March 13, 2010
One
I wanted to quickly share with you the first (and so far only) potholder I finished:
The pattern details are here.
I love it! It took a lot of blocking (hot steam from the iron) to get the front to straighten out and become a perfect square. I hope it stays that way with use!
I've run into one issue while crocheting this pattern: because the front and back are both solidly-colored, it's not possible to use yarn scraps of various colors. Even partial skeins have to be quite substantial to last all the way - about 30 grams of each color. I'm trying to limit myself to my stash of Tahki Cotton Classic as much as I can, and I've arranged a few trades on Ravelry to supplement what I have in matching dye lots. But I will need to buy a few new skeins as well. Not necessarily a bad thing :).
March 09, 2010
(e) None of the above
I was very impatient while auditioning patterns for this year's crocheted potholders swap (on Ravelry, on Flickr). I just wanted to pick something and get moving! The deadline is March 27th!!! (Oh my God, I thought it was March 31st until just now when I went to double-check. It's even sooner than I thought! Eeeeeek!)
Five potholders, front and back (plus last-minute runs to the yarn shop, plus blocking, plus tags, plus photos...) is not something I can whip up in a weekend, unfortunately. I only wish I was that fast with a crochet hook. I felt a ping of pain for every pattern I tested which ended up on the chopping block. Tick-tock-tick-tock, every second is precious.
But despite this, I couldn't bring myself to settle on something "meh," nor did I consider dropping out. Any time I think, "Maybe I can't do it this year," I just look at the potholders I got in the swap the last time around. Hello. I still love you.
With that in mind, I lined up some excellent potential patterns, which I listed in my last post. What made them excellent, in my mind, is a combination of prettiness and a near guarantee that they would work in my hands (no time to waste, see above). And while I gave many of them a go, at the end I settled on something completely unexpected.
Meet motif #6 from a Japanese book called "Handmade Crochet Book." I purchased my copy here on eBay. The store, Pomadour's Craft Café, has an amazing selection
of Japanese crafting books and supplies. I've always been very pleased with the customer service, too.
My choice of a potholder pattern from this book was completely unexpected because the book was originally purchased for the purpose of crocheting this beautiful scarf I saw on Posie Gets Cozy. But after trying a number of potholder patterns without an "a-ha!" moment, I suddenly remembered, "Hey, didn't that scarf book have some interesting potholders?" Ta-da!
Please pardon our wrinkles; we aren't yet blocked.
The pattern is lovely, delicate, and simple. I only need a chart for the first few rounds. After that, the rounds build upon one another in a very logical way. This is especially helpful because I've had to add 3 additional rounds to meet the minimum swap size requirement (6") - piece of cake.
For the back I'm using an old standby from the 2009 swap: Solid Square (#149) from 200 Crochet Blocks
And now that I've settled on a pattern, I will crochet like a maniac! The deadline awaits! Onward!
March 06, 2010
What I'm doing this weekend
I am using this tutorial to shorten a separating zipper, so I can finish the striped baby sweater from a few posts ago (here's a sneak peek of the beauty to be!).
It's actually not that complicated! Who knew?!? (Though I feel a bit like a dentist.)
I am corralling my Tahki Cotton Classic leftovers from the 2009 Crocheted Hot Pads and Potholders Swap, so I can participate in the 2010 edition (on Ravelry, on Flickr).
The deadline is near, so I don't have a lot of time to muck around. I'm contemplating the following patterns:
- Tried to look pretty potholder, after seeing Lauren's.
- Circle of Friends hexagon, crocheted by kelp! (I actually don't know the source of the pattern, I should ask Kelly)
- Your nana's potholders designed by the Crochet Mistress herself, Maryse.
- Stir Me Up Potholders designed by Mintyfresh Erin. The spiral lover in me is drawn to these like a fly to a light (though my current selection of Tahki Cotton Classic is not super conducive to making pretty versions of these, I think).
- The gazillion different patterns in 200 Crochet Blocks
(but I'm trying to stay away, because I inevitably get sucked in, and try way too many options).
I am trying to find a friend for this beautiful yarn (Madelinetosh tosh sock in Magenta), so I can knit the gorgeous Transition Gloves. I had seen the pattern before, but my interest heightened tremendously after Grace at the Kathryn Ivy blog knit these gorgeous ones.
I'm having a hard time picking something that will make a nice contrast, but won't be white/cream!
I am working on two FO posts :).
How about you?
