Hatin' on the Hook

I just don't get it. I don't understand why some knitters have such a passionate hate for crocheting. Okay, so you don't enjoy the craft but what is up with the animosity?

I receive Knitting Daily a newsletter by Interweave Press. They give tips and patterns for mostly knitting but also for crochet. Well, for one issue Kim Werker, the editor of Interweave Crochet wrote about crochet. The way some knitters reacted to an article about crochet you would have thought Kim was writing in favor of rape or something. It was mean and hateful and frankly rather childish. They were offended and angry that Knitting Daily would dare include crochet in its contents. Never mind this is a free newsletter and is basically meant to be an advertisement for all things Interweave Press, they were downright pissed off the the "C" word was even mentioned.

Okay, so you don't like a craft, so what. I don't particularly like knitting but I don't hate it, it is just not my thing. I am not going to demonize it or anyone who mentions it around me. I guess its part of a spoiled brat attitude to think that if you don't like something you should never have to hear about it or see it and if you do its okay to throw a temper tantrum.

I really have to stop reading the comment sections of blogs and articles. This is the second time I have written about the comment section. I constantly find myself disappointed in the intelligence levels of so many people who feel the need to leave comments. I realize not every knitter is a foolish as those I am speaking of, but its never the rational people who leave an impression.

Back on the Hook

I am back to crocheting again, not as much as I used to because my hands are hurting, but its something. I am working on a notepad cover out of Patons SWS that I am going to felt. Every once in a while I see an artists set that consists of a blank paper notepad, colored pencils, in a fabric cover of some sort. I am jealous and wonder why they don't make those kinds of goodies for writers? So I am making my own. It is striping nicely in colors that remind me of the ocean. I will probably line it as well. And since I rearranged my storage and can get to my yarn/fabric stash, I won't have to buy anything. I am hoping that two skeins of yarn will be enough because, much to my disappointment, I don't have enough money to buy more. I also hope I get more cash soon, I only have five 18-gallon tubs of yarn to last me in the meantime.

I am also working on designing a square for a contest that Red Heart and Crochet Today! magazine are having. I am having some issues with it so far. Including having to scrap my first idea because I can't do a gauge swatch to save my life. I went through the trouble of doing one, calculated sts per row and how many rows to get the size block I wanted. I was going to do a picture block, but when I started crocheting the block it was a good two inches too long! I decided to crochet another swatch right on top of the long piece and guess what? The short swatch is the same as the first one I did. So, evidently I crochet differently for a short piece than I do for a larger piece. I knew I hated doing swatches.

Anyway, I am doing a different block now. I've hit a few snags there, but I'm still at it.

I am also doing charity stuff again for preemie babies. I've finished a few pairs of booties and a hat and they are tragically adorable. So tiny. Even smaller than I thought they would be because the pattern I am working from is for the tiniest of the tiny.

I would like to introduce you to Toria, my best friend's daughter and my favorite five year old. Don't worry those are washable markers, but you should have seen the looks we got at the bookstore as Toria 'painted' her face. Sorry about the picture quality, I used my phone to take the picture.

Isn't she adorable? She doesn't always look like that, but I can't get any other pictures to upload today. Maybe next time. Until then,

Blessings
Agate

Hellooo! Is anyone still out there?

It's been awhile hasn't it? A lot happened since May. I got a new job, that I commute to. My Dad died during one very dramatic and painful Sunday in June. Then in October, not only to help my mom pay bills, but so Grandma wouldn't have to live alone anymore, she and I moved in with Mom and Erica, my sister. It's a three bedroom house. I sleep in the living room. But we are dealing with it all and seem to be adjusting.

I haven't done much of anything the past 7 months, except work. Not a lot of writing or crafting, though I manage to get a little in. I don't even get to see people very much, people as in friends, rather than acquaintances. But i am trying to get back in the groove.

I am writing in short bursts, carrying notepaper folded in my pocket during work hours, scribbling bits during breaks. Its not as much as I was doing before last June, but I'll get there.

ANd I found another charity to craft for. It's called The Preemie Project, I really liked making the preemie hats for Save the Children on 06' so I thought I would do it again. If nothing else, it may keep me from wallowing in my own grief and do something for someone with more immediate problems.

So I am back and plan on once again chronicling my life, whether or not anyone is around to read it.

Blessings to all,
Agate

A quick update

I tried doing a post a couple weeks ago about a purse I made for my mom, but for some reason I am having issues with the pictures. So for now, no pics, but I have been crocheting.

I made the purse for my mom from Lion Suede yarn in Mocha and Patons Brilliant in Gold Glow. I added some gold cloissonne beads and a magnatic clasp. There are also three flowers made from the gold glow. Its real pretty so I hope I'll be able to fix the picture problem and show you. I also made a skinny scarf for her out of the leftover yarn. I still need to add beads to it, but the crocheting is finished. And though the weather is wrong for it now, I used some novelty yarns, Bernat Bling-Bling in a blue color and Bernat Boa in white, to make a scarf for her. The blue is done in granny squares and edged with the boa. My mom likes the furry, fluffy scarves and requested a wider one than the others I have made for her. The scarves are part of her Mother's Day gift this year.

I made a goddess shaped doll, amigurumi style, but I'm not sure I like it, so it needs to be redesigned. Maybe I'll post a picture of it as a before to the finished design.

I bought an xxl man's shirt in a pretty aqua-blue color. I crocheted a flowered trim in brown Cool Crochet yarn and made a v neck for it (I hate those tight collars) I did a few other alterations. I haven't taken a picture of it yet.

I bought the above T-shirt because it matches the blue yarn I am making a shawl out of. I am also using a variegated brown and blue yarn I am using. It's not near done yet, but I was working on it last night.

Well, that's it for now. I'll try to get pictures posted next time, I just didn't feel like messing with it today.

Blessings
Agate

I'm an inspiration

Okay, so Grandma's flower garden is an ispiration, but hey, I'll go with it. On the Granny Along blog, in My Copycat Square, Sherri really liked my flower garden square and is mimicking it. It's not exact because she is using the regular square center instead of the eight armed one I did, but I'm still just giddy and honored. I love it when people like my stuff.

Blessings,
Agate

It is done!!!

It is finished. It took me until five minutes before I gave it to her to do it, but it is done. A few things before I show you the pictures. The yellow is really a pale baby yellow, not the orangey color I see on my screen. The light green isn't so yellow, its like the green of new leaves, and that isn't black, it's dark green.



This isn't the best picture of it, but it is the only complete view I managed to get. This one looks better.



Most of the blanket is done in basic Red Heart acrylic, and old acrylic at that, ten or more years old, so some of it has that crunchy feel. So I did the border in softer yarns. (Remember: I am working from my stash and couldn't afford to buy anything else, and it had to be washable anyway) I used a K hook for the squares, and an L hook for the border, creating a wavy and soft edge. The first row is TLC, the second row is a pale yellow Baby Teri (Red Heart, and the outer edge is white Baby Teri.



I wanted to add lots of flowers to it, but since I ran out of time (if my hands hadn't bothered me for that week I could have) but I did add a few. Along the edge of the blanket (before the border) I placed small flowers where three squares come together and reinforced those corners. Then on the four corners of a large center square (formed by four smaller squares) I placed the four larger flowers. Then in the center are three small flowers in a cluster.






I was very pleased with how it turned out. Grandma always complains when we get her things because she doesn't think she needs anything, so when she started opening the bag, she was also starting to complain. She stopped in mid complaint, smiled and said "Oooh". Then she spread it over her and hugged it. It was the best reaction I could ever get. Last I saw it, it was on her bed, hope it stays there because with her memory she'll forget about it if it gets put in the closet (for example the quilt I made for her a few years ago)

My tax money came, not a lot, but considering I haven't had any extra money for months, it was a windfall. I went to Sacramento to hang with Kindra. We went to Barnes and Noble and Michaels this is what I got.



Ah, new crochet magazines to look at and a ball of pretty yarn. The yarn is Patons Rumor in Spanish Heather. It is an Alpaca, acrylic, and polyester mix that is dark grey and a red that ranges from burgandy to bright red to a dark rose. Kindra was talking about making a hat from the Interweave Crochet magazine. She'll have to make it little bigger because regular size hats are always just a tad too small and she wants a new spring hat. I might turn the Rumor into a hat as well, maybe something a little lacy. The yarn is thick and dark and not what most people consider "springy", but I like dark muted colors and I wear a lot of black and red (and not just at work) so I am looking forward to creating a new hat. I don't do a lot things from the patterns in magazines, mostly because I have trouble getting my swatch to match theirs, but there were a couple shirt patterns I liked that I think I'll try. You'll know if I do.

Blessings,
Agate

Racing to the finish

I am in a rush to finish Grandma's blanket. No, I did not procratinate. I have problems with my hands and my back. I think I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (I don't know this for sure because when I went to my doctor to find out, he told me I didn't have AIDS. Yeah, it was a terribly helpful trip. I knew I didn't have AIDS, I still don't know for sure if I have CTS) and when I fell down at work about a year and half ago, I hurt some part of my back that when it has problems, makes my hands hurt even worse than the CTS. Well, by the end of Wednesday's crocheting my right forefinger was begining to go numb at the tips. So I put away the crochet, iced my wrists and put on my braces. That usually eases the CTS syptoms. Not this time. The numbness began to extend down the side of my forefinger and got overly sensitive (I know it sounds weird, but the sensation is a mix of numbness and pain, sort of like pins and needles, but a little different). Since nothing helped, I figured it was because of my back, which I can do very little about. So, I had to not crochet for awhile because it hurt too much. I also took it easy at work, which is the general cause of my back having problems.

Well, the effort at work helped and I can crochet again. So it's frantic time for the blanket because I have about a week left to finish.



The pic shows the four finished squares I had last night, but I have finished five more while on the Interent this morning (yes, my computer and hook up is that slow). I started on a sixth, but my fingers are a little achy so I am resting for a little while. It does mean however, I will be working on them at Grandma's, even though I did not want to do that. I decided not to do the beige yarn around the bright green (which is brighter than the picture shows and that dark row is dark green not black, I couldn't improve the color in the pic) I didn't like the way the beige looked next to the yellow. I've decided the bright green is okay because if you go outside with the new growth on trees and bushes, the new stuff is the same bright green next to the same dark green. So it works just fine.



I also finally made something with my handspun yarn. It's a little wrist bag. The strap buttons to the purse at one end so I can also wear it from my belt loop. I also still have yarn left, so Kindra, who was upset when I told her that she didn't get the first item made from my new yarn, will get a similar bag, sans the beads though, I don't have enought left.



I thought I'd show you the candle cozy I made a few years ago.



This was for a spring celebration Kindra and I did. It is spiderweb lace with flowers and leaves attached. The yellow cord hanging down is actually the tie that laces up the back of the cozy so it can go around even wider candles. Pretty huh?. Lots of work though, I am not used to crochet thread projects.




Blessings,
Agate