All I can say is thank goodness Monday traffic is lighter than the rest of the week. So Cal temps have dipped a little and it seems more like our winter. Life at the LYS was really crazy. Didn't sell much but at one point we had 3 different customers all learning something different.
I had told one customer that I would bring in my current summer afghan because I thought that the pattern was the one she was looking for. It is a pattern from a very old Lee Wards kit. Basically shells and chains worked in 2 colors in a manner that each side is a different color and makes a heavy fabric ideal for putting under a baby on the floor etc. Turns out that the pattern wasn't quite what she wanted but she is going to make it anyway.
Next was an unexpected surprise. A customer that I had helped a couple of years ago dropped in to get help with a pattern that she was having difficulty with. The project we worked on before was a felted purse in mohair that taught both of us how to work knitted short rows. Today we learned how to increase. She is making a small neck scarf that starts out with a humoungous number of cast on stitches. The next few rows have lots of decreases followed by about 3 inches of plain stockingnet. The piece is finished with lots of rows with tons of increases. Finished scarf is ruffle, straight, ruffle. She is using koigu (KPPPM). It is going to be incredible. It was great fun to see her and hear how the bag turned out.
I have finished 3 of the first motifs for the wall hanging that the Crochet Club 2011 will ultimately become. While I was spot on in the gauge swatches I did, these motifs are running smaller than what the pattern says I should have. So now I am going back and forth between frogging and just living with a slightly smaller wall hanging. We shall see.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Underway -- AT Last
Well, the second package of yarn for the Crochet Club 2011 finally arrived on Monday. I picked it up Tuesday. The empty storage tub I had picked out hold all the yarn perfectly. The yarn I purchased last weekend has been frogged and rewound in to neat balls -- or as a friend refers to them -- YARN CAKES. 8-)
The first chevron (a.k.a. ripple) went really fast. I am working on the second. Then I will tackle the waves section. This is the section that the original pattern had some mistakes. I have never done this particular type of pattern before so it should be interesting.
Now to the hooks. I went to the big box home store last week and got my own digital calipers. A very nice young woman helped me and thank goodness she didn't want to know what I was going to use it for. It is very easy to use and I started to work right away.
I wish I had a 'known' object ot calibrate it against. Since I don't I will just have to judge the results in a 'relative' light. So far I have found that the small Boye hooks appear to have the greatest difference from what they are stated to be. I know that these are newer hooks because I only buy them when I forget my Susan Bates hooks and I am making socks. One Boye hooked marked 'B' (should be 2.25 mm) measures 2.75 mm (a 'C'). Another Boye marked 'C' (should be 2.75 mm) measures 2.67 mm. I have measured 36 hooks so far and 27 of them had a variation of 2% or more than the advertised size. The greatest over stated was 22.2% greater (the Boye B hook) and the greatest under was 14.3% under stated (Boye 00 steel hook). At this time I am reserving my judgement about the Boye 00 hook because it is an older hook and I am not sure that the internet information on what the size should be is accurate.
I still have tons more to measure so we shall see.
The first chevron (a.k.a. ripple) went really fast. I am working on the second. Then I will tackle the waves section. This is the section that the original pattern had some mistakes. I have never done this particular type of pattern before so it should be interesting.
Now to the hooks. I went to the big box home store last week and got my own digital calipers. A very nice young woman helped me and thank goodness she didn't want to know what I was going to use it for. It is very easy to use and I started to work right away.
I wish I had a 'known' object ot calibrate it against. Since I don't I will just have to judge the results in a 'relative' light. So far I have found that the small Boye hooks appear to have the greatest difference from what they are stated to be. I know that these are newer hooks because I only buy them when I forget my Susan Bates hooks and I am making socks. One Boye hooked marked 'B' (should be 2.25 mm) measures 2.75 mm (a 'C'). Another Boye marked 'C' (should be 2.75 mm) measures 2.67 mm. I have measured 36 hooks so far and 27 of them had a variation of 2% or more than the advertised size. The greatest over stated was 22.2% greater (the Boye B hook) and the greatest under was 14.3% under stated (Boye 00 steel hook). At this time I am reserving my judgement about the Boye 00 hook because it is an older hook and I am not sure that the internet information on what the size should be is accurate.
I still have tons more to measure so we shall see.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Tools of Our Craft
The new mystery Crochet Club for 2011 brought to the fore a subject that I had discussed with friends about a year and a half ago. My friend David is an incredible crocheter and designer. His passion is creating fabric with crochet that has the same drape and other properties that a knit fabric has.
Both of us understood that hook sizes recommended by yarn manufacturers were usually way to small. Logic tells one that the people who come up with hook sizes are just taking the needle sizes that are appropriate for knitting and converting the millimeter sizing of the needle to the corresponding crochet hook. David has a cabled Tunisian crochet hook that is probably either an 'O' or a 'P' that he uses for his slip stitch crochet. The tip is extremely pointed and this property makes it a very successful tool for this technique.
When he was teaching me slip stitch stitches I had lots of trouble using standard hooks. Using his hook I progressed rapidly. Now the quest was on to find 'pointy' crochet hooks. The company who made his hook is out of business and his research indicates that the tooling used to make them was destroyed.
We tried lots of hooks with little success. So the discussion turned to the possibility of modifying hooks that were easily available. Since the majority of hooks are metal the options were limited. Susan Bates makes a line of hooks out of colorful plastic called Crystalites. So David began using fine sand paper to 'sharpen' the nose of the hook. When he brought the hook to one of our weekly CIPs we were comparing his modified hook and my hook. The first thing I noticed was that the two hooks had different diameters. Looking around the table we found 2 more hooks that were supposed to be the same size and now we had 4 hooks that appeared to be 3 different sizes. So frustrating. How was he going to get enough hooks to be able to teach others the technique and have them be able to create fabric to a set gauge???
Fast forward to today. The new project that I am starting calls for English hooks sizes 2.5 mm and 3.0 mm. I tried swatching with my hooks and was not making gauge. That meant 'road trip'. Three days and 4 hooks later I was back to swatching. Gauge was closer. Then I got the bright idea to double check the hook against my needle sizer. Surprise - surprise. The 3.0 mm hook fit snuggly into the 3.25 mm hole. So its size was not accurate. The 2.5 mm would not fit into the 2.25 mm hole and was way too small for the 3.25 m hole. So its size was probably accureate. This was Saturday and I was once again CIP with friends so we began checking other hooks. Some hooks measured what they were marked. But, others way off. I think that one of the most surprising is that an older Boye hook marked 'D' (should be 3.25 mm) was way smaller.
I will be going to the big box hardware store to buy some calipers so that I can accurately check all my hooks. I am not sure who to contact but I am going to start with the two American manufacturers to see if anything can be done to get some quality assurance implemented.
Both of us understood that hook sizes recommended by yarn manufacturers were usually way to small. Logic tells one that the people who come up with hook sizes are just taking the needle sizes that are appropriate for knitting and converting the millimeter sizing of the needle to the corresponding crochet hook. David has a cabled Tunisian crochet hook that is probably either an 'O' or a 'P' that he uses for his slip stitch crochet. The tip is extremely pointed and this property makes it a very successful tool for this technique.
When he was teaching me slip stitch stitches I had lots of trouble using standard hooks. Using his hook I progressed rapidly. Now the quest was on to find 'pointy' crochet hooks. The company who made his hook is out of business and his research indicates that the tooling used to make them was destroyed.
We tried lots of hooks with little success. So the discussion turned to the possibility of modifying hooks that were easily available. Since the majority of hooks are metal the options were limited. Susan Bates makes a line of hooks out of colorful plastic called Crystalites. So David began using fine sand paper to 'sharpen' the nose of the hook. When he brought the hook to one of our weekly CIPs we were comparing his modified hook and my hook. The first thing I noticed was that the two hooks had different diameters. Looking around the table we found 2 more hooks that were supposed to be the same size and now we had 4 hooks that appeared to be 3 different sizes. So frustrating. How was he going to get enough hooks to be able to teach others the technique and have them be able to create fabric to a set gauge???
Fast forward to today. The new project that I am starting calls for English hooks sizes 2.5 mm and 3.0 mm. I tried swatching with my hooks and was not making gauge. That meant 'road trip'. Three days and 4 hooks later I was back to swatching. Gauge was closer. Then I got the bright idea to double check the hook against my needle sizer. Surprise - surprise. The 3.0 mm hook fit snuggly into the 3.25 mm hole. So its size was not accurate. The 2.5 mm would not fit into the 2.25 mm hole and was way too small for the 3.25 m hole. So its size was probably accureate. This was Saturday and I was once again CIP with friends so we began checking other hooks. Some hooks measured what they were marked. But, others way off. I think that one of the most surprising is that an older Boye hook marked 'D' (should be 3.25 mm) was way smaller.
I will be going to the big box hardware store to buy some calipers so that I can accurately check all my hooks. I am not sure who to contact but I am going to start with the two American manufacturers to see if anything can be done to get some quality assurance implemented.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
It's Almost Soup!
Everything is coming together at the same time. The counting part of the inventory at the shop is almost done. I started on the computer part. With any luck I will finish that next Wednesday. If everything works out this will be the first time since I started working at the shop that we managed to finish in January.
I ran around in circles this weekend trying to find UK sized crochet hooks without 'handles'. I thought that I was successful until I measured the D hook. While it was marked 3.0 mm, it is actually 3.25 when measured in a needle sizer. Comparing the Clover hook with a Susan Bates, the Susan Bates is smaller. Arrrrggghhhhhhh........
I have been thinking about getting a micrometer to measure hooks for quite some time. I may just price them at the hardware store tomorrow. I wonder if the people who manufacture our tools really have any quality assurance programs in their manufacturing plants. wonder if they even care. A while back when a friend was trying to figure out how to get a 'pointy' crochet hook we had the opportunity to compare several Crystalite hooks all marked size M. I think we had 4 hooks and only 2 of them were the same size.
Waiting in my mailbox tonight was the notice for the first of 2 packages from England for the mystery Crochet Club 2011. I am going to be at the PO when it opens to get that package and then I am camping out on the front porch for the rest of the day to make sure that I don't have to repeat the trip on Friday.
Fingers crossed, I will be starting the first sections of the CAL this weekend. To make it more fun another membger of our CIP group is also participating in the project so we can inspire and challenge each other.
I have begun the lace part of the second War of the roses shawl. This one is going much faster because I know what I am doing. Surprise, surprise. I hope to get some pictures soon so that I can add them to this blog.
I ran around in circles this weekend trying to find UK sized crochet hooks without 'handles'. I thought that I was successful until I measured the D hook. While it was marked 3.0 mm, it is actually 3.25 when measured in a needle sizer. Comparing the Clover hook with a Susan Bates, the Susan Bates is smaller. Arrrrggghhhhhhh........
I have been thinking about getting a micrometer to measure hooks for quite some time. I may just price them at the hardware store tomorrow. I wonder if the people who manufacture our tools really have any quality assurance programs in their manufacturing plants. wonder if they even care. A while back when a friend was trying to figure out how to get a 'pointy' crochet hook we had the opportunity to compare several Crystalite hooks all marked size M. I think we had 4 hooks and only 2 of them were the same size.
Waiting in my mailbox tonight was the notice for the first of 2 packages from England for the mystery Crochet Club 2011. I am going to be at the PO when it opens to get that package and then I am camping out on the front porch for the rest of the day to make sure that I don't have to repeat the trip on Friday.
Fingers crossed, I will be starting the first sections of the CAL this weekend. To make it more fun another membger of our CIP group is also participating in the project so we can inspire and challenge each other.
I have begun the lace part of the second War of the roses shawl. This one is going much faster because I know what I am doing. Surprise, surprise. I hope to get some pictures soon so that I can add them to this blog.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Anticipation
For the first part of the new year I am going to be participating in a Mystery CAL. To decide we were only given pictures of portions of the design. What totally captivated me were the incredible jewel tones of the fibers being used. So too many dollars later, I am now waiting for boxes to arrive from the UK. No mail delivery today because of the MLK holiday. The first north American touch down happened in Ontario, Canada. I am guessing that the boxes should hit the west coast by Wednesday. That means I will get mine on Thursday. The packages require a signature and I won't be home on Wednesday so I will have to go to the PO on Thursday.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
New Year
Wow, I didn't intend that my postings would become delinquent so quickly after starting the blog. Powers outside of my control prevented me from connecting with cyberspace. California usually gets about 15 inches of rain a year. What we don't normally do is get 10 of those inches in a week. I still don't have a landline but hopefully that will change in the next week or so.
I finished the shawlette that I was knitting. I switched beads and the method of attaching them because I wasn't please with the way the beads were laying as they were attached as you go. So working from the inside of the ball I strung the beads on the yarn. As I moved the beads to the workingend of the yarn I rewound the ball. Now all I have to do is block and give it away.
So a new year and a new beginning for projects. I have wound on of the skeins of the Tuscany colorway of a BFL that I finished spinning in November. I have started a scarf / stole for myself. The pattern is from a very talented designer in the UK, Allison Collins. Recent health issues have prevented her from being as active as she would like. Everyone is hoping that things improve for her because she is really missed in the crocheting world. I was going to put beads on this one too but after looking at the design they just didn't seem to fit.
In the next couple of weeks the yarns will arrive for the mystery CAL that I joined for 2011. The little pictures published of the design and the beautiful jewel tones of Rowan fibers just hooked me. The finished project is a wall hanging. This will be a first for me and I am looking forward to doing something new in the coming months.
I outlined what I want to accomplish in the coming weeks with my crocheting and stitching and I seem to have piled the plate pretty full. We shall have to see how things go. Off to do a little of the chores that seem to interrupt crocheting time.
I finished the shawlette that I was knitting. I switched beads and the method of attaching them because I wasn't please with the way the beads were laying as they were attached as you go. So working from the inside of the ball I strung the beads on the yarn. As I moved the beads to the workingend of the yarn I rewound the ball. Now all I have to do is block and give it away.
So a new year and a new beginning for projects. I have wound on of the skeins of the Tuscany colorway of a BFL that I finished spinning in November. I have started a scarf / stole for myself. The pattern is from a very talented designer in the UK, Allison Collins. Recent health issues have prevented her from being as active as she would like. Everyone is hoping that things improve for her because she is really missed in the crocheting world. I was going to put beads on this one too but after looking at the design they just didn't seem to fit.
In the next couple of weeks the yarns will arrive for the mystery CAL that I joined for 2011. The little pictures published of the design and the beautiful jewel tones of Rowan fibers just hooked me. The finished project is a wall hanging. This will be a first for me and I am looking forward to doing something new in the coming months.
I outlined what I want to accomplish in the coming weeks with my crocheting and stitching and I seem to have piled the plate pretty full. We shall have to see how things go. Off to do a little of the chores that seem to interrupt crocheting time.
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