And the Great Juggling Act Begins



Sneaky peak of next week's FO. I'm
further along now than when I
snapped this photo.

December has barely begun, yet I feel the bite of deadline pressure already. I'm not certain how I'm going to get it all done, but somehow I will find a way. And I don't have children - those that do deserve Hall of Parental Fame induction at this time of year.

So, along this theme, I have two FOs and one recipe to share with everyone this Friday ... along with the sneaky peak of next week's FO (they're coming fast and furiously folks, just like the deadlines).

My first completed project is my Gourdy Shawl, so named because of its awesome pumpkin color. From a Pierrot pattern (this one, to be exact), I held two strands of alpaca laceweight together to achieve this wonderful fallish color. (Alpaca with a Twist Fino and Misti Alpaca Lace Canada - I knew you were going to ask.)


Additionally, I added some size 6 Japanese silver-lined seed beads in a light peach color on the edging for a little bling, as well as some weight:

This is my second FO this year from a Pierrot pattern, and I couldn't be happier with the result. They are very well charted ... so much so, in fact, that I didn't need any other direction.

My next FO is also the end result of the recipe I have for everyone. As I stated a few weeks back in my review of Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia, I said to watch for projects inspired by the book. Here's the first one, and just in time for me to send it (along with other hand-crafted goodies) to Appalachian Outreach. They specifically asked for 36" square lapghans to keep the elderly warm, so:

The Crochet Stitches  36-inch 'Ghan Recipe


Ingredients (my choices in this 'ghan are to the right):


1 Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia by Robyn Chachula, from which you will choose:








1 or more  motifs                                                            Posy in the Granny, p. 173
1 motif joining method                                                     Chain Space Seam, p. 242
1 stitch pattern                                                               Rocking, p. 7

1 edging pattern                                                             Mari Cluster Edging, p. 261


approx. 450 grams of worsted weight yarn, at least 250 grams of which should be one color
1 U.S. size H/5.00 mm hook

Construction Set-up:

1. Make a sample motif to determine the finished dimension, given your yarn.

2. Swatch, using your main color, in the stitch pattern that you've chosen. It doesn't need to be blocked, but knowing how many stitches/rows per inch will be useful as you create your 'ghan.

3. Swatch a sample of your chosen edging. This row/inch measurement will also be needed later in 'ghan construction.

'Ghan Construction:


1. Create 16 motifs (or any number that will yield a square - 4 [2x2], 9 [3x3], 25 [5x5]).

Note: This is the part of the project that can be a great stash-buster - I used up bits of Lion Brand Wool-ease, Cascade 220 Superwash and Noro Kureyon from previous projects.

2. Once you have all of your motifs made, join them using the joining method you've chosen. A nice treat to yourself: weave in your ends, to this point, now. Once completed, celebrate with hot chocolate (or beverage of choice).

3. Using your chosen stitch pattern, determine how many foundational single crochet stitches you will need on each side of your motif square. (Stitch multiples are provided for each stitch pattern in the book.) Then, with your main color, join just after any corner with a slip stitch. Ch 1, then work a row of single crochet around entire motif block, working three in each corner. Join with a slip stitch in beginning ch 1, and your foundation row is complete.

4. Start working your chosen stitch pattern around the motif block. This is where your swatch work will come in handy. The number of rounds to be completed will be determined by the amount of inches of the stitch pattern you will need: 36 inches - (the measurement of your motif block + the measurement of your edging swatch) divided by 2.




Example from my 'ghan (in inches): 36 - (23 + 1.5 twice [edging doubled]) = 10 = 5" of
                                                                              2                                 2

stitch pattern, or 10 rounds of rocking stitch, since I was getting 2 rows per inch when I swatched.

5. Once you have completed your required number of stitch pattern rounds, work one row of single crochet around, working three single crochet in each corner. This is the set-up round for your border.

Note: This set-up row is where you need to make any adjustments in stitch number to ensure your border will work up without a hitch.

6. Work your border of choice.

7. Weave in final amount of ends.

8. Lightly block your 'ghan. My unblocked 'ghan was 33" square, and paying particular attention to my middle motifs when blocking made a world of difference. In fact, I pinned my middle motif block first, getting it to be square, and then I pinned the outer edge.

9. Once done, enjoy more beverages of choice.

Definitely don't hide under any rocks - get on over to Andrea's blog and see what other deadlines loom this holiday season!

Not Black Friday - Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday!

Gorgeous Wonder Why handspun alpaca

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I must admit, it's my favorite holiday of the year. I love everything about it  - the cooking, the eating, the parade, the dog show (go Bernese Mountain dog! It won it's group, but didn't win best in show, drat), everything - except those darn Black Friday commercials. Everyone, skip Black Friday and go directly to Small Business Saturday. Just one person's opinion.

In the meantime, I'm working on several projects which are slated to be completed by the end of next week, including a shrug and a stole. I'm also working on a new sweater (ha!) - it's a testy knit for Shannon Okey (of knitgrrl fame) during NaKniSweMo (November is National Knit a Sweater Month). It's sideways constructed, and here's a shot of my swatch (yup, people, I actually did the swatchy thing):

That's a Louisa Harding yarn - Thalia. I love the color and the slight bling, and am really disappointed that it's discontinued. I've got a bunch of it in my stash ... but once's it's gone, it's gone.

I must also share some wonderful handspun that Andrea sent to me. It's a thank you for the shawl I made her earlier in the year. This is just an amazing skein of worsted weight alpaca handspun:

The colorway? Sticks and stones. Aptly named. And it's soft and oh-so-squoishy. I'm marinating on what it wants to become - but I'm thinking of using it together with a skein of cream-colored worsted from France and working up a scarf. I'm open to suggestions on pattern. Between the two skeins, I've probably got about 475 yards.

And, finally, get a load of my latest swap gift - this colorway is entitled Orion's Nebula - I love that!

The two skeinlets on the left are also great colorways. Nic, my swappy partner, said they were for hexi puffs, but I've got other ideas. Don't I always?

Thanks so much, Andrea and Nicole - I love my skein of handspun and the Orion's Nebula! There's a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day weekend, so definitely check back with Andrea's blog to see what's on everyone else's thanks-giving list.

It's Book Review Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

Posey in the Granny Square, my sample from
Robyn Chachula's Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia

Hello everyone, and welcome to this week's books-o-rama. Unlike some reviewers, I actually paid for my books (!), and so patiently waited until they arrived. (I'm certain the authors and publishers are happy about the payment thingy. :) )

First up: Sarah London's Granny Square Love (North Light Books). Australian crocheters seem to have a particular fondness for the granny square (I follow two Aussie granny square designer/bloggers - see my blog roll to the right), and Sarah's book does not disappoint. While geared for a beginning crochet audience (and the wonderful visual granny square tutorial at the beginning of the book will get any crochet newbie up to granny-good speed), the strength of the book rests clearly on Sarah's commanding use of color. This is a grand and glorious explosion of color! If you're into tans and beige, this might not be your cup of tea. However, if you love color and are looking for inspiration (whether or not a crocheter), I'd recommend adding this to your library.

Best use of the granny square goes to Sarah's wonderful pillow designs. There are several, in several sizes, and all of them wonderful. No wonder they grace the book's cover. Most original use of the granny square has to be the granny-covered headboard. Sarah has a particular aesthetic (think romantic English flowers meets groovy 60s) and within that parameter the headboard just works. She also has a great way with the camera, and almost all of the photos show off the designs to their best advantage. One minor hiccup: the placemat photos. There isn't really one that shows it off completely, although the toast looks great, and the requisite Vegemite jar is prominantly displayed.

The pattern directions are both written and charted, using U.S. crochet terms. They are clear and very easy to follow. Additionally, Sarah doesn't really stray too far from the traditional granny square - another plus for new crocheters. Her strength is color, color, color. And in that regard, this is a hands-down winner.

The second review: Robyn Chachula's Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia (Wiley Publishing). Every designer worth their designing salt has several stitch reference books in their personal library, and I am no different. I purposely didn't read any advance press on this book, because I wanted a clean, clear book palate from which to review, although I will say that it was the strength of the author's designing chops that led me to make the purchase. Robyn has a fun, fresh design style, and I like her engineering approach to design (break everything into component parts and then put them back together again).

I was pleasantly surprised with the comprehensive array of stitch patterns across a broad spectrum of crochet techniques included in this encyclopedia. Chachula did her homework and successfully compiled a wide range of stitches not found in other stitch guides. Good on her. The cable stitch section is simply wonderful; the Tunisian stitch patterns section of the book is pure joy (to someone who loves her tunisian crochet hooks). My favorite chapters are 7 and 8 - square and hexagonal granny squares, and flower, snowflake and joining motifs, respectively. It is from these chapters that I worked up the sample (pictured at the top of the post). Even on my scanner bed, the strength of Chachula's motif work shines bright. She brings an almost Venetian lace quality to many of the square motif designs. I find them superb.

While I see the need for an edgings chapter in such a guide, I found the one here so-so. I guess I am spoiled on every other edging attempt in the post-Edie Eckman Around the Corner Crochet Borders world. I wish, instead, some attention might have been spent on hairpin lace.

My biggest beefs with this book are more technical/publishing in nature. Initially, the motif I worked up has a mistake in the written directions. However, the pattern chart set me straight (and all designs are written and charted in this book). While each row of a chart is numbered and in different colors, these charts are not for the faint of heart. They were created for the intermediate/advanced crocheter in mind - and one comfortable with reading charts.

I also found the layout of the book rather blah and lacking in pizazz. The design photos were rather perfunctory and there was far too much white space on most pages (which could have been put to much better use). Again, using Around the Corner Crochet Borders as an example, Eckman's book is half the page size (quite literally), yet each border photo takes up almost an entire page in vivid detail. Not so with Chachula's work, which is really a shame.

Additionally, Crochet Stitches actually feels like an encyclopedia. Wiley's publishing forte is in the technical/text book arena, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Yet I am.  This is also the same Wiley Publishing that put forth Fiber Gathering. A quick comparison of the cover pretty much makes my point:

Overall, I am excited about the design possibilities of Crochet Stitches. Like Nicky Epstein's Block by Block (reviewed here), my creative, designing juices are already flowing. Stay tuned for future projects inspired by this book. Just don't expect a lot of visual bells and whistles should you decide to add this to your personal library.

Ok - now head on over to Andrea's blog for a look-see at what everyone else is whistling about this Fiber Arts Friday. And if we don't meet in the blogosphere again until next Friday, have an awesome Thanksgiving (for every U.S. reader). I can't wait for leftovers.