Twas the Week Before Thanksgiving

Lamby Pie?
I've decided to make my dog a rug/mat thingy to put in her doghouse. This will of course be made of wool and so I went stash diving for what little 100% wool I have yesterday. I think it will be a very colorful mat but I don't think she'll mind that it's pieced together since it will make her doghouse warm and cozy. It looks as if I'm not going to have enough yarn for this project and so I am going to have to start thrift store shopping again in the hopes of picking up odd skeins. Normally this wouldn't be an issue but at the moment my budget doesn't have any room for yarn. I've been happily eating away at my rather largish stash for projects and up to this point it's presented no problem, I always seem to be able to find something to substitute with for a pattern. But this particular project calls for wool and only wool and since finances are so tight I am hoping that I can scrounge up the amount I need from thrift stores. It stinks to be strapped financially.

Progress over Perfection
I've been lazily working away on the Round Shawl and enjoying the process of working it up. It's also given me an opportunity to work with a vintage pattern as I got this particular one from an old copy of Mon Tricot. The pattern is fairly open ended with instructions and I'm not sure if this is common for older patterns or not. I have worked some older patterns but not all that many and the ones I have worked were fairly detailed. This one takes you in detail through a certain point and then leaves off with the classic repeat rows xxx except for [these exceptions] and while it's a really simple pattern it leaves a few questions that I've had to answer by taking a plunge into unfamiliar territorty and just doing what I think is called for there.

Outside of some freeform purses and a few very simple patterns I've not done a lot of branching out on my own. I tend to closely follow a pattern and when I veer off from one it's usually because I've made a mistake in reading the pattern. This is something new for me, to make determinations about a piece on my own. So far it seems to be working out just fine, if it weren't I guess I'd just be frogging and reworking in a different way.

On another note I've been fascinated with Ravelry, trying to get around this rather huge site/community, learn how to use it, take advantage of all it has to offer a crafter and participate in the community at large there. I had an episode last week that drove me insane with progress bars. I'm no computer whiz, not even close. I'd classify myself more in the computer moron catagory and most of what I accomplish on here is very painstakingly won. I wanted to put up progress bars on my blog from my ravelry page so my readers could see the projects I'm currently working on and preview pictures of them as they progressed. This called for inserting java code into my blog and the code was a nightmare for me. I apparently didn't have something right and kept having to insert, delete, insert, delete for the better part of this past week, frustrating me no end and taking time away from my crochet projects. Well, finally with the help of three people from Ravelry I accomplished this task, the code works and does everything it's supposed to do so I now have progress bars that show off the wips I have on the hook. Yah!!

Stash Acquisition Syndrome?
A rather nice event for my week, I went to pick up a drop-leaf table from a local freecycler (beautiful hardrock maple table, but that's another story altogether) and she happened to be a fellow needlework enthusiast. I discovered this because I saw some knitting magazines stacked up beside the table when we got there for pickup. I commented on this, asking her if she knitted and telling her that I and my friend who was with me to help with the table crocheted. She was thrilled at that prospect and warmed right up with the information that she predominantly knitted but had learned to crochet a few years back as well as creating other forms of needle arts. It was nice meeting a fellow crafter because I only really know my friend, here in town. I know a lot of people from online but not many in person here and I miss the fun of sharing things with others in town. I would like to be able to meet up once a week or a month with other enthusiasts and have a session of crocheting, chatting and camaraderie and it disappoints me that I haven't found that here in town. I have seen these set up for knitters but not for crocheters and while I know I'd be welcome at a knitting session I feel like I'd be the "odd man out" and would rather have a group of us who do the same thing, so we're all on the same page. But, I digress...anyway, this lady gifted me and my friend with crochet magazines that she was going to have to get rid of. We were thrilled, we not only got a number of new sources for patterns and inspiration, we made a connection with someone who understands our passion.

A Farewell to Yarns

Finally, time and energy together at once, took my pictures and have new goodies to show you all. I followed the events throughout Derby but had my own activities to attend to. I had an exploratory procedure done and will have results in a couple weeks.

So, having gotten snagged on a particular scarf I was making I ended up doing some other things, then finally finishing the scarf and a few more items and now we're up to today, which has me working on another shawl in that lovely Dynasty Fuzhio yarn I bought at Hancock's a few weeks ago. I ended up having to go back and purchase more of the ribbon (actually more like shoestring and just lovely to work with) yarn I bought in order to finish one of my new projects.

The scarf that snagged me up started out as the Flamenco Wrap triangular scarf. which I think is a gorgeous pattern but since I knew quickly into the project I didn't have enough of the railroad yarn I was working with I decided to just use the stitch pattern for the main piece and make this.
I finished the shawl off with an edging of alternating sc and a cluster of hdc,dc,dc,hdc. Put a quaint little touch to the shawl and I think it should do well at the marketplace. Had one lady exclaim that she loved the ribbon yarn and wanted me to make her a tunic in the same yarn. I will see this week if she's serious about the project, then give her an idea of cost. Not sure I can even find the yarn at a decent enough price for it to be affordable for her. I certainly don't want to do the work for free and I know how much yarns like these cost full price. We'll see. As you might suspect I will have pictures of the Flamenco Wrap at a future point since I haven't run across the right yarn for it in my stash yet.

Outside of some pink/black mix I have officially consigned all the railroad yarns I bought several years back to the scrap yarn bag. It's funny, with as much yarn as I have stashed here in this house I will miss this railroad type when it's gone. It started out as a bit of a hassle to work with and I was using it as a carry along with worsted weight yarns. I graduated to working with the yarn alone but it's always a bit tricky because it's so easy to miss the strand on the other side with your hook.

I worked up a couple more of those bucket hats with a smaller hook. I still haven't begun playing with decorative touches for all of them.

The most fun item I've worked on recently is The Golden Evening Wrap from The Little Box of Ponchos and Wraps. I used one of the yarns from Hancock's that I bought, in fact, had to go back for a bit more and I ended up buying the last three balls of it they had in the bin and have two balls and some of the third leftover. Heh, guess I'll have to find a small purse project for that yarn. It's turned out just wonderfully and I think it's overall the best project I've made lately.
The front of the wrap.
The back
The yarn used made the item bulkier than what is called for in the pattern but I think it's such a lovely colorway that it made the piece look like spun cotton candy. I can see this pattern working up with a variety of different yarns.
Here's a close up of the tie front.


The days have turned sunny and warm finally and I've been taking my work out on the back patio and letting the dogs run in the yard. Because I have two diggers and because one of my diggers is living outside now I've discovered a ring of brick buried in my yard a few inches down. I have intentions of digging it all up to see what was there; probably a flower bed. Might be enough bricks to do something like a fire pit with. I like the idea of finding and reusing something already at the house to make something else.

I recently participated in a CAL with a group I'm in. I whipped up this Solomon's Knot Shawl in one day! I suppose I should have gone with a larger starting chain since I didn't put the fringe that is called for on it.



Another bag I whipped out last week from another pattern found on the web. This one is called the Drawstring Cotton Bag and I used some balls of Sugar n' Cream cotton for the project.


Now that I've played catchup, I'll give you a sneak preview of the current WIP. This is another shawl, worked in a simple pattern and I love the way it's turning out.

Odds & Ends

Crochet Confessions
The other day when I picked up yarn at Hancock's I forgot to snap a photo of this particular yarn. It's a colorful 100% nylon ribbon yarn by Dynasty called Thailand. I thinks it's a really pretty combination, reminds me of Creamsicles, although technically Creamsicle would only be orange and white and this yarn is much more colorful than that.


I must confess I intended to make my mom a rosary for her birthday. I picked out some beautiful spirit beads and hematite and a lovely nylon cord to make this for her. Needless to say it got stuffed into my WIP's bin and forgotten. Well, not so much forgotten as just put aside I suppose. Anyway, I never did make the rosary. However, my friend and crochet buddy (who also beads) took the project and made it for me. I did make the rosary pouch for the rosary. Hehehe, the easy part you understand. So, since my mom isn't internet savvy we'll just keep this between ourselves. I am going to try to side-step taking credit for making the piece, but I really don't want to admit that someone else made it either. I made her a bed jacket for Christmas and it was too small. I picked out the same yarn and started another jacket for her in a size that I hope will work. I've gotten the main piece finished and have been waiting on her to come for a fitting before seaming it and adding the collar and cuffs. The rate it's going she may be getting it for Christmas next year! LOL, that's what I call a two-for-one!

Odds & Ends
While surfing the internet last night I stumbled upon a site that I found interesting. It's titled The AntiPattern http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-pattern and while not exactly crochet related it seems relevant. I know I'm constantly working on "designs" that go wrong with an end result that is more of a problem than the solution I had intended it to be. This seems to be the tenet of what the AntiPattern is all about.

On that note, I got to thinking I'd not seen any postings lately from What Not to Crochet http://whatnottocrochet.wordpress.com/ so I wandered on over there to see what they'd been up to lately. Apparently not much going on in crochet gafs these days as their latest posting is a Satyr mask from the 1970's. Right beneath that was a posting that did catch my eye and one I feel doesn't really deserve a top spot on the site. It's a crocheted headband and purse set for a girl that uses those doll faces that are often bought for potholder and blanket baby projects. Now, I see nothing particularly scary about the items and I think were I still a little girl I'd be thrilled to have them. This is called dropping the ball in my humble opinion, choosing something that truly doesn't belong there, and doesn't live up to the reputation that this site has so carefully crafted. I think there are a lot worse items out there that could have been chosen over this little girls' set. Take the horrid Hamburger dress for instance; http://www.joykampia.com/fashion/hamburgerdress.html
now there is something truly ugh inspiring and much more befitting of a posting on the infamous page.

Off the Hook
I have just finished up the pattern called The Incredibly Versatile Giant Snowflake. http://www.crochetme.com/the-incredibly-versatile-giant-snowflake
I made this using RH Soft Baby in a Pink Pomp and a size N hook. It came out lacy and beautiful. I still need to wash and block it but here's a picture since I just couldn't wait.
I'm now on my next project and hope to have a photo of the completed piece for everyone really soon. Until next time, happy crocheting everyone!

Hankerings - Stash & Yarn Acquisition

Introduction

My hobby has, of necessity, been fed through what I like to refer as The Poor Woman's Guide to Crochet. Through the Grace of God and a deeply held conviction in faith I have never been unable to do whatever I chose to be doing. Life is a simple act of faith and if you can grasp how just being given the next morning can be proof of that faith, then you will truly live. Meantime, it takes a lot of paying attention in order to do it all. It takes making the effort to go that extra step, it means just having enough faith to keep putting one foot in front of the next, to walk into that thunderstorm and know that while you may not escape the rain, you will survive the drenching.

My blogspace today will entail explaining how I continued to create within the realms and confines of poverty, or lack of time, or whatever reared it's ugly head for the day. My Labels area will explain any acronyms and terms that I think need clarification so if you are unfamiliar with a term check there. Outside of that, any other terms or anything else you might need explained, feel free to contact me via the Comments link at the end of each posting.

Hankerings
Stash & Acquisition

The topic recently came up about yarn stashes and how creative we crafters get in finding places to keep ours. Living alone means that I don't have to be creative in hiding it from any One in particular, but I still have to give thought to where it will sit. How will it function, where is its place in the house, or how will I function, interact with it? How best to create an environment where it's accessible for me, readily at hand without looking so. A large part of creation with fiber is compelled by a desire for the tactile and whether we are touching lives as mothers, as artists, as women or as crocheters, be it acrylic, fur or cotton slub the need is as pressing as the next breath, because it's a deep passion that infuses our souls. In part, it is definition of ourselves.

Crochet is a part of our history, a tool for our sanity, a space for our individuality and stash is one of the tools of our trade, just as the musician has instruments, the painter canvas. It's a rite of passage into our actively creating selves. I thought I might share with you just a bit about my own stash. I started with no stash, just buying yarns needed for patterns I picked out. As those projects got completed I took the leftover yarn from them and tossed them all together into a crate and stash was born.

Shortly after I started crocheting again I ran into a few women who had quit, or had daughters who had quit and had yarn they handed down to me. I gratefully accepted this boon and added it in, found I needed a larger crate so I replaced the smaller one with three of those large Dollar Store, put-together-yourself, cardboard boxes, using the original smaller crate to hold my project yarns as I worked.

For the next couple years I happily worked from this acrylic stash, making scrap afghans, scarves and hats, and various small projects I whittled down half of the stash, then my mother, no longer able to knit or crochet, passed along all her yarns. Well now I was in a spot where I either had to come up with more tubs, or something as useful. I chose to transfer my yarns into Avon boxes because I have a friend who sells Avon and I could get the boxes free. They're wonderful; just wide enough to take the length of a skein of RH, oblong, not too big, not too small, with lids. They stack nicely and you can write the contents on the outside so you know what's there. I heartily recommend them and urge you all if you have that source available to you to utilize it. You won't be sorry that you did. Once again, I happily transferred materials and made a space in my study where I could stack the boxes. By now I'd accumulated about 12 boxes, all of it donated acrylics that I'd sorted and tried to box by colors.

I hadn't at that time acquired the dreaded YAS, but it wasn't to be much further behind. I fell in love with a few patterns from the Internet (where I get all my patterns, eh, make that 98.7% of my patterns, there again, the poor woman's way to acquire materials) that called for yarns I hadn't any familiarity with and thus began a yarn quest which took me to yarn lust. Making a special trip out to the yarn stores in town, I went through the couple in my area and noted the yarns, petted the yarns and cooed over them. At the time I could only look with envy; I didn't have disposable income for such luxuries.

Being the sort of person who hasn't money for luxuries, I would scour the discount shops in my weekly cycle, sometimes I would find acrylic worsted weights at discounted prices (which I bought gladly), but nothing else. In challenging my skills I would find patterns via the Internet that offered me the chance to learn a new technique or stitch, or that gave me the opportunity to learn a new type of crochet or try patterns that called for various yarns, but I could only go so far in these, I certainly couldn't substitute a worsted weight for a bulky chenille. I just bypassed the cute ponchos and thick sweaters and delicate lace tops with a wistful sigh.

My downfall came when the closeout stores finally started carrying the novelty yarns, then both novelty and specialty yarns as they began receiving them in closeout lots. Suddenly what was unattainable became a temptation and an opportunity to let my imagination out to play.

That simple stash stacked in the corner of my room has slowly evolved until today it incorporates a closet stacked full of fru fru yarns packed away in cardboard boxes, content marked many times over. A spare room (eventually destined to be the craft room) holds a couple tubs and some boxes filled with acrylics of various types, a few old suitcases with thread and a crate of plastic bags earmarked for yet another project as soon as I collect enough of the ones I want. Of course, meantime I'm collecting them all so I can practice with colors that I don't particularly want to use when making my own bag!
My current workspace gives easy access to the closet of yarns and has a 4 drawer filing cabinet of which only one drawer holds patterns printed from my Internet searching. An armoire, with several overnight cases full of items to aide my craft stashed beneath, is filled with supplies, tools, books, a few WIPS, and my cotton yarns. Beside the armoire is a plastic wheeled cart containing PIGS and beside my lamp and chair, right in front of my end table is a large tub and a small one with yarns that I'm pulling from for a project. Eventually those will end up back in with the other tubs in the aforementioned future craft room.

Now you may think this is an awful array of materials, but though I think that myself most of the time, I so often find myself looking for something in particular to make a pattern and cannot seem to find just the right item in there that it speaks to the relative deficiency of my hoard. Never enough yarn. Never enough time!

I have to say, at least I know where things are since this transition in my stash has been a recently achieved, albeit transitory, goal. I also managed to find a craft box, wicker, rectangular box on slender legs that I settled in front of the filing cabinet and a vintage vinyl-wrapped box on rollers, actually a sewing box but I'm using it to hold projects. It does double duty as a footstool. Once we set up the craft room, and the sewing machine, we will see if its use shifts since it has racks that hold spools of thread. I somehow doubt it because it's just the right size for me to elevate my feet while crocheting. So relaxing!