It's Crochet, Knit & Natter 10: New Year, New Yarn, New Thread!

[QuantumWeatherButterfly]

Time for a new thread for all the lovely yarn crafters!

Old thread here: http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/artsandcrafts/4557189-its-crochet-knit-natter-9-so-many-projects-so-little-time-oh-well-i-almost-made-it-rhymee_

@12roundsofwhitelowfatspread thank you!

I really enjoyed making the poncho, and I have been reflecting on what I learned while doing so. The answer is 'lots!'. Most of it was about yarn choice. I love the Lion Brand Landscapes, and I think it looks great, but it isn't the right yarn for that garment. However, I don't think it will be durable enough given the weight and the fact that it essentially hangs off my shoulders by a seam and the first row of stitches.

I love ponchos, so I'll almost certainly make another one in a different pattern at some point, and I'll be much better prepared for what yarn to choose.

Hi I'm wanting to crochet a baby blanket for my niece, skill level is beginner, I've made blankets and hats but only straight lines or granny squares.
I want to make something modern and striking, could I start a larger granny blanket with a sunburst?
The star shapes also look nice which is the easiest/ best number of points to get the hang of?
I've got lots of wool, 4 balls of 5 colours and 2 balls of others with some very bright pink I'd like to use as an accent or border.
Any tips most welcome I can't read paper patterns I learned from videos tia.

Hi @TangledUpinBlu . My favourite baby blankets are The 6day Kid blanket, hugs and kisses, or call the midwife

I'm not sure if any of those have video tutorials, but they are all fairly beginner friendly I think.

@TangledUpinBlu My favourite baby blanket that I made was Henry’s blanket. There isn’t a video tutorial but they are simple stitches. I love the modern look of some striped blankets and I’ve made my daughter a random stripe blanket, which I love.

Daisy Farm Crafts also have loads of modern, stylish baby blankets and they usually have tutorials for the patterns or at least the stitches.

I really like this blanket - www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rainbow-ripple-baby-blanket

Bonus of this type of blanket is you don't need to decide on the size before you start.

I'm doing well with my New Years resolution not to start more projects, blanket is still ongoing and I've finished all the parts for an amigurumi dinosaur that I started yonks ago. I just need to find the yarn for sewing together now but hopefully will have one less WIP by the end of the weekend.

Loving the poncho and blankets! So sorry to hear about the blanket lost in the post, @WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally Hope it turns up eventually.

I've not had a lot of time for crafting lately. My cable hat for MIL is coming along well, though I'm worried I might end up playing yarn chicken with it (old yarn from dh's great aunt, no longer available!). The endless sleeve scarf is also plodding along. And I think I've settled on a jumper pattern for dd, but not chosen any bottle green yarn yet.

This coming week is half term though, and I will have it all to myself, as my dc don't have theirs until next week! I have loads of boring stuff on my to-do list, and no doubt the week will fly by, but I'm determined to carve out some knitting and spinning time!

Enjoy your half term, @Fairislefandango - sounds like bliss!

I have decided that gauge swatches hate me. With the last two projects I've started (poncho and now the summer top), I have diligently swatched until I've found the hook size that allows me to meet gauge. I've started the project with that hook, got a few rows in and realised I was way off. Frogged and started again with the next size up/down, got a few rows in and realised I was STILL way off. Frogged a second time and started again, this time with the recommended hook size on the pattern, and been near as damn it on gauge.

So, if I had just ignored the gauge process, I would have saved myself a bunch of work. I am so tempted to give up searching and just check the measurements on my next project!

Anyway, after two false starts, I'm 15 rows into the Aviva summer top. I'm using Drops Muskat and initially I hated it as it seemed really hard and splitty, but I'm getting used to how to handle it, and it and it feels much nicer worked up.

@LancreWowhawk hmm tricky regarding the swatches, and interesting that your test effort turns out different than the main work. I will admit I have rarely made swatches, only to try out elaborate patterns or new techniques like embedding beads (that was quite fun!). And my tension/whatever generally seems to be spot on so I've never had disasters (unless you count casting on for an unsuitable size to start with...). Now that I'm heading for a new project with definitely a substitute yarn I might have to swatch though. Am I right to assume you actually knit a piece that's
larger than indicated so you get a nicely even piece to measure "in the middle"?

I’m just working on small projects at the moment. Our house purchase has turned into a bit of a nightmare and we have an angry chain behind us which isn’t very nice I’m hoping we can exchange early next week and get an actual moving date so everyone can calm down. My sock knitting has definitely been therapeutic.

I’m making some crochet tulips as a small gift to go with a friends birthday present but I’m not sure whether to make six the same colour or make three purple and three lemon. Pink would probably be a better mix but I won’t be able to get any in time. Here’s what they look like so far.

Thanks all for the wonderful suggestions, I'm going with a star shape as I wanted something to work from the middle out and it looks lovely, may work in some bobble stitches to add texture.

This is the jumper I'm thinking of making for dd.

One WIP off the list, many more still to go

I quite fancy that one for myself@Fairislefandango

He looks great @tizwozliz

He's lovely @tizwozliz
Fingers crossed for you @StillNiceCardigan
@LancreWowhawk I found that with Muskat too. I managed to finish what I was working on but I'll never use it again.

Still resting my arm. I scarily read something that said 6 months to 2 years for tendonitis to recover! I'm hoping another week will do it.

@Fairislefandango I am very envious. One more week here and I have a horrid cold. This week can't go quickly enough.

Oh he's fab, @tizwozliz !

What a cutie. @tizwozliz!

Yes, @GlowWine - I made my swatch bigger than the requirement. It's just so strange!

Fist bump, @MerylSqueak - this will be my first, last and only project in Drops Muskat. I wondered at first if that was just how cotton yarn is, but I didn't have this issue with Paintbox when I made my bag. I'd rather not buy from LoveCrafts, just because they are such a massive company and I've read a lot of people have issues with colours going out of stock for months on end, but the Paintbox cotton DK was so much nicer, I think I will go back to it for my next cotton project.

Anyway - I'm approaching 30 rows, and while my gauge is (now!) fine width ways, I think it's coming up much shorter. Do any of the crocheters on the thread have any advice about how you can make your stitches taller? On this project, I can just add more rows (though I didn't really want to as I have a sneaking suspicion it will bugger up the sleeve attachment), but I'd be interested to know what other people do for future reference.

The golden loop is all about stitch height 💕

I've just ordered the yarn for dd's jumper. Cascade 220 in Forest Green. I'm going to end up with too many projects on the go!

Thanks, @Ilovehamandtoast - that is really interesting! I don't think I bear to start my Aviva top for a fourth time, but really useful for the future.

I was so hopeful that I would be able to wear the Aviva out of the house. I imagining conversations something like this:

Friend: Love that top, LancreWowHawk!
Me: Thanks, Friend - I made it myself!

I feel that sadly, that conversation might have to wait a little while longer😂

@Fairislefandango Is there such a thing as too many projects? I manage this by keeping them all in my head/on a spreadsheet/on Ravelry/on Pinterest so DH doesn't cotton on to what I am planning😁

I don’t really like the drops muskat either but I do like the drops Paris. My other favourite cotton yarns are paintbox, Rico creative and Ricorumi.

Sorry about your house woes @StillNiceCardigan, hopefully everything can work out for you soon and you can move next week. We’re still trying to get ours on the market, hopefully by the end of this week.

I’ve done about 7/8 weeks of my temperature blanket over the weekend and I’m officially over half way through it! I’m going to have to pack it away again while the house is photographed and hopefully viewed.

I have too many projects on the go but I am trying to reduce my abandoned projects and use my stash. I’m also trying to not buy more yarn this year but I wont be able to do that if I need to redo my mum’s blanket.

I normally try to limit myself to two at a time, @LancreWowhawk ! But at the moment I have 1) sleeve scarf 2) MIL's hat 3) cushion cover made from handspun, which I'd kind of forgotten about! 4) endless stack of so far purposeless crochet squares and now 5) dd's jumper! Plus a load of beautiful fibre to spin...

P.s. Is your username a Pratchett reference?

Just googled- I see it is Big Discworld fans in this house, except for ds - I may have to disown him (he doesn't drink tea either ).

It is indeed, @Fairislefandango - though I see you beat me to it. QuantumWeatherButterfly is too - I've been a fan for over 30 years. I met him once, when I was a student. He signed my copy of Interesting Times

Um - I don't mean to be rude, but are you sure you brought the right baby home from the hospital??

Perhaps not! He liked the Tiffany Aching ones. He's a big fantasy fan (we all are) but he says the Discworld books aren't 'immersive' enough.

I definitely need to put my temperature blanket away (and I was doing so well)! A friend has just let me know she’s expecting a baby in June! So that’s DH’s jumper to make for his birthday in March, a baby blanket in April, a baby blanket for June and a baby blanket for July. I don’t plan for another baby blanket in my not buying any more yarn this year.