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_

Fab news @StillNiceCardigan . Good luck! I can't believe how precarious and silly the process of house buying in this country is. There must be a better way!

I might try some knitting today. I really miss it. I know my elbow's not up to it but I can't wait to get started with a scarf in this lovely stuff.

I agree @MerylSqueak it makes things very stressful. I’m not keen on the short gap between exchange and completion, I would have liked a month rather than a week! Lovely yarn though.

Oh, that looks lovely and fluffy, @MerylSqueak !

I decided to add another 10 rows to my top for length, and now I've started to top mesh section. I'm not thrilled with it so far, it looks a bit loose and loopy, but the lower rows are better, so I have a working theory that working into them neatens them up. I'm going to finish them off and see what I think, both for overall length and then for wearability.

Gorgeous, fluffy yarn @MerylSqueak !
I've just been playing yarn chicken with some of my handspun, finally finishing off the made-up cushion cover I started ages ago and had kind of forgotten about. It's a bit rustic, and I've still got to put a zip in it (never done that before, and I HATE sewing anything!).

You can see how close I was to running out of yarn

If it works and looks ok once it has a cushion inner in it, I might make some more with my other 'rustic' early attempts at handspun. I quite like the effect of the undyed stuff with the contrast section of colour/undyed plied together.

I’ve finished my stashbuster socks the first one worked perfectly but then I ran out of the wide stripe yarn even with my fast knitting. The top one in the picture is the perfect sock. I don’t mind I’m wearing them today anyway.

Lovely attempt at rustic @Fairislefandango

Very much a beginner but wondered if anyone can tell me what I've done wrong with my go at double stitches? Thanks 😅

It looks fine to me @PumpkinSpicedTea

Thank you very much @CrochetBug !@CrochetBug ! Just feel it didn't look quite like the video by Coco Bella!

I find the first row always looks a little wonky. Do a couple more and see how it is then.
And well done.

I'm still a relative beginner, @PumpkinSpicedTea, and while I am sure there are plenty more challenging things ahead of me, I still think working into the foundation chain (aka the first row) and actually getting it to look nice is the hardest thing about crochet! I agree with CrochetBug, do another few rows and then look again, it will probably look a lot neater.

Those socks look lovely, @StillNiceCardigan.

I'm not feeling the love for the Aviva top at the moment - the mesh section still looks messy (although better with more rows), but it is also coming out a lot wider than the moss stitch section. I thought I must have managed to increase somehow, but I haven't. I'm going to make myself finish the first side, then I might do something else using bits from Mum's stash, while I think about it. Either a scrappy hexagon cardi for DD, or maybe a basket.

Gah - no idea why my username got set back. That is very annoying!

@LancreWowhawk it's a new feature. Personally I love it.

@QuantumWeatherButterfly @CrochetBug

I've been practicing quite a bit today and got one looking quite good but then I've lost it again 😂 I'm understanding where to start with the second stitch for the double stitch... But can someone help when I come back along? Where I think the second stitch is I feel is different to what it's meant to be.

@PumpkinSpicedTea on your first row, you will chain and then work into the second chain as your first stitch. On your second row, most times you are going to chain one (for a U.K. double crochet) and work into the second chain from the hook. This is going to feel different than working into the chain because it has a stitch in it. Here’s a very bad photo. The orange is the first stitch that you want to work into it, the green is the second stitch and the purple is the third. This is from the side, and you want to be putting your hook in the little slightly triangular gap. From the top of your work the stitch will look like a “V” and you want your hook to go under both bits of the V.

You might find it helpful to use stitch markers. I’ve got some plastic locking stitch markers that I got from Amazon, you don’t need a fancy set. I like the locking ones because there’s a lot going on in my house and they don’t get knocked out but you can use a Bobby pin, safety pins or scrap wool. I personally think scrap wool is a bit fiddly when you’re still trying to work out how to hold the yarn and manage your tension. When you do your first stitch, you put a stitch marker in before working the other stitches, then put a stitch marker in your last stitch, take it out as you work into that stitch but replace it as soon as you’ve finished that stitch.

I appear to have a bit more crojo today! I decided to start a scrappy hexagon cardigan for DD, and (hopefully!) have enough blue/purple/pink yarn to make it look quite nice - including a ball of Hayfield Bonus glitter, which she will LOVE. All from Mum's stash, so no outlay, and frees up some storage space.

And I'm a bit happier with the Aviva top. I finished the mesh section and it looks OK. I'll hopefully finish the neck shaping tonight, and then that's panel 1 done. I won't tie off until I've finished the second panel, so I can redo the mesh if I think I need to when I can see the pair of them. But maybe I'll get something wearable out of it after all!

Seeing something simple (the hexagons) work up nicely seemed to reset my brain a bit - very therapeutic.

That looks great @Fairislefandango I’d love to see the finished cushion!

Love your socks @StillNiceCardigan!

I’ve been taking DS out to his sports on Wednesday nights and it’s the perfect time to swatch. It’s mindless and I can do it while watching him, but swatching in the round looks really weird with all the loose threads at the back and a man with a confused expression asked me if I was knitting socks

HI I was on the old thread but as i posted on that i lost my knitting mojo for a couple of years but its back now!

These are the squares i done so far.

Welcome back, @bruffin - those squares are stunning!

Hello all! How is everyone?

My cro-jo seems to have returned but my "For..." me, has taken a back seat atm - I've made Supertato props over the past week, am just about to think about starting a crown for part of my World Book Day costume for next week, and...I'm after recommendations for an adult beanie type hat pattern (crochet, please!) that may look acceptably like a head of broccoli for my classroom colleague's costume. Our teacher's going to be Supertato too 🤣

Pic attached of my veggies. Broccoli was most time consuming but is definitely my favourite 🥦

Your squares are beautiful @bruffin

Tomorrow is moving day so wish me luck!

Oh look at those - they are fab! I like the carrot best. Glad to see you and your cro-jo back
I'm settled down with a post-y7-parents'-evening glass of vino. I teach 120 kids in y7 . Only room for 38 appointments though, fortunately!

@lucysmam they are cute! Wait a way for cro-jo to come back!

@StillNiceCardigan good luck! Hope it all goes smoothly. Is your yarn stash going in the car or the moving van? How much do you trust someone else with your stash?

Our house is on the market and we’ve got a few viewings lined up. So my crochet is away for a few days, although there is DH’s jumper in the car and I do need to crack on with that one.