Almost Crafty

When I crocheted that dishcloth a couple of weeks ago, to keep my fingers busy while watching TV during a round of the not-quite-sick-blahs, I never imagined that I would be setting out to create an entire blanket just a couple of weeks later.

This crafting thing, it’s freaky.  It takes over my brain.  And my fingers.

In my last post, I mentioned that I had gone to Joann’s and purchased some of every color of CottonEase they had available (except white - it was too white, somehow).   I already had 2 balls of “Lake” at home, so the entire bounty of CottonEase looked like this:

Wow.  That’s 10 colors, right there (terracotta, lime, stone, charcoal, lake, almond, taupe, maize, violet and berry).

On Saturday afternoon, I started with Panel 1 of the pattern - a 12 round square.  It took me the rest of the day to finish it.

Then on Sunday, I didn’t do much at all except crochet squares.  By the time I finally stopped myself that night, I had completed panels 2 and 3.  By the time I was finishing the last 2 2-round squares, I was hunched over, getting a cramp in my hand.  I didn’t mean to get so crazed (”Must. Finish. Two. More.”), it just kind of happened.

Here’s the final result of my obsessive hooking over the weekend:

What you can sort of see in this picture is that I’m trying to weave in my ends as I go along.  I managed the first 3 big squares, but then got a little obsessive about crocheting and didn’t bother on the smaller squares on the bottom row.  But before I started the next panel on Monday night, I made sure to weave in the ends of the other squares.  Now, I won’t start a new square until the ends are woven in on the previous.  So far it’s working.  If it stops working, I may have to offer myself treats in the form of chocolate.

I think I said in an earlier post “I wish CottonEase came in more colors.”  Ha!  As it turns out, I’m having a really hard time choosing which colors to use at any given time.  I’m starting to just feel the yarn skeins to see which ones I’ve used more or less, and then use the ones that feel “fuller.”  It’s not very scientific, but I think it’s keeping me from over-using certain colors.

At one point last night, I made a really pretty square, and kind of wished I had only used those three colors to make the entire blanket (stone, taupe and berry).  I briefly considered just starting over.  This thought lingered about 3 seconds before being shoved into the back of my brain.  I’m too far in.  I want to see what I end up with, even if it turns out to be a hot mess due to my lack of ability to put these colors together in pleasing combinations.

Panel 4 should be finished by the weekend.  Onward!

This weekend, it was sunny, and it didn’t snow.

For those of you not living through The World’s Longest, Coldest, Grayest Winter, Ever, (Seriously, Ever), this may not be a big deal. But for those of us who are  living through The World’s Longest, Coldest, Grayest Winter, Ever, (Seriously, Ever) this was a very big deal.

What does a girl do on a sunny, non-snowy Saturday during TWLCGWE(SE)?  She rents the Zipcar and goes to her local Joann’s Superstore.

I’ve been meaning to go to Joann for what seems like months now, but I refuse to drive in the snow if I absolutely don’t have to.  And since, for me, trips to big-box craft stores don’t really count as “have to” trips,  I’ve been putting this off for awhile.

When I started this new site, I was sure that I wanted to do more sewing.  There’s just one glitch in those plans.  My sewing nook is small and sits in the corner of our den.  Our den is built over the front porch of our house.  This means that the floor of the den gets very very very cold, as there is nothing underneath it except the ice cold air during this, TWLCGWE(SE).  So sewing has been put on the back burner for now, until it warms up a little and I can sew without risking my feet turning into blocks of ice.

However, I did score something sewing related (at 40% off!) that makes me feel like an honest to goodness crafter.

My very own rotary cutting set, complete with rotary cutter, ruler and self-healing cutting surface.  I’m thrilled beyond measure.  It’s definitely a starter kit, but I think that’s all I need right now.  I’m still petrified of quilting, but I like to make little bags and wallets, so I think this will suit my purposes just fine.

I did come home with something else:

That’s every color of CottonEase that was available at the store.  Yes, it’s true.

I am making a Babette Blanket.  I started this weekend, and will have project pictures tomorrow.

This is insane.  I’m crocheting a blanket.  Me, the girl who can’t even commit to knitting a sweater.

I think the sunlight got to me.  I still can’t really believe it.

I have no idea what that title means.  I just know it’s all crochet, all the time around these parts.  Or at least it was over President’s Day weekend.

After my success with the dishcloth, and my intense love of the Babette Blanket, I pulled out my one and only crochet instructional book: Stitch ‘N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker.  I did a few rows of actual, real single, half-double and double crochet and got the hang of it in no time.

From there, I figured I’d tackle crocheting in a circle.  On Saturday morning, I attempted to follow the directions to make a simple motif.

My first try was a little… off.  Heh.  Keep in mind, this was supposed to be a square:

I tried again, and it worked out much better.  That’s Cascade 220, my go to “learning” yarn on the left, and Cotton-Ease on the right.  I haven’t worked with Cotton-Ease too much, and wanted to see how it felt.  It felt great, but was a little splitty.

Then I tried a square from the Babette blanket, and tried changing colors to see how that worked.  They’re a little wonky, but I was still getting the hang of it:

Then, I sat in front of the TV to watch “Oceans 12″ and tried an 8-round Babette blanket square, switching colors every 2 rounds, using some more spare Cascade 220. 

This was not a success.  First, I used a larger hook, and didn’t like the gauge I got.  Also, I was a little willy nilly at the corners, starting in different places after the increases, which gave it a pinwheel effect.  Finally, my “joins” were off at the ends of rounds.  I persevered, though, because the movie was good and I was comfortable on the couch and I didn’t feel like ripping out and starting over.  Good excuse, right?

Last night, I tried again.  I stuck with one color, and paid close attention at the corners and at the start of new rounds.  I went down a hook size as well, which helped.  I think the results were MUCH better:

Phew!  Here’s what I’ve learned: 

- Crocheting in circles is not scary.

- Because crochet allows you to stick your hook in anywhere and keep going, you have to be doubly sure you’re sticking your hook in the right place.  Unlike knitting, which is (for the most part) much more linear.

- I love Cascade 220, even more than I thought I did.  I wish I could make a blanket out of it, but I know my wool-loving cats would tear it to shreds in no time.

- I don’t mind working with Cotton-Ease, but I wish it came in more colors, because I believe this might be a great cat-friendly alternative to wool. 

- Now that I’ve mastered crocheting in circles, I’ll proably move onto something new this weekend, because I have the attention span of a fruit fly.  We’ll see!