:: aavrooman ::

When and Where to Crochet

Crochet is the best appetite suppressant in the world! If I can crochet in front of the TV, my hunger magically disappears. I really love this side benefit, so almost all the crocheting I do is in front of the TV. On the other hand, I don’t like to just sit in front of the TV for hours on end. Well, I do, but try really hard not to. So, my crafting time is limited to Saturday and Sunday mornings and the rare weekday evening when I don’t have a million other things to do.

Crochet on the Road
I’ve tried to crochet in other places—long road trips, while at a ballet rehearsal, at crafting nights—but none of those really work for me. I like to be entertained while working on a project, but not distracted. TV is perfect since most of the shows are entertaining enough without actually watching them.

Anyway… it is possible for me to crochet on long road trips, but one has to be driving during the day. I tried to crochet at night (with a wee reading light) and it worked, but not all that well. Oddly enough, I didn’t have to rip out any of the row I managed to complete that way.

Crafting Parties and Social Crochet
When at other events or with other people, I find myself needing to pay attention to whatever is going on around me even if it is a craft specific get together. I might get a row done here or there, but find much more of my time is spent figuring out where I was before making a few more stitches and getting distracted again. I love being around people and learning from others, and love finding out about their projects. I never get very far when people are around, so I feel like I would have been better off ONLY listening to the conversation.

This brings up a question I’ve often contemplated. I’ve had people bring knitting projects to parties I’ve thrown. They’ve been informal, but definitely not crafting parties. Is this something you would do? Do you think it is rude to work on a project while at a social function? Does it depend on the knitter’s ability to knit and pay attention?

It isn’t something I would do, as I honestly don’t think it would even be worth it to try, but I can’t say I felt my guest was being rude either. She really does have a knack for knitting and socializing. In addition, she was working on a small unobtrusive project and not a giant afghan or bulky sweater. The idea of someone trailing a huge project behind them at a party is hilarious to me though. I get a great mental picture of the person being so engrossed in their work that the project is dragging on the floor, tripping other guests, collecting spilled food, and generally acting as “the blob” while the knitter works diligently.

Back to the TV
Even one person is too distracting for me unless they are completely engrossed in something themselves. Minor conversation ruins my stitch count which results in much ripping and frustration. So, I prefer to stick to a little light crafting while watching TV. It may not be wild and exciting, but not everything needs to be.

What about you? Where’s your favourite place to work on your knitting or crochet projects?

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Tags: 2KCBWDAY7, crochet, Knitting and Crochet Blog Week

The Elusive Purl

Today’s topic is to write about a skill you don’t have, but aspire to acquire. I cannot help to laugh at myself, because it is not an intricately complex doily patterned coverlet that I wish to master, but simply how to purl.

For most of the week you’ve been reading about my crochet creations. Why? Because in order to do any sort of knitting pattern, knowing how to purl is a requirement. I can knit in one direction and I’m told that you pretty much reverse that in order to purl. I’ve also been told you just wrap the yarn in the alternate direction before pulling through as well as a few dozen other versions of … “OH! If you can knit you can purl, it’s cake!”

It isn’t that I think I can’t learn to purl, but no one is ever ready to flat out show the distinct difference. And, quite frankly, I’m been too involved in other projects to bother looking up a how to video or diagram.

There’s a large dose of lazy in there too. I took to crochet like a duck to water. I love that the hook is wee and I need minimal space in order to crochet. I feel like when knitting I have needles that are a hundred times too long. Sitting next to someone while knitting is impossible as the needles flail about wildly and always end up sticking someone or something. So, my motivation to learn to purl is lessened by my lack of motivation to re-take up knitting.

Still, I suppose I should find a simple pattern that I really like and just learn. Perhaps I’ll have to revisit my project list and add Learn to Purl.

I tend to knit incredibly tight, which makes it more difficult, but am unsure how to loosen up my stitches. And, I always seem to need to rest the right hand needle on something (my leg, the cat, whoever dared get too close on the sofa) in order to wrap the yarn and not lose the previous stitch.It tends to make for a difficult time of knitting.

I would love to hear from other knitters how they best manage their needles while knitting. What techniques, ways to hold the needles, or other suggestions do you have for knitting easier?

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Tags: 2KCBWDAY6, confession, Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, purl

Whatever Happened to Project X

I am the master of incomplete projects. When sorting through my old yarn, I came across several scarves that were too short to be finished, but too long to want to rip. The thought of all that time gone is painful. So, I split the difference, two were ripped out so the yarn could be used for something better, and one was left intact. It too may be ripped out if I don’t pick it back up in the next year. Besides, only so many friends are willing to smile and say thank you through gritted teeth while looking at a lumpy scarf in a hideous color.

The Red Scarf

The first project I ever completed was my Dr. Who long scarf in a bright red. (Do you see the project pattern here yet?) I knitted this scarf while I was in college. It is nothing fancy, no stitches other than knit knit knit, and I wasn’t sure what to do with the trailing ends of yarn so instead of tucked away neatly, they’re pseudo tassels. I have no idea where I got the yarn but it’s got to be half man made something plastic and horrible and half world’s most itchy wool. It is a hideous, scratchy scarf and I love it.

I can tell you what CD’s I listened to while working on the scarf. I can tell you which subjects I avoided studying while working on the scarf. I remember conversations with friends who I no longer know that were had while I was working on the scarf. I remember deciding it really was long enough and I could probably just stop now, but what the heck why not make it a wee bit longer. And, I remember coming to the end of the yarn and having to stop.

After I finished the red scarf, I wore it EVERYWHERE. Living in New England at the time, it certainly did keep my neck warm (and made it red from irritation). I loved that it was super long and I could wrap it around my neck three times and still have long ends dangling to my thighs. Even now, I cannot stand short stubby scarves. I may have pulled it out to wear once or twice since college and I can honestly say I doubt it’s ever been washed (yes, EW!, I know.) It lives in my closet hung with the rest of my scarves. I can’t imagine ever getting rid of it because it reminds me of “the good old days” and being SO confident that I was proud to wear this hideous thing prominently. It reminds me of feeling like there were infinite possibilities in life and that the whole world was in front of me, ready to bow to my whims. So, I keep it and love it and will probably try to wash it after this is posted! (:

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Tags: 2KCBWDAY4, crochet, Knitting and Crochet Blog Week

Yarn Disorganization vs. Needle Mania

Knitting Bag

I have yarn from college. I have yarn that I inherited from my grandmother. I have yarn snatched from my mother. I have way too much yarn recently bought as part of this recent rush of stitch mania that has come over me.

The good news is, there’s a lot less of it than the above sounds like there is. The bad news is, I have minimal storage space.

A few yarn over-purchases ago, I decided to go through all the yarn I have and organize it. Luckily for me, it hasn’t gotten too much worse since then. Right now, everything is sorted into bags. Some are yarn bags, some are just the giant plastic bags in which I brought the yarn home.

The most recently purchased yarn is in a giant plastic bag because it is going to be made into an afghan as soon as I finish my current project (which I can’t really talk about because it is a present and a surprise). This makes sense to me because I can easily keep all the yarn for that project together in one place, pull it out as needed, and generally keep it corralled. The afghan is going to be large, so the large amount of yarn won’t fit into any of my knitting/crochet/sewing bags/baskets.

Bakka Bag

Current project yarn is kept, along with relevant patterns, in my Bakka Books bag from Toronto. Love this bag! It’s thin and light, the perfect size, and easy to carry.

Old and ancient yarn. When I was in college, I went through the second of my knitting and crochet phases. At that point, I basically just bought a bunch of yarn and played around with it. I made up stitches and generally had no idea what I was doing since I didn’t remember all that much from my lessons with Grandmommie and Auntie Nel. All that yarn is now sorted in a knitting bag.

There is a bunch of bright red for some reason. I even completed a loooooooong red scarf with it. There is also some purple 100% wool yarn that I’m really not sure what to do with other than keep away from moths. I used one of these skeins to begin a scarf, which is still not finished. And, of course, there is the red, blue, and yellow multicolour yarn I bought from Acme Surplus for 50cents a skein. This too was started into a scarf, but never finished.

Needles. When I got into crochet, I bought a set of 5 hooks. I keep these in my current projects bag. Each hook is in its place in the plastic pouch in which they came with the exception of the working hook, which usually is stuck or falling out of my current project.

My older needles and crochet hooks are all stored in the knitting bag I inherited from my grandmother. I like knowing that they are all together in one spot since many of them have sentimental value.

And, that’s my entire yarn hook and needle inventory! This post would be a whole lot longer if I added in the rest of my craft supplies, most of which are semi-organized. I’ve got a nice list of projects and hope to just pick them off one by one until the old yarn (especially the bright red and multicolor stuff) is used up.

Future Projects

• Afghan for R
• Robot One
• Robot Two
• Alternate Panda
• another Wee Cthulhu
• Monkey Monkey Monkey
• Grey Scarf

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Tags: 2KCBWDAY3, crochet, Knitting and Crochet Blog Week

Yarn Skills of the Year

In December of 2008, I learned how to single crochet. This was probably quite frustrating for my mother who kept trying to yank the yarn out of my hands to let her just do it right. Apparently, I didn’t hold the yarn the right way or wrap it around my finger correctly to “feed” it to the stitches. I held firm though, and refused to let her take over. Please don’t judge her though. As someone who has a tiny amount of computer knowledge, I completely understand the frustration of watching someone fumble around clicking the screen, not using keyboard shortcuts, and generally “doing it wrong.”

This is supposed to be a post about new skills from the past year, but 2008 was several years ago. How is that relevant?! Well, because after making the iPod cover I was working on that Yule, I pretty much put the hooks and needles into storage and didn’t pull them back out until September of 2010. What prompted this? Well, as said in a previous post, I wanted to crochet a panda amigurumi. I found a free pattern, did a Google search for “how to crochet” and started off on the Panda Project.

Panda Amigurumi

It was slow going at first. The worst part was losing count of the stitches since working in a circle doesn’t give one a frame of reference for a beginning and an end. I’m sure there is a way to actually figure this out, but at that point I had not. So, I made lots of notes and would only work a single full round at a time, pencil out the round on the pattern, then move on to the next one. I’m sure there are mistakes in there somewhere, but the panda ended up looking pretty good and I’ve heard no complaints, so in my mind, he’s perfect. I’m guessing markers would help but I really don’t know how to use those either. Perhaps affixing a safety pin to the stitch from which to count might help. If you more experienced crocheters have any advice, I’d love to hear it!

Skill up #1: Learned to crochet in a round!

Even better was that I was invited to a crafting party. It was nice to talk to everyone, but my lack of attention to what I was doing meant I kept having to rip and start over. The lovely hostess noticed and asked me what I was working on. She then proceeded to tell me about the “magic ring” technique. Soon after that, I was given Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden as a present. I had a bit of difficulty following the directions for the magic ring so it was back to Google. Soon enough, I had figured that part out as well and it was much easier than beginning the round traditionally.

Skill up #2: Learned to begin a round via the magic ring!

Working through a couple of the patterns in Creepy Cute I found myself confronted with double and triple crochet. I had downloaded a how to guide from Lion (download printable .pdf) and that gave me the general idea. By the time I actually needed to work the stitches though, I was visiting my mother so she showed me how. What really amused me was that she’s been working with those stitches almost exclusively for so long that I had to show her how to single crochet! It all comes back around. (To be fair, she would have figured it out without me, but it was nice to be able to just show her immediately.)

Skill up #3: Learned to double and triple crochet!

Overall, I’m happy that I learned new stitches and techniques, but I’m most proud of actually finishing several projects and being able to give them to friends.

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Tags: 2KCBWDAY2, amigurumi, crochet, Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, panda, skills, yarn