Changing Weather Makes Me Think of Some Warm Designs

ScannedImageIt is finally beginning to feel like fall, and those designs that I made last spring are finally available to keep yourself or a loved one warm. The Winter 2015 issue of Crochet! Magazine is packed full of great designs, and I am fortunate enough to be included among them.Crochet! Winter2015

The Essential Fingerless Mitts are sized for both men and women, and have a nice stretch in the stitch work. Now I must admit, I use to wonder what the fascination with fingerless gloves was. Why only keep part of your hand warm? I hate it when my fingers are cold, and usually notice this before my palm; however I had some scrap yarn a few years ago, and was having the need to move a crochet hook. I had made plenty of hats, and was not in the mood to start another scrap afghan, so why not give this trend a try. I created a pair of fingerless gloves and immediately understood the benefits.

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Essential Fingerless Mitts, Crochet! Winter 2015 Photo courtesy of Annie’s

They really do keep my hands warm, while actually keeping my hands fully functional. When I wear standard gloves I do not like to eat food, driving the car doesn’t feel as natural, I wouldn’t even think about crocheting while wherein gloves, but fingerless gloves are a completely different story. I have no problem doing almost anything while wearing them. I even would wear them while practicing at my dance class, as the room always seems to have a chill. It was a way of adding warmth to my hands while still being able to do just about anything. It is almost like having extra long sleeves. I am now a fan, and this pattern is a quick project so you can work them up as a gift for the holidays or simply as personal need to keep warm for this upcoming winter.

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Brewer Jacket, Crochet! Winter 2015 photo courtesy of Annie’s

In addition to the fingerless gloves, I have the Brewer Jacket, designed with the men in my life, in mind. This hooded vest is created in the Thermal Stitch (want to learn how to work this stitch, check it out here). This stitch creates a fabric that is double layered and has an appearance that resembles being woven. I have found that if I create any fabric that you can see any light through that the men in my life consider it too feminine. This creates a fabric is dense, thus it is not the fastest project in the world, but it does have a nice even repeatable pattern that does not require a lot of attention. So you may not finish this jacket over night, but it is a relaxing pattern to follow, and ends up looking great.

I even found the button selection interesting when seeing the masculine perspective. I had pick out some wooden buttons originally, and the guys at my home felt they were to bold, they wanted something simpler, something that did not stand out against the fabric. I found some coconut buttons that almost matched perfectly the color of the yarn, but they felt that they were too textured. So after much trial and error the simple plastic button was the one. I do think that the final design looks great, and will get a lot of use.

In addition to the above mentioned designs, you can also find my article about wool in the magazine. I did some research and share my findings about how not all wool is created equal. There are so many breeds of sheep and the wool that they produce has properties that can make a difference in the yarn and thus your final project. Some yarn manufactures are beginning to highlight some of the breeds in yarn lines, so this article helps you to understand what they mean on you yarn label.

So, if you haven’t, already pick up the latest issue and give it a read. I think you will enjoy yourself…and while you’re at it if you happen to want to check out one of my designs, I think you will enjoy them too.

Making the Sweater Work for Me

ScannedImageCooler weather reminds me of a learning experience I have had with crochet, something that I greatly appreciate and has changed my approach to my personal wardrobe; being able to create a sweater that actually fits.

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A sweater/tunic that I made a little longer than is written to customize to me.

Now I am not a seamstress, nor am I altering crochet patterns to a great degree to add bust darts or remove some extra fabric at the arms. That is a little more technical than I like to get. I was, at one time, very intimidated with even the idea of making a sweater, but once I realized that I was really only making fabric, it helped to remove the anxiety and allow me to expand my repute and create clothing. But when I finally undertook the challenge of making my own sweater, I could actually make them long enough to actually keep the chill off!

Now I am not a small petite little woman, not that there is anything wrong with that, but I come from a larger stock. As I remind my daughter, we have Viking heritage, and when you think of Vikings you do not readily think of tiny fragile women, you think of women that can make their presence known. A drawback to this body style is that standard clothing does not easily meet our needs. The biggest problem I have is a long waist; there is considerable distance between by last rib and my hips, yet most off-the-rack shirts have standard length that ends up resting just at the top of my hip bone. A little extra length creates a nicer appearance for me, in my opinion, and the more practical it keeps me covered better.

So how do I tie this to crochet? Well, it is relatively easy to add a little extra and make a sweater longer then is written; I just have to understand where to look. For a pattern written from the top down, this is pretty simple, I just continue working until I am happy with the length. For the more common bottom-up patterns, I have to do a little more planning. I have to pay attention to the gauge that is given and do a little math. It is not something to run away from, it is really not that hard. I simply figure out the number of rows per inch, and then figure the number of inches that I want to add to the final measurements provided in the pattern, and add the number of corresponding rows at the beginning of my stitching. To make my life easier when counting rows and knowing where I am in a pattern, I take a safety pin and insert it at the end of the last “added” row then I “begin” the actual pattern so now I start Row 1.

There is another way I can lengthen my sweater, but it is not my first or favorite choice, for a couple of reasons. This is adding an edging to the hem of the sweater; to begin with it takes away from the original design. I chose the pattern for a reason and attempting to add on an edging that actually compliments the overall design is more difficult than it sounds. This comes to the other problem I find with this approach, all of my attempts to do such, look like an afterthought. It does not flow like I would like, and therefore doesn’t end up as my favorite sweater to wear.

One thing I can say for adding some extra fabric to my sweaters, it has allowed me to take more pride in my stitching. Now not only can my loved ones enjoy the blankets I have made them, or keep warm with a hat, I can enjoy my own work and have something that feels more comfortable in the long run.

Glove and Hat Set from 1 Skein! -Rice Paper Weave Thoughts

ScannedImageSpring is on its way, but winter is still holding on….

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Rice Paper Weave Gloves
-I made the hand-to cuff a little longer to keep a little warmer-

I was thinking of family that I have that moved to the Chicago area this year, and how they may need to find ways to keep warm, so for the holidays I made them some gloves. They came out well enough I decided to share them in a pattern.

The stitch pattern is worked in a spiral, upon a base of ribbing that makes up the cuff. Instead of making the new popular option of fingerless gloves, I went ahead and added fingers. I admit fingers seem tedious and intimidating, but I found them much easier then I first thought. They worked up quickly in the same stitch pattern and add the practicality of warmth to the project. I also left the option of having a texting glove, by not completing the thumb, but having it long enough to cover the tip.

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Rice Paper Weave Hat
-Matches to gloves, and are available in the same pattern-

Then the most amazing part…I still had enough yarn left in the skein to make a matching hat! I worked this design up on an alpaca yarn from Lisa Souza Dyeworks, so it feels yummy and  makes a very nice cold weather glove and hat set (at least for Chicago weather, it might be fall and spring).

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Optional “Texting Thumb”

This design is sized for both men and women, in the gloves and the hat, ensuring that with 1 skein you can get an entire set of matching gloves and a hat!

So far it appears that my family members are enjoying them and keeping warm. If you would like to check out this pattern it is available for sale on Ravelry and Crochetville for $5. I call the “Rice Paper Weave Glove & Hat Set”, the name comes to me from the stitch pattern, and to me it reminds me of the placemats I have found at some Asian restaurants, which are woven but have great texture. The mats are probably made with bamboo but my mind keeps thinking of rice…for some reason it just seems a little more fluid.

Anyway, I hope you want to attempt to keep your fingers warm and will check out my latest design.

Air Pockets…They make the Difference

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Rugby in the rain. We received about 8″ with this storm, completely welcomed after nearly 2 months of dry and warm weather.

ScannedImageThe other day, while standing in the long overdue rain, watching my son’s Rugby game, I was thinking about what makes my crochet hat and gloves warmer then my denim jeans. The answer is simple, but also kind of surprising; air. The more little pockets of air that are trapped next to the skin, the warmer you can stay.

The process used in twisting the yarn and creating little knots, creates little pockets that trap air. Depending on the yarn and stitch combination, different levels of warmth can be created; this is why lace can be warmer than expected. The more things are compressed and made tight and dense, does not necessarily create a warmer fabric as it can press the air out of the work.

This is true with the yarn as well. Often it is realized that wool is warmer then bamboo, this is because of the fibers that are used. Bamboo, even though it is a plant fiber, is processed and extruded in factories creating a long smooth yarn that absorbs moisture, and thus in hot weather will keep you cooler by wicking away perspiration and allowing it to be evaporated. While the animal fibers that are utilized in wool yarns, are created naturally to keep the animal warm and dry. This is done by the crimp of the fiber itself.

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2 locks of wool, notice the crimp of the fiber

Wool fibers are not like hair, they are crimped (like the fashion in hairstyles from the 1980’s), it has stretch (like elastic) and it grows in clusters (a patch grows together and can be plucked out together as one group). This nature helps to create air pockets in the yarn that is being created (depending on the process used, more or less air can be trapped).

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My single crochet ribbed hat over my denim pants

So while my woven denim might be durable it does not offer as much warmth because the amount of trapped air is limited. But that hat, made only out of single crochet ribbing and my gloves made from back loop single crochet kept me quite toasty in comparison.