Tag Archives: inspiration

Perfect for the Chill- Shurs!

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As winter is gripping part of North America and the arctic chill is setting in Manos del Uruguay released my latest pattern, which is perfect to keep warm! Shurs is a cowl that is just the right size, long enough to be wrapped twice for extra warmth and coverage, yet still short enough that wearing it unwrapped has a perfect amount of drape for a classic look.

It is worked in what I refer to as a “cross-hatch” pattern. So, cross-hatch is actually an artist term the is comprised of short strokes made usually by pencil or charcoal that then has short strokes crossing in the opposite direction to create the shading and depth of the drawing. Almost like little “x”s that create an image.

I have worked this cowl similarly, with each row crossing the opposite direction of the last. It allows for an interesting visual effect, as you can catch glimpses of the stitches behind each other, but it also adds in a nice amount of stretch.

In addition to the “crossed” appearance, the stitches begin to stack up and give a very diagonal look, without having any increasing or decreasing stitches being worked. Instead this is a simple 2 row repeat, so it is a design that you can work rather quickly and easily, even for a crocheter that may not be completely confident in their work.

It is worked in Manos del Uruguay Clara, a yarn that is 100% superwash merino (meaning that it is a wool that is treated so that it does not felt, or shrink, but has all the great properties of wool like warmth and durability). It is a hand dyed sport weight yarn, that has a nice amount of spring to it while still having a nice stable yarn.

So, consider a quick project to keep warm this cold season, Shurs I feel is a good choice for this project.

Photos courtesy Fairmount Fibers, Ltd.

A Vacation from Crochet

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I thought it would feel different, not crocheting for 2 weeks, but surprisingly it was a bit liberating.

I did not start out planning to put my hook and yarn aside through the entire holiday season, but that is what happened. My family and I took a holiday vacation, a true first for us. We were gone for 2 weeks taking a whirlwind guided tour of Europe, from London to Rome. It really has been a lifelong dream to actually have a passport stamps of travel, and the end of 2017 the stars aligned and the dream became reality. We visited Stonehenge, and the Eiffel Tower. We took in a show at the Moulin Rouge, and checked out the views from Mount Pilatus. We enjoyed dinner on the Grand Canal, and visited Michelangelo’s David. We were awestruck with the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum. It was a lifetime of dreams wrapped into an adventure, an adventure we would love to do again.

I packed a couple of crochet projects and added them to my backpack. There is down time in travel, like the direct flights of over 10 hours, and the coach rides across the French country side, or the moments before sleep in the hotel. However, I was captivated by the dream, engaged in conversations with my new traveling companions, and spending quality time with my family.

When I got home again, and dug those projects out of my backpack, they felt fresh and new. It was like my whole body, all of my ideas and inspirations were able to be rejuvenated and see my stitches with fresh eyes. I cannot remember when I last felt that way about my hand craft, it has to have been at least several years, and I do not know that just putting it down at home without the adventure would have yielded the same result. My hooks feel lighter, my ideas crisper, I hope this side effect has some staying power, but if it doesn’t at least I have an idea of how to recapture it again.

Crochet Crunch Time

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How is it that the month of December can sneak up on me every year? As I get older, it almost seems to happen faster and faster. I once was able to have the holiday shopping completed by the middle of September and have everything in place to feel relaxed during this crazy time of year.

Then the years pass, I somehow lose weeks of my life and instead of having things outlined and planned in early fall I am just aware that I need pull everything together as my sister pulls the Turkey out of the oven on Thanksgiving.

All of my plans of what to crochet and for who gets put into over drive and long nights of flying fingers are scheduled. However, I must not be alone in this last minute hustle, as it is also this time of year that I get many requests for “can you make”.

“Can you make” always seems like a loaded question, it is not really asking if I would want to make and item, or if I have time to make an item, or if I charge to make an item….it simple asks if I can. Yes, I do have the skill set, but I don’t know if I have the time. But, at least I know that I am not alone in my last minute hustle.

So as the festivities begin, please know you are not alone, there are many of us up late making our hooks fly. Deciding that instead of an afghan, a nice scarf will work. Figuring how we can finish our self-imposed “to do” list and still stay sane and enjoy this time of year.

 

Brittany Hooks-My New Go-To

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I learned something new and realized I was wrong. Yes, I can admit when I am wrong…even if I have friends and family that may not believe that statement…For years I have believed that for me there has been a difference between in-line and taper hooks. Some people refer to this as the debate between Susan Bates and Boye hooks, as they are the most popular brands.

left to right: Boye, Susan Bates, Brittany; all size K, 10 1/2, 6.5mm

To simplify the arguments, the inline hooks are like simple tubes with slits at the throat of the hook, while tapers taper down at the throat and enlarge at the head. I thought that it was this that made the difference in how I crocheted, but testing out some Brittany Crochet hooks, as showed me I have been wrong all these years.

Brittany hooks are inline hooks, and I offered to test them out primarily because I realized that the world is small. In small I mean, that I met the owner of Brittany hooks at a trade show in the Midwest, only to realize in our discussions that we actually went to high school together, a couple of years apart, in my home town in Northern California; that he actually hung out with my cousin throughout school and that we had many mutual friends.

I offered to test out the hooks, as a feeling of this small world companionship, I didn’t realize that I would learn something new and find a great hook in the process. Brittany was happy to have my feedback on my experience with their product, as they want to ensure that they are offering the best hooks on the market.

What I learned was that for me it really is not the shaft of the throat that effects my crochet, it is the length of the hook.

I use a knife hold when holding my hook, meaning that I hold it the same as if I were holding a knife to chop. I hadn’t really realized it before but the Susan Bates hooks are shorter than the Boye hooks as a result they do not extend past my hand, but instead rest just at the edge of my little finger. When using the Brittany, they had more length than a Bates, and that made all the difference. I found no difficulty in creating the stitches, and I have put these hooks through some test, creating a couple of sweaters and shawls.

The Brittany hooks were very comfortable to use, not to mention very handsome. They are actually all created by wood sourced in the United States, ensuring that they wood is sustainably harvested. All the hooks are made by a single family, and in a small town along the northern coast of California. My understanding is that this company grew out of a bit of a challenge; that challenge being creating a knitting needle from a single piece of wood.  This should not really seem like a challenge, as we have all seen wooden knitting needles before, however these are typically constructed in two pieces; a turned shaft and a stopper at the top. Brittany is actually all turned as one piece. The turning of the shaft is then adjusted to turn a beautiful ending edge. For the crochet hooks there is one other step, which is cutting in the throat.

While a machine might turn the lathe, the human hand is evident throughout the hook. Each one is lovingly created and hand finished. The family is dedicated to making a quality product while working by their family values of supporting the environment and their community. It began with a father over 40 years ago and is continued with the son working to support his growing family today.

However that thing I find most amazing is how reasonably priced the hooks are. I have found them on-line and in some small local yarn stores for under $10. For a hand worked hook….that is crazy reasonable. Couple with that, that they have an amazing product guarantee…if your hook is damaged in 5 years of purchase, they will replace it, no questions asked. That is beyond reasonable.

This makes it a very practical gift to yourself or someone you care for that stitches. I definitely recommend Brittany hooks, and am glad that I decided to give this hook a chance….I learned something new about my stitching as well as found my new go-to hook.

Art With More Than One Use- That’s Value

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I really love when I can see a real value in something. When something can fulfill different needs; when something is a real workhorse; and it if looks great while doing it, that is placing it over the top. When talking to a longtime friend of mine, I realized that her new business venture was of a product that met this description.

Lilla Rose creates hair products, which I admit are a bit different then what I have seen before. On the surface it looks like a typical hair tie, but it is actually flexible. Made from what I understand as piano wire, it is sturdy; so it holds its shape and such, but it is also flexible so that it can catch your hair more like almost a net and then cradle it. This helps it to feel comfortable all day long. 

Another different feature is that the pin that holds it in place, is actually attached to the tie, so that is it never lost, and it is in the correct place every time to keep your hair in place.

So, now what makes this a work horse, well, aside from the many different styles and looks, it also works great as a shawl pin. It adds a perfect locked in approach to keeping my shawl in place without slipping and sliding around. With the pin attached I know that it will not fall through or twist around. I know that when I put it in my shawl, it will stay. 

Then after some playing around I think I found my favorite latest use…holding my yarn balls in place. When I am working with multiple colors in the same fabric, it never fails…I get the yarn completely tangled and if I am using balls they are rolling everywhere. I can use multiple yarn bowls, but sometimes that is not practical as I am traveling with my work. However these hair clips fit perfectly in the yarn, and prevents it from rolling, while securing the end where I want it. 

I know this might seem like a small thing, holding yarn in place, either on the ball or my shawl, but sometimes it is the small things that really make a difference.

I am glad my friend and I had a chat about her products, as I think I have found a new “go-to” for a few different things. You can check out her clips here… http://www.lillarose.biz/proverbs31