Crocheted!

New adress

2006-08-26T16:00:00.001+02:00

Not that I am not satisfied with blogger, but I feel B2evolution is easier to customize and more transparent regarding backups... so

I moved!

Watermelon

2006-07-24T14:50:00.000+02:00

I seldom find Annie's Attic free pattern of the day interesting, but this one is cute, even if it's not a piece of clothing, so grab it when you still have time, that is right now, July 24th!

twinkiechan

2006-07-02T23:32:00.000+02:00

www.twinkiechan.com

You don't eat food that makes you fat? You crave for yarn more than for chocolate? no problemo! Don't eat it! wear it!

Anata, nani mo tabemasen ka? chocolate yori kumi himo yoi desu ka? Sugoi! tabemono wo tabemasen! amimono ni suru yo!

Ok, feel free to correct my roting Japanese

Crochet the Classics

2006-07-02T22:42:00.000+02:00

I think this is the best crochet theme - meetup - webring idea ever! This is really someting I've got to do. I must do. I can't live without! It's just so :confused: :plume: :rowofhearts: I can't find the word to say how brilliant, imaginative, entertaining this idea is!

En un mot...

2006-06-19T17:41:00.000+02:00

I saw this "meme" (what's a meme? is this a meme?) on Monster Crochet and thought that was cool, so I'm in the wagon!

Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me--it can only be one word long. Then copy and paste this into your blog so that I may leave a comment about you.

This is not so much about fishing for compliments as it is an exercise showing how hard it is to use just one word to describe someone! (She said and I agree)

Give it a try & I'll do the same for you if you're so inclined.

(From the enthusiastic Bron's Blog)

Ice ice baby!

2006-06-10T13:09:00.000+02:00

Ok, this is not about crochet... This is a cry for help...

HELP!

Help me please! I need an Ice-shaver

Ok, this could be an emergency... well it is in fact because it's steamlike hot here, and the summer hasn't begun yet!

I just want to buy a plain old ice-shaver, the kind of thing my mother uses in the west indies, my problem is I can't find one in France...

at all

I already tried to buy one in the US but the shipment cost was prohibitive. Thanks God the guys in Hawaii where kind enough to ask me if I really wanted the item despite the sipping cost, because silly me didn't check the shipment cost before placing the order (duh!).

So I thought I had better chances finding a cheap one at a cheap shipment cost

... in Spain. So I dove into the Spanish Web...

But my Spanish is rotten!

So here's where you come and rescue me, dear Spanish speaking reader : how do you say "ice-shaver" in Spanish?

I tried GRANIZADOR, GRANIZADORA, TRITURADORA DE HIELO, but those are huge machines used by either the fishing industry or large restaurants.

I just want a tiny ice-shaver to make me some freezing ice cones

Would you help me?

please?

Por favor!

White granny tank top

2006-06-09T13:33:00.000+02:00

This is something I did a few years ago, while I was looking for the perfect crocheted summer top.

It's a pattern from Phildar Spécial Crochet printemps-été 1999 “aux couleurs de l’été",
which is a very good pattern catalogue, loaded with elegant and colourful little things, mainly tops and shirts.

Yarn : I think it's a bland of cotton and acrylic, it's softly shiny; 6 skeins says the pattern, I don't remember how much of it I used either. I would say 250g.

Crochet hook crochet n°3, back in those days I would use those with a plastic handle, I broke most of them because I used to crochet too tight.

Design : simple but effective.
48 squares and 4 half squares. Each square is 6cm wide, they are joined while crocheting (not afterwards). The back has 4 squares less than the front, the half squares go under the arms, straps and border are made of single crochet.

I sometimes wear it as a vest over a pale shirt, here I wear a tiny bra under it, so tiny it's not even my size, but it's the only one I have with straps thin enough not to get noticed (I swear you, all the fuss about being big breasted, it's all overrated... really.).

a cajube

2006-05-28T00:11:00.000+02:00

I've just finished the shawl I was working on as part of a French Crochetalong, except I didn't make a shawl (God I cannot make myself follow a pattern!), I crocheted in the round and made a kind of capelet.

I call it my cajube :

CA stands for CAPELET,

JU stands for JUPE (the french for skirt),

and B stands for BUSTIER (which is the French for tube top)

When doing so I thought to myself hey! this would be another cool way to use a doily pattern!

What is a cajube?

Well it's just a tube with a kind of closing in the front (draw string or buttons or whatever you fancy)
that you can wear either as

a capelet, or "poncho" (the dreaded one),
a skirt,
a strapless top, or even strapless mini-dress,

If you choose a lacy stitch pattern you might just have to provide a lining for the sake of decency.

How to do it?

Change a doily pattern

Select a doily pattern, remember you'll need lining if the stitch isn't solid enough, and keep in mind the length of the finished object you want to achieve... this one comes from True Love Treasures.

1. Make a chain long enough to circle your waist, make the number of chain stitches match a multiple of the chain starting the doily (for exemple, if the doily starts with a chain of 8, your cajube chain should be a chain of 64, 72, 80 or 88, etc... ), don't close the chain, crochet the first rounds of the doily in rows.

2. Check regularly to see if the row you're crocheting is wide enough to fit your pelvis, if it is, close this row and start crocheting in rounds.

3. Finish the "doily" as the pattern states. Add a draw string, buttons and button holes, velcro fastener, etc..., add a lining if necessary and wear..

Freehand it
Here you can either crochet a tube or a cone. Both are quite easy to implement.

Tubular cajube
- 1. Make a chain long enough to circle your waist, don't close the chain, crochet in rows on the first 10 to 15 rows and make regular increases (i.e. two stitches in one stitch).
- 2. Crochet in rows without increases. Check regularly to see if the row you're crocheting if wide enough to fit your pelvis.
- 3. When the row you're crocheting is wide enough to fit your pelvis, close this row and start crocheting in rounds.
- 4. When the project reaches the desired length, stop crocheting, weave in ends Add a draw string, buttons and button holes, velcro fastener, etc..., add a lining if necessary and wear.

Conical cajube
- 1. Make a chain long enough to circle your waist, don't close the chain, crochet in rows, make regular increases (i.e. two stitches in one stitch)and check that if the borders of the first rows were sewn together, the project would lay flat (or almost).
- 2. When the row you're crocheting is wide enough to fit your pelvis, close this row and start crocheting in rounds, add regular increases and check regularly that the project (or at least the 20 last inches of it) lay doily-like flat.
- 3. When the project is about to reach the desired length, double increases (i.e. two stitches or more in one stitch)to create a nice ruffle.
  
  When the project finally reaches the desired length, stop crocheting, weave in ends Add a draw string, buttons and button holes, velcro fastener, etc..., add a lining if necessary and wear.

It doesn't get simpler than that!

: ! :
Things you need to keep in mind
when turning rounds into rows :

the height of the first stitch of your row must equal the height ot the others, so

if the basic stitch of your stitch pattern is a single crochet, the first stitch of your row will be a chain stitch
if the basic stitch of your stitch pattern is a double crochet, you must start your row with 3 chain stitches
etc... see this picture for reference.

I hope you found that tute useful, let me know if you try it!

A Cool Hat To Do With A Doily Pattern

2006-05-22T09:00:00.000+02:00

This is for my daughter.

I couldn't find any of her summer hats and it's starting to be hot out there.... So I made this hat modifying the pattern of a doily.

It's quite easy:

you start the doily as explained in the pattern,

then, when you reach the width you need to engulf the head, you just repeat one or two rows according to the shape you want to obtain (1 row to make a tube, 1 row - let's say row 5 - twice, then the following one - row 6 - for a bowl),

and then you just finish the doily as the pattern says to obtain the brim.

I tried blocking-stiffening with sugared water, it didn't work (obviously). I'm going to wash it and try again with plain starch, it should work then.

I'll use one of those methods:

StarGazer's

Crochet Memories'

Almanach de la servante chrétienne (an ancient guide about cloth care for XIXth century house maids )

Yarn : 100% cotton (made in Brasil) from Pernelle (a French brand), "tropique", 140 yards for 1oz 3/4, color : fushia. I used 1 ball and a half.

Crochet hook : recommanded : 4.5mm (US: 6), used : 3.

Time : less than 4 hours I think, I needed to think the new design out, next time it will be quicker.

This is to mark as ONE COOL THING TO DO WITH A DOILY PATTERN.

I'll try to post about other things to do soon!

Update, May 24th

It worked!

half a cup of corn starch,
half a cup of cold water,
half a cup of hot water,

worked through the fiber and pinned to block!...

is white, the color is paler... never mind, it's still pink!

Last Update, May 29th

This time, it's perfect

I knew the head would be too small, but I tried to force it on her and bam, it was limp again, so I stiffened it again, adding more starch, just in case (eh! it's for a four years old girl, she won't treat it like it were fragile or like mummy put a lot of time in it ).

Rebelotte!

This time I used my two biggest bowls to shape the head and I used a big plate to shape the brim and have a smoother look.

And... it works ! ! ! I am delighted!

Since this picture was taken, I added a lace for her to tie the hat under her chin (it's getting windy out there).

Somebody suggested I use gelatine instead of starch
to avoid fading the color or the yarn, I might try that one day...

I'm writing down the pattern of this hat, it should be ready shortly!

Just an update to show a picture of her wearing it :)

Spinning - part 2 - the choice of the victim...

2006-05-05T18:26:00.000+02:00

I've been thinking of spinning my own fibers to crochet, and I was hesitating between growing gossypium barbadense (Egyptian cotton bush), litter training a home angora rabbit or buying a cat. This is part one of the saga " the choice of the victim", but I haven't translated it yet... sorry folks!

So, part 2 : I was washing my hair in the bath tub, thinking of nothing special (except that my bathroom is really cold) and collecting the hair that was brushed away, to avoid having it clogging the tub, and then ...

the penny's dropped!

I looked at the ball of hair patiently gathered by my side and I thought... why not...

Why should I go seek further? I don't need a cotton bush, I don't need a cat, I don't need a rabbit, I can produce my own fiber!

readily availabe, lovingly groomed and home grown, the perfect fiber.

Ok, but how? Is it even possible to spin human hair?
Ok, let's check google... wow, there's almost nothing on it but I manage to learn that :

Yes, it is possible, most likely with hair that aren't smooth (lucky kinky-haired napptural me)

Most people think it's gross or creepy...

Huh? What?
WHY?

Ok, there's something you need to explain to me 'cause I don't get it.

really
I.JUST.DON'T.GET.IT

On tv commercials (that I can only watch at the theatre as I no longer watch tv) you see vibrant blond manes being swept away by the wind alongside magnificient beaches (this and a few tits) all the time, you see praise for this or that shampoo or conditioner that will turn your reluctant unbehaving hair into the most somptuous crown of glory, thus making your seduction power soar 10, no 100 fold
but spinning that mane is creepy?

We are told from an early age that the beauty of a woman and her feminity dwell in her hair, that it's the jewel we are born with...
but once it's shed it's just crap?

The most romantic takes in romantic movies show us young men longing to plunge their fingers into the mane of their beloved ones, willing to caress it, touch it, inhale it's perfume, or better steal a lock from it to hide under their shirt, on the bare flesh that throbes with their heart bit...
but this stuff is just gross, isn't it?

I.DON'T.GET.IT.

It's ok to spin the hair of a dead sheep, it's ok to boil a worm to his death and unwrap a thing it had benn profusely spewting, it's ok to gather goat's hair, lama hair, rabbit hair, alpaca hair... but human hair is gross?

My own hair, the hair I've been lovingly (and sometimes expensively) caring for, and my mother before me, that hair that I groom every day, wash patiently, that i'm so proud of, that hair that gives me that liitle bit of something in my attitude that noone can duplicate, that thing that makes me me, my mane, my crown of glory, my cloud of tightly coiled afro hair...

If I spin it it's gross?

Would someone please enlighten me?

Swedish people made ornaments from hair (and still do in places like Vamhus), aborigenes spin and make clothes out of hair, in Victorian era Britain, hair was woven, crocheted, made into jewels to recall beloved ones, in China embroideries were made out of young ladies hair...

How creepy is that? did you know there were so much gross traditions on Earth?

May be you know Paul et Virginie, it's a French classic by Bernardin de Saint-Pierre.
Virginie embroiders a monogram on a purse to be presented to Paul, she does it with "the gold of her hair" says the novel. In 1788, Monsieur de Saint Pierre didn't think it was disgusting... and nobody I know ever complained about that being "gross", I even heard it was romantic.

So how did the "romantic" become "gross"?
Were they more open-minded back then?

I don't think so... So what's the problem?

I don't know. I really don't. I can't see what's wrong with spinning my hair.

My problem is I don't know how to do. I suppose I'll teach myself on the process.

Now what do you think?

I would apreciate if you were kind enough to tell me what you think about Human Hair as a fiber : Spinning, crocheting, weaving...

Is human hair gross? Why?

A - Yes, it is. Creepy and plain GROSS!
B - No, it is not. It's been around since before I was born!
C - I dunno and I do not care

Use the poll here if you wish, but most of all post your deepest thoughts in a comment, I need to understand, I would be glad to know what you think...

Update May 22nd

Many thanks to all those who kindly answered my questions and took the poll. It occured to me that this matter is very personnal, I mean every individual has a different reaction to it, not necessarily according to his/her culture or knowledge of textile crafts.
For thze moment I am gathering shed hair during when I wash them, I dry them, keep them clean and I wait until I have enough to start spinning. More info to come, I hope ...

Phildar!

2006-05-04T22:47:00.000+02:00

Phildar has released it's new Crochet catalogue, and are there nice and sassy models in it? I bet there are!

I am also very pleased with the "ethnic" flavour they gave the magazine and some of the patterns, this black model is gorgeous, and there are too few of them modeling crochet, while many of us black women appreciate that particular craft...

I'm bidding on one copy on e-bay (well I could just cross the road and buy one, but I like e-bay better!) I can't wait to have it!

Update, May 22nd

I won the auction and already started two projects : the green alter top and a cute tank for my daughter, with a strawberry and a pear as motives... Stay tuned!

Knitting Cow's felted crochet scarf

2006-05-03T13:22:00.000+02:00

Since I saw a few masterpieces at Crochetville, I've been wondering about felting crochet.
The major deterrent for me is that you spend so much time crocheting and at the end the stitch doesn't show...

at all!

But here I find the result really rewarding : you felt mainly raw fiber, and the crocheted flowers are still there!

Should I try felting, I think I would try this item first!

Windy Valley Muskox

2006-05-02T01:03:00.000+02:00

I stumbled upon this site while surfing the crochet web.

I had never heard of this beast before...

Musk Ox are actually not ox but relative of goats (says Sonny Xiao-zhe). They're the living fossile from the ice age. They're well adapted to extremely cold weather. The soft under wool of the ox, called qiviut, are 7 times warmer than wool of the same weight. Musk ox was extinct in Alaska in 1856, due to excessive hunting. It was only after 1930 when musk ox was back to Alaska (the Federal Government imported 34 of them from Greenland). Now muskox is farmed to produce qiviut.

When you click "qiviut" at Windy Valley, here's what you read :

The fine undercoat of the muskox is called qiviut (kiv-ee-ute) in the Eskimo language, which is translated as down or underwool. Qiviut is naturally a soft grayish-brown color, and is one of the warmest and most luxurious fibers in the world.
Eight times warmer than wool and finer than cashmere, qiviut is hypoallergenic and will not shrink. Extremely rare, it is one of the most luxurious fibers you can choose for a garment. In contrast to wool, qiviut is soft, non-irritating to the skin, and is very durable. Qiviut garments are worn for years and can be hand washed in mild detergent. It does not shed, is odorless and retains warmth even when wet. It is an extremely warm, yet lightweight fiber that preserves heat in the winter, while also providing cool, breathable comfort in warmer weather.
For your creation, choose from the soft natural hue of the muskox or magnificent jewel tones available only through Windy Valley, unmatched by other qiviut providers.

Enough said. Now this is to be quickly added to my "stash to be" list! And if you think the Muskox is cuddly, you may buy this one :

Bluefly Amazing Crochet Turtleneck!

2006-05-01T15:27:00.000+02:00

This crochet turtleneck is the bomb! At first I even thought "Oh!no! They're mistaking lacy knitwear for crochet again...".

But then I enlaged the picture and!
Oh My God!
It IS crocheted!

I can't even imagine how much work and thinking there is in it! check it out here!

Can you see those details?

The turtleneck is buttoned in the back, that's so elegant!

And how it's fitted! brilliant!

I also like this off-white top very much and I think it can be easily recreated (at least, for this one, I have a slight idea of the way to do it).

It looks like another fun and classy way to use up leftovers !

I intend to try it out, I think it's opaque ans modest enough not to use lining, and I like that about summer tops.

God there's so much things to crochet down there!

Does she look like me?

2006-04-28T22:45:00.000+02:00

It was fun but I doubt the accuracy of the result!

Which Norse God or Goddess are you most like?
created with QuizFarm.com

Did someone say doily?

2006-04-28T19:29:00.000+02:00

I've been playing with this idea for quite a long time...

Make a nice intricate lacy shawl from the pattern of a doily...

I already have gathered a selection of patterns from old magazines... and My oh My, what do I spy, with my puzzled eye? Crochet is indeed a small world, because somebody else thought of the same idea.

So this is what Doris Chan, whose creations were featured in Interweave crochet 2004 and 2006, seems to be experimenting in her book Amazing Crochet Lace. It is to be issued November 2006. I can't wait to see that...

Don't you find the result ravishing? This is an idea that will rejoice many crocheters, I'm thinking of those who have a particular affection for doilies and home decor, imagine, let's say you just triple all the figures in the pattern of your favourite doily and ET VOILA! It's magic, you now have a shawl, a poncho, a capelet, a skirt or whatever you fancy ...

Ok, I don't really know this book is just about playing with figures and turning doilies in something else, but, hey, it's worth trying. In France, crochet magazines deal mainly with doilies, so that's plenty of material to play with!

blogging... is it a disease?

2006-04-27T22:44:00.000+02:00

I'm sitting at my desk and I should be going to bed.

But I'm not...

I should at least be washing the dishes, starting a few things to please my boss or finishing one of my multiple wips.

But I'm not.

And why is that?

Because I'm blogging.

Worse than that, because I'm considering altering my blog template again, because I'm looking for means to do cool things with my blog skin and make the most of my blog features.

Will it last if I succeed? certainly not.

I will probably try to alter it again, and try to add new cool features...

Will it improve my well-being, my life or my mental health in one way or another? probably not.

Is it essential to my survival. God! no.

So why am I spending so much time on it, why do I lose sleep over it, why do I neglect my housework, my husband, and even my manicure over it.

Do I need help?

Married to a crocheter...

2006-04-27T10:28:00.000+02:00

This one got me laughing out really loud, my daughter even asked me what happened! Any resemblance to persons living and crocheting would be purely coinciddental... or maybe you looked in a mirror

Enjoy!

Married to a crocheter

When You're at it, don't forget to check Annie's Attic free pattern of the day, remember it's free only for one day, and for personnal use only, you can't distribute it that is.

Annie's Attic free pattern of the day

She wears it!

2006-04-26T15:32:00.000+02:00

I was wondering weither I had crocheted a boléro (suitable for day time) or a "liseuse" (bed time only never-to-be-worn-outside- piece of clothing). The answer is : it's a bolero after all and she now wears it with pleasure, in those mid-season days when you don"t know how to both great the darding rays of sun and fight back the last spurts of cold. She looks lovely in it and I am delighted!
I closed it with a hairpin of mine, but now that she seems willing to wear it ( at last ), I might buy a girly button and chain a button hole.

Looking for inspiration ?

2006-04-26T14:49:00.000+02:00

I've been collecting pictures of crochet clothes all over the web, mainly on commercial websites, those are clothes that merchant sites like Nordstrom, Papillon, Carabella, Spiegel or Silhouette sell, if you click the picture, you will see it's name which mentions the name of the site where I got it, feel free to visit this site and shop there... Anyway, here they are for you to admire and get inspired, don't forget they are copyrighted material, don't use them to make money!
Enjoy

Flash Slideshow

Lacy White Sweater Top

2006-04-25T13:28:00.000+02:00

This is something I did a long time ago but this time I clearly remember when it was : it was in 1996 and I was still a student.
I wanted to crochet a lacy sweater I saw in Sabrina crochet, but once I had crocheted one third of the front part, I decided I wanted a sleeveless top.

I usually wear it over this tank dress that costed almost nothing. Cheap but classy. See how it looks good on me?

The scarf is something I did recently as an attempt to experiment with the "crochet and knit with your fingers" method, after I bought the book Tricoter et crocheter avec les doigts. It consists of a braid made from 3 finger-loomed-knitted strips, with tassels at the end. It was originally finger-knitted for my daughter, but I just noticed it looks great with my jacket! I am still working on the matching hat, but I don't like the way this ribbon looks crocheted.

More pictures:

Still chubby in my striped blue top

2006-04-17T21:28:00.000+02:00

I've just finished my interpretation of the "Charmed top", it doesn't quite look like I hope it would... I can use a few pounds off. Besides, I managed to lose 10 stitches on my way from right side to left side. AND I counted! looks like I can't count correctly. I thought it was the change of yarn that made one side floppy. It wasn't.

Never mind...

There are two ways to tie the lace (three in fact but now it's too short - although 2 meters long - for me to show here... I might crochet another one, at least to feel more at ease as long as those 4 pounds still bugger me), one around the neck and one above the shoulders with the lace going across the chest (the third one would be both around the neck and above the shoulders)
The good news is it's so tight I don't need to wear a bra!!!

Pattern should follow shortly!

Hyperbolic crochet

2006-04-16T08:13:00.000+02:00

This is a very cool thing to do!

crochet a reef

crochet a hyperbolic plane

Needed to share!

Old blue lacy top

2006-04-14T20:15:00.000+02:00

This is something I did a few years ago. I was feeling like musing a little bit with various crochet stitches, and I wanted a somwhat "decent" top to wear in the warmer season. I also happen to wear it when the weather is less sunny, over a light sweater.

The yarn

I think it was cotton. I used something like 6 balls of it, it was a Bouton d’or, yarn, I think I remember the name of it went like “tweed" or something similar. A 3mm crochet hook, as usual, my favourite.

The design

It's just a tube with two straps and a few more rows in the front.

The stitches

From top to bottom : Pineapple,doule crochet, spider, diamonds, waves, spider again, pineapple and a kind of bobbly-cluster for the edging.

More pictures, if you're in a mood

Well, I must admit I had never noticed how daring it was untill I took and uploaded those pictures...
Maybe because I did it when I was around twenty and felt it was ok... Now that I've seen how actually see-through it is, I don't know if I will be able to wear it without anything underneath again

blue and pink purses

2006-04-04T12:03:00.000+02:00

A month ago I indulged and bought myself a little jewel of technology(which software, sonicstage, is driving me crazy sometimes) and I wanted to provide it with a worthy casket suitable with my wardrobe.
I finally finished the purses I designed for it. In fact I only had a few details to finish but I've been lazy untill yesterday.

So here are my Sony Hi md MZ-RH10 purses.

Pink purse

I started this one in January with the same yarn I used for my daughter's
bolero except I "variagated" it using fingering red yarn and burgundy sewing thread (the latter doesn't show much indeed.I used a 4.5 mm aluminium crochet hook.

the design : the same as the porte-tute the most difficule thing being to create the stripes for which I used this technic, leaving the contrasing yarns aside to obtain a solid color. I also wanted to draw a line in the back, but I didn't manage to do it in the middle, the stitch being a little bit messy, it was hard to follow clearly the process, I should have counted the stitches. I also should have blocked the finished product to avoid that lumpy look... but I don't care .

the button hole is just plain chain stitches.

the strap consists of chain stitches doubled with slip stitches, although the result is less becoming than the twisted one,I do find it nice and it's both elastic and sturdy.

I added a row of slip stitches all around the finished puse so that the back would look like the front.

The only thing left to do was to add a button, I hesitated because I wanted something fun and cute, I eventually chose a square glass bead.

the stitch :
X are single crochet and T are double crochet (which happen to be "half double crochet" in French, or demi bride)

X T X T X T X T

T X T X T X T X

X T X T X T X T

T X T X T X T X

More pictures of the pink purse :

Blue purse

This time I decided to use a simple stitch so that the line in te back would stand out clearly.
I also opted for a triangular closing flap. In addition, I wanted something funny and cute to balance the sobriety of the stitch, I hesitated between pompoms and other decorative motives, I eventually decided to add tendrils...

the yarn : one bobbin of Bouton d'or "Flash" ribbon, I don't recall the name of the color (1 3/4 oz = about 137 yards), unfortuntely there wasn't enough ribbon left in the bobbin to make the strap, I used something I salvaged from a defunct garment... Crochet hook : aluminium 3mm.

the stitch : chain stitches, back loop only single crochet,
back post single crochet (for the line in the back and the stripes in the front), slip stitches.

the tendrils : form a chain of 10 chain stitches, 1 chain stitch to turn,
3 single crochet in every stitch of the previous row. the button hole tendril : chain of 15 chain stitches, 1 chain stitch to turn, 3 x 3 single crochet in the first stitch of the previous row, then 3x4, then 3x5, then 3x6, finish with a chain of 5 and attach to the flap with a slip stitch.

the design : the same as for the pink one, i just did a series of decreases then increases of 3 to create the flap. As you can see the hem is perfectly tidy and neat, unlike all the mean things I've heard about crochet and the way the
borders were always so messy that you always needed to add a decorative border afterwards.

the button hole is just an opening left at the top of a tendril. the button is a blue chrysoberyl cat's eye bead (I love those).

I sew the strap inside the purse all along the inside in fact, for it to be sturdy.

Once sewn I noticed it was too long...
So I cut it in half and as I had a little bit of ribbon left, I decorated the knots to match the purse. It's just a ring of 8 single crochet started in the same circle around the base of the knot, then the next row consists of 4 single crochet (one in every 2) ended together.Et voilà.

More pictures of the blue purse:

I'm not sure about the tendrils, I think they're cute but a little awkward, I might do without them eventually...

Happy crocheting everyone, don't forget to get ready for

WIP : Striped blue top

2006-04-01T14:57:00.000+02:00

Do you remember the knitted blue top Rose Mac Gowen was wearing ? I've been working on it on and off since I completed the "gauge" and had almost one third completed ... I went for a corset-like naked back top.

I hesitated because I didn't know if I would make increases (so that my gigantic
boobs would fit comfortably in) or not, and weither they should be visible or not, dramatic or not.... I eventually decided for non-dramatic visible increases.

I was fairly content with the result when...

I noticed I would not have enough of yarn (again). I thought I actually had 6 more bobbins, but they are not the same colour. So I shifted from Bouton d'orFlash "crystal" to Bouton d'or Flash "cirrus"...

I just hope the difference won't show too much. As you can see, the two yarns
do not have the same shine. I keep my fingers crossed and I hope the green stipes will help.

Update: a few days later...

I have now crocheted three rows in "cirrus" and although the difference is not blatant, it does show a little bit, both regarding the colour and the feel of it... Well, never mind. I've been working on that one for the past two months and I'm not going to frog it.

N. O. W. A. Y. !

I'll wear it anyway.

Hey Mister March Postman...

2006-03-26T09:49:00.000+02:00

The mail just delivered this : Sabrina crochet actuel n#17.
There are a few patterns I intend to do:

the Chanel beige jacket,
the green lacy sweater on the cover, I think it's the same pattern jinglelady started for the olympics
the striped sweater, I like the lack of simetry in it, and the idea is simple but efficient.

More pics:

United colors of crochet : inuits

2006-03-20T20:21:00.000+01:00

Crochet is one of the most widely spread textile art form in the world. Most
cultures have developed their own technics and have their own traditional crocheted
items. I recently stumbled upon this inuit nassak,
it's a quite recent tradition, a crocheted hat with a colorful pattern.

You might want to see other exemples on this site:

Mothers who are fond of baby wearing will be able to see another interesting traditional inuit item : the amautik,
a coat that allows the mother to wear her baby (from 0 to 3 years old) in her
back while keeping both warm and comfortable.

Pelotes etc... and a WIP crate

2006-03-18T12:56:00.000+01:00

I stumbled upon this on the internet... It was on an English blog, Pelotes etc..., written by a French lady (I think) Sylvie.
What do you think about this idea?
I just love it (I hope she doen't mind my borrowing her pics). I think I'll try it, I've got a few yards of fabric I intended to cut in strips to crochet a rug, I might have enough of it to make myself a Wip basket... My woven paper basket doesn't suit me anymore... for one thing, it's already full, and I now find it ugly.

Thanks for the inspiration Sylvie.

Progress bars

2006-03-08T22:24:00.000+01:00

I'm having a very quiet Sunday, which is a good thing, as I can have a little
rest before I go back to work (my holiday time is over). We had a little bit
of snow this morning, but it melted as soon as it touched the ground, however
my daughter was very happy to see the flakes swirling in front of her, fun time.

The weather is still cold, colder than what we're used to here in the French
Midi, it reminded me that I should finish the few warm-wintery-things I started
so that they could be useful, instead of gathering dust in my drawers.

I have a few works in progress down there, WIPs as my fellow crochetville pals
say.

I thought it would be nice if I had a WIP bar too, but then, which one to chose,
that is the question... There are many, each one is different, each one is interesting
in its own way.

1 - The Flash Program

Olympic project:

Cabled cardigan:

Here is what Anna, from the now defunct site Annaknits, explained (thanks to
Andrea
for finding the original page) :

“You might find something completely different to use it for, but I use it
to display the percentage of a project done. There are only 2 variables to
set, and you can integrate it easily into more complex code, like I have here,
or update it manually very simply. You can set the color and percentage to
anything you want. To put it on your site:

~ First download the Flash file. (Right-click and “Save Target As…”) Copy
it to your own server. Make a note of where you put it!

~ Wherever you want to put the percent bar, paste this code:

<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/ shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="102" height="17"> <param name="movie" value="(path)/percentbar.swf?percentage=100&colorout=25BFE0"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <embed src="(path)/percentbar.swf?percentage=100&colorout=25BFE0" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="102" height="17"></embed> </object>

~ Edit the colored parts of the code, changing the “100” to whatever percentage
you would like to display. Change the "25BFE0" to the hex code of whatever
color you would like to use for the progress bar. Finally, if you didn’t put
the Flash File in your root directory, replace "(path)" with the path to the
swf file. If it is in your root directory, omit "(path)" altogether.

~ You’re done!”

I uploaded my flash program into the free image hosting site www.photobucket.com,
as if it were a picture, it makes it easy to find out the path of the flash
object, the swf file. As for the code, you can cut it down to this :

<object> <embed src="(path)/percentbar.swf?percentage=(percentage)&colorout=(hexadecimal code of the chosen color)" quality="high" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="(the width you want the object to be, eg 150 if it's 150px)" height="(the width you want the object to be)"></embed> </object>

I like the smooth look of it, but everybody doesn't have a flash-friendly computer, I'm afraid that would render my blog less readable.

2 - Table cells

*Olympic project :*
100%
*Cabled cardigan :*
	12%

Here's the code:

<table width="150" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td colspan="2" ><strong><em>Olympic project :</em></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" width="100%" height="30px" bgcolor="#FFCCCC"><div align="center"><strong>100%</strong></div></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><strong><em>Cabled cardigan :</em></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#FFCCCC" width="12%" height="30px"> </td><td bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="88%"><div align="center"><strong>12%</strong></div></td> </tr> </table>

The bar is made of two cells, one "full", with a background color
of your choise and a width consistent with the percentage of progress of your
crochet project, the other "empty" (background color white or no background color), with a width consistent with what is left to be crocheted. if it's 100% then it'll be one cell with a colspan of 2 (one cell replacing 2). This is an easier way to achieve the same result as the previous one, especially if you're
not comfortable with the flash technology. Tables are easy to implement and
look fairly neat.

Here
you can find a how-to that was written by Noricum.
It's really well explained, no need for me to re-write what she's already so
perfectly stated. Just notice that if you want a border around your progress
bar but not around the title, you'll have to create a table inside the table,
and to take into account the width of the border and add it to the total width
of the table.

Olympic project :

100%

Cabled cardigan :

12%

Now, the code :

<table width="200" 
      border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">

      <tr> 

      <td colspan="2" ><strong><em>Olympic project 
      :</em></strong></td>

      </tr>

      <tr> 

      <table width="152" border="1" cellspacing="0" 
      cellpadding="0" bordercolor="pink">

      <tr> 

      <td width="100%" height="30px" bgcolor="#FFCCCC" 
      align="center"><strong>100%</strong></td>

      </tr>

      </table>

      </tr>

      <tr> 

      <td colspan="2"><strong><em>Cabled cardigan 
      :</em></strong></td>

      </tr>

      <tr> 

      <table width="152" border="1" cellspacing="0" 
      cellpadding="0" bordercolor="pink">

      <tr> 

      <td width="12%" height="30px" bgcolor="#FFCCCC" 
      align="center">&nbsp;</td>

      <td width="88%" height="30px" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" 
      align="center"><strong>12%</strong></td>

      </tr>

      </table>

      </tr>

      </table>

Quite easy to implement, but that's a lot of coding, maybe too much to my liking... and it's not really pretty either...

3 - Cascading Style Sheet bar

Another very interesting one to try : here is the link
to the Knitticisms page that explains it all.

It's just a 1 pixel wide image that you set as the background of a division,
and you stretch this background image to the width you want, consistent with
the percentage of progress done... Simple but clever.

My interpretation of this idea is slightly different but the result doesn't
differ much. I chose to create two classes, the first one is just the bar, empty,
and the second one is the color representing the progress of the work. In the
HTML code, The second is nested inside the first, and is given a width consistent
with the percentage of progress done...

Olympic project :

100%

Cabled cardigan :

12%

The style sheet code (to be written in the "head" section of the
html page) :

<style> .bar { height: 30px; width: 150px; border: 1px pink solid; background-color: #ffffff;} .progress { height: 30px; background-color: #ffccff;} </style>

The html code, to be written where you want your bar to be, X
stands for the percentage of work done:

<strong><em>your project's name:</em></strong> <div class="bar">

<div class="progress" style="width: Xpx" align="center">

<strong>X%</strong>

</div>

</div>

4 - Plain and simple images

I found this brilliant idea on the weblog of Mc
Crochets. All you have to do is create a set of images, let's say 1 for
every 5% more achieved (that would be 20 images), then you'll just have to insert
them in your page, changing the image name as the project grows.

So <img src="(path)/75percent.gif">
would become <img src="(path)/80percent.gif">

However, there's no reason why the image should actually be a bar, variations in that rang of ideas are endless...

my take to it :

Olympic project :

100%

Cabled cardigan :

12%

In my exemple I chose to use images of hearts I already created, so that my
bar would match my page theme,

a big heart stands for 10%

a medium size one for 5%

a small one for less than
5%

I think the result is cute. Really. But not striking.

Last, but not least, ladies and gentlemen, fellow yarn addicts, let me introduce
you to ...

5 - Indigirl's
handy dandy progress tracker

I think I found the perfect one, it's so cute... I just would need to draw my
own images, to make it more personal. Anyway this stuff is neat...

http://www.indigirl.com/knit_tracker/

But it looks like I have a feww difficulties running it correctly...

Tell me... what would YOU choose?

Addicted to yarn...

2006-03-02T12:22:00.000+01:00

I asked to join the yarn addicts community. I don't know if I'm entitled to do so.. I am a yarn addict but am I proud... I don't know.
I do like to open my drawers, boxes, cupbards and look at all this yarn, thread, fibers and other stuffs I have recklessly bought.
I do continue to buy balls, bobbins and cones of all types of fibers, although I know I will ha ve a very hard time finding a place to put them once I'm home.
I do appreciate window shopping yarn stores, even if I have more yarn than I will never be able to use.
I do collect new adresses of internet shops that I like to drool upon.
I do look forward to browsing the yarn category of e-bay, in search of new so called "bargains". I do love reading about new materials, like bamboo, corn or soya...

but...

I do feel a little bit ashame of it. It's so out of control sometimes... We're even thinking of buying me another cupboard to stock my yarn stash. Isn't that a shame.

Hopefully my husbad is thoughtfull and shows a lot of understanding... maybe because I never say a word about his addiction to movies and his insane compulsion to buy DVDs...

Here's a glimpse at my yarn stash...

You may have questions about the last one... Yes, it's plastic. What? It's not yarn? Well... not yet, but this is going to change...
How? let Manolo show you...

Update : March 30th

I recently found those lost in the depths of my cupboards:

and I just bought this one on e-bay :

Am I desperate?

2006-02-28T18:12:00.000+01:00

Who would I thought? I consider myself more a Bree type of girl... You know... crafty, likes cooking, a little wird for what comes to social behaviour... I do understand and feel sympathy for Bree's character. Well. Susan is Ok though. It was a funny test to take anyway.

I did it!

2006-02-26T19:46:00.000+01:00

The top is finished... on time! even thirty five minutes in advance!

More pictures later on! I have to rest a little bit!

Later edited to add:

Wahou!

Today was like a marathon, I thought I wouldn't make it, but then I did it! I DID IT!

Well, the result is not really up to my expectations, I will certainly need to lose 20 pounds to feel comfortable in it, but still, I did it, I imagined, conceived, and crocheted a short sleeved sweater in seven days (if I don't count the time spent frogging).

at 9:35 AM I was still thinking I was going for short sleeves, but a feww pictures persuaded me overwise.

And then I discovered the sweater could be worn in two ways! So I decided the trim for the collar would be a wider collar = the alternate body.

I crocheted the two sleeves at the same time, row after row, so that should I run short of time they would be the same length.

I started decreasing rows when I thought I reached the elbow, saddly it was too late, so the sleeves have a kind of puffy look that wasn't meant to exist in the first place. No time to fix it.

I hesitated until the last minute to trim them with two or more single crochet rows in the cherry (purple) yarn. I was afraid I wouldn't have time OR yarn... There was so few left of it. I eventually abandonned this idea.

At 4:23 PM the sleeves were ready.

At 7:25 PM I gave the last scissor cut : the collar was done. All was finished!

I hurriedly took poor pictures to be e-sent to jinglelady, which was done by 7:44 PM.

I crocheted almost 10 hours straight!

10 HOURS!
I will never ever do this again : my back aches, my fingers are sore, I barely can see them. Never. Ever...

Well unless there are other olympics held, because I must admit, the stress, the pressure, the urge to create being pressed upon my throught like a blade.... that was fun
...
Next time I will try not to waste it... time.

More pictures :


I knew a décolleté would be better	but the short sleeves are not pretty...	Réversible?


dernier coup de ciseau!	first way to wear it	profile


back, the collar needs a little ironing	The second way of wearing it, shows the navel and has a wide turtle neck...	this wasn't supposed to be gapping like that, I suppose a purple ribbon tie, corset-like, will fix it.(I know, I'm chubby)

Yarn : silky ribbon from Bouton d'or quality "Flash"
color cherry (purple - 2 bobbins 50g/125m 88% viscose 12% polyamid) and
lucifer (red - 8 bobbins).

Crochet hook : size E from Ariel (a little uneasy to use, dion't know if it's the size or the shape of it).

You can read about the progress of this challenging Olympic crusade in the post 2006 Olympics
I'll write the pattern down asap, now I really have to get back to work...

I'm so proud I did it!

Happy crocheting you all!

Crochet fur?

2006-02-10T21:11:00.000+01:00

Did you know this was possible?
I had no idea... but it makes perfect sense as it's the same principle as for crocheted fabric.
Some of those models look good but that must be really expensive... and so much work just to get the ball of "yarn" done in the first place. I mean, hide is not like fabric... it's thick and hard to cut. Besides, if you cut into fur you certainly don't want to cut the hairs and end up with a mess.

I think I'll stick to fabric.

Not that I am unconfortable with fur, I'm not a vegetarian, I eat meat, fish and eggs, I wear leather shoes, I have a sheepskin rug, I like to crochet wool and silk, and I see no wrong in wearing dead animals' skins as long as someone (be it me) ate the flesh of it...
I do desapprove of hunting animals only for their skin or ivory and then leave the flesh to rot. No... it's just that I tend to be frugal, and fabric or worn out clothes are a more reasonable choice.

Bead Crochet... Hook

2006-02-08T08:14:00.000+01:00

In an attempt to quench my desire for better looking crochet hooks, I decorated the ones I had with color wood beads...

I must admit the result is really satisfying... If I may say so myself.

The next step will be buying a breathtakingly beautiful and smoothGraydog hook amourously made out of precious woods...

I might present myself with one for my upcoming birthday...

2006 Olympics

2006-02-06T19:56:00.000+01:00

I'm a dual-lete!
I'm both competing in the crochet olympics and the knitting ones... I do feel a little out of my mind, like Vera, for even thinking of it.

Hey, who knows, I might win!

I'm trying to set up a French team... by the way, does anyboy knows what a team is for and how it works...

edited to add

February 12th 2006

I only knitted 4 rows so far. It's really uneasy to jump back into knitting after such a long time witout handeling needles.

I'm having a hell of a time just reading the instructions...
Who said crochet was difficult?

February 14th 2006

I know why I haven't done well lately and my crochet project has been stagnating: I don't like it. Not elegant enough, not impressive enough, not olympicenough.

I'd rather crochet a dress. A lacy dress would be the perfect olympic item. But I don't know which one to choose.

I've been working on an old pattern to make a dress out of spiraling hexagons. I'm using a variagated yarn I did myself previously and a size Bcrochet hook. I must reckon I don't like the result... at all. And it's so slow, I've been working on it for 2 days and i haven't finished a sole hexagon yet. I think it's not gonna work...

February 15th 2006

I finally chose a satisfying pattern.
It's from Elena maille pour elle Crochet n°6 (Spring 2001).

This dress caught my eyes when I was fishing for something to get married in(as I say, I get married as soon as the dress is done) I think it's perfect for the olympics.

I have yet to find the yarn. "THE" yarn. I thought maybe I could unravel a few silk ribbons and then crochet them together so that I would have both the silky look of ribbon and the thin size of thread. I might try that...

February 16th 2006

The whole unravell and crochet thing was a bad idea. VERY bad. A perfect loss of time and effort, I might even have to frow away the ribbon too. I feel so frustrated. Tant pis.

I'm going to use Bouton d'or "FLASH" ribbon after all, and a size E hook.

Friday, February 17th 2006

Let's go!!!!
Tonight I'm on holiday... but so is my daughter so I won't have more time to crochet and I haven't been very efficient lately. Bad.

I'm not going to follow the pattern (how surprising... oh! wait... I never follow patterns! doh!) that would require sewing, so i'm going to crochet in round and write down the patern as i go. I already started to do so in the train this evening...

I've only crocheted two rows of flowers (= 4 rows in fact) and one yarn ball is already gone. Oh my! this is going to be my most expensive stuff!

February 19th 2006

Still crocheting in rounds. Made a few increase to avoid a tube-like effect. I also found a way to create the sleeves... or at least the opening for the sleeves-to-be.

It's coming up quite nicely if I can say so myself.
I'm quite happy with it.

Something that bothered me : I found a knot in my brand new, never used bouton d'or flash "lucifer" (that would be "the devil") yarn ball! Grrr! Expensiveas it is, don't you think they could've spared us the knots?

Monday, February 20th 2006

I've been making increases by shifting crochet hook sizes. The result is jus hideous!

What was I thinking! What started as a lacy pattern has turned into shere unbecoming gaps.

I'll have to undo the whole thing and stick to E.

February 21st 2006

OK.

It's coming along.

I try to keep the pace. Trying to figure out the increases so that my boobs would fit in.

February 22nd 2006

Ugly.

The top of my dress is ugly, from the boat neckline to the shaping , I hate
it! It makes my look like a fat milk cow.

Unbecoming.

Unsexy.

I know my breasts aren't tiny, but now they just look huge.

It would be nicer with a v-neck, but I would have to undo the whole thing... again!

Maybe I should just finish it as it is for the olympics and then unravell the whole stuff after the games.... I'm frustrated beyond words.

February 23rd 2006

I did it.

This morning, I unravelled three days worth of crochet. I'm not gonna have time to make a dress, less a long-sleeved one. I'm going for a top.

As for the knitting ... well. Forget it.

Only three days left. Oh my!

February 24th 2006

I didn't do much today : lacking the energy, lacking incentive, lacking the urge, still keeping faith though...

I learned my lesson:

you must make a gauge, had I made one, I would have noticed how awkward the pattern was when crocheted with bigger hooks,
I would have known some yarns weren't suitable for it,

training isn't unnecessary, especially if you haven't knitted in decades,

when you have a deadline, just don't waste time with ifs and whatnots, go straight to the point.

February 25th 2006

I finished the body of the top today, I modified the last row slightly to make the flowers stand out and to avoid having to make a more time-consuming trim.
Now I have the sleeves left to do (short sleeves I believe) and the trim for the collar.
If I allow myself some sleep tonight, I will have 10 hours left to complete my project... Still doable.

Tricotin : French knitting loom

2006-02-05T20:53:00.000+01:00

I made myself a knitting loom, to knit without needles... I used the upper part of a plastic honey pot.
I find it quite a bore to use though...
I had to find the right tension for the loops to slide up easily... I use a tiny crochet hook to do that... noticed the beads? They give it a nice accent don't they?

More pictures:

Baby Clara's gift

2006-01-31T10:30:00.000+01:00

I can't believe I forgot to tell about those! This is a baby booties and baby hat set I crocheted for a friend of mine. I was inspired by another crochetville lady to crochet baby boots and a cap for my friend's newborn girl. As it was for a baby, and for a very dear friend, I dig up the most expensive and soft yarn I had in my stash : mohair. I tried to follow a pattern I had but as usual, couldn't stick to it, so I rewrote it (tried to make a decent scheme in the meantime...). The shamrock shape of the booty lace came naturally to my mind, I added a four leaves one to the cap as
a lucky charm, the bumping edge over the booty lace results from front posting the row before the ruffle (dunno if I'm clear...).

The cap is just double crochet with one increase every 4 stitch on every row. The ear flaps are a cluster of 10 treble crochet I included while crocheting the single crochet trim of the border.. . The boots laces are just braids of the (skinny) leftovers from the yarns I used.

YARN : This was crocheted with Bouton d'or yarn "Melody"(80%
mohair, 13% wool, 7% polyamid - 50g=142 yards) I used one ball of yarn for the whole set.

HOOK : I used a crochet hook number 3 (French number... I think
the equivallent is for American crocheters is D, 11 for English ones...)

More pictures:

and there.

pink hat and scarf

2006-01-23T18:04:00.000+01:00

This is a scarf I did for my daughter, it's crocheted with a number 4 hook. I used backpost slip stitch (I thought it was impossible to do that) to have a faux knit effect, there's a big flower crocheted in the front to tie it up... The scarf was meant to match this hat I had a lot of fun freehanding (meant to match the pink bolero)...

My daugter happens to like this scarf a lot (this time... lucky me).
She also likes the hat but her father thinks it's ridiculous...

Well... I don't.

More pics:

pacifier holder or porte-tute

2006-01-07T14:27:00.000+01:00

I followed Pfirsch's advice and tried the Saranac stitch.

This was supposed to be the gauge, but I thought it was ridiculous to crochet a square and then frog it or leave it aside. My daughter saw it and asked ifit was a purse for her...

I said yes :D

So here's my daughter's "Pacifier holder" or porte-tute ("tute" is the word she's been using instead of "tchuque" since she was able to utter something,I suppose people from Paris say "tétine", but we, Midi people say otherwise).

So here we go for the gauge:

Gauge : 10 X 10 cm = 27 stitches X 9,5 rows

Yarn : Bouton d'or "flash" cristal (light blue) and bourgeon (light green), 88% viscose, 12% polyamide, 50gr/125m, 1 3/4 oz/137 yards.

Crochet hook : n°3 (USA: D, UK: 10)

I used two different colors just to see what it would look like, and I like the effect. I change colors very much in the way it's done for the interlocking filet crochet technic, i.e the first yarn waits with a stitch marker while I crochet the second one, and vice-versa... I think both right side and wrong side are pretty!

To make the strap I used this very simple twisting method, using four strands of yarn of each color. The button is a big glass bead, the button hole is just a chain reinforced with single crochet.

To make the purse, at the end of the gauge I increased slightly to be able to fold the top and create an opening/closing part, and I crocheted the same number of rows minus 2 (to have sides). then i sewed the bottom and one side, attached the bead, made the button hole, et voilà!

She's very happy with it, and so am I!

edited to add :

I was asked how to make the strap, so here's a how-to... tell me if I'm not clear :p

first you choose the length of your strap : you need at least four time more
cut the required length of yarn and fold it once
fold it gain and insert a pen in the fold while you hold the other end
if you're alone, tie the end somewhere high enough to be able to grab the pencil, let it hang and make it rotate (like the blades of a chopper), when the strand of twisted yarn begins to swirl upon itself, pull it holding the pencil and continue twisting
if you got help, have one person holding one end while you twist the other one, holding the pencil; when the strand of twisted yarn begins to swirl upon itself, pull it holding the pencil and continue twisting
when you have enough tension, grab the strand at the middle, pull the middle very tightly and fold the strand in two
when both ends are joined, release the middle
smoothe the strap running your fingers from end to end
you're done

Happy crocheting!

Happy New Year 2006

2006-01-02T11:25:00.000+01:00

I wish you a happy new year.
There's a song that says that joy is like a candle light : it glows and brings light, but it's fragile and must be preserved, or it will die.

Take care of your flame. Preserve Joy and Happiness

- ! - Photo by Fubuki - ! -

uglify your shoes

2005-12-31T16:38:00.000+01:00

I just found a very funny link on the Knot again blog.
I think it's a quite good idea if you want to make anew old shoes, and it might be easier using a crochet hook.
Anyway, enjoy !

Knotty Generation: Cable Queen

2005-12-31T12:39:00.000+01:00

Knotty Generation: Cable Queen

Did I say I wanted to make myself an aran sweater? I don't know how she does this but my cables are far from being as clean and neat as hers...

Merry Christmas

2005-12-25T11:14:00.000+01:00

I'm ashamed!
I'm a crocheter, and my first crocheted scarf is a christmas present!!!
From my sister... If she reads me, thank you darling!

Merry Christmas everyone, happy crocheting!

Tomorrow is Christmas...

2005-12-24T13:46:00.000+01:00

And I just found out I finally entered the ring I've been longing to be part of since I started blogging.
I'm now a Crochet Blog Member!
This is the coolest Christmas present ever!!!

Merry Christmas eve everyone!

Gotta yarn winder?

2005-12-16T23:21:00.000+01:00

I was over-excited over the lego winder, but reading the instructions I had to come to this conclusion : i'm no lego freak, I can't even begin to grasp the way it's constructed, less so in English.

So I typed for help in my google tool bar and here what's it came up with:
Make your own power yarn winder.
I cannot thank enough the kind lady who wrote this tutorial.
If you read me, Thank you so much!.
I am going to use this method, especially now that I've just spent one hour trying to wind up my first ball.

Let me tell you this story.It will surely entertain you...

I was surfing the yarn category on e-bay (despite the fact that I've already bought more yarn than I would be able to knit, weave, emboider and crochet during my entire life, should I pass off at the age of 125) and I fell over this amazing silky pink stuff:

I could eventually resist the temptation to buy this one ...
and a few others from the same seller...

but I had to find a way to compensate.

I was like "there must be a way... I'm sure I can have it... I must be able to do that with my stash".

And I did.

It started with this :	and it ended up with this :

The sewing thread gives a nice shine and brings a delicate accent to the red+black mélange.

And the resulting variagated yarn is far cuter than its parents! I was a little bit scared i would not like what this thread would look like once crocheted (ann I had 24 pounds of it!!! I must be crazy) but now i see vriagated is the way to go (as the seller had suggested on the auction page).

I'm really satisfied with this first try, I just hope it won't be too difficult to crochet, as the three threads are not tightly twisted into a solid strand, like store bought yarn balls are.

Wish me luck!

just what I needed!

2005-12-15T22:15:00.000+01:00

It's late, I'm tired and I have to wake up early tomorrow, but I HAD to share this!!!
I've been looking for an inexpensive winder on the internet for days, and look at what this guy came up with!!!
I'm so EXCITED!

With this I'll be able to use yarn from my huge 2 pounds reel winding it up into tiny balls.

Where's that happy smilie again!
Ah! Here it is!

the three witches

2005-12-10T16:29:00.000+01:00

I was asked for the pattern of these tops the halliwell sisters are wearing in a picture i once featured on my french web log.

I don't have the pattern.

but... I think it shouldn't be difficult to reconstruct...

Here's how i would do that...

The pink crochet top

It's a filet top with a kind of butterfly stringy pattern laying on the belly and the back. The breasts are covered with 2 pink variagated strips of fabric that overlap in the middle.

for the breasts,

I would suggest single crochet... It would go this way:

-1-

-2-

-3-

-4-

-5-

For the body,

I would make back and front separately, although I think it's possible overwise, bu ti couldn't think of a way to do so. I would start from the bottom with a filet pattern interrupted in the middle by a cluster of double crochet, then, I would crochet forth and back the filet pattern, and with each row I would diminish in the middle, around the column of clusters that builds up, replacing the vanishing squares of the filet with a number M of chain stitches (M being the number of stitches that would be enough to replace the removed squares, + 1):

-1-

-2-

-3-

Then you'll just have to sew the front to the top-front.

for the back,

I would do the same as for the front, diminishing then increasing to create the diamond in the middle...

Now, just sew back and front, attach starps. Et voilà!

At least this is my take on it...

The knitted blue top

I do think it's knitted.

But the same efect can be created using back post double crochet,
with the hook inserted in the head of the double crochet from the previous row (instead of inserting it around the body, the outcome will be less bulky), crocheted from side to side (not from bottom to top) as I did for my daughter's green vest "à la russe".

It would go this way:

first rows : -1-	first increases : -2-
begining of the front : -3-	finished body : -4-
et voilà, vertical stripes, like the knitted top: -5-

of course, you'll have to adjust the number of rows according to the figure of the recipient of the top, the size of the crochet hook and the thickness of the yarn you use. So make sure you made a gauge and/or try the top several times while making it.

Now you just have to sew up the back, I think I'd rather have a corset back with a ribbon : fits easier.

Pink sparkling top

This one is not crocheted, however it should be very easy to duplicate : it's just a bra on top of a tube. No witchcraft!

I think the simplest way to make a bra is to crochet 3 squares and attach them together this way:

X represents the place where the sewing creates the actual curvy shape of the bra cup.

Have fun everyone!

Not about crochet...

2005-11-26T18:16:00.000+01:00

tamansari2...
I was surfing the internet looking for recipes involving Kaki, and I found this "glog".
It's not about crochet, but the white banner caught my attention, i thought i had to share...
Make poverty history!

I've been busy...

2005-11-21T17:19:00.000+01:00

I've been busy working (yes, actually I do have a job, even though I spend too much time blogging and surfing the internet... not to mention crocheting!)
I didn't stop crocheting though... I may actually spend more time crocheting as my new job is quite far from my home, and I will take advantage of the time I spend in buses and trains to crochet... as soon as I get used to having my sore cold fingers crochet as if I were warm and comfortable at home.

I wonder why I never thought of crocheting socks before I found crochetville.org...

For this first try I used a n# 3 crochet and a sport weight acrylic...
Not the best choice : the material is quite thick and will only fit in my (too) big boots, besides, it's starting to pill already :/
The stitch I chose is a kind of back post single crochet (the actual name of it is "back loop single crochet" if I trust stichguide.com : the hook is inserted in the back strand of the stitch from the previous row), not the best choice either, it tends to stretch into an openwork material, which goes against its primary purpose : keep me warm...
I've completed a pair of socks for myself, I'm making another for my daughter. Here's how I did it :

I started with a chain of x=15 chain stitches
I crocheted single crochet stitches in round around this base, making increases at the ends of the chain
once the work was wide enough to accomodate the toes, I continued working sc in rounds but with slip stitches where the little toe was supposed to be and half double crochet where the great toe was supposed to end up, I did that during 3 - 4 rounds
I then crocheted the body of the sock with sc only
when I reached the ankle, I start crocheting in rows on half the body (if the body is a 50 stitches circle, I crochet on 25 stitches)in order to cover the upper part of the ankle (this will be 5 - 7 rows)
after finishing the last ankle row, I crocheted a chain of y=20 chain stitches and attached it to the beginning of the last row, thus making a new circle to accomodate the ankle
crochet in rounds untill satisfied with the height of the sock
cut the yarn, start crocheting in round in the heel area, decrease regularly at the corners,
when there are only a few stitches left, cut the yarn leaving a 10 cm tail, sew the opening, weave in the end of the tail.
Repeat all steps to make the second sock making sure slip stitches and half double crochets will match the little toe and the great toe of the second foot.

X stands for any number of chain stitches that will equate the length that there is between four of your toes... Yeah, that's weard, I know, but couldn't figure out something more accurate.
Y stands for any number of chain stitches that will allow you to finish the row creating a circle around your ankle.
More pictures available here.

For your info, my daughter's sock started with a chain of 8 chain stitches. I added a ruffle to have a more "girly" look, it's just 5 - 6 - 7 or 8 double crochet in one single crochet from the previous row (I alternated numbers, I didn't want an "even" look)

I may - or may not ;) - write down a more accurate pattern, but you'll have to be patient... My job is being tough on me.

Happy crocheting everyone!

You Knit What??

2005-10-30T01:55:00.000+02:00

Ok, that's just nasty. At least that's what they said... I actually happen to like this sweater... very much!

I just love you knit what?? because when it doesn't make me laugh with the loads of monstruosity the fiber world hosts 'and believe me, it does!), it gives me tons of inspiration! great blog!

invisible end

2005-10-29T22:58:00.000+02:00

A great way to finish the last row and make the last stitch perfectly similar to the others : try the hidden ends method !

no-sew-sweater v1.0

2005-10-18T22:35:00.000+02:00

I tried to make a sweater imitating the style of the baby it's cold outside jacket featured in Crochet me magazine, except, I didn't want to make a jacket, just a sweater with as little sewing as possible.I intended to crochet from bottom back to bottom front with an increase for the sleeves and a hole for the collar, the finished fabric would have the shape of a cross.
I had a few problems...
First it looks like my daughter grew A LOT while I was constructing it, but it was ok, I improvised sides to widen it while attaching the sides of the sweater and I thought I would just lengthen the arms afterwards with a contrasting yarn.
Then it looked like the space I left in order to crochet a collar was much too HUGE, I tried to narrow it later, but it was just a hot mess.
Finally I had to acknowledge I was going to have a yarn-shortage-accident (again!) so I had to change my plans in the middle of the back and start the sleeves... lengthening the back afterwards with a contrasting color... with a very unbecoming outcome.
Besides, the yellow skeins I had were not the same thickness, so the final result was just too eneven, clumsy, awkward.

I took pictures just for the records, I'm going to undo it (as soon as I'm finished mourning a two months worth project) and I'll probably use those yarns to make a freeform sweater, a kind of project which is much more suitable to unmatching textures of yarn.

the yarn : unknown. Got it from my mother in law's stash... acrylic mostly, sport, some baby, and a silk ribbon in peach (Bouton d'or).

the stitch : basket weave stitch (I believe it's called this way, at least in the Crochet stitch bible) : foundation : single crochet/ row 1: single crochet, 1 chain stitch, skip 1 sc of the previous row, 1 single crochet into the second sc of the previous row/ row 2 : chain stitch, skip one, single crochet into the chain stitch of the previous row, chain stitch, skip one.)
horizontal stripes : for the collar and the wrists, I used the stitch I used for the popcorn shrug trim.

What I learned from this experiment :

always be sure you've got enough yarn before starting a project! a swatch gauge can be useful in that matter,
if different yarns are used, see if they match once crocheted : a swatch gauge can be useful in that matter too,
if trying a selfmade pattern, build it real-life size in paper first to check if there are defaults and secure measurements.

Practice makes perfect as they say...

Grannies, Grannies everywhere!

2005-10-17T16:18:00.000+02:00

At the moment I'm crocheting on and off a granny square sweater for my daughter : it's an inexpensive and easy project, something you can do with leftovers when waiting for the bus or at the dentist's : crochet squares (actually they're granny flowers... did I say I love flowers?) and then join them together when you've got enough of them.
With the size of the squares I've got, I computed I needed 70 to complete a sweater, by now I already have 30 crocheted.
It had me thinking I really had a lot of leftovers, so I started to research what I could do with granny squares... and, guess what? The crochet world is really a small world because this exact same question popped up in Crochetville not long ago.

So I checked the Things to do with granny squares thread in Crochetville and I retained a few ideas :

make an unusual top,
make a cardigan, here you'll find the pattern in a pdf file, it's vintage but this one is just too elegant to be true!
make a hooded baby jacket,
make an afghan that folds into a pillow, or pillowghan,
make slippers, or ... slippers,
make a hat'n scarf or hat'n poncho set,
make another sweater for me or my girl, or another one, or another one...

Possibility are endless.
Too much fun!

We're not the only ones wanting to revamp granny squares, there are a few very interesting models featured at Neiman Marcus online shop, some of them using a joined-grannies technique, with a very elegant outcome, like the WOMYN cream coat and the Micco crocheted scarf.

white "woven" scarf

2005-10-13T13:10:00.000+02:00

I've just finished this mini scarf with a "woven" effect.
colour : snow-white (the one I've been ranting about earlier),
yarn : sport weight acrylic,
size : about 1mX15 cm
This will be my first featured "free pattern", provided I write the pattern down and find a way to feature it in my blog... I'm so excited to play it like an actual ♥ designer ♥! Wish me luck!

the stitch : back and front post double crochet, organised in a way that creates the illusion of a woven material. 50g were enough to get this result ...

update

You can now find a scheme of the pattern here

Delta crochet

2005-10-13T12:31:00.000+02:00

I've just found a new online crochet course :
hassdesign.com
They mostly use diagrams, which is OK with me (no more language problem) and mostly talk about filet...

Which I don't like.

I'm really not fond of filet crochet, I've seen some wonderful masterpices, but most of the time I find filet plain ugly and I think the method is boring : squares, squares, squares again... However, they propose a filet based on triangles, not squares, and this really seems very original.

I saved the page named "delta crochet" onto my computer(in case it would just vanish from the web... you never know!) and I surely will use this technic one day or another! Particularly the method allowing to create flowers... I just love them ♥...

home-made variegated yarn

2005-10-13T12:18:00.000+02:00

I've just found a way to change the colour of synthetic yarn :crocheting it with sewing thread thus creating my own variegated yarn. In order for the second clour to show properly, the colour must be dark or the thread thick enough. I "invented" that while crocheting a snow-white acrylic yarn... What was I thinking when I bought it? After one whole week spent crocheting it, I couldn't stand the colour anymore! So, as I couldn't dye it, I thought I could give a try to the painted doilies method... It worked! Possibilities are endless! But you must watch out for this thread, it gets tangled easily. I feel like I'm gonna have a lot of fun !

- update -

So I've been crocheting the pink sewing thread together with the white acrylic for a few days now... and it's oh! so boring! I just keep trying to prevent the two from tangling and it's no fun at all. sewing thread is not the best option i think :(

Mango!

2005-10-12T14:16:00.000+02:00

If you have time, take a look at Mango 's collection for Autumn and Winter 2005.
They feature a few crocheted garments, not really for the more shapely figures, and quite expensive but, still, crocheted, and if you take into account the fact that crocheted always means handmade, then the price is actually fair.

I had the opportunity to try those:


the darling shawl thick variagated yarn, rather soft and funny, a bit heavy... I think it's a Salomon stitch ("love knot")	the hidra cardigan thin thread, soft, quite fluffy and delicate, crocheted in long strips with a fork, then joined with a golden thread. Hairpin lace is rare enough to be noticed. The whole garment would be fabulous if not for the belt and trims : knitted srips sewn afterwards in a hasty and very unbecoming manner.	the vesa cardigan a king of shawl with a collar and a belt, the idea is both vintage-style and funny, I like it..

Other garments featured in the Online shop : Siena (cardigan and top), Maara and peluche (shawl) among others.
I'm coveting the idea of crocheting a shawl ...

What kind of American English do I speak?

2005-10-09T15:25:00.000+02:00

I thought it would be funny to take this poll, I must admit there were three questions I did not understand AT ALL... I don't even know what dixie means... And I'm supposed to speak British English. At least that's what I was taught...
Keep it mind that I'm French...

♥ ~ My Linguistic Profile ~ ♥

♥~ 40% General American English ~♥

♥~ 40% Yankee ~ ♥

♥~ 20% Dixie ~♥

♥ ~ 0% Midwestern ~ ♥

♥ ~ 0% Upper Midwestern ~ ♥

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

ok, so as I'm in with polls, let's just go on...

You are Dishcloth Cotton.
You are a very hard worker, most at home when
you're at home. You are thrifty and seemingly
born to clean. You are considered to be a Plain
Jane, but you are too practical to notice.

What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Another silly thing to try :
I'm a monster, and here's my name decoded!

... or may be this one
"P.Y.O.G.A.Z.E.L.: Person-Yoking Orphan-Grabbing Abomination from the Zodiac Enchanted Labyrinth"

pink popcorn shrug

2005-10-07T22:37:00.000+02:00

At first I wanted to make a shrug as Mrs Who explained. Then I thought I really didn't like to sew things up afterwards, so I thought I would crochet in round instead of crocheting a rectangle (which is a minor change to Mrs Who's method). I didn't know if it would be for me or for my daughter... I hesitated untill I had the first arm finished : after all, my daughter needs new clothes more than I do, she grows so fast.

the stitch : I found it on the online stitch dictionary of the site called le crochet (points pour crochet, page 3 n° 24). Unfortunately, crocheted with a thicker yarn and in round, it doesn't look the same at all... but it still looked ok to me. The trim is a single crochet worked into the back loop of the stitches of the previous row, thus creating a ribbing, plus a popcorn-nope stitch (R1:all in single crochet/R2: 2 single crochet, a 4 double crochet cluster, 2 single crochet/R3:all in single crochet) with regular increase (or decrease as I crocheted from wrist trim to wrist trim) for the wrists. The body has a quite similar trim, I tried to create a pattern with the popcorn flaring out...

the yarn : a cone of unknow quality, cotton I think, 6€ for 2_ pounds, which is a very good price. Rather thick, sturdy but smooth and easy to crochet, crocheted with a n#4,5 crochet. I think I used 800g of it.

My daughter agreed to let me take a picture with her unfinished shrug... isn't she lovely?
It wasn't easy...
I should have figured out something was wrong, she never kept it on long enought for me to take a picture. Now I know what's wrong : she doesn't like it. So I'm not going to line it or add flowery buttons as I thought I would, it will just sit there in her closet untill I manage to sell or give it off...

I wish she would like it. But with children this age you can never tell. Never mind. I'll be more lucky next time.

What I learned from this experiment :

crocheting in round is quick at first then really slow (the first arm took 2 hours, wrist included, the last row took half an hour!),

Trim should really be done last, what leaves you the opportunity to add rows to arms or fronts, and to have really similar wrists (which is not the case if you crochet from wrist trim to wrist trim)

popcorn grains are bigger if there is a row without any between two rows with them (dunno if I'm clear...),

the same stitch crocheted in round looks different crocheted in alternate rows, a gauge might spare some surprises...

More pictures to be found in this album.

Green vest "à la" Russian

2005-10-03T22:58:00.000+02:00

I just wanted to wipe up a no-sew sweater, a warm winter one, but I had a yarn shortage accident (I got the yarn from my mother in law, who got it from her mother, reason why I HAD to do something with it although I really don't like this colour...).
So I improvised something to finishthe second part of the front, I used a few cotton ball I had in stock.

The stitch is a basic diamond cluster one. I chose it because it was full while keeping a textured lace-like look. It's crocheted in one piece, from front to front, starting with the leftside one (bear with me). Shoulders were crocheted afterwards in a single crochet stitch, allowing to attach the upper part of the fronts to the back, collar and arms were then crocheted in round, in single crochet too.

There's a button inside to keep the front in place, and one outside to close the collar. They are far less cute than what I expected... You live, you learn, next time it will be better...
The embroidery on the collar and shoulders is a kind of chain stitch serpent, I savedd just enougth of the original yarn to do : I wanted to add a Russian uniform look to the collar (à la "Général Dourakine" ♥ if you know Mme De Ségur's work) and combat the "my mother went out of yarn and I look a hot mess" syndrome...

You'll find details about this vest, stitch scheme and all, on this album

My daughter just loves this vest.
I must admit I love it too now !

It all started with the rules...

2005-10-03T22:05:00.000+02:00

With the "crochet blogs" rules. I really wanted to join that community, and what do I read in the rules :

Rules of the Ring:

You must have a blog in which you actively write about crochet.

(Ok, this is just what my blog is about : crochet, crochet, crochet! and a little yarn talk.)

Upon visiting your blog, it must be clearly obvious that you crochet. Knitting and other fiber arts or crafts are wonderful, but if I have to dig for crochet content, you will not be accepted into the ring.

(No problemo, I'm in...)

You must post to your blog on a regular basis (at least once a month).

(I post almost every day... Next one?)

The ring code must be correct and clearly visible on the main page of your blog.

(I'm just can't wait to do that! Next?)

Your blog must be written in English.

(Argh!)

My blog is in French!!!!
Ok, Ok... Think... Once a month at least, one post in English... Once in a month write in English... Ok.
I can do that!

So here it is...
My English crochet-blog.
Now I hope I will be accepted... Maybe I should wait to have more posted before I apply...

Anyway, dear reader, have fun, I surely will !

.

2005-01-01T13:26:00.000+01:00

Here you can see an overview of the garments and accessories I crocheted.
You can click every image to find out more about the item.
Have fun!

WEARABLES

. . . . . . . . . .

ACCESSORIES

. . . .

MISCELLANEOUS

Last update : July, 2nd 2006

Crocheted!

New adress

Watermelon

twinkiechan

Crochet the Classics

En un mot...

Ice ice baby!

White granny tank top

a cajube

What is a cajube?

How to do it?

A Cool Hat To Do With A Doily Pattern

Spinning - part 2 - the choice of the victim...

Phildar!

Knitting Cow's felted crochet scarf

Windy Valley Muskox

Bluefly Amazing Crochet Turtleneck!

Does she look like me?

Did someone say doily?

blogging... is it a disease?

Married to a crocheter...

She wears it!

Looking for inspiration ?

Lacy White Sweater Top

Still chubby in my striped blue top

Hyperbolic crochet

Old blue lacy top

blue and pink purses

WIP : Striped blue top

Hey Mister March Postman...

United colors of crochet : inuits

Pelotes etc... and a WIP crate

Progress bars

1 - The Flash Program

2 - Table cells

3 - Cascading Style Sheet bar

4 - Plain and simple images

5 - Indigirl's handy dandy progress tracker

Addicted to yarn...

Am I desperate?

I did it!

Crochet fur?

Bead Crochet... Hook

2006 Olympics

Tricotin : French knitting loom

Baby Clara's gift

pink hat and scarf

pacifier holder or porte-tute

Happy New Year 2006

uglify your shoes

Knotty Generation: Cable Queen

Merry Christmas

Tomorrow is Christmas...

Gotta yarn winder?

just what I needed!

the three witches

Not about crochet...

I've been busy...

You Knit What??

invisible end

no-sew-sweater v1.0

Grannies, Grannies everywhere!

white "woven" scarf

Delta crochet

home-made variegated yarn

Mango!

What kind of American English do I speak?

pink popcorn shrug

Green vest "à la" Russian

It all started with the rules...

.

WEARABLES

ACCESSORIES

MISCELLANEOUS

5 - Indigirl's
handy dandy progress tracker