Eons have passed since I posted last, but that doesn't mean I haven't been up to anything creative.
The scarf started out as a light grey, but with judicious application of purple and blue it's now quite colorful. The bright red yarn is leftover from an earlier swing coat, but with some blue food dye and some citric acid it was transformed into a lovely wine color. Of course that newly dyed yarn didn't sit long in a ball. It has a new life as:
...yet another Bit O' Lace scarf in a much friendlier color of red.
After three trips through different dye baths I decided I would rather have an imperfectly colored but structurally sound yarn instead of a fabulously colored ball of felt so I threw in the towel. It is a lovely color, but not a color I would typically wear so I reluctantly put it aside. Then, just recently, I realized that it might just make a sweet summer sweater for a certain niece, so after an exhaustive search for the perfect pattern I think I may have to come up with something on my own. Again.
This is after having worked on creating a Tunisian crochet tunic pattern for three months and then finding out it didn't quite work out as expected. This pattern was supposed to be a light sweater tunic with a scooped neck, an empire waist, and sleeves that fitted to the elbow then ballooned to a fitted cuff. This was my first real try at Tunisian so I should have known that there was a lot I didn't know about the characteristics of the stitches and fabric. So while the finished product was cute and supremely comfortable to wear it wasn't exactly what I had been aiming for!
Due to the fact that my simple Tunisian stitch fabric wanted to stretch vertically my tunic is more like a dress and the 'empire waist' sits right around the natural waist (not quite as flattering on me.) On the plus side the bamboo, silk and merino yarn I used is breathable and buttery soft.
Here's a good shot of the sleeve, which worked almost perfectly to plan. The sleeve is snug, but not tight and the simple Tunisian stitch has enough drape that the balloon sleeve is graceful instead of stiff. However, I learned that decreasing in the middle of the row creates a quite visible hole in the fabric. It could be used as an interesting design element (which is why I just gave up and left it be) but it is definitely something to note for future reference.
After finally finishing the tunic I wanted nothing more to do with creating patterns and decided to stick to patterns that had actually been published and tested for awhile. 
As usual Doris Chan's pattern was stylish and easy- I actually stitched the whole thing in a weekend!
Robin is another one of my favorite designers and the end result is EXACTLY what I wanted. Perfect fit, perfect color and perfect for the weather. You couldn't ask for much more than that.
Come back in time with me a couple months to when I was still on my crazy dyeing streak.
The scarf started out as a light grey, but with judicious application of purple and blue it's now quite colorful. The bright red yarn is leftover from an earlier swing coat, but with some blue food dye and some citric acid it was transformed into a lovely wine color. Of course that newly dyed yarn didn't sit long in a ball. It has a new life as:...yet another Bit O' Lace scarf in a much friendlier color of red.About the same time I was still spinning like a madwoman and after finally skeining my first serious attempt (a staggering 880 yards of light fingering!) I decided to take the plunge and dye my own spindle-spun yarn.
After three trips through different dye baths I decided I would rather have an imperfectly colored but structurally sound yarn instead of a fabulously colored ball of felt so I threw in the towel. It is a lovely color, but not a color I would typically wear so I reluctantly put it aside. Then, just recently, I realized that it might just make a sweet summer sweater for a certain niece, so after an exhaustive search for the perfect pattern I think I may have to come up with something on my own. Again.This is after having worked on creating a Tunisian crochet tunic pattern for three months and then finding out it didn't quite work out as expected. This pattern was supposed to be a light sweater tunic with a scooped neck, an empire waist, and sleeves that fitted to the elbow then ballooned to a fitted cuff. This was my first real try at Tunisian so I should have known that there was a lot I didn't know about the characteristics of the stitches and fabric. So while the finished product was cute and supremely comfortable to wear it wasn't exactly what I had been aiming for!
Due to the fact that my simple Tunisian stitch fabric wanted to stretch vertically my tunic is more like a dress and the 'empire waist' sits right around the natural waist (not quite as flattering on me.) On the plus side the bamboo, silk and merino yarn I used is breathable and buttery soft.Here's a good shot of the sleeve, which worked almost perfectly to plan. The sleeve is snug, but not tight and the simple Tunisian stitch has enough drape that the balloon sleeve is graceful instead of stiff. However, I learned that decreasing in the middle of the row creates a quite visible hole in the fabric. It could be used as an interesting design element (which is why I just gave up and left it be) but it is definitely something to note for future reference.I do love the differing stitches I used (honeycomb & simple) of Tunisian and the drape with a bamboo blend yarn is amazing!
I did attempt a quick-fix with some ribbon on hand, but I'm thinking a thick satin ribbon in a matching color might be the key to regain the empire waist.
After finally finishing the tunic I wanted nothing more to do with creating patterns and decided to stick to patterns that had actually been published and tested for awhile.Good timing because my mom 'placed an order' for a brown office sweater. Something to add a little warmth, but still look nice over whatever she was wearing. After choosing a really nice bamboo, silk & merino yarn from Elan.com we decided on one of Doris Chan's patterns, Cinnabar.
As usual Doris Chan's pattern was stylish and easy- I actually stitched the whole thing in a weekend!I'm actually a little jealous. It's a lovely cardigan!
Finally, I took up a project I've been meaning to do for a long time, Robin Chachula's Szechuan Sweater from Interweave Crochet magazine:
Robin is another one of my favorite designers and the end result is EXACTLY what I wanted. Perfect fit, perfect color and perfect for the weather. You couldn't ask for much more than that.Lyzard
