Category Archives: Tunisian crochet

Miscalculated risk = epic fail…

Remember that lovely alpaca blanket that was HUGE?  I figured I would sleep on whether to try to felt it up a bit…  Well, I decided to go ahead with the light felting to help improve the structural integrity.  (It really did need it.  I have fellow fiber witnesses even.)

Sadly, I didn’t give hubbie a heads up.  You see, it’s become his blankie in the sense that he’s always the first to grab it for tv time in the eves… much like I always run and leap into the bed so he has to turn the light out at night.

So here is what I was thinking:

The blanket was ever so huge… twin bed size.  It couldn’t get that small, surely.

I had a front loading machine that is not supposed to felt things nearly as well as a top loader.

There are small pipes going into the house, so getting warm or hot water is tricky.  If I put it on hot, I would be lucky to get really warm.

I put it in by itself, so nothing to rub against it and agitate it unduly.

So far so good, right?  Did I even think of going slower… run it through gentle?  run it on warm?  No.  I was even so certain in my mental calculations that I failed to at least check on it mid-felt.  I just popped it in there and went about my merry way weeding the front yard.  When it came time to pull it out for the next load I was shocked (aka said a few bad words).

I will admit, it is even more beautiful now.  Sadly, it is also this odd size… too small for a true blanket, too heavy for a lap blanket, and too big for a tote or a rug.  I’m just not sure what to do.  Momo the cat greeted it like a long-lost friend after its harrowing trip through the wash.  Maybe I have to face the music and deem it a project I made for the cats.

Hubbie, of course, is heart-broken.  I just destroyed his favorite blankie.  Me, I’m still numb and in shock.

An accounting of projects…

3/11/12 Project 365 spinning 2 ply

I was reading online where someone suggested that 5 was the optimal number of projects to have.  (I’d share a link, but I was lost online and can’t find the link anymore.  Story of my life.)  The premise was more than five projects slowed down your progress to the point of frustration and less than five left you without something to do at critical times.  She suggested having different types of projects for different situations… fancy lace for alone thinking, small projects like socks and hats for travel, idiot knitting for social times or tv, etc.

I had been feeling lately that I was doing a lot, but wasn’t finishing much of anything; discontent was creeping in.  I wondered what my actual number was.  Was that driving my irksome feelings?  I also wondered how having multiple crafts might change your number, and not necessarily for the better.  Then there are those crafts you want to do next that weigh on your mind.  I think they count too, since they don’t just fade away.  They keep cropping up in your head over and over.  Should I be thinning my projects?  Do I fit the 5 project mold?  What will I see if I account for what is currently in the works and on my mind?  I took these questions and upended my various project niches in search of whatever I might find.

In the works:

Hand sewing kanzashi flowers for the painting.  I’m dragging my feet on this, but I recognize the need for them on the painting.

Quercus Sweater (worsted/fairly easy)

Spectrum scarf (fingering/fairly easy/fairly small)

Kernel scarf (lace weight/dead silence required)

Spinning 2 ply fingering wt yarn (tv watching easy)

Sewing a zippered bag (some concentration)

Sewing a skirt for me.

Knit kimono sweater (easy, but needs ripping and adjusting)

Re-knitting blown out sock toes.  (easy, just need to do) I’d just patch them, but the true problem is the socks just aren’t long enough.  Try as I might, my hoofers are just not that delicate and small.

On the brain:

Spin some fiber for a friend.

Hand sew kanzashi flowers from plastic bags for giggles and grins.

Take hubbie’s ad laden conference bags and put fancy fabric on them to dress them up and hide the ads.

Recreate the baby sweater for the pattern/sweater found in FIL’s attic.  Maybe from homespun…

Rip out wrap I don’t and won’t use… put yarn into something else.  A blanket?

Embroider a felted black project bag I have.

Weaving with plastic bags.  Coasters?  Table runner?

Weaving a wrap.

Sewing a skirt for my daughter.

Sew and cut fabric class on Craftsy.com.

Weaving straps on the inkle loom for my Mighty Wolf loom.

Another Tunisian crochet blanket (of course).

Another post card abstract drawing with markers.

There are probably a couple of projects on the brain I’ve forgotten in the moment, but overall, this list was not nearly as heinous as I expected.  While I obviously don’t fit the 5 project mold, I don’t really think I could trim down the list… as the brain loop would still kick in.  I would be willing to lay money on the fact that most of my crafty friends have a list closer in size to mine than just “5″.  The list is reasonable, and I’ve already acknowledged to myself what the next steps are for everything listed.  While I wouldn’t change anything, I do find it a little comforting just accounting for what is “so” for me in this moment.

As to the discontent that’s been creeping in… maybe I just need a new project.  (Hehehehe!)

The “Bomb”

I finally finished that Tunisian crocheted blanket I was feverishly working on before our family trip.  You can see a bit of the fabric edging here:

4/10/12 Project 365 fabric strip edging

This thing is:

Huge… it could work on a twin bed.  I was a little shocked.  That’s really fast work for something that size.

Colorful… every time I look at it I find a new area I like.

A little wobbly… I may wash it a little on the warm side to mildly felt/firm it up.  It has alpaca running all through it, so it should work.  However, not all of the alpaca is the same or in the same amounts, so I could end up with a bit of a zig zag mess.  (I’ll sleep on it.)

Incredibly warm… I predict there will be arm wrestling matches for the privilege of using it during tv time.

Kitty approved… because Momo jumped on it as soon as I finished it and proceeded to make biscuits.  I had to shoo him off at photo time because he was getting a little over enthusiastic with the claws.

The “Bomb”… because it’s just that impressive.

4/10/12 Project 365 The Bomb

Off the grid…

I’m going off the grid for a week and don’t plan to be friendly with my computer during that time.  I might post teasers by phone on twitter if you follow me there.  In the meantime, I’ve been working like a mad woman to finish the alpaca Tunisian crocheted blanket, as in at least 12 hours over the last 3 days.  And it’s alllllmoooossstt there.  Sadly, I probably won’t finish the fabric strip crocheted edging (for structural support of the blanket) before I disconnect.  I was hoping to finish it so I could use the massive tote it currently resides in… Maybe plan B will come to mind.

3/27/12 Project 365 crocheted edging for blanket

While I’m off gallivanting around, I’ll have a much more reasonably sized project to accompany me.

3/27/12 Project 365 travel project

Blood red paired with self striping neutrals.  I’m so excited I can barely contain myself!

A funny thing happened on the way to a blanket…

I’m totally loving this blanket.  I’m blowing through a ton of miscellaneous skeins of yarn like nobody’s business.  (I’ve probably said this before; it’s just that I’m so amazed by it still.)  But, I’ve been learning a few things along the way.

Firstly, it’s bigger than I thought it was.  I spread it out on my 3′x3′ coffee table to take a photo and realized it’s at least 75% done.  Whoa!

3/10/12 Project 365 blanket big picture

This first section, was “nice” but boring.  (You can say it too; my feelings won’t be hurt.)  I was also realizing at this point that if I didn’t include other yarns I would have an awfully skinny blanket.  I knew that I didn’t have more of the browns/grays/cream in abundance so I only worked up half the neutrals with the idea I could put the other half on the other side of the blanket, framing some colored yarns in between.  (If you can make it look like it belonged there in the first place, it doesn’t really look like an accident anymore.)

3/10/12 Project 365 blanket/boring part

I went in search of other alpaca skeins and found some sparklies along the way.  I figured, why not?  They weren’t planned for anything else.  Wasn’t this a stash busting exercise?!  Here’s a close up since the previous blog post photos didn’t show them quite so well.  Yum!

3/10/12 Project 365 sparkly eyelash closeup

As I started adding different yarns I realized that I felt better about using every single yard of a skein and not worrying about starting on one end or another and having waste yarn.  I figure it just adds character.  It’s also not that noticeable when using so many yarns, some of them variegated and changing colors anyway.  As one yarn ran out I just started adding another to the mix.

3/10/12 Project 365 variegated yarn closeup

What has been fun is playing with different color combinations.  In the picture above, there is one variegated yarn that runs through the entire section, but it looks very different depending on what it pairs up with.  I think my favorite parings tend to be the variegated along with a neutral (black, gray, white).  Even with the different neutrals they appear different.  What a feast for the eyes!

Here I’ve started adding some ribbon yarn.  It’s possible this is pushing the envelope too far, or I need to pair it with more of a mohair to add some fuzzy bulk.  I’ll know more as I work with it.

3/10/12 Project 365 going too far with ribbon?

With all of the different yarns I’m throwing into this blanket, it’s entirely possible the end result will be homely or have that “oh yeah, that is soooo homemade it’s borderline ugly” look.  But, the process along the way is so fun I seriously doubt it will matter.  Besides, functionally it IS warm.

And, blanket number 2 is percolating in my brain as I play with blanket number 1.  There is a TON of ribbon yarn that needs to shine in someplace other that my bedroom drawer…

3/10/12 Project 365 yarn for blanket 2

Sparkles!

If I had to use a word to describe myself in this moment it would indeed be “sparkles”.

The weekend weather has been stunning.

With counsel from my crafting buds, I’ve tamed the flannel on my sewing machine.

During sewing class yesterday I succeeded in sewing knit fabric for the first time and putting a cuff on said knit fabric.

Today I took on a whole day silent meditation retreat… and I still feel bubbly with good will towards others.

If I had to show a picture of how cozy and sparkly I feel, it would be a picture of my Tunisian crochet afghan in progress.  I did indeed have to dig deep into the stash for additional yarn.  I turned up some eyelash sparkles, that while not really fashionable to knit or wear in the moment, work perfectly well for a cozy alpaca afghan.

3/4/12 Project 365 sparkles

Sparkles, my friends!

Left turn at sewing and ended up in Tunisian crochet…

I have done a modicum of reading on sewing and tried two more pillowcases.  I’m STILL having trouble with the top layer of my flannel not feeding properly.  I gently (cussed, put hands up in the air, righteously turned off the power to the machine mid pillow case, stomped out of the room) set it aside to wait for my crafting buddies to visit tomorrow and help bail me out.  I’m hoping it’s some silly little problem that allows me to giggle at myself.

In the meantime, I pulled out the Tunisian crochet hook I just added to my tool box.  I had actually been pondering it for the last couple of years that I’ve visited Stitches West.  I really admired its stash busting capabilities and figured it was just the easy project I needed to restore my equilibrium.  Stash busting is very handy for when you have to acknowledge that other folks live in your home and you really do need to share some of the closet space for things other than yarn.

3/1/12 Project 365 Tunisian crochet

Tunisian crochet is basically picking up stitches one way and then crocheting them off the other way to produce an almost woven look.  For this afghan project I’m running 3 strands (gray, brown, white) of aran weight alpaca together at any one time.  It’s going very quickly and I’m ever so slightly concerned I may have to go dig in the stash some more yarn!!!