I'd rather be crocheting...

...or at least reading what others have to say about crocheting, or shopping for yarn or downloading cool patterns. But I really should mop or do laundry..........

Hmmm, maybe blogging to avoid housework is a better idea...

I will not give you feeble excuses as to why I have not blogged in ages... (but perhaps moving to another continent with my family, most of my possessions and 6 huge boxes of yarn had something to do with it).

Yes, I moved my yarn 4159 miles (6691 km). And, not just a little-- a whole lot. Some is in storage, but most of it is here in Germany with me. "Why?" you might ask. "Don't they have yarn in Europe?" you may query. Well, to a fiber addict, it's akin to asking a mother which of her children she'd like to leave behind. The poor, sweet, colorful, soft little skeins would be bereft if I left them for years in a cold corner of my mother-in-law's basement. So the yarn came with me... and now I've bought my yarn some new foreign friends to hang out with. This is yarn addiction. And I am unrepentant.

A Broomstick Lace Bolero

I have really wanted to explore new crocheting techniques lately, so I though I'd try my hand at broomstick (or jiffy) lace. The end product was this bolero. I started with a row of foundation single crochet the width of my shoulders in a multiple of 4 stitches. I just made it up as I went along. Broomstick lace is lots of fun and very easy! The only awkward part was holding the 25mm knitting needle to cast on the loops for the motifs. I had to put it between my legs in a most unlady-like manner-- I won't be crocheting jiffy lace in public, that's for sure!

I learned the technique with this youtube video. The lady who does these crochet tutorials is awesome!

I Feel Kitschy, Oh So Kitschy...

I feel kitschy, and silly, and bright. So, I got bored with the plastic Softsoap bottles I had in my kitchen and bathroom, and I decided they needed to be "dressed up" a bit. Here are my ultra silly, totally unnecessary floral "soap pump cozies". What do you think? Hey, maybe I'll make the pages of that "What Not To Crochet" blog! Still, I just love these silly things. Now the big question is, if I write up a pattern would anyone want to buy it? I think I'll make some soap savers to match... oh, maybe even a TP cover-- how funny would that be! OY VEY!

I'm on a flower kick...

I really need it to be spring. The snow that accumulated the last 2 days has pretty much completely melted, but I don't hold out much hope for warm weather until May. So, since I have only a few sad looking, frostbitten crocuses in my yard, I need to crochet flowers in order to feel vernal. So, here is my bluebell bookmark-- what do you think? This one is done with scraps of Sinfonia yarn, but size 3 cotton would work just as well. I used a 3mm hook. The pattern is in American terms. This pattern is not tested by anyone but myself. Please contact me with any questions or if you spot any errors.

Bluebell Bookmark-- by Alice Kaufman Rich (copyright 2009)

Materials: less than an ounce (28 g) of sportweight cotton yarn in blue and green, 3 or 6 yellow large holed beads at least 4 mm, one large (10 mm-ish) bead.

Notes: blo-- back loop only, flo-- front loop only

Flower:

Rnd 1: Form magic ring, ch 1, 6 sc in ring, ss into 1st st. Pull end of yarn to tighten ring.

Rnd 2: (sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st) 2 times (8 sts), ss into first st.

Rnd 3: (sc, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts) 2 times (10 sts), ss into first st.

Rnd 4: (sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts) 2 times (12 sts) ss into first st.

Rnd 5: (sc, 2 sc in next st) 6 times (18 sts)

Rnd 6: (sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in sixth st) 3 times (21 sts)

Rnd 7: work even in dc

Rnd 8: (dc in next 6 sts, 2 dc in seventh st) 3 times (24 sts)

Rnd 9: work even in sc (24 sts)

Rnd 10a: working in flo sc, ch 3 in each st (24 sc's) do not ss into 1st st, put your hook into the unworked back loop and start rnd 10b.

Rnd 10b: working in the blo of rnd 9, sc, ch 3 in each st (24 sc's) this creates a small double ruffle. ss into first sc.

Weave in ends

Stamen:

Place the yellow beads on the green yarn.

Leaving a 12 inch tail, ch 9, pull up a bead (or 2)make last ch w/ beads, ss back over the 9 sts, repeat 2 more times so you have a "Y" shape with beads at the end. With your hook or a tapestry needle, pull the tail through the bottom of the flower. You will use this to sew on the calyx.

Calyx:

Rnd 1a: Leaving a 5 foot (1.5 m) tail, ch 12, ss to join. Into the chain (not the ring)-- [sc, hdc, (dc, tr, dc) in next st, hdc] 3 times. ss into first sc.

Rnd 2a: (ss from rnd 1 counts as first st.) [sc into hdc of pervious rnd., 2 hdc into dc, (dc, tr, dc) into tr, 2 hdc into dc, sc int hdc, ss into sc] 3 times. Fasten off.

Turn work so you are looking at the bottom of the calyx.

rnd 1b: With tail, into the back of the chain sc 2 tog 6 times, join with ss.

rnd 2b: sc3tog twice, join with a ss.

Using the remainder of the tail, ch 50. Fasten off. place large bead on the tail and use tail as the hanger for the tassel. (Here is a link to a tutorial for making a tassel, or you can go without if you choose.) Using a tapestry needle, sew the calyx onto the flower, going up through the bottom of the flower and the stamen several times (I also went around fastening the tips too).

This pattern is my own work, feel free to post a link to this page, but do not post a copy of the pattern itself .  Do not copy and distribute this pattern.  However, whatever you wish to do with the finished object is your choice.  I'd love to hear your feedback if you make the bookmark though!

Yet another non-blue "Blue Curacao Shawl"

I simply adore the "Blue Curacao Shawl" pattern in Doris Chan's Amazing Crochet Lace. It goes relatively quickly, yet you get fabulous results. I have made several so far and I have yet to use blue yarn to make one. This is one that I started using a nice big skein of Joann Sensations Classic Rainbow and an N hook. (It's enormous!) It took a full 11 oz skein and about a fifth of a second one. The recommended hook for this yarn is a P, but even with the 9mm the stitches were pretty big. I think I'll see if I can find a 7 1/2 or 8 mm hook for this yarn in the future. (Uh-oh, might need a custom job!) Now I am making this pattern with the light weight Patons Brilliant and an H hook. I let you know how that turns out.

They arrived!

Oh, my beautiful hooks arrived in the mail this afternoon! So, of course I immediately grabbed some yummy yarn and swatched away! The dark hook is the glorious Ironwood size G (yarn is Jaeger Roma in Fern). The lighter hook is the luscious Crabapple size H (yarn is Filatura Lanarota Puno in a Beaujolais sort of color) Aren't they lovely? They feel like a dream in my hand. The curve rests perfectly in my palm; they are oh-so-smooth and slide through the yarn "like buttah" I am now officially addicted to Jimbo's hooks!