crochet), (2) tips to better seam crochet and knit pieces, and (3) how to choose the right hooks and needles to work in combination with a yarn (we know that crochet stitches are wider than knit ones using the same mm hook/needle).

Next time I attempt to embellish my crochet with a bit of knit I hope to be better prepared.  BTW, pay it forward has hit the blogosphere as well.  So, I repeat my my 2011 pledge here:


"I promise to make something handmade for the first five people who comment to this post.  Each must in turn post this pledge on their blog and make something for the first five who comment on their status.  The rules are simple:  all items must be handmade by the poster, and they must be received before 2011 ends."

So, if this sounds like something that you'd like to be a part of:

• Be one of the first five to comment to this post.
• Please leave your e-mail address so I can contact you directly.
• Be sure to repost this pledge to your own blog if you do comment, since that is the whole point of Paying It Forward! :)

Help me to bust some stash.