revised crochet scarf pattern – anyone willing to test?

Many years ago I wrote a pattern for a triangular crocheted scarf. I made it in cotton and used a contrasting colour for the edging. One of my lovely neighbours, Lindsay, modelled it for me at the time.

The plan was to make up a kit, including the cotton and hook, but it petered out – as so many of my plans are wont to do! I forgot all about it until yesterday when I was going through old files on my laptop and it seemed like a good idea to revise the pattern using acrylic instead of cotton for a change. It works up really quickly and I’ve already finished it (it’s being blocked right now).

Before I think about what next to do with it, I’d really like to find two people who would be prepared to make it. I’ve amended the instructions here and there, and may well have overlooked some things. If you make it using the same yarn for the scarf and the edging, it uses approximately 80g altogether (of acrylic, that is – I used Stylecraft DK). It might also lend itself to a scrappy look, I’m not sure. You’d also need a 4mm crochet hook.

If anyone is interested please email me at jamtartssa@gmail.com and I’ll send the instructions as a pdf. TIA!

getting stuffed

I seem to be making a lot of cushions lately so I needed to get my hands on a lot of stuffing. My friend Suzette orders her unicurl stuffing from the wholesalers and they deliver directly to her house. I asked her to order some for me; she said “Sure, how much do you want? It comes in 20 kilogram bags”; I said that sounded just fine. Yesterday I drove to her house in Durbanville to pick it up.

Luckily I drive a Hyundai Tucson. It can fit in a LOT of stuff, but even my poor Teddy (the car’s name) got quite a shock at the size of the bag.

The pic below doesn’t really do it justice. It took three of us to squeeze and force and wodge it into the car, whereupon it immediately reshaped itself and bits of unicurl started coming out of a small hole on one side. That stuff is nasty, man, and it has a life of its own. The pressure on the stuffing inside the bag forced more and more out through the hole; it was like being in a confined space with an alien form of very fast-growing fungus that attached itself in clumps to the nearest object. Which, at the time, was me.

It was unpleasant: I couldn’t see out of the rear window at all, and couldn’t listen to music because I didn’t want to be distracted. It’s dodgy enough, these days, on Cape Town’s highways with the way people drive … I couldn’t get it out of the car on my own, either, so had to wait for Peter to come today. It is over 2 metres in height, and the circumference is 3 metres.

a close-up of the foul stuff

Anyway, now I have now taped closed the holes (we managed to make a few more as we dragged it through the house to the back patio) and have been decanting it into smaller bags for easier storage. I also stuffed these:

three knitted/crochet cushions in various shades of red and purple. I made them years and years ago, and they fell out of a box the other day when I was looking for something else. I figured I could take them to the market (Made in the Cape, starts tomorrow for four days at Cavendish Square fyi), and use them to add some colour to my display, if nothing else.

 

not much to show

Not much to show for the last few days.  There’s been so much shit happening on so many political levels here, the sense of impending major chaos is draining. And it never rains but it pours – other emotional taxes have been weighing heavily, too. The upside (if it can be called that) to all this is that one tends to find greater pleasure in the smaller things…a sweet goodnight whatsapp from Alex, new buds on the new hydrangeas and gazanias, Col’cacchio’s divine pizza on the couch with Rob to accompany the final episode of One Of Us, lots of lovely birthday wishes from friends…nothing to be taken for granted.

But I did manage to [almost] finish two things: (a) an order from a friend in Somerset West for a patchwork throw for his bed;

212 by 255 cms of browns and creams and greys and honeys, with a bit of mustard and blue for contrast. I’ve used fairly heavyweight upholstery fabrics and I can barely lift the damn thing. I’ve started on the second one for him, a larger but lighter-weight one in yellows and creams and mustards.

and (b) a blanket for my own bed, started 5 years ago and forgotten about until I had to pack up house. A row here and a row there and before I knew it, the thing was huge!

Not sure whether to work a row or two of dc down the sides or not, just can’t decide. It doesn’t look right, but it also doesn’t look right without anything. Also really really heavy. And also all the ends to sew in.

 

 

FO: beaded boho scarf

Finished object: ta da! Started here and very pleased with the result :-)  Decided to get fancy with some multicoloured beads to go with the whole vibrant boho look, as well.

I threaded the beads on and crocheted them into the last row on the two shorter sides, then added a slightly bigger red sputnik glass bead on both corners. Cape Town gets windy in winter, you know!- don’t want my scarf getting blown off….

Opal

Last week I received a huge box packed with surprises all the way from Grand Junction, Colorado. I think it was a combination housewarming/ early birthday present :-)  How lucky, right?! Each gift merits its own post, so I’ll start with the wool.

I haven’t seen this available in any of the wool shops I visit (and know so well). But even if it was, I wouldn’t be treating myself to any – it would be way out of my yarn budget!  Made in Germanland, it’s 75% wool and 25% polysomething. Slides through my fingers smooth as silk.

I’ve decided to use it for a shawl (there’s 150g of it) and there are some mighty fine knitting and crochet patterns out there. I started one, didn’t like it, ripped it out. Started another, didn’t like it, ripped it out. I was about to start on a third pattern when my Inner Voice said, This wool doesn’t need a fancy pattern, the colours are magnificent all by themselves, make up your own shawl, birdbrain!

So that’s what I’m doing. It’s going to be one of those wide shawls with a shortish point, like the triangular shape below. I started with a chain (didn’t count, just made it as long as felt right), worked 2 rows dc and the rest will be trebles. Maybe with a ch st in between alternate ones on alternate rows. Or not. I don’t know yet, I’ll make it up as I go along. 

And how perfectly it goes with my beaded bowl! Plus, opal is also my birthstone. Such synchronicity! Thank you again, Kathryn, it’ll soon be finished and I’ll think of you every time I wear it.