Noro Tunisian Blanket Experiment No.1

Hi, my name is Haley and I LOVE Tunisian Crochet! Following on the heels of the Stitch Diva Online Class I took, my experiments continue and I made a blanket in Tunisian Simple Stitch. I used one colourway of Noro Odori (colour 1), but employed the 3 colour technique and 3 balls, all started in different parts of the colourway. 

I started with 90 sts and am using a 12mm tunisian crochet hook. This colourway has a lot of black in it and I've been breaking the yarn and playing with colour to avoid pooling. I started by weaving in the ends, but on an off chance I tried a spit felt and it held! 

Things I LOVE:

1. Tunisian goes soooo fast!  I've made almost half a blanket in one week!  And that's just off and on work, I haven't been going at it aggressively.
2. It looks really impressive. The texture is really cool, it looks woven.
3. It's so easy and incredibly mindless. I don't have to think about anything except which colour I want where. 

The  Noro Odori is nothing to sneeze at either. It's really soft, has a nice single ply texture, and is easy to work with.  In fact, I'm so happy with this project that when it is done I am going to make another with the same yarn, but I'll play with 3 different colourways. 


Addenda:
I wrote the above blog post a week ago. I finished the blanket yesterday, brought it home for photography, and tried it out. It's is super comfortable and looks great on my sofa, so it is staying here.  


BTW, the fabric is very elastic, which is nice when sharing in front of the TV. 

As always, you can find  us at Knitomatic.com!

Taking a Tunisian Tour

I have embarked on a Tunisian Crochet odyssey!  A couple of weeks ago I took a Craftsy online class  guru Jennifer Hansen (stitchdiva.com), and since then I've been exploring this new technique. 

The pillow above was my first experiment. As soon as I got to the lesson about 3 colour Tunisian Crochet I started playing around. Actually, I think I dove in even before that class - ever impatient to skip ahead. Don't worry, I did stop to learn how to do it correctly.  I set to work with a 12mm Tunisian Crochet Hook and 3 skeins of Malabrigo Gruesa in different colours. 

I actually took copious notes, the class was great, I loved the format and the platform, and the instruction was excellent. Currently I'm playing around with the basic 3 colour technique (Tunisian Simple Stitch), but I'm going to go back and complete my coursework and make the Tunisian Multi Garment (above). It's so Missoni, I think the textile design is so incredibly clever! Actually, it would make a dynamite blanket. Hmmmmmmmm ......   :-)  Anyway, Jennifer promises that by the end of the course I will be a Tunisian Crochet Ninja, and if I do my work I don't doubt her.

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com.

I want to learn ... Tunisian Crochet

I want to learn this ....

I have a small short term goal to teach myself Tunisian Crochet. It's very easy, Stitch Diva's Tutorials are very good, it's just something that I need to sit down and do. I've been meaning to for ages, funny how bad I'm getting at sitting down and doing things.

So I can make this

A Stashbuster Blanket. I won't be busting any stash, I'll probably be using Cascade Eco+  and a P/12mm hook. 

I also like these

Here are two more versions of the same blanket. I like the monochrome-ish palette. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Sexy Hexagon Pillow

My Sexy Hexy Pillow - Recto

Verso of Sexy Hexy Pillow

I'm just blocking the Sexy Hexagon Pillow I made with Noro Silk Garden.  I had a few underappreciated skeins kicking around the sale bin and put them to good use!  More deets to come!   

The Sexy Hexy Pillow in progress

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

An Un-update that's Actually an Update

I have been working away at organizing the upcoming Stitch 'N Pitch in Toronto, so today will be a "look at all the cool projects" update. Also,  it is overcast today, so the the light is bad for photography. And I haven't finished anything lately - except my Crochet Log Cabin Blanket, but I don't recall if I already told you about that. 

Looks pretty good!  I am very happy with it. 

By the way, the plans for Stitch 'N Pitch are coming along swimmingly! This year there are 28 retailers across Ontario selling tickets!  Additionally, I sent out the request for prizes this morning and received 3 positive responses withing an hour!  Not bad for a Friday in the summer. 

So I guess I did have a blog posting after all! :-)

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Almost Finished! Crochet Log Cabin Blanket

La, la, la, la la!  It's almost finished!  My Crochet Log Cabin Blanket is almost DONE!  It is also sewn up, and now all that is left to be done is a border. I actually started the border last night, but I don't think you can see it yet, I've only accomplished one round. I'll try and take a great picture when it's done, I just need a day off when I'm at home in the afternoon when the light is good. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Sexy Hexes

Ok, I'm feeling a little guilty. I haven't finished my Crochet Log Cabin Blanket, and I've already started a new crochet blanket project - a Hexagon Throw in Cloud Cotton. My excuses are as follows:

• The log cabin blanket just needs to be seamed and it's too big to carry around. 
• It's too hot at home to seam a big thing, It needs to be done at work. 
• The Log Cabin won't match my new sheets, the new sheets really *need* the hexagon blanket. 
• When I make stuff it helps *you* visualize what's possible.

See, it's for you, I did it for you.  :-)  That's my story and I'm sticking with it.  

Anyway, summer has arrived and I need me some crochet. If you aren't already familiar, crochet is made for summer because it's easy, fast, mindless, creative, much easier to seam than knitting, and can be made in small sections and is therefore portable.  It also only even has one live stitch, so should be taking part in some summer activities, ahem, like drinking beer on a patio, it's much harder to accidentally lose any of your work, and if you should need to rip it's easy-peasy. 

So, in conclusion: summer - good, crochet - good, patio drinking - good. Oh yeah, I almost forgot!  the Cloud Cotton is also good! It is super soft, easy to work with, and super pretty.  We also made a Summer Shrug with it! Plus it is organically grown, which is all good since cotton is apparently a very eco-frowney crop.  It's a loose cotton, so it's got some body and isn't hard, tight, or ropey. 

P.S. 
I forgot more stuff, AGAIN! I'm planning on making the blanket throw size, to fit on the end of my queen sized bed, so I figure I'll make it 14 hexagons by 12 hexagons (each hex measuring about 4"/10cm - to gauge). That's a total of 168 hexagons, and since I've worked out 28 colour combinations (I'm not into the 2 greens together), that'll be about 6 of each. Why do I do this to myself? I don't know, I guess I just jump in feet first, without looking, and probably without thinking much either. Anyway, it's summer, I've got more time, and the hexagons are really going fast - I've already finished about 50!

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Blankie Update

I've been fumbling around a bit over the last week or two. The yarns are inspiring, but the projects have been fizzling out. So I went back to the Crochet Log Cabin Blanket I started last summer, which is need of some finishing.  I don't know why I always put it off, it always goes so fast once I'm going. Anyway, I've sewn the squares into strips, then I'll sew the strips into a blanket, then I'll pick up and crochet the edge. 


Currently, the blanket is 5 squares by 4 squares, each 14 inches, so approx 70" x 56".  Buuuuut .... now I want it larger. ;-)  I'm going to start by adding 5 more blocks, which should bring it closer to a Queen size (depending on the sizing, duvets seem to vary in size).  So lets talk math: if I add a 3" border, that gets me to 76"x76". That should be good for a bed cover, or a 2 person snuggle?

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Happy Belated Mother's Day

Oh, the things you can do with a crochet hook and some string!  For Mother's Day I made a wrap for my mom with Noro Silk Garden (colour 84, one of my faves), a 5mm crochet hook, and a Simple Crochet Ripple Baby Blanket pattern (start with a chain 58).  I used 8 skeins of yarn, but for each I cut out one shade from the colourway (black, it just didn't work the way I wanted) - so lets estimate about 755m were used (the finished wrap weighs 376g). 

It relaxed quite a bit after blocking. I washed it in Eucalan, gave it a tug widthwise, and hung it on a laundry rack to dry. When i finished crocheting it was a bit tight, but now it has a really lovely drape. If you don't want as much drape, try washing in Soak instead of Eucalan.

For a more spring/summery version, try using Noro Taiyo (4 skeins). They don't make the Noro in the same  fiery colourway, but they have some great options:

• 20: "Stylin' Autumn" - brown, black, teal, grey, green, wheat, rust
• 30: "Girlie Fantasy" - pinks, purples, fuchisa, teal, wheat, navy
• 24: "Autumn in Paris" - yellows, greens, magenta, cream, rust, wine
• 1: "Neutral in Pink" - pink, black, brown, grey, cream
• 31: "Double Rainbow" - yellow, moss green, pink, fuchsia, magenta, sky blue, apple green, orange, cream, grey, royal blue
• 23: "Starry Night" - blues, greens, brown, touch of mauve
• 29: "Fiesty Fire" - pinks, oranges, peach, fuchsia, violet, brown, black

For a lighter version, try using 4 skeins of Noro Silk Garden Sock  (or when it arrives, Noro Taiyo Sock), and a 3.5mm hook, and more sts (like a number from the actual pattern):

• 269: "Au natural" - cream, beige, grey
• 241: "Purple Fantasy" - purples, olives, browns
• 313: "North by Northwest" - spruce, azure, rust, yellow, black, brown
• 322: "Lake Tahoe" - greens, black, bronze, turquoise, white
• 264: "Spring Cleaning" - turquoise, blue, apple green, purple,  aqua, pink, brown, dark blue

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Ripple Wrap

Oh curse you transitional weather!  My attention span has been all over the place lately. Some days I'm gung ho on making another sweater, the next a wrap is a moral imperative, new yarn comes in and it needs to become a blanket, the weekend beckons socks, and the next week I want a whole new accessory set for spring. 

Above is a simple crochet wrap I'm winging in Noro Silk Garden. This colourway is so beautiful, I've been sitting across from it all winter and I finally relented and allowed myself to remove some from the shelf. The colours are especially nice because they have a low contrast and blend - except for a bit of black that stood out too much and has hence been removed.  If I really like this wrap I'll consider making a Lady Eleanor with Noro Silk Garden. 

• Red: Colour no. 84 looks nice, but I suspect that it is not really my colour. 
• White: My old favourite colour no. 269 is another good option and a serious contender. On the upside, it is completely neutral, on the downside, I would match my brother's afghan. It would match my black coat, possibly my red coat, probably not my purple coat. Additionally, I currently have enough left on the shelf, but I don't know if the colour has been discontinued (aka - if you are smitten with the idea of something in this colour, you'd better pop over here and pick it up0.
• Rust: Colour no. 221 is a maybe. It would match my purple coat, but probably not the red. 
• Bronze: Colour no. 279 might work with the red and the purple coats, as long as it looks good on me.
•  Noro Kochoran in colour no. 75 might also be elegant, and it would knit up faster :-)

I'm having a very hard time chosing. I've been browsing through the finished Noro Eleanors on Ravelry, but so many colours have been discontinued over the years. :-(  

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

New Free Pattern - Simple Crochet Ripple Baby Blanket

Simple Crochet Ripple Baby Blanket

Pattern by Haley Waxberg

Ravel It   Download It

Skill Level: Beginner

Notes

The pattern repeat for this blanket is 14 +2 sts, so if you want to increase or reduce the size of your project, add or subtract stiches in multiples of 14. Each ripple measures approximately 4”. Additionally, don't be afraid to skip over part of the colourway if it isn't working, sometimes Noro throws in a colour that's a dud.

Resources for New Crocheters

The Crocheter's Companion by Nancy Brown is an excellent reference resource.

StitchDiva also has excellent tutorials: http://www.stitchdiva.com/custom.aspx?id=53

There are also helpful video tutorials on youtube titled The Art of Crochet by Teresa: http://www.youtube.com/user/tjw1963

Size

26”wx30”l (30”wx35”l)unblocked

Materials

3(4) skeins Noro Taiyo, 100g/200m (colour used for small sample, colour 20 used for large)

5mm/H crochet hook

Gauge

approx 17 sts & 5 rows = 4” in ripple stitch

Abbreviations

ch chain

dc double crochet

dc3tog double crochet 3 together

Techniques

dc3tog

(Yarn over hook, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over hook and pull up loop, yarn over hook, draw through 2 loops), repeat instruction in brackets 3 times {you should have 4 loops on hook}, yarn over hook, draw through all loops on hook.

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Another Ripple Blanket

Me so bad ...;-)  I'm hooking up a second ripple blanket in the Noro Taiyo - the colours demanded they become a baby blanket. I've added a pattern repeat and I think it will take 4 skeins. So far, the only issue is that Noro put in a gross, dirty yellow in between the yellow and green. They do this frequently, I fondly refer to it as 'the douchebag colour'.  Sometimes an odd colour works and makes the colourway interesting, and people's preferences often surprise me, but c'mon, it's a pastel colourway!

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Quickie Taiyo Blankie

A couple days ago I was itching for some colour and grabbed a few balls of Noro Taiyo (colour 5) and started crocheting a little blankie to see what I could make. It turned out to be a very successful itch to scratch, it looks like 3 balls will be fine for a little blankie, and it's crocheting up so beautifully!  The colour is pinker than i expected, but it's glowy (incandescent?). I've been itching to finish it all day, bu alas, I've been working hard today. No rest for the wicked. ;-)

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Bike Update

Hallooo!  I am sorry I have not seen you for a week, I'm still adjusting to "going back to work". Every year I think I'm going ready to get busy again, bot I never am. I'm still in summer mode and don't really want to leave it yet. Me so laaaazy!  

Anyway, here is a picture of the most recent incarnation of the Not Really Knitted Bicycle.  I'm having problems with the title, because it was supposed to be "The Knitted Bike", but it has not turned out to be knitted, but is crocheted.  I know that art doesn't need to be predetermined, but it seems that if you don't give a project a good name from the outset the title gets bungled all the way along. 

The bike's reception has been excellent. When I am working outside on it people stop and tell me how much they are enjoying it. When I am inside they wave, give me the thumbs up, or just pet it. 

Progress on the Knitted (crocheted) Bicycle

It Grows! It Grows! Look at me, I am making progress on my Knitted (crocheted actually) Bicycle! I have been catching glimpses of people petting it - love that!  A guy stopped while passing by to talk about it. I asked him if he liked it and he said he wouldn't choose these particular colours, but yes, he enjoyed it. people are so funny! :-)

Provence Summer String Bag!

I finished up my Provence Summer String Bag last weekend and it looks great! But even more important, I've been receiving tons of compliments on it.  ;-)  The Sublime Organic Cotton DK crocheted up nicely and the pattern was easy, fun and free. I added some handles and lined it, because I can't leave well enough alone. It really is constructed as a shopping bag, if you also want to make a purse out of it I suggest skipping the rectangular base. 

The handles are vintage (salvaged from an old bag from the Goodwill), so unfortunately I do not have any of those particular ones to sell. :-(

This is a better representation of the cololur (143), it is a dusky green.

Silk Garden Sock Log Cabin Blanket

I am working on a crochet log cabin blanket in Silk Garden Sock.. So far, so good!  The colours look great and the crocheting is easy. Above are 2 blocks folded up and stacked. 

Otherwise, I've been busy with work, interweb stuff. I will try and produce for so you can see more! :-

couldn't help my-elf

yes, the above are crocheted elf slippers via CRAFTzine.  CRAFT stopped publishing paper issues but their web site is going strong and i get several updates a day from them on facebook (which is turning out to be the best way for me to keep up on blogs)

anyway, the pattern is written as a crochet chart and it seems to be just a granny square that's been artfully seamed together. not that i expect most of you will be inclined to make crochet elf slippers (well, i think cindy from studioloo might be into them), but i hope you enjoy the whimsy. i think they might make a good Christmas decoration for the store this year.

FREE: Crochet Grocery Bag Pattern

For Full Pattern Click on this Link:
http://www.knitomatic.com

Crochet Grocery Bag Pattern By Haley Waxberg

I designed this bag for utilitarian purposes with myself, my friends & family in mind. It is a sturdy, medium sized mesh bag that will be large enough to replace a regular size plastic bag from the grocery store. It comes out looking small but it holds a mighty load. It is designed to be just the right size to hold heavy groceries (like 4 heavy cans) without hitting the ground or falling out. They are also just the right size to avoid overloading and making the bag uncomfortably heavy. This is NOT a large shoulder bag sized tote. If you want it to be bigger for an all day shop or to hold really big leafy plants see the pattern suggestions for modifications. If you have any questions or suggestions please leave me me a note, I love feedback! :-)

Suggestions

• This is NOT a large shoulder bag sized tote. If you want it to be bigger for an all day shop or to hold really big leafy plants i suggest you make the following modifications: add an extra increase round, add rows in the middle, leave out a decrease round (especially for leafy applications), work 2 or 3 more rounds of sc around the mouth of the bag, add 2 more rows on sc on each handle.

• If you are a very tight crocheter it's a good idea to add a few rows in the middle.

• If you are a loose crocheter go down a hook size.

• The last stitch of the round is worked into the space which the marker is on.

• Count the number of stitches after each increase round and make sure you don’t have extra.

• When cutting or joining yarn leave 4 or 5 inches of yarn to weave in.

• "DK" weight yarn refers to "Double Knitting" weight yarn. You can find out the yarn weight by looking at a yarn's ball-band: 4mm needles will be recommended and and the stitch gauge will be between 20 and 22 sts = 4". For more information refer to yarnstandards.com • When you have finished throw 3 or 4 big cans of food in the bag to stretch it out to it's regular size.

Skill Level Easy

Size Medium, approximately 51cm/20” long by 28cm/11” wide

Materials • 4mm/F crochet hook • 1 skein Super 10 cotton: 3402 nectarine, 3724 lime and 3062 azure. Or 160m machine washable, mercerized & gased DK weight (calls for a 4mm needles) cotton. • darning needle • 1 split ring or locking ring stitch marker to mark rounds • scrap yarn in contrasting colour for markers

Gauge Not critical

Abbreviations Ch Chain Sc Single Crochet Sl St Slip Stitch St Stitch

Crochet Grocery Bag by Haley Waxberg is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at www.knitomatic.com.