Monday, January 22, 2018

scrap yarn ends

From my first knitting project I have been saving all of my tail ends of 2 -12 inches after weaving in.. anything longer gets added into other projects
 
I tie them together and roll in to small balls to be add to the larger one later on.... as the large one now weights a few pounds so I don't keep it in my yarn bag any more.. tried just keeping the scraps in a bag but after tying them for a whole day I thought tying as I am weaving un ends and joining them together later was the way to go lol

This is my second large ball of knotted yarn ends..  the first I used after one year of saving them
I made them into a scrap wrap couple of feet wide and some where near six foot long
 
I would get stopped every time I went out wearing it.. how did I do that where can they find yarn like that.. even offers to buy it..
clearly the photos here are not doing it justice..
after getting stopped so many times it was starting to wear on husbands nerves, who is not a fun person to take shopping at the best of times .. I decided to hang it over one of our windows..
at least we got to sit down when answering the questions this way ;)
 
it stayed in that job for years in one form or other, sometimes on the couch or chair, then back to the window..
until the few scraps of wool caught the eye of a moth.. :(
ate through it in a few places..
I repurposed it into a doggie blanket for it's last few months..
 

 
I still haven't picked a pattern for the next ball but should have enough to cover a rather large window at this point lol
 
 
 
I joined a couple crochet groups on Facebook awhile ago to see what the rest of the crafters were up to..
love it.. the sharing and good spirits of helping each other is so wonderful ..
one of the things I see shared often are crocheted graphs.. over the top amazing works of art
 
Now it has been ages since I knit using a simple graph..
never even tried it with crochet..
also never tried c2c...
 
add on the fact that I was given so much yarn, in the last two years, that were either small amounts of leftovers or very old.. Ok have to go into a side note here.. this could really be a post of it own lol
 
I am a big fan of old acrylic yarns.. they hold up so well, and some make the best scrubbies.. still have a shawl my mother made me over 30 years ago in great shape..
 the yarn that is suitable for scrubbies has been set aside as a rare find these days I am not willing to part with any of it lol
 
check out some of these labels .. we are talking yarn from the 80's
How cool is that :D


on the inside is a date of 87


I haven't even heard of some of these before..
 
I wanted to do something special with these.. someone held on to them for decades keeping them clean and safe..
 
then it hit me I knew what I wanted to make
 
We lost our Chillie last month, just after his 21 birthday..
 
 
I made my first c2c scrapgan in his honor...
he spent the last few years of his life living it his way..
flat out would not come in except when we could forced him to.. he's some how find a way out within a day or so.. he never left the yard, spent most of his time hunting mice in the garden or enjoying the catnip planted for him.. I made him come in during storms if we could catch him.. he would make it easier when he knew the forth of July or New year was coming.. but not Halloween.. and that was a must be in time for a black cat.. this last year he didn't fight came in on his own.. still got out two days later lol...
I'll post the graph and colors later on

 
I got a bit emotional talking about Chill forgot to include why the scrap ends and the graph tied in...
being the first I've made I was learning as I went along..
 not having a real plan in mind other than a shadow of a black cat with some kind of background .. I just grabbed colors and worked it in as I went..
we live on the side of the Organ mts. and sat out there with Chillie watching the moon rise often .. he would sit by one of the trees ( so we couldn't catch him lol )
after all of the switching of colors to get a changing night sky look I had 150 ends to weave in..
I still need to add a border so there will be a few more.. all added to my now even bigger scrap ball
 
give your fur babies a hug for me and Chill   

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Another go at textured scarf


I really like the lemon peel stitch.. really gives a nice over all look so easily .. wanted to give it another go.. in the future I am sure this this will be coming up again lol

This scarf is hade using the same amount of stitches ( link to pattern below ) as the last.. I changed the hook to a H8/5.00 mm..
        quick side note so loving my Susan Bates hooks for loose yarn like this especially

I was going through my yarn bins, when I came across a item I had set aside, as it didn't suit the person I was planning on gifting it to.. a bit dishearten, I just set it aside never finishing it.. such pretty yarn needed another go.. took less time to frog than I was expecting..

I love the way it came out.. supper soft .. the drape is so light and flowing.. this stitch was perfect for it.. I used Red Hearts Boutique Unforgettable in Parrot.. the yarn has since been discontinued sadly.. Their new line of Unforgettable is thicker but just as soft.. might give that a go soon..

link to scarf pattern

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Textured crochet scarf

 
 
First post of the new year wow time is flying.. as always we have been keeping very busy.. started going to the big farmers and crafts market in town.. about 300 vendors, even on slow days there are hundreds of people shopping.. love the change up.. costs more to set up of course but so far has proven to be worth it.. been crocheting and knitting over 10 hours a day to keep up.. not leaving much time for crafting for myself, writing down the patterns I am making or even blogging updates..
got me a head cold now.. have no choice but to slow down.. so what do I do with my off time.. that's right play with yarn lol
 
 a sale on Premier's Sweet Roll yarns.. less than half price after taxes... lead me to grab a few..
 
I have only used one of the four I picked up at this point, this is what I found...
 
not a foot into it was the first knot, thankfully only one other
 
 
I wasn't really happy with the color change overs.. nothing smooth about it at all..

 
blotches of color through out, only one large one, rest were only a stitch or less long..
 
 the yarn was very easy to work with.. soft but not fraying soft.. no splitting at all.. nice stretch, bounced back well, good thickness, worked up fast, easy to frog if need be ;)
 
over all wasn't real hot on the color changes ups even though I like the colors themselves,
I liked working with the yarn ... minus the knots..
 
 for a first try of the yarn it wasn't anything that would get me to buy more..
however who knows, the next few cakes may hold another story.. never judge a yarn by one skein alone
Right
 
This is the out come, even with the issues I like the feel and fun look of it
 
                                                        

Textured crochet scarf


245 yds. of worsted weight yarn shown in Premier's Sweet Roll color way Pixie Pop *

Size K 10.5/6.50 mm hook *

Gauge is not essential

Size 8 inches wide by 47 inches long

size can be changed by sticking to a even count of foundation chains plus one turning chain, adding as many or few rows as you like

Written using American terms

Worked in the Lemon peel stitch = sc1, dc1 every row ( a known stitch pattern )


Stitches

ch = chain

sc = single crochet

dc = double crochet


1) ch 21

2) sc into second chain from hook, dc next stitch continue with sc one, dc one to end 

3) chain 1, *sc 1, dc1* repeat to end of row 

repeat row 3 until you reach the size you want or run out of yarn

fasten off weave in ends


Tips

each sc will have a dc worked in it, as each dc will have a sc worked in it

you will always end row with a dc


*any yarn can be used with corresponding hook size