Skull Potholder

DSCF0509
Originally uploaded by sphilange.

Here is my first project from The Happy Hooker. I reversed the colors for either side, instead of doing two. I noticed how my gauge and color switching became more even on the second side. If I make more of these, I would make it more lacy and circular. It was fun doing this project because it went so quickly. Next, I want to do the one skein scarf, and one of the bags. I think I’ll save some of the sweater projects for summer, since they are so lacy. Last summer, I remember working on a thick wool sweater for some reason, and it was way too hot for that type of thing.

Half Done Ripple

This is the first crocheted scarf that I did, with Noro Kureyon #92. It's the first part of it. This scarf went by pretty quickly, faster than knitting it, I think. 

The Happy Hooker

I finally got a copy of Stitch & Bitch Crochet, and the projects seem pretty good. Right away, there were a bunch that I want to do, and I can see ways to change them a little, so they're more like what I want. I started on the Skull Potholder, to learn how to change colors with crochet. It's easy, but the carried along color isn't as well hidden as it is with knitting. A lot of patterns call for cheaper yarns, and the weight of the yarn is also given in the instructions, which is helpful. I see a lot of patterns that I really like, but they call for really expensive yarn, and it's hard to know which cheaper yarn would make a good substitution.
The next thing I want to do is make the one skein scarf, which looks like it'd be really fast. Some of the other more involved projects, like the sweaters and shrugs, look good, but I'd have to wait to buy the yarn. I'll have to stick with small projects for a while until I can get more money. I'm almost halfway done with the Ripple Scarf, which the first crochet project that I started, from a crocheted scarf book. For a while, I had trouble with the decreases, because the book doesn't include instructions for it. But it working out now. Crochet definately seems easier, but I think knowing how to knit helps.

Crochet Ripple Pattern

I started my first crochet project, a scarf in the Noro Kureyon yarn. The first time I did it, I didn't look at the directions closely enough. The pattern starts on one line, then goes to a second, and only the second line is repeated. But I assumed both lines were repeated, for the front and the back. Other than that, though, the pattern is really easy. I think once you know how to knit, crochet is a lot easier. The pattern will probably be more clear on this scarf once the yarn is lighter in color.

Alpaca Farms

No Brakes!
Originally uploaded by Walnut Creek Alpacas.

I saw this picture of an alpaca and it made me think about alpaca yarn. The two don't seem connected, because I haven't seen the fur turned into yarn. It's interesting to see the actual animals that our products come from, since most people probably never see the animals or are connected with them. I remember seeing someone spinning or carding wool at an historical farm when I was a kid, but that's the only time I think I saw an animal's fur being processed, or even an actual sheep, for that matter. The whole process seemed antiquated, and I didn't really think about where the whole came from now, at least at the time. It would be interesting to see a yarn factory, and see how it's processed now. It's probably something I wouldn't want to see, however, and would make me want to only buy yarn from organic farms.

Crochet Beginnings

I ordered the Stitch and Bitch Crochet book, and am excited to see what the patterns are like. I only learned to crochet, so it'll be interesting to see how different the patterns are from knitted ones. Crochet seemed a little easier at least initially, because you don't have to learn to hold the needles comfortably. That was the hardest part for me when I first started knitting. I'm still working on Sesame, and have the sleeves and one front to finish. I used Brown Sheep mill ends for it, and one problem I've noticed is that every so often, the yarn is tied together in a knot. But for $1.25 an ounce, that's fine. I like the yarn a lot, because it's smooth and seems like it'll look professional after it's done. It should be done by the time warmer spring weather comes along. I bought some Noro Kureyon #92, for a crochet project. I think this is one of my favorites, because it has colors that remind me of the ocean, with dark prussian blue and sea green.

Half Finished Projects

I have a bunch of projects that I haven't finished yet, and other ones that I need to fix or just redo. Some of them are from when I first started knitting, so I was thinking about just redoing them. The projects I have to finish are a hoodie, the Letter have it bag, some fingerless gloves, and Sesame. The one I want to redo is a striped sweater that turned out too big. I think the best thing would be just to redo the whole thing in a smaller size. The entire thing is too big, and fits strangely. But most of this stuff are projects that I'm not excited about anymore, because I found patterns I like better, or I don't like the yarn choice. I have all this thick wool yarn, that really doesn't work in the climate I'm in. I might just forget about these projects until later, and work on stuff I actually like. Some of the projects I'm thinking about are the Lucky Clover Wrap from S & B Nation, the ZigZag sweater from Knitty, the Shedir hat, some of the scarves from Scarf Style, and maybe some lace scarves.

Mill Ends are Cheap

I wasn't going to get any new yarn, but I noticed that there were mill ends of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece at my LYS for $1.25 an ounce. I got enough to make the Sesame sweater, probably with some left over. I like this yarn a lot, since it's DK weight and mostly cotton. The LYS also has Lamb's Pride mill ends, which I don't like that much. I realized that I should probably only knit DK weight and lighter, since it really doesn't get cold enough to need big bulky sweaters. I like the Sesame pattern, because it's lightweight and simple. I tried to think of ways to make add in fair isle or something to change the pattern a little, but I wanted to make a more simple sweater that I can wear a lot. After this, I want to try a lace project, which should be a lot more complicated.

Fiber Arts Projects

I've been thinking of a project to do next and a few things came to mind. One was a project using felted wool and cutting shapes out for a picture, then embroidering it for the details. It seems interesting because I've never done anything like that, and it involves wool, but in a different way than knitting. I also thought of some quilts that I've seen, where it's more like a picture and the fabric is used to create a landscape, instead of geometric designs. If I had a sewing machine, I might try that. I remember when I took art classes in college, there was a fiber arts section, but I never paid much attention to it. I mainly took drawing and painting classes. I think now after learning how to knit, I wish I would have looked into taking some fiber classes. I think it's interesting to use cloth and fiber to create pictures, because it looks so different from a painting. Anyway, I am still working on the Letter Have It bag, and am thinking of redoing the front panel. I think I want to have a better pattern, and then embroider in some details after it's felted.