In search of the perfect roundel

When I started crocheting I told myself it would be an AGE before I actually MADE anything. It was a psychological trick that, for me, paid off. It took the pressure off, you see, and I just doodled around with the hook and the yarns, producing a basket full of messy little shapes and patterns, ends sticking out everywhere.

My first successful project was the popcorn square cushion cover I gave my mum. I followed the pattern to the letter - which was an excellent exercise in itself, and I only made a 'front'. It was a huge effort to make 9 whole squares the same and a real challenge to join them. I stitched the finished 9 to an existing plain cushion cover. I was pleased and my mum was delighted. But thereal effort had been in the COMPLETION of something of sufficient quality to be able to give it away.

HOWEVER, It was suggested to me as a prospective teacher of crochet that a lot of people, unlike me would prefer to be able to produce a finished object at the earliest stage of their learning. So with that in mind I have been thinking about things you can make with the most basic of crochet skills, and there are zillions of course! This comes with a warning though! If you don't know many stitches you are obliged to repeat and repeat the ones you do, which some might find rather tedious until they are faster at it. I know I would have. Impatient and petulant by nature, the thing I enjoy most of all is trying out NEW stitches, NOT going over the same ones! So if you are grown up you are probably more than happy to continue to work at perfecting your existing repertoire before moving onto the more complex stitches and will be more than happy to plug away until you have produced a half decent OBJECT.

ANYWAY, lately I've returned to the most basic of crochet stitches - the double crochet (or single crochet if you're in the US) and have been trying to make FINISHED, USEFUL, DESIRABLE objects using only that stitch and the chain, with no sewing and very little weaving in of ends. This has lead to an excellent exercise in focussing on the finer details. I've finally taken the time to MASTER the crocheting of a flat disk with no frilling or curling (ok, minimal then - and nothing a bit of blocking can't iron out at the end!) mostly by re-reading instructions and advice already at my disposal. I've also solved the problem of joining each row neatly and producing a straight and (almost) invisible line of joins as the disk grows.

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Finally, I've developed my own technique for stiffening the bowls and pots I've created after getting the hang of these niceties of crocheting in the round.

1st February 2011

Well, I finally got my magazine back and can now get back to the gentle pace and relaxation of watching my cardigan grow! In the meantime I've been quite busy. I've made two little boxes. One's cube shaped, the other is round. I wanted to design something that can be made by an absolute beginner who only knows the basic double crochet stitch (or single if you're from the US).

I shall be publishing the patterns on my site in due course.

January Hitches

Well the Christmas frenzy is now over and I have discovered a new magazine for crocheters. It's called Inside Crochet and I picked it up in Sainsbury's! I'm making the cardigan that's on the front. Well, I say AM making.... I WAS making it until I went and left it in the waiting room at my son's music therapy session. Well that would be OK except the therapist has gone on a two week course so I'm having to wait THREE weeks to continue it. It was going great guns as well! I have to say DESPITE the pattern which left a few accuracy issues to be desired. I guess with magazines their checking time isn't as generous as with books. So my hot tip is BEWARE patterns in magazines for several reasons!

Well, Christmas is coming, isn't it?

Yes, I've already made a little something for my dad (I'm trusting that he won't read this!)
and I'm partway through a couple of other woolly winter accessories for other members of my family. I'm using chunky chunky yarn and the objects are working up very quickly indeed.
One of them I'm using the simplest of single crochet stitches in an attempt to create a pattern for absolute beginners.
Pictures after Christmas!

October 2010

I've been really inspired by the Folk Lore theme happening at the moment. I've loved it since I began to develop a bit of a thing about Sweden and visited Carl Larsson's museum home in Falun. But I also love that Andean look with all the mad patterns and colours thrown in together. But finally I saw this Autumn's Rowan knitting pattern book with the most FABULOUS picture on the font and one or two lovely crochet patterns inside and I decided to give myself free rein with the stitches and make a 'fair isle' type scarf with all the folksy colours I love.

Working hard to finish it before the weather gets seriously cold!

The other thing I'm in the middle of (apart from building this website and writing the book reviews!) is writing my very first pattern for a simple hat I've made. I want to write some more as I've made a couple of things now that are my own designs. They'll all go up on the site as soon as they're done!