Last night I chose my border colours and sat down to start the tricky first row. I don’t think I want to crochet through the end posts again, yes it’s less gappy than working around, but it means you’re in danger of pushing out some of your darned ends. Phooey! It’s also damned tricky to do. That made me pack up my Hitchhiker knitting to take to Knit Group instead; as I didn’t think the light would be good enough to see, or the company would want to hear my groans and sighs.
I would very much like a drum-roll please while I complete the border, it seems only fair! This has taken me far longer to finish than adult sized 6’x4′ blankets. Warm summer days, where the last thing I wanted was a blanket on my lap and sweaty yarn in my hands, and a house move contributed to the slowness of the making, not that there has been any rush really. I’ll show it to you once more with all the details including the yarn colours when it’s finished, before it goes to little baby Winnie next week.
I really like this simple edging. As you probably know I don’t really go for ornate borders, I reckon it can just be too much on a patterned blanket. But conversely an unedged blanket is a rather sad object, with a raw, unfinished look. There is a happy medium, isn’t there?
So on to Knit Group; do you remember reading this this post? (Oh sigh, please let’s not have porridge-gate all over again, tee hee. I’m looking at you Vikki and Jill! Just whizz past the pictures and find the paragraph where I described what people were making…!) Teresa asked to see some pictures of what was being made and last night I asked if they minded me taking a few photos. It was a smaller group than usual, just a select four of us, but such an easy, relaxed night with lots of laughter.
First here’s A’s 4ply cream cotton bedspread in progress, it’s one her mother began and she’s finishing, along with other half finished items. There need to be 20 squares or so and I think she was given 12. Look at those criss-crossing stitches and the detail on the leaves. Isn’t it lovely? It looks impressively complicated to me.
A. also brought along this gorgeous crochet shawl that she’s made for one of her young daughters. Apparently the yarn was cheap stuff and on offer in the local wool shop, but it feels luxuriously soft. Privately I thought it would rather suit me when I wear my smart black woollen coat and could imagine shimmering into a carol service, but sadly it was popped into a bag on the floor across from me. No stealing. Rats!
Next there’s J’s Lego Man Mitts for her husband. They’re so fun! Not that the process of making them both has been much fun, as I understand the other mitt came into contact with a small boy and a pair of scissors…. He was taken to the wool shop to choose more wool and had to ask ‘the lady’ for the correct sized new circulars (yes, they were snipped too) which he didn’t enjoy. Lesson learned hopefully. She found the little figures in the bottom of her knitting bag. They look quite cross about me wearing the mitt I think.
And P’s is currently a tea-pot cosy making machine, I can’t say anything much about it (secret squirrel) but it is making me want to try crocodile stitch. I’ve never been particularly keen on the stitch, now I wonder if it was the items I’ve seen made with it. P makes everything look good. The other knitted cosy is sooo special that I’m not dwelling on it, as it makes me feel knitty-knotty inferior! Yes, she does have a drink problem.
I posted a pic of my Hitchhiker scarf the other day on Instagram. Click on the pink camera on the sidebar if you want to see how it’s getting on. After Winnie’s Wave Blanket that’s the next thing I need to finish for Christmas, for my Mum. Then the world is my oyster. Anyone who types the words ‘sock’ or ‘garter stitch blanket’ will be blocked. I mean it!
I chose this book first for my cosy Christmas reading, it’s so lovely, absolutely perfect.
What about you: Have you done any crafting with friends lately? What are you making and reading? Managing to resist the early festive treats or giving in completely to mince pies, stollen, chocolates or …..?
Feel free to add a link in the comments, to share your own Yarning Along post showing what you’re making and reading.
It’s so kind that someone would spend so much sending a parcel to a stranger, what a lovely thing to do.
Professional looking packing! What is inside??!! (Such a blogger thing to do; we can’t open a parcel, spot a huge spider or see a bunch of flowers without grabbing our camera!)
Moon Pies! I’ve heard of these but never eaten one. Woo hoo! Slightly squashed and a bit soft so I’ve put them straight in the fridge. It doesn’t matter, I’m sure they’re going to taste yummy. After a Winter drinking far too much hot chocolate and as many marshmallows as I could pile on top I went cold turkey in the Spring, so these are very welcome. Cassie writes that they’re ‘a made in Tennessee delicacy, right after barbecue and whisky’! Apparently the best way to eat them is microwave for 10-12 seconds and enjoy with a sugary soda. Can do! No issue with those instructions. At all. 
It’s a comprehensive little book, published in 1971. 
Top marks for including a chapter for Lefties! This beats many current How-to-Crochet books.
This really is treasure! I’m so pleased to own this booklet and will take good care of it.
10 cents. 
So, this was published in 1941, I wonder how far ‘away back’ they mean?
There’s something about the girl below that makes me think of The Sound of Music. It must be the blond hair and hair style.
I watched a friend tatting once, I’d never seen it done before and would like to learn sometime so I’m adding it to my mental list of skills I’d like to acquire. It’s growing all the time.
Using a finer hook than I usually crochet with and fine crochet cotton appeals, but I can never imagine myself wearing a crochet collar. Maybe one day I’ll send Cassie one? I can somehow imagine her rocking that look in a vintage style dress with her usual aplomb.
Pom-poms ahoy! 
So interesting to see these diagrams. 
Well, if you have been following my CAL posts since the beginning you’ll know that I’ll never be using the popcorn stitch for a whole bedspread! Can you imagine?! A row or so of blocks for one end would be painful but ok, but urgh a whole bedspread full of blocks would be way too many! But looking at the picture I wonder if the USA popcorn stitch might be the UK bobble stitch? I need to check the stitch details. Things might be looking up for this bedspread.
It’s interesting to see which of these companies, threads and yarns are still around, this booklet was published in 1941 after all. 72 years ago! The new enthusiasm for crafting is exciting and there’s so many contemporary makes we can see and read about to inspire and teach us, but these are not new skills; it’s just that they’ve become popular again. This gift could not have come at a better time. When I was out shopping for my Graduation kit on Friday I started to feel a bit odd and by the time I got home I was ready to crawl into bed, which I did. Basically I haven’t spent much time out of it until today. I’m still feeling pretty ropey and am not able to eat much other than dry toast and sip water but can feel I’ve turned a corner. No graduation, no champagne or meals to celebrate, but I’ve had very, very sweet messages from my student friends saying how much they missed me on our special day. The most touching messages were from the two friends whom I was to sit between in the hall. The seating’s alphabetical so they knew that the empty chair was mine. Cassie’s presents could not have come at a better time. They’ve really, really cheered me up. I text Someone at work earlier to say we’ve got treats from Tennessee. His reply? “Woohoo. Or, more correctly, Yeehaaw.” Exactly how I feel.Thank you VERY much Cassie.
The Little Room of Rachell 
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