I’ve written on this blog many times about how I learned to crochet as a young girl and did it exclusively until I learned to knit about 8 years ago and I have been knitting ever since and all but abandoned crochet. Every so often I think about crochet and then I end up writing a scathing post about how unsuitable crochet is for most things.
But I always feel bad about it, because crochet was my first craft. So, I scour the web for patterns and look at books in the library and I’m inevitably disgusted by what is out there.
But the last few days I’ve been crocheting up a storm (crochet is quicker than knitting, remember). And I’ve mostly done dishcloths, because they are fast and they are very useful (especially for me because I need inspiration to wash the dishes, and a shiny, new dishcloth does the trick).
Also, I found some cotton/wool blend I had purchased to make a tank top. Why not crochet it? The yarn is less than worsted (I think maybe DK), so it won’t be too bad crocheted. Crochet makes thicker fabric than knitting, so you almost never want to make a garment out of worsted weight. Maybe a coat.
I might not have enough, since crochet takes about a third more yarn than knitting. I’ll use up one skein and see how far I’ve gotten. I’m using half double crochet, which is the nicest for garments, I think. Single crochet takes too long (might as well knit), and double crochet is sometimes too long of a stitch and makes too much of an open fabric. Half double is just right. I’m also doing the half double as a linked stitch, meaning that instead of a yarn over, I am putting the hook through the previous stitch and then pulling up a loop. That way the stitches are connected at the sides instead of just at the top and bottom. Makes a less open fabric. I don’t plan on wearing a bra with this top, so I can’t have my nipples poking out.
Oh, the cowl I was working on? Abandoned. I wasn’t feeling it. I think I may have to abandon my 3 X chic sweater, too. I made it too small. All my previous sweaters were too big, because I over-estimated how big I was. When I finally measured a sweater that fit me well, I realized the error I was making. But measuring a gauge swatch made of ribbing is a difficult thing. So, I messed up. Meh.
I think garment-wise I’m going to concentrate on making short-sleeved tops and tank tops for summer. I’ll worry about sweaters again another day. I do want to finish my patterned yoke sweater, because I’m designing the pattern myself, and it’s going to be too cute! I’m still making headway on the EZ garter stitch blanket.
I feel like such a bad knit blogger, because I have so many projects started and abandoned that I wonder if people can even keep up with me. Some people knit so fast that they can mention a project one day, and then two days later, there’s a pic of the finished item. Not me. I start a million projects, then abandon half of them, then pick up other ones after I and everyone else has forgotten about them.
