A bookmark!

Why did I suddenly feel the need to make a bookmark?  Simple answer is because I was running out of them in my stash!!

Why was I running out?  Simple answer is because my neighbour has bought some to give as presents to her friends!!!

I think one of my favourite patterns is this one.   I know it's popular with other people too as I found a stolen copy of it in a Russian book once.  They'd taken the pdf file off my site, whitened out the hyperlinks and my name and published it.  Flattering but it would've been nice if they'd asked first.

I've decided that this bookmark won't be added to my stash of gifts but will, instead, be given to the lady who gave me the threads last Friday.  As I'm going to see her this morning I can't think of a better way to start the day.

You're not going to believe this!!!

I'm not lying  but this is the finished left front to my waistcoat!!!!  

Yes it's curled and curled into a tube like structure!!!  I've looked at numerous suggestions using Mr Google on how to straighten this up and I'm hoping that somebody can suggest the best way they've found.  

The yarn is acrylic.  

So, this is a summary of my search

"The best method to block acrylic yarn is with heat, no matter if the piece is knit or crochet. The heat makes the fibers more susceptible to straightening out. Steam blocking or blocking with a hair dryer yield similar results. Acrylic yarn can be blocked, and depending on the project, should always be blocked."

All comments welcome as I'm going to knit the other (right) front before I start straightening things out!!!  Maybe a little heat applied to BC3 may help in future projects?

A lovely present

One of the lovely ladies at the Friday knitting group gave me these balls of thread last week.  

I've never used this brand before but aren't the colours yummy?

I'm going to try tatting with them but if I don't get on well with that then I'm going to use them for crochet.  

I can see some little Amigarumi creatures being created over the winter!!!  I still find mice round the house that I've made over the years.  My problem with 'stuff' I've made is that as soon as they're finished I don't want to part with them for a while.  They get put away and then forgotten.  Periodically I have a look through my boxes full of tatting in the cupboard and have a session of giving the bits away.  Trouble is I need to give a LOT more away or I'm going to get swamped!!!

I looked up Freccia to see what it was exactly and this is a quote from one site.

"Anchor Freccia 12 is ever popular within the crochet community, and it's not hard to see why. This fabulous high quality 3 ply mercerised cotton combines softness with strength, with a delicate sheen on each strand. Available in an incredible selection of over over 80 solid shades and over 30 multicoloured shades, each 50g ball of Freccia 12 boasts a generous 285 metres of yarn. Great for crocheters of every skill level, Freccia 12 is ideal for home decoration projects and accessories, as well as for delicate baby garments.

Please note - While this yarn does have a 3-plied-strand structure, this is not a 3ply yarn. Numbered crochet thread gets thinner as the number gets higher, with No.6 being the thickest while No.25 is the thinnest."

Hat finished

Well that was a challenge!!!  Now HOW can a simple hat be a challenge?  Well I assure you it can when you're ruled by a BC3!!!

Everything was hunky dory until I got to the crown and the decreasing.  I honestly couldn't get my head round the destructions.  I think I started the decreasing three times before the penny dropped!!!!  

Now I have a hat with 'almost' matching gloves.  The hat is in double knitting yarn and the gloves are four ply.

Thanks to Mary J’s comment on this blog post I’ve looked into this method which I’ll be trying next time. IF there is a next time after my hassles with this hat!!!!  It's the magic loop knitting method.

I've heard of and used (with great success) the magic loop with starting a crochet pattern but had never heard of this idea of knitting in the round with one circular needle.  Last Friday I joined the knitting group who meet at the coffee shop by the train station on a Friday morning.  I mentioned this idea to one of the ladies and she said she'd bring a piece she's knitting using this method in with her next week.  Such a smashing and friendly group.