Hi again!
I've had today's FO (and a couple others) finished for a while, but I took my time taking the photos-- and then when I finally did take photos, most of them turned out too blurry to share. After taking a second round of photos (a couple weeks later, of course), I'm finally ready to say, "This is good enough"! ;o)
This doily, "Emma", is another Grace Fearon pattern.
I used Alize Miss Batik thread in the colorway numbered "3713". I didn't make a note of exactly how much yardage I used... (Oops.) I usually don't need as much as the higher end of the range suggested in the pattern, with this designer's doilies, but I did need a little more than one skein of Miss Batik.
In this case, I was happy to have leftovers for another pattern, but if you had only one skein to start with, you could stretch it out by supplementing a few rounds with another thread-- maybe a solid color that closely matches or coordinates with the colors in the variegated skein.
I love crocheting with Alize Miss Batik! It may seem funny, but the color changes add a lot to the experience! After finishing these two skeins, I made a doily in plain white, and it made a big difference in how much I enjoyed that project. I felt less motivated to work on it, even though the doily itself is very pretty.
This particular colorway ("3713") has a very fresh, springtime feeling and makes me think of lily pads in a frog pond or a field of starry, light blue wildflowers.
One more note on the thread before I move on to the next topic. There are some yarns and threads that seem to behave differently from one colorway to the next, and this might be one of those threads. I haven't used that much of this brand of thread, but I've tried four colorways, so far, and have noticed some differences among them.
One colorway ("4536") was fairly soft and "loose"-- not as tightly wound as my preferred thread brands. This gives it a different feel to crochet with, and it doesn't hold up as well to reworking (ripping out a mistake and crocheting the same thread repeatedly). Other colorways-- like this one-- are firmer and more tightly wound (closer to Aunt Lydia's, for example). I personally prefer the tighter, firmer finish, but I can deal with the softer thread, too.
I'm not positive if the difference really is based on the colorway or if it varies from skein to skein (or rather dyelot to dylot). Unfortunately, I don't know that there's a reliable way to tell what the texture of a particular colorway will be, if you're ordering it online. Maybe the occasional project/stash note will give a clue, but it seems like it's mostly just the luck of the draw. They're all usable, though. It's just a quirk.
I used my favorite hook-- 1.75mm Clover Amour.
This is the first version of "Emma" that I've seen worked in long-change variegated thread. I think it turned out very well (if I do say so myself)! The pattern is well-suited to variegation.
The pattern itself, so far as I can remember, was enjoyable to crochet, and I'd happily make it again, sometime.
This is one that would also be pretty with multiple colors of thread (changing every round or every-so-many rounds). I haven't done much of that in a long time. It's more work, when it comes time to weave in all the ends, but the results can be worth the extra effort. I've amassed quite a collection of thread remnants, over the years, and this would be a good way of using them up.
The designer has rated this pattern as "advanced", but to be honest, I can't remember what the different levels are... I have the impression that there's at least a level or two higher than "advanced". ("Expert", for one.)
From what I can recall, this wasn't one her most challenging patterns. There are some special stitches, but nothing I remember as being "impossible". ;o) It's not ideal for complete beginners, but if you have some experience crocheting doilies and follow the pattern carefully, it should be do-able.
...And I can't think of anything more to add, at this point...
Fun doily, fun thread-- fun project!
I've had today's FO (and a couple others) finished for a while, but I took my time taking the photos-- and then when I finally did take photos, most of them turned out too blurry to share. After taking a second round of photos (a couple weeks later, of course), I'm finally ready to say, "This is good enough"! ;o)
This doily, "Emma", is another Grace Fearon pattern.
I used Alize Miss Batik thread in the colorway numbered "3713". I didn't make a note of exactly how much yardage I used... (Oops.) I usually don't need as much as the higher end of the range suggested in the pattern, with this designer's doilies, but I did need a little more than one skein of Miss Batik.
In this case, I was happy to have leftovers for another pattern, but if you had only one skein to start with, you could stretch it out by supplementing a few rounds with another thread-- maybe a solid color that closely matches or coordinates with the colors in the variegated skein.
I love crocheting with Alize Miss Batik! It may seem funny, but the color changes add a lot to the experience! After finishing these two skeins, I made a doily in plain white, and it made a big difference in how much I enjoyed that project. I felt less motivated to work on it, even though the doily itself is very pretty.
This particular colorway ("3713") has a very fresh, springtime feeling and makes me think of lily pads in a frog pond or a field of starry, light blue wildflowers.
One more note on the thread before I move on to the next topic. There are some yarns and threads that seem to behave differently from one colorway to the next, and this might be one of those threads. I haven't used that much of this brand of thread, but I've tried four colorways, so far, and have noticed some differences among them.
One colorway ("4536") was fairly soft and "loose"-- not as tightly wound as my preferred thread brands. This gives it a different feel to crochet with, and it doesn't hold up as well to reworking (ripping out a mistake and crocheting the same thread repeatedly). Other colorways-- like this one-- are firmer and more tightly wound (closer to Aunt Lydia's, for example). I personally prefer the tighter, firmer finish, but I can deal with the softer thread, too.
I'm not positive if the difference really is based on the colorway or if it varies from skein to skein (or rather dyelot to dylot). Unfortunately, I don't know that there's a reliable way to tell what the texture of a particular colorway will be, if you're ordering it online. Maybe the occasional project/stash note will give a clue, but it seems like it's mostly just the luck of the draw. They're all usable, though. It's just a quirk.
I used my favorite hook-- 1.75mm Clover Amour.
This is the first version of "Emma" that I've seen worked in long-change variegated thread. I think it turned out very well (if I do say so myself)! The pattern is well-suited to variegation.
The pattern itself, so far as I can remember, was enjoyable to crochet, and I'd happily make it again, sometime.
This is one that would also be pretty with multiple colors of thread (changing every round or every-so-many rounds). I haven't done much of that in a long time. It's more work, when it comes time to weave in all the ends, but the results can be worth the extra effort. I've amassed quite a collection of thread remnants, over the years, and this would be a good way of using them up.
The designer has rated this pattern as "advanced", but to be honest, I can't remember what the different levels are... I have the impression that there's at least a level or two higher than "advanced". ("Expert", for one.)
From what I can recall, this wasn't one her most challenging patterns. There are some special stitches, but nothing I remember as being "impossible". ;o) It's not ideal for complete beginners, but if you have some experience crocheting doilies and follow the pattern carefully, it should be do-able.
...And I can't think of anything more to add, at this point...
Fun doily, fun thread-- fun project!