Monday, November 14, 2005

I tend to work on multiple projects. Right now I am making the Elisabeth sweater from Cool Crochet by Melissa Leapman. The best thing about this book is that it has changes for sizes small to up to 3x in some cases. Being a big woman, I appreciate that. I'm also working on a shawl using my favorite shawl pattern. It's very granny like. I'm using Bernat's Baby Coordinates in Prescious pink and some cheapo grey eyelash yarn I got at Target.

I'm trying to reteach myself broomstick lace. I've made a double ended hook out of a dowel but I haven't quite got the hook part deep enough to grab the yarn effectively. Plus I'm not sure if I like the two yarns I've selected. I'm going to make Baylee a poncho and a hat and trim it with eyelash yarn. I slept waaaaaaaaaaay too much yesterday so I'll probably start on those tonight.
My mother taught me how to crochet when I was five. For years I was happy making incredibly long chains that I'd recrochet into jumpropes. When I was about eight I became bored with jumpropes and begged my mother to teach me something new. Her solution was a granny square.

I love granny squares. Over the years I've made countless 12 patch granny-ghans, pot holders, and lap robes. In fact it wasn't until I was 22 that I finally decided that although granny squares were lovely maybe it was time to learn something new.

I made my mother sit down with me and show me how to read a pattern. In fact I was an absolute brat about it and wouldn't let her leave my side until I understood every single abbreviation and instruction. I'm sure she wanted to murder me.

The first non granny item I made was an afghan crocheted on the diagonal with a complicated lace edging and crocheted grapes. That kind of cured me for a little while. Back to granny's for a few months. Then I discovered mittens. Whooooooooo hoooooooooo! Everyone got mittens for Christmas that year.

That same year I also figured out how to make a granny square into a granny rectangle which stopped me from having to piece things together. Since I hate to sew this was a godsend.

Crochet has always been an on and off thing for me. I can go months and occasionally years without picking up a hook. Once I'm back in it though, I'm a stitching fool.

Friday, November 04, 2005

Baylee's Bling Bling Blankie. I was going to give her this for Christmas but then I saw her and had to give it immediately. I'm weak, I know. Posted by Picasa