WIP - Chunky Scarf in Bright Pink

I've had a little scarf envy over the bug chunky scarves everyone's got wrapped around their necks all over town. Lucky for me, I just happened to have a couple skeins of chunky yarn - in bright pink and shades of green, at that - and a nice snowy day.   So I set the kids up with their math workbooks and some reading to fill the time of their no-school snow day and grabbed a hook (10 mm for those checking). Another cup of coffee and I could be ready to be bundled up in pink by the time I take the kids to the bus stop.

WIP: Swirly Scarves in Crochet & Knit

I’ve been liking these swirly scarves that are around.  I bought skeins of the ruffly yarn to make a few as gifts and for myself. 

The patterns I found and that were on the skein labels were knitted.  To cast on, all you do is weave the needle into how many ever holes you want on each row.  I used 2 for these.  Then it’s a simple knitting stitch, using the lace-holes in the yarn, below the woven edge.

Since I kept finding knitted patterns, I also wanted to figure out a way to do these in crochet, so I worked out a crochet pattern as another option, as if doing Tunisian crochet.

I used a 5mm crochet hook.

• Weave the hook into the first 6 lace holes.  This is your beginning row of “stitches.”
• Loop the hook into the next hole and pull through the last stitch on the hook.
• Loop the hook through the next hole and pull through the next 2 stitches.  Repeat until the end, ending with 1 stitch on the hook.
• Weave the hook into the next 5 lace holes.  Repeat as before, working back through the stitches.
• Continue to the end of the skein.
• At the end, pull the last loop through and knot it.
• Fluff out and enjoy!

These swirly scarves took about an hour to make. They’re quick and easy and fun to wear. I’m making a few more in my daughters’ school colors to wear to their basketball games as the proud momma.

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WIP: Cabled Tunisian Stitches

I started a nice cozy, squishy shawl/scarf/wrap for the winter, went with a Tunisian stitch to try to make it a little bit different. But by row 5 I was already thinking, "this is going to be a lot of the same rows," and wondered what else I could do to add a little something, some design, some stitch feature.  I've seen a few nice knitted wraps that have a lace design along one side and that's what I wanted.  I considered pulling it out and starting over again in regular stitches so I could get something fancy along the edge.

And then, the crochet fairies dropped the latest Interweave Crochet in my mailbox.  And ta-da there's a sweater with cabled Tunisian stitches.  Thus began my first experiment with this little twist on Tunisian crochet.

I've worked cables and twists before, so I understood the stitch construction; now, it was the "how" part, which, actually turned out to be pretty simple using the clear, step-by-step instructions from Kim Guzman.

Tunisian stitches for the forward pass

The return pass - move the stitches for the cable

On the return pass, you take (in this pattern) 6 stitches off the main hook, put the 3 closest to the hook on a second hook (or stitch holder), return the remaining 3 to the main hook, and then replace the other 3 from the second hook.  You'll do this twice, for each side of the cable.  Whether those stitches on the second hook are brought forwards or backwards determines the direction of the cable.  This is the part where you have to pay attention or your cables could end up turning the wrong way.

Return pass after moving the stitch loops

After you've moved the stitch loops, you're back to a regular return pass.  Kim Guzman in Interweave recommends stitching a single chain in the middle of the cabled stitches, i.e. after 3 stitches, to make it raise up more from the fabric.

This was a good find, I like it.  And it makes what would've been a hundred rows of the same ole' stitch a bit more interesting.

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WIP: It's Getting Cold - Time for a New Hat, New Scarf

It's getting cold - quick.  I haven't even had a chance to go through the kids' closets, or mine, to pull out sweaters and stuff.  With the windy weather, also comes the coziness of heavier yarn and a built-in excuse to keep the hooks and needles moving.  Really, the only reason I like the cold.

A hat from sock-weight yarn

This striped hat is my carry-around project. It's in my tote bag for when I'm waiting for a kid, watching some kid sports activity, or sitting in PTA meetings (shh....)  It's a sock-weight yarn, I'm using a 3.75mm hook.  It's taking forever, but it's easy.

Mohair/wool for a scarf

I'm looking at this skein of 500 yards of 50/50 mohair/wool from Brooks Farm (Lancaster, Texas) for a fall something.  I've been wanting a way-too-big or chunky scarf, and then I saw a nice assymetrical poncho the other day, so there's that.  Can you tell that it is so soft and fluffy?  Its definitely perfect for something that will hug close to my neck and around my shoulders.

My current WIP is a baby blanket - can't show it because it's not done and the momma hasn't seen it yet. I'm hoping to have it done by next week so I can deliver it and visit the cutesy baby soon.

What's on your hook or needles?

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Bohemian Scarf for Fall

I went to a conference last week, so you know I had a skein of yarn in my bag.  It was Blogalicious in Atlanta - 3 days of workshops, talks, receptions, etc. etc.; lots of blogging, networking, chit-chatting, etc. etc.; just enough time to make a new scarf!

I bought this yarn a while back, so it's been in my stash just waiting to become the perfect something.  It's Fiesta yarn's LaBoheme; hence I'm calling it my Bohemian scarf.  It's a double stranded yarn; one is textured boucle, the other is a mohair/wool blend so I had to figure out a good stitch pattern that would show off all of its fluffiness.

I started out with the idea of a triangle shawl, though I was calling it a scarf in my mind because "shawl" always sounds like something for an old lady.  After a few rows, I decided that I didn't like it anyway.  One, because it didn't seem like there would be enough yarn to make it large enough to wrap around my shoulders - that's not the way I usually wear these type shawls/scarves, but that's the way I measure them.  Two, more importantly, it didn't show off the yarn's fluffiness.

the original triangle scarf

Attempt two - I went with a straight scarf.  Since I was in a conference where I was trying to pay attention, I needed a simple stitch pattern that I could do mindlessly, so I went with alternating extended double-chain and single chain stitches. That gave the rows some height, and they were loose and airy - fluffy.  Happily, it ended up long enough to wrap around my neck.

Going with option #2 - a straight scarf

It was quick, easy, and will be a nice addition to a fall sweater.

I'm off to PTA this weekend... let's see what I come up with. Another scarf?

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Weekend Project - my first (knit) scarf

For years I've been saying I want to learn to knit.  I love crocheting but there are just some stitches and textures that you can't get in crochet that you can get in knitting, and vice versa, so I wanted that flexibility to do either needlecraft.  To teach myself to knit, I started working on a dishcloth, I figured no matter what it looked like, at least it would be functional and all my work wouldn't be in vain.  It turned out a little lumpy with a couple holes.  Despite that, my next attempt was a scarf for my daughter - in her favorite color - purple.

Knit Infinity Scarf

This infinity scarf (so-called because its a circle, no ends) was made with Loops & Threads' Cozy Wool on 9mm needles.  Its a basic stitch - knit or purl, not sure which - the one where the yarn is wrapped around from the back; I didn't use a pattern, just did the only stitches I knew.  On my first attempt, after a few rows, I realized that my original width was way too big for my petite 11-year old, so I had to start all over.  After ending the scarf, I crocheted the two ends together.  Ta da - my first knit scarf (and it looks so much better than my dishcloth)!


How long did it take?  A tennis practice, a basketball game, and through the SuperBowl, with stops for food, drinks, checking the score, and of course, watching Madonna's half-time show.