Crochet Baby Steps

Below are pictures from my first attempts at crocheting.

The first two chains are both 17 chain, the more square one is 9 chain.

The first two attempts I only got as far as one row of single crochet. The instruction book I have said to chain 17 loops, which is why they seem much larger than the other one.

The instructions were very clear, which was surprising given my recent history, but nothing beats seeing it done in front of you.

For the third attempt, I went to YouTube for a how-to and found a good video explaining it. That attempt had two rows of single crochet and a row of slip stitch.

Look!

It's a new project!

Because sometimes instructions are just too confusing.

Working on the Embroidery

Honestly, I think it's going to be a slow summer for crafts and for writing, between work and EuroCup 2012.

And once again, I get to deal with non-intuitive instructions. That's why I like knitting so much - it is easy to understand.

Large Dishcloth done!

Due to a spotty internet connection and a small vacation to the downtown area of the city I'm working in, I couldn't post this last Friday.

That little square in the bottom right of the first picture is the same pattern in small. This thing is huge. Looking at it now, I think I need to cast on looser stitches because that side is a bit smaller than the bind off side.

Anyway, I've have enough of knitting for now.

Knitting Practice - Super Chunky

I picked up some new yarn and needles the other day - along with an embroidery hoop. The needles are size 13 and the yarn is Lion Brand's super chunky New York White, 100% Acrylic. I decided to use the pattern I just used on the size of yarn it was meant for:

The bottom piece is the same pattern with worsted weight yarn and size 6 needles. I'm about 1/4 done.

The pattern is a lot easier to see on the smaller piece, but I like handling the bigger yarn.

New pattern part 2

I finished the mock washcloth I was working on.

The pattern, like the last one, was modified from a pattern on Ravelry:

Sand Stitch Washcloth

Cast on 24 stitches.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: (K1, P1) Repeat
Row 3: Knit.
Row 4: (P1, K1) Repeat
Repeat the above 4 rows eight more times.
Row 37: Knit
Bind off.

It's a bit small but the pattern was meant for larger yarn. It shouldn't be that hard to modify the pattern to make it larger but keep the same proportions.

More knitting practice

I really like the pattern I'm working on now. It looks like it will scale well too.

The edges, as usual, are ragged. Does anyone know a good way to neaten up my stitches at the end of a row?

The Lark Embroidery Kit

I got this embroidery kit from Jo-Ann a few weeks ago.

It looks to be a lot bigger than the Hummingbird Cross Stitch. Unlike the Hummingbird Cross Stitch, this package from Dimensions did not include a hoop or frame to keep the fabric taut. Either I will have to wait and get a frame or I will have to try without a frame. I still have some knitting patterns to try so I do have time to decide later.