Friday, July 23, 2010

What's On My Hook?


Most times, I have several projects going. I'll pick up each one in it's turn, and work on it for a bit. Then usually, there comes a time when I'll finish several things within a couple of days. That's usually fun!

Right now, I have about five projects going. For the most part, they're small, except for another version of The Afghan Squared. I finished one not long ago, it had so many colors! My son Jon liked it, and claimed it. So then, I went to Hobby Lobby and got what I thought were the colors most like the ones used in the display photo on Lion Brand Yarn's site. I got home and started working on them, and no, the colors weren't the same. In fact, the last two colors, a turquoise, and gray, just did not go with the afghan as a whole at all - clashed, in fact. I pulled them off and decided to proceed without them. The more I work with this afghan, the more I like it, even if it isn't what I had envisioned when I started. It's funny, in these pictures, it looks really pink, and right now, it kinda does. I think that's because the last row I did was the bright pink. Usually it has an all-over, kind of warm tone to me. I can see it working very nicely in my living room. I am doing this with 'I Love This Yarn' brand yarn. I really do love this yarn! So soft and snuggly. I think from now on, if I anticipate having a blanket, afghan, or pillow (or anything for that matter) next to my skin, it will be done in I Love This Yarn.




Here's a pillow I'm working on for my sister. What do you think, Jane? I hope the color is right, she said dark ivory or ecru. This is I Love This Yarn in Linen. Right now, it looks very puffy, I think that's due to the fact that it's a British pattern. The yarn differences are sometimes a bit tricky, so I read. I think once I block and play with it, it'll flatten out nicely, though. I think the pillow is going to be beautiful. This is done pretty much in treble crochet, which I don't use a lot. When I sit down to work on it, I will sometimes forget and do doubles, and have to rip it out. Isn't that the great thing about crochet, how easy it is to fix your mistakes!


This is that turquoise yarn that didn't work with the afghan. I was reading a crochet book, and saw the three double crochet wrap, and thought I'd try it. I like it! So I'm making this little pillow. I have no idea what I will do with the pillow, but that is my oldest son's favorite color, and the yarn is so snuggly, maybe he would like it.




I've been thinking of Christmas for quite some time, and fell in love with the 7-hour Tree Skirt from Crochet World 2008. It's designed by Katherine Eng. I need a tree skirt badly, and thought this would be perfect. I am going to make myself one in red. Meanwhile, I started one in white, just because I didn't have any red yarn on hand. Well, silly me, I misread the directions, and thought it called for a D hook. I thought to myself 'I am not using a D hook with 4-ply yarn.' I tried that once, it wasn't pretty, so I started it with my trusty G hook, only to see later, that the D hook was for adding the beads on the edge, and the skirt was supposed to made with an I hook. Ah-hah! Sometimes, I really am a goob! Well, by then, I was 13 or 14 rows in, and I was not gonna tear it out. So I'll finish it. Someone will want it. I'll make my red one with an I hook. Ha.

I'm also working on a bag to list on Etsy. None of my other bags have grabbed any attention yet, and the listings are active until November, so I figure it'll wait. Ha.

There are a bunch of other things I want to make, as always. Boy, it's easy to keep that hook busy. I keep thinking I need to make a list of things I plan to make, a written list, and check them off as I finish. Wouldn't that be ambitious, and kind of, I don't know, organized? Ha. Then again, where would I stop? There's just so much yarn, and so little time.........

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Everything is lovely but I can't wait to see that tree skirt finished. Is it in two halves or only shows in the front?

crazymotheringchick said...

You weave a tie through the top and wrap it around the tree. I think it would probably curl around more if I had started with the proper sized hook! LOL But I'm sure it will still turn out big enough. If it doesn't, I'll just add a few more rows.

Designing Lady Jane said...

It all looks very lovely, Julie. Yes, I like the color you chose for the pillow. It does look a bit puffy, but I'm sure once it's lined and folded and stuffed it will pull out and be just a gorgeous texture.

I also like that tree skirt. It does look very nice in white, though I can imagine a red looking good as well. I'm liking the stitching going on in it. Didn't realize you add beads to it later, that should be gorgeous.