Interlocking crochet and other adventures...

Well, there's nothing like a friend asking to borrow a book to make you open the dratted thing and actually read it. I don't remember when I picked up "Interlocking Crochet" by Tanis Galik, but it turns out to be a fascinating foray into crocheting two surfaces that interlock but don't join up with each other (until you add a border at the end, anyway). I had great fun with the technique last weekend, although it turns out some of my struggles were down to errata in the book, and so far I've only managed this one piece. I love anything reversible though!

And yes, there are some minor mistakes in this. Not bad for a first attempt though!

In other news, I treated myself to a set of Clover Amour crochet hooks, this is most of them - I think the 5mm, a fetching royal blue, is downstairs somewhere. As himself is currently between contracts, it was lucky I had a £20 Amazon voucher towards these as it'll be the last treat I can afford for a while. I thought I'd give non-inline hooks another go, seeing as my anodised metal ones are great but make my hands ache after a while.

Finally, what does one do with leftover bamboo/cotton yarn? Make it into dishcloths, of course (I've had to throw a few lately that became a bit holey)

The more I think I know about crochet, the more I realise there is to learn. Check this out for a long list of techniques, some of which I've yet to try!

In the machine knitting arena, I'm trying to inspire myself to make something with cables on it for an event later this year, and completely failing to get magic cables working, even though I have a swatch from 2016 that proves it is possible (though it was done on a Brother machine, that might make it easier). Hmmph. I will keep trying.

Current mood: happy

Weaving and a replacement for the ribber comb

Had a lovely day's Saori weaving at the Beautiful Cloth studio in Napton - great fun!

The crochet corner-to-corner scarf continues. Can't seem to find my mojo for much machine knitting at the moment. The weather isn't helping (it's chucking it down again today).

I've recently been teaching a student that has had a stroke, she has no use of her right arm. So I came up with a ribber "rag" that will replace her ribber comb. Alas, I did not think to get a photo of it, I will take one when I next see her.

Instructions:

Cast on e-wrap every other needle across the whole of the bed. Knit 20 rows main tension, 1 row T10, 20 rows main tension.
Hang hem.
Knit 6 rows. Make a lace hole on needle 1L, then at L15 and R15, L30 and R30, L45 and R45, L60 and R60, L75 and R75, L90 and R90.

Knit a further 10 rows. Knit two rows at T10, then cast off behind the gatepegs. Remove sample from machine and steam flat. Mark the middle hole with a permanent marker.

To use:

Hang on main bed needles, every other needle, as required. Bring ribber into work and put empty needles on ribber up into "hold" (but do not set ribber to hold). Hang weights evenly using lace holes.
At ribber tension, knit 1 row with ravel cord.
Change to main yarn, T0/0 and knit 1 row on all needles
Knit 1-5 circular rows at T1/1
Rearrange stitches at this point, if 1x1 ribbing is not the aim.
Set RC000 and knit ribbing as required.

Current mood: lethargic

Heath Robinson

I thought I might write a post about how fellow crafters (myself included) have found new purposes for everyday household objects.

Things I've seen online:

• a dog collar used to replace a broken case handle.
• weights for knitting machines - this is a combination of bent forks and fishing weights.
• fishing weights are another alternative
• someone crocheted little bags for baby food jars filled with washers to use as weights
• small locks used as weights
• make your own garter bar with some wood and some bobby pins
• using an old credit card with a V cut in one end as a latch opener
• rotating yarn holder from a CD case
• Woolly Weights used to sell metal bars and magnets (great for weighting lace or delicate projects) - you could probably rig something up at a hardware store
• hacking a standard gauge comb to fit a midgauge machine
• revolving yarn trees - ready made, or make one yourself
• using a dog bed as a garment drying rack
• plastic canvas can be made to work as a needle pusher (just trim to required spacing)
• home-made multi latch tools (video)
• dropped stitch tools made from bent but usuable latch needles

I don't know whether you can see it in the picture, but I'm using part of a plastic drinking straw instead of a quill for my weaving shuttle:

I will probably get some proper quills at some point, but not just yet, the bank account's a little empty this month! 

Can you think of any more innovative uses for everyday objects?

PS Heath Robinson was famous for funny cartoons of surreal inventions

Busily doing nothing...

Well, almost nothing:



Charity tee with some crochet on the sleeves



What I learnt - never follow a pattern blindly. No idea how this will fit over a baby's head. So this will probably go into the circular file :(

Went to Uppinghams to get this:



So how come I also came home with this?



And yes, it IS chenille. I still have the purple that gave me fits over xmas in the great white-squat-jumper debacle of 2010. Shudder. But it was soo pretty...

Worked about half way around the frill on the swirl blanket (my hands want to type swill blanket for some reason). Left index finger major knuckle still killing me, so got it x-rayed this morning, will get results next week. GP mentioned the dreaded A word. Let's hope not! Even drinking a cup of coffee hurts! Consquently, as that finger feels like it is on fire, I've done very little handwork lately, in the mistaken hope it will heal up. I'm hoping machine knitting doesn't count. Have also taken ibuprofen but it seems to make no difference. I do have some voltarol at home from the cricked neck incident so that will be the next stop I suppose, if it's not gone out of date.

Clearly, 2013 is not my year for hand health. Luckily the left index finger is healing well and the new nail is almost back to normal.

To distract you from my woeful lack of content, some pictures of my knitting tools:



My DPNs, mostly KnitPro, in a case from Nics nots.

I picked this case up at Wonderwool last month:



but it only works if kept vertical (some of my hooks are elsewhere). I think I might modify it and replace the fastening with ribbon instead, I think it will work better then. What do you use to carry your knitting and crochet tools?

Summer finally seems to have arrived, managed to sit out in the garden yesterday for a few hours. It's about time!