Tour de Fleece

I've joined the Tour de Fleece. Yeah!!!!! I'm so not a joiner. Always afraid I will disappoint someone (exactly who, I don't know...) But I decided come on..Spinning is great, and I love watching the bikers in those tight shorts. Okay call me a cougar (Meowww)

Anyway. Here is the training work I have been starting on. I've spun up some shetland wool that I got last year at the Yellow Springs Fiber Festival (at Youngs dairy). I decided to try my hand at playing with it as a single ply. I thought that crocheting with the single would work out fine, and it seemed to be great!

I made a doily...well it was going to be a hat, but did too many increases. I found out that the only problem with crocheting with energized singles (wool!!) is you cannot rip out very easily. It just kept sticking to itself, and I did not want to break the thread......So a lovely wool doily was the most obvious other option.
Sorry this picture is a little fuzzy, but you get the idea.

I also worked on a funky edging pattern using this single ply.


I call it Spider Crawl. I pinned it to my lampshade by my bed. It looks really cool. I may work out a pattern for a lampshade out of this pattern...We'll see.

Too Many Moons Have Passed

I've taken my break from blogging. I've actually been writing in my private journal more. I've also taken a break from photographing my works. I think this is why I haven't had the desire to blog. I was trying to decide if I should just throw up my photos on Ravelry and be done with the thoughts. But I still have too much to say....at times anyway.

My desire to crochet has continued to grow. I am now about a 50/50 crocheter/knitter. NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT!!! I have discovered something about myself though. I prefer crocheting with thread or very very fine yarns. I guess I've always known this, but for some reason since taking up knitting I thought I should also crochet with the same yarns....this, my friends, is the mistake.

Crochet , to me has never looked very good in a garment. Sort of how Damask fabric just isn't meant for everyday wear. The stitch definition of most smooth yarns looks just too "muddled" to me when crocheted. This ornamental nature of crochet fabric does not fit my style of dressing. I've almost giving up on trying to find a crochet piece that I would like to wear.....

That being said, I am going to start on a sweater from Sensual Crochet (Amy Swenson). The Piece is called the Butterfly Cardigan

My gauge swatch is in a fingering wieght alpaca, and it turned out very nice. The pattern on the gauge swatch is more compact and less open than the one in the book. Also, the yarn color is dark Blue which further disguises the pattern. It gives just a hint of the crochet pattern of the sweater, which is fine with me. I am going to have to make alot of changes to the pattern to work it out for the almost fingering weigh yarn, but I think this pattern is something I would wear. Certainly a rare find for me.