A link for you: check out artist Joy Kampia O'Shell's website for some impressive crochet sculpture. The links under Portfolio will take you to examples such as the crocheted bicycle and the sundae dress as well as lots of food, from breakfast through dessert. Enjoy!
I am here to testify that you CAN crochet a cute top that doesn't look like a 1970s granny square. Behold the Icelandic Turtleneck (published in the Crochet Me book)! Easy enough for a basic crocheter like me, and the result is a cute, warm, stretchy layer. I love it.
Here's exactly what I'm thinking in the following photo: Um, Bill -- taking this photo from below is probably not going to be so flattering for a pear-shaped lady like me... 
Oh well, it's a good photo of the top. I left off the turtleneck -- I did about half of a turtleneck. (It's folded over in these shots.) Otherwise, I followed the pattern for the 41-inch size. I used a 3.5 mm hook and (I think?) 4.5 50-gram balls of Jojoland fingering-weight wool. The result: a 35-inch bust, which is perfect! Clearly I have some issues with gauge in crochet, but happily, it all worked out in my favour. 
I didn't block it. All the crocheting is done through the back loop, which makes a stretchy garment. I don't want it to lose its springiness. You can see the weird bagginess in the upper chest area, which I don't really understand. Doesn't matter. I'm happy with this top -- putting it on is like slipping into a big sock. It's great. 
I tell you, the more I crochet, the more I love to crochet! I enjoy the motion of it. I'm not sure what's next in my crochet queue; I like the Pinwheel Beret in the current Interweave Crochet magazine. There are also a couple of cardigan patterns I've got my eye on (like this Rav link), and I'm also thinking of using up some pink angora to crochet a ripple scarf. Oh, and I want to make a Tiramisu blanket for a friend's baby, but the baby won't be here until late summer. We'll see. For now, I'm back to knitting my Cleite shawl.
I finished the crocheted faux bois pillow, and it turned out so well. The pattern says it's 20"-by-20", but mine is about 17" square. (I stuffed a flattish 19" pillow into it.) I bought 3 balls of Red Heart Soft Touch and 2 balls of Bernat Satin for this project, and I think there's enough left for a second pillow. You know what would be awesome (and pretty easy to do)? Adapting this pattern to make a blanket. 
I wish I could photograph this pillow against the wood panelling in my parents' house! That would be crazy.
I spent some time last week putting lots of my vintage Beehive pattern booklets into my Ravelry library. (Rav link.) It was inspiring. I want to use more of those patterns. The patterns for women's sweaters can be tricky, because they were generally designed for women who are smaller than me to start with, and then wearing a girdle or a corset or something, but the sock patterns are gold. They usually have to be adjusted slightly, because today's sock yarns are generally 4-ply while the patterns are usually written for thinner 3-ply (and most of the patterns I have are for men), but that's not hard to do. (For example, I'm planning to start a pattern called "Alternating Rib" next, from Patons book no. 113; the stitch pattern is a multiple of 4 stitches, so instead of casting on 72 sts., I'll cast on 64.)
I don't know if it's cold where you are, but it's super-freezing here. Another week of this winter weather, and then we're off to Cuba for a week! Bill found us a cheap all-inclusive deal in Varadero, and two of our best friends are coming, too -- I can't wait. I'm thinking a lace shawl will be a good thing to take, so I'm packing a skein of Alpaca with a Twist Fino and the pattern for Cleite. Who knows? Maybe I won't knit at all. Maybe I'll read novels! Maybe I'll just look at trashy magazines! But I'll tell you what I won't do: slip on the ice, freeze the tip of my nose off, or stay indoors all the time.
I've been crocheting, and the more I crochet, the more I like to crochet. I'm feeling more confident with my (still limited) skills. Now I know where the end of a row is, and how to count the stitches. I know I'd rather dc or sc than hdc. I'm just past the mid-point of two projects at the moment: a top and a pillow. 
("Icelandic Turtleneck" from Crochet Me, but without the full turtleneck -- in fingering-weight Jojoland 100% wool) 
("Knotty Pillows" from Crochet Today -- in Bernat Satin and Red Heart Soft Touch acrylics)
OK, two finished things in the last two posts, but what about the unfinished stuff? There's lots. First up, recent progress on my scrap X quilt: 
The smallest-size blocks have been finished for ages, but over Xmas I sewed them together into panels of 12 (i.e., 3 Xs). I haven't sewed those panels together to finish the top, but I laid them out on the bed to see how it looks. (Once everything is sewn together with quarter-inch seams, the quilt top will measure 60 x 72 inches.) Since I won't get around to basting the quilt sandwich together for a while, I'll leave the top in panels since they're easier to stow away. I bought solid red cotton for the back. I think I'll use this quilt to practice machine quilting. We'll see. The whole project is being packed away for a while. (To recap, this quilt was inspired by a scrap X quilt at happythings.)
Second, I'm crocheting the Knotty Pillow from the latest issue of Crochet Today. If I'd never crocheted anything before, I would learn how just so I could crochet a wood-grain pillow. I love this project.
Still working away on my Icelandic Top -- also crochet. So far, so good.
As for knitting, I started a front piece of the Tweedy Aran Cardigan, using Patons SWS; the gauge is right, but I think the soy-wool yarn is too soft for the project. I think it should be something else, and I should knit the Tweedy Aran with something like Briggs & Little. The SWS may want to be the Vaila pullover instead -- but with a split collar instead of a turtleneck. We'll see. I need to start spending a lot more time on my schoolwork starting NOW, so there will be less knitting, etc. It might be a while before I finish another sweater.
Oh, I have some thrifted yarn to show you, too, but my camera batteries are charging. Next time, then.
Part 1: Blanket
Bill (from the back porch): Ali, come here!
Me: OK. [Off I go...]
Bill (pointing next door): Look at the crocheted blanket. Isn't it pretty, hanging in the sunlight? I really like it.
Me: I like it, too. And I'm proud of you.
Bill: Why, because I'm showing you a blanket?
Me: No, because you know it's crochet. [pause] Is it legal to photograph your neighbour's laundry? 
Part 2: Tulips
Mooky and I walked around the backyard the other day looking at all the lovely tulips that have burst open recently. 
It almost feels like summer already, but I hope spring stays for a little while.
It's easy to associate crochet with bad 1970s kitsch -- orange-and-brown afghans, poodle tea cosies, Phentex slippers. At the thrift store last week, though, I came across evidence that crochet was just as mod as knitting in the 1960s. Consider exhibit A: McCall's Crochet, 1965: 
The secrets to good crochet (both then and now) are colour and gauge (as in, finer gauge is better). Here's McCall's idea of a good project for "new crocheters": 
It's nice, right? I like the description -- "straight skirt and boxy hip-tip jacket" -- and I like that the model's prop is a pair of binoculars. I also like these two cardigans: 
"Two classic cardigans of identical style and stitch differ only in their smooth or fluffy textures." And look at these fancy coats! 
I think both these models are saying "prune." There are fancy outfits for Barbie, too -- a "stylish, easy-to-make street wardrobe": 
Exhibit B: Häkeln von A bis Z, publication date unknown: 
This booklet is bilingual (German and French) and bicraftual (crochet and knitting). Apparently, diagonal was all the rage in photography when this was published: 
Almost every photo is angled like that, with models tilting one way or the other -- and sometimes both on the same page: 
I like this girl -- she looks slightly uncomfortable but really modern, and she has such a cute haircut: 
Speaking of cute haircuts, I'm hoping to have one by about three o'clock this afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed for me! You'll see the results when I model my Twilight Scarf for you (so if I show you the scarf on a hanger, you'll know the haircut didn't go so well).
Current mood
Less miserable than last week, possibly even approaching cautious optimism.
Latest obsession
The Butterscotch Cardigan from the current issue of Interweave Crochet. That's right -- I said Interweave Crochet.* It's just an awesome looking cardi, and I love that it's made with thin yarn. For me, eight skeins of LL Shepherd Sock is a pretty pricey purchase, but I'm going to treat myself once I finish writing. (The laceweight purchases were to ease the pain of the process; the Shepherd Sock will be the reward. Totally different!)
Recent discovery
The pattern for the Ernie Sweater is reproduced in this month's Bust magazine -- cheaper than buying the book if you just want a simple raglan sweater pattern.
* I know, I know -- you just read it for the articles...
These little treats aren't part of the March finishing frenzy; I made them last month for a friend's birthday, but her birthday dinner kept getting pushed back. I finally handed them over on Saturday night, and they were a big hit. We all know the feeling of giving something handmade and having the recipient be less impressed than we would like. However, my friend Bernie has a special place in her heart for food made from yarn, and she may have even squealed with delight upon opening the bakery box in which I'd nestled her crocheted cupcakes. Yay! 
Pattern: Quick Cupcakes
Yarn: Moda Dea Washable Wool in Coffee and Ivory, plus just a bit of Lamb's Pride Worsted in Red Hot Passion
Hook: 4.00mm
Finishing touches: I followed these instructions to make the dc-bobble berries, and I cut a circle of cardboard to fit the bottom of each cake before putting the stuffing in, just to keep the bottoms as flat as possible. Also, I found that popping the top half (the icing) inside out resulted in the roundest shape, and this way, the icing "drips" lay flatter on the sides. (In the photo above, the cupcakes at 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock have inside-out tops. The cupcake below is right side out.)
Have a sweet Monday!
Wanting to check in but too lazy to come up with a proper post -- like, with photos 'n' stuff -- I thought I'd just ramble a bit.
How are you? I'm starting to get a little weary of winter. There's just been so much snow this year. Lots of it is just ice now, which means I have to concentrate more while walking down the street than while reading cultural theory. Don't even get me started on the potholes.
I'm still not reading as fast as I should, but I'm on the verge of setting some hard deadlines, since I want to be done with comps by the beginning of June. (Nadia asked, "What is a comps?" Read this.) Even though June seems impossibly far away, I know it is actually fast approaching, so I need to buckle down for reals.
As for crafty endeavors, I have a few things on the go. My Gilmore Vest is ABR (all but ribbing) -- the body is seamed together, and it just needs a bit of 1-by-1 ribbing around the armholes and the deep V-neck. (Progress photos are here on Ravelry.) I've stalled on my Swallowtail Shawl. To finish, I only have to knit the peaked edging, but it seems so small, and I have tons of yarn left, so I started thinking about adding an extra repeat of Lily of the Valley, and then I just put it all down. (I wish I'd remembered Minty's modifications earlier, since I would've added more of the bud lace pattern, but I don't fancy ripping back that much laceweight wool/silk at this point.) So I need to either finish it or calculate the adjustments needed to add another border. Umm... what else? I have two unbloggable crochet projects at the moment, but one will be blogged soon. Both can be seen on Ravelry in the meantime, here and here. Oh yeah, also, I've finished one Wallpaper Mitten (which can be seen in its unblocked glory here on Ravelry). (Hmmm, perhaps the title of this post should have been "Nothing to see here -- go straight to Ravelry.")
I've queued several variations of Mary Jane-style slippers on -- wait for it -- Ravelry, but Ingrid's new slippers definitely have me leaning toward the Purl Bee version now.
Besides adorable slippers, maybe a new desktop pattern will perk up these late February days. Here are some lovely free ones, via a link at Frenchy's Finds. Some other links I've bookmarked lately: Mariko's recipe for red velvet cupcakes; step-by-step instructions for controlled felting in a washing machine (because I'm the only knitter left on earth who has never felted something, and frankly it's because I'm a little scared); Martha Stewart's instructions for a lovely angora scarf made from teeny granny squares; and the ReadyMade video on how to re-upholster a dining room chair. Just in case you're looking for something to do.
You know what's really fast? Crochet. Crochet is really fast.
I don't really know how to do it, though. Sure, I made a pair of mittens, but the texture of my mittens is not the same as that of the mittens in the actual pattern I used! It's like setting out to knit a seed-stitch scarf and ending up with ribbing -- it's fine and it works, but... huh? What happened? 
What I think happened is that I was half-double-crocheting into just the front half of each stitch, when I probably should have been going under the whole loop. (Make sense?) The mitts are not worked in a continuous spiral, but rather in one round, then you stop and turn and go back around, and so on. So the inside and outside are identical, and there's an extra-holey "seam." Anyway, I don't really know what I'm talking about... I don't have a handle on crochet vocabulary.
Once I got to attaching the thumbs, I abandoned the pattern and just winged it. One thing I like about crochet is that it is very sculptural, and you can see what you're "building" as you go. I knew I didn't just want the thumbs sticking out from the hands, so I tried to "build" a different shape, more like a knitted mitt with a thumb gusset. Oh, and I did get the ribbing at the bottom right, so I did understand fpdc and bpdc correctly.
So there you go: quick (but certainly not windproof) mittens. They're cute. Because of the crochet look, I actually think of them more as hand cozies than mittens.
OK, no more excuses. My reading list and the bathtub are calling to me...
Desire to crochet cute mittens has completely eclipsed desire to ever finish Ph.D. Send help.
1. Knitting 
My hot water bottle is now cozy. I finished the BAWK (with whoreshoe cable) yesterday, but our landlord turned on the furnace in the afternoon, so I didn't actually need this in bed last night. It's adorable, though, isn't it? Maybe I'll use it tonight even if I'm not cold.
2. Crochet
I found (via Ravelry, of course) this great free pattern: Bark Sedge Stitch Washcloth on the Lion Brand site. (Confession: I just realized that "Bark" is the colour of Lion Brand cotton used in the pattern, and this is just a "sedge stitch" cloth. For the last couple of weeks, I've thought I was making a green Bark Sedge Stitch dishcloth, and a blue Bark Sedge Stitch dishcloth, and ... duh.) I sent two of these to my mom, and she reports that she loves them. So I will make more. I don't enjoy knitting with cotton, but crocheting with it is fun.
3. Sewing
Remember the wonderful Scrap X Quilt at happythings? (She's even made another one since then!) I've been working on one of my own for the last week or so -- arranging strips of scraps and sewing them into blocks. It's so fun. Lots of this fabric came from the lilybug scrap pack I bought last weekend; some is stuff I had in my closet, including leftover bits from my first quilt; and I admit that I bought some brand-new stuff for my "scrap" quilt. (How else was I going to incorporate leopard print? It simply had to be done.) So even though I really should be knitting my Woodland Shawl so I can have it finished and blocked in time for Rhinebeck, I'm obsessed with assembling these quilt blocks. Obsessed!
Thank you for your birthday wishes yesterday. I had a nice day -- largely because it involved going out for eggs benedict. And because the furnace came on.
I've mentioned my friend Allison (a.k.a. 2L) a few times before -- I stayed with her in Vancouver this summer, for example, and I knit her some socks for Christmas in 2003 (!). She recently spent a few weeks in Russia -- the land of her peeps, the Doukhobours -- and she sent me this crocheted cap made of cotton, or perhaps linen. She writes: This quiet old lady sits outside a monastery in Yaroslava, Russia, knitting and crocheting. We had a lovely chat. I wanted to buy all her stuff and pay double for it, but just bought this. Many young people wear hats like this to visit churches, as you're supposed to cover your head if you're Russian Orthodox.
You'll probably be hearing about Allison again this Christmas, as she is feeding my new love of doilies and has drawerfuls of lovely delicate things made by her grandmother -- a few of which, I'm told, have my name on them....
The recipient of this new crocheted blanket is outside at the moment, so I can only offer this empty-seeming photo. Yep, Mooky has a new blankie. A nice new machine-washable acrylic blankie. (Three balls of Red Heart Soft Touch in red, plus bits of thrifted acrylic for stripes. Finished size: 28 inches by 35 inches.)
I followed the Shell-Stitch Afghan tutorial on Anastacia Knits. It's very simple; all you need to know is sl, ch, and dc, and you can crochet this blanket. Plus it is made diagonally, so the rows are nice and short at the beginning, and then nice and short again at the end. Of all the people on Ravelry, Anastacia herself and I are the only ones who have used this pattern so far. I'd recommend it if you're considering an easy blankie. Here, have a closer look at the shell-stitch pattern: 
Nice, right? I finished the blanket last night, laid it on the couch, and put Mooky on it; he started washing his face. I had to seriously lighten this photo, but look at that tongue! I love it. 
As for the new Knitty, my favourite patterns are Tussie Mussie, Neiman, Muir, and Urchin, but I think the whole issue is good overall.
1. Market
Armed with my new crocheted bag, I went shopping this afternoon at the Jean-Talon Market (which is kind of a bad idea on a weekend, because it's so busy, but I still love it there). 
I made this great -- and sparkly! -- little bag from this free pattern. Now, my original plan had been to make a good-sized bag that could hold lots of stuff. As I was crocheting this one I thought it looked pretty small, but of course a mesh bag will expand; I added an extra four rounds before working the decreases, but otherwise followed the pattern. When I finished, my first thought was that I'd just made myself an evening bag instead of a grocery bag. It was so small! 
However, as shown in the first photo, this sucker does hold plenty. In that picture, there were two large tomatoes, two red peppers, one English cucumber, two small zucchinis, a bunch of green onions, and a bunch of celery in the bag. Just minutes before, I'd had a conversation with one of the produce vendors that went a little something like this (but in French):
Me: I don't need a bag -- I have one.
Her: This? Is it big enough?
Me: Yes! [not really sure this was true]
Her, putting the vegetables in the bag: It grows!
Me, beaming: I made it!
I still have lots of sparkly silver cotton left, so I'm going to make at least one more bag. I'd like to try this MagKnits pattern, which is for a much bigger bag. I don't love knitting on big needles, though, so I may crochet again. Not sure.
2. Thrift
It's been a while since I bought buttons, since I have lots, but I'm in the middle of making a simple, bulky cardigan and planning for it to just have two big buttons. At Value Village earlier today, I just happened to find some of the most incredible buttons I've ever seen: 
I'd love to know what the story is with these. I've never seen anything like them. The designs in the middle are 3-D under a clear surface. Have you seen these before?
I also managed to find some back-to-school clothes: a short-sleeved shirt, a blue long-sleeved Western-cut shirt with pearl snaps, and a light-brown wool V-neck vest with a nice lace pattern on the front (which I could easily knit, but not for $3.99). 'Twas a good shop.
(Oh, and the plastinated bodies were fascinating.)
I'm not knitting a baby sweater set in 100% acrylic.
I was going to, you see; Bill's nephew and his girlfriend are having a baby in the fall, and I had to go to Fabricville the other day for thread and I saw the Red Heart and bought a big ball on impulse. Easy care, right? But I just couldn't do it. Especially after talking to Kate about it. She didn't try to talk me out of it, exactly; instead, she kept politely suggesting alternatives: "What about superwash wool? ... Yeah, um, how about Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece?" But what it really comes down to is needle size. Truth is, I don't love knitting with worsted-weight yarn. I find 4.0mm needles to be the upper limit of comfort for me, and since I knit semi-tightly, I usually use 4.5 or 5.0mm needles for worsted. So what I really want to use for the baby set is (washable) sock yarn. Sock yarn's my favourite, and that's that.
What to do with the impulse ball of Red Heart? Why, a new blankie for Mooky, of course. After a few minutes of Ravelry pattern research, and with a few small oddballs of thrifted blue acrylic, I started a shell-stitch afghan: 
I don't love to knit on 5.0mm needles, but I love to wield my 5.00mm hook! This is a diagonal, corner-to-corner blanket (folded in half in the photo). I'm not sure how big I'll make it; it's just to put on the couch as a weapon in the never-ending battle against Mooky's fur. (His ripple-stitch flying carpet lives on the chair in my office.)
1. Granny-Square Afghan
For a while I was working on these squares quite often, but it's been a while now since I picked up the hook. Obviously these squares have not been blocked. I don't have a plan in mind for arranging the colours, and at this point, I'm just using the wool I have left -- since there's not much red, for example, there won't be any more squares with large red circles, but there should be a few more with red centres. I have quite a bit of the green, so I figure that when I run out of the other colours I'll crochet the squares together with green and then use whatever green is left for a border. If there's lots of green left, there will be a wide border -- but that's months and months away.
2. Blustery
Remember when I was happily knitting a Blustery vest and in love with my tubular cast-on? Yeah, those were good times. I finished knitting the back and both fronts last month and eagerly blocked them -- to gigantic dimensions. It's just too big. I plan to pull it apart, soak and dry and wind the yarn, and start again. Sometime after I finish the Josephine Top... (Today's rule: no using the word swatch in the comments.)
3. Clessidra
My knee-high Clessidra Stockings are only temporarily on hold, while I knit the more seasonally appropriate Josephine Top. I finished one sock and am about five inches down the leg of the second sock. Still loving these.
I swatched for Thermal, and I think I will knit it after all -- but later. I really do have a ton to do in the next three weeks, so it's just not a good time to start a sweater. Instead, I need a project I can easily pick up and put down, and one that involves lots of quick gratification. And I have just the thing...
While thrifting a few weeks ago, I came upon something very exciting: a giant collection of old tapestry yarn. You know -- those little 15-yard bunches of colour-fast, moth-proof 100% wool. (I don't even know what it's meant for. Needlepoint?) If it had been a proper thrift shop, the whole pile would've been in a garbage bag for five bucks, but it was V@lue Vill@ge, so the huge amount of wool had been separated into a hundred separate little overpriced bags. I spent about fifteen dollars on five different colours. 
I knew I wanted to crochet another blanket, this time with a vintage (1940s-ish) palette. Lots of bloggers have been crocheting granny squares, but I didn't want to use my 1930s/1940s colours in squares that make me think of the 1970s. I looked online at various afghan squares and settled on a pattern called Cluster Flower Square. I was very excited to find fifteen little skeins in the perfect shade of Depression-era jadeite green, and I want that to be the main colour. So I crocheted a few squares, using the green as the border around the centre circle. I think if I also use the green to join all the squares, it'll look a bit like a green blanket with multicoloured polka dots. 
So far, I'm very excited about this. My first crocheted blanket -- which is this close to being done; it just needs a border -- was a great project for using up leftovers, and it's bright and colourful and cheerful, but I adore the colours of this vintage tapestry yarn. However, each crocheted square uses just over one little skein of green, and I only had fifteen. Only one thing to do: I went back to le boutique V.V. hoping there'd be more.
Good news: there was plenty of my green left -- about twenty wee skeins, plus (jackpot!) a big ball of the stuff. So I'll be able to make a green blanket after all, plus I grabbed a bag with single skeins of pink and a darker green, which I can throw into a few of the circles. Plus, I had a visit from the thrift fairy, who confirmed my crafty choices by leaving a special treat for me in the kitchen aisle: 
Yep, a little FireKing jadeite bowl ($1.99), which is filled here with the contents of another $1.99 bag: a dozen nice old wooden spools of cotton and silk thread, and two strips of antique crochet tatted trim. Oh, I love it when a thrift comes together.
