new hooks

First things first, if you enjoy contests and the chance to win crochet goodies like yarn, you will want to stop by the Bridge Project. SandyH has a contest which runs from February 14 to March 14. Details here. 

The other day I received an e-mail with a video highlighting Knitter's Pride crochet hooks. Of course I'd never heard of Knitter's Pride and even though I'm not a knitter, I had to go see these hooks. :-) You know what happened!I purchased three hooks.

You can see the Dreamz hook here along with the video. This is a wooden hook. I got two of them. One is perfect. I used it last night to make some yo-yos and it was very lightweight and the yarn glided beautifully. I have not used the other one, but the throat of the hook (see parts of a hook here) is a little rough. I'm hoping that won't cause a problem.

Here is the H 5.0mm Dreamz.

The aluminum H hook I purchased is here. The video also appears on that page. Someone does a bang up job on this web site. Videos are a great way to sell merchandise. I like seeing the hooks in action. The handle on this hook is a soft rubbery one similar to the Etimo Tulip hooks. Very nice.

The shaft is not as long as I like on the aluminum hook, but that is also true of the Etimo and the Crochetlite hooks and many of the hooks that have an added piece to the handle. The second hook in this photo is the other #7 4.5mm Dreamz hook.

The square I made with the new H hook is from Pam's Comfort Cables Crochet  Afghan over at Knit Picks. I purchased this pattern both to support their efforts and because I thought it was beautiful. I absolutely love the pink and green colors used in this afghan. I purchased a couple skeins to test drive it and you can see the result. My square is not 8" x 8" as stated in the pattern but it is very stretchy. I'm not a particularly huge fan of cables, but there are a few patterns in there that are basically just front and back post stitches. I do like the textured look of the post stitches. We'll see how things go.

I spent part of my morning updating my hook pages at Crochet Cabana and also organizing my hooks by size. I have more H and I hooks than any other size. I do have hooks in all sizes from C to N, P, and S. I've never seen an O hook, but Ebay has R, T, and U which I'd love to have just for completeness though I really don't envision using that large a hook for anything in the near future. I have talked about making a rug though...

Back to the hooks. I put them in plastic ziploc bags after I sorted them, but that is a temporary measure. Now I'll go back and see what I can do with them.

Happy crocheting!
Sandie

wordghan

I finished the "word" afghan. It was fun to do until right at the end. Placing the last pieces was a bit of a challenge. Of course, weaving tails is never any fun, but that's just part of the process and no getting around it.

Here's a little look into my procedure. I learned a lot during the making of this ghan and might do a few things differently if I make another one, like perhaps working from the middle out.

I can now say I feel more comfortable with filet projects. The more you do it, the easier it becomes I think. I guess most everything is that way, right?

Anyway, first I had to decide on the words I wanted to use. This was an ongoing process. As I saw what space I had to fill, I would choose additional words. I used the words I felt would be most meaningful for the recipient. He is a drummer in a band, so I included "drummer". The white sections say "God Bless" and "Sierra" (the truck). The red, black, white, and yellow are "2012". I wanted the "God bless" in white, but I made that phrase after I had already done Sierra and it just happened they best fit together next to one another.

Getting the words to fit together was an interesting thing. If I make another like this, I think I would use a level or some sort of tool to make sure the entire thing comes out straight - same width top and bottom and such. They seemed to fit together evenly, but ends didn't match up exactly when folded. Not too far off, but not perfect. I also would want to do more planning on the size and colors. I did try to do this, but I miscalculated on how the pieces would come together. Two five letter words might not come out the same size, especially if the word contained an "I". Most of the letters were five blocks wide but the "I" is just one block wide. All letters were 8 blocks high.

As I added pieces, I would lay out the entire piece, but you know how anything fiber is - it moves around and can be stretched or bulge. It's hard to tell until you actually have it together how it will go. Because some pieces were placed in one direction and others in a different direction, that was a different challenge. Most of the pieces were edged in black before joining, but in some spots I just stitched directly on the ghan, adding black bits to fill in and trying to figure when I'd gone far enough since the "hole" would open as I worked.

Anyway, I've gotten ahead of myself. First, I decided on a word, then I had to chart it out, number the columns and rows so I would know where I was, then print it out. I also needed it to be large enough for my old eyes. :-) I could fit two tables (Microsoft Word) on each page using landscape mode.

In filet, odd rows are worked right to left. Even rows are worked left to right. That part was fairly easy to remember. I just had to know WHICH even or odd row I was on. In some words this was easy to see. I also used a green and a pink highlighter to mark rows, alternating colors so I could tell just what I'd done and where I was in my work.

The "holes" made up the letters of the words, but these are difficult to see unless you have a proper background where they will show up. In other words on a white piece, you'd need a dark background for the letters to show up, and vice versa.

For the first piece I figured the foundation chain working from the bottom of the word to the top, horizontally. In most of the other pieces I worked from one end of the word to the other, vertically (from the shortest width), and finished one letter at a time. In other words, for Louisiana I turned the chart on its side and worked the "L", then the "O" etc., rather than working the graph from the bottom up for the entire word if that makes sense. This made it easier to keep track of where I was. I don't know if this made any real difference in the finished work.

For the year 2012 I worked the year vertically with one number on top of the other. The other words are horizontal, with the letters placed side by side, but the placement could be either way, depending on where it fit. I just worked it vertically.

As I worked the charts, the light bulb finally went off over my head and I decided to create an alphabet chart where I could just pull the letters from the chart. I used block letters because that was the easiest for me to create myself. I'm sure there are all sorts of alphabets available online and in books, but I wanted to make my own. Admittedly there are only so many ways to make an "E".

Since I wanted this to be a useful afghan for wrapping up in, I felt it would be sturdier to do solid blocks for the majority of the ghan and open blocks to make up the designs.
 
The ghan is winging its way to the recipient. Hope he likes it!

I got a small surprise the other day when my nephew sent me a photo of two afghans I made for him. One was made when I was pregnant and bedridden almost 22 years ago. The other was made even earlier. I didn't photograph all the things I made at that time so this was a great surprise.

The one on the left was Vanna's Choice, the pattern designed by Vanna White. I remember the other one but can't remember where the pattern was. I'm sure it's in a magazine somewhere because I didn't have Internet then. I will have to find it - yes, I probably still have it. You don't throw away crochet magazines!

What's on my hook? yo-yos. I will be making hundreds of yo-yos. Mindless work. Just the kind I like! :-)

Happy crocheting!
Sandie

Jean and Rita

I am busily crocheting "words" in filet crochet for a special young man's graduation gift. However, as often happens to me, I got sidetracked by a query from a visitor to my Facebook page. As also often happens, I got sidetracked from THAT query and ended up re-reading many blog posts about crochet great Jean Leinhauser who passed away in June of 2011. I read many articles but these stood out to me so I thought I'd share them. Of particular interest is the first, which is an actual interview with Jean

Crochet Insider - Dora Ohrenstein interviews Jean Leinhauser

Leisure Arts tribute (Jean started LA in 1971) with a photo (the video leads to a bad link)
Lion Brand tribute

Rita Weiss and Jean Leinhauser were partners in many successful endeavors, including Creative Partners. (That web site front page says copyright 2008 so I don't know if it is active or what Rita Weiss is currently doing.)

Jean will certainly be missed, but I'm sure Rita will keep her half of that dynamic duo sharing wonderful things in the crochet world.


Happy crocheting!
Sandie

hooks

I was an unhappy camper when I was crocheting along and *ouch* a sliver of aluminum from my hook went into my thumb. I got out my emery board and sanded it a little, hoping that would take care of the problem. It was where the size is on the thumb rest. I've never had that happen before, but this is the hook I use most. I guess they don't last "forever".

As you know, I love crochet hooks and have quite a nice collection of them, but I do have my favorites. :-)

I happened across this article in my e-mail which shows the parts of a hook.
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/getting-hooked-on-crocheting.html



The link was given in a different article about the Etimo hook. I have a few Etimo hooks. I haven't used them much, but I do like the feel of the handle. I generally like a longer shaft on my hooks. When the handle is thick I use the knife hold to work and it's not as fast as my pencil hold. But it's no fun to get a sliver of anything in your finger though, so I'll b watching my well-used hooks closely.

Do you have a favorite hook? Beware I might get hook-envy and decide I must have one just like it! LOL Crochet with Dee posts pictures of her hooks in her new blog Dee's Hooks and Stitches. I love looking at them and want one of everything she shows. I created a similar blog of my own, but have not put anything in it yet. I have so many hooks. That could keep me busy for some time to come. Guess I need to get that project going, huh?

Well, that is all for now, though certainly not all I can say about hooks. LOL

Happy crocheting!
Sandie

filet crochet

Yes, I'm still into filet crochet! LOL I'm planning to do a video tutorial on the method, but am waiting for a special cable to come in so I can move my camera further from the TV. I get feedback now in the form of a high pitched whine. *holds hands over ears*

In any case, I'm still making pieces. I would never have thought I'd get so into this method of crochet. I've known how to do it for years, but just never was inspired to delve further than making the tutorial at http://www.crochetcabana.com/specialty/filet_crochet.htm .

There are a few basic things you need to decide before starting a filet piece. These can be done in any order. This is just how I thought of them.

You need to decide if you will work with thread or yarn.

Then you need to decide if you are going to use a 3 dc mesh or a 4 dc mesh. I prefer 3 because I don't like a large hole. That is because I work with yarn, not thread. With thread, it wouldn't matter as much. 3 dc mesh (block or square)   means each mesh or block will use 3 stitches which will be either 3 dc or (dc, ch 1, dc).

Then you need to decide on a pattern. You can use just about any chart designed for filet or cross-stitch or make your own. To make the chart I am using now, I just made a table in Microsoft Word and put x where I wanted my design. You can use Excel or a photo program or even graph paper. Whatever works for you. There are programs out there that can take your photo and make a chart for you, too. I don't have that, however, so I used what I had. I like to add numbers to remind me what row/column I'm on as well. However, best to make sure you're DONE with your design before adding numbers as changing them afterwards is a pain.

Then you need to decide if you are going to use the open mesh or the closed block to make your design.

Some folks like to work with a triple crochet. This is fine. However, some pictures will not come out the same if you use a different type of stitch than the pattern suggests. That is because a triple crochet is taller than a double but the chain between the stitches remains the same size. So when you make (dc, ch 1, dc) it will end up a different height than (tr, ch 1, tr).

Below is a fleur-de-lis I made using a pattern designed for me by my daughter. I decided to use the open mesh to make my pattern. This is a 3 dc mesh. See where that tail is at the top? That is where I ran out of yarn, almost at the end. :-( I did not have a specific use in mind for the square but still ... For this pattern it doesn't matter in which direction you read the chart as it is symmetrical. In a non-symmetrical pattern, it is important to read the pattern chart right to left on odd rows and left to right on even rows.

To remember where I am in the pattern, I use two highlighters, a green and a pink. I mark each row as I finish it. Sometimes I mark as I go along if it is a lot of changes.

Here is the piece I finished last night. Remember when I did Austin for my niece's afghan a while back? I decided to use that same type of charting to make this one. Since it is worked in black, you can't see the individual stitches in the photo, but you can read the name. A disadvantage to filet is that you have to have a suitable background to be able to see the design.

For this afghan, the plan is to make a few filet pieces that relate to the recipient and supplement that with squares or ... something. It's just a general plan. LOL

Today is certainly a good day for crocheting as it is storming outside right now.

Oh, I guess I will also mention that figuring your foundation chain correctly is important too. That was confusing to me at first, but I think I have it down now.

What I do is count the number of blocks I need. I multiply that times 2, then add either 3 if my first block is solid, or 4 if my first block is open. That is my foundation chain for a 3 dc mesh.

While working the piece if there are a bunch of solid blocks in a row, you can figure how many stitches you need in the same way. Number of blocks x 2 plus 1.

The reason these are tricky is that if you have two blocks side by side they share one stitch. So 2 blocks would be 5 stitches, not 6. 2 x 2 = 4 + 1 = 5. Just remember that and easy peasy.

Good luck!

Happy crocheting!
Sandie