That's what I've been doing since my last blog post, crochet-wise.
I finished and blocked that first PK doily ("Peacock Pride"), and the results were... let's just say a little underwhelming. I think I did a really poor job of blocking, so I'm going to wash and re-block it, sometime soon. (Also, I've gone up a couple of hook sizes since then-- to a 2.0mm hook-- and I think that works better for me when I'm making PK doilies. If I ever make that pattern again, I'll definitely use a larger hook than size 7.)
Undaunted ;o), I picked out another PK pattern and thread and set to work, and I'm glad I did. They've all worked out very well, and I'm now as confident about written instructions as I am diagrams. Charts make it easier to see where you are at a glance, count repeats, and reassure yourself that you're getting the right shape, but written instructions make it less likely that you'll completely miss something in the pattern, I think. (And sticky notes are a great help in keeping track of your current round.)
Since "Peacock Pride", I've made one medium-sized doily, two medium-small-sized doilies, and four mini-sized doilies. Let's see... I've made "Pineapple Patch", "Becharmed", "Gallant", and (from 99 Little Doilies) #83 (twice), #8, and #70.
With all of those doilies piling up, I decided to do something about my blocking situation. Previously, I'd just used (rust-proof) pins and a towel on the carpet, but that was less than satisfactory. (See above regarding "Peacock Pride" and underwhelming results.) It's just so uncomfortable, working on the floor, but I didn't want to use our couch or bed, either... and a cushion wouldn't be flat enough.
I'd read about people using foam insulation board, and we happened to have some scraps of that left over from our pump house, so I washed one off and gave it a try. It's great. So much better than kneeling on the floor and trying to force pins through the carpet. (I bent some of them that way and hurt my thumb a couple of times, too, on the tiny pin heads.) One thing that would make it better would be having a grid or concentric circles to use as a guide, and I'm going to see about adding that. (I just have to figure out what kind of ink I can use that will stay on the insulation board and not stain my doilies. I wonder if a Sharpie would do the trick? I'll make a test mark near the corner and find out...)
So, if you've read all that, you're probably wondering "Where are the photos?". (g) Well... Those will have to wait a little longer, but in the meantime, here are a couple of artsy shots of the "Lavender Patch" (my "Pineapple Patch") blocking. ;o)
I finished and blocked that first PK doily ("Peacock Pride"), and the results were... let's just say a little underwhelming. I think I did a really poor job of blocking, so I'm going to wash and re-block it, sometime soon. (Also, I've gone up a couple of hook sizes since then-- to a 2.0mm hook-- and I think that works better for me when I'm making PK doilies. If I ever make that pattern again, I'll definitely use a larger hook than size 7.)
Undaunted ;o), I picked out another PK pattern and thread and set to work, and I'm glad I did. They've all worked out very well, and I'm now as confident about written instructions as I am diagrams. Charts make it easier to see where you are at a glance, count repeats, and reassure yourself that you're getting the right shape, but written instructions make it less likely that you'll completely miss something in the pattern, I think. (And sticky notes are a great help in keeping track of your current round.)
Since "Peacock Pride", I've made one medium-sized doily, two medium-small-sized doilies, and four mini-sized doilies. Let's see... I've made "Pineapple Patch", "Becharmed", "Gallant", and (from 99 Little Doilies) #83 (twice), #8, and #70.
With all of those doilies piling up, I decided to do something about my blocking situation. Previously, I'd just used (rust-proof) pins and a towel on the carpet, but that was less than satisfactory. (See above regarding "Peacock Pride" and underwhelming results.) It's just so uncomfortable, working on the floor, but I didn't want to use our couch or bed, either... and a cushion wouldn't be flat enough.
I'd read about people using foam insulation board, and we happened to have some scraps of that left over from our pump house, so I washed one off and gave it a try. It's great. So much better than kneeling on the floor and trying to force pins through the carpet. (I bent some of them that way and hurt my thumb a couple of times, too, on the tiny pin heads.) One thing that would make it better would be having a grid or concentric circles to use as a guide, and I'm going to see about adding that. (I just have to figure out what kind of ink I can use that will stay on the insulation board and not stain my doilies. I wonder if a Sharpie would do the trick? I'll make a test mark near the corner and find out...)
So, if you've read all that, you're probably wondering "Where are the photos?". (g) Well... Those will have to wait a little longer, but in the meantime, here are a couple of artsy shots of the "Lavender Patch" (my "Pineapple Patch") blocking. ;o)