Modified Haru

I know it seems a funny time to be crocheting with the temperatures being what they are, but I wanted to finish this little jacket. It's basically Doris Chan's Haru, but modified to be a shorter cropped bolero instead of a long cardie. It's good for balancing out the air conditioning at work.

I do like the long version, but basically I ran out of yarn. I bought this yarn last year in Berry when I was visiting missions over the Christmas break. I had crocheted a top but it turned out to be very unflattering, unfortunately something I couldn't predict until I saw where the stripe in the yarn ended up.

It's a pain, really, because you spend a long time on making something and when it doesn't work you feel like it's been a waste. But I love the colours in this yarn, and there was nothing wrong with the yarn itself, so I decided to repurpose it. Unfortunately, either the type of yarn or my stitches meant it was really hard to unravel. So I pulled as much of it apart as I could, but ultimately I didn't have enough to make the longer Haru.

The pattern was pleasing, as with most of Chan's patterns. The shell pattern is a lot more forgiving than a straight single crochet. The stripe is still a little weird - well, the really bright red one, it's the only one that's really obvious. But I actually don't mind the offset nature of it. I think when it gets a bit cooler I might make another Haru in the longer style.

Sorry about the lighting in the pics too...I meant to do it while there was still daylight but was so mashed after work I had to have a lie down instead.

Pattern: Haru by Doris Chan
Yarn: Riot DK by King Cole (colour 406)

Adventures in crochet: Eve's rib tunic

It worked!

I tried again after my misadventure with Galena. I sized up and followed the pattern correctly and I was amazed at how much easier it was to whiz through this pattern the second time around. Now I think I've got the hang of the way the patterns are written in this book (Everyday Crochet) I reckon the other patterns will be a breeze.

The Eve's Rib Tunic is based on Galena (which was the first top I attempted), only she is longer, has a bit of hip shaping and ribbed arm cuffs. There is also an optional cowl collar, which looks lovely on the model, but Chan says in the pattern notes, "if your figure can carry the added volume, make the optional collar", and I decided I didn't need any extra froofery in that area, so I left it off.

It is so comfortable. It fits really well after blocking, and is the perfect weight/warmth for spring. And I love it over jeans. Hurrah!

PS - the colour in the pics isn't accurate, obviously. It's not as dark as the top pic, not as light as the bottom pic. I couldn't be bothered editing the pics :)

Pattern: Eve's Rib Tunic by Doris Chan, from Everyday Crochet
Yarn: Morris Woollahra 10 ply (85% Australian wool, 10% silk, 5% cashmere) in Persian Purple

misadventures in crochet

I was going to write a blog post about the crocheted top I excitedly finished this week but I got so disheartened by the photos I tried to take of myself in it. I find it really hard to take good photos of myself with an SLR because it's so static - you have to set the camera, then press the timer, then go and pose, rather than just taking a bunch of photos of someone moving around. But then I don't like posing for full length photos anyway; I never know what to do with my arms (reminds me of the great Ani diFranco lyric from Evolve, "I don't take good pictures cos I have the kind of beauty that moves"). I should find a pose that works, like Lili of Frocks and Frou Frou, and just stand like that every time.

I was so disappointed when I looked at the full length photos. The stitches are lovely, the fabric is pretty, the colour is fresh...but on me the top just makes me look like a sack of oranges. 

It's a Doris Chan pattern called Galena. I really enjoyed making it, but Chan's patterns take a little getting used to and are quite wordy because she is trying to give you all sorts of options for sizing. I read through the pattern carefully, marking bits I needed to take particular note of. And I made a couple of adjustments to suit myself here and there (eg in the sleeves and length).

But I missed one vital thing. Instead of turning at the end of each row I just kept going in rounds. And I didn't realise it until I got to the very end. Facepalm.

So the top is much snugger than it ought to be. Even though I tried it on as I went, I knew it was close fitting, but thought it would stretch a little more with blocking. I think it would work on my body shape with a bit more ease. So really the problem is I have made a perfectly acceptable garment, but it's just in too small a size. Grr.

I don't know how to write about it in a decorous way so I'll just say it - I felt like it made my bust look like I had two giant water balloons stuffed down my top. And I know that everyone is aware of my bust because it's just out there, and of course I'm aware of it too, but I don't look at myself all the time to have to SEE it.

It's kind of frustrating when you crochet something that seems to be fitting then finish it, block it, and put it on, and it just doesn't work. Mum thought it looked nice, and perhaps it might have just been the photos I took were especially unflattering with the light coming from above. It might have been less of a problem if I had used a reflector. But now if I wear the top I'll be feeling self conscious, which means I probably won't wear it.

So the solution will be to find someone who it fits and who likes it and give it to them. And not to get discouraged, but to try again and pay more attention to the pattern! I wonder if I will ever crochet anything that ends up looking like it's supposed to?

Double sigh.

Blankie

When going through my stash, I found a bag of hexagons I'd hooked up last year and not known quite what to do with. I had planned to make a blanket but ran out of puff. I had gotten as far as sewing a bunch together, but realised that I would need to make a gazillion more before it was adult blanket sized and I had gotten a bit sick of hexagons.

Then I realised I had just enough to make a sweet little pram blanket for some friends at church who are about to have their first baby. I sewed the last few hexagons on, did an edging in three rows of double crochet (which give it a slightly wavy effect) and voila!

Now, just waiting for the news that the bub's been born and I can give it to them!

Pattern: made it up, but used this post from Attic24 as a starting point.
Yarn: Lincraft Cosy Wool Yarn

Rachel's in-between cardigan

I've decided this is an in-between cardie because it will be useful in autumn when it's not quite cold but a little chilly. I worked on this cardie in full view of its recipient and all the while she thought I was making it for myself...bwa ha ha...I was happy on Christmas day when mum unwrapped her present and was surprised!

Though it wasn't entirely without angst...I thought I had been very careful with counting rows and whatnot but when it came time to sew the cardigan up I realised one side of the front was longer than the other. Whoops! I didn't have time to do anything about it, and really, I probably wouldn't have anyway. I lined up the lace pattern at the bust, and then the excess fabric at the top I turned over into an asymmetrical collar and sewed buttons onto it.

Mum did have a bit of trouble lining up the buttons, but when I gave her a tutorial (line up the edge between the solid bit and the lace bit) it was all good!

Also I did take photos of her on Christmas day modelling it, but then accidentally deleted them so here I am, showing off. :)

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 8 Ply in sweet pea
Pattern: based on the imaginatively named Crochet Cardigan by Patons with accidental adjustments by me

Magnolia blanket

This isn't a newly finished project, but I realised I never put pics up of the end result and it's all been papercraft here for the last few posts so it's high time we had some yarn craft. Here's my magnolia afghan! It's been keeping me warm since April, and even when the weather is warmer it looks nice draped over the end of my bed.

It's a very easy pattern for a very satisfying result. You basically crochet the large shapes, then the smaller triangles and sew them all together into one long panel. Then you crochet along one side and keep going until it's as long as you want (or, in my case, until you get sick of doing nothing but long, long rows).

In the pattern, the top panel was supposed to be vertical rows, but I preferred the horizontal stripe, so I just did the same as on the bottom panel and crocheted along until it was as I wanted. Then I went all around the edge in double crochet stitches to bind it.

I love the yarn I used too, as it self-stripes and makes the blanket look a whole lot more complex than it actually is! Also, being Lincraft yarn it often goes on sale, so I would just wait until there was a sale and buy up a bunch. Seeing as it has a mixed colour it didn't matter too much if the yarn wasn't from the same dye lot (there wasn't a lot of variation as far as I could tell).

I probably would have finished the whole thing quite quickly if I hadn't started it in spring...but crocheting a giant blanket in summer was not the most enjoyable thing to do so I waited until the autumn months to finish it off. It gives me great pleasure to see it on my bed! There is really nothing quite as satisfying as making something beautiful that is also practical.

Yarn: Lincraft Surprise - dark multi mix
Pattern: Magnolia Afghan by Lion Brand Yarns

All shawls

These shawls are super easy and lovely to crochet. The beauty of this pattern is it can be made with just about any yarn/hook, and Doris Chan provides examples of the different outcomes in her pattern.

I made one for myself in red and purple, and realised that by crocheting around the edge I had effectively bound the piece, so it doesn't stretch that much (I'm sure all experienced yarn workers are going "duh" right now, but it honestly didn't occur to me). It has come in handy when I've gone to the movies, or been caught under the icy air conditioning at work, or even just snuggling up on the couch at home. It's surprisingly warm!

The blue one I made for my colleague, Lynette, who has just gone on maternity leave. I thought it might be good to drape around her shoulders as the seasons change from cold to hot and back again in the space of 24 hours, especially when she'll be up at ungodly hours of the night feeding. I finished it a few weeks ago but only just got around to blocking it today.

Didn't ever think I'd get into making shawls, but after this one I'm...(no she's not going to say it, is she?) hooked (Yes I went there. I am a consummate dad joker).



Yarn:

red shawl - Bendigo Woollen Mills Rustic - Radiant, Lincraft Cosy Wool - purple

blue shawl - Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 10 ply - junior navy and blue denim

Pattern: All Shawl by Doris Chan

Megan sweater

You'd be forgiven for thinking I'd stopped making anything, the way this blog has been gathering dust. But I've been happily crocheting through the cooler months, finished my magnolia blanket, which I will post later and finished my very first garment!



It's the Megan sweater by Robyn Chachula, from the book Blueprint Crochet. I decided to use this one because I wanted to learn how to read crochet diagrams, and it's my kind of sweater, really. And as it doesn't really get that cold in Sydney, it's a perfect weight for this climate.

I had no trouble with the pattern itself; even though it looks complicated, it's actually pretty easy. You just make up a lot of motifs, then stitch them together. Not much more complicated than making a blanket.



Except. The sizing was a bit weird. I'm not sure what I did, but it ended up huge. I had measured myself and concluded I was an XL from the pattern's measurements, I did a gauge swatch...but still somehow it ended up making me look a bit like the marshmallow man. It came down to my knees and ballooned around the armpits.



I quietly despaired for a while, then thought "hey! I could just pull some motifs out and make it fit!" So I pulled some out and then despaired a little more loudly, because I thought I'd completely ruined it. It sat, in a jumble, on the couch for a week, a huge gaping hole where I had cut out a section. But I didn't want it to mock me forever. I was determined to solve this problem.



So, during another episode of the West Wing (it has been my primary viewing while making this piece) I pulled and eased and forced the garment to do what I wanted it to...and it worked! I am so happy...I was scared it would be a massive waste of time and money. I added some buttons, changed the shaping of the sleeves, and dispensed with the ribbed cuffs (I hate ribbed cuffs) from the original pattern. It's much more me this way.

So pleased that now I have something bright and colourful and snuggly and unique to wear.



[box] Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Rustic - Radiant

Pattern: Megan sweater by Robyn Chachula[/box]

currently crocheting: wavy scarf

Mum gave me some delicious Noro Silk Garden sock yarn for Christmas. I started to try and crochet a pair of socks, but a) they were turning out weirdly and b) I remembered I don't really like mega chunky socks. So I pulled that apart and found this free wavy scarf pattern on Ravelry.

I love scarves. But even though crocheting a plain scarf is easy, it's a bit boring. This one has a pattern I can easily remember without having to refer to, but is interesting enough to keep me occupied and to show off the lovely colours of the yarn. It's lovely stuff to work with!

I'll put up a finished pic when it's, er, finished.

Bunnies

Not sure what it is about the bunny as stuffed toy that is so pleasing to me. Bunnies are just cute, there's no way around it.

Actual bunnies with red eyes and fierce teeth and whatnot are a little less cute. We used to have a white dwarf rabbit called Bonhomme (short for Bonhomme de Neige) that we acquired through less than legitimate means (my brother's class was on a school excursion to a farm and one of the kids stole the rabbit. On the bus ride home, he realised his parents would kill him, so he palmed it off onto my brother, who was fairly confident that although she would be livid, my mum wouldn't actually commit manslaughter). Bonhomme looked cute, a little white ball of fluff. But boy, could he kick and bite. Vicious little dude. He eventually escaped and the last I saw of him was as he hopped down the street and disappeared into a drainpipe. He has probably gone on to become king of the rabbit underworld.

But bunnies made of soft things - super cute and less likely to bite.

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I made this one based on a pattern from Craftzine. I didn't have the right sized hook or yarn or plastic eyes so just muddled along with a larger hook, yarn and buttons. As I was working, mum looked over and commented, "that is a very big head." Yep, it eventually turned out this massive-headed, chibi-esque little dude. He would have trouble getting around with a head that big. But he is just floppy and adorable. I think I'll call him Steve.

[box] Yarn: Needles DK acrylic in Camel (bought from Hot Dollar)

Pattern: Spring bunny from Craftzine[/box]

Fast and easy cowl

It was the name that got me in. Fast and easy? Sign me up!

I think the impetus for crocheting this was going to a winter camp in Katoomba. I always seem to be wrestling with scarves and thought a cowl would be less hassle. Perhaps it would have been more effective if it had been a really cold winter and I needed the cowl on all the time...as it was, I think it spent most of its time in my bag.

But I loved the colour combination, and it was such a pleasure to work on. I love the kind of crochet I can do without having to refer to patterns, so row after row of the same thing is good for when I'm listening to sermons or having conversations. I find it actually helps me stay focused on what's being said, more than if I am just sitting there.

[box type="shadow"]Yarn: Heirloom easy care 8 ply, Morris Estate 8 ply

Pattern: this Lion Brand Yarn pattern, though I changed yarns to make the stripes instead of using a self-striping yarn[/box]

Hugo the elephant

Hugo is an elephant I crocheted for some friends at church who had a baby boy. Because he was made for a baby, I didn't use plastic eyes, but just roughly sewed on some black cotton instead. I need to get better at embroidering on features...I generally like the look of them on toys better than plastic features.

I love his little curved ears! They were very squishy and he is overall very huggable.

[box type="shadow"]Yarn: Morris Pure yarn, in Smoke.

Pattern: The pattern is free from Lion Brand Yarn - I love their pattern database![/box]

Lachlan's gloves

When I first started crocheting again, it was winter. Fingerless gloves seemed like the thing to do - easy and functional. Lachy was one of my first test subjects, and I made him these green gloves. I had forgotten to note down the yarn I used, and I think the pattern was cobbled together out of a few I liked on Ravelry. I have gotten a bit better at documenting these things as I've gone on.

Bunny

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A love of amigurumi - well, the idea of amigurumi - was one thing that spurred me on to learn crochet. This is Rupert, the first bunny I made, out of cheap acrylic yarn. He's kind of wonky and for some reason reminds me more of a lamb than a bunny, but he's cool anyway. And he has a vest.

Random granny

[tabs slidertype="images"] [imagetab width="500" height="335"]http://creative.rebeccajee.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/DSC05051.jpg[/imagetab] [imagetab width="500" height="335"]http://creative.rebeccajee.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/DSC05050.jpg[/imagetab] [/tabs]

This is my very first crocheted rug. Having made quilts in the past, and starting off my crocheting fetish with granny squares, I decided to use the same principles to make this rug. It's a good one for snuggling up in front of the TV with. It's made from Lincraft Celtic yarn (alpaca, acrylic, wool).

Curiously, though, after I washed it my cat, Mattie, won't sleep on it. Actually refuses to even touch it. If it's on the bed and she wants to sit on the bed, she will find the only spare two centimetres uncovered by rug and will perch there. She's very stubborn.