PDQ

This top truly made up pretty darn quick…It’s the Simplicity Top from Interweave Crochet Mag Spring 2007 (you gotta see this magazine! It’s terrific for crocheters who want to make more hip and up-to-date things to wear). I’m not sure that “simple” would describe this since it utilizes foundation singles to start off with and put under the arms; and then the whole joining the yarns, when to drop the MC and return to CC, etc. Once you “get it” though, it’s a snap. I wore it the night I finished it (before blocking it) and enjoyed it, but now that it is blocked, it looks oh so much better and more flattering. I had been looking for just the right yarns for several months, and found at “my” shop (Knit One Smock Too…where I teach)just what I wanted: Berroco Zen for the multi-colored yarn, and Tahki Yarns Lily ribbon yarn for the light lavender, and on sale to boot! The two yarns work together terrificly. The pattern calls for Berroco Glace, but I wasn’t able to locate that one. I like trying to substitute yarns, but the outcome isn’t always what you want. Thankfully, it worked great! This is a definite must for a fall version…talking with a Knit Wit friend of mine, she thought it would look great in a red/black multi yarn along with a solid black. Mmmm…so many possibilities!

Mini Merry Jacket

Remember the Mini Mary-Janes? Here’s a baby jacket I designed to go with them. I started off with the same yarn as the booties, but it soon became evident I was not going to have quite enough yarn for the whole jacket. Searching my stash, I found another terrific cotton yarn, same color, but different texture. This became the panel on the front edge of the jacket as well as the edge of one sleeve. None of my green buttons matched, so I just jumbled them up and it looks as if it was meant to be like that. I have had this finished for some time now and keep telling myself I’ll write up the pattern to share with others but I go on to the next project and have a hard time making myself slow down enough to write out patterns. Oh well, it may just have to be a one-of-a-kind gift for one of the new babies in our family. I really ought to put it on somebody’s baby to see how it fits…I’m guessing it’s a 0-3months jacket and booties. I so enjoy the process of “making up” something as you go and then “making do” with what you have.

Summer Madness!

These are a few of my favorite things…lately. Two blankets, a shawl, and a swatch for working out just-the-right combination of these yarns to work into a summer jacket. I must be crazy to have so many going right now, but it’s just too much fun to flit from one project to another, nothing ever gets laborious or old. Toss in a washcloth or two for gifts along with plans to make three other summer sweaters and you’ll definitely think I’ve lost a marble or two…now you know why my husband calls me the bag lady–literally bags and bags of yarn all over the house either in process or waiting for me to begin. Every now and then I put myself on a yarn “diet”, or rather a “yarn shop” diet. This is my attempt to allow the ever-swelling bags of yarn to shrink a bit, but I haven’t been very disciplined about sticking to my diet of late. I saw a tote bag for my yarns that was very hard to resist buying…it had a picture of a gal running with knitting needles in hand and the ball of yarn trailing behind her. The caption underneath was “So much yarn, so little time!”