Needlemania

2002-07-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

Just found a great site that I'm am lovin' to death! www.nobleknits.com. ALL crochet patterns for babies. I just love it. I'm hoping to buy a couple of the patterns.

I am starting a second baby sweater but I got stumped early on by a rosebud border. I could swear that there is a mistake in the pattern. I need to look at the chart and just follow it although I hate charts.

I really need to promise myself to get some labels made. Even if I don't have a website yet. Someone saw one of my pieces and said I should be selling my stuff. Let's just say I'm encouraged greatly!

I know the winter gift season is coming up really quickly. I would be a fool to let it pass like I did last winter. It's really just a matter of getting organized...

2002-07-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

The crochet course was cancelled until Sept.! That sucks! Especially since I had already bought the yarn for the sample baby sweater. Oh well. I made the sweater and it's very cute. The gauge was a little off so it's a little small, more for a premie, I guess.

By the way, I was able to carry not one, but TWO crochet hooks on a plane, twice, within the last month! I was really worried that the hooks would be confiscated.

Boosted by the success of the sweater, I ripped out the Hazel Vest and am redoing it. Part of the inspiration was finding a 4.5 crochet hook at School Products. It's the only store I've seen them. Evidently that size in popular in Europe but not here.

Feeling the knitting crochet bug really strongly. I'd love to get the summer 2002 Interweave. There's a section on fiber artists that I'm really curious about.

I've been kind of wondering why I've been into crochet more than knitting lately. Part of it is that I teach crochet so I feel like I have to be really on top of my game. But the other thing is that there are fewer decent crochet patterns. I guess I feel like I have to support the art by making cool things.

What I'm dying to make is a shawl that I found in the Family Circle Easy Knitting Spring/Summer 2002 magazine. The entire magazine has fabulous patterns. The shawl is gorgeous! It looks very traditional Spanish. The yarn is Isa by Sesia/Lane Borgosesia. Hmmm, where to find that!

2002-07-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

I am in a state! I just found out that I'm going to be teaching a crochet course to pregnant mothers starting next Monday. I need to make a few samples of stuff by that time. I'd like to make some booties, two sweaters and part of a blanket, just so they can choose a project.

I feel paralyzed. It may be the heat. I have all the patterns except the blanket one. I just need to go out and buy the yarn. That part always sucks because I want to get the exact yarn from the patterns.

I also need to get back to the coordinator by tomorrow so she can go out and buy the yarn and needles. Wish me luck!

2002-06-30T05:12:00.000-07:00

Well I did it! I delivered the chenille purse to the party. It meant arriving four hours late and crocheting on the subway, not to mention sewing at the bus stop. Have you ever sewed in the wind? Very frustrating.

Everyone loved it! Hazel said, "I love my purse!" and that was enough for me.

It was very innovative. A colored shoulder strap flap purse decorated with four curtain style tassels and one giant crocheted flower on the flap. I attached the sides by doing a chain stitch and interweaving the sides loosely. I put a hard canvas on the bottom, covered in lining, to make the bottom standable. The yarn and every embellisment was wine colored except the lining. I lined the inside with a beautiful coral colored stiffened chiffon / moire fabric. Its selvage was puffy, so I let it hang outside of the purse, as decoration.

I didn't get a chance to take a picture. But I can try at another time, if it has not been destroyed ;-)

2002-06-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

I just got the best book on crochet! Design Crochet by Mark Dittrick, 1978. It's filled with designs from prominent crochet designers from the 70's. Even though I can't stand stuff from the 70's and 80's, a lot of this stuff is adaptable.

2002-06-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

I just found out the the party for Hazel will be next Saturday, not tomorrow. Whew! That's good since I'm not finished with her chenille purse. It's definitely a winter purse but hey... I finished the body but what I really need is a good piece of purse cardboard for the bottom, or else it's too floppy and the dimensions are wrong. I'm stuck.

I'm getting ready to do the flowers. I really wanted to do white chenille flowers but lost the bid on ebay and don't have time to scout out more. So it'll be red on red.

I want to do a braided criss-cross side. Easier said than done!

2002-06-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

I spoke to a store owner about showing her my winter scarfs. She said to bring them by. The only problem is that I only have one. I don't even know if they sell the yarn any more. I think the scarf is impressive and it would be good money if she took an order. I need to make at least one other one though...

I have another store lead too... I need to get going and get labels. Buyers are done with the Fall and I need to be gearing up for the Spring if I even have a prayer of getting in the game...

2002-05-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

To hell with the chenille purse pattern! I am just free crocheting and am making a little purse for Hazel. I hope to make a matching hat. My talent must be special. It seems to be that I start a pattern, mess it up and then embellish like crazy! I hope this purse will have white chenille flowers and trim on it.

2002-05-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

I started the chenille purse and holy cow, it's hard as hell to crochet with chenille! If you dare to rip something out, little bits of the chenille come off of the yarn. Plus, it's REALLY hard to see the stitches. Am I a failure? Why am I having the hardest time making things?

I don't even know if the gauge is correct. I refuse to try it. There was a time, many moons ago, when I used to knit and crochet without a pattern, freehand. And I made things. I need to get back to that. It's been great learning stitches and how to read patterns but in a sense, I am stymied.

My current goal is simple. To make a freakin' red chenille purse!

2002-05-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Still haven't gotten that Sirdar yarn... But I did get a great book from ebay, Vanna's Crochet Gifts, or something like that. A book from Vanna White of crochet projects. There's a chenille purse that I think I have the yarn for, hooray. I haven't done ANYTHING in five weeks!

2002-04-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I am itching to start a new crochet project but wouldn't you know it! There's a hitch! I want to make a tote bag from a Sirdar pattern and it seems like NO ONE in Manhattan carries Sirdar yarn. And I am loathe to do the "use an alternative yarn" dance. That takes time, which I don't have at the moment. (Sigh)

2002-04-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

<<
Knitting Bloggers >>

email = moonstonejourney@hotmail.com

I hit the motherload of patterns yesterday. In the mail I got: a vintage Patons crochet pattern booklet that has wonderful dresses (from Ebay), vests, ponchos and jumpers. I also got The Paton's Summer crochet, Paton's Nautical Knits and the Sirdar White Book of crochet. The last three came from Ram Wool.

I am really happy to get these crochet patterns because I feel like it's really hard to get nice crochet patterns. But I literally have more crochet and knitting patterns than I could possibly ever finish in a lifetime. I'm such a pattern fiend! And it has been taking me so long to finish a project... What a dilemma ;-)

2002-04-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

<<
Knitting Bloggers >>

email = moonstonejourney@hotmail.com

FINALLY finished the baby blanket for Dave!! Whew, what a relief. I brought it over yesterday. I was 2 months late, and it was the hottest day of the year (to give a blanket) but it's done! And I finally got to see their gorgeous daughter.

I believe they liked it. I know they were really curious about the blanket since it was taking me so long. I think that they were able to see the complexity of it.

Now on to finishing the other stuff! I did ONE row of the knitted cable belt. I had to rip out several rows because I didn't like the added color. It was sort of a shame that I only did one row my entire vacation (and that I brought along the Hazel vest and did nothing on that) but what can I say?

2002-04-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

<<
Knitting Bloggers >>

email = moonstonejourney@hotmail.com

VERY frustrated over the Hazel vest. I ended up ripping out a good portion. Doing the armpit is proving more difficult than expected because of the pattern. I am not sure if I'm supposed to over do what is between the asterisks or the entire instruction for the row...

Anyway, looking forward to going away in a few days. I plan to take the cabled belt that I've been knitting since February. I added color which I am not sure is a good idea given the intricacy of the cable design...

I also want to take a crochet project, NOT the vest since it's making me fume and I will be in a meditative environment.

2002-03-26T04:37:00.000-08:00

<<
Knitting Bloggers >>

email = moonstonejourney@hotmail.com

Well, first post to this blog did not post so here we go from memory:

Sunday:
Was very productive. Straightened up my yarns and patterns. Speaking of patterns, I've been buying them like crazy! I just love patterns! Going from adoring a pattern to making the item, is another story. As much as I love knitting and crocheting, I love a challenge and if the project has a long spell of straight knitting/crocheting, that spells tedium.

Anyway, I finally put the fringes on the green and silver shetland scarf. I came out very nice, if I do say so myself. Another finished project chalked up!

I am determined to finish the baby blanket for David. It's a complicated crocheted piece that I adapted from one of Pauline Turner's book. It's five separate pieces, all done with mini criss-cross cables. One of the pieces isn't square enough, even though I blocked the darn thing twice. So I crocheted two huge sunflowers and sewed them on to balance out the piece. Then, I didn't like the underside - - too unfinished, so I am now putting a satin backing on it. Hopefully I'll have a picture of it and my other stuff to put on this blog.

Lastly, I am enthusiastically crocheting a vest for Hazel, age five. The problem is that I couldn't find the 4.5 mm needle so I used a 4.25 and now the vest fits a full grown woman!!!! (Yes, yes I know all about gauges, but have yet to have the patience to hit one plumb on the head. That’s why I make up my own patterns or adapt as I go along.) I think 4.5 might be a size found outside of the U.S. I tried to email the pattern company Sugar N Cream (Canadian), but couldn't.

The vest is gorgeous and made in a cream colored 100% yarn. I plan to make it a really short, tie-front funky vest. I may add a light pink. The key is to make it appealing enough for me - - and I am soooo picky!