So, I got these three skeins of Lion Brand Cotton (about 220 yards each) as a CLBFX package from Joanne. Since it was in natural colour, any dishcloths I work up will not be too dashing, obviously. So I hit upon the brilliant idea of making myself that top I’ve been promising myself for ages now.
I also happened to win a bunch of crochet magazines and pattern books in a Crochet Partners recycling contest, and one of them was the June 1989 issue of Magic Crochet, that had a nice top pattern.
This was my first time working with a pattern from Magic Crochet and I’m impressed at the amount of instructions they fit into 2 pages. This included a full view photo of the finished object, introductory written instructions, a schematic for the entire garment, a symbol chart for the pattern and a symbol legend as well. Wow.
In addition, the pattern was fairly easy to grasp and do and worked up quite quickly. So I went as far as this:
That’s quite far, wouldn’t you say? The cotton is soft and the pattern easy. B U T. The yarn doesn’t have a sheen (naturally) and I have a feeling it will be too heavy. I always feel crocheted wearables will be too heavy. So I am going to frog this. Perhaps I have miles of vanilla-coloured dishclothes ahead of me. Whatever.
Here’s a close up of the pattern. Very nice.
So I went to cheer myself up at my usual haunt (the thread wholesaler) and came home with six balls of this for Rs 330:
Nice, no? This is “knitting cotton” by Madura Coats, a nice mercerised cotton thread which is about size 10 or bedspread weight, I think. I hope it will be enough for a top for me. I am trying to make up my own pattern and am starting from the sleeve. This is how far I have come:
As you can see, I am borrowing the crossed dc pattern from the Magic Crochet design. But perhaps not the bobbles. They might look like pilling. Let’s see how far I get with this one.
I don’t usually show “in-progress” pictures of my work. There’s always a first time, right?
ETA: Deneen pointed me in the direction of Bron’s blog, where Bron has courageously 😉 come out and said it out loud: crochet wearables are usually can be heavy and bulky! As Cordelia and I were describing it a few weeks ago, it is like chain mail!
swakrta.com 
4 comments
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July 27, 2006 at 5:18 pm
Deneen
Bron just did a blog post on the heaviness of crocheted items. I have learned that whenever I make a wearable out of any worsted weight, even light worsted weight, it ends up weighing about a pound, which is heavy for a top. I have made my 6 year old tops from WW cotton and even they are too heavy (IMHO). I think it has to be crocheted with a light sportsweight or even fingering weight to not weigh a ton.
Hopefully, the knit tops would be a little lighter.
July 28, 2006 at 5:37 pm
Debbie
If you’re looking for knit patterns, I’ve knit this sweater in 100% cotton:
http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=74&d_id=27&lang=us
It was easy to knit, has some interesting texture and patterning, and wasn’t too heavy and hot for the summer.
Although I enjoy crocheting, I do think there’s something about knitting that makes the finished fabric hang less stiffly, so I’ve pretty much settled with knitting for clothing.
August 3, 2006 at 8:02 pm
desiknitter
hey, i was in the wonderland shopping building in pune this afternoon, looking at cheap jewellery when i hear a voice say, “yeh knitting cotton hai.” twirled around to see a small sign: “Wendy wool and fancy yarns”! It was CRAMMED with everything you could imagine from lace to buttons to plastic flowers to whatnot, but they had this madura coats cotton too! I thought of you when I saw the store (and the counter!) and heard about the cotton, and I’m glad you’ve found some!
August 17, 2006 at 7:02 pm
Pam from CT
Pretty knitting. Have you thought about knitting with linen or linen blend? Should be nice for India. Euroflax is one brand that comes to mind.
There are some crazy new fibers here in the US: bamboo, something called Seasilk which is made with part seaweed, and even one made from corn that I haven’t seen yet. The seasilk is beautiful.
You would die with the heavy wool I am knitting although in the summer I just knit socks.
http://www.roddyknit.blogspot.com