Just to brush up on my basic Granny Square skills, I made a quick square with scrap yarn. To get it the right 7×9 inch size for Warm Up America I added two rows of double crochet on one end, and one row on the other. A little unconventional, but functional.
We’ve lived at our current house for almost nine years. This week was the first time I saw a deer in our woods with my own eyes. I’ve seen plenty of trail cam photos, and I’ve seen live deer in other areas around the countryside and around town, and my family has seen deer on our property, but this was my first live encounter at this spot. I was out much earlier than usual, which was probably the key, heard a rustling in the woods, and looked up to stare a young buck in the eye. He stood still and I took a quick picture, then when I turned to do the task that took me outside, he hurried on his way.
The task that took me outside? One of the meadow cats, who I call Fang, came to the front yard to ask to be brushed, but the brush was behind the coop, so we walked over and saw a deer.
I did another 7×9 inch swatch to test joins for Tunisian crochet using the honey comb stitch pattern. I first crocheted a narrow strip with three different colors, then I crocheted a second strip, joining the rows to the first strip at the end of the forward pass. I tried three methods: joining using the front loop, back loop, and back loop and bump behind the back loop. I like the last method best because there was no discernible gap and the patterns matched up better.
I’m still working on best practice for me for weaving in ends.
I have been carefully writing the words for the songs I’m learning for chorus on index cards punched with a hole so that I can keep them together in my pocket. The writing of the words and rereading the words helps memory and in Barbershop when we perform we don’t use music. I remembered that the cards were in my pocket, but not until after the wash cycle started. Sigh.
I will get another opportunity to write all the words. Maybe I will write on the top card “Not washable.” Or maybe I’ll laminate them. Or maybe the “Rite in the Rain” brand water resistant index cards are the answer. I’ve ordered a set and will give them a test with pencil, which will erase, but not wash off.
I’m renewing my acquaintance with Tunisian crochet. Making the 7×9 inch rectangles for Warm Up America is not only a great way to use up scrap yarn, but also to explore new techniques or to polish up old skills. My Tunisian crochet skills were definitely dusty. I ripped out around two rectangles worth remembering where to start and end my rows and on finding a fabric that doesn’t curl. The simple Tunisian stitch curls almost as badly as stockinette knitting, which I don’t want for my rectangles. I rediscovered my favorite (so far) Tunisian stitch, the honeycomb. This is like a moss stitch in knitting, alternating simple and purl Tunisian stitches both across the row and on the next row. It makes a nice flat fabric with a honeycomb-like pattern on one side and a luscious bumpy texture on the back.
I also discovered a new-to-me kind of crochet hook.
I like the balance of the wood crochet hook with cord and how it feels in my hand much better than the long aluminum hook.
