Testing, testing

My hooks have definitely getting getting their miles in these past few weeks. Excitement has been mounting as projects are closer and closer to being finished. Regrettably, the only one that is finished, is not mine. I'm testing a hat pattern for YuLian on ravelry. It uses lace weight yarn and an H hook, which really takes some time to get used to.

The pattern itself is very well-written, and really makes me want to go back through mine and re-write them a little bit, and the chart is very clear and easy to read.

Probably the worst thing about this hat was the time it took away from my Rose Garden Shawl. A few weeks ago I finally hashed out the top edging, so I've been continuing work like a mad woman trying to get it done, and then I go and check the forum for pattern testers. Actually it came at a really good time as I was just getting ready to add in the second skein of yarn. Instead I used that second skein for the hat, then used the tail end of the first skein for the double-thread section of the brim.

So here's what I did with the Wood Lily Hat:

I followed the pattern exactly (so strange for me to say that as I change them so often), tried it on my head, and I think it would have fit okay if it weren't my thick hair. So for row one of the brim I added a few extra chains here and there, just for a little extra ease. It ended up being a ch2, ch2, ch3 pattern. the next row was as written, and the following row I switched to a G hook. I also did continuous rounds, rather then the rounds joined with a slip stitch, (don't laugh) so that I didn't have to keep track of where my row ended. I also did the crown row 5-6 repeats for the 23" size (I made 20.5") because on the first try I think the hat was confused as to whether it was a beanie or a beret.

Here are pictures:

Before the row 5-6 repeats, diameter was about 9 inches un-stretched

 Look, it matches my cyclamen! :)

 My first lace weight soaking in water. I was so excited I don't think it soaked for 10 minutes!

 Next time I do something like this, remind me to block it on a balloon. I ended up with a crease.

All done! 

Can I just take 

this moment to say that 

I love it when 

my hair is straight? 

I don't think 

I could pull this off 

with my hair in its natural, 

wild, 

and crazy state.

Other excitement is bursting as my Flutterby Shawl gets closer and closer to going live. I'm aiming for this time next week, but it really depends on how fast my testers can get their last rows in. Ravelrs are already buzzing about it and it gives me the warm fuzzies.

 More excitement comes from my Rose Garden Shawl. 

As I mentioned above, I just hashed out the top edging, which has been plaguing me for the past few months or so. 

I remember it was Thursday, 2 weeks ago. I finished the pattern on a little sample I had crocheted just for the edging, stretched it out on the carpet, pinned it, liked it, and immediately began to write out the pattern. I was so jittery with joy I could hardly think straight. Then I printed it, almost full to bursting, and handed it to a friend of mine who has agreed to test it. 

I'm absolutely thrilled, but wish she would hurry up. 

If you're reading this and you would like to test, 

let me know in a comment below. 

The more, the merrier!

Block Party!

Well, I finally successfully blocked crocheted pieces for the first time yesterday. First was this pink shawl. The yarn was so cheap it felt like stealing (79 cents each!). It was the promotional color from october, which I bought in mid-November. I picked up the only three skeins thay had, vowing to do something with it, just not knowing what.

So one day I was looking through patterns I had been collecting on my computer, trying to figure out if I had enough yarn for one of them. I did. and it was such an easy pattern that I could easily make it longer ot shorter, depending on how much yarn I had. So I got started. As is typical for me these days, the pattern quickly changed from what was printed to what I wanted.

About halfway through the pattern, the recipient changed from me, to my sister, as I drew her name for secret santa. Now I really enjoyed making it as it was no longer something I was doing for myself. I guess I'll save that keeper project for when I finally get some lace yarn.
So here is a close-up view. As I was unpinning it this morning I was thinking that the next time I do this pattern, I might try pinning the edging, and giving it a little breathing room. I noticed when it was dry that it looked somewhat cramped in comparison with the rest of the shawl. Sorry Ginger.

Here's the full view right after I was done pinning it.

And here's my daughter wearing it.

Here's how it fits on an adult.

This is a hat I made not too long ago. It's really cute, but the edging was a bit too crazy in the yarn's natural state, so I thought I'd try blocking just the edging, to get those ruffles under control.

And this is a scarf I made a while back. Now that it's finally blocked I can add the fringe and put it in my box of craft fair stuff. Or sell it on etsy. decisions, decisions...

This is the last piece I have to show, and I can't even show all of it, because it's a surprise. But I was so excited I just had to post it! I'll post the full picture after it's given.

By the way, the shawl is based on Refracted Light Shawl from http://www.universalyarn.com/

The hat is Betty from Kreamer Yarns

The scarf is original

The blue one, well, I'm not yet telling.

And all of a sudden, I have no crochet works-in-progress. Geez, what happened?