A visit to the crochet corner.

We are at Rathmines at the moment at our Bible School. K is volunteering in the dining room as usual and I am soaking up the fellowship with friends new and old. K's frustration at having to take his tasks a bit slower and stop and sit more is evident, but he is doing better each day. His myriad of friends are encouraging him and I am appreciating the love. I  am singing in the concert program, so fun for me too. Some truly beautiful music.


So....to the topic of today's post. Crocheting of course cos that's what I do when I sit.


One of my favourite sources of inspiration for stitches to incorporate into my creations is a book by Kristin Omdahl.  I was thrilled to discover her e-book on Kindle site one day when I was crocheting round and round the outside of a project. I am not in the least bit fond of the finishing part of this hobby. Boring. This is when I usually turn my mind to "what next?'  

The reason I love Kristin's ideas is that I also have an aversion to joining little bits together.  I refuse to sew things up, so when I  have to join I crochet together. By some long and round about route while looking not only for new ideas but new ways to join pieces I came across the term "seamless crochet" associated with Kristin Omdahl.  This pattern book is filled with ideas that look like the traditional motifs joined into a larger project but in fact they are created in rows. I was hooked.  Continuous crochet....... No sewing.  Yey!

Of course it was not quite as easy as that. These patterns are not for beginners and although I consider myself a reasonably accomplished crocheter and a canny pattern reader,  I spent quite a few hours with crochet hook in hand puzzling over the patterns, counting stitches, twisting the wool in all directions and not making very much progress. I just couldn't work it out.

This is not a thing to which  I am accustomed. So in complete frustration I tossed the hook and yarn away and  acting on the principle that I paid for it so I really should read it, I perused  the normally boring bits of the book. You know ... the introduction and the stitch glossary. Half way through the explanation  of how to convert a granny square into a continuous project there was a mental "ding" and it all fell into place. I still have to spend time each project puzzling out the exact approach but I love seamless crochet.

The latest project looks like lots of small traditional granny squares all joined up. I grabbed two colours, and set off on an adventure creating a sort of a maze. As it grew K acted as my design consultant making sure I didn't leave any corners unfilled. By the time I got here to Rathmines I was once again on the edging. Round and round is less boring when I have fellow crafters to talk with as I work. I lost count of   the number of people who came up and said, "Did you join all those up?" 
'Not likely," said I and watched their eyes glaze over as I tried to explain the technique. Very funny!


I just had time to lay the finished afghan on the bed, (it is sized to fit on the flat section of a double bed) and take a photo before it was snapped up and whisked off to a new home. .

Double bed afghan in two colours inspired by Kristen Omdahl's
Seamless Crochet techniques.

Lots of granny squares joined as you go by completing the bottom
 of each square, connecting it to the ones next door and then
coming back across the row to close off the top of each square.

Another  Seamless Crochet...Shark tooth pattern



Shark Tooth Seamless Cot Afghan

 I brought the rest of my store of rugs with me to take advantage of the bigger room and bed to get the photos that are not so easy to execute in the caravan. I might even be lucky enough to sell a couple as well. Need to fund the next lot. So I spent a few minutes alternating balancing on a chair and  popping down to arrange the next item. Not the best photos I have ever taken.


The other idea I discovered in my last "what next?" search was "Mile A Minute" crochet. This single bedspread is the result. Strips in different colours joined together. The scallops sit over the bed edge and are very effective. And it really was completed fast. Mile a Minute indeed.
 

Mile a Minute pattern Single Bedspread.

 

The pretty edge of a pink, blue and lavender single bedspread.

There is limited storage for my yarn stash in the caravan and I do ride K pretty hard about his collection of useful junk so it is only fair that I use my bits and pieces up.  Therefore I have decided to use of all of my scraps, or as many as can work into something useful before I buy new yarn.
We'll see how well that goes.  The end of season sales will be on soon!

My  only stash busting success so far is this cot afghan, started from the centre and worked out with mitred corners and crocheted butterflies.
 



 

 

And just to show how effective texture can be here is a friend's project that I crocheted together for her this week. Knitted in different textures of yarn. So pretty!

There it is. All the crocheting I have done for the last six months. All waiting for homes. There is nothing sadder than a handmade afghan sitting in a box under a bed.

Now to use up the rest of my scrap yarn. Wish me luck.

Cheers Sue

A Ferg on the Move.


 Here is a link to a site that sells Seamless Crotchet Techniques by Kristen Omdahl. It is also available for Kindle.