Category / crocheting

by princesshotflash

How could I forget to . . .

The beginning

Post about Scheepjes CAL (crochet-along) 2020: d’Historie Naturelle. This pattern was designed by Scheepjes Blogger Christina Hadderigh from A Spoonful of Yarn. I’ve been working on it since October. This is was my first CAL and a pretty dificult one to boot. It comes as a kit and seeing all the posting about it on FB and Insta, that persuaded me to purchase it. I got the color way Herbarium and pink, orange, and green color way.

If you read the information about the CAL, it takes about 11 weeks. And yes, it’s 5 months since I started and I’m only half way done. I kind lost steam mid-January. I’m hoping this post will shame me into finally finishing it. Here are picture of what I’ve done. Remember there were a lot of ripping out as I would find mistakes.

  • Mistake: I switched the greens.
  • one of the bees

Sometimes you just have to let the mistake be a happy one.

-princesshotflash
  • keeping up with the ends
  • first part of the butterfly
  • French knots
  • leaves, bees, and butterflies

With this CAL, there were YouTube video for each section. Without those I probably would have a pile of yarn, trying to figure out what to do. A Scheepjes Blogger Esther Dijkstra from It’s all in a Nutshell did the videos. She had a calming voice and pointing out area where to watch out for as it was difficult section.

  • Ends
  • magic loop
  • done with the squares and medallions
  • attaching together
The difficult section
one of four corners

This is where I’m at, all four corner ready to be attached to the blanket. I know this this will need all my attention and time. That’s my excuse I’ve been using to get to the next step. I need to get to next step because the elephants are there. Hopefully, I’ll be done by my birthday so I can buy another kit. I’ve gained a lot of confidence and knowledge from this project. I’m still in AWE of Christina Hadderingh design skills. I can even figure out how she visualized in her head. I’ll hope she know she made many people happy and proud their work.

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by princesshotflash

I’ve been away so long

I didn’t realize that it was April 25 when I last wrote. Well, I started a draft and kept adding and editing it. Today I decided to dump it and start all over. Like in knitting, I frogged it. haha.

I decided this would be a crocheting, knitting, and quilting update. Here’s what I’ve been up to.

Project 1

A secret gift.

The beginning

I found this pattern, Windowpane scarf by Adrienne Lash. I liked how the pattern looked on people in the finished projects section of the pattern on Ravelry. It has a great structure to it and very easy pattern to follow that you can pick and put it down and still know where you left off.

I’m trying to let go my love of wool and thought buying a bunch of cotton/linen blends would do the trick. I bought this variegated Bella Lino from Classic Elite. It’s a linen/viscose/cotton blend of blue/green/stone. It’s discontinued and I got it on sale at WEBS.

Almost done, less than a quarter skein left.
Trying to weave in my ends. Guess who thought it would be nice place to nap.

Project 2

I got me 6 skiens Zooey from Juniper Moon Farms in 2 colorways: taro and artic blue–3 each. I wasn’t totally sure what I was going to do it them.

My first thought was market bags but how many market bags can I knit or crochet before I get bored? I did find a few that had an interesting bottom or interesting netting pattern for the main area. Here are two links to market bags that I’d like to try:

https://www.twoofwands.com/blog/french-market-bag
I like this because of the handle on it. More elegant than the pattern I previously used.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hiroba
Found this on Ravelry. It has an interesting closed pattern on the body of the bag.

Several people from my knitting group were knitting an interesting scarf pattern that they said wasn’t too hard. I resisted for a while. I don’t like making scarves. so repetitive. But I got sucked into it and I gave it a try. Kureopatora’s Snake Scarf and this is how far as I got. Love this colorway.

Looking sad from neglect

Project 3

My knitting group decided to do a toe-up, two at time, Judy’s magic cast-on as knit-a-long. I had just got a great Saver’s run with tons of wool. Yes, wool. The fiber I’m trying not to buy. haha. I’m hopeless

Saver’s stash! Nice!

I decided to use the gray and pink super wash from my Saver’s run to make a pair hiking socks for my trip at the end of September. I found a simple sock pattern I wouldn’t give up in the middle of the sock, Trusty toe up sock by Tanis Lavellee.

The beginning

After three attempt and one adjustment–picked a too big size, cast on the wrong number of stitches twice, and too out increases to get the right ease (tightness) on my socks.

Added a lifeline to rip out some rows for my ease adjustment
Left the lifeline in after I adjustment was made to remember what I did.

Project 4

My Hawaiian quilt project with instruction from quilting master Kay from my knitting group. It’s sadly sitting in my quilting back waiting to be picked up again. Weather has turned hot and I haven’t been to the monthly quilting bee (no ac). I have a couple of other projects in my queue that have higher priority so I’ll wait till the weather turns a little cooler or finish the higher queued projects to pick these up again.

Pineapples positive pattern, all stitch down
Pineapple negative pattern: about half stitched down

I did find a partially finish Hawaiian quilt project I started many moons ago I guess that get put in the queue after the pineapples. I can’t even remember when I started it.

found project: anthurium quilting stage

Not too bad but not as good as the ones done under the supervision from Quilt Master Kay.

I have more to post about the going-ons of my life. I need to stop talking so much. haha.