I finished my Short 'N Sweet last night, weaved in all the ends, and steam-blocked it. I took some pictures but haven't had time to upload them yet. It looked really bulky when I tried it on unblocked, but has better drape after blocking. I can't decide if I should use Patons Grace or Elann.com's Sonata for my second Short 'N Sweet. Any suggestions for a really good yet affordable 100% mercerized cotton?
The pattern calls for Karabella Zodiac, but I haven't been able to find any in my LYS, so I subbed Patons Classic Merino wool (yes, yes my go-to yarn) in Aran. Not the best sub since it should be done in 100% mercerized cotton, but I don't want to go too overboard on my first major project.
For a while, I was stuck on joining the body since the instructions in the pattern weren't very clear. However, for you people out there who might encounter the same problem, I went to the official Stitch 'N Bitch web forum and also to the particular designer's website La Vonne's Knot Just Knits. She has some diagrams on how to do the right and left front shaping, plus reading the crochet charts can be more helpful than reading words. :-P
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
crochetgurl also knits!
I learned knitting at probably the same time that I learned crocheting. Although I can remember the three people who first introduced me to crocheting (and one was a man!), I truly can't recall who taught me how to knit. Is that crazy or what? After a while, I stopped knitting because I had no patience and craved projects that gave me instant gratification. But now that I am a little older and a little wiser, I really do want to get back into knitting and learning how to do things other than knit or purl. Especially after drooling over all those gorgeous knitted cardigans and sweaters out there. Sigh. So many beautiful projects, so little time...
Last week, I went to a LYS here called The Needleworks. It's right across the street from Mission Valley mall, but it's kinda tucked into a corner which is why I never noticed it before. Anyway, one of the ladies in there was really friendly and helped me pick out a new pair of knitting needles (Susan Bates in Quiksilver) and two balls of Plymouth Baby Alpaca so I could start working on a scarf pattern I saw in the store. The needles were actually really nice. I think one of the things that might have put me off from knitting was the fact that I was using 13 inch heavy, aluminum needles in making small scarves. They would hurt my wrists after only an hour of knitting. But I knitted for 6-7 hours straight last Saturday and suffered no pain at all. Yay. This might become my favorite LYS. But we'll see...tomorrow is my birthday and my bf is taking me to downtown La Jolla to check out Knitting in La Jolla. I am so excited and can't wait!
On President's Day, I had the day off and mistakenly went down there without calling first. Turns out they weren't open on Mondays! So sad! There I was peering through the glass window at all the beautiful yarns on the other side. Well, I resigned myself to the fact that I should have checked beforehand and headed off to another LYS in La Jolla. This one is called Helga's Yarn Boutique which was only a few streets over. Imagine my disappointment when I arrived at their door and realized that they had gone out of business!!! I was beginning to wonder if the yarn gods had a thing against me. And so I went home and decided to spend the rest of my day working on my scarf.
What I have so far...
And a picture of my first alpaca yarn! I had never touched alpaca before, but now I love it!
Last week, I went to a LYS here called The Needleworks. It's right across the street from Mission Valley mall, but it's kinda tucked into a corner which is why I never noticed it before. Anyway, one of the ladies in there was really friendly and helped me pick out a new pair of knitting needles (Susan Bates in Quiksilver) and two balls of Plymouth Baby Alpaca so I could start working on a scarf pattern I saw in the store. The needles were actually really nice. I think one of the things that might have put me off from knitting was the fact that I was using 13 inch heavy, aluminum needles in making small scarves. They would hurt my wrists after only an hour of knitting. But I knitted for 6-7 hours straight last Saturday and suffered no pain at all. Yay. This might become my favorite LYS. But we'll see...tomorrow is my birthday and my bf is taking me to downtown La Jolla to check out Knitting in La Jolla. I am so excited and can't wait!
On President's Day, I had the day off and mistakenly went down there without calling first. Turns out they weren't open on Mondays! So sad! There I was peering through the glass window at all the beautiful yarns on the other side. Well, I resigned myself to the fact that I should have checked beforehand and headed off to another LYS in La Jolla. This one is called Helga's Yarn Boutique which was only a few streets over. Imagine my disappointment when I arrived at their door and realized that they had gone out of business!!! I was beginning to wonder if the yarn gods had a thing against me. And so I went home and decided to spend the rest of my day working on my scarf.
What I have so far...
And a picture of my first alpaca yarn! I had never touched alpaca before, but now I love it!
Hello
Hello, and welcome to my little corner of the web.
Recently, I've redisovered the joys of crocheting. Keep in mind I haven't crocheted much since I was 8. Oh sure, I've made a couple hats and scarves every now and then, but somehow crocheting gradually took a backburner to middle school, high school, SAT's, AP classes, and eventually college. But now that I'm out and working with plenty of free time to spare after I go home, I'm jumping right back in!
Last month, my best friend, Maryann, gave me Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker as a Christmas gift. I love love love this book! Unlike the books I remember 15 years ago, this one isn't loaded with doilies, granny squares, ponchos, afghans, shawls, baby clothes, etc. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But I really want to learn how to make actual clothes that I can wear! So excited!
Recently, I've redisovered the joys of crocheting. Keep in mind I haven't crocheted much since I was 8. Oh sure, I've made a couple hats and scarves every now and then, but somehow crocheting gradually took a backburner to middle school, high school, SAT's, AP classes, and eventually college. But now that I'm out and working with plenty of free time to spare after I go home, I'm jumping right back in!
Last month, my best friend, Maryann, gave me Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker as a Christmas gift. I love love love this book! Unlike the books I remember 15 years ago, this one isn't loaded with doilies, granny squares, ponchos, afghans, shawls, baby clothes, etc. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But I really want to learn how to make actual clothes that I can wear! So excited!
My first project was the One Skein scarf. Here's a picture...
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