Saturday 2 July 2016

Where is the wool Jo?

I am well aware my blog has been a bit sewing heavy of late - blame the weather - if it was sunny I would be in a garden deckchair crocheting while watching the girls in the paddling pool but as it is, there are endless rainy days spent indoors sewing. So I bring you a whim of a crochet project.


I think I must be the only crocheter in the world not au fait with a join as you go method of making a blanket so I read up on a few tutorials and realised my learning hurdle. I didn't realise the final round was the joining round. I wondered how you went from the edge of a square to the middle of the next one, seriously Duh!


I only have about 10 balls of wool in my entire stash now due to considered purchases of late and genuine sustained willpower but I did have a zippy bag of DK bits and pieces under the sofa which looked immediately like a baby boy blanket to me. It seemed like perfect experimental fodder.


Such pleasing happy colours for a boy don't you think? So I have made 30 circles and the learning continues. I will let you know how I get on of course.

 

Other yarny news is not so jolly. Sadly I shrank Heidi's sublime cardigan in the wash, 100% Merino, about £45.00 worth. Totally my fault but saddening nonetheless, you are welcome to weep with me. I knit the sleeves extra long too so that it would last her ages and she loved the feel of the yarn. Annnywayyy, I bought a £10 ball of WI yarn a while back ready for school cardigans so that has had to come to the top of the knitting list to make her a new one for September.


Other knitting disasters include this. I have knit the long sleeved version in King Cole comfort aran in a week, so soft and squishy with no washing disasters on the horizon however, I have tried to knit that yoke nine times!! nine times is my limit(you may recall I started the Miette cardigan nine times) so it has gone to the knitting fairy for a while - that is my mother to you folks. She is the most accurate, awesome knitter ever.

So you see, I have been finding sewing a breeze lately....

Jo xxxxx







15 comments:

  1. Go for it Jo. When I realised how, it makes life so much easier as you can see you blanket growing before your eyes. Very satisfying xxx

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  2. Such a shame about the shrunken cardigan! So sad. Is there a smaller friend you could gift it to?
    Hopefully your new knitting project continues to go well after the 9th time of trying. Such patience!

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    1. Her younger sister is waiting in the wings. It is not soo stiff so should be OK for Winter. A friend suggested massaging it in hair conditioner which I am going to try to loosen it up a bit. Jo x

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  3. Hand wash....its worth it. I would have definitely cried. Love your circles, pretty colours. Tried the join as you go but I prefer to sew together and then surface crochet over the joins, to make the squares more prominent. Cor mrs, you must have the patience of Job (as my Mother would say )

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  4. Knitting Fairies are the best, wish I had one over here. I made a cardigan I started about 9 times and finally got it right, but I had to concentrate on each row of the yoke and about drove myself mad. So sorry to hear about the sweater shrinking, big bummer.
    Meredith

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  5. How sad about the cardigan shrinking, after all that hard work. I am indeed crying with you. I have a great knitting fairy too, my Mum does a great job.

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  6. I wish I had a knitting fairy. How awful about the cardigan shrinking I'd happily cry with you x

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  7. While I am still using the first wool blanket I knit, it shrank from double bed size to lap robe when I washed and dried it as a young bride :( I am intrigued by the hair conditioner idea...after so many years...it couldn't make it worse... Know that I am cheering on your efforts, and inspired by them! xx

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  8. Weeping with you Jo. I miss my knitting fairy so much. I should practise join as you go as many crochet garments are constructed this way.

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  9. Such a shame about the cardigan, that is so sad! Join as you go is great when you get the hang of it! Hope you enjoy it.

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  10. I'm sorry to hear about your knitting woes. I would feel upset about Heidi's sweater too. It sounds like you have a good plan for a new one. Your crocheted circles are looking good. It took me a while to get good at JAYG. I was doing it wrong for a long time. I wasted a lot of yarn. :)

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  11. Argh at the cardy shrinking but yay for crochet circles, they make (nearly) everything ok
    Jillxo

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  12. Oh Jo! So sad, I do feel for you! I used to hate washing by hand and I've shrunk a few things over the years too! I've never tried JAYG, but it sounds a great idea. Look forward to seeing the new cardie!
    Barbara xx

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  13. Oh Jo! What a shame about the cardigan. I only hand wash all my makes in nearly cold water. Apparently it is the vigorous agitation that contributes to felting, so best avoided. Alas, you are not the only one, one of my daughters also washed something I made - in the machine and it belongs to my other daughter who was rightly very upset about it, because she wouldn't have done that. I will have to make her something new, I think.... :)

    Your granny circles look nice and colourful, have fun making a blanket!

    PS: I cannot get over the fact that you said you only got 10 balls in your stash!!! I probably got enough to open my own shop, gasp! I find it hard to resist gorgeous yarn.... ;)

    Have a nice weekend,
    Ingrid xx
    Myfunkycrochet.blogspot.be

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  14. Join as you go for blankets was a complete game changer for me - I rarely do anything else now! It's easy peasy but do remember to count if you are watching tv otherwise things can go squew whiff (apparently!)
    My advice for the troublesome knitting would be to step away for a while and return but as you a have knitting fairy you are all sorted! fab!

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