Gentle reader,
I’ve not been the most monogamous of crafters of late, but I have another finished object to share! And, I must say I’m a bit like the cat that got the cream over this one.
I mentioned in my other post about the crochet patterns from Pierrot Yarns, and I decided to be a bit selfish and make something for myself. So, I browsed their patterns and this hat really caught my attention. It looked interesting to make but not so fancy that a gentleman couldn’t wear it. The next big step was the yarn, and I chose Heirloom Easy Care 8 Ply, and I must say that decision raised some eyebrows.
Back at the yarn store, we stock Easy Care, but we don’t seem to really sell very much of it, in spite of all the wonderful colors it comes in. And, I had discovered why when I selected some of the 15 Ply for my Peaks Island Hood. It just wasn’t very pleasant to knit with, and it really shows up mistakes and uneven stitches. You could say that poor ol’ Easy Care tends to get pooh-poohed in my circle of co-workers and S’n’B buddies. And y’know, I felt bad for it and I’d been getting the sneaking suspicion that it would actually be pleasant to crochet with. I felt that Easy Care need a friend in the world, someone to champion its cause.
And I was right! I’m very happy to say that I now have many good things to say about Easy Care. It is indeed very pleasant to crochet with! It doesn’t un-ply or fuzz too much and it also holds the stitch definition very nicely and the crepe ply gives it a nice texture on top of that. Also, the pattern from Pierrot was beautifully charted – no surprises there – and is available in Japanese and English. And here it is!
Lessons Learned: It’s really hard to take pictures of yourself modelling a hat! Praise for PhotoBooth, which saved my life because I was having no luck with my camera. Oy!
I had a few moments of doubt while I was making it. It’s a five stitch pattern repeat with a foundation chain of 85. Well, to fit my ginormous head I must have increased it to about 130! Then, I was just unsure if it would really suit me or not and ummed and ahhed for a bit. Well, once I’d finished it I had some very positive reactions to it which allayed my fears, and a complete stranger on the tram even told me to keep my eye on it lest they steal it for themselves! That made my day. And be damned with it suiting me, I love it so much I’ll wear it anyway.
Aside from my new favorite hat ever, I’ve also been making a bunny for Easter. He’ll probably just sit in the shop somewhere, though I’m cutting it very close – Easter’s nearly here already. His body is finished, and I’m just finishing up his ears. I experimented with a few things this time. First of all, I made his arms in separate pieces as usual, but rather than stitch them onto the torso, I crocheted them directly into the torso as I was making it. Hard to describe, but I hope you can visualize that. Also, I made his little muzzle differently than I usually would. I’m not 100% happy with it, but I do like that from the side it reminds me of Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh for some reason.
I’m not 100% sure what the yarn is, although I suspect it’s Araucania Ranco sock yarn. It’s definitely a sock yarn at least, so I’ve been using a 2.5mm hook. It hasn’t pooled to disagreeably either so that’s good. More pics when he’s (or she’s!) done.
I’ve got a few more things on the go that hopefully I can share with you soon, but until then take care!
-R
In This Post:
Green Brimmed Hat
Project Page – Pattern Page – Pierrot Yarns English Patterns – Easy Care Yarn
Bunny
Araucania Ranco Yarn (I think!)
theshylion.wordpress.com 