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For the first time ever, I framed one of my doilies. This was the Amethyst doily from Kathy‘s birthstone series. This went as a housewarming present to someone who is also a crocheter, so hopefully she’ll value it. Another housewarming present was the mammoth Ruby Dreams (unframed), and it seemed to be appreciated, though I’m always unsure about my presents…
The framing cost Rs 160/- and the background is cream/off-white handmade paper. 
By now my dear readers must have given up on ever finding the right colours under the titles of my posts. Suffice it to say I’m using up my stash to make these doilies, rather than going on a shopping spree, when quite possibly I wouldn’t get the recommended colours anyway.
Here is the info on this one:
Thread: Madura Coats Red Heart size 20, Grey
Hook: Tulip size 2/1.5 mm steel hook
Pattern: Kathy‘s Aquamarine Starcatcher
Time: 2-3 days
Size: 19″
Extra: #Can’t think of anything right now.
Update: Sent it to Amy for CLBFX
And here’s the proof:
This was a doily I tested for Kathy, called Ruby Dreams, one of the twelve birthstone doilies she’s designing. She made it in ruby red.
Thread: Madura Coats Red Heart size 20, white
Hook: Tulip size 2/1.5 mm steel hook
Pattern: Kathy‘s Ruby Dreams
Time: Over nearly three weeks, I think
Size: 28″
Extra: #1 The first time I did a filet in sections
#2 First time I did filet in a circle
#3 Very badly blocked. I cannot fathom how to tackle the uneven edges without the normal doily motifs.
Proof No. 2
No, it’s not a butterfly wing shawl, but my first ever encounter with a Q hook. That hook is painful! I had a tender spot on my hand where the hook rested for a couple of days. And this pattern comes from Leisure Arts #3068.
Yarn: Red Heart SS Aran Fleck, unknown brand (probably RHSS) in a dusty plum colour, both ww
Hook: Susan Bates Q hook (ouch)
Pattern: Half Circle (yeah, right) rug from Leisure Arts #3068
Time: 4-5 hours?
Size: about 3 feet across, maybe? I was too discouraged by the shape to measure it.
Extra: #1 First ever Q hook project
#2 First ever rug
#3 First time I switched to the knife hold because it was so painful to crochet with the pencil hold (or whatever my regular hold is)
#4 I got the yarn from the recycling contest at Crochet Partners.
#5 Worked with four strands held together
And for those who are curious, I went straight from the 1.5 mm steel hook to the plastic Q hook. Oopsie. Call me crazy or maybe I just wanted a change.
This is for a friend’s baby (the same one I made the slant stitch afghan for), in the same local yarn that I finished the afghan/blanket with. The pattern is from Paton’s Woolcraft Golden Hands Baby Clothes of 1974. I used a size 4.00mm Winfield hook that Chrissie in the UK from Crochetlist sent me in memory of Susan Renfrow.
Here’s a closeup of the stitches:
Yes, it’s blocked and done! Yay! It might look good framed, no?
Here’s a close-up (just like that):
I love being a pattern tester! It brings together my two interests: crochet and fault-finding editing nicely.
Thread: Anchor size 20, two strands, one red and the other variegated in red and dark brown/black
Hook: Tulip size 2/1.5 mm steel hook
Pattern: Kathy‘s Amethyst Doily
Time: Over two days (no, you’ll never get time in hours from me, ain’t a marathon person)
Size: 18″
Extra: #1 Kathy might be doing a whole series of these doilies
#2 It cupped a bit after the final row, but it lies nice and flat after blocking. (No “wrassling” involved ;))
PS: It’s called Amethyst because that’s the colour Kathy made it in.
I love booties. Have I said that before? Anyway, these are my first ones from the pattern booklet that B sent me (the first pair on the third row):
Yarn: Local acrylic, unknown brand
Hook: Boye F/5/3.75mm aluminium
Pattern: Sherbet booties from Precious Baby Booties by Carolyn Christmas
Time: Maybe 3 hours?
Size: Sole is about 3" (pattern size says 3.5"-4")
Extra: #1 I actually had the colours (love them) used in the pattern!!!! (not the transparent ribbon, though)
#2 The pattern uses "leave a long loop" instead of cutting and rejoining yarn for the colour changes. While of course I appreciate not having to weave in a thousand ends on such small items, I cannot really say the long loops help much…(and the inner side is obviously marred by the drawn-up loops, but maybe I did the drawing up wrong?!)
#3 While googling for Carolyn Christmas, I discovered she's also the author of another book I'm drooling over:
I will get my hands on this and the hooks for it. Although of course the Afghan/Tunisian stitch does create a very thick fabric, it's a technique I want to try. I have two slender afghan hooks but the swatches I create with them always curl. Someone said this settles down after a bit, but I've never gone beyond the first few rows, you know.
Meanwhile, I wish the price of the book on Amazon would fall so I could actually buy it with my $10 gift certificate (shipping is $4.95 or so!!!). Miracles can always happen 😀
After falling down badly on two of her assignments, I actually finished testing a new pattern for Kathy. It doesn't have a name yet. As usual, the pattern is unusual and interesting. You can see Kathy's version here.
Thread: Madura Coats Red Heart in size 20, white and yellow
Hook: Steel "Jyothy 5"
Pattern: From Kathy
Time: Over 3 days (yesterday was particularly busy with editing work)
Size: 24" across from point to point
Extra: #1 More or less my first time changing colours quite so brazenly
#2 Redeemed myself in my own eyes after failing Kathy twice in the past couple of months
# First doily in ages!!!
Ok, needed an FO fast to feel occupied productive, so here is my version of Crabby Cabbie’s scarf.
Close-up of stitch pattern:
To recap:
Yarn: Local acrylic yarn in green, bought in Begum Bazaar in Hyderabad in September/October
Hook: Pony aluminium 6/5.00mm
Pattern: Crabby Cabbie’s scarf
Time: About 4-5 hours
Size: 6’8″ by 4.5″ (without fringe)
Extra: Chained 240 instead of 160 in pattern, was afraid of curving in the middle, but it worked out fine.
Yay for scarves!
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I made this Rolled Edge CD Basket using Donna‘s pattern for a friend who saw mine and wanted one too. Used…hmmm a 5 mm hook, I think. Left out the beads suggested in the pattern. The yarn is GUM.
Here is how it looks with bottles and things in it (it’s for the dressing table).
Some of you may remember I made a scrubbie with the said GUM. I am sad to report, it is highly useless. The thing absorbs a lot of water, but has little or no grease-cutting properties, and leaves streaks when I try to use it to wipe my stainless steel stove.
#2 Also, maybe someone might be able to tell me, how the dang do I use those scrubbies with the nylon scrubber in the middle (sort of like eggs sunny side up)? How do I hold the thingy? I can’t figure it out.
#3 Also, at what point in their lives do cotton yarn dishcloths stop leaving streaks on my stainless steel surfaces?
Okay, so the Windmist brushed acrylic yarn Fiona sent me was calling out to be a bag, so I moped around the net and hassled Cordelia all day a bit, before rediscovering the Spike stitch bag at Crochet Me. Here is my version:
which looks absolutely nothing like the designer‘s. That’s why she is a designer and I am a copycat.
As I hate seaming, I decided to crochet in rounds, with a Crystalite size G/6 4.00 mm hook. I also turned the finished tube upside down to fix the bottom.
And here is another photo with my foot for scale.
Please don’t mention the clashing colours of the bag, I give a very good impression of being colour-blind even when I’m not.
The thing still needs handles, more of which in my next post.
Weird fact #1. The fuzz is mostly concentrated on the “wrong side” of the bag, why?
Update: Or what makes a scientific mind! Noricum gave me the answer to my weird fact question:
The fuzz is probably mostly on the inside because when you pull the yarn from back to front, the fuzz gets left behind.
Now why couldn’t I think of that?
swakrta.com 