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 was much easier the second time around.
(The colors are wildly inaccurate, in some of these photos! I'd already put the blocks away, so I didn't have them handy for reference when I was preparing the photos to upload, but it shouldn't matter. You can see the texture just the same, and the texture is definitely the star of the show in this CAL.)
These were not my favorite to crochet, but I do love the way they turned out!
"Don't Get Around Much Anymore".
This is another nice block-- this time with a starburst motif. I like the star in the center and the way that each point is suggestive of a leaf.
I'd say this is one of the easier of the "fancy"/paid blocks in the CAL, so far, though there are some elongated stitches. The trebles are easier to place than you might imagine, too.
Two thumbs up!
"La Mer".
As long as you aren't bothered by tr2tog, this one's a snap. I found it very quick to crochet, and the texture is decidedly squishy-soft.
Another very nice all-over-texture block!
Next up is "Satin Doll", then I'll try to put in some more rounds on "Evelyn".
Last time, I wrote that I was nearing the end of the third clue out of four total. Well, I got to the end of Clue 4, only to realize that Clue 4 wasn't the last clue in the MCAL! Oops! Not a problem, of course-- just more crochet-time. I'll start on Clue 5 this weekend, I hope.
Here's my progress to date:
Working from the second ball of thread, now. One more clue to go!
What a pretty pattern!
"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 was much easier the second time around.
(The colors are wildly inaccurate, in some of these photos! I'd already put the blocks away, so I didn't have them handy for reference when I was preparing the photos to upload, but it shouldn't matter. You can see the texture just the same, and the texture is definitely the star of the show in this CAL.)
These were not my favorite to crochet, but I do love the way they turned out!
"Don't Get Around Much Anymore".
This is another nice block-- this time with a starburst motif. I like the star in the center and the way that each point is suggestive of a leaf.
I'd say this is one of the easier of the "fancy"/paid blocks in the CAL, so far, though there are some elongated stitches. The trebles are easier to place than you might imagine, too.
Two thumbs up!
"La Mer".
As long as you aren't bothered by tr2tog, this one's a snap. I found it very quick to crochet, and the texture is decidedly squishy-soft.
Another very nice all-over-texture block!
Next up is "Satin Doll", then I'll try to put in some more rounds on "Evelyn".
Last time, I wrote that I was nearing the end of the third clue out of four total. Well, I got to the end of Clue 4, only to realize that Clue 4 wasn't the last clue in the MCAL! Oops! Not a problem, of course-- just more crochet-time. I'll start on Clue 5 this weekend, I hope.
Here's my progress to date:
Working from the second ball of thread, now. One more clue to go!
What a pretty pattern!