Crochet to Go

IMG_5572
Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.

I'm still in my cowl phase. This is the same pattern as before, using a soft acrylic yarn. It's proving very practical - it's perfect for skiing, an extra layer at work, or bunching under your collar to keep your neck warm.

Successful Cowl
Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.

Here's the version that works. It's soft and cozy, and just the right length.


Ribbed Cowl

Materials Needed:
• L Hook (8 mm) or size needed to obtain gage.
• 1.5 skeins (145 yards) Worsted Weight: Crystal Palace Yarns Mochi Plus (color 305, brown shades)

Dimensions: 34 inches circumference

Pattern:
Ch 99.

Rnd 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch around. Twist chain once, ss to first ch. Ch 2, do not turn. (Finished cowl should have a built-in rotation.)

Row 2: Dc in each st around. Ss to first dc of row. Ch 1, do not turn.

Rnd 3: Sc in each st around. Ss to first sc of row. Ch 2, do not turn.

Rnd 4: Working in back loops only, dc in each st around. Ss to first dc of row. Ch 1, do not turn.

Rnd 5: Working in both loops, sc in each st around. Ss to first sc of row. Ch 2, do not turn.

Repeat rows 4-5 until desired height – my sample has 21 rnds.

Fasten off, weave in loose ends.

Cowl - first attempt
Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.

This is the failed version - not fluffy, soft, and draped enough. It's warm and functional, but way too long (in this picture I've draped it around my neck twice).

IMG_5494
Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.

I'm a fan of bulky yarn right now. This scarf was very quick to make - it's simply rows of DC with fringe on the end.

This is a free Lion Brand Yarn pattern (download here). The results look nothing like the pattern picture, which presents the shrug as a draped sweater. I'm very pleased with the results, however. It's a simple wide scarf, with the ends partially sewn together to form armholes. You can wear it as a scarf, as a "sweater" using the armholes, or - as shown - put one arm through both openings for a wrap.

I modified the pattern, which is sc only, to have sc borders on the top and bottom, dc rows in the center.

This is a gift for my sister's dog, modeled on a very unhappy cat. The buns are lightly stuffed. It's a simple pattern (Hot Dog Coat on ravelry) and perfect for Halloween.

Here's my first Doris Chan pattern (available as a free Ravelry download). It's really bright - I can't decide if this yarn was the wrong choice. It might be perfect over a sundress, though?

It's a quick pattern, but eats yarn - I just barely finished this with 4 skeins. I skipped the final row, which I didn't like the look of (too pointy). A pin of some sort will be needed to keep the shawl on.

Here's a scarf version of my recently posted pattern. I used a worsted weight yarn (Lily Chin Gramercy, 100% Merino Wool) and an 11 mm hook. I also added two rows of sc around the entire scarf to give it a more finished edge. It's very soft, the edges roll just a bit, and it drapes beautifully.

The "Morning Fog Mitts" pattern (available on ravelry) is emerging as my holiday gift of choice. Here are a few of the recent versions, all using leftover scraps of yarn.

This is a popular pattern on ravelry right now (Easy Pleated Crochet Bag), and it lives up to the name - very easy to make. It's hard to judge the scale from the pictures, but it's much smaller than I expected. It's really too small to be useful for an adult (even as an evening bag, the scale doesn't look quite right), but it's perfect for a child. I plan to give mine to a seven year old for Christmas.

I'd like to revisit the pattern and make a larger (wider) version. Definite potential.

IMG_2904.JPG
Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.

Here's my finished pinwheel bowl, a case for the Springtime Coasters I recently completed (shown upside down). This was made in Red Heart Super Saver. I made a cotton version as well (which I prefer), but it's a bit slimed from my stiffening project. I'll try felting it and see if the ribs are still visible.

The bowl itself is quite stiff and would easily work as a holder for change or keys.

Pattern:
Materials needed
• 1 skein / 1 oz cotton or acrylic worsted weight yarn (I prefer the results with cotton)
• Crochet hook: 3.25 mm
• Yarn needle

Special Stitch:
Front Post Double Crochet [fpdc]: yo (yarn over) your hook; starting from the front, hook around post of the row below by inserting hook to the right of the stitch and back around the front on the left side*, yo, pull through 2 loops, yo, pull through last 2 loops.
* Reverse if you’re a lefty

Directions
Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc).

R1: 11 dc in 4th ch from hook. Join will sl st to top of beginning ch 4 (12 dc). Do not turn.

R2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), fpdc in same st, (dc, fpdc) in each st around. Join with sl st to top of beginning ch 3 (24 sts). Do not turn.

R3: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in same st, fpdc in next st, *2 dc in next st, fpdc around post of next fpdc, repeat from * around. Join with sl st to top of beg ch 3 (36 sts). Do not turn.

R4: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in same st, dc in next st, fpdc around post of next fpdc. *2 dc in next st, dc in next st, fpdc around post of next fpdc, repeat from * around. Join with sl st to top of beg ch 3 (48 sts). Do not turn.

R5: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), 2 dc in next st, dc in next st, fpdc around post of next fpdc. *dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, dc in next st, fpdc around post of next fpdc, repeat from * around. Join with sl st to top of beg ch 3 (60 sts). Do not turn.

R6: Ch 3 (counts as first dc). Working in front loops only, dc in each st around. Join with sl st to top of beg ch 3 (60 sts). Do not turn.

R7: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in next 3 sts, fpdc in next st. *dc in next 4 sts, fpdc in next st [fpdc will be aligned over fpdc of base], repeat from * around. Join with sl st to top of beg ch 3 (60 sts). Do not turn.

R8-9: Repeat R7.

R10: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), st-dec over next 2 sts, dc in next st, fpdc in next st. *dc in next st, st-dec over next 2 sts, dc in next st, fpdc in next st, repeat from * around. Join with sl st to top of beg ch 3 (48 sts). Do not turn.

R11: Ch 3, *st-dec over next 2 sts, dc in next 3 sts. Repeat from * around. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

Lid:
Repeat rnds 1-7.

R8: Sc in each st around (60 sc). Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

I finally got around to "stiffening" a few of my projects. I tried this awhile ago using spray starch, which just doesn't work at that well. My local craft store had one product - Paverpol - that is billed as:

The textile hardener and craft product par excellence - but also so much more than fabric-hardeners. Dip natural materials, such as textiles, in Paverpol. Drape or wrap the material around a wire figure, sculpting it to your desired shape and leave it to dry. Paverpol dries fast.

The package doesn't have instructions. The website doesn't provide additional information beyond that description above. So I dipped my bowl and vase in, draped them over a can and glass respectively, and waited.

Color, smell, and texture-wise, it's EXACTLY like Elmer's glue. In fact, I'm pretty sure it is Elmer's glue with a different name. And a $26.00 price tag. Both of my projects were white and very gloppy. 8 hours later, I scraped them off the can and glass. They were still white, damp, and sticky.

These photos were taken at the end of a full 24 hour period. I actually rinsed out the bowl to get most of the goop off. Not exactly a success.

IMG_2272.JPG
Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.

Digital photography is so pivotal to my crafting experience (documenting, cataloging, organizing) that I often forget that my earliest crafting predates owning a digital camera. It's hard for me to pinpoint when exactly I started, but I think it was roughly Fall 2000, potentially 2001. It was definitely Fall, and I bought my first ball of yarn at Skein Lane in Berkeley (now defunct).

I keep very few things I make. At this point, my boyfriend has more hats than I do. I have 3 scarfs, 3 or 4 pieces from the Crochet to Go Deck I can't bear to part with, and a handful of odds and ends. Everything else (probably 25 projects a year) is immediately gifted or goes into the gift bin.

I ran across a photo album with actual film photographs of my first projects the other day. They're terrible - out of focus, dark, badly framed. I'm going to try to reshoot them, where possible, and remake the projects if needed. Here's the first - a star coaster, my first ever project crocheted in the round.

This project was almost a failure - but I absolutely love it.

I have one New Year's Resolution - I absolutely cannot buy new yarn for every project. Every other project at best, and ideally less than that. My stash has reached unmanageable proportions. This project was one of my "treats" - I ordered the 4 skeins of the recommended yarn (the pattern, "Seduction", is available on ravelry.com).

It unfortunately was not nearly enough to complete the scarf - only 9 inches per skein. At $10/skein, well - you can do the math. Really hard to justify. It's also a fairly stiff yarn to use for a scarf. Which led to the gater! Stiffness is a wonderful quality in a gater. I used nearly 2 skeins to finish it. I incorporated one button hole at the top (for cold ski days), and am using a clip-on earring to secure it in the center. Adding a button in the center would work well too, but I liked the look of the earring.

This bracelet is the easiest project I've stumbled across in awhile. You can get through 2 or 3 bracelets over the course of a single movie. I'm fond of this hemp version, and the cotton crochet thread bracelet I started last night is looking pretty good. I plan to move on to necklaces next. The pattern is available here.

The best way to describe this project is as a successful failure. It was supposed to be a hat (you can find the pattern on Ravelry, Vintage Bonnet by Sidsel Sangild) and I somehow managed to get it horribly wrong. A combination of too small hook and thin yarn, is my guess. It's not a bad vase, though. I have it around a ceramic cup for now, and plan to starch it to stand alone as a bowl.

This is the first pattern I've made from a ravelry find. It's from the Mingling Yarn blog (pattern here). The pattern is simple and works up quickly. I like the finished result as a concept, but it looks really bad on me. I think I'd like a softer, more cowl-like structure, without the point this makes.

Thinking of flowers, this is one of the better collections of flower patterns I've seen in awhile. 4 different patterns here, courtesy of Crochet Me.

This was a quick, use-up-some-leftover-yarn project. The pattern is from the 2007 edition of the Crochet Pattern a Day calendar. It's not exactly my taste, but it's a surefire grandmother or mom gift. Even an easy hostess gift. Total production time averaged about 30 minutes.

This pattern (the pink one is the original) was designed to be identical on either side, which translates to 2 sets of petals and a ring of leaves in between. The realist in me found this odd - flowers don't work that way. I streamlined the pattern (yellow) to have a single side and more leaf coverage on the back.

It would be simple to make your own custom pattern from any flower pattern you've already tested - just add a long chain and tassel at the end. If you're looking for inspiration, here's an extensive list of flower patterns.

The hippo was difficult. I made 3 different versions before finally settling on this one. The secret is to make it thinner - the rounder the shape, the less definition the design has. This slimmed-down version inspired the final grid.