COMPLETED - Summer Scarf!

Well, school and my 'other' business have kept me a bit busy, so I've not been crocheting as much as I used to...but I did take out enough time to make this beaut! It's only a "simple" scarf, but hey, when opportunity knocks...

This is a simple summer scarf in Lily Sugar and Cream -- too thin and hole-riddled to be useful in the winter, but just the right colors to be worn in the summer and through the early fall. A great colorful addition to a "boring" outfit!

WREK Backpack Series - Plotting

The Idea: Tommy wants me to make him something. Since purses and scarves are (probably) not what he has in mind, I decided to do one better - A backpack with the logo of his favorite radio station ever, WREK Atlanta. (Did I mention he's the chief engineer there?)

The Tools: One Size I hook per the yarn's recommended size, and three skeins of Red Heart Soft Yarn (NOT the super-saver stuff!) Also will be trying out some Lion Brand Yarn Split-Ring Stitch markers, because this bag WILL see some shaping to it!

The Plan: In order to get the Logo as perfect as possible, this bag will be done in Tapestry Crochet -- it'll get covered eventually, but for now? it's just a simple way to switch colors in-row in order to make simple pictures. In order to do this, though, we need to grid out a picture - not just to find out what size it looks best at, but also to figure out just how large this backpack needs to be!


Yes, that's a 54 by 61 grid... something tells me we're going to be talking a big bag. Which is fine, we've got the yarn for it.

The general shape given above is a variant of a single-strap bag I did before, which had a buckle in the strap in order to secure the bag from unwanted hands in such a way you couldn't get into the bag while you had it on. This will be a double-strap without the buckle, so that the top puckers up like a drawstring bag, yet has roughly the same protection as the original.

The plan will involve some real creativity in the formation of the strap at the same approximate time as the bag, so that the strap is essentially a single loop of fabric in order to accomplish this security. As a slight bonus, the drawstring nature of the top will probably also allow him to wear it like a single-strap if he changes his mind.

Also, the multiple stress points at the top ought to keep the bag from warping the way the old one did at the single stress point.

The bottom should also take on some special shaping as well - I want to do a semi-circle on the bottom so the back of the bag can lay flat against his back (the original was a straight circle) . This, combined with the Tapestry Crochet, will mean the main decreases in the bag's width will have to be done on the sides as opposed to all-around.

This is where the stitch markers should come in handy, because keeping up with black yarn will NOT be easy...

PATTERN: Denim Capelet

Say hello to the poncho that wasn't meant to be. Sometimes getting that elusive pattern (or in this case, the yarn that would NOT STOP TWISTING) isn't going as well as you'd like it to, so improvisation is the name of the game.

Yarn Used: Lion Brand Incredible, Blue Shades (5-odd skeins = elbow-length capelet)
Size: One Size Fits Most (check your neck first!), since this thing is only size-critical around the collar.
Pattern Classification: Front-Opening Capelet
Hook Size: Incredible recommends an N; I used a J because I felt N looked too large.
Stitches Needed: Single Crochet, Double Crochet, and your choice of two more stitch designs / patterns, one of which is more 'see-through' than the other. The idea is that your capelet will show more of what's beneath as the viewer's eye goes down.

The Pattern:

1. Construct a quick mesh choker for your drawstring (I just used alternating double crochet with spaces = do a quick count to make sure that you have enough spaces that the drawstring ends end up on the same side when you're done!).
2. Single Crochet out from the collar. Make sure to increase gradually as you do it, so you keep a roughly flat circle as you spread out, and keep doing this until you reach the shoulders (remember; if it ruffles or starts to curl, you're either doing too many or not doing enough)
   
3. Switch to a Lacework Stitch once you have the shoulders done. Length is loose, but at least as long as however long it took to reach the shoulders.
   
4. Mesh Stitch to the finish! We're going for length on this last part, although it should be at least as long as the lacework was, for balance.
   
5. Don't Forget the Drawstring! This can be as simple as just some of the leftover ribbon yarn, or a loooong foundation chain, or feel free to cap the ends with a little flourish. Don't forget it, though, as you'll need it to keep the capelet on!
   

The finished product is visible not only up top, but also on the title image of this blog. Feel free to submit pictures of your own versions once you're done!

The Crochet Manifesto

At some point, there's just too much.

Too many things.
Too many toys.
Too many plastic grocery baggies.

Too many things, none of which you use, and probably weren't even made in this country. So... Let's take some of it back.

Rip up that shirt. Crochet a bag that you know will go with your wardrobe because it used to BE your wardrobe. Make a little something-something that will stop your keys from jangling and will hide the unsightly rest of your stuff.

This is your solution.

All it takes is a hook.