It's Crochet, Knit & Natter 9: So Many Projects, So Little Time. (Oh well - I almost made it rhyme!)

[Fairislefandango]

A thread for woolly crafters of all types and levels.
Previous thread here

@Fairislefandango those bags are cute! My niece would love one of those, and it's her birthday coming up, I might have to make her one!

@QuantumWeatherButterfly I agree that the colours in that poncho are lovely!

@StillNiceCardigan wow, I love that little cardigan! It's all in 4 ply though, I wonder how much the yarn would cost! I might add that to my growing list of things I want to crochet 🙄😂

Yes, that yarn is lovely, isn't it, @sophs29 and @StillNiceCardigan. Unfortunately it is discontinued, so I would need to look for something else. Can anyone tell me how close a match I need?

The original is Red Heart Colorscape, and I'm a bit in love with Lion Brand Landcapes, but I think it is a bit chunkier. How much is that actually going to matter in a pattern like the poncho, where I'm essentially just making two rectangles and stitching them together?

@QuantumWeatherButterfly that poncho is cute. Any aran weight acrylic would work up the same. Or if you used a chunkier yarn it would just be slightly bigger so that would also work.

@StillNiceCardigan that's a nice cardi , very similar to the "granny go round" which is on my list for one day. Although I think I'm leaning towards the jumper for that. @sophs29 often you need less balls of 4-ply than of thicker yarns so can be cost effective!

In away at a festival next week so need a small project to take. I'm hoping I've got enough balls of cotton to take and make the "diamonds in the sky" top.

Oh really @CrochetBug I didn't realise that! I just know when I've looked at 4 ply it's so expensive per ball!

Ooh some nice-looking potential projects - I really like that cardigan!

My yarn and interchangeable needles arrived. 😍

Ooh, those needles are pretty, @Fairislefandango!

I've decided I'm going to make a couple of smaller things from the Crochet Society box I have next - first is a sleeve for takeaway coffee cups, then a little cowl thing. And then I'm going to take the plunge with the poncho, probably in this Lion Brand yarn, colour TBC but I'm liking Skyline.

I'll take my paintbox cotton with me when I go away next week, so if I do get the bag finished, I can maybe try something small with that, just for fun.

I love that Skyline one,@QuantumWeatherButterfly !

I've just started knitting swatches for my sleeve scarf thingy and oh my goodness- I love my new needles and the Drops Sky is just dreamy! It's so light and squishy but will be warm too!

I woke up early (as usual!) so I'm sitting here knitting with ddog and dcat for company. I'm so happy I finally started this project - thank you @sophs29 for the virtual poke which made me do it .

I think this yarn is going to go down as one of my all-time favourites. It's a funny ply (chain-plied? I'm not even sure what that means, but it looks kind of like a chain) and I wasn't sure about it when it arrived, but it is so soft and bouncy, it's like knitting with boingy clouds! I'm already thinking about what else I could make with it in another colour .

So I've started the first sleeve and am using the magic loop method with my new interchangeable circulars rather than dpns. It's a beginner pattern, so should be pretty easy. A tube of 1x1 rib in the round, opening out into a big, long, wider knitted-flat stocking stitch section, then back into a rib tube for the other sleeve at the end.

Ooo I like your review of Sky @Fairislefandango . I've got a pattern to knit a mouse for DD with it which I've never got round to.

I'm enjoying seeing all your crochet patterns. I still haven't given it a go - in fact I've barely knitted a stitch all summer - but it's very inspiring!

I feel like I'm advertising for Drops sometimes I love their yarns, and they seem so affordable compared with nrandsof similar quality.

We've got more guests coming to stay today after only getting rid of the last lot yesterday, so no more knitting for me - I have lots of housework to do!

You're very welcome @Fairislefandango 😇😂 can't wait to see it! That yarn does look extremely soft, I do love crocheting with a good quality yarn, always feels extra special!

Yes it's very soft! It's s a bit odd though - it's not like any yarn I've used before. I'm curious about the structure. Hoping maybe @SpinMeRightRoundBabyRightRound might know what I'm inexpertly describing, even if only to tell me "Ummm no that's perfectly normal "

It’s an air blown yarn @Fairislefandango , they make a kind of polyamide webbing tube and blow the fibres into it! I saw a video of it on facebook I think, it was weird but it makes a lovely light yarn!

I do love drops wool too, there’s such a good range and it’s so reasonably priced!

We’re still on holiday though we’re home on Tuesday. Didn’t get much opportunity to miss the wool I left as DS2 fell and needed stitches in his knee. Luckily we found a chemist who sold waterproof cast covers so he can still swim and he can get the stitches out when we get home but slightly stressful!

Ooo sorry about your DS @SpinMeRightRoundBabyRightRound

Drops wish is made in the same way. I was a bit worried that the tube might collapse and end up with the knitting looking a bit flat but it's stayed bouncy so far.

I saw some oversized v neck batwing jumpers in a seaside shop yesterday. They were great colours but horrible wool. Now I want to make one. Anyone made anything similar? I'm on a pattern hunt...

Ha - I knew I could rely on you to explain the yarn, @SpinMeRightRoundBabyRightRound ! Thanks for the explanation- it sounds really interesting!

Sorry to hear about your ds. What a shame for it to happen on holiday!

We're off canoeing and sup boarding with our guests today, after a somewhat boozy evening. One of our guests is proving amazingly useful - he has worked in admissions and access at the university dd wants to go to, as well as having studied a related subject, so he's a goldmine of useful info!

Oh that is useful knowledge @Fairislefandango ! Hope you have fun today!

I’ve been eyeing up drops wish @MerylSqueak, I think I want something quick and light and fun to knit and I’ve seen some lovely jumpers on instagram knit up in pale shades of it.
I can’t bring to mind any patterns like that but oversized seems definitely to be a thing at the moment so I hope you find something good!

Good news! I’ve got all the squares complete and joined, and I’ve done the border around the opening edge too - so just the handles to go. However, I have a pattern question that I’m hoping one of you kind people can answer for me!

The instruction is ‘locate the 2 dc in the corner chain space (which I’ve done), then count back 3 further stitches and join with a ss’.

Now - do I join to the third stitch back (so counting 1 stitch, 2 stitch, join to the third), or the fourth stitch back (so counting 1 stitch, 2 stitch, 3 stitch, join to the one after)? Does that make any sense at all?

I'm afraid I haven't a clue about your pattern question, but it's looking absolutely great!

I'm realising what a loooong project my sleeve scarf is going to be, but I actually don't mind that at all! I like a long project to settle into, and the yarn is such a pleasure to work with!

First day at my new job is a week tomorrow - eek! Luckily I've got INSET days on the Thursday and Friday though - the students don't arrive until the Monday.

If it matters - after I've joined, the handles are worked in rows of 8 dc (so row 1 will have 2 dc in the chain space, with 3 stitches before and 3 after, then just 8 stitches per row). So I'm thinking I join and then do the first 3 dc which would mean joining to the 4th stitch. Unless I join and then dc into the same stitch? Oh, I am so confused!

@QuantumWeatherButterfly I'd join in the 3rd stitch and do the 1st dc in the same stitch.

@QuantumWeatherButterfly it's looking good! Is it a BellaCoco pattern? If so she normally has lots of her tutorials on YouTube so she may show you step by step, obviously including where to start the handles!
I always question myself with the counting and then take a step back from it and when I go back to it it's obvious!

Thanks, @CrochetBug - I knew someone would be able to tell me! It's the handles that have been scaring me most about the whole thing.

Yes, @sophs29, it's a Bella Coco one, but unusually there is no video.

And thanks to you and @Fairislefandango for the lovely compliments - I must say I am very pleased with it so far.

That’s lovely @QuantumWeatherButterfly!

We’re home and it’s feeling very autumnal, I’m thinking I’ll start the perrie leaves jumper pattern I bought a while ago, my last couple of jumper projects have been disappointing and my gauge was totally off and they got frogged.

Also, I know a couple of people on the thread have mentioned Duolingo but I only downloaded it a couple of weeks ago and I’m addicted! This is me if anyone wants to add me https://invite.duolingo.com/BDHTZTB5CWWKS7NYE37GO47P2U?v=la

Sorry I haven't really been keeping up. How was the first day @Fairislefandango

I just saw this on the bargain thread and thought it might tickle some on here's fancies.

here

sorry - it's a Friends crochet kit