Look Ma... A Sleeve!

Ok. Maybe this sweater project is bigger than I expected it to be...

I bought 10 skeins of yarn; I charted it out; I swatched, like a good fiber-fiend...

I even estimated the time involved. ::Surely 4000+ yards would be enough!:: I should be able to finish it in about 4, 5 or 6 weeks tops!:: I foolishly guesstimated less than two months to complete this project...

Long story short, I have now increased the total yarn needed by an additional 4 skeins of the sock yarn (making it 14 total) ... and have just now reached a half-way point in the actual crocheting. I now have a sleeve to go with the back of the sweater. That's right, ONE sleeve down, one more to go. (::sigh::)

Seldom have I ever spent so much time on just one project and not been at least close to finishing it. I swear, I am going to wear this thing until the threads give out and it will no longer hang upon my body. People that know me will be sick of seeing it. I will be described in ways like "You know, Jerry. The one with the gray sweater." "Ohhh. Him."

As you can imagine, I was in desparate need for a fiber diversion! (As much as for the sake of those around me as for myself, I asure you!)

I had come across a yarn in one of my favorite color combinations (black and green - remember the ruana?) and for several days was trying to decide what the fiber wanted to become. Then it hit me!

Last week, while trying to escape the clutches of a cluster headache, the idea popped into my head, with the design nearly fully-formed! What about a sleeveless turtlekneck? My sister would like that! When I ran the idea by Fred, his reaction was, well, let's just say there is a reason we fiber-fiends seek each other out. The so-called "normal" folks don't get it. Fred is no different. (In fact, he looked at me like I had two heads.)

I told myself that since this garment was going to be worked with a larger hook and thicker yarn, it should be relatively fast. Surely I deserved a break from the sweater that will not die. Surely the Fiber gods would understand...

They did. And three days later, I had this:

This was made using 8 balls of On-Line brand yarn, "Punta" (balls are approximately 88 yards each) so it went really quickly! I'm even thinking of doing a few more in different colorways, you know, just for those times when the fiber gods want to reward my perserverance on that other project of mine.

SDOSAS!

~Jer

PS~

Don't miss the DFW Fiber Fest this weekend, April 4-6 at the Addison Conference Center!

19,912 Down, 40k+ To Go!

Fred and I recently went to Boston for a long weekend to attend a fundraising event for the Fenway Medical Center. Let me just insert a reminder here - Jer and cold weather do not get along! So the thought of going to New England in winter did not thrill me. Except of course, it was a chance to dress up with a few thousand strangers and a few new friends.

The event was emceed by Kate Clinton and Senator Ted Kennedy was getting and award. Ted spoke, then was gone. Kate hung around for the party. Here's me and Kate:

Here's some party:

But I digress. I needed a project to take on the trip, so a few days before we left, I designed a new sweater for myself. I designed it to be made with that great new sock yarn I found by Berocco, their Comfort Sock yarn. (I can hear the tsk-tsking. I know it's guaged at "1 - Super Fine," I know! But I thought, what the heck!) I decided on a relatively simply stitch pattern to better highlight the gradual and subtle color changes.

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With most of my sweaters, I start with the back piece so I can get a good feel for the stitch pattern before beginning the more complicated shaping involved with the other pieces. After the plane ride with a size D crochet hook (3.25mm) and one full, 447 yard skein, I had this:

I knew the sweater was going to take ALOT of this yarn to complete, but some quick math using the time it took to get just this far gave me a better idea of exactly how aggressive this project was going to be.

.

I'll admit, I seriously thought about scrapping the idea of a sweater, right then and there. But afterall, I already had all the yarn in matching dye lot and being a good little fiber stash monger, I wasn't about to return it all to the LYS! Not to mention that the thought of a dozen pairs of socks with the exact same yarn was almost more than I could bare. So...

.

So, I perservered.

.

I crocheted.

.

I crocheted and crocheted. Then, I crocheted some more.

3FPDC, 3BPDC. Over and Over. 3FPDC, 3BPDC. Again and Again! 3FPDC, 3BPDC. Finally, after about 4 skeins ( nearly 1800 yards) I finally had the back of the sweater completed!

Yes! Sweet success!! I cannot explain the sheer joy of experiencing this particular completion. 131 rows - Done! 152 stitches per row! And that's not counting the turning stitches! Why, that's 19,912 stitches!! Woo Hoo!! And the resulting fabric had such a nice hand! I was so glad I hadn't given in, that I saw the mountain and decided to -

.

uh oh.

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Then I remembered - the sweater would need a front. ::sigh::

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And sleeves, too. ::double sigh::

.

.

SDOSAS!

~Jer

Free the Doilies!!

Let it be known. The Princess Doily has officially been usurped!

No longer will our doilies be required to bow in obedience to the pineapple motif; circular patterns - be gone "before somebody drops a house on you!"

Enter the new, the free, the doily as art:

The freeform doily above was worked in #10 crochet thread with a #7 (1.65mm) steel hook. I was directly inspired for this while reading Myra Wood's new book, "Creative Crochet Lace" which is available here. Myra is one of my favorite contemporary fiber artists and her book is just beautiful! Check out her website for additional inspiration. (As a side note, I completed my piece without ever cutting the thread or "travelling" over a space - a personal challenge of my own.)

On another note: I finished Mom's sweater. ::insert cheers here::

You may remember that I was making yet another crocheted aran sweater. While I was using this one as visual aid for recommendations to my local CGOA group for our multi-month project, I sized it so it would fit Mom. Afterall, she's in Indiana and the winters can be fierce!!

Here's a few pics of the sweater, both "in progress" and finished:

I just love it! (I think, Mom will, as well.)

SDOSAS!

~Jer

PS~

To all who are reading this:

Sound off and let me know you're there! A blog should not be a one-way street and I would love to hear what you think!

~J

Au Contraire

Rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated.

I am, in fact, still around. I have all my fingers and am just as fiber-crazy as ever. I would try to highlight all the efforts and obsessions that have claimed my time in the last couple of weeks, but I wouldn't want to scare you!

Instead, here's some of what I've been doing:

I started another aran sweater. This one is for my mother. I chose to use the same yarn (Lion Brand - Wool Ease) as the one I did for myself because I also want to show it my CT! group as a possibility for the multi-month project and want to highlight the differences in the patterns, not the yarn. Mom lives in West/Central Indiana and should get great use from it. Here's a peek:

I did another sock. (big surprise) This one is done in the JAWOLL sock yarn from Lang Yarns.

It is available at your LYS, mostly (75%) superwash wool and contains about 460 yards per skein. The yarn is self-striping which is excellent for mindless repeats without an abacus to keep track of where you are in the pattern. All said, I lurv it! While the second/mate sock is still a wip, here's the first, lone sock from this colorway.

Of course, my freeform heart never stays silent for long and I often "experiment" with patterns. Well, let it be known that this past couple months has been no exception where that is concerned! I have once again pulled out my yarn palette. This time, I'm trying to develope an actual pattern - one that can be followed and reproduced by the average crocheter without the assistance of an interpreter.

I decided on a sweater. This one for my sister. (Does anyone else notice a theme here?)

For my sister, I wanted to make something completely original, as she too, defines nice, neat categorization. Shelly has always lived by her own drumbeat and I needed something that complimented that rather than hid it. Having just completed yet another multi-bath dye project, the choice of yarn was obvious. But even though the idea was good, my first attempt at bringing the sweater into reality was... less than desirable:

The color scheme was all wrong for her. And the stitch pattern, while complex, did not result in a garment that reminded me of my sister...at all!

Back to the drawing board and the dye pot -

This time, I made the colors deeper, the hues more rich and the blend more gradual. I wanted a truer "bgp" tone to the yarn and I also wanted to find a better pattern to compliment my sister's girlish figure (and it IS still amazing after 3 grown grown children!!)

For this pattern, I am trying to do a sweater that is flirty on the bottom to show off her flat tummy and still incorporate a modicum of decency "up top." Here is the second incarnation so far:

Now, for those paying attention, you will notice I am attempting 2 different things with this one pattern... an end result to flatter my sister and an end result for "every" crocheter. I became aware that few people want as much of their mid-section to show as this particular example provides. OK then.

Enter project incarnation version 2.1:

For this project, I am attempting a verion of the "Shelly" that can: a) be made with widely available yarn, and b) be of interest to a wider pool of crocheters

Here it is. This is done in Cool Crochet by Bernat:






The "peek-a-boos" are more modest in size and the pattern incorporates crocheted cables. Crocheted Cables!! (Note: Jer LOVES crocheted cables!!) Even though there are hundreds of versions of the crocheted cable, I chose the most simple for this pattern. More pictures of the finished project ... if and when...

Before I close, I have to mention the new fiber I have discovered. Take note! Run!! (Do not walk) to your LYS and grab (read that "GRAB") a new product from Berroco Comfort line. There were 2 different yarn weights available when I last looked, but I absoluelty fell in love with the sock-weight version. Any fiber fiend will absolutley fall in love with this yarn on first touch. But it gets better!! The price is unbelievably cheap. I found this at the Shabby Sheep in Dallas. (Tell Rhonda I said HI.)

This skein contains 447 yards, retail $7. Yes. You read that correctly. 447 yards of fiber bliss for $7 retail. Like I said, RUN!! (Selfish sweater for me to follow...)

Until then~

SDOSAS!

Jer

Pack-o-Fun

While strolling through an antiques flea market with my friend Cher, we came upon a booth offering a rare glimpse at the way things used to be. I say "rare" because the glimpse was not into the way homes were furnished or the way people dressed themselves. This was not even a glimpse into the way folks travelled or the things they collected. No. This glimpse was far more important than that.

It was a glimpse into the way folks expressed themselves through their most personal of revelations - their crafts!

Sitting on the floor near a corner of the booth was a box of crafting magazines. While flipping through the books, I knew I had found a new source of inspiration when I saw this:

What the...? Could it be???

That's right. It was a copy of Pack o Fun featuring the "Crazy Hat Show." Woo Hoo!

Now, don't get me wrong. Everyone knows I'm a stickler for details and have even been accused on more than one occasion of being a perfectionist. But nothing makes me feel better about a project going wrong than seeing someone else's project going wrong-er. I mean, the obsessive concern of getting a cable on a sweater to twist in just the right way pales when compared to finding the right grated cheese for a new hat.

(The crafting gods were smiling on me and giving me a sign to not take myself so seriously.)

The lady on the cover looked so proud! Why, she even wore her best brooch for the photo shoot!! Even though I'm sure it made her nosy neighbor just green with envy, it was definitely the accessory when wearing a sandwich on your head.

A quick flip to the credits page inside the cover confirmed my greatest hope. Just looking at the editors, I could tell this magazine was going to rock! Seriously, have you ever seen a picture that so instantly conveys creativity?!?

And I was holding the "Merry Month of May" issue! OMG!!

The magazine is just chock full of fascinating tips and useful hints, but my favorite part has to be the readers' comments page. But even among those jewels, one in particular shone brightly like a diamond among charcoal briquettes.

Rocket Fins? Rocket Fins?!? ::sigh::

That Cappuccio household must have been a blast. Wish I could have known them...

SDOSAS!
~Jer

Dusty Miller

The vertical cardigan is now completed. The pattern is Dusty Miller from "Crocheted Aran Sweaters" by Jane Snedden Peever. This is the first of several patterns (including a couple of my own) that I am testing in order to make a recommendation to my local guild for the multi-month project class I will be teaching the last half of 2008. Although there are a few things I would change the next time through the pattern, I followed the written pattern very closely. [This, alone, was a feat of cosmic proportion! Not that I have trouble following a pattern, but more like that I often think I know a better way. Sometimes it does work better. Sometimes not. But I digress.]

Overall, I found the pattern to be very clearly written and chock-full of detailed guidance. The sizing was spot on with guage and in the end, the required amount of materials was precise. (I did add an extra button, making a total of 7 instead of the suggested 6. That's just personal preference/belief and shouldn't affect fit at all.)

The sweater was made in 5 pieces. After the pieces were sewn together, I had this:

After finishing the seaming, the ribbing/faux ribbing is added incorporating the button holes as you go. Simple as can be. And the end result is like a steal. The pattern works up very fast (it is worsted weight, after-all).

That's all for now. I have to go locate the yarn for the next sweater, an Australian superwash.

Yeah. That should be easy...

SDOSAS!

~Jer

All Noddied Up

The aran cardigan I started last week has progressed nicely. I have the back, both fronts and a sleeve and 1/2 made and should have it completed and ready to wear this weekend. (Just in time for cooler weather to find us again in North Texas!) I forgot to note on the last post that this sweater is crocheted vertically rather than the customary horizontal rows one normally uses to build a garment. So far, I think the construction will allow for a nice drape without being "clingy"... but like everything else, I'll weigh in on that once it's all put together and I've had a chance to wear it.


Speaking of 'wear it', the Dallas Morning News is coming to a meeting of Crochet Texas, our local chapter of the CGOA. Supposedly, the representative will talk to the members and take some pictures. We've been asked to bring 2 or 3 items that we have made, particularly if it is an item that has won a ribbon in the State Fair of Texas. Problem is, I only have one ribbon winner that I actually made for myself, a sweater. (Here's hoping for chilly weather that day.) The other ribbon-winning items were either things I made for others (sweater, jacket, etc) that have now gone to the recipient or are items that may raise more than a few eyebrows should I try to model them personally.


Case in point: the freeform shawl. Although it won a blue ribbon this past year and I'm proud of it, I'm not sure I could pull off a green and black freeform ruana. Then there's the handbag, also freeform. Again, I could not really model it - I haven't the proper shoes to match!

But I really want to take something freeform. As far as I know, they are the only 2 blue ribbon winning freeform items in recent years (except for my friend Cher's freeform bag, also a blue ribbon winner, but it was felted - so different in a way from these) and this is an excellent opportunity to promote a unique, wearable artform. I don't know. I'm sure there will be an afgan or two and I doubt the creator will try to wear it like a burka, but who knows. Maybe there will be a few items made for a baby. Those always illicit appropriate oohs and aahs, but again, I seriously doubt they will be modelled by the maker.


Maybe I think about these things too much! I can think something to death if given the chance.


That's why I love diversions.

My latest diversion was the niddy noddy. After a short discussion on-line with other crafty types, I decided to make my own and presto bango, pvc and me, I had this:

I cut four separate lengths (in 9" intervals) to be used in the center to allow me to hank up different lengths of yarn. My first project with the new toy was a fingering weight, 100% wool yarn. Shown above is the yarn hanked at 3 yards per round. (I can also do 1, 2 and 4 yard rounds - more on that later) This allowed me to obtain longer color repeats when dying at home.

After a night with the trusty kettle on the stove top, I awoke the next morning to find a dream come true... the tree in my back yard had produced hand-dyed wool!!! Wow!!

But then, after rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I realized I had actually hung the yarn out there to take advantage of the warm and breezy weather. (Dang! So close!)

But then my momentary elation vanished when I remembered: The yarn had to fit onto my swift without falling off so I could ball it up! Oh No!! What if the hank was too big for my swift to hold it? What would I do?!? How could I be so careless?!?!

Luck was on my side, though. The swift, although stretched to the limit, held the hanks... barely.

(I guess this means I need to re-think those 4 yard length hanks, though, huh?!?)

After balling up the fiber (nearly 2700 yards) I had this:

I plan to use it to make a sweater for my sister. The pattern will be my own and I am currently experimenting (read that 'playing') with the color pattern to find a nice stitch that will show it off best. But for now, I hear a cold front is coming and I have a cardigan to finish!

SDOSAS!
~Jer

PS-
Instructions for making your own niddy noddy can be found here.