Monday, May 26, 2008

Free Style Lace Shruggity Shrug


Myra is working on the sequel to her book, Creative Crochet Lace. The new one is about Creative Knitted Lace or Creative Lace Knitting. She explained the difference to me - one is when there are yo's only on the right side, the other has yo's on both sides, but I can't remember which is which.

Anyway, she inspired me to work up a new Shruggity Shrug, using a diagonal free style lace pattern for the body and a reversible eyelet rib I 'invented' for the sleeves and collar. There are about 20 different yarns in this one.

It is very frothy and feminine and cheerful! I loved making it and zipped it out in 2 days! Click on a photo to see the yarns more clearly.

Flower and Leaf Cropped Sweater

I started this one last summer while sitting by the 3-toed sloths at the La Brea Tar Pits waiting for Eden, who was taking an art class. I almost finished it and in my own typical way, put it aside, already knowing what it would be like, not sure if I liked it, and worried that I didn't have enough yarn to finish it.



But since I am trying to finish things up for the show and this is a very summery top, I decided to turn it into an FO. The yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Silkie Socks that Rock colorway Sherbet
and Lightweight Lemongrass

All the flowers have lime green fire polished crystals in their centers. I just love my linking flower technique.

The leaf border didn't work as dangling fringes, which was why I put it away for nearly a year, but I got the idea to crochet aroung each leaf and link them together and now I am pleased.

Flower Shoulder Sweater


This one was actually finished a long time ago but I never got around to photographing it. Since I am including it at CCM and hoping it will sell, I decided I better get some shots of it before it's too late.

I bought the yarn from Loopy Ewe and made the sweater immediately! The colors just knocked me out. It is from Scarlet Fleece, fingering weight, and the three colors are named Hibiscus, Sunflower and Bird of Paradise. Initially, there was a bird of paradise flower in the center panel, but it didn't look right, so of course, I sewed a lot of crystal and beads on, too. But it still didn't please me so I took it off and decided to leave the center panel plain.

I am happy with the hibiscus on the right shoulder



And the sunflower on the left shoulder.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Weaving in the Ends

I finally finished the display dolls for Claudia and got them shipped off to her. If you are planning on attending TNNA in Columbus, stop by her booth, (I believe it's 115) and give her a hug from me!


In honor of my completion of the daunting task, I decided to indulge in some mindless fun and chose this adorable little gauntlet by Dora Ohrenstein. The pattern is free on Crochet Insider

And while you're there, don't miss this great interview with my long lost separated before birth sister, Myra Wood.



The blue ones are from Claudia Hand Painted Fingering Weight in Blue Jeans colorway on a Size B hook, as called for in the pattern.
They came out too tight for my small hands, so I just considered them a swatch and made the brownish pair on a C hook. I believe that color is called Desert Dusk. They fit perfectly except for the top edge, which gaps on the palm side.

The next pair will be Just Right! cuz now I know how to tweak it. But I have lost the mood for making them since it was freakishly hot here. I actually stopped knitting last night! Me, the one who never just sits...actually watched a movie with nothing at all in her hands. Well, a cat noticed so there technically was a cat under my hands.