Sew I See!

Another week, another couple of CAL blocks! "Ain't Misbehavin'". I like the starry design, and the special corners add an interesting dimension. The special corners (in just a couple of rounds) aren’t that hard, either, once you understand how they’re constructed. Personally, I have much more trouble with the extra-long double crochets and puff stitches than with the corners. It’s just not that easy for me to get a consistent height for every “stretched” stitch-- especially when they’re worked in the front loop only… (Confession: I kind of hate making these “stretched” dc. They may look nice-- better for some than others-- but I don’t find them pleasant to crochet, and they seem more prone to snagging and general wear and tear than a "normal" crochet stitch.) Because I wasn't happy with the way my stretched dc were turning out, this time, I decided to rip back a couple of rounds and replace the stretched dc with tr and hdtr.  Here

I'm all caught up on the Stardust Melodies CAL, ready for the release of the next pattern later today! Here are the latest two block patterns: "Satin Doll". This one came out bigger for me than I'd have liked, but I'm not sure how much of that is the pattern and how much is just my shifting moods coming through in my tension...  In any case, it's a pretty block. It's not as difficult as it may look, though the video is helpful for learning where to place the double crochets.  Once you've watched a few rounds, it's easy to tell where they go for the rest of the block. Side note:  I tried a new-to-me yarn on this block.  The gray is Big Twist Value. In my opinion (so far, based on just this one skein), it's not a bad yarn, but it's discernibly rougher/scratchier than some of the nicer modern acrylic yarns.  Switching between I Love This Yarn and Big Twist Value, the difference was immediately obvious.  I'll certa

After a week-long intermission, the Stardust Melodies CAL recommenced last Monday! "I Got Rhythm". The first of the second half of the patterns was slow going, for me.  The "special stitch"-- a combination of stitches the designer labels a "fletching stitch", for ease of reference-- isn't exactly difficult , but I found it somehow time-consuming and lacking in "flow".  I kept putting the project down, so of course it ended up feeling never-ending! I was happy with my results, however.  It's a distinctive pattern that would work very well for a masculine or unisex afghan. Lo and behold, after I saw how well the first block turned out, the second one flew off the hook in a fraction of the time!  Part of the difference might be due to experience gained on the first spin around the block-- or maybe it's more a reflection of a change in mood and confidence.  Either way, it's still not the very speediest block, but it