One of my goals this vacation was to learn how to knit socks. For this I bought the book “2-at-a-time socks” by Melissa Morgan-Oakes. I started with the sample socks, in two colors just to learn the technique. I made one small error in the cuffs and shortened the legs, but all in all it’s going well. I hope to finish them this weekend and start working on some useable socks.
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I finally did some stitching again on my Vierlande sampler and I finished my fifth big motif. I really like the look of this sampler.
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I’m working some more on my Boneyard Shawl, and nearly finished my first ball of yarn. Outside the weather is awful, heavy rain, fast winds and thunder and lightning. I am happy I am safe inside with my knitting and my tv shows.
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I have just started knitting my first ever real knitting project, a Boneyard Shawl (pattern on Ravelry). Going really well so far. :-)
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As everybody knows, Apple came out with the iPad recently. Well, they came out with it in a lot of countries, but not in The Netherlands yet… I am waiting (not so) patiently for it, because I really need (want) one.
Luckily, a new device means a search for new covers/sleeves/cases etc. I love looking for accessories, so I have started my search bright and early. I have (sort of) settled on using a leather folio case (the Griffin Elan Passport), probably with a hard case for the back and screen protection on the front. I picked up the Elan Passport already because I foresee a shortage of cases when the iPad finally is released here.
Of course, this also opens up all new craft possibilities. When I was in Berlin for work recently I visited the wonderful Idee craft shop (next to the KaDeWe, its huge!) and picked up some Aran weight coton in three colors. I found the Munro bag pattern on Ravelry. I had originally intended to make a Munro style handbag, but I “needed” a sleeve more. So, I decided to make a sleeve for the iPad in its case (for padding and extra protection).
I used the Munro pattern with 5 curves (this means 61 starting stitches). I did every color for two rows, repeating the orange every other row, one long piece of fabric. I used a 4.5 hook for the main part. The yarn was Rico Design Creative Cotton, in the colors 07 (dark red), 78 (orange) and 71 (light orange/pink). For the edge I used the orange thread and a 3.5 hook, single crochets. I used two balls of orange, and one of the red and light orange. The button holes are made by leaving out the two 2DC on one row.
With the thread I had left over I decided to make a matching iPod Nano 5G cozy. This one also fits the device in its case, in this case a crystal plastic wrap case. I scaled the pattern down to one row per color, and DC, 2DC, 2DC, DC, DC2tog, DC2tog, repeated three times.
Link to the iPad sleeve on Ravelry
Link to the iPod cozy on Ravelry
After the success of Shiba the dog, I wanted to make another Ami. I had some more time on my hands this week (Dutch national holidays and some time off), so I chose to make the famous Amineko cat. The pattern was a delight to read and make, and I love the sweet floppy cat. If (When) I make this one again I would choose a bigger needle and softer thread to make it even more floppy.
I made this with Schachenmayr Nomotta Catania (0174/Blue and 0105/White, and 0192/Dark red for the nose and 0110/Black for the eyes), with a size 3 hook.
After a long absence from making amigurumis, I started again this past weekend. I wanted to make one from my book “Mini Hondjes” (a translation from Japanese of Ami Ami Dogs). I picked the Shiba, not only because I liked the look, this ami also had full instructions (for all others, based on the Shiba, full Japanese style patterns are included). In the end, I managed, but not without some frustration. All parts, except for the head, are not worked in a spiral but circular with joins. With joins I always lose count, and so I could not manage with the nose. I worked that one in a spiral, because it was all just so confusing…. The legs were incredibly fiddly (they are just five SC around) and took some frogging to get right. I don’t know why, but the body is a bit twisted, but that just makes it look like the head is turned.
I used 6 mm safety eyes and sowed on the nose. I used Schachenmayr Nomotta Catania (0105/Off-white, 0179/Light brown and 0110/Black) and a 2.5
Ever since I saw Hoooked Zpagetti in the stores here, I had to try it. Zpagetti is thread made from textile waste, think t-shirt fabric strips. On the website a lot of free patterns for bags can be found, but it is really easy to improvise. After a new shipment of Hoooked came into my LYS, I picked two colors and got to work.
I used a size 15 crochet hook. The main body of the bag is all single crochet, with a different color (of different thickness because it is not printed) for the flap. The sides are one piece with the sling. On the sides it is all single crochet, with one row of triple, double, half double and single crochet to create some bulk. The sling was way too long. I can’t estimate how long a row of loops will turn out to be, and the fabric is pretty stretchy. So I doubled up on top and created a sort of shoulder pad.
I picked out some special wooden buttons and used a braid and some left over Zpagetti to create the closure. Inside I threaded one piece of fabric through some loops to create loops to hold my crochet needles.
I am really happy with this bag, which I will use as a project bag when we go visit the parents in the weekends. The fabric works really well, though you have to keep in mind the difference in thickness between different patterns/colors. With a big needle and some left over fabric it is easy to create loops and stitch everything together.
Ever since I started to crochet I have wanted to make stuff I could use. With regards to clothes, there are not many patterns to clothes I would wear. But bags and accessories… that should work.
The first thing I thought of were cozies for my gadgets. I wanted one for my little netbook first. I started out with a chain and just single crochets. Not only did this take forever, I couldn’t get the size right either. Early on I had decided to crochet a cozy, but use the original neoprene sleeve as a lining, so I would still have padding and a zipper. Slowly this whole idea, together with the fiasco of the single crochet cozy, evolved in just decorating the sleeve.
When I went to London for work and some serious book shopping recently, I picked up the wonderful book Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs by Edie Eckman. This book has patterns for small crochet works in all shapes and sizes. So, now I am making various
Together with my mom and the girlfriend of my brother I went to the Handwerkbeurs in Zwolle. This fair had knitting, crochet, cross stitch and quilting (mainly). We went on a Saturday, so it was pretty busy, but it was a lot of fun. Unfortunately they did not have much for crochet. I was looking for a double ended crochet hook (for Tunisian Crochet in the round) but could not find one smaller than a size 8. I did find/pick up:
The fair was a lot of fun, though a bit busy. Also, there were so many quilting stands, and quilting is really something I don’t see myself ever doing. There is another fair in October in Rotterdam, and I will be sure to go again then!
