Knit, Crochet and Natter 3: Is it really still January?!

[lazylinguist]

All welcome! Previous thread here

Thank you everyone for the lovely words :) sending so much love to @bloodywhitecat and your hubby for today hope all goes as well as it can today

I am hoping today my brain will be able to focus a bit better!!

Oh @bloodywhitecat - I'm so sorry you and your dh are going through this. And you are also looking after a foster baby with a brain injury? Goodness, you have a lot on your plate. I'm glad to hear that knitting brings you some distraction and enjoyment. I know this doesn't compare, but I'm waiting for the results of some tests which will hopefully confirm I don't have something sinister, but I can't help worrying. Knitting and crochet are helping me distract myself too.

@bloodywhitecat hope your DH doesn’t feel too awful after chemo day. Glad knitting is providing a distraction.

I've finally started my big mosaic Blanket last night. Much counting, counting and rechecking 😂 Its 242 stitches wide, and I've put a stitch marker every 25 stitches. Well I used contrasting wool. It's not much to look at right now.

Were going to a friends house for games night tomorrow. (We've all isolated for two weeks and we don't see any other people anyway). Theyre playing a table top game (my suggestion) and I'll play barmaid and crochet sat with them (also my suggestion). I don't have the imaginitive play gene so this way everyone wins. I started a mindless crochet project as I'm not sure how much chat I could have with the mosaic.

So this is a cat blanket for Abi who's lost without her sister and I just thought she needed her own blanket. I'm loving the crazy balls of wool. I can work at granny Squares barely looking at them 🤣. I've enclosed two pics one with flash one without. This is why we have such a problem buying colours online, they can vary so much.

Can't wait to see the updated cal pics. Totally invested.

@inthenightwewillwish what blanket pattern are you using for Mum?? Lovely wool. Attic 24 is one of my favourite for blanket inspiration but I'm learning ravelry gradually

@bloodywhitecat sending you love and strength. I wish there were some magic words ♥

Hi everyone, hope it's ok to join, was recommended the thread whilst on another one.

I'm a keen crocheter and knitter but about to start my first ever project using crochet thread. I'm finding it hard to find anywhere that sells a good selection of colours, I'm after size 40. There are some on Etsy which I will use if needed but just wondering if anyone has used it before and has any suggestions of good sites to buy from? Thanks in advance!

Hi again @NavyNails2, it was me who pointed you this way! I just had a look on WoolWarehouse where lots of us buy our yarn. They do have a couple of size 40 crochet threads, but they only seem to come in white, cream and pale beige!

How about this one ? Not cheap though!

Ah thanks @lazylinguist! A lot of the sites I've seen have such a limited colour selection, it's obviously not very popular! The best selection I've found is Etsy, although delivery date isn't until March! Thank you for looking for me though, much appreciated.

@Myshitisreal aww your poor kitty missing her sister, special blanket is definitely needed.

Originally, I was going to do this pattern www.petalstopicots.com/continuous-mitered-square-crochet-afghan-pattern/. I loved the simplicity of it and it looked lovely and snug. I was having a problem with the tension as I got to the top of the squares. The top of the squares were smaller than the bottom. The pattern builds up one square at a time, then using your first square to build up the second square. It might be one of those by the time you’ve got the second row on, your squares in your first row even out a bit. But that would be half a ball of wool to get to the end of the second row and I couldn’t be bothered to do that much working on a it ‘might stretch out’.

So instead, I’ve moved onto this pattern www.yarnspirations.com/caron-wavy-crochet-afghan/CAC0502-009886M.html?cgid=patterns#prefn1=brand&prefv1=Caron&prefn2=patternProjectType&prefv2=Afghans+&prefn3=patternSkillTypeString&prefv3=Crochet&prefn4=patternSubCategoryRefinement&prefv4=Home+Décor&prefn5=yarnProductLine&prefv5=Cakes&start=1 (sorry I can’t do nice, neat links on my phone).

to everyone struggling with loss, illness and other stress!

I thought i had some size 40 that i could have happily gifted, but I've just dug it out and it's size 20. I inherited it from my aunt so can't help with sourcing any i'm afraid - Dewhurst's Sylko Perle, it's in it's original box!

I know i've seen similar in charity shops before but probably not helpful in current time

@bloodywhitecat I hope your DH has had a good day. As good as chemo can be. Wishing you both light and strength.

Welcome @NavyNails2. I looked at some patterns ages ago that needed size 40 crochet thread. But when I realised it only seemed to come in boring colours I decided against it.

I've almost finished my rainbow ripple blanket. It's big enough now to keep me warm while I do the last 20ish rows. I've got a horrible feeling I'm going to run out of white before the end though and I don't think I have any more. I'm trying really hard not to buy any more yarn until I've finished some WIPs and actually need it

@tizwozliz I LOVE inherited craft stuff! Especially when it's in original packaging! My very lovely friend from Church (who is in her late 80s, possibly early 90s) gave me her sewing table which was full of not only her old stuff, but some that had been her mums. I love it so much!
She also gave me a box of embroidery silks and told me I could bin the box as "it's hideous". Its a gorgeous 70s style tartan pattern. I love the box almost more than the silks

I inherited my granny's knitting stuff - a bit of yarn and lots of needles!

I've just done row 1 of the Victory Puffs.

@lazylinguist yours is so nice! I like how the stripes aren't even! (I know you was thinking it might looks strange)!

I've finished part 2 now

Lovely blankets :) I am on the larks foot rows. Unfortunately I had a fleeting thought that they look like rows of penises and now I can't get it out of my head 🤦🏻‍♀️

I love finding abandoned stashes of sewing and crochet/knitting stuff in charity shops. I always have to rescue it. Which possibly explains why I have enough random yarn and buttons to last a lifetime (and beyond!). I can't resist though.

Omg @SoupDragon now it's all I can see
I have enough tubs of buttons to last 10 lifetimes haha!

Hi all. Love the projects so far! So pretty. Sorry to hear about DH @bloodywhitecat :( why does life have to be so cruel? I hope that it isn't too hard on him.
Currently crocheting a jumper for my 4YO. Had to frog back 4 rows though as I unknowingly missed stitches and my project was starting to go inwards. I've counted my stitches, added stitch markers and will make a start on it again once I'm back from work!
Does anyone else still have to count stitches and use markers, or is it just me? I've always taken a risk, thinking I will be OK but then it comes out looking like a trapezoid xx

Does anyone else still have to count stitches and use markers, or is it just me?

I don't generally in crochet (probably because I've only made blankets and granny squares!), but I do in knitting. I had terrible trouble with my stitch count on the sleeveless jumper I made a while back!

@sophs29 thanks! I like the uneven stripes of grey and cream too. You're right, I was worried it would look odd. Incidentally I'm still in my first ball of grey and first ball of white! I'd be thinking I'd bought far too much yarn, but I was always planning to make my blanket a fair bit longer than the original anyway, so it's all good.

I inherited a load of yarn, buttons etc from my aunt, which is lovely. She did actual needle knitting so would make lots of lovely baby cardigans for the babies in the family.

bloodywhitecat I am so sorry

Hugs to all going though difficult times at the moment.

The CAL's look amazing. I'm so glad I'd didn't have to pick colours, they all look amazing but I'd still be dithering!

I'm ever so close to finishing the back of my brioche lace jumper, only 3 repeats to go. Then seaming! I think the side seams will be invisible but I need to think about how to pick up stitches for the arms to make them as invisible as possible.

Some of my dpns belonged to my GGM. I often wonder what she'd make of my hobby knitting compared to her having to knit to clothe her family. It's a nice link to the past though.

Yarncakes if the pattern is pretty similar I count intermittently and use my stitch marker to indicate the last place I know it’s correct in case it starts to end up like a trapezoid. But with the CAL I am using stitch markers and counting every row. Partly because it’s so many colour changes and I can’t be bothered to frog it. Incidentally my CAL has a bit of an hour glass figure but the stitch count was right so it’s to do the tension on different stitches. I’m not frogging it and as it’s only a little bit wonky, I’m hoping a border will pull it back out a bit!

My mum has sent yet more crochet stuff as a birthday present! So I’ve got another blanket added to the waiting list. And another organza bag full of yarn... it might be time to start looking at a proper storage solution for all this yarn

I'm practising fsc, but the chain's ending up twisty. Is anyone able to troubleshoot & help me work out why? I've attached a pic - it's only going to be a hanger for dd2's heart so not going to frog it but thought the practise would be good.

I am a stitch counter, if I am not careful I find myself silently counting every stitch of every row even in stocking stitch.

Thank you for all the kind wishes. DP slept badly last night but he always does on chemo days because of the steroids he has to take. To make up for it I made him pink Iced buns as he has to keep his weight up. Today the boiler has packed up, we have eaten all the sticky buns so I am making Chelsea buns instead.