A Be-Ruffled "Craft Fail" in Slip Stitches

I love the CraftFail site! It has taken oh, 5 years or so for me to get ruthless about this craft fail:

It's a shrug crocheted in somewhat loose slip stitches. The 3/4-sleeves end with unusual linked and unlinked triple trebles--a swingy ruffled fantasy. In my mind.


The big reason for the fail is that I used a large crochet hook to make stretchy slip stitches in novelty chenille yarn. I can't think of a bigger invitation for chenille yarn to "worm". Even before the worming began, the stitches stretched unevenly, also thanks to the texture of the yarn. It was especially noticeable on the shoulders (ugh!). To top it off, the angora look turned into a ratty look.
After wearing once or twice, it looked as if an animal had chewed on it 20 years ago.


I couldn't face how fast it went downhill because the ruffles were so time-consuming! As a useful design experiment for me at the time, this makes the ruffle the same as a research swatch, but should I save the whole shrug for one ruffle?


OK yes, there's that whole "turning lemons into lemonade" virtue, and the CraftFail site inspired me to try every which way to make lemonade with this lemon. I tried blocking it, adding black velvet ribbon accents (see photo at right), even going so far as to consider: might this shrug be turned into capri pants? LOL, nooo!

But I will always have my memory of Marty trying it on one night at the 2005 CGOA conference in Oakland, CA. It looked better on her than on me!

More Crochet Pattern Eye Candy

Can't keep the Whipped Cream Apron to myself anymore, just can't:

And why not get the full effect of the Lovepod Boa?

Patterns for both of these (the 'Thirsty Twists' bathmat too) are written and professionally tech edited. My next step is to see that my Ravelry pattern store is in working order, and start uploading some of these patterns.

All About My Crochet Pattern Line: TONIGHT'S Podcast

Please tune in with me & my DesigningVashti Crochet Pattern Line tonight at 9:00pm EST for the Getting Loopy podcast episode! Phone in and ask me questions! (646-915-8371) If you can't tune in then, you can listen to the episode any time on your computer, iPod, etc.

I'll be adding info and links to this blog entry so check back here. 
For example: I created a new pattern companion blog just now. Still setting it up, has a sample entry now. You can see it here: http://crochetpatterncompanion.blogspot.com/ 
Also, added a few more pattern photos this afternoon.


Pictured at top: the magical Lovepods Boa.
Below it: Thirsty Twists Bathmat.
(Both are new DesigningVashti crochet patterns. Listen to podcast or check here for details and links for downloading these and other patterns.)

Launch of My New Crochet Patterns Website!?

The new Vashti year has begun because my birthday was February 1st. (It was a blast! My husband and friends threw a surprise party for me and I was in a daze for the next half hour. Lots of birthday wishes rolled in on my Facebook page--I love that.) The next few weeks are all about the final touches of my website for downloadable crochet patterns, in time for the Getting Loopy podcast on February 22. Be sure to tune in, I will be the guest!

I've never done a big crochet website before so things take a little longer than I expect them to. For example, I know how long it takes to produce one crochet design; but I have six different categories of crochet projects, and they range from beginner level to advanced--patterns for clothing, accessories, children (including educational toys), home decor, etc. I'm looking forward to showing you my new Tunisian crochet patterns too (photo above is a sneak peek; does it look crocheted to you?).

I had to create a whole section just for crochet jewelry! Turns out I have a gazillion designs in me for crocheted bracelets, necklaces, rings, everything. I have tips to share and special projects for them that are unique to jewelry making. It's its own world, really.

Update on Yarn-Weighing Crochet Adventure

Am checking in to blog the results of my design experiment with weighing yarn on a digital scale. It came close enough to perfection that I'll be using the scale for planning other designs.

I came within 2 grams (0.1 oz.) of a 100-gram skein. It's likely that I would have come up short if I had not ripped out the longest row before beginning the decrease rows.

Would you like to see the finished result? It will be a Tunisian crochet pattern on my new pattern website.

After simple damp-blocking, this triangular neckscarf relaxed into large enough dimensions to also serve as a shoulder wrap. In fact, the fabric behaved more like knitted lace while blocking. The Tunisian stitches grow to double the height of the usual Tunisian Simple Stitch.

I'll always remember finishing this project while sitting in the sun at Starbucks with my friend Colette. It was the start of a cold front that froze Florida, so I didn't notice that I was getting a January sunburn! As the freeze came, this alpaca wrap was the perfect layer with a turtleneck and cardigan.

Really Handy Gift for Crocheters & Knitters!

One of the most valuable tools in my crochet design studio is so simple and easy to find and use:

Why oh why did it take me so long to get a digital scale? How many other crocheters and knitters are in the same boat as me? If you think you might use one of these, think again: you'll definitely use it and wonder how you got along without it. It's so much easier to plan projects with whatever scrap yarns you have stashed away. Below is a mini-tutorial on one of its many uses for yarnies.

It needs to be reasonably sensitive and accurate. Of course the more so the better, but you don't need to spend a fortune. I'm happy with mine and it cost $30 at Target. It switches easily from ounces to grams. I prefer grams because 1 gram is a smaller unit of measurement than 1 ounce, so I get a more fine-tuned result.

The Urgent Situation Causing Me to Buy a Digital Scale: I wished to crochet a triangular neckwrap with one large skein of yarn (Misti Alpacas Handpainted Alpaca Sock). I planned to start at one top corner and keep increasing until I used half of the yarn, then use the other half of the yarn to decrease over the same number of rows as I increased.

The Crux of the Issue: How will I know when I've used no more than half of the one ball of yarn? Exactly when do I start decreasing instead of increasing?

First I weighed the total amount of yarn (with label, crochet hook, stitch markers removed). Yarn label says 100 grams. When I put both all yarn (crocheted and precrocheted) on scale with nothing flopping over the scale's edge, it weighed in at 103g. Isn't that nice? A 3-gram bonus.

Photo 1: When I weigh the crochet only, it says 55g! This means I need to rip out a few increase rows and start decreasing.

Photo 2: After ripping out 3 rows or so, the crochet now weighs in at 51g.

Photo 3: When I weigh just the unused yarn, it should say 52g, and it does.

I decide to flirt with danger and really put this yarn-weighing strategy to the test. Wouldn't it be deeply satisfying if I have exactly the amount of yarn needed to complete the triangle with none left over? I only gave myself a 1-gram buffer and have already started the decrease rows. I need to make sure that my gauge stays the same throughout!

Now to finish crocheting it and find out....

How Crochet Designers Celebrate

I've just mailed off a design that will appear in the Spring 2010 issue of Interweave Crochet magazine. I can blog some fun things about it as we get closer to the publication date.

Designers I've talked to celebrate after they mail off a design for publication because it's momentous! It means:

• completed item has all ends woven in, photographed, measured before and after being wet-blocked and completely air-dried, then boxed up and shipped off;
• the written pattern is completed, proofread, and emailed to the company;
• schematics and other diagrams are created in a format that can be emailed (I still draw them on paper and then upload a photo of them; others scan them in or draw with software)
• contract is signed and mailed or faxxed

A design event leaves behind a lot of clutter--rough drafts, submission guidelines, tools for finishing and blocking, yarn and swatches, candy wrappers.... so it's not surprising that most designers I know do a big clean sweep around their studio. That's what I'm going to do next.

Some designers go out for a nice dinner with their families. Do you know what else is common? Sitting in front of the TV totally vegging out! I don't need to do that this time because I didn't have to write the pattern for five sizes. Sizing crochet patterns turns the usual designer into a mumbling zombie LOL.

Others immediately begin their next design. This is the case for me this time, happily. I'm writing up lots of new downloadable crochet patterns to offer soon, and I love it! I love designing more than ever! I'm getting close to launching my own crochet pattern store so I can start blogging more about that.

About the Tokyo Jacket Free Crochet Pattern at Naturallycaron.com

I'm elated that I've been awarded the Set My Picot Free Award for Crochet Excellence and Phenomenal Fashion by the Fearless Leader of the Crochet Liberation Front :)

For the Tokyo Jacket design I actually have the "eureka!" moment on paper. Want to see it?

I remember that: "OO! OO! LACE SIDE PANELS!!" (dates from June 2008). You can see from that scribbly sketch that the construction is the simple & easy "T-shape," just like a traditional kimono (a cropped one). The lacy sections disguise this. So do my exaggerated corners. In other words, it's easier to make than it looks.

There's a Ravelry forum thread devoted to this pattern. I posted some comments there regarding the sleeves. Regarding adjusting the length of them, "The length of the sleeves is easy to shorten because they are crocheted from the shoulder down. Each row pair adds 2-3 inches as I recall."

Someone asked about making it sleeveless. My response was: "Normally [with T-shape construction] the shoulder seam lands part-way down the arm and looks bunchy or clunky, but here it’s all lace. So if you make the Tokyo Jacket sleeveless, the solid part will still land at your shoulder and look fitted to your size, but it won’t widen to fit your bust and hip. The lace takes care of that in the pattern. You could add your own lace panels at the sides to make it fit as a vest."

The yarn is Naturallycaron’s Country, which is the worsted wt. one with merino content (vs. Spa, which is the sportwt. one with bamboo content). Country doesn’t grow a lot from weight but it could from steam blocking (which I don’t recommend!). Spraying it with water to block is enough. Blocking photos and more in the previous blog entry.