Lost in Time

I finished my "Lost in Time" shawl.

Free pattern by Johanna Lindahl of Mijo Crochet. 

I used "Riot" by King Cole in the "Fab 414" colourway.

I enjoyed crocheting this shawl. It was fun. With all the back post double crochets, front post double crochets, and popcorn stitches it was a bit challenging too! I found I really had to watch what I was doing at the beginning and ending of some of the rows. Even still I ended up having to rip back a few times when stitch counts were not correct. 

Everyone's advice with this shawl pattern seems to be "Count stitches --- OFTEN". And it's true. Nothing wrong with the pattern, it's very well written. It's just a little difficult on those row ends to see exactly what you are supposed to be doing.

Am I the Only One?

If schools were run to suit my learning style every student would have the option to be in distance education, learning in the quiet of their own home from well prepared lessons and at their own pace. By my early thirties I knew that lectures, live demonstrations, and group settings are not my best way to learn something. In fact, in a typical classroom setting I find it very difficult to learn at all! I am an introvert and the stimulus of all that is going on around me is overwhelming and distracting.

I realize I am the odd duck here. It seems most people like to be shown how to do things and rarely learn from a text book. I was the kid that took the textbook home, did my homework, and went back to school the next day finally understanding what the teacher was getting on about.

When the guild announced a workshop day to learn to make a fully lined, zippered boxy bag and supplied the link to the tutorial so that interested people could bring needed supplies, you know what I did? I went ahead, jumped the gun, and made the bag at my own pace and with no distractions. 

I made my boxy bag with an exterior of handwoven fabric, the warp being a hand dyed (not by me) tencel and the weft being my own handspun wool yarn. The finished bag is not absolutely perfect, but I'm pleased with it.

I'll still show up at the workshop, but now I can relax because I've done my homework. 

A-Tisket, A-Tasket

While I wait for the yarn for the "Lost in Time" shawl I'm still casting about looking for little projects to appease some of that urge to crochet. In the same crochet designer's website I found this little free pattern. It's called "Double Double" and it's a double walled basket.

Mine is done with handspun, both inside and out. I spun the plain, undyed yarn used on the inside. 

And for the outside layer I used handspun my daughter made.

I just made it for something to do. The colours would look pretty in a baby's room. I'll probably end up selling it at the Christmas Craft Fair.

Necessary Sewing

You may have been wondering if I actually sew in that beautifully redone sewing room. Why yes, there has been sewing. There just hasn't been much blogging about it.

This nightie/sleepshirt/whatever you want to call it, is one of my most recent ones, it and another just like it but in purple. I made them both using the Jalie pattern, #2805 Women's T-shirts for the upper part and then extended it to knee length and added the hem shaping of Jalie pattern #3245 Raglan Top, Racerback Tunic.

Something this plain I do less for the creating and more from simple need. I'm pretty picky about what I sleep in. Not one for the extremes of a flimsy negligee or a flannel granny gown, and not comfortable wearing pajama pants, I like the comfort of something like an oversized men's t-shirt  but longer so I'm not indecently exposed. I found a couple many years ago and wore them until they fell to pieces. It was time for new ones and I couldn't find what I wanted. Necessity is the drive behind this creation. 

Constant Craving

As a hobbyist interested in many different textile arts I go through phases. My interest in any particular area seems cyclic. It waxes and wanes over time. I go from intense interest, almost obsession, to total abandonment at times.

Last year I did a lot of cross-stitch, completing a pretty picture we just had framed (I'll show that in a future post), but I feel I'm "done" with cross-stitch for awhile. I still love it but I want to move on to other interests. I've been working on the felt wreath shown in recent posts, but that can be put down at any time and picked up later. I'm really only doing it because the kit has been sitting around for at least 10 years and I'm in a decluttering mood. It's time to make it or get rid of it!

In the last few weeks I've been experiencing a strong craving for crochet! I haven't worked in that area of interest for quite awhile and I'm really drawn to it right now. I even went out yesterday to buy the yarn for the "Lost In Time" shawl by Swedish designer, Johanna Lindahl of Mijo Crochet. I even thought I knew where I could get the yarn, but unfortunately the local yarn store no longer carries that particular yarn. I had to order online. I found some at YarnCanada.ca but it will be a few days in shipping.

In the meantime I had to do something to calm those cravings for crochet! I dug through my stash and found a single ball of fingering-weight cotton and the pattern for "Floret Face Pads/Scrubbies" by the same designer. I had to learn/review a couple of more intricate stitches but after that they worked up pretty quickly. 

In very little time at all I had four of them made. I could have kept on going but I'd like to try them out first and see if I even like them and if their use is feasible. They are meant as washable replacements for the cotton pads commonly used for removing makeup or applying toners or astringents. Storing them after use and before laundering might be a pain, and for washing them I'll likely need a small mess bag. We'll see.