Nothing Exciting

Saturday was a busy day, I voted early in the morning, spent the rest of the day shopping like a mad woman and then I stayed up most of the night watching the election coverage. Yesterday was much quieter - I watched TV, I crocheted, I napped...

Today, I have to work so no TV, no crocheting until I get home and no sleeping until late. I am fairly sure my boss isn't keen on employees who snooze at work, as tempting as it sometimes is!

The yarn I liked at Lincraft is "Romance", more acrylic than anything else (80%) with a bit of mohair thrown in (20%). It's soft and fluffy and I am enjoying using it...of course, as is the way lately, a little frog has the potential to turn into a Big Toad because the yarn snags on itself and breaks easily. The first few attempts of a pattern ended in wrong stitch counts so I just cut the yarn and started again, now I've made some progress I really don't want to do that, so I am being extra careful not to make any mistakes. They are all simple ones, just missing a stitch or repeating the wrong row of the pattern, so there's no excuse for them. I'm counting as I go and double-checking each half of the pattern before I move on, I can undo a few stitches without too much drama, it's undoing rows I want to avoid.

I haven't worked on Second Sock much, I still have a bit to go but I would like to get it finished fairly soon, I have a lot of Christmas crocheting still to do - and time is getting away from me.

I ordered more of the Tapestry in two different colourways - "Antique" and "Moorland". I received two balls less of the Antique than I bought but the seller replied to my query and said she had made a mistake and will send them out to me so I am happy with that. The Moorland has green in it and my boss likes green, so I don't know if I should make her something from it...I probably won't but I'm still thinking.

I should get my order (another one!) from CrochetAustralia today - at least I hope I do, I have ordered a few patterns and some hankies to play with. At some stage I need to get back to the 4ply doilies and also attempt that Crinoline Doll Table Runner - I should've ordered the pink #10 thread from CrochetAustralia but I didn't - I checked at Lincraft and I still can't see any #10 thread there, I am sure it is there but I must be overlooking it. I'm fairly sure next weekend will involve a pilgrimage to Spotlight so if I can get a few things finished this week, I'll feel better about buying stuff again on Saturday.

My Spoilee must forgive me, I have not sent her package yet! I was supposed to send it last week but I didn't so I will have to send it this afternoon - it's ready to go except for the card I want to include so I must get that done today.

Can't Think of One...

I can report that Pineapple Circular Shawl was given to Mother-To-Be and was apparently very well received. I am told PCS will be accompanying Baby home from hospital and I think that's a very nice gesture.

Onto my Show dilemma, I figured if I could just get this first project finished and done well, I would enter it in and then work on some other things but I am having such trouble with it! I have frogged a lot, for more 'minor' reasons than I usually would because I would like it to be as perfect as I can make it. The yarn is very difficult to undo and I feel if I tug at it just a bit too hard, it'll break - and when it snags, I do have to be fairly brutal. As a result, when I undid two rows to correct a mistake (a missed treble), you can imagine my disgust when I re-crocheted one row and realised that while I had corrected the first mistake, I immediately made a new one. I left it in. I couldn't face undoing it all over again. This is why I am just not cut out for competitions.

I do have some time to decide a few things and I will put at least one item in, just to try and see how I go. I am perfectly content with not winning but I think I will put a price on the item and if anyone wants to buy it, they can...and the price will reflect the cost of the yarn and the amount of time I have put into it, so if anyone wants to buy it, they can pay for the privelege. I think that's fair. If they don't want my items, I am happy to take them home again and give them as gifts or keep them for myself.

I would have said that I am not very competitive at all, but that's not true. I just tend not to do things which are competitive but, when I do, I like to win - who doesn't? I love playing cards, for example (and particularly so with K because I win 49 out of 50 games - which is, sadly, mostly due to K's lack of skill rather than being due to any super skills of my own) but really, I enjoy playing cards regardless of who wins or loses and I have that attitude (for enjoyment rather than results) for this as well.

The last package for my SP11 Spoilee is going in the mail this morning, I hope she gets it by Friday and likes what's in it - I think she will (for both).

Second Sock seems to be a bit smaller than First Sock, I wonder if this is because I am not trying it on as much as First Sock? I have done the same number of rows and I wouldn't think my tension would change so much between the two but who knows? First Sock fits my right foot slightly better than it fits my left foot so a slightly smaller Second Sock should fit left foot slightly better than First Sock. I will work on Second Sock a bit more tonight.

Half Of A Pair

Sock 2 of Ultimate Crocheted Socks is in progress - and I have a feeling this will (should?) turn out a bit better than Sock 1...I kept track of my rows, rather than just relying on measurements, so I could make another sock that should be similar enough to have a pair. I think these will be good socks for slippers and around the house I guess. If we have a cooler day when I have the pair done, I might try them with shoes and wear them to work, I don't know how comfy they will be in shoes.

I have been thinking - and it's dangerous when I start thinking - that maybe there's a better way to use crochet for socks than to try and emulate an actual, solid sock. The Knotwork Socks are a good example of the strengths of crochet, rather than using this sort of closed stitch which is more of an example of the "weaknesses", or maybe "lack" would be a better word? Still, there's no seaming to worry about, only two ends (the tail at the start and the tail at the finish) and the heel is very easy. I think that shaping must be easier with crocheting than it is with knitting.

My only deviation from the pattern was that I did extra rounds of 'ribbing' on the cuff. The sock is a little bit too long in the foot and a bit loose around the ankle but I don't think I'd be able to put them on over the heel very easily if they were any tighter.

(Mum is very kindly being my sock model in these photos)

Ultimate Crocheted What?

My routine has been screwed up all week, thanks to a sleepless night last Sunday, I hope I'll sleep well tonight. One week I can handle but any longer than that and I'll go crazy.

Robyn had the same problem contacting Spoilee so it's not just me, I feel a bit less like an e-mail criminal now - how offensive to tell me I've been blocked due to complaints! Unfortunately, since Spoilee has not received my e-mails, the last package will not be exactly as I would like it, I was waiting to get some answers about things to purchase / make for her but I will just go with what I already have. I don't think she'll mind, I think I've spoiled her pretty well based on her survey and earlier e-mail discussions.

Secret Pal, glad to hear PCB is progressing well - I'm looking forward to when I can see your progress. Don't worry about being late, that's another thing I can look forward to.

I had a great morning yesterday, mum and I went shopping and we bought some Christmas stuff - I got the dogs a stocking each and I am going to fill them with pig's ears and liver treats and things like that - Angel found a pig's ear and has been in love with it for about a week (it keeps ending up on my bed).

I forgot to take CDTC with me but I did buy two teapots, one is a plain white Maxwell and Williams one - a 2-cup infuser pot and the other is a "Tea for One" set (the pot sits on top of the cup) in a pattern I adore and I have quite a few pieces of the set so I decided I'd get it for me. The cosy fits the M&W one okay, it's not spectacular but it'll do (...it fits the Tea for One set a little better but I don't feel like parting with that one).

After that, I took a quick detour into Lincraft to check the stock for some projects I have in mind but I was dying to go to the loo so I couldn't concentrate. I did end up buying a ball of "Hot Socks" which is Lincraft's brand of sock yarn, it's superwash wool and nylon and it actually doesn't feel too bad. I don't know how sock yarn connoisseurs would rate it but it seems okay to me. One ball is 420m which seems to be enough for a pair of crocheted socks - so I started Ultimate Crocheted Socks. I am using a 4.00mm hook (larger than the pattern calls for, due to my tendency to crochet tightly) and I have completed Toe Foot and am currently in the midst of Gusset. I estimated 20 rounds for Foot but I had to do 30, so obviously I am still no good at estimating. I much prefer the extended single crochet (for the foot) than the single crochet (for the toe), I had my doubts that the toe section would fit over my incredibly broad and stumpy toes but the foot pattern seems to have pulled it into shape a bit (but not enough for my liking). I'm doing these as written for the small size but once they're done I might be able to work out any modifications for future pairs. The first thing I will change, if I can work it out, is the toe. I noticed in the pictures, her toe looked a bit square, narrow and a wee bit...ill-fitting? Mine does, too! I'm not sure if I need to adjust the starting chain length, use a bigger hook or if I should work in extended single crochet for the toe as well.

Back to the yarn, it was $13 which I thought was pretty good, considering I don't have to worry about postage costs or currency conversion and, as I said, if one ball can make a decent pair of crocheted socks, it's better than spending $10+ US per skein when I will need more than one - and possibly more than two. Tofutsies yarn is almost double the price ($24.95) through Ecoyarns and with only about five metres more. Still, maybe one day I might try the Tofutsies. Live2Knit has 75% Superwash Merino & 25% Nylon 4ply yarn for $13.70 but only 187 metres so I am happy with "Hot Socks".

I like the colours in the yarn but the colour repeats are a bit short for my liking.
I have been crocheting a Mystery Project with the Tapestry, the yarn colours are somehow not "me" but growing on me, I think it's crocheting up very nicely but it is definitely not the yarn for Lorna so I am glad I made her the Moda Vera capelet. I would still like to make her another, fancier shawl in really nice yarn but at least she will have one for Christmas and it will keep her warm and comfy when it starts to get cool.

So why the secrecy with these new projects and ideas? Well, I got it into my head that I might try and enter a few items into the Sydney Royal Easter Show next year. There are 8 classes I 'could' enter but I am undecided as to which ones I will enter, so I thought I'd try a few things and see how I go before I have to apply. I don't want to jinx myself by going into great detail with what I make until I get them made.

To be honest, I am a bit confused, one of the classes is "Creative Crochet" - Exhibitor's Own Design, I now assume that means exhibitor's own design whereas I initially thought it was "Exhibitor's Choice" which meant I could exhibit any project I wished. The other thing that confuses me is that it states that items can't be washed (except for quilt-y things) but there's a Doilie Class ("Doylie") and really, most doilies I know need to be blocked and pinned out - does that count as washing? I had planned on making items only with natural fibres just so I could block them when I was finished because I do think it makes the finished item look better, particularly when my stitches have a tendency to spring up and I usually end up with a smaller item than I want...I thought appropriate 'finishing' would be high on the list of desired attributes for a project. It's all very strange!

One part of me is telling myself not to bother because I can't compete with other crocheters who are probably all very accomplished and used to entering in shows but then there's another part telling me it's only $10 to enter an item in so what have I got to lose (who asked you anyway, Dignity?), it gives me something to achieve and it's a challenge I think I will enjoy...

Anyway, I am going to get back to my Ultimate Crocheted Socks and see if I can have one finished today. After I get the pair done (aren't I ambitious?), I'll revisit "Amazing Crocheted Socks" and see if anything appeals to me, now I know I can get 400+ metres of sock-y yarn locally and without breaking the bank.