Thank God for Crochet

We left Ireland in quite a rush mid Covid-19.  One of the many many decisions I had to make the week we packed up months early and made a mad dash back to New Zealand was to rationalise our luggage to meet the requirements of three different airlines as flights were cancelled and we had to repack and update when or if we would be leaving.  So so glad to be back home in our house.  Not sure when we'd be able to get back if we'd stayed and options for our sabbatical in Ireland were so limited - all the events we'd organised for work were cancelled and we were unable to visit/stay with friends.  Our house in Dublin was lovely *if you could leave it* and was very tight quarters with two adults trying to work from home and a toddler.  It didn't help that the head of our organisation's first response was to suggest redundancies.  In the mist of all this, I ended up deciding to leave the crochet project and my hooks as well as my nascent knitting project in Ireland with family.  The upshot was that we were in isolation in New Zealand for a few days and then entered lockdown with everyone else but I was without my hooks!  I really find crochet relaxing and definitely rely on it as a meditation.  Thankfully after pulling apart my sewing/guest room, I managed to find a few random sized hooks.  It was such a relief to have something relaxing to do with my hands.

I found some yarn (cotton) in stash and followed a pattern from one of the crochet books I love to own but rarely use!  I adapted the Faux overlapping circles pattern from the finer edge.  Wasn't very happy with the result so frogged the project and redid as a simple circle.

And another dishcloth done...

I raided my stash to see what yarn I actually had and was pleasantly surprized to find I had a lot left over after making some blankets for my niece and nephew when they were born.  I moved on to the next project fairly quickly so I don't think I realised quite how much I'd overbought.  

I don't think I've ever been as pleased by my hoarding tendencies - yarn and unexpected hooks!  The relief. The yarn is Debbie Bliss - Baby Cashmerino. I don't have the colours for all the balls.  

Started work on the growing ivy crochet blanket pattern by Yarninspirations using a 5mm hook.

I've had fun admiring my yarn stash in my project basket. 

Not quite sure the colour combo is one I would have put together ideally but is a beautiful yarn and the pattern is shaping up well. 

Crochet: the (not) bear hooded cardigan

Last year I bought a few balls of yarn at the Made Marion moving sale and went in search of a crochet pattern to suit the oversized yarn.

Its a DMC Natura XL Just cotton in 07 lagon and its 'super chunky'. I found a pattern I liked on ravelry (Bear Hooded Cardigan) and I was off.

It took far too long to make this despite the small size of the finished product. I ran out of yarn and Made Marion was out - I assumed they weren't going to stock it any more as they made product changes during the move.  But I should have asked as it was back in stock BEFORE my order arrived from overseas.  Also having chatted with the lovely Brendan at the counter, I really should have asked as they would have been more than happy to accommodate if possible. Bah!  Hopefully a mistake I don't make again.

I found the hem stitches a little hard to follow and realise my mistake now after I managed to get it working beautifully on the sleeves.  Ah well.

Hem

Sleeves

I sorted through my button stash for suitable closures but they were far too small after I sewed them on.  I should have read the instructions a little more carefully. I swapped the stash buttons out and made another trip to Made Marion for ones that would work.

Too small!

Just right!

The pattern calls for a 5mm hook but I have a tight stitch and I sized up to 6mm. I'm not convinced in hindsight it was enough!  I made up size 2-3 but its a little small on my 2 year old so its going to a great home to her cousins.

Pattern: Bear Hooded Cardigan (currently US$4.99)

Hook: 6mm (pattern calls for 5mm)

Yarn: DMC Natura XL Just cotton in 07 lagon super chunky from Made Marion (mostly). I lost track of how many balls it took - I think 7?

Size: 2-3y

Changes: I left off the ears as I ran out of yarn and didn't want to buy another ball for just those pieces.  

See? So close...

You get to choose the number of buttons so I used my trusty SimFlex expanding sewing gauge - ha! any excuse!

Verdict: Cute and I'm really disappointed it doesn't fit my little one - the only way I could find motivation to finish was to realise I could gift it to her cousins!

pom pom hat

This was the first collaborative effort with my little person for something for them!











I hacked together a crochet hat pattern for my 2 year old (though likely to fit someone else's 3 year old).

Round 1: 4 chain (ch) stitches (st) and slipstitch together
Round 2: Ch 3, 11 double crochet (dc), slip to close (12 st)
Round 3: Ch 3, 1 dc in first st, and 2 dc in the next 11 stitches, slip to close (24 st)
Round 4: Ch 3, *2 dc in first st and 1 dc in next st*, repeat for next 22 st (36 st)
Round 5: Ch 3, *2 dc in first st and 1 dc in next 2 st*, repeat for next 31 st (48 st)
Round 6: Ch 3, *2 dc in first st and 1 dc in next 3 st*, repeat for next 43 st (60 st)
Round 7: Ch 3, *2 dc in first st and 1 dc in next 4 st*, repeat for next 54 st (72 st)
Round 8-19: Ch 3, dc in each st (72 st)

I used DK yarn and a 5mm hook. I have quite a tight crochet style so someone else could easily use a 4.5mm hook instead.  I added a loose pompom to the top (LP preferred that to the ears I was suggesting!).

The finished hat is similarly sized to a 3-6 year knitted hat my little person received as a gift (in case I used that one to figure out the sizing).  I'm writing it here so I'll remember for the next time (so I can size it up!).  The hat is 18cm top to bottom and 53cm in circumference.

Baby blanket

I’m officially an auntie again so I can share these photos without giving the game way! I hope as thrilled to be asked to make a blanket for my new nieces or nephews (my sister in law was having twins) a few months ago. I bought the yarn in Ireland when I was back visiting earlier this year and started as soon as I decided on the pattern. 

It’s the new(er) ripple pattern - woodland ripple - by Lucy of Attic 24. She’s such an inspirational crochet designer. The pattern looks amazing stitched up but I didn’t find as relaxing to crochet as her neat ripple pattern. This is worked in a set of two rows using singles and then a holey double row. She also suggests working on the back loop for added texture but I didn’t see the need for a child’s blanket, especially as it may weaken it. 

A bit larger than expected as I went off the number of repeats I used before for the neat ripple. But this has a longer repeat (obvious in hindsight!). 

I sent it off with a few other presents and makes to my mother to pass along at the right time and my new niece and nephew were born late last month. I’m gutted I won’t get to meet them until the end of next year at the earliest. But at least they’ll be wrapped up my crocheted blankets. 

And don’t worry the other baby also got a crochet blanket too. One I’d made earlier. Rather pleased as the ripples of this blanket match the ripples of the blanket I made for their older sister and the yarn in the other blanket is the same yarn I used for the original one too. 

Yarn: Debbie Bliss cashmerino

This isn't yarn I'd bother buying again. It was expensive but also has 33% acrylic (not mentioned in the 'title'). New Zealand is spoiled for much nicer options but the yarn shop in my home town in Ireland was primarily acrylic - and a rather large shop too.

Pattern: Woodland Ripple by Lucy of Attic 24

Hook size: 5mm

Finished size: 30 x 34 inches

(I made 9 repeats with the added extras required by the pattern)

Buttoned Crochet Jacket

We're nearing the end of winter here in Wellington and the flowers are beginning to bloom and remind me that sunny summer days aren't too far away.  The magnolia tree near our house always reminds me of spring's imminent arrival.  

Over winter, LP (little person) needed a few warmer layers to get through the colder weather.  Rather than purchase I wanted to use up stash to make her something.  I crocheted a 'Buttoned Jacket' by Mon Petit Violon Designs.  

Its got an 'average' difficulty weighting. It wasn't a difficult crochet but I'm not super impressed with the pattern.  On the plus side, it has three different stitches.  Double crochet for the yoke with increases, a cluster type stitch (double then single) for the body, and a single then chain for the sleeves. 

I used two types of yarn for the cardi; the lighter green was left over from blanket I made for LP (and finished while in the early stages of labour!).  I'm trying very hard not to build up my yarn stash again!  The darker was three new balls from knitworld bought to match up the weight and finish off the cardi.  Of course, now I'm left with a different green in stash!  I even bought the  balls one at a time so I could just work with what I needed - but didn't quite manage to finish with the end of a ball.

I love the cluster stitch in the body - but the yoke increases at the back make it bobble out a bit and I don't think I got the tension right on the sleeves - they're a bit tighter than the rest of the make.  The jacket is also a little on the short side so I added a few rows to the arms and body.  I also changed the fastenings as I didn't really like the additional straps.  The cardi doesn't close up/fold over in front (I should have paid more attention to the photos of the pattern) and I should have probably blocked it to reduce the bobbled in the yoke at the back.  I *think* the pattern may have the wrong numbers for the body part row 1 as the numbers didn't seem to stack up for me.  But I winged it and didn't spend the time trying to figure out if it was me or the pattern.  Not a make I'd be keen on doing again so I didn't waste the time.

Yarn: 1 ball of Peter Pan merino baby (light green) and 2.5 balls of Broadway yarns Merino DK (100% superfine merino superwash - 50g balls - darker green - colour 31 - wash at 30 degrees and cool iron).  Both purchased at Knitworld.

Pattern: 'Buttoned Jacket' by Mon Petit Violon Designs.  Size: 12-24 months.  

Changes: Lengthened sleeves and body by a few rows by eye as it was a little short on LP.  Possibly something weird on row 1 for the body for size 12-24 months.  I also didn't bother crocheting up the front and just finished the neckline in the darker green.

Hook size: can't remember (but I did swatch first!)