The Hooks in My Life.... part 1

I have oodles of crochet hooks. Some work for me, some don't. Thought I'd take some time and share with you my thoughts.

This one was a gift. The information on the hook says "Accento Craft Inc, Handy Hook".

It's a size K, which is a size I don't use often. It does require a bit of getting used to, and I wouldn't necessarily say that it causes less 'tiring' of my hand. My guess is that it is probably very comfortable for a "pencil grip" person. But I'm a knifer. It's fun to look at though!

Several years ago, I went through a phase where I decided I needed to have cute, fun and fancy hooks.
Here are a few I ordered from eBay sellers. I don't remember who I bought them from, sorry. As you can see, 2 were customized with my EweDevil sheepie of the time. 2 of these hooks have a bit of a squish to them & are marked with "JY 305". The other is a harder, polymer clay (I think). Although, this little sheep has lost it's head & horns :( But it's quite comfortable to work with.


For the "Ooo, Fun!" factor, I bought this hook that lights up. Yes. There is a little led light in the handle that shines through the clear hook. It is another size K, so is rarely out. And honestly, I tried working with this once during a movie (we were at home, don't throw popcorn!). It was more annoying than helpful, for me. They are called "Crochet Lite" and are made by Clover, but aren't on the website.


And my purty hooks:

Ooops, looks like a plain one snuck into the picture... It is 10" long and has "Size 15" stamped in it. It is one of the hooks from my grandma's collection.
So the fancy hand-turned hooks are from Jimbo's Front Porch. They are a pleasure to behold and have a great hand. However, for me, not really useful. They have a bit of a Susan Bates hook, and I'm a Boye hook type. Unsure of what I mean by that? Tune in tomorrow for more on hooks!

Slipped Shawlette

I saw a post (sorry I don't remember where) a while back on a slipped stitch beanie. And thought to myself "wow, that's pretty cool". And moved on, leaving this concept to linger in the back of mind.

A few weeks ago I made this gorgeous shawlette, the Multnomah By Kate Flagg, the body is knit in garter stitch with a feather and fan edge. I love garter stitch. The look. The squish. The easy, rhythmic stitching.

I sat wishing I could make something similar in crochet.
And then, yep- you got it!, Aha! That slip stitch beanie!
I knew exactly the right yarn from my stash.
It was magical. I grabbed a hook, and started. Changed hooks. Changed hooks again.
Changed hooks again. Again. Closer, but changed again.
And finally - okay, so magical was a bit embellished, whatever, the process was still sparkly in my mind so I'm leaving it in.



My first independently published pattern is for sale.
Slipped Shawlette





It is $3.00 HERE

I'm very excited about it. I love love this little shawl and will be making another for myself in a bamboo for the spring & summer months.
I hope you enjoy it and please make sure to send me pictures if you make it!

Chainlink 2010

Ohmagosh, this is shameful. I really haven't posted in HOW long?

Here is a post that has been hanging out as a "draft"- shameful.

Where to even begin!?

Honestly, I just don't even know. What an absolutely amazing time!

It all began when I met Karen Ratto-Whooley at the airport in Baltimore, MD.

I'm certain I looked like a total stalker, 'cuz I kept looking at her across the gate area thinking, "that's Karen Whooley! I know it.." I was, of course, way too chicken to approach her, until she pulled out her yarn! That was the only invitation I needed :)

She was so wonderful. I sat next to her on the plane and we crocheted & chatted. Then she waited at the airport with me while I filled out all the paperwork that had to be done because my luggage did not come in on the plane with me. Yes, seriously. Luckily, my hubby (the seasoned traveler) told me to pack tomorrow's clothes in my carry-on.

At the hotel, Karen introduced me to many of her fiber friends.. and then, we met Robyn Chachula. Yes. Yes I did. (Didn't get a picture, I was a little awe-struck)

And Kristin Omdahl, I know, pinch me, right!?

Now, at my computer, I'm trying to remember who all was at the table I got to meet the first night. I should have kept a journal. It's all kinda run together into one gigantic, fabulous memory of friends & fits of laughter.

Professional Development Day was fabulous. I sat at a table with Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby, Tracie Barrett, Andee Graves (Mamas2Hands), Ellen Gormley, Kristin Omdahl... I know, I've just started name-dropping now.

And this is where I stopped when originally writing this. Why? Who knows. Maybe one of the kidlets needed me, or a dog, or a cat.... for those who know me, you know there are many many things that could have pulled me away.

Instead of blathering on about the whole thing, I will leave you with pictures and the knowledge that ChainLink is fabulous. If you're considering going, do it. DO IT!

www.Crochet.org

Stop, right now & go make your reservations.

Wait. Look at my fun pics, THEN go make your reservations.

Oh, word of advice, don't be all shy about getting out your camera the way I was... I should have had SO many more pictures!

drawing the line

sometimes making the decision to knit/crochet for fun or design isn't an easy one.

while i love love love designing, it's nice to pull out the fibery goodness to do what brought me to designing in the first place. just to sit and knit or crochet.

with my niece's arrival a mere 2.5 months away, my urge to create itty bitty sweaters and cardigans is out of control!

then the questioning sets in...
do i find a really cute pattern & just enjoy the process?
or should i turn this into a possible pattern for others to enjoy, and perhaps make a little $ from too (just keepin' it real!)?

so, i answer that question by doing both. what can i say? i'm hopeless.

on my knitting needles: Autumn Leaves by Nikki Van De Car (of What to Knit When You're Expecting). for this size 9-12mos cardi, i am using redheart designer sport in a sour appley green. cashmere is beautiful and soft and fabulous and all, but as a mom of 4, washable is the way to go.

my crochet projects of choice are; another cardigan that is oh-so-super-sweet and a jacket in size 2t. i have sent the sweet cardi off for submission, so i can't show it to you just yet, and the jacket is still just a square... not much to show

so, i thought i'd give an attempt at the 365. telling you right now, i will not be posting a picture every day. while it is a really neat project, i know me. so, i'm going to do what i can.

my picture for the day: matchsticks

pretzels dipped in a bit of melted chocolate.

mmmmm

the good thing about acrylic

i know there are many many knitters & crocheters out there that will have nothing to do with acrylic yarns. i'm not one of them. it definitely has it's place. yes, i prefer to work with natural fibers usually, but not necessarily exclusively.

so what brought these thoughts to mind?

this:



a perfectly wonderful 100% acrylic afghan. my nannie made it for me when i was probably somewhere near 10 years old. that's 20-something years ago, folks. it's in great condition! it hasn't shrunk or stretched or faded in any way. maybe this blanket is in such good shape because it's acrylic. or maybe this blanket is in such good shape because it's never been stored and left to gather dust or rot away in a box somewhere. i put it on my bed as a child and it stayed there until i married & left my parent's house.

then it became my 'couch' blankie. always there to be cuddled in with my new hubby on movie nights.

then came our oldest son. my blanket soon made it's way to his toddler bed. where it stayed for years, folded in half to fit the small mattress.

today, when i pulled my favorite blue blanket out of the dryer and saw where it has a small hole... i was so sad. and then, oddly, happy.

as a crocheter, i'll be able to mend the rips & tears. adding my love in stitches, the way my nannie did so long ago. i imagine the hours of double crochets passed in her rose colored recliner while watching the price is right, wheel of fortune & hee haw.

no difficult care. just throw it in the washer & dryer. i've never had to worry or stress about my children using it. frankly, i love it more because it is acrylic.

so where is the blanket now? on my youngest son's bed, warming him every night.

Lookin' Good!

Hello, world. First, ohmagosh! isn't the new site just beautiful!? Lindsey of Sour Apple Studio has done an amazing job. There was sooo much behind the scenes on this one and she was absolutely fabulous! LOVE HER! If you are considering a blog make-over, she is THE gal for you. Another fabulous lady I need to thank is Victoria Ovens. She is the designer of my new RVlogo. Exactly what I had hoped for. She was amazing to work with. And, of course, there is my wonderful husband who has dealt with all the geeky stuff that i just don't understand. There are still a few kinks to work out and not all of the links have great things behind them, but they will.

I know I should dig deep and have something really meaningful and enlightening to say about why I changed my site, but I don't. Comes down to this: as much as I loved my EweDevil sheepy, I've been debating with myself for quite some time on whether or not I should "grow up" my site. Started playing around with ideas and well... here we are.

I am very pleased with my decision! I hope you all love it as much as I do.
Stay tuned for fabulous posts, patterns & other goodies!