| Swahaste tvahastam (from my hands to yours)

Random opinions

May 2, 2007 in Crochet, Knitting | Tags: Links, Patterns | 1 comment

Someone on Crochetpartners linked to a hexagon bedspread at Elann, so I went over to look. It’s beautiful, but me and motifs and/or large patterns make a very bad combination. So I admired the pattern, and spent some time drooling over the yarn, before surfing over to look at the other free patterns at the site. I noticed most of the patterns are different from the last time I visited, which would have been quite some time ago, since I don’t recognise many of them. Here are some of my thoughts. (I am not pasting photos here because I’m uncertain of the legality of that, but with the handy Snap feature WordPress has, you should be able to hover on the links to see a teeny preview.)

First off, I’m delighted Elann doesn’t call everything which covers the torso a “sweater”. Maybe it’s an American thing? Somehow “sweater” conjures up winter and full-sleeved “woollens” (actually acrylic in India, but all yarn is wool here). So I always find it funny when patterns talk of “summer sweaters” (thank you, I sweat quite enough already without wearing sweaters in summer) and call bitsy sleeveless tops sweaters, including some made of cotton! I’ve seen every imaginable variation of a top being termed a sweater and it’s something I shall never get over, I’m afraid. (I’m funny like that.)

Ahem. Anyway, I had to scroll down quite a bit on the index page to find familiar patterns. So let’s talk about the unfamiliar ones. I know I just talked of sweating, but even that wouldn’t make me willing to wear this, I’m too prudish! I wouldn’t mind making it in a child size, though. The next one‘s nice, and this cardigan is interesting, too.

Whatever, though, I cannot like variegated yarns for wearables. And some of the patterns just appear to be the same one done in different colours (three varieties of the Pacific Waves shawl). But this cardigan is nice, this top is huh?! The shawls are lovely, but I seriously doubt I’ll ever make one (can you imagine me, The Slothful One™, making a garment that needed to be wet blocked every time it got damp?)

This pattern uses size 12mm and 10mm needles!!!

I always like looking at bags. The varieties of this wrap, not so much. I was too distracted by this model’s hair to look carefully at what she’s wearing. Oh, and Desi, this hat has a top similar to your Rangoli hat.

I shall remain heroically silent on the patterns using fancy/novelty yarns. Here ends my free unsolicited pattern review.

Block and Offset Shell stitch

May 1, 2007 in Crochet | Tags: Patterns | Leave a comment

Peggy, this is for you:

Block and Offset Shell stitch pattern (US terminology)

Multiple of 11 sts + 4 (add 2 for base chain)

Row 1 (right side) (actually I don’t see why this makes a difference, because the pattern is reversible) Skip 3ch (count as 1 dc), 1 dc into each of next 4 ch, *skip 2 ch, 5 dc into next ch, ch 2, skip 3ch, 1 dc into each of next 5 ch; rep from * to end, turn.

Row 2 Ch 3 (count as 1 dc), skip first st, 1 dc into each of next 4 sts, *skip 2 ch, 5 dc into next dc, ch 2, skip 4 dc, 1 dc into each of next 5 sts; rep from * to end, turn.

Rep Row 2 for as long as required.

Source: The Harmony Guides 300 Crochet Stitches, Volume 6

There you have it. Very easy to memorise.

I’m not lovin’ it

April 30, 2007 in Uncategorized | Tags: Me | 1 comment

The moving biz. No house to go to and no idea of when it will be available. And that is only one of the issues involved.

What’s the protocol?

April 30, 2007 in Crochet | Tags: Decor, Doilies, Patterns | 6 comments

One of my commentors asked me for the instructions for the block and offset shell pattern I used in my blue blanket. It is from the Harmony Guides. What’s the legality or otherwise of posting the stitch instructions on the net? It isn’t a pattern, but a stitch pattern.

And here for the curious, are the front and back covers of the Southmaid booklet I made my last doily from.

As you can see, the Berka shells doily is on the back cover (framed). The one at the bottom is a larger version, which I didn’t make since I wasn’t confident I had the time to finish it and get it framed.

No one has yet told me what a Berka shell is! Is Berka a name?

Blue? Turquoise?

April 26, 2007 in Crochet | Tags: FOs, FOs - Crochet, Kids, Patterns | 7 comments

Something. Another FO.

In an effort to finish things and see what can be gifted/mailed away before we move, I finished this blanket. As usual, here are the details:

Yarn: I’ve been told it is Lion Brand Woolease, by Cordelia, who gave it to me. (I think it might be the discontinued sportweight variety). I used three full skeins (with about 3 yards left over).

Hook: Clover Soft Touch F/4.00mm

Pattern: Pattern stitch for Block and Offset Shells from Harmony Guides. Mindless. Reversible but not upside-downable, because the top of the pattern scallops. Also, I didn’t do an edging. It didn’t appear to be necessary. (Plus I was too lazy to try and figure out how to unscallop the scallops for edging). So the baby gets a sorta symmetric pattern. Do you think he’ll care?

Time: I began this a month ago, but obviously it goes much faster than that. Around a week would be plenty.

Size: 41″ square (should be good for a toddler, right? And please, no one tell me it’s too hole-y)

Extra: #1 Quick and easy.

Up close and personal with the pattern stitch:

The pattern is a multiple of 11 + 4 (plus 2 for the base chain). I made a mistake in the starting chain, but recovered by adding dcs (US) a la filet crochet. ~~Now I need to pop it into the wash before packaging it.~~ It’s been washed. Also, the same friend for whom this is intended tells me her next baby will also be a boy. ~~How boring.~~ I’m thinking I shall make something else for that baby too, and mail it to aunty (her mom) to take with her when she goes to the US. Might save on postage!

Pink and blue

April 25, 2007 in Crochet | Tags: Decor, Doilies, FOs, FOs - Crochet | 9 comments

There’s another wedding coming up this week, so I made another doily and got it framed. This is it before framing (and after ~~impaling~~ blocking).

It’s been framed against an off-white background and with a dark brown frame. Maybe I will take pictures later. Some of the specs:

Thread: Red Heart 100% mercerised cotton from Madura Coats. Size 20, I should think. The balls give amazing yardage.
Hook: Nameless 1.75 mm steel, probably Pony (could be Tulip also)

Pattern: Berka Shell doily from Southmaid Timeless Doilies to Crochet. (Someone will please explain what a berka shell is.)

Time: A day or so.

Size: Forgot to measure it before framing. I might measure it before wrapping it.

Extra: #1 Quick and easy.

#2 I used Pony Pearlised pins to block this and found they didn’t rust! Yay! Normally when I leave my doilies to dry overnight, I find the pins have rusted. Of course these could just be slow rusters, but maybe not. I shall have to buy lots more of them. This was only a small doily, so I didn’t need too many.

#3 I seem to have found my thread mojo again. Actually I was planning to make a couple more to frame as gifts for the husband’s hospital/mess, but he told me they aren’t classy enough. Ah well. That’s put me in my place, proper, it ‘as.

Yet another book binge

April 19, 2007 in Crochet, Knitting | Tags: Books, Patterns, plastic canvas, Supplies | 5 comments

Almost all are granny square patterns and I seriously doubt I’ll ever make any of them, but why look a sale book in the mouth?

This book has some non-granny square patterns, but ditto ditto. Designer Knitting

Then this book full of “designer knitting” (how unexpected!) which again ditto ditto, but might serve as good swap/Bookmooch fodder.

But this booklet, which I’m hoping will be very useful, as it covers a wiiiiiiiide range of sizes from 9 mos to size#50 in seamless raglans. It sounds too good to be true. It only gives instructions for worsted weight and sportweight, which means I might have to do serious swatching before ever using the patterns, but you never know! It covers both cardigans and pullovers. You work out your gauge and choose your size from a table and plug in the values that the table gives you into a pattern format, and hey presto, you have your pattern! What could be simpler? Only Rs 10.

One booklet on plastic canvas cat things, one for “full figure” sweaters (I haven’t got there yet, but the rate I’m going, I should reach there pretty fast), another with two patterns for men, and one for larger sizes, each at about Rs 5 or 10. A good haul, might serve again for swap/mooch fodder.

Also a fair amount of British mystery writing. Just finished PD James’ Unnatural Causes, and am in the middle of her Shroud for a Nightingale. A couple of Martha Grimes (she’s American but writes with a Brit detective) and one Ruth Rendell, I think. A nice haul from a book sale at YMCA Secunderabad.

Also in Hyderabad, I managed to finish my first Anthony Berkeley Richard Sheringham and the Vane Case (not too impressed with it, seemed laboured somehow, without the ease of the BWW*). And my first Priscilla Masters, Endangering Innocents. Much better, maybe you have to be female to write the good stuff. In this particular genre anyway. Not very uplifting, though. I think I prefer older victims. Both from the British Council Library.

My train reading on the way to Hyderabad (since the baby sweater only needed sewing and seaming) was this book:

I picked it up at Crossword and it was a good read, but after finishing I was wondering if perhaps it counts as (oh the horror) “chick fiction”? Interesting, but it was the end that raised my doubts on its classification. Too M&B-ish. Not that I haven’t read my fair share of those (and still will, given a chance) but not if I have to buy it for Rs 415! 4 strangers are named in a will by another stranger and they spend the book trying to discover why. I’m thinking I’ll use this to try for my first-ever exchange at a bookstore.

So, about 4 or 5 books in a week. That’s my usual speed (I spent a large part of one day at an annaprasana (first solid food feeding) for the niece of my last post, and another running some errands including the book sale and checking out the new Fiat Palio Stile with my sister). Would that be your usual speed too? Or do you think I lose something by devouring the tomes at such a hectic pace? (Sort of like yo-yo dieting, feast and famine).

Come on, I want to hear what you think.

*BWW = British Women Writers

Proof

April 17, 2007 in Uncategorized | Tags: Kids | 3 comments

that I actually give away the things I make:

Of course, I might have snatched it away after the photo-op, but I am not like that, really, I’m not! Here is another view of the baby:

You will of course ignore the double chin and other signs of decline on the adult.

Very few of my recipients have been documented (photographed) in their gifts, sadly. Which gives me to wonder if the things fall apart, don’t fit, raise rashes, offend sensibilities or what. One doesn’t like to ask.

Squint and you’ll miss it

April 11, 2007 in Crochet | Tags: FOs, FOs - Crochet, Kids, Tunisian crochet | 4 comments

The dotty thing of two posts ago has morphed into this:

Yarn: The pink is Bergen, apparently a German yarn (possibly East German) made of WolPryla (mit anderen faserstoffen – with other ingredients). It is showing quite true on my monitor. The purple is Pegasus, also of the same origin. It is less blue than in the picture. Both yarns advise using 2.5 mm needles, but while the pink says “3”, the purple says “2”. Neither has a st/row count gauge indicator. The white is Cactus from Taiwan (why would you name a yarn that?!) with no indication of content, but also advises 2.5 mm. The gauge indicator for this yarn says 32 st/46 rows to 4″/10 cm. All yarns are slightly fuzzy but soft enough.
Hook: Easy Tunisian Hooks N/10mm and M/9mm, Boye K/10.5/6.5mm

Pattern: Loosely based on a Crotiques pattern. I changed st counts, row counts, button bands, and the collar pattern, as well as adding that ~~holey~~ lacy row in the middle. I used a Tunisian double crochet(US) for that. The body was worked in Tunisian knit stitch. Changed colours when I felt I couldn’t go further without compromising on the yarn for sleeves. The button bands and the bottom were worked together in seed stitch (sc (US) in both loops, sc in back loop only and then reverse order for next row) and I quite like how it worked out. To make the collar longer, I added a few rows of sc through both loops on top of the collar area. Instead of poke-through buttons, I plan to put snaps, and use the purple buttons for only aesthetic effect.

Time: About a week.

Size: Hopefully to fit a 6-month niece (cousin’s kid) I’m going to meet in a couple of days. She was a big baby. The size sweater is about 24″ wide and 12″ long, with the sleeves at 8″ long. Her next winter will be obviously when she’s older (a year), so this needs to fit her then.

Extra: #1 I love how neat the raglan shape came out. My knit raglans are never so good.

#2 All three yarns were very grippy. I don’t think I like that. This was true on both the plastic Easy Tunisian hooks as well as the metal Boye. I plan to use the rest of the yarn to make a hat or booties, and will check how they act with my Denises and Pony hooks. Slightly slippery is always better than grippy.

#3 The German yarns say “Altenburger Wollspinnerei” which I think refers to some sort of spinning cooperative. The Bergen also says “50-PAN-f-TDI/50 Wo” which could mean it has some wool content, but I’m not hopeful. The Pegasus says “30 PAN-f-TDI/70 PAN f ” which completely baffles me.

#4 The Bergen yarn says “100 tex x3” while Pegasus has “110 tex x2” which makes halfway sense, because the x3 has 3 strands plied together while the x2 has 2 strands.

#5 Bergen came in a 100g ball of 280m, while Pegasus had 50g to 190m. No size/weight indication on the Cactus.

#6 All this documentation for all-acrylic (probably) yarns is because I didn’t find any information on them when I googled.

#7 Shh! I haven’t yet seamed/sewn in the ends or the buttons/snaps yet. The garment has just been skilfully arranged for the photo session.

I trust you dutifully squinted for the first picture so you didn’t see the boo-boos and ha-has. Now I shall reward you with a close-up of the raglan which also shows the button band, main body and collar up close.

Saying no

April 10, 2007 in Uncategorized | Tags: People | 3 comments

How do you say “NO” to Lady Catherine de Brough?

Especially when she’s hard-of-hearing and not the sharpest needle in the stash?