All posts tagged projects in progress

Project ADD – I’d Rather Be Crocheting Hats

As someone who is always cold (apparently I throw off a lot of heat), sweaters at work are necessary. Currently, I have a dirty, smelly old hoodie in my cubicle from my boyfriends fat days, so it’s also super huge. Suffice it to say, this is clearly not work appropriate, but since I work in a building where I could probably get away with hiding dead bodies in the copy room or walk out with the department’s microwave, nothing is said about my hoodie. Granted, in the grand scheme it’s a minor detail, but I’m about to embark on a career as opposed to a job, so something has to change.

I decided this would be the perfect chance to use my P hook – I bought it with no projects in mind, I was just so fascinated in thinking how quickly a larger project could get done with said P hook. I began working on Lion Brand’s “Simple Crochet Shrug” on August 12 (thank you Ravelry for reminding me). I like Lion Brand patterns in general, because they’re ridiculously simple. This one looked super comfortable, and I thought it would be a nice time to reignite my love-hate relationship with Homespun. So I began – the shrug is, in actuality, a glorified rectangle; it’s just attached to itself in the right spots.

But now, my love-hate for Homespun (which has diminished to mere indifference) is being pushed aside for the painfully boring process of giant projects. I’ve made three afghans since I began crocheting…one was for a baby shower so I actually completed it rather quickly, one took about a month (and not longer only because I was getting asked what became of it), and the other almost three years. Big projects bore me after the first few rows, because there’s always so long to go. Especially my giant rectangle shrug, which is repetitive and coma-inducing. This definitely explains why I have so many hats.

In an effort to begin a discussion and see if anyone is actually reading, what do you think of big projects? Do they bore you, or do you welcome the repetitive stitches as a way to relax? (Because I can totally understand that point of view.)

1 Comment
by chickwithhooks on September 13, 2010  •  Permalink
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Posted by chickwithhooks on September 13, 2010

https://chickwithhooks.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/project-add-id-rather-be-crocheting-hats/

New Use For My US6 Needles – Boring Out My Eyes

As mentioned previously, my forays into knitting have been futile at best. (That statement can also be seen as one way of saying “why the hell would I use two needles when I can use just one?”.) But since I like to change things up from time to time, and also because I am a masochist, I set out to knit a dishcloth.

I was using knit/purl to make a martini glass design. Mine looks something like this.

On the day I started this, at one point in the stem I looked back a few stitches and realized I had already managed to drop a stitch. It wasn’t too far back, and I was feeling ambitious, so I decided to try to rectify it. This was the result:

Because, as it turns out, I never dropped a stitch, but I did manage to add one where it never existed.

I almost gave up after this setback, but I reassured myself that, as the gift was for my mother, I could probably tie a ball of yarn up and present it and she’d still use it as a dishcloth. So, I kept on going. I finally made it through the stem of the glass and to the actually drinky part of the glass. (Official term is official!) I was excited that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, vowing I would never pick up knitting needles again after completing this project (just like I did three years ago, but whatever). Then, more tragedy strikes:

(It’s supposed to look like this:)

I missed two stitches and didn’t realize until I was doing the following purl row. So, there was no hope in saving that one. So now, it looks like this:

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by chickwithhooks on September 1, 2010  •  Permalink
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Posted by chickwithhooks on September 1, 2010

https://chickwithhooks.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/new-use-for-my-us6-needles/

Knitting, My Bain

I am primarily a crocheter. I always assumed this was because I learned to crochet first, so it’s just what I always did. Then, in 2008, I decided to try my hand at knitting. My first mistake was not doing something like a scarf, and doing a custom made Transformer’s themed pillow for my boyfriend. (I used knitPro to create the chart.) This was when I learned I CLEARLY lack whatever skill and/or patience is necessary to be a talented knitter. After about two months, I finally presented him with the pillow and swore I’d never do it again.

But apparently, I am a masochist.

A few weeks ago, my mother left for a two week shore trip with a friend of hers. I decided this would be a good time to make her a cotton dishcloth for the stove in the kitchen – it has a black top and everything shows up on it, including paper towel lint. She is nearly obsessed with the stupid stove. So, a dishcloth is square, and knitting and purling is a great way to form a design. Hoorah! I’ll make this neat martini glass dishcloth from Bavgirl, because it’s a square and there’s no color changes!

The first thing to go was the border. For some reason, once I begin the alternating knit-purl it just looked like a hot mess on my needles. No matter, it’s for my mother, who will probably think it’s amazing even if I drop stitches. Which brings us to the next issue. When I looked back and realized I dropped a stitch, it became a entire puzzle going back to pick it up. So, after I’ve figured it out and picked up said dropped stitch…I come to realize I apparently have some sort of ocular issue, because there was never a dropped stitch, and I have now added one unnecessarily.

Why I Like Crocheting Better:

  1. One hook. Less to keep track of.
  2. When I notice and error, I can just pull out stitches, without making it a full mind-and-body exercise.
  3. Even when I’m not pulling out stitches, I manage to make knitting a full body workout. At least, I’m willing to bet it’s not an activity that involves hip and shoulder thrusts.

Crocheters, what do you think of knitting?

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by chickwithhooks on August 27, 2010  •  Permalink
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Posted by chickwithhooks on August 27, 2010

https://chickwithhooks.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/knitting-my-bain/