As the title suggests, most of the projects covered in this blog post are thread crochet, but I do have one non-thread WIP to share. I decided not to put off joining and edging the Stardust Melodies afghan, so here's a little sneak-peek at my progress so far:
I like the bobbles, but the bobble rounds do take a while to crochet! I'm thinking I might do just three bobble rounds, but it depends on how that looks, how much yarn I have left, and how tired I am of "bordering", at that point. ;o) I'm not sure why, but borders usually take me a while and seem more tiring than "regular" crocheting. I guess part of it is the repetitious nature of borders. The object being edged is often a little unwieldy, too.
That's it for the non-thread projects, this week. On to the thread!
The first thread project is one I started nearly a year ago, then set aside because I ran out of thread. Fortunately, I was able to find another brand of thread in a color that matches so closely I don't think it is immediately obvious where one leaves off and the other begins-- certainly not when it's "in use".
Pattern: "Captivating", by Patricia Kristoffersen
Threads: Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet (size 10) in "Coral" (most of the doily)
...and Artiste Mercerized Egyptian Cotton #10 in "129 Salmon" (in the latter rounds)
This one got big! It's nearly 22.5 inches across.
This was not a favorite to crochet, I'm afraid. Too much mesh for my tastes. I think it looks nice, though.
Next up is my first project with some of that neat thread with the looooong color changes:
Pattern: "Etienne", by Grace Fearon
Thread: Alize Miss Batik in "4536"
First up, the thread. Unfortunately, I did find two knots in close succession in this single skein of thread. (So far. I haven't used the whole thing, so there could be more...) It's also quite soft, which may mean it's somewhat less durable than a "harder" thread, I suppose. However, I loved watching the colors change and look forward to crocheting with it again!
The pattern itself was fun to make. The center is relatively simple, but the rest of it is filled with texture and was very interesting to crochet. It's not a large doily, but sometimes the smaller ones are more useful/"in scale", anyway.
I can easily imagine making this pattern again, and I'm not usually eager to crochet the same doily multiple times (with a few exceptions).
Going back to the thread again, this particular colorway is a bit crazy. It reminds me of the circus or the carnival, which is not my usual palette, but it's fun to venture beyond the color comfort zone every so often. However, next time, I might try one of the more subdued colorways.
Other than the afghan border, my current active WIP is one I'm sure I've mentioned before. It's a Japanese table runner doily worked in three strips. I've finished the central strip and am now on the first of two identical strips that go on either side of it.
I'm finding myself impatient to be finished with it, which is unfortunate, since there's still a lot of stitching to do. I definitely don't see myself making this pattern ever again.
You never really get into the groove with this type of project-- or at least I don't, because I have to consult the (charted, thank goodness!) pattern at the beginning of every (short) row. There's a repeat, but it's too long for me to memorize. It's not difficult to do, but it's not the same as a "'round and 'round" doily.
I need to take a breath, remind myself that it's not a race, and take it one row at a time.
I like the bobbles, but the bobble rounds do take a while to crochet! I'm thinking I might do just three bobble rounds, but it depends on how that looks, how much yarn I have left, and how tired I am of "bordering", at that point. ;o) I'm not sure why, but borders usually take me a while and seem more tiring than "regular" crocheting. I guess part of it is the repetitious nature of borders. The object being edged is often a little unwieldy, too.
That's it for the non-thread projects, this week. On to the thread!
The first thread project is one I started nearly a year ago, then set aside because I ran out of thread. Fortunately, I was able to find another brand of thread in a color that matches so closely I don't think it is immediately obvious where one leaves off and the other begins-- certainly not when it's "in use".
Pattern: "Captivating", by Patricia Kristoffersen
Threads: Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet (size 10) in "Coral" (most of the doily)
...and Artiste Mercerized Egyptian Cotton #10 in "129 Salmon" (in the latter rounds)
This one got big! It's nearly 22.5 inches across.
This was not a favorite to crochet, I'm afraid. Too much mesh for my tastes. I think it looks nice, though.
Next up is my first project with some of that neat thread with the looooong color changes:
Pattern: "Etienne", by Grace Fearon
Thread: Alize Miss Batik in "4536"
First up, the thread. Unfortunately, I did find two knots in close succession in this single skein of thread. (So far. I haven't used the whole thing, so there could be more...) It's also quite soft, which may mean it's somewhat less durable than a "harder" thread, I suppose. However, I loved watching the colors change and look forward to crocheting with it again!
The pattern itself was fun to make. The center is relatively simple, but the rest of it is filled with texture and was very interesting to crochet. It's not a large doily, but sometimes the smaller ones are more useful/"in scale", anyway.
I can easily imagine making this pattern again, and I'm not usually eager to crochet the same doily multiple times (with a few exceptions).
Going back to the thread again, this particular colorway is a bit crazy. It reminds me of the circus or the carnival, which is not my usual palette, but it's fun to venture beyond the color comfort zone every so often. However, next time, I might try one of the more subdued colorways.
Other than the afghan border, my current active WIP is one I'm sure I've mentioned before. It's a Japanese table runner doily worked in three strips. I've finished the central strip and am now on the first of two identical strips that go on either side of it.
I'm finding myself impatient to be finished with it, which is unfortunate, since there's still a lot of stitching to do. I definitely don't see myself making this pattern ever again.
You never really get into the groove with this type of project-- or at least I don't, because I have to consult the (charted, thank goodness!) pattern at the beginning of every (short) row. There's a repeat, but it's too long for me to memorize. It's not difficult to do, but it's not the same as a "'round and 'round" doily.
I need to take a breath, remind myself that it's not a race, and take it one row at a time.