Summer Reading

Summer reading for me tends to be more like summer browsing.  I like to take crochet books and magazines, and after catching up on the articles, browse patterns.

credit:  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I'll choose what it is that I want to make for whom, so I have plenty of time to find the perfect yarn.  If you're looking for something new, check these out:

All Free Crochet is giving away a free copy of Austentatious Crochet - all you have to do is enter.

Get a copy of Dora Ohrenstein's latest book, Custom Crocheted Sweaters:  Make Garments That Really Fit.  Almost everyone can use a new sweater!

Laurie Laliberte's new paperback has just been released - Quick Crochet For Kitchen And Bath - another great resource for gift ideas.

For the sports lover, check out another new release - Sports: Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey Knit and Crochet Patterns.


The amount of ebook patterns and crochet books is constantly rising.  It appears that Amazon has recently released several vintage patterns on ebook.

If looking at all of these patterns inspires you to create your own, pick up The Crochet Artist Memory to get it down on paper!

Something Strange Is Going On....

February in northeastern Vermont usually means several feet of snow on the ground with icy cold nights and cold and snowy days.  Not this year.  We have maybe 6 inches of ice crusted snow on the ground, with daytime temperatures in the 30s and 40s.

This is February???

Maple sugar season usually starts around the last week of February, first week of March.  This year it started last week.  Most disturbing of all is the wildlife.  Skunks and raccoon usually sleep through February.  This year they are out and about, starting their mating season very early.

This 'easy' winter has national broadcasters proclaiming how homeowners are saving 10% of their heating costs, not due to fuel prices going down (they've actually risen), but rather due to less heating being required. This mild winter is not unique to Vermont - it appears to be the same across the continental US.

What does any of this have to do with crochet?  Slow sales of wool products.  Hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves are generally all good sellers during the winter months, but not this year.  I suppose some of it can be due to a poor economy, but mostly I blame the weather.

The bright side of all of this is that the warmer temperatures make it easier to focus on spring and summer products, and to work with lighter yarns, such as cotton, bamboo, and rayon.  By starting now, more time will be available to complete entries for the summer fairs.  I wonder if fall will come early this year, too?

Crochet At The Fair

Going to the county fair each summer has become a tradition.  The kids go off to the rides, while I stroll through the arts and crafts and animal barns.  I already knew from previous fairs that there were some extremely talented thread crocheters in the area.  What I saw yesterday was truly impressive.

The first piece to catch my eye was a framed (yes, behind glass!) 24" pineapple doily.  The stitches really popped from the black matte background.  It was definitely a work of art!  I like the idea of framing - I think it would make a wonderful gift.

The most memorable piece for me was a child's granny square afghan.  What's so special about that?  It was all done in thread!  Each 4" square was done in 3 different colors.  As it was on display, I couldn't get close enough to it to count the number of rows, but I did comment to my husband "now THAT was a winter project!"  What a wonderful idea, to cover a toddler in the summer heat with a light cotton afghan!  I can only imagine how many hours that took to create.

Remember that water bottle sling I wrote about last week?  I spied someone wearing one, quite similar to the ones I used to sell, walking through the fair.  I know I didn't make it, though, as I could clearly see it was made of acrylic as I walked past.  Whoever did make it had put little accents, like a row of double crochet around the middle and a couple of curly-cues at the top.  It was actually quite cute!

There was one vendor there who's table was half crocheted baby sweaters and baby afghans and half jewelry.  I felt somewhat sad for them, as the summer heat was not the environment for selling these items and there never seemed to be anyone visiting their table.  As it was a county fair and not a craft fair, people were there primarily to have fun, not purchase gifts. 

As usual, I return home from the fair with a head full of ideas for my own crochet projects.  Time to write them all down in my idea notebook!

Summer Is For Sock Yarn

As I was putting a hank of sock yarn on my swift to wind yesterday, it occurred to me how wonderful sock and other fingering weight yarns are for working with in the summer months.  Although I wouldn't recommend 100% wool or alpaca, the fiber blends are wonderful.  Cotton and bamboo are terrific as well. 

Why?  They are light weight.  This means you are not going to be engulfed by a heavy warm fabric while working on it.  The skeins are small and easily portable, so you can bring them anywhere.  Finally, they come in such a vibrant array of color schemes, they are fun to work with.

I don't restrict myself to using sock yarns only to make socks.  I love to see the color variations when I use it to make shawls, scarves, tops, light sweaters and skirts.  "Self-Striping" sock yarns sometimes turn a larger project into a tie-dye color scheme. 

Sock yarns also make wonderful plus-size items.  Since gravity pulls down and most fibers have some sort of stretch, light weight yarn a crucial part of retaining the shape of larger garments that drape.  Of course there are many other factors to consider, but to me this is important.  Who wants to wear a 5 pound skirt?

I am amazed at the number of people I meet who say they love to knit or crochet, but don't in the summer because it is simply too hot.  I have never found myself with sweaty hands working with sock yarns, cottons, or bamboo no matter how high the thermometer goes. 

Crochet and Summer Heat

It's the middle of June, and the heat of summer is just starting.  It can be difficult to motivate yourself to crochet when it's hot.  Therefore, I have come up with a few tips to keep those projects from being put in the closet and actually finished!

Afghans

If you want to make afghans as Christmas gifts, you really should be working on them.  They take a lot of time, and you do not want your holiday spirit dampened by worry that it won't be completed.  Therefore I suggest making squares.  There are literally hundreds of different afghan squares to choose from, they are portable, and do not cover your lap while you're working on them.

Sweaters/Jackets/Large Wool Items

Save these projects for early morning, before the day heats up.  Even if you only complete a row or two each day, you'll be much more likely to have it done before it's needed when the weather turns cold again.

Socks/Dishcloths

These are probably the most popular of summer projects, as they are small and extremely portable.  Best of all, they make excellent gifts!

Baby Items

A baby won't wait until your project is done to be born.  Go ahead and get it done over the summer!  Baby-weight yarn is notably light and therefore easy to work with when it's hot.

In general small items are easiest to work on when the weather gets uncomfortably warm.  It's okay to have several projects going at the same time, and think of how much you can accomplish!