Complementary Colors and Fibers

New color books on my bookshelf and a few older ones helped me prepare for a new fiber project.  Color books speak a different perspective on choosing a color palette, helping me define a new project in color choices I don't usually gravitate to.

Taking one of my oil paintings in purples, blues and greens and going to the color wheel for assistance, new yarn was purchased to make an afghan of granny squares.  This is ambitious as 18 skeins of yarn were purchased from Knit Picks.

Identifying the colors in the painting, I found these yarns at Knit Picks online.

On the color wheel, complementary colors are directly across from one another in the circle. Example: choosing the color red, its complementary color is green. Split Complementary Colors are "one off" from the opposite color. The split complements of red are the two colors on either side of the complementary color. Using this information, playing with the colors in making yarn selections opens up a whole new world from simply choosing one or two of your favorite colors for project work.

Here are the two books that I will be referencing to make the afghan from those 18 yarn skeins.  It will never be boring as there are 200 patterns, all the same size, that will keep this handwork ever changing.

The first book, 200 Crochet Blocks, is a gem.

One reviewer of the book said:

First, the good: all of the blocks are designed to be the same size, so you can mix and match them as you please. This is a considerable help. I have a number of vintage crochet-block books from the 60s and 70s, and none of the blocks are the same size, so it takes a lot of tweaking for each block if you want to make an afghan.

Not so when starting from scratch, making each square the same dimensions and allowing for a uniform size.

The second book, Knitter's Yarn Palette, had a fun color wheel made of yarn to illustrate the use of the color wheel when choosing yarns:

Webs has this explanation of Knitter's Yarn Palette on its website:

This unique book explains everything there is to know about weight, gauge, texture, and the suitability of mixing yarns using a wide range of 30 projects that revolve around 10 themes including: Seashores, delicate shades of sky and sand, string, cotton, and linen yarns, ripple-effect techniques. Lazy Meadow, grassy green, poppy red, buttercup yellow, soft, silky, velvety yarns, ruffling and layering techniques. Tribal Adventure, earth tones, linen, wools, and felted yarns, felting techniques.

The washable and soft woolen yarns are a feast to the eyes and will definitely brighten up the coming dark winter days as I work with them.

Knitting to Beat the Band

Cowls are the magic cure for disguising crepey necks. If the money fairy gave me an extra $10K, maybe that could be fixed, but that is not going to happen.

So here is my latest cowl rendition, knit in a silk and wool blend purchased at I Knit London and found on Ravelry at this site.

The free pattern from Bernat for the baby blanket is finished and off in the mail to Laura:

This 100% hand painted silk fiber, from Cascade Lace (Switzerland), luscious to hold and light reflective, is being made into the lace Norwegian Woods Shawl:

Designer Sivia Harding says about her design:

This top-down lace triangle portrays a forest progressing from winter into spring. Beads grace the bottom edge....This pattern can be upsized by doing more repeats of one or more of the three lace patterns used in the shawl. Note that more yarn and beads will be required if the pattern is made larger.

The repeats are 12 stitches, so I made lettered index cards for the pattern rows from the stitch charts.  It was too difficult to read that chart, and the cards seem to work for me.

Wooden Crochet Hooks

These lovely hand fashioned crochet hooks were made by William Schmidt of Turn of the Century.

Having recently taken up crochet, and reading that wooden crochet hooks were easier to hold and made pulling yarns less taxing on finger joints, I found this one in walnut and ergonomically fashioned.  The shop is on Etsy and owned by DCWoodcraft.

 DCWoodcraft's Etsy shop made purchasing quick, and DC efficiently sent it out the next day.  The postal service cooperated by sending it quickly.

This hook feels smooth, organic and comfortable while working with it.  My SIL says she really likes hers, too.  SIL has one made in cherry wood in size "J", although any millimeter sized hook can be purchased.

Here is the crocheted baby blanket in progress with the ergonomic hook attached:

Pleased with the wood hook, I might get rid of most of those stashed plastic crochet hooks.

Crocheted Smart Car

But would it go through a car wash and not have its drawers drooping?

Flickr user, Start the Day, shares this fun sight caught out on the streets of Rome.

Chain Stitch Scarf using Bamboo Yarn

Bernat offers a free on-line scarf knitting pattern accessed here when you sign up for their newsletter.  It is called the "Chain Stitch Scarf".  I followed the basic instructions, alternating yellow and green Bernat bamboo yarns.

Embellishments to the original pattern included a decorative picot stitch in the center of the middle stripe, and an I-cord was knitted around the perimeter in another color of green. The attached I-cord (instructions here) gives it a more finished look.

Visual instructions along with verbage regarding the picot stitch can be found many place on YouTube.  This is the link I used for the decorative picot stitch in the middle of this scarf, using a cotton sheen yarn by Berroco.

Ravelry buddies, here is the finished scarf (dimensions 52" x 7"):

This is the 2 inch lapel pin, highlighted by cobalt blue, accessorizing the scarf:

The Snuggle Project for Sheltered Animals

If you have a desire to help animals that have been abandoned, you might be interested in reading about The Snuggles Project.

The Snuggles Project was founded by our president and founder, Rae French, in 1996 because of her heartfelt need to do something for the innocent victims who find themselves in animal shelters without a bit of comfort to call their own. Picturing them in their hard cold cells made her heart ache to do something to help. So she got the idea of security blankets for shelter animals. The security blankets are called "Snuggles." Each animal would get a Snuggle to cuddle up with to feel warmth and comfort. Most shelter animals are kept in areas with stainless steel braces and hard plastic flooring or even bare concrete floors. The Snuggles would allow them to have a little reprieve from the coldness of the pen they are kept in.

If you are interested in helping out in this compassionate endeavor, go here for a free blanket pattern, courtesy of The Snuggle Project.

The pattern looks like this:


This is a volunteer project, and the website lists dozens of patterns for snuggle beds to knit, crochet, or sew. Thanks to Dances With Wool for her mentioning this worthwhile project.

Using Vintage Crochet Today

Wonderful friend Dorothay sent me a HUGE box of vintage embroidery, crocheted collars, laces, hankies and table runners she had garnered from her late sister's priceless hand made needlework. Some pieces go back over 100 years to grandmothers and great-grandmothers on both sides of the family.

Talk about a pig in heaven ... I was thrilled!

Now what to do with this beautiful box of goodies. An internet search came up with over two million websites relating to vintage crochet. Here are a few I found especially interesting:

Craftown

vintage-crocheted-edgings

Anything with an edge is a candidate for adding some crochet to it. A nightdress with crochet edging at the Purl Bee showed this idea of using an I cord to attach a piece of crochet to fabric to create a shoulder strap. The original owner of the idea could not be tracked down (her name is Leah). So there is no website to visit for her idea, but what a cool way to create a feminine touch to any sleeveless blouse.

I am using this idea to add a unique touch to an existing ivory colored camisole. (pictures tomorrow if this works out!)

Thank you so much, Dorothy, for passing this needlework on to me.

Easy Crochet Flowers

Needing a specific color button, and wanting it knitted or crocheted, I looked for directions on how to make a button ornament. Here is an excellent tutorial video showing that within six minutes, one can be created:



So I got out my yarn stash, reviewed the video several times for accuracy, and made four buttons with beads as centers. I used a size G crochet hook and various weights of yarn in differing colors. Depending on the size crochet hook used, and the weight of the yarn and number of stitches, the flowers can be made as large or as small as desired.

Here is a picture of four of the completed flowers:

The center of the magenta colored ornament at the lower right of the picture was made with a small crochet hook and sock yarn, again using the same technique. Then the small pink rose was sewn into the center of the larger crocheted flower. If made about the size of a US quarter, they will look cute on a baby sweater.

Leg Warmers to Knit or Crochet

A comment left today on my blog asked for some help on finding a pattern for crocheting leg warmers. Now that it is winter, maybe this website is one you would like to visit, too. The pattern is also converted for knitting if that is your mojo.


(photo courtesy of vanillabeanknits) on Flickr.

Here is the website and the directions follow from their webpage: Legwear:

These leg warmers will be most appreciated in the dead of winter when temperatures plummet and winds wail, but be sure to have them crocheted and ready to wear.

Directions are given for size 9-11. You will need two 4 ounce, skeins of 4 ply yarn and sizes I and K crochet hooks.

Gauge: 3 hdc equal 1 inch

Starting at lower edge with smaller hook, ch 30, join with sl st to form ring, ch 2, do not turn.
Row 1: Sc in each ch, join with sl st in top of ch-2, ch 2, do not turn.
Rows 2 through 8: Repeat Row 1.
Row 9: With larger hook, ch 2, hdc in each sc across, join with sl st in top of ch-, ch 2, turn.
Repeat Row 9 to length desired, after last sl st, fasten off

Knitting pattern: "I didn't really use a pattern, I just used a little math and knit a 1 x 1 rib. I kept knitting until they were long enough to stretch up to my thighs if cold weather required." Courtesy of VanillabeanKnits