Ritual Baby Humiliation

Well I promised myself that I'd knock up an owl hat for my soon-to-be baby, and lo and behold it was not an empty threat.  The best thing about babies (especially unborn ones) is that they don't really get the option to say "no"...

I wonder what it is with knitters and owls?  I've never met a knitter that didn't have a soft spot for these feathered lovelies.  I suppose they are the bird equivalent of cats...  and knitters do tend to be cat people.  In fact, my ever-docile cat, Truffle, does a great owl impersonation when I do this to her ears...

Anyway, back to the hat...

The sharp eyed among you might have noticed that this is not a knitted hat but a crocheted one.

There are many patterns on Ravelry for baby owl hats, both knitted and crocheted, but I chose to use this one by Kristi Simpson partly as an excuse to practice my crochet skills.  I crochet so sporadically that it's a good exercise for me to have to read a proper pattern every now and then.  (And I can vouch that this one is really very simple and easy to follow).  

My main fear now is that the hat might turn out to be too small for a newborn.  I think I will block it a bit just to be on the safe side.  (Though, frankly, if a newborn's head turns out to be too big for this hat, then I have bigger worries to contend with than a day of wasted crochet.... ulp!)

As always, full details of the pattern, yarns and hook size can be found on ravelry, here

Little Flower Necklace

Yesterday I found a lovely pattern on ravelry for a crocheted necklace that only requires a tiny amount of stash yarn and can be made in a lightening flash. I have a real soft spot for lariat style necklaces, which I think are very flattering.




This pattern was doubly helpful to me because, having learned to crochet a few months ago, I've done little to cement the skills in my memory. I had to find some online instructions as a reminder for one of the stitches.

I made mine in 4ply milk cotton, and the resulting necklace is so lightweight that it is barely there, You could wear it on a hot, summer's day without feeling as though there is anything uncomfortable loitering around your neck.

I've put more details, plus a link to the free pattern, on ravelry, here.

Becoming Hooked

I've been meaning to learn crochet for a long time.... and have finally got around to it, hoorah! It's all thanks to Mrs Moon, my LYS in Twickenham, which has begun to offer Saturday classes.

I think I am a little bit in love with Mrs Moon... every time I go in they have even more gorgeous stuff. I really could just sit in there all day stroking yarn and fondling their sample knits.

Anyway... being a creature of extreme hubris, I decided to do two classes in one day. Both were given by designer and teacher Joanna Clark, who showed us some of her gorgeous knitting and crochet designs. The morning session was dedicated to learning the basic crochet stitches. (I learned about foundation chains and how to crochet into the first row, how to turn corners, how to do double and treble crochet, and then half-treble.)

Here is my play swatch...



The afternoon session was for intermediate skills and how to read crochet patterns. It was a little less structured and we were able to play with patterns of our choice. So I pulled out this free crochet pattern that I had found on ravelry.

I have been making knitted flowers for quite some time, but had a niggling feeling that crochet might be a little better suited to the craft, if only because it allows one to be a little more freeform. So in the afternoon session I was keen to have a go at a crocheted rose.

Thanks to Joanna's guidance I learned how to read the crochet chart. As I was making the flower, I was struck by how incredibly pretty it looked in its un-coiled state. I think this would make a REALLY pretty scarf...


I'm quite pleased with the result and think that I will play around a little with crochet flowers and see how they measure up against knitted flowers.


I'm also feeling inspired to make a curly crocheted scarf after seeing a beautiful one in Mrs Moon made from Rowan Kidsilk Haze.

Above all, it was a fun day... and so very, very soothing to my stressed brain. I would seriously recommend a spot of crochet to anyone who is considering therapy. I have not felt so 'zen' in a long time.