I'm letting this knitting and crocheting kinda distract me, anxious to cast on the next knitting project and spending time checking to see if I have the right size needles for what is lined up. As if not bad enough to have at least 3 projects ready to go, I keep looking through patterns I've printed out but not paired with yarn yet, and a nearly gone skein of yarn I'd really like to use up. Yup, knitting, like quilting, leaves you with "scraps" left over that you can't toss but can find it difficult to use up. But as my mind has wandered, it occurred to me that there would be enough yarn on that skein to do the ribbing on a tam and there was a tam pattern with a sweater pattern I'd printed out so I couldn't resist starting that. This may all be because I'm finding myself a bit intimidated by that crochet cardigan. Right off the bat it requires me to learn a new stitch with a yarn that is very slippery. I didn't think that the bamboo viscose yarn would be like that but then again, it is actually just rayon, and rayon is definitely slick.
The pattern does give a link to a video showing how to do this foundation double crochet stitch, a good thing because I couldn't quite figure it out from this copyright 1959 book that, along with a 8-1/2 x 11 multi-page how-to pamphlet I'd was given way back in gradeschool is how I taught myself to crochet.
 |
| Me and my sister-in-law crocheting away |
This book was bought in 1970 before heading out on a 3 week family vacation that included one brother and his wife. Sue wanted something to keep her occupied in the car and decided she and I needed to get yarn and this book. I've made several things from it and it is a good resource to have on hand. I have to be honest, I'm really struggling with this stitch and that slippery thread, as I work to make 109 of these stitches before turning my work and doing the next much easier row.
I had hoped to spend more time quilting Venetian Tiles but the distractions also included catching up on correspondence and end of the month bills plus baking my annual rhubarb pie. Still, I'm probably about half done quilting the green parts around the outside, easily done echoing using an adjustable bar attached to the walking foot set for half inch spacing . The green thread I chose definitely blends in nicely, leaving me wondering if it is too safe a choice. Nahhh, as I've mentioned before, I'm generally not into showy quilting, texture being enough for me. Click on the photo for a larger view to see just how those stitches blend rather than stand out.
Yesterday as I was looking down our greenbelt, I noticed the syringa has started to bloom. It's been lovely to watch the procession of blooms throughout the neighborhood. Certainly brings a smile! How is spring in your neck of the woods?
6 comments:
spring has come and gone in this part of Texas although we had a bit of reprieve this weekend with a day of rain and cooler temps scheduled for this week--a perfect day today to attend the Greek festival an dhave Greek food.
All this talk about yarn & knitting & crocheting but what do I focus on?? Rhubarb pie!!! You didn't show us your rhubarb pie! Our plants are still waking up, so that's not happening here...yet! A week ago we received more snow than we'd had all winter which was crazy! Enjoy that pie! Jan in WY
Sylvia, I honestly do not believe I could be happy living in the seasons presented in Texas, both from your descriptions and those of a friend of mine living in the Austin area. And I laughed so hard when my college roommate who grew up in MN but after marriage moved south of Houston shared that there was really something wrong with putting up Christmas lights while wearing shorts! As for your Greek festival, a bit envious. I attended my first one while supporting my friend receiving treatments at the Mayo Clinic. We were always looking for things to fill our time when she was not having tests or appointments and Rochester's Greek Festival was a revelation to us both - so much fun and so much good food! Thanks for conjuring up that happy memory for me.
Oh Jan, how funny - and I WAS worried about your attention level knowing that yarn crafts are not your thing. Sorry about not taking a pic, thinking I'd shown my yearly pie so many times and they always look the same. Follow this link to see a previous pie pic that should make your mouth water: https://tinyurl.com/2vyyh9n3
As for your late spring snow - I saw that storm reported and thought of you of course. Idaho often has that kind of late snow but not this year. I'm sure your spring plants will just shake it off and bloom soon.
So of everything on this post, I zoomed right in on your fantastic flower power outfit from the old photo! Did you make it? I love it!
Yeah!!! I'll be honest, Sherrie, I was disappointed that no one had mentioned my outfit yet. Leave it to you to notice and comment, a kindred flower power gal! Oh, you bet I made it. Our small department store in the town where I grew up had a small fabric section where I drooled and dreamed of outfits I could make for myself and mom. I really liked the idea of having outfits like no one else had. That desire waned as I got older, started working and struggled to get proper fit, never having been very good at altering patterns. Can't remember the last "unique" outfit I sewed for myself - it's been a long time. When you show outfits you've sewn recently, I'm almost tempted to give it another go.
Post a Comment