Strawberry Fields Forever Shawl Progress Update

Last week I blogged about starting a new crochet project. Well, I definitely made progress over the week. I'm loving the pattern and the yarn colors! In terms of hard progress, I'm up to either row 19 or row 20 and am going to be starting the repeat rows soon. I think this is going to end up being a large shawl - though I wish the pattern maker had given dimensions for the different sizes.

The pattern is just what I was looking for, simple enough for the most part, but enough variety to keep things interesting. And yes, the variegated yarn does add to that variety. I'm never sure what color yarn is going to be next.

Strawberry Fields Forever is a pattern where complacency is a killer. I've already found one error that I've had to correct on the fly. Fixing it properly would have meant ripping back about five rows. With this yarn, that's not something I want to do! So, I improvised.

I know I had some doubts about the yarn, but as I've gotten farther into the ball, it's been no problem at all. Other than snagging back on itself when I've had to unravel stitches to fix mistakes. But, that's been no worse than say the Pattons Lace yarn I used on the Goldberry Shawl a couple of years ago.

This pattern displays the colors of the yarn (Red Heart Unforgettable Stained Glass) gorgeously. I think this may well be the brightest shawl I've ever done - if not the brightest crochet item ever for myself. Yep! this one I'm planning to keep. I hope to keep up the pace though as the rows get longer. I know I've had issues in the past and stalled out for a while - more than a year to finish the Goldberry shawl I linked earlier, and I'm still working on the Elise shawl I started back in 2013/2014 - though that one is getting closer to finished.

As I said, I'm loving this pattern. It's got plenty of variety, even within the rows - double crochet, single crochet, chains, shells clusters and more! The overall motif is a pineapple stitch - which I've never done before. Lots of fun! But keep checking your stitches and the pattern. It's easy to make a mistake and not pick up on it right away!.

New crochet project: Strawberry Fields Forever Shawl

I've started a new crochet shawl project today - and no, I haven't finished any of my other projects yet. However, I do have some extenuating circumstances. With the usual camping trips coming this summer, I absolutely refuse to take a project in expensive (Madelinetosh), cream coloured yarn into the great outdoors - with risk of smudges from soot, grease etc. Ditto for the laceweight scarf project, which is also being done in Madelinetosh yarn.

Both sock projects are currently stalled out too because I'm having trouble figuring out what I'm supposed to be doing next. Which problem probably mostly stems from the fact that I'm teaching myself how to knit on these projects and I seem to have a ton of trouble every time I run into a new stitch.

So, I wanted a project I could do in a cheap yarn (or at least relatively cheap, anyway). A run through Ravelry's pattern database turned up this gem: Strawberry Fields Forever. And, I even like the look of the yarn it calls for. Acrylic, so washable if something happens during the making.

On the other hand, although the yarn feels nice and soft in my hands, it's horrible if it tangles. I fished out the center of the first ball, only to find a nasty frizzy knot in the yarn about three colour-changes in. So bad that I ended up pulling the yarn apart and spit joining it again after taking out the knot. I simply couldn't separate the yarn strands enough to loosen them.

The yarn is a singles-type - not something that usually bothers me - I loved the Bernat Mosaic line, which sadly has been discontinued. Had it not, I'd probably have gone with another of their shawls. However, this time, the yarn really doesn't seem to have a lot of twist. In places it spreads out to show the individual fiber strands and then frizzes.

Still, that's only my impressions after handling it for about fifteen to twenty minutes max. My opinions may change with more experience. I have to admit that I found that issue in only the one place. If I see it more often... we shall simply have to see. And, I really should get more than ten or so stitches into the project.

For now, I have to say that the pattern instructions seem to be clear and straightforward. It's all a written pattern, with no charts. In my mind, that can go either way. I started using written patterns only, but have since grown to quite like having charts as well (sometimes it's only the chart that I'll use, depending on the pattern).

It's Monday! What Are You Reading - November 21, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is one of the longest lasting book-memes I know of. I've been a participant since the days it was hosted over at J Kaye's Book Blog, and then on Book Journey. Now It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted at Book Date.

The idea of It's Monday! What Are You Reading is to share the books you read last week and also what you are currently reading. I've discovered the hard way that it's a dangerous meme for your TBR piles as frequently I end up adding books to my wishlist thanks to the intriguing descriptions and reviews that others share.

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon.

The amazon.com product description:

It began in Scotland, at an ancient stone circle.  There, a doorway, open to a select few, leads into the past--or the grave.  Claire Randall survived the extraordinary passage, not once buy twice.  Her first trip swept her into the arms of Jamie Fraser, an eighteenth-century Scot whose love for her became legend--a tale of tragic passion that ended with her return to the present to bear his child.  Her second journey, two decades later, brought them together again in frontier America.  But Claire had left someone behind in the twentieth century.  Their daughter Brianna...

Now, Brianna has made a disturbing discovery that sends her to the stone circle and a terrifying leap into the unknown.  In search of her mother and the father she has never met, she is risking her own future to try to change history...and to save their lives.  But as Brianna plunges into an uncharted wilderness, a heartbreaking encounter may strand her forever in the past...or root her in the place she should be, where her heart and soul belong...

This week is going to be much the same as last week. I'm still working away at Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon. When I'm actually reading the book, I'm loving it and don't want to put it down. It's just that I'm making it to the stage of picking the book up a lot less than I keep thinking I will. Still, I'm almost 800 pages in as of last night.

Instead, as I noted yesterday in Netflix and Crafting, I find myself watching Netflix instead (usually Star Trek with my husband), although I've found myself firmly hooked on The Crown, and working on a crochet shawl or spinning. Or, cooking. Yesterday led to a load of orange slices in the dehydrator - we'll have to see how they turn out. I've never tried drying orange rings. Pineapple - yes! Oh Yes! Pineapple is my favorite fruit to dry. It's so much less expensive to do it yourself. Pears! Delicious! Apple - the mainstay of my fruit drying. I've even managed to dry some of my herbs. But that wasn't the only cooking I did yesterday. For the first time in about five years I dug out the muffin tins to make an old family favorite: Orange Date Muffins. Delicious!

Progress on the shawl is coming along quite satisfactorily as well. Since I picked it up again, I've been averaging about two rows a day - and the rows are getting pretty long!

I've also finally made it past the half-way point on the Eternal Lace Project (I think it's about two and a half years and counting). I've only got another 90 grams or so to go. Maybe another two years worth at my current pace. I can't wait to see how it plies up though, with a plan to chain-ply the whole thing so I can preserve the color changes.

Anyway, to go back to reading (as that is the theme of this meme), should I get Drums of Autumn finished this week, I'm planning to pick up The Fiery Cross. Other than that, I'm contemplating picking up a shorter book to read as a change of pace if I get the time. A big "if" there, I have to admit. I'd really like to have a book review to post some time this week. Whether or not that will actually happen, I don't know.

Netflix and Crafting

Those blog posts you see about how Netflix is bad for your reading time? All true. All very, very true. We signed up for Netflix this past month - it was cheaper than buying the seasons of all the Star Trek shows - initially mostly for my husband. I did have hopes though that they might have Outlander - my current favorite T.V. show. No luck. That, among a number of other shows and movies I'd like to see are not a part of the Canadian version of Netflix currently. Didn't think I'd be using it that much... Most of the shows I watch I own on DVD or Blu-ray already.

Then I started to go looking. They had the David Attenborough shows, even the ones I hadn't bought yet - though not the one about the Great Barrier Reef - for which I've only seen the final episode unfortunately. Downton Abbey. I've wanted to watch that one. And then I discovered The Crown. Firmly down the rabbit hole now, and my "to watch" list is growing. Mostly historical drama series and animal shows.

Add to this that I've gotten back into crochet again after about a month of doing next to none. And the project of the day is the beaded shawl I've been working on for the last three or so years. The one I tend to refer to as "what the heck was I thinking" especially when I get to a beaded row.  I have to admit however, that I know exactly why I've picked up this project again. It's thanks to the Knitters Pride blocking mats I just bought. I want to have a project finished so I can try them out. I'm making some pretty good progress too - about four rows in the last week. I really do need to get some photographs taken to show it off.

Up until now I've been using some of the bigger foam mats bought at Canadian Tire. They've worked well enough, but they're no fun to store. I think that right now, a couple of them are behind the basement sofa, one is in the furnace room and the final is hiding in the closet under the stairs. All of them though, are collecting dust, and are highly awkward to stash away.

These new mats are smaller, and come in a neat carrying case - they're always going to be nice and clean and ready to use. No "where is the final mat hiding this time" issues to deal with any more. I do wonder though if the Knitters Pride mats will interlock with my older mats should I need to expand the area for a larger project. Any other knitters/crocheters have the answer?

My final snark of the day on crafting concerns crochet hooks - and I'm not referring to the tiniest ones that got bent trying to open up an old family filing cabinet that was missing its' key (attempt failed by the way). No, those are still on my "to replace" list and the attempt can be filed under "unusual ways of using crochet hooks" of which I have a few stories.

Instead I'm referring to the Addi Comfort Grips crochet hooks I'd been buying a few years ago. I've got something like four or five of them now, and over the last five years, all of the handles have cracked. I'll admit that I've not been overly careful with them - keeping them in traveling project bags for example, but I also don't think I've been all that rough with them either. Still, I most definitely expect better durability for the price I paid for each hook.

I don't think they're worth what I've paid for them, and I'm fully intending to go back to using the Boye metal crochet hooks - which have never had a problem - unless I've been using them for non-crochet purposes like picking a rock out of a truck wheel mechanism. No, my plan as I finish each of the projects that uses one of these hooks is to retire it and take up any new projects with the Boye hooks again. They're nearly as comfortable to use and far less expensive, which is good as I prefer to keep the correct hook with each project I'm working on - thus I can have four or five of the most commonly used sizes.

I'd love to know though what your favorite crochet hooks are - maybe I'll give them a try.

At any rate, all of the above has been quite bad for my reading time - especially since I've now joined my husband in watching two to three episodes of Deep Space Nine in a day - from part way through season 5 and I'm now hooked for the most part. It makes for a good time to do some crocheting. Reading time? What reading time?

I'm still claiming to be reading Drums of Autumn though, and am about a hundred pages farther in than I was last week.

Goldberry Shawl - FINISHED!!

After well over a year now, I've finally gotten the Goldberry shawl finished. My first post on the subject was on September 26th, 2013, and I finished it today. I'm very probably the last person to finish the crochet-along as well. Better late than never though.

To be honest, I ended up leaving the last little bit off - ran out of yarn, so I couldn't do the two single-crochet rows across the base of the shawl.

I'm definitely looking forward to wearing this at some point in the spring.

Crochet and Spinning Update

I'm pretty proud of myself for this, but for the last two months or so, since the TDF on Ravelry, I've been managing to spin and/or crochet at least a little bit nearly every day. I think I ended up missing only one day so far. This is a track record I want to keep going indefinitely.

It hasn't reduced the number of projects I have on the go at all though. As usual, I'm better at starting a project than I am at finishing it, although I did finish one small project, and one of the longer-running projects I've mentioned here before is nearing completion. I'm hoping to get it done this month.

In terms of spinning, I've added one project, with a new spindle: the fibre is something of a mystery, but I have four ounces in three roving strips, all different colors, and I'm spinning it as finely as I can on my new(ish) Snyder Mini-Turk. In the photo the colors are showing as more blue than they actually are. In reality, one strip of roving is purple, one is turquoise, and the third is striped in black, blue and purple. I've torn the roving into small patches, and I'm spinning them in order: turquoise, purple and then the multi-color. Right now, it's on the multicolor and I guess it is fairly blueish in tone.

I'm trying a new technique as well: Ply-On-The-Fly, so all of the spun fiber on the spindle is finished. The process is to spin a length in one direction, wind it off on your hand and then chain ply that section before winding the finished length (now quite a bit shorter) onto the spindle. The other neat thing with a turkish spindle is the way the cop ends up being a work of art in and of itself - if you're careful.

The downside to this method, especially with my effort at keeping the cop neat, is just how slowly it progresses. Of course, I have to admit that part of that is because I'm not doing too much of it at any one time.

The other spinning projects I'm focused on are:
1. A merino-silk blend I have on my wheel in shades of blue. There's 200 grams of this fiber, and I'm about half-way through spinning it. Eventually, my plan is to chain-ply it as well.

2. Alpaca fiber on my supported Ghstworks spindle. This is a one ounce sample that I got from the Spin-Off kit. I'm maybe a third of the way through it. Again, it's slow going.

3. Multi-colored sprinkle-dyed merino fiber on a plain drop spindle. I'm finally seeing the end of this spinning project after three or four years now. Enough is enough, but it's my fault because I bought four or five 100gram bags of it. This one's being spun into singles on the spindle, but I have a bobbin on the go on my wheel that I'm using to chain-ply the singles.

Going over to crochet, the list of projects is about the same length, perhaps longer, and definitely longer if you include photos.

1. The Elise Shawl. This is a project that's gotten a lot larger than it was intended to be when I started it back in May. Back then, it was a one-skein shawlette, but I decided that it would be too small for my tastes, so I'm expanding it. Thankfully, I chose to use undyed Madtosh yarn, so matching colors and dye-lots wasn't a problem. I also decided to add beads to the shawl, using a second crochet hook. As I've said a few times since, "why did I think that would be a good idea?". I'll be glad when this project is done with, but I've got two more skeins of yarn to cake and add, so I'm not even half-way at the moment.

2.  The Goldberry Shawl. No photos for this one right now, but I'm about seven rows from finishing, so I'd like to get it done by the 22nd of the month - Frodo and Bilbo's birthday. The rows have gotten long though - one of the stumbling blocks of this shawl, I'm finding.

3. Another Bernat Mosaic Shawl in the Optimistic colorway. I like to have these to work on in the summer, though maybe I should have picked another color. It's a bit boring, because I just finished one of these a couple of months ago. Still, they work up pretty fast. The other advantage of these is the yarn isn't expensive, so I don't worry about taking one of these to the beach or camping.

4. The Triumph crocheted sock pattern. This one shouldn't really be on the list as I'm not working on it at all. I'd have to say that the socks triumphed over me. The one sock I mentioned last year fit perfectly, but I really screwed up on the second sock. It's way too small, so I now have to unpick the whole thing and start again. I haven't been able to gather the will-power together for it yet.

5. My first attempt at a carry-bag. It's from the same magazine as the basket I did earlier in the year. I'm not entirely sure what I think of the result though. The bag turned out to be a bit smaller than I though it would be for the medium size based on the picture in the magazine. Some of that might be the yarn I used being less stretchy than the yarn the pattern called for. On the other hand, I haven't actually tried filling the bag with anything as a test yet.

 I made one change of my own as well, adding a couple of extra rows to the handle to make it a bit wider. I was afraid the handle as it's written in the pattern would be narrow enough that it would cut into my hand or shoulder too easily.

6. The Bristleberry scarf pattern from the Crochet One Skein Wonders book. The most recent addition to my in-progress list. Not that I needed to start another project with all the ones I have on the go right now, but I couldn't resist buying a skein of  Madtosh Lace yarn when I saw it in the store.

This is going to take a while because the yarn is so fine that each row doesn't add very much to the project on it's own. Then, after a few rows, you look at it again, and all of a sudden you can see the difference.

I love the way it's working up. The pattern is simple enough that I'm not too likely to make any mistakes, at least if I'm careful, but just different enough to keep my attention. And the colors are absolutely spectacular!

Latest Crochet Project Started and Finished

My latest crochet project, the Aruba Storage Basket from Crochet In A Snap:

Where the original pattern called for solid colored yarn, I happened to have a couple of skeins of the multicolored line, pictured to the right, which I used instead. Also, I omitted the colored stripes from the pattern - which possibly made the process somewhat more boring. Next time I think I want to try doing this pattern in something closer to the suggested yarns, although I really don't care for Red Heart Super Saver. I find it to be quite scratchy on my hands as I work. Still, for this kind of project it works well, and I will use it again.

One of the things I did like about this basket is just how quickly it worked up. I got it finished in about three days. It's also pretty sturdy, probably because of the way the stitches were all done with two strands of yarn - a first for me.

I found that the best way of dealing with the project was to use two skeins at the same time, rather than to try doing something like winding half of a skein into a new ball to work with. A rather good choice, as I have the feeling that to use one skein for this project, it would have to be a jumbo skein - I used up nearly all of both skeins.

Simple stitches, but some new techniques nonetheless. I like it, and I'll probably end up making more of these storage baskets.

And, a third photo. So cute, I just couldn't resist:

Goldberry CAL Day ??

I've completely lost track of how many days I've been participating in the Goldberry CAL over on Ravelry, and I'm one of the last ones (or so I get the feeling) still working on the project. Regardless, I'm still enjoying the project and I've just finished Row 40.

Given the way the project is structured, I could go straight to the finishing rows from here, but I'm going to keep going and complete the large version of the shawl. The next rows take me from the Barrow-Downs to the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree.

At this point in the project, I'm starting to recognize the rows which is helping to make the project go faster - I'm starting to only need to check the pattern charts for the beginnings, center points and ends of the rows.

With this yarn, the last row was a bit fun in places. It's a "back-loop-only" (BLO) row and the yarn was getting darker. Add to that the less than ideal lighting I had for part of the row, it got a bit challenging and exasperating.

Now it's on to another repeat of row nine.

Goldberry CAL Day 28 (I think)

I think it's day 28, anyway. To be honest, I'm slowing down a bit with the crocheting. Two reasons. The first is that I've been incredibly busy and trying to squeeze in both reading and crochet is a fun challenge. One or two pages here, ten stitches there. It took me several days to get through row 33, although only one day for row 34.

The second reason is that the rows themselves are getting longer. Row 34 is up to 245 stitches. By the end of the shawl, the number of stitches per row will be over 500.

I'm still liking the way the color changes are working out, although I kind of wish the intermediate grey runs were a bit longer to make the changes a bit more gradual. As the shawl rows get longer, the changes between the rows are more abrupt and noticeable.

The rows are a bit easier, despite being longer, simply because I'm into repeats so I'm starting to recognize that "oh this is the row that does 'that'" so I'm not having to check the pattern quite as much, although I'm definitely relying on the diagrams and charts almost more than the written pattern. Even so, there's the odd mistake/mis-count that I'm having to fudge around. So far, that has simply consisted of reducing skipped stitches by one, or slipping an extra stitch into the final stitches of the previous row.

My Jenny-cat definitely approves of this shawl though.

I turned my back for a couple of minutes while I was taking photographs and this was the result.

Goldberry CAL Day 19 & 20

This is yesterday's post and photo to be honest, where I'd gotten to the end of Row 26. As of today, I've made it to the Bonfire Glade (the end of row 28) and we're really into the repeating rows now. This is where the print-out of the pattern starts to get fun though.

Depending on where you're doing the crochet, the fun levels grow and decrease dramatically. Because of the repeats, I'm having to flip from one page to the next and yet again to a third. Page 10 has the actual row I'm on right now, but the row instructions are on a different page because of the repeats, and for one or two rows, the chart/visuals are on a third page entirely. When I'm at home, that doesn't matter at all. I can sit on the sofa and spread the pages out beside me. Sitting on the ferry or in a vehicle is a different story though. Either way, I'm making progress.

The thing that really amazes me with this CAL is the way so many of you are already finished the shawl, often the full, long version too and are onto the next version of the project. How do you manage that?

Maybe some of my slowness is due to the number of times I've frogged rows to do them again. These last couple of rows, I've managed to fudge through mistakes rather than redo two complete rows again.

I have to admit to being distracted by other things at times as well, such as reading a good book. I spent most of today finishing the newest novel by Mercedes Lackey, Bastion, the fifth book in the Collegium Chronicles series. Also, I'm still working on the mate to the one sock I've finished with the Triumph Crocheted Sock pattern, having now gotten into the lacy part of the foot. This is my current travel project, just because it's compact, and I don't have to refer to the pattern every single row. The project I'm focussing on of course though is the Goldberry Shawl, and I'm already dreaming about possibilities for a second one. Although, I'd like to try out an Entwife or Down The Garden Path (already have yarn picked out for this one. Anyone have any tips for doing this is a fairly fine yarn weight?)

Goldberry CAL Day 17 ?

Well, I think it's 17 days into the Goldberry Shawl CAL on Ravelry. I've lost track, to be honest. I also haven't had much progress to report over the last little while either. For a while it was going along very smoothly (up to row 20). Then, row 21, the "Samwise" row, started giving me trouble. At the same time, I got into the final week of preparing to move, plus the first week of unpacking. Bracketing that was about a week with no internet access (which facts explain the dead period on my blog as well).

Anyway, I got back into the shawl yesterday, I think and I ended up unravelling row 21 at least twice, once including row 20, during which the yarn snapped. I only hope my "join" holds the shawl as it's ended up just being the two pieces held together as I crocheted them in - a spit join that failed. On the up side, there's no ends to weave in there.

Tonight, I finally have progress to report: Row 21 is DONE! Samwise has stopped being stubborn and allowed the row to finish. I'm not counting the stitches either. I refuse to do that again, unless the pattern ends up with not enough or too many on a row - too many chances for me to miscount and drive myself crazy again. I half think that that was the problem here all along.

From now on, if the pattern seems to work, with the stitches lining up properly, I'm not counting.

The yarn is starting to change back to the lighter shades of grey on this row, and I like the way it's looking. Should be interesting to see how the colors space out as the shawl progresses too. So far, it's reminding me of the way the colors in the Bernat Mosaic yarn worked on the one shawl I did in that to date.

Hopefully the next rows will work out smoothly too. I really don't want to spend any more time unravelling. I'd been warned by some of the other participants that Patons' Lace yarn can be a challenge to unravel, and I see what they mean! I really don't want to have to undo more than a stitch or two at a time again!

Goldberry CAL Day 3

I'm still going strong on the Goldberry Shawl CAL (Crochet-A-Long) that I'm participating in over on Ravelry. Today took me to the end of Row 13.

The color changes are starting to show up, and I'm liking the way they're turning out.  We'll have to see how they continue to work though, as the rows get longer. I'm liking the Paton's Lace yarn works up in terms of texture, although I'm coming up with more questions about it, such as how well it blocks, being mostly acrylic.

One of the neat things with this shawl is the way the pattern is designed to tell the story of the Hobbits' journey to Rivendell, with each row or few rows representing part of the trip. For example, row 13, where I've left off for the night is the start of the section labeled "With Nine Black Riders At Your Tail". It just makes the pattern that much more fun, although I'm looking ahead, and wondering why there's a "Bilbo" row as part of the next section, titled "To Bucklebury Ferry Just In Time".

Goldberry Shawl CAL Day 2

I posted yesterday about starting a new shawl project, the Goldberry shawl by Michele DuNaier and I'm participating in the CAL she has going on for it right now over on Ravelry.

Today's progress was slim, I've only finished row 6 so far, and that's with having to unpick row four at one point today. I have discovered that the yarn I've picked for this is somewhat more difficult to rip out - partly because it's laceweight, but mostly because it's got some mohair content, which halos around the yarn a bit. That also makes the stitch definition a bit more fuzzy than I'm used to as well.

On the other hand, the yarn is working up into something that feels wonderfully soft in my hands, and surprisingly, isn't at all scratchy feeling - something I've been worrying about due to the mohair content.

The colours are also behaving quite nicely too. I hadn't done a test swatch at all - I'm sure some of you readers are shaking your heads at me for this - but I don't tend to swatch for shawls or anything where size isn't an absolute concern. I'm too impatient, and I just want to get to the project right away.

I can definitely say that I'm having fun with the project though, and I don't want to put it down.

Starting Another Crochet Project

I have to be insane. I'm still working on the mate to my completed Triumph Crochet Sock, to make a pair of socks, and I gave in to temptation and started working on a new crochet project, the brand new Goldberry shawl pattern from Ravelry.

Part of the reason I've started this shawl today is it's a CAL (Crochet-Along) project in the designer's group. I also couldn't resist because the whole shawl is Lord of the Rings themed, and it's that time of year.

The yarn I'm using is Paton's Lace in the patina colorway:

One ball's still in the factory-wound centre-pull ball in this photo while the other has already been wound into a cake. After the "fun" I had a few months ago with a center-pull ball that turned into a three day tangle, I've since vowed to always wind these balls again myself. Since this photo was taken earlier this evening, I've wound the second ball, and chained the first stitches for the shawl.

The pattern PDF is clear and easy to read and visualize - always a very good thing, and a good omen for me (I've bought several other patterns from this designer).

I have noted that the Paton's lace yarn is fuzzier than I'm used to these days. I'm not sure what that's going to do to the stitch definition and the pattern for the shawl. I only hope that the halo effect and softness don't make it difficult to see where to insert the hook for later stitches. I am using the "G" hook size, so the stitches shouldn't be too tight though.

The CAL officially starts tomorrow, but it seems like most people couldn't wait, so I decided not to as well.

Triumph Crochet Socks Progress Update

I started crocheting these socks back in the middle of August, as described in my post Hilo Shawl Finished and Socks Started. They're not finished yet, but it's time for some photos and a status update, seeing as I passed the half-way point the other day: the first sock is completed, with ends sewn in and trimmed off.

The yarn is, as I noted, Rowan Fine Art yarn in the Kingfisher colourway, and I love the way it's worked up so far. It also feels great the short times I've worn the sock to check fit, which hasn't needed any adjusting from the pattern as written (the Triumph Crochet Socks pattern on Ravelry).

Maybe it'll be different now I'm on the second sock, but I haven't gotten bored with this pattern either, like I have some of the others I've started, and it's really nice having a small, portable project to work on too, as a change from the shawls and other things I've been doing to date. Easier to work on while travelling for example.

I've heard people say that crochet socks aren't as comfortable as knitted, but I don't know - I've also heard it said that they're more comfortable. Different strokes for different folks I guess. These have a decent amount of stretch, and slide on and off easily enough. The stitch and lace pattern do have some give to them - it's mostly a linked-double-crochet stitch, which was an interesting stitch to learn. I like it though.

One day, I want to learn to knit socks, but for now, I'm happy to crochet them. One of these days I'm going to give the book of crochet sock patterns I bought, Learn To Crochet Socks The Toe-Up Way! by Kim Kotary. I gave one of the patterns an initial try, but got stuck on the toe, not quite understanding what I was being asked to do. Now though, I think it does make sense, at least going from memory, and I want to give the patterns a second try, having done one sock successfully.

Other things I want to try are some different types of heel. I'm not so sure I like the afterthought heel that the Triumph sock calls for. After a couple of tries it made sense though, but it's still another weak-point, being a second join and a third (and fourth) end to sew in. I don't exactly trust my joins for hard use, so it's something I worry about.

Any tips or thoughts on crocheting socks for me to keep in mind for the future? Pattern suggestions would be nice too, either on Ravelry or from other sites, as I know I'm going to make some more socks in the future.

Hilo Shawl Finished and Socks Started

I posted about starting the Hilo Shawl back in May in the post Trouble Finishing Anything. Well, it's finished. I actually finished the shawl back in the middle of August, and just haven't gotten around to posting about it until now - mostly because I haven't gotten any good photographs of it yet. The photo here is the best of the lot to date, and it's a close-up of the pattern repeat taken while the shawl was still on blocking pins.

The Hilo Shawl was the pattern featured on the cover of Inside Crochet back in March, and I fell in love with it, buying the magazine just for that pattern (although there are some others in there that I want to do eventually), and starting the pattern a couple of days later, using Madelinetosh yarn in the Cousteau colour. I loved working with the yarn, the subtle variations in colour and thickness worked well for me - but then I do like working with singles yarns I've found (to date, just Bernat Mosaic in a couple of different projects and colourways and the Madtosh yarns for commercial yarn, but also my own handspun yarns).

Anyway, the magazine described the Hilo Shawl pattern as a good introduction to lace-work. If by that they meant that it was easy to get into the pattern repeats and it worked up fairly fast, they were right. It did however, take some attention to detail, making sure I didn't miss any stitches. All too many times it felt like "two steps forward" and one step back as I had to rip back an entire row to find the one stitch mistake in the previous row.

I was surprised at just how warm the shawl was the two or three times I've worn it to date as well. I thought it would be more of an ornamental shawl given how open the lace pattern is, but it kept the summer evening chill off very well.

I don't know if it was something I did in the way I blocked the shawl, or if it's part of the pattern design, but the shawl turned out longer and narrower than I thought it would, enough that I've been wearing it by using one of the two "sides" as the shoulder side rather than the chained base. Still, I'm really happy with the shawl and the way it turned out.

Of course, having finished one project, I couldn't wait to get onto the next. This time it's a pair of socks, and I'm already into the leg of the first one. I think it's about another five rows, then the cuff and the heel and I'll have finished my first sock. The pattern is the Triumph Crochet Socks (Ravelry link), using the Rowan Fine Art yarn in the Kingfisher colourway.

It's a slightly lacy pattern with a simple repeat that works from the toe up, which allowed me to keep trying it on and testing the length as I crocheted it, and the yarn is working up nicely - not too splitty and the colours look lovely. Had to learn two new stitches too: Linked Double Crochet and Foundation Single Crochet.

In the process, I've discovered that I prefer to learn stitches from step by step line drawings rather than photographs, and that the Crochet For Bears To Wear book that I've referred to here before has some of the best instructions short of the Stitch'n'Bitch Happy Hooker Crochet book, which I've packed away for now.

I like crocheting socks, if only because of how portable the project is, but it also makes something very wearable and useful. I only hope that I like wearing crocheted socks as much as I do making them.

Trouble finishing - anything

I seem to be having trouble finishing books - or anything else right now. I've got several books on the go and I can't settle in to any of them.

• Star Wars At War With The Empire vol. 1.
  I've been intrigued off and on by the Star Wars graphic novels even though I'm not very much of a graphic novel reader. Mostly this was inspired by the Star Wars Panel To Panel book I got last year. The artwork and short descriptions of the stories told in the graphic novels were quite intriguing. And, actually, I'm finding that I've been really enjoying reading this one. Problem is, I'm sharing the read on the graphic novel.
• Stalking Darkness (Nightrunner vol. 2) by Lynn Flewelling
  The sequel to Luck in the Shadows, which I really enjoyed reading. I've only gotten a few pages into this one though as of now. Not enough to have an opinion yet.
• The Elite by Kiara Cass
  The sequel to The Selection, which came out last year - and is a book that I'd been looking forward to. I think I really needed to re-read The Selection before I picked this one up to really enjoy it.

The same thing is true with crochet. I've got a baby blanket I'm working on for my best friend's new son. It's not even half way, and the child was born over a month ago. The rounds for it are quick enough to do, just tedious - and I need to get a hundred and sixty eight of them. Then I have to join them. Not looking forward to that at all. And I thought this would be an easy project.

Looking at the instructions (which I've memorized for each "square") the Puffs Baby Blanket, is simple enough, just as I said before, tedious - to the extreme. I've gotten over 60 of the puffs done though.

Rather than buckle down and really work on finishing the baby blanket, I started a new project: the Hilo Shawl from the March issue of Inside Crochet magazine. I'm using two lovely skeins of Madelinetosh yarn in Cousteau (shades of deem tourquoise) for this one and the more I work on it, the more I love the colours and the feel of the yarn. Still only on the first full row, but I started it last night. And, of course, I had to wind the skeins before I could start. I tell you, having my own swift and winder is a wonderful thing, both for the yarn I spin, and for the yarns I'm buying now. More and more, they don't come in pre-wound balls as the price goes up. And sometimes, the store's swift is broken. The biggest issue with this pattern is that it's from a UK magazine and some of the terminology is different. Triple Crochet stitch for the US Double for example. I've learned on the US stitch terminology so far, so I'm sitting here with a conversion chart. Thank goodness for the pattern diagram as well.

Part of the problem with all of this (books and crochet) is that I feel like I should been working on the readings and assignments for the indexing course I'm taking whenever I'm not actually working - guess I'm feeling a bit guilty. So, as much as I want to be reading or crocheting, I feel as though I can't, that I'm wasting time I don't have. And therefore, I can't settle to any one hobby/project.

Friday Favourites: Your Favourite Non-Reading Hobby?

Friday Favourites - a chance to rave about a favourite reading/book related topic each week.

Sometimes you just want a chance to rave about some favourite aspect of reading that doesn't really come up during regular blogging posts - that's what this is about. I'm willing to bet that at least some of those will come up one week or another.

This week I'm asking what your favourite non-reading hobby is. I'm sure that in terms of hobbies, reading takes the top slot :), but other hobbies are lots of fun too.

My answer:
I've tried a lot of hobbies, and they have tended to shift in terms of favourites and the amount of time I allot to them. In the past were hobbies like cross-stitch, drawing, calligraphy etc that are all year-round and engaging. All of which I still enjoy to an certain extent, but rarely do much of any more. Then there are the seasonal hobbies: gardening, snowshoeing, hiking etc. They're great, but you can only really do them at certain times of the year.

Right now, my priority (aside from reading) hobbies are those involved with yarn-craft. Mostly in this case, that refers to spinning and crochet, although I'd like to try dying some day, and I want to teach myself to knit. It just seems somehow that I have trouble figuring out the instructions for any particular stitch, and the motions don't feel as comfortable as crochet did immediately.

Of those two, I'm honestly not sure if spinning is more a favourite than crochet, or if it's the other way around. They're equally as portable - at least if I'm using the drop-spindle and not the actual wheel ;). I know one thing I love about them is the feeling of accomplishment I get from finishing something. And it doesn't tend to take forever to complete a project.

Spinning is, like photography, one of those hobbies I've stuck with. It has to have been five years or so now since I started using a drop-spindle and thane the wheel, and I'm still going strong. Other hobbies I've picked up for a while and then abandoned more or less completely, such as the time I did some soapstone carving. After a few months, it just got left.

That length of time in itself justifies spinning as being a favourite. Crochet is a more recent addition, but it's definitely got my interest. One of these days I'm intending to combine the two and actually do some crochet with some of the yarn I've spun. To date, I haven't had the confidence to try much crochet with my handspun. I've been sticking with the commercial stuff, at least partially because it's more predictable.

So, what's your favourite non-reading hobby?

Latest Crochet Project

Last week I started working on one of the projects from Amy O'Neil Houck's book Crochet For Bears To Wear. After a couple of false starts and a lot of help from some of the local knitting group, it's going pretty nicely now. The project in question is the Long Winter's Nap Nightshirt and Cap.

This pattern is considered to be intermediate, which might have been some of my problem with it - it's assumed that the crocheter can do things like crochet in the round etc. Actually though, it's surprisingly simple now it's gotten started. I'm down to the colour-band change - another first for me, working with two colours, and most of that's been done in the last two days.

There are a couple of places where I think the pattern could have been clearer - doing the armholes for example. It says to slip-stitch to the next marked stitch. Did that mean to slip-stitch along the edge until you got to that stitch, or did it mean to join the two corners together? After a false start where I thought it was the former, I figured out that it was the latter instead, just by how the photo looked. Aside from that kind of quibble, I'm quite enjoying this project, and am already planning to do several more from the book.

In terms of the current project, I've still got the "skirt" as she calls it, and the sleeves for the nightshirt itself, but there's also a cap as part of the set. That I have yet to start.

I love the idea of learning to make clothing in miniature like this. My next planned project though is a pair of socks that I hope will fit me - I'm being lazy and not doing the gauge swatch again. For the nightshirt it seems to have worked. I figured that if the neckband fit the listed measurements, the gauge would be more or less right, and that's how it's turned out.

Yes, doing the crochet is taking away from my reading time a bit - as is the spinning I'm doing on the wheel as well, but I'm still doing plenty of reading as well. Just started with A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, so I'm glad to have something to give me a break now and again.

New Crochet Books

Or, maybe I should say "New to me" as both books are at least a couple of years old. The first is one I saw a couple of years ago, and loved - I just didn't feel confident enough at the time to even think of attempting the projects included. Now, it's a different story, having completed a shawl and started another:

Crocheted Afghans: 25 Throws, Wraps and Blankets to Crochet
Melody Griffiths
Cima Books
Copyright: 2009
978-1906525781

The amazon.com product description:

Fill your home with splashes of color with any of these 25 beautiful throws and wraps. Whether you want to make a lovely quilt to pass down from generation to generation or a fireside blanket for winter nights, you will be sure to find a project to cherish as you transform your yarn into a wonderful range of fabrics. The designs for this stunning collection of crocheted afghans, comforters, blankets, and more are inspired by a whole range of sources. You can get an heirloom effect with wraps and throws based on antique lace and traditional textiles or, if your dream is of pioneer patchwork, try one of the patterns influenced by everything American--from Navajo motifs to crazy quilt patchwork. All the information you need is here, provided in a way that is so simple to understand, with charts and detailed instructions for 25 projects, plus 10 extra ideas for ways of using the same instructions to make larger or smaller items, such as bed covers or pillows. And don't be afraid of the professional, luscious look of the blankets you see in the photos--the designs have been created with simplicity in mind, so even novice crocheters will produce exquisite pieces in no time at all. Many of the projects are made up of small, easy-to-work-with squares and motifs, so you can carry on crafting while on the move.

* 25 beautiful pieces that are deceptively simple to make including a lace wrap, Shaker-style throw, wild rose afghan, tartan rug, and more.

* Techniques section shows how to master all the simple skills you need.

I can't wait to start on some of these.

The other book was just so charming and cute - besides a very useful concept that I just had to buy it - with the thought that the projects shouldn't be too expensive. The neat idea with this book is that the process of creating the little clothing teaches the steps for doing the same types of things for people, with less time needed (and less wool).

Crochet For Bears To Wear
Amy O'Neil Houck
Potter Craft Press
Copyright: 2010
978-0307462121

The amazon.com product description:

What’s cuter than a teddy bear in a sweater?

… A teddy bear wearing a custom-crocheted sweater made just for him! With Amy O’Neill Houck’s simple instructions and lovable, huggable patterns, crocheters of all
skill levels can create fashions for their teddies and friends, including Build-A-Bear
Workshop bears, Vermont Teddy Bear Company bears, and American Girl dolls. In
Crochet for Bears to Wear, you’ll find more than twenty quick-to-crochet garments
and accessories—from sweaters and swimsuits to pajamas, sundresses, and even a
baseball uniform just perfect for spring training.

The patterns provide a fun introduction to a range of techniques and garment
constructions such as seamless top-down crochet, crocheted ribbing, unusual starts
and finishes to garments, lace, colorwork, Aran crochet, and so much more. With
instructions on how to customize each pattern to fi t your own collection of soft toys,
Crochet for Bears to Wear provides everything a crocheter needs to know to keep her
favorite friends covered from tip-top to toe.

I've got a few of these in mind already.