Hooked on Hooking

I must start this post off by saying how much I love Interweave Crochet magazine. The designs are contemporary and beautiful, and I love how they write the pattern instructions. I'm not a "normal" sized person, and because of how well the patterns are written, I have a much easier time adjusting things to fit me. On to the post at hand. When I saw the Spiderweb Cardigan pattern designed by Marty Miller in the Spring 2007 issue if Interweave Crochet, I just had to make one for myself. I love how it turned out. The pattern had a great flow to it, and I found it worked up quite quickly. I also loved that it started off using a technique they termed "foundation double crochet" rather than a starting chain, a technique I plan to adapt into other patterns wherever I can. It makes the foundation row look exactly like any other dc row, and whereas with a foundation chain, I usually have to use a larger hook than in the rest of my work to prevent warping, With this tec

Well, I was being lazy today, so I actually ended up crocheting a couple more jewelry pieces. It's rather addicting to make them. First, another bracelet, done in amethyst tones. Secondly, another pendant. I'm not as happy with the pendants so far as I am the bracelets and necklaces, but I am hoping with time and experience I can come up with some great designs.

I've only got 4 more finished pieces to show you. The next is a single strand necklace I made in amethyst shades, which I quite like. Also, I have started to get the hang of wrapping the ends, and I am hoping to get that really nailed down soon. Here is what I originally intended to be a bracelet, but it ended up a wee bit bigger than what I planned, so I have declared it an anklet. I really like the colours on this one too. I decided I wanted a necklace that was colour neutral and that could be worn with anything. This is the one I like best out of all my attempts so far. Lastly, I thought I would try to use a stitch other than the chain or single crochet. I decided to make a pendant using dc's in the round. I think it turned out quite cute. That's it for my crocheted wire pieces so far. I find making the jewlery very enjoyable. Also, so far, I've spent an average of a little over an hour on each piece, which when most of my other projects take me some time to finish

I decided I wanted to try something different, so I bought myself Nancie M. Wiseman's book, Crochet with Wire . My older sister quite thoughtfully bought me Annie Modesitt's book, Twist and Loop , wanting to get me a unique Christmas present on the subject that I love. So I spent a while studying both books, trying to get a feel of the general techniques and strategies, such as how to attatch the closures. When I felt I had a grasp of the concept, I headed on down to Michaels, where I got a few things to get me started. The first item I made was a necklace. It turned out a little long for where the neckline of most of my shirts fall, but other than that, I am pleased with it as a first effort. Emboldened by my success, I decided to try my hand at a bracelet. I will say here I attempted to use 24 gauge wire, which to me felt extremely stiff and difficult to work with. I may try that gauge again with more experience under my belt as the finished piece is still flexible enough to

I know I'm not the only one out there. I hate sewing squares together. I have tried to buckle down and do it, and given up, and donated the squares to a loving home to be assembled and actually used. But, I really like the look of some afghans and other items made from motifs. So, I grit my teeth in determination, and happily began crochet 8 inch squares made in the "Arches" pattern . Then, I decided to give the flat-braid joining method a try. I figured it had to be more enjoyable than sewing. And indeed it was more enjoyable. I actually finished a small lapghan put together with squares. So now that I know I can do it, I am putting a full queen-size throw on my "works I would like to make someday" list. Which has approximately eleventy bajillion projects on it. But then, what crocheter doesn't have a wish list that long?

I actually completed this well before Christmas, but never got around to taking pictures of it. This is made from a pattern I purchased from this site . The pineapple rounds took awhile, but I really love it. I made it with a slightly heavier yarn, as my office can get cold, and I wanted a shawl-type thing to wear that wasn't constantly falling off my shoulders. I am very pleased with the versatility of this pattern, and would not hesitate to recommend purchasing the pattern.