Long Time, No Posts, and Big Changes!

It's been nearly a year, and I feel horrible about that.  Life, family, and work took over all things for a while, and then enough time passed that I forgot.  I know, I'm a horrible blogger.

After I finished my niece's jacket and hat, I didn't have much time for all things crafty.  Then, in October, my mother told me about a shawl she had attempted to make for her mother.  As crocheting is not Mom's first craft choice, she got stuck.  First she asked for help and set then directions.  Then, at Christmas, she just handed me the box of supplies and asked me to make it for her, to give to her mother.

The pattern is called the Pearl River Lace Wrap. Here's a link to the designer's (Doris Chan) blog entry.  The pictures below came from Doris Chan's site.  The pattern is available as a free download at NaturallyCaron.com.

  

I'm slowly working my way through this.  It's been a little challenging.  I've never worked without a foundation chain before (this one starts with foundation single crochet (US)) or broomstick lace.  I figured out the foundation stitch row (actually kind of liked it by the end of the row).  The bobble/popcorn/cluster stitches are fine, but the broomstick!  Using that gigantic plastic knitting needle to pull up the lace loops while managing the hook, lead thread and cloth is frustrating and keeping everything straight for 2 rows without twisting it is hard when you start that first row!  I can only manage about a 1/2 row of the broomstick lace rows before my hands cramp up.

So it's going. SLOWLY, but going.

Part of the slow process, too, is that I keep getting distracted by other craft ideas.  We found out in October that we're pregnant with our little girl (due in June!) and I keep finding baby things that I want to make, too!  And I rediscovered my bobbin lace pillow during one of my recent cleaning fits, so look for a future post on bobbin lace, too.

Of course, all of that can wait until after I finish Mom's Pearl River wrap.  I made a self-imposed deadline on that project of Easter weekend (when I'll be visiting my parents) which will give Mom enough time to get it to her mother by Mother's Day.

Project Wrap Up

With the recent baby-boom among my friends and family, I've been making little baby things.  Luckily, they've all been for girls (yeah! for frilly things).  I like baby projects - the yarn is typically softer and the pieces take less time to complete.  The one thing that I don't enjoy is weaving in all of the ends from the parts of the pieces.  Between the starting tail, ending tail and joining threads, some seams had six threads to weave in!




Here's the most recent project, with all of the ends woven in.  I'm pretty happy with the results.  I absolutely loved the yarn - Caron Simply Soft Grey Heather.  Yeah, it's acrylic, but I do like the color.  I don't have access to a great yarn shop, so I have to make do with what's available locally.

 


The jacket is a free pattern from Lion's Brand - available here.  The hat also started from a free pattern - which I lost the link to - but I modified the flower pattern using the 'magic' starting ring and changed the stitches to add double petals.  I added some coordinating buttons to the jacket and center of the flower and it's done!  This set is for my niece who is not quite a year old.  I made another set from these patterns in a slightly thicker yarn in a light yellow-green color for a friend's newborn.



Now that this project is finished, I'm contemplating the next....  I have been finding some really great looking pieces using charts (which I've never used before) and I've also recently picked up a tunisian crochet hook, which has been interesting to play with.