Stash pictures

This is the latest addition to my stash: yarns from the USA which my brilliant husband braved AC Moore - and all by himself!- to buy for me!

4 balls Lion moonlight MOHAIR in a glitzy Glacierbay colourway,

2 balls Lionbrnad Suede prints yarn in Waterlilies and 2 balls of fuzzies: funfur prints and fancy fur

This Elle MONET which I have 10 balls of was purchased for a hooded cardigan for one of my daughters, it's actually Izzy's colours but as I'd already made her one last year it could be for Annie but she doesn't actually wear warm layers as she's such a hotblooded child that never feels the cold....

So it has lain in my attic for well over a year or 18 months now....

Can't as yet decide what to do with it!!!

Resolutions and stash busting!

Resolutions AHOY!
Very happy to announce that I have now lost 2 stone! Only a few more- or according to WW : 10- lbs to lose !
Been so busy exercising that I have had very much less time to make anything!

Had a fab e-mail the other day invitng me to join Ravelry and having joined I plan to sort out and organise my stash once and for all and maybe ''bust'' it over the next 2 ( or3???) years!
Can't promise not to buy any yarn in the meantime though THAT would just be too difficult.
Hence I have started to drag my mountains of yarn from our beloved attic and photograph it so that it can be visually recorded as well as noting yarn thickness, yardeage on each ball, quantity and so on.
This also was one of my resolutions for 2008, which I recorded by making a collage of it all so it's very VISUAL.
It's on the wall near my desk as a constant reminder....
One of my resolutions was also to finish level 1 of the Diploma in crochet which I started some time ago and had almost finished but then ran out of steam with......pffffffffffffffffffffffffffft
I submitted the final samples on Monday 28th January whereas my resolutions deadline was March 31st so that was going really well!

Turquoise and grey pom pom scarf- free pattern- crochet

Hello and HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR 2008!!!
It's quite fun and very relaxing to be blogging on the very first day of the new year, it was on my to do list and I'm about to manage it!

Here I am courtesy of my brilliant photographer daughter- aged 9.5- in my new coat, Christmas gift suede gloves and scarf I made to match!!!

The specs by the way set the precedent for what has become my TURQUOISE YEAR or episode in artistic terms....
They came about by a sheer chance at specsavers where I had to buy sunglasses as an emergency because the puppy had chewed my adored Raybanns....!!!( They were many years old and prescription ones...not easy to replace)

Anyway back to the SCARF: I love it and I hope you do too, very easy to make and requires the following:
It all started with one of the balls bought as a ''try out'' single 100 g ball of yarn from a shop in Delft, Holland- it's on an earlier blog- it's KATIA ( a Spanish brand) AZTECA in a grey and turquiose variegated way : colour 7802 , it's 50 % wool, 50 % acrylic , there's 180m on a 100 g ball and recommends a 5.5mm hook or needle BUT I used a 7 mm hook.

It turned out not to be enough for the scarf I wanted so I added the following:having found out that I could NOT get hold of anymore balls of this, SUCH A SHAME as once I'd used it I ADORED it both the softness and the fabulous colourway.....

So I added:
LANG yarns brand, MAXI TOSCA in a multi tweedy greys colourway, the ball band is not clear on the number: could be 711.0080 or 3990.
It has 92m on a 50 g ball and is 55% wool and 45% acrylic and the greys blend perfectly with the KATIA.

FOR THE POM POMS I used the MAXI Tosca and to add the turquoises also I used:
Yeoman Yarns DINAMO DK pure wool : 109 for the bright turquoise and 359 for the peacock/teal colour.
I also used small amounts of a 4 ply pure wool on a cone from Yeoman Yarns : turquoise was 1080E and the Capri /teal colour was n0 24.
I had some LANG ZOOM leftover in a deep grey which I also used a bit of: 6950034 or 47798.

You'll need a 7mm hook and a way of making pom poms, I used the Clover pom pom maker- a gadget I admit don't need but LOVE: IN SIZE 45MM AND 35MM.

THE SCARF PROBABLY TOOK ME ABOUT 2 EVENINGS : IT'S VERY QUICK!

Finished size: 15 cm wide by 203 cm.

The AZTECA lasted for 5 rows on one side and 6 rows on the other, the rest is Maxi Tosca.

DIRECTIONS:
Chain 185 sts.
Then work DC ( USA : SC for every dc mentioned here- after) in every chain until the last using only one loop, then put 2 dc in the last chain, turn the corner and put 2 dc in the first loop of the chain on the other side, then 1 dc per loop until back at the beginning facing the last loop before turning.
You are effectively working both sides of the chain, upper AND lower edge and not turning the work conventionally.
Work 2 in the last loop and 3 in the first loop of the next stitch, 2 dc in the next then 1 dc to the other end and repeat the increases to create a curved border at each end.
For my corners it was as follows:
ROW 1: 2 DC'S in one stitch twice.
Row 2: 2 dc's in one stich 3 times
Row 3: 2 DC'S in stitch - 2 stitches before the turn, then 1 dc, then 2dc's in the central stitch, then turn corner, 1 dc in 1 stitch and then 2 dc in 1 stitch, 1 dc in each stitch to the other end and repeat the curve above.
Row 4 : same as row 3
Row 5 same as row 3.
Row 6 as row 3
Row 7 : 2 dc in 3rd stitch from centre, 2dc in next stitch then 1 in the centre and repeat sequence, repeat at both ends.
Row 8,9,10 as row 3

You do need to play it by feel and increase only so much as to keep the curve lying flat, you don't want it to buckle or curl.

Work in all ends .

Make 2 of the 45mm pom poms by winding a variety of colours that tone with the main colours on the tool and sew these in the centre of each end.
I steamed mine in a small sieve positioned over a jug filled with boiling water and covered with a lid for a half hour or so and trimmed them after this to neat fluffy balls.

Then make 4 of the 35mm pom poms varying the colours slightly but including all greys and turquoises in each one, steam and sew on either side of the large one, about 3 stitches are between each pom pom. Hide the wool ends in the crochet work and trim.

VOILA I hope you like it!!!
The scarf wraps comfortably twice round the neck for maximum neck protection OR can be worn longer as shown below.

Finally showing you all my fab turquoise handbag- USA - PURSE?- which was a birthday present in April from my beloved and which set the trend for all this turquoise!

I also have turquoise rainspot patterned wellies which we discovered in a little shop in Great Missenden - where at Rainbow Silks I buy the Lang yarns....- and these are GREAT to walk the dog in, so I wear them DAILY.

The gloves were a Christmas present from my eldest daughter, she spotted them in good old M& S !

The trend for Turquoise all combined, and finally the scarf solo....The colour changes in the AZTECA yarn were the inspiration.

If ANYONE OUT THERE knows where and how I can buy some more then PLEASE let me know as I'd love a sweater too!!!!!