:Crochet:

Still Here & New Stuff

Nicky23 Comments

I think this one month break is the longest I’ve been away from this blog.  Short story is that I’ve been dealing with an issue that’s just been taking up so much of my time and energy, that I’ve been unable to do the stuff I love the way I know how.  There’s not much more to share right now so until then … let’s set the issue aside and go to the “new stuff” and maybe an update on an old one.

I’ve been plugging away on my Duotone cowl and really should be saying that it’s done, but even that happy spring project got set aside these past few weeks.  I’m almost done with the second section; that’s not bad progress all things considering.  With the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup back in full swing, I’m giving myself until the end of the month to finish it, kitchener it together then block and have the F.O. for you.

I think all die hard crafters feel this way — when we go some time without doing what we love, we get more crazed!  Am I right or am I right?  So this weekend, I decided to jump back into the saddle and have some “soul food”.

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My Sunday intake of “soul food” meant reading my Bible, classic literature (that Jean Rhys woman I love to hate), vintage crochet books and starting a shawl pattern that my IG buddies Kokomire and Elisa were convinced I could do.  I didn’t believe them but I tried anyway … and as my uncle would say … holy mackerel!  I actually was able to follow the video then work solely from the crochet chart as there are no written instructions.  Can I just brag here a little and say that I’ve never used charts only for knitting or crochet?  Since Sunday, I’ve been doing what I need to during the day and counting down the hours before I can get to this project.  The rows are already getting long but I’m going to finish it!  I have to.  Even my mom is waiting for the F.O. photos!

So far, I’ve gotten to this point:

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I would have gotten further but I keep stopping to stoke it and shake my head in wonder at the fact that I followed charted crochet instructions and made this!  I tell you … Elizabeth Zimmerman was right when she said — “Really, all you need to become a good knitter are wool, needles, hands, and slightly below-average intelligence. Of course superior intelligence, such as yours and mine, is an advantage.”   I would add crocheter to that quote as well.  😀

Is it just me or do you feel the same way?  When you take a break from crafting and you finally get back to it, don’t you just want to:

So that’s what I did … or at least am trying to do.  On Saturday, I added candle making to my repertoire.  Not just melt and pour wax stuff.  LOLOL! Actually working out ratios, measuring, melting, adding fragrance, then letting the mixture set so I could end up with a usable candle.

As the sun went down yesterday, it felt good to walk through the apt and smell the fragrance of a candle burning that I made.

Candle Light -- Sunkissed Leaves

I think I’m definitely out of my craft slump.

How have you been since I’ve been gone?

Determination

Nicky12 Comments

I’m not even going to start going on about the Harry Potter House Cup on Ravelry.  Y’all already know what a Potterhead I am so let me just get to the project.

The Quidditch cup matches have been insane this term and the fourth match was a speed round.  We were given 6 projects to choose from — knit & crochet — to test our concentration and speed abilities.  First day submission equals maximum points and with all the other houses gunning for Slytherin this term (we are three in a row, Quidditch cup and House cup champions) it was all systems go on the first submission day.   This was one time I was extremely glad that I know how to knit and crochet.   My submission was this slouch:

Slytherin Girl I

Slytherin Girl III

Pattern: the Hadley Slouch and my  Ravelry notes are here.

I finished this in 2.5 hours and will definitely do it again.  My fingers were in pain from the death grip I wielded on that hook but I got it done in time!   It didn’t fit me like a slouch although it fit Ziva (my hat dummy) just like it should.  On my head with my fro unleashed, it fits like a beanie.  I think I’ll work the pattern again and add  extra rows to the body to make it more slouchy for my head/hair.

The other crafty bug that’s gotten under my skin is spinning.  My spinning wheel and I are still not talking so I’ve gone back to spinning on my spindle.  Well … as at yesterday.  I honestly think I need to sit with someone to help me with wheel spinning but the places I’ve contacted in NY regarding wheel spinning classes want upwards of $595 and I just don’t have that laying around right now.  LOLOL!  Even if I did, I still don’t think I’d want to pay that much for classes.   One woman even told me that I MUST take her studio’s spindling class before she would have me in her wheel class and that first class is upwards of $195.  Needless to say I declined because there is NO place in spinning history where spindling MUST precede wheel spinning.  NO PLACE!  Some crafters do one or the other or both, but there’s absolutely no learning “order” so I let that go too.  But I’m determined — I’m going to be on someone’s Tour De Fleece’s team in July.  So as at today, I plan to spin for 30 mins a day.  My goal is to start learning to ply by the end of the month.  Fingers crossed!  No scratch that … I’m going to do this!!!!

I posted this pic on IG but ended up changing my spindle to a Bosworth high whorl one instead of the Turkish one shown.

spindle and fiber

I also changed the fiber.  The fiber I chose initially need a shorter draw and at this point I only know how to spin using the long draw.  The spindle was a little wobbly and unbalanced but I believe it’s because I was trying to do a long draw on short staple length fiber.  The fiber kept breaking and the spindle kept crashing to the floor.  I guess they’re not named drop spindles for nothing.  I switched fibers to BFL (Blue Face Leicester) that has a long staple length making it easier for beginners to work with and I used my Bosworth which is worth every dime!!!  Good for me, one of the teams I supported at my old job gave it to me as a thank you gift on my last day before the agency closed.   Now I think I need another well balanced high whorl spindle so I could split my fiber and get to plying faster.

So there you have it.  Some of my goals for the next couple of months.   What are you planning to work on?

ETA: this post was brought to you by the letter U for Umpire: something to do with sports in my Scavenger Hunt 2015 Stashdown challenge.