Tag: crochet hook

Getting a Project Started

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting

Recently I pulled out a bag of yarn and said, I’m going to use up all of these cakes. I only had one skein or cake of each color. This limits what I can make from these as they were each multi-colored. Combining the colors was not really an option.

I decided I was going to design a bunch of scarves for a booklet. Now who wanted the product? Well a variety of people. A couple of nieces, a daughter, a couple of friends, a nephew all volunteered to take the end product.

These videos (and these are only my second set of videos so please be kind) show how to get started with a project.

Items needed for a crochet project
Getting started and yarn issues
The beginning chain – or foundation crochet
The beginning of the pattern

Now after I shot these videos, I realized I didn’t like the pattern I show so I made some changes. Okay a lot of changes. I did still start with a foundation single crochet (fsc) but the pattern was completely different.

Final Product

Chilling on the Weekend!

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

Yesterday I met Vicki in Dubuque and we went to a craft store and shoe store before having lunch together.  We spent a bit of time chatting over lunch and in my car after lunch.  On the drive home, I talked to Virginia (when my phone wasn’t cutting out) for over an hour.  It was a good afternoon.

Last night, Ken had supper nearly ready when I got home.  We watched the last episode of Newsroom while we ate.  He went to bed and I watched How to Train Your Dragon while crocheting.  I got the first part of a holiday gift done!

One of the things I did yesterday was to pick out yarn for gifts.  I did this before I went craft shopping with Vicki so I wouldn’t buy things I didn’t need.  In picking the yarns, I got excited to work with the yarns.  The one I worked with last night was a strand of fleece – it literally looks like someone bought fleece material and cut it into thin strips.  It was a dream to work with and I finished the project late evening.

Today while Ken is watching football, I’ll be finishing up How to Train Your Dragon (it’s a series) and working on the next aspect of a holiday gift.  This means I get to pull out another exciting yarn and work with it.  Not only do I get to enjoy working with the yarn, I get to enjoy creating a pattern from scratch.  I love taking a strand of material (whatever kind) and creating something useful and pretty.

In case people don’t know, I’m a yarn geek.  I picked up yarn for a throw for another holiday gift.  I can’t wait to get my hands on it.  I’m already envisioning how it will work up and how it will feel.  Yup – yarn geek.

It was nice to be home for this weekend.  Yes I went to Dubuque but there was no pressure in that – it was go and enjoy my daughter.  It made me wish my other daughters were close enough we could meet up and do similar things.  Unfortunately, the best I can hope for there is a long weekend somewhere between Wisconsin and Georgia.

This morning, Ken helped me get breakfast and lunch for the week made up and in the fridge.  I’m going to work hard to remember in the mornings to pack my meals rather than buying them.  I’ve got fruits and veggies for snacks.  I’ve got soup for lunch two days and he’s making a pasta dish for the other days.  I’ve got a hashbrown combo for breakfast each day.  Now I need to follow through in order to not spend the money on fast food.

I’m off to put my feet up and crochet.  I am looking forward to the down time alone in my living room.  No moving stress, no must be somewhere, nothing be me, yarn, crochet hooks, and whatever I decide to watch on tv or listen to for an audio book.  Sounds like the perfect Sunday!!!

Mother’s Day

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

It’s mother’s day and all my kids are out of state.  I’m okay with that.  For one thing, they were home last weekend.

Yesterday Ken and I went to a yarn shop Vicki discovered.  It was an interesting experience in that I was lucky to be able to get in the store.  There was a ramp leading up to the second floor and a locked door.  The ramp itself was damn scary as I could hear the boards moving as I rolled over each of them.  Ken ended up going in to ask if there was a way in.  Of course there was – up the ramp and through the locked door.  When we got there (finally) the ramp was about 4 inches below the door.  I couldn’t just roll into the building.  I had to get off my scooter and lift it up.  It’s a good thing I’m still mobile and not completely wheelchair bound.

The yarn shop was small but had a large selection as well as an interesting selection of gadgets.  However, the cost of the yarn was over the top.  I didn’t see anything under $5.75 and these were tiny skeins (probably about an ounce).  Some of the yarn was amazing but the cost ranged from the $5.75 to $40 (or more).  Most of it seemed to be specialized yarn but to me this is just too costly to spend money on.  I mean an afghan can sometimes take up to ten or more skeins.  That is a crazy amount of money to spend to make an afghan.

I did get a crochet hook with stuff on the handle.  It is supposed to help ergonomically with hand issues.  I bought one and I’ll try it.  If I like them and it helps with the cramping I can get I’ll think about getting a set.

Another thing I noticed was a ball holder.  Basically, the piece was two wooden plaques separated with a turntable.  In the center of the top one, a dowel was placed.  You place your skein on the dowel and then can pull from the outside.  It should (hopefully) prevent tangling of skeins.  They were asking $30 for one.

I like the idea a lot but not the cost.  Ken was with me so I asked – Can you make something like this?  His answer was sure.  He is making one this morning for me and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.  He got the materials from Menards for $20 and will be able to make two for that cost.  If they work out nicely, I’ll be asking for some more.  Vicki will probably as well as she has been doing a lot of knitting.

There was one other gadget there which was essentially the same thing except without the turntable.  They had several skeins of yarn on a dowel which was in the center of a wooden plaque.  I could see how that would be useful when I’m working with multiple colors, I could put them all on the dowel and just pull the ends to crochet with.  I’m hoping I can talk Ken into making me one like that as well (though it being on a turntable would be nicer I think).

When I’m done with this blog I’ll be going back to crocheting.  Last night I listened to Promises in Death while I worked on Virginia’s afghan.  I got about twenty rows done on her afghan.  I sent her a picture and told her if she didn’t like it I could keep it.  I think if she had been closer, I would have gotten a smack.  It is turning out BEAUTIFULLY.

This morning I published one more crochet pattern.  I’ve had it done for a while but had to wait until after my niece’s wedding as it was her gift.  Soft Sunshine Afghan is now available on Smashwords and Amazon.
 http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/541758
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XGOA50W

It’s been a busy Mother’s day and next is going to be more crocheting on Virginia’s afghan!