Revisiting Interlocking Crochet

 

 I bought two balls of cotton yarn some time ago with the idea of revisiting interlocking crochet. At last I got around to it. I was a bit appalled at how much effort it took to relearn the technique, but after half a dozen false starts I did get going. I played yarn chicken and lost, so the top square has one more row than the bottom one. I could undo one row, but I think I'll leave it, it's not obvious that they're not the same size. And they make a fraternal pair to use as pot holders. 

Sunday Sewing

 

I have an order for four puppets and I still have to finish the soap bag order, but I decided to take some time to sew for myself. I really need a new nightie or two. Jack went off to watch cricket, so I was able to sew without interruption.

I used my favourite dress pattern, but made the bodice band longer, for a looser fit. 

I sold the pink/grey gloves at the market on Saturday, and a scarf. It was a warm and sunny day, in spite of us being in the middle of Winter; lovely, but not ideal for selling knitwear. 

Soap Bags

 

I share a table at the market with a friend who makes soap. Sarah wants small bags to put soap in. She thought that my sewing pupil might like to do the job. He did 10, but that was enough for him. He's only 11 years old, so an order  for 50 bags was more than he could manage.  I said I'd have a go. This is half the order, which I'll take to the market, and then I'll do the rest next week. They take a bit longer to do than the jewelry bags and I'm still developing my rhythm, but I'm sure I'll soon have the hang of it. 

I have finished the pink/grey gloves and made a start on the blue/grey ones

I'll use the same Spragues pattern. Diane did some research and discovered that sprague is a word derived from Old English that means alert or lively. Thanks Diane! 

Colour

 

I dyed the wool in the microwave on Monday afternoon, one skein pink and grey, one blue and grey and two blue and orange. I like how they came out. I'm knitting the pink and grey, using a pattern called Spragues by the Galt House of Yarn. 

I'm doing the short wrist version, though I think the long one is rather elegant. I wonder what spragues means? 

Market Coming Up

 

The next market is on Saturday, so I need to get busy. I've finished the Nalu gloves. Last night I finished spinning a batch of four skeins of wool. I'll wash and dye them this morning. I'll see if I can manage two more pairs of fingerless gloves before Saturday. That gives me two skeins to offer as yarn. That's the plan anyway. 

Boring?

 

I've done this month's bags for Anne, the silversmith, 15 small bags and 15 tiny bags. A lot of folk say, or imply, that making the bags is a rather boring job. Granted, it's not the most exciting or creative task, but I enjoy the methodical nature of it. I put on the radio or a podcast and listen while I work.

 It's just as well I enjoy the job, because I've just agreed to make bags for someone else. Watch this space. 

Another

 

I dyed two skeins in this jade colour, used one for the half-finger gloves and am using the other skein to knit a pair of fingerless gloves for the next market. I'm using one of my favourite patterns, Nalu, by sparrowhawk/Leila Raabe. 

I'm sewing jewelry bags for the first time since we moved house. First, I had to round up my equipment. The cutting board was at the bottom of a trunk, but where is the seam gauge? I cut another one. 

A Pair

 

Right, I've finished the half-finger gloves. They'll be collected on Friday. Pattern is Tipsy by AndreSueKnits, yarn is my handspun wool. 

Back To Knitting

 

 I'm not entirely organised after moving house, but there's nothing urgent now, so I've taken time off to work on an order. The lady wants gloves with 'half fingers'. I've used this pattern before, Tipsy by AndreSueKnits.  Last time I did the ribbed version; this time I've done the stocking stitch version. I think the ribbed version fits better, but I shall continue and finish the mate of this one. Doing the fingers is much more fiddly than doing fingerless gloves, but there you go, it's probably good practice. 

MIA

 Sorry to be missing in action. We're in the process of moving house, so crafting is on hold. I did go to the market on Saturday. I finished knitting a pair of fingerless gloves while I sat at my stall, and sold them before I was done! 

Stash Buster Cardigan Is Done

 I combined two yarns from a friend's stash to make this cardigan for myself. I used Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage method, found in Knitting Without Tears, which is more a method than a pattern. I think it would have been difficult to find a pattern to use the two yarns. The percentage system also helps create a well fitting garment:

Winter is definitely here now, so the cardigan will be put to good use. 

Deciding The Way Forward

 

I've finished round 16 of the Spring Doily. I've run out of thread and time (I'm about to move house) so the sensible thing would be to take a leaf from muskaan's book and Stop Tatting. But I really like those last two rounds, and the way they enhance the scallop outline. A friend suggested I use a completely different thread to do the outer rounds. I'm a bit worried that would draw the eye away from the overall design, but it's a possibility. I also have a different brand of size 40 white thread. It doesn't match - there's white and there's white. But I'm going to try tatting round 17 with it and see how it looks. If it doesn't look good, I can try working with completely different thread colour. Or colours. I thought of using green with a different colour for the 'flowers'.  Decisions, decisions....

Sewing

 

I've been sewing jewelry bags again. I had to make extra this month, 30 tiny ones and the usual 15 small ones. Anne, the silversmith, is doing well. 

The tatted doily in the picture is the Spring Doily from 2020. I have made some progress on this year's doily, I'm now just over half way on round 16. 

Little Hats

 

I've finished two little beanies to go with the gloves shown in the previous post, to make two sets:

I underestimated how much wool would be needed. I had to dye some more wool for the second hat. The wool is rather thicker than the wool I spun for the gloves and first hat. I had it lying around after I spun it for an order that didn't work out, so this was a good way to use it up. The patterns are from The Ashford Book of Spinning, by Anne Field. The fingerless gloves are actually a mitten pattern, which was easily adapted. 

Little Gloves

 

I've finished knitting two pairs of fingerless gloves for an order.  It's hard to tell in this photo just how small they are, so here's another picture with a pen for reference of scale:

I need to prepare for tomorrow's craft meeting in a retirement home, so the beanies and other projects will have to be put on hold. I'd love to be able to sit and tat (the last round of the Spring doily came out today) but I don't think I'll have time to tat. 

Progress On Different Fronts

 

I've made a start on round 16 of the Spring Doily.  There's still a long way to go. 

I've spun and dyed two hanks of wool, so I'm ready to knit children's gloves and beanies. 

And I've put together the different parts of my cardigan so that I can knit the yoke. 

Round 15 Done

 

I've just finished tatting round 15 of  Renulek's Spring Doily. Round 17 came out this morning, so I'm still two rounds behind. 

I had to do a fudge on this round. I realised that I missed one ring and chain on the previous round, so I joined two rings into one picot

This is how it should look:

 I didn't block this round because I think the wayward onion rings will be  brought to heel by the next round. 

I won't be able to tat exclusively because I have an order for children's gloves and beanies. I'm a little dubious about the wisdom of using handspun wool for children's accessories, but if that's what the customer wants, so be it. 

Back To Tatting

 The market went pretty well. I sold some handspun yarn, gloves, keyrings, a  puppet, and the bracelets were collected. I didn't spend more than I earned, which is always good! 

I didn't get any orders, so I've got a chance to go back to my Spring doily. I'm almost half way through round 15. 

Three

 I've made three beaded keyrings. I'm working on puppets at the moment, but I'd like to make a couple more keyrings if I can before Saturday.  The bottom ring has gold beads in it, but the shine doesn't show in the picture. 

I Can't Keep Up

 I'm not abandoning my Spring Doily 2025, but I'm not going to try to finish each round before the next one is released. I like the discipline of doing that, but of course there's no obligation to do so. The pattern will still be on the Renulek blog when I have more time to work on it. There are tatters ahead of me and tatters behind me in working the pattern, with no tatting police chasing any of us! 

I'm busy getting ready for Saturday's morning market. My priority is to finish three beaded bangles for an order. I'm nearly done

Since I have the beads out, I may make some key rings for the market. They are popular and quick to make. 

Beads

 

I haven't worked with beads for a while, so I had to hunt out all my beaded crochet rope supplies.  I found everything except the small funnel that I use to put beads back into their jars. I'm about half way done with the bracelet, the first of three for an order. 

I was so focused on getting through my crafting list that I clean forgot to take my washing off the line yesterday, even when the rain started. The clothes have had an extra rinse! 

Tick, Tick, Tick

 I'm getting through my to-do list. Round 14 of the Spring Doily is done:

The bags are ready for delivery:

And the Augusta fingerless gloves are ready for the market table:

On to the next task. 

Priorities

 

I've done five repeats of round 14 of the Spring doily. My plan is to tat one repeat a day for the next three days, to be ready when the next round is released. But.... I have a number of projects on the go. I need to sew jewelry bags this week. I've made a start:

I also need to prepare for the next market, which will be on the 3rd May. I have an order for three beaded crochet bracelets to be delivered there and I need to augment the knitwear and puppet baskets. Fingerless gloves are the most popular item, so I've started there:

The pattern is Augusta, by  Lena Marie Gjerald.

The cardigan I'm knitting for myself will have to fall off the to-do list for now. 

Sleeve

 

 I'm using the magic loop technique to knit the sleeves of my cardigan. With two balls of yarn and a very twisty circular needle, I'm apt to get into tangles. On the other hand, the stripes pattern helps me keep track of where I am and where the increases need to be. 

I finished tatting round 13 of the Spring Doily yesterday:

Putting The Time In

 

 I've been following the evolution of Diane's beautiful, colourful version of the Spring doily, so I knew that round 13 is a time consuming one. I was quick off the starting blocks, tatting one repeat on Thursday, the day the pattern came out. I didn't have time to tat on Friday, but I did three repeats on Saturday and two on Sunday. So, I'm well placed to finish before the next round is released. Provided I don't make any mistakes, of course. 

Stash Busting

 

I've given away some of someone else's stash  to a lady who knits toys for a children's hospital. There was  yarn remaining that was less bitty, but not enough to knit a garment with. So I'm combining two of them to knit a cardigan for myself. I spent some time contemplating how to combine them and decided on narrow stripes. At one stage I thought I'd do the sleeves all in the blue boucle, but I'm inclining towards stripes throughout. I'm knitting back and forth on a circular needle and planning to use Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage method to work out stitches for the sleeves and yoke. It's easy knitting, so good for taking along. 

I have finished tatting round 12 of the Spring Doily. 

Working On The Twelfth Round

 

I've done three out of the eight repeats for round 12 of the Spring Doily. I should be done before Thursday when the next round comes out.

I did finish knitting the socks before the market. They didn't sell though. Sales were down on last month, but the market was worthwhile in other ways. Someone asked if I'd glued the roses to the food cover. No, no; I was rather indignant about that!

Quick quick

 I didn't tat on Tuesday, International Tatting Day, because I needed to whiz up some yarn for Saturday's market. I spun  two skeins on Monday and two on Tuesday. Yesterday I dyed them

My plan is to have two for sale as yarn, and knit a pair of socks with the other two. Once they were washed and dried, I wound one skein into a ball and started knitting

I'm not certain I'll be able to finish the pair before the market, but I should at least have one sock to act as a sample! 

Round 11 And Roses

 

I tatted round 11 of the Spring Doily over the weekend. I like that even an easy row requires a certain amount of concentration, as there is a different pattern on alternate 'petals'. 

I also finished sewing the roses, leaves and butterflies onto the food net

 

I sewed the roses using small running stitches from the back. I took a picture of a white rose, the stitches are so discrete I can't see them, so I took a picture of the pink one, where they show up a bit better:

Getting There

 

My to-do list does still have some items on it,  but I've finished round 10 before the next round is released and I've sewn the jewellery bags. I'll deliver them on Friday. 

Working On Round 10

 

I'm half way round the tenth round of Renulek's Spring Doily. It's a straight forward round, so I should be able to finish before Thursday, when the next round is released, in spite of having other things to do. I must sew jewellery bags this week and make another batch of melon and ginger jam.