Hosta and Froggy

Have I introduced this little monster? No?

How about this character?

No, not Froggy either?

Hmmm, it seems I've been a little remiss lately, working away on projects but then forgetting to blog about them after they are completed. Both had their debut as Show and Tell at guild meetings, but then got tucked away and forgotten.

This little handspun one-eyed "Imaginarium Monster" was completed in April. She was crocheted to fulfill a challenge for the guild's spin-in coming up this fall. Last year each person who came to the spin-in was given a skein of yarn from a former guild member's estate and asked to "do something" with it for the following year. Mine was a skein of rather scratchy natural coloured handspun.

The yarn was too coarse for anything that might be worn close to the skin, and in it's natural colour was rather uninspiring, so it sat forlornly wondering if I would attend the Spin-In without it. Then one day while overdyeing a shawl with black dye I decided to exhaust the extra dye in the pot by throwing the unloved estate-challenge skein in to sop up what remained. The skein turned out a satisfactory charcoal colour. That over-dyed estate-challenge skein made it most of the way through the pattern but I had to supplement with my own handspun yarn to complete the arms and leaf-hands. I look forward to bringing "Hosta" to the Spin-In.

This little guy some of you might recognize as he seems to be popping up all over the internet in various forms. He is from a pattern by Claire Garland called simply, "Frog". I've seen some renditions of the finished frog selling for US-$125! I initially thought that that seemed a lot for such a small project. I thought perhaps I'd make a half dozen or so to sell at the Christmas Craft Market. 🤣

Um -- NO. Make that a HELL NO! Way way too fiddly and too much work for me to make over and over again. No fear of there being a plague of frogs coming off MY needles! And after all those shaping decreases and increases there is no way I am going to cover up all that work with a little handknit sweater like I see many of the frogs wearing.

I've got a couple more finished projects to show, but they can wait for another day. 

Imaginarium Monster

 A while back my daughter destashed my way, a crochet amigurumi monster book, "Edward's Crochet Imaginarium" by Kerry Lord. It sat in my fibre arts library unused for a long time because I find crocheting tightly rather hard on my hands -- or at least I did at the time. Since receiving a wonderful set of ergonomic crochet hooks as a gift that has changed. 

I've tackled creating my first monster. He (she?) is made completely from handspun yarn. The division for those bulbous toes and fingers, as the pattern was written, was darn near impossible, but once I worked out my own "toe-up" version it was much easier and a lot of fun.

The pattern book is a modular type of thing with mix and match parts you can put together in any combination. Combined with yarn choices and colour placement the variety you can achieve is endless -- and FUN!

The knobby tail, scruffy hair, and belly button were my own innovations. The project was fun and interesting enough that as soon as the last stitch was done on the first, I started on the second. 

The eye on a stalk is the start of a monster being made to meet a guild challenge that is due in September. Stay tuned!

Persian Tiles Blanket

The epic "Persian Tiles Blanket" afghan project is finally complete, and as much as I enjoyed making it I am glad to be moving on to other projects. 

This was months of work! I started it on September 7th and worked on it for a couple of hours nearly every day (minus the entire month of October when I was busy with Stephen West's "Twists and Turns Shawl") and I was finally able to get it finished today, January 10th.

Not being able to get my hands on the "Eastern Jewels" yarn kit, and wanting a larger afghan anyway, I made up my own colourway using what colours I could coordinate in "Hobbii Amigo" yarn.

I chose to finish the afghan with the "Persian Tiles Extension" border by Tracy Fear.

The border pattern is quite vague about stitch counts, and I made a rectangular afghan rather than a square, so I found my corners didn't line up quite the way they were supposed to and I worked them out as best I could.

As usual, all links are only there for your convenience and I don't receive any kickbacks from your "clicks".

Seemingly Endless Seaming

I'm now working on the "Persian Tiles" afghan again, having set it aside for all of October while I worked on the "Twists & Turns" MKAL 2022 shawl.

Although I'm not finished the afghan, significant progress has been made. Over the past week or so I've managed to get all the pieces crocheted together. I think it's looking great, if I do say so myself.

I plan to add the "Persian Tiles Extension" border around the whole thing, and it will take some time.

Unfortunately the whole border will have to be less colourful. I've run out of all of the livelier choices and will be working solely within the white through greys to black range. Hopefully it will work out okay, perhaps being a stabilizing influence for the wilder centre.

While I Waited

With my many varied fibre arts hobbies I always have plenty of projects on the go at any one time, but many of them are too involved, not transportable, or not mindless enough for away from home busy work.

I knew yesterday that I'd have a wait of several hours, in the car, in a parking lot while my husband had cataract surgery, so I brought this crochet project along. I had started it at home just to be sure the hook size was correct and I had all necessary tools with me. 

It's the "Treasure Net Shawl" by Johanna Lindhal. Once the set up rows are complete the remainder of the body of the shawl is a simple 2 row repeat until a very pretty border is added as a grand finale. It looks quite spectacular in some long repeat variegated yarns. I'm not too sure about the colours in the one I'm working with though. It was what I could pick up quickly.  It is the Cactus Flower colourway of Hobbii's "Twister". 

It worked out well as an easy project to keep me busy during a 4 hour wait -- until I dropped my crochet hook between the seat and the console of the car. After trying to squeeze my hand down the narrow space and only succeeding in pushing the hook farther from my reach, it finally dawned on me that I might be able to reach it from the back of the car. THAT resulted in a rather embarrassing bleating of the car alarm when I opened the door. Yes, sitting there waiting for so long I had locked the doors.
 

It Started Out Okay

This is the beginning of Octagon B7. I felt it started out okay, but instinct told me it was not going to end well so I took this "before" photo to record the octagon before it went bad. LOL

And indeed, as it was completed with the very bright "egg yolk" colour, my instinct proved correct.

The final photo actually looks a lot better than the octagon does in person. My camera was kind. In real life the truly garish "Cheezies" or "Kraft Dinner" type orange is very evident.

Let me explain why I let this happen. In the beginning, when I decided to do this afghan, I was not able to find a kit in stock with the original "Eastern Jewels" colorway. I substituted yarns I was able to purchase through Hobbii.com. Some were close, most were not. But in the end I wrote out my list of substitutions and I am committed to using them as laid out in the Eastern Jewels directions. If, when all the pieces are done, some stand out as truly hideous and out of sync with the others, I will redo them in a kinder colorway. 

 

While I Wait

 While I'm waiting for the Twists and Turns Shawl MKAL to start on October 6th I'm working on a large crochet project. 

It's the "Eastern Jewels" version of the "Persian Tiles" crochet blanket by Janie Crow.

I wasn't able to snag a kit with a colour scheme I liked so I purchased individual balls of yarn from Hobbii.com and subbed in my choices for the colours in the list. Some are close, others are nowhere near the originals.

This frightfully vibrant pink one is an example of where the colours could be better. When all pieces are finished I may sub this one out for something less eye searing.

Other combinations, like this one above, I quite like!

These octagons are quite large, almost 12 inches across, so they are each taking at least a full day of crocheting to complete, and there are also many smaller squares and triangles as well. Usually I don't have that much time to devote to hobbies, so clearly I won't be finished the entire afghan by the start of the Twists and Turns Shawl Mystery Knitalong. 

Come October 6th I'll put this afghan project aside so that I can keep up with the incoming weekly "clues" for the mystery knitalong. Not to worry though, I have almost an entire year before the afghan must be complete.

Doily or "Medallion"?

Sometimes I enjoy crocheting, and lately I've been working on "medallions" as some like to call them now. Yes, these are doilies, like my mother and grandmother had on every flat surface of their home. I unashamedly do the same. To me a coffee table looks naked without one. 

I used #10 cotton from SouthMaid, the standard crochet thread you can buy just about anywhere, but in limited colours locally. I sent away for the "greige" colour (a beige/grey), since none was available here. I think it's a nice alternative to the white, cream, or beige my mother more commonly used.

I enjoyed making the first so I just kept right on crocheting and a few days later I had a full set of four for the top of a tall sideboard in my dining room turned office area.

The pattern is a free one I've made before. The Gift Doily.

Diagonal Shell

This "Diagonal Shell" vest has been completed for quite some time. I started it back in November after years of being intrigued by this particular design. It's worked diagonally from one hip across to the opposite shoulder, front and back worked separately. That diagonal stitch pattern creates a really nice drape to the fabric. 

Sorry for the very dark photos, they were taken on a gloomy day and I haven't gotten around to taking better ones. This next photo shows the colour a little better. It really is quite pretty, with diagonal ribbons of colour that are ever changing.

The edging is a crocheted "crab stitch" which gives a delicate picot looking textured finish.

This is a pattern I may make again some day. I purchased yarn for this one, but it would also work up nicely for a destashing of little bits of this and that.

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.

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.

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. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

I finished weaving the red yardage and had a rare urge to do some crocheting.

Trixie received a Valentine's Day dress from my efforts. 

I used a pattern for a real baby dress as a jumping off point, but heavily modified it to have separate, contrasting ruffles and a channel for a pretty ribbon. Of course I also miniaturized the pattern by using size 30 thread and a 1.25mm hook. I then added a teeny, tiny crocheted heart. 

Flame never received any new clothing but he still worked hard to make a Valentine for you.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

If You Crochet

Crochet is one of many textile related hobbies of mine. Recently I received "Indispensable Stitch Collection for Crocheters" by Melissa Leapman for review.

This collection of 200 stitch patterns is a great resource for those who are already comfortable with crocheting and would like to add variety to their favourite tried and true patterns with some new stitch options. 

Each stitch pattern is represented by both written directions and a universal stitch diagram. I really like this format. I find that, when I'm first learning a new stitch pattern, written directions are the most reassuring, but once I've worked through a stitch pattern once it is easiest to follow along with just quick glances at a stitch diagram. This book provides very clear directions in both formats. The handy reference guide at the back of the book also shows detailed how-tos for each stitch variation, from the most basic to very advanced.

Although I received this book free for the purpose of writing a reveiw, no other compensation has been given and I receive no commission if you decide to make a purchase based on my review.

Late Exhibition Report

Just realized that I never did report back to my readers about my Chilliwack Exhibition entries for this year. Enough time has passed that I can barely remember what I entered let alone how each entry did! (Why yes, I DO have a very short memory!) I do recall that I entered 6 items and all 6 got some sort of ribbon. No rosettes this year, but lets see if I can search Flickr files to see what was entered and which ribbons were won for each category.

Oh. This photo is somewhat helpful. It at least shows the ribbons won in the weaving department.

A second for my Saori "8/2 Blues" yardage.

A first place ribbon for my Saori vest,

Another first for the little red cross-body bag with its handwoven Saori fabric.

The Saori woven coasters also won a first. I'll be posting a bit of a tutorial tomorrow about how those were finished. Come back around if you are interested and haven't already found my explanation on Ravelry.

The other two ribbons were won in a different department. For sewing I received a third place ribbon on the orange Runaround Bag.

And finally, in crocheting, a first for the miniature 1/4 scale afghan I made for the doll couch. 

So there you go, the 6 ribbons won at this year's Chilliwack Exhibition, though I neglected to get photos of the ribbons with those last two projects.