Month: September 2024

White hats

On By CarynIn Craft

I did say that I have a boat load of acrylic yarn and am on a hat kick, right? And I mentioned that this an experimentation time, since I can’t do the same thing more than twice? Oh good, that established, here are more hats.

Photo description: white crocheted hat with woven band and ribbed edge

I tried the new-to-me crocheted ribbing technique combined with one of my favorite crochet textures: a woven stitch.

Technical summary: (American notation) Double crochet (dc) 12 into a magic circle. Increase 12 each row until diameter matches desired hat size. Switch to waffle pattern which is two front post crochet and two back post crochet for two rows. Offset the waffle pattern by two for the next two rows. Continue until the hat reaches the top of the ears. Chain 8, make single crochet back loop ribbing around the edge.

I also made Moogly’s Diamond hat in white.

Photo description: white acrylic hat with diamond pattern from crown and ribbed edge

I may be able to make an exception to the “only two” distractibility rule by interspersing different hats between making the diamond hat pattern. I like it that much.

Tshirt restyle

On By CarynIn Craft

This poor shirt. I previously added crocheted elements, but didn’t like the way the sleeve crinkled in my elbow, so took off all the crochet.

Photo description: Black Tshirt with The Smashing Pumpkins cover art for Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

It hung sadly in my closet along with another shirt that had acquired stains on the front. Eventually they caught my attention again and I combined them. I used the black shirt as a base, removed the flutter sleeves from the purple shirt and sewed them to the bottom of the black sleeves by adding gathers to match the circumference. Then I took sections from the unstained fabric to make a hem extension, overlapping the sides in a petal formation and adding a narrow hand sewn hemmed edge. Honestly I hand sewed all the added bits, because I like to.

Photo description: restyled tshirt with added purple at the sleeves and hem

Pattern Review: Diamond Hat

On By CarynIn Craft

It is that time again. I have a build up of gifted acrylic yarn, and a chorus craft fair coming up, so it is time to crochet hats. I can’t bring myself to make the same hat over and over, so it is also a time for me to explore patterns and techniques. Moogy is running a campaign with Warm Up America for a hats, scarves, and mitten drive. Moogy graciously provided some of their free patterns for the drive, including a Diamond Hat pattern. This pattern had two techniques that were new to me: using treble crochet stitches to make diamonds, and using back loop single crochet to make ribbing. I like both methods! This hat crochets up quickly because of the double crochets, but has a very classic look. It did take me a few rows to figure out exactly where to hook in the treble crochets: under the leg so all four legs have a single join point. The picture below is actually my second hat. The first did not have as much definition near the crown. There is a PDF version available of the pattern for a price, but unfortunately the designer included links for the special stitches in the PDF, which don’t work when you print the pattern (obviously).

Photo description: Diamond crochet hat in green acrylic using a pattern by Moogly

The hat is flexible, thick, and warm. I think I will make a few in different colors without getting distracted (much). This is definitely a pattern that I will keep in my repertoire.

Fiber Page: Ramie

On By CarynIn Craft

I completed the fiber page for my spindle spun Ramie top fiber from Hearthside fibers. Ramie was pleasant to spin and has a cottony feel but with a long staple length. I experimented with three and four ply yarns.

Photo description: 12 x 13.5 inch fiber page with (clockwise) a sample of macrame on a bamboo stick, the card from Hearthside Fibers that says “Ramie Top Developed in China about 4,000 BC Non-stinging member of the nettle family”, paper bobbins containing single spun, 3-ply, and 4-ply yarn, finger woven sample, crocheted basket weave swatch, plain weave swatch, knitted swatch, unspun fiber in a clear topped drawer
Photo description: sample fiber page with the swatches flipped up to show the descriptions written in white ink on the blue card stock

Hot

On By CarynIn Garden

My outside vegetable garden didn’t happen this year. I started basil and bell peppers inside, then waited to plant because a friend planted outside too soon and their peppers all died. Then it got hot (it’s Texas y’all), and the raised bed needed an overhaul because it isn’t draining, which is a yucky job in the heat. So now it is September and my peppers and basil are still in the window. The pepper leaves are a rich dark green and the plant is fruiting. What is pollinating them inside? I’ve actually had more fruit set inside than outside. Hm.

Photo description: small red orange pepper peeking out between dark green pepper plant leaves

The seeds I started were labeled Bell Pepper Carnival Mix, and I am getting some different colors: red, green, purple. The peppers are quite small, probably because they are still in their starter pots. We picked and ate the pepper pictured above and were surprised at the heat, not like a bell pepper at all. It also is shaped more like a fresno pepper. So I’m wondering if my Carnival mix was a pepper mix rather than a bell pepper mix, or if smaller fruit from restricted growing conditions makes for a hotter pepper. Hm.