On a roll again!

I worked on the hooded poncho pattern last night after Tai-Chi, I talked to two ladies who are knitter/crocheter at the class and from their expressions, they think I am giving myself a lot of troubles to go that way.

Actually Mike went to bed and I kept working at it ... I feel like I am an addict when that happened; Staying up late after my usual bedtime because I want to work on a crochet project. I will get over it.

So I practice my loop stitch, I really liked it once I got my fingers to move the right way!!
I also made sample swatches with different hooks (7.00mm and 9.00mm). I decided to go with the 9.00mm because of the thickness. The yarn looks really nice, Bernat SOLO in Tomato. I started my first rows with the converted number of chains followed by a row of alternating sc and loop stitches... It got way too long! So frog, frog, frog.

I went to bed late and have nothing to show today... but I think I figured out how many chains(171) I will need and I won't slip stitch the chain before I have my first row of sc-loop done because even if I did my best not to twist the chain row... I did. It should be easier after the first row.

All things considered, I am pretty excited about his project. The yarn looks really nice, Bernat SOLO in Tomato

Trial-error is a go!

Even if I don't feel like... I can't refuse a good challenge. I found the perfect hooded poncho but... because there had to be a but, it is a knitting pattern.


So I will work at converting it in crochet. I found a few tips on the net and I asked for some help from crochetville members. I would like to begin tonight but I have TaiChi so I might not have time... Maybe tomorrow at lunch.


I was thinking that if it turns really nice, I could offer the pattern to Patons and be published !!! I am not there yet

Free, I am free of the black!

I am pretty happy about what I was able to do this weekend... Finishing my two black ponchos. It feels so good to have a couple 100% in my progress bar, I think I will kept them for a couple days like that.
I live in Canada so no Thanksgiving for me last weekend and time to work on projects and on my blog. Our Tanksgiving was a month ago.

I need to find a pattern and some yarn for another Christmas present project. My first idea was to make a shrug but I talked to the "future owner" this weekend and it seems like she would like a poncho with a hood. If I find one I will make it but yesterday I look into the wonderful poncho pattern list on Faery Craft and did not find one. I will try for another couple days to find one but I have to begin it soon. I could always make up one, but I am not in the mood for a trial-error method.

Does the color you work with influence your mood?

I know, I said before that I would not work with black anymore but here I am again!

It's just that everybody seems to like black and it goes with everything... I don't need excuses but once again I have a half done #!!@!! BLACK poncho, I am sick of it and I am dying to finish it... I guess I will need to make another pink poncho to set things right and see "la vie en rose" again.

I guess it is not helping my mood that yesterday I picked up my engagement ring after having it resized, first I found it too small... they make it oval so it is squishing my finger and when I got out of the store I realised that the white gold is not so white anymore... It has a golden tint in it. I did not see it because of the lights they have in the store, the diamond looked stunning so I did not notice the gold color. Anyway, I had to give it back this morning and will have to wait another week or so before I can wear it ... forever, I know.

I found a neat pattern at hook me up today for a Shavasana bag, I have a nice orangy, yellowy... very sunny yarn I will use to do it, it matches my yoga mat. That should help with my moods!

Pink Poncho is a success

I made the pink poncho for my girl friend, she lives in a city about 3.5 hours from me. I had to go for work so I thought about giving her her Christmas present right away. She loved it! I also think that it is lovely. She wore it this weekend and send me an e-mail about it this morning... that sure put sunshine in my day

"Bonjour MJ,
How was your weekend? Did you catch up on your sleep?I wanted to let you know that I received a LOT of compliments on your beautiful poncho yesterday! I wore it out for dinner with Dave and his parents - and they all thought that it was completely gorgeous! ;-)
"Stunning" was the word his father used! Just wanted to let you know that others appreciate your talent and creativity!!! :-)Have a great day & week!M."

It is a mix of a couple pattern I found on the internet, asymmetrical poncho stitch from Bella online with a "two rectangles pattern". I will have to ask her for a picture.

News as extreme as they come

I made the black poncho for Nat, my brother's girlfriend. I learn this weekend that they broke up. By the sound of it, it is permanent. I don't know if I should send her the poncho or not. I was supposed to send her a picture of the one I made because I found it too big, I wanted her opinion and I was planning … more than planning since I already bought the yarn, on making another one, smaller. My brother told me that anyway she could not wait and bought herself one a couple weeks ago but if I want to give it to her, he could take care of the “ delivery”.

I could give the poncho I already made to Mike’s sister, I thought about it because she is tall and it would suit her and the second one I will do to his niece or even to my cousin even if I planned on making slippers for her… I don’t know. I don’t want Nat to think that I am not giving her the poncho because I have some kind of negative feeling about the break up but I don’t feel like making a new one for her…

On another note, we got engaged this weekend. Mike asked me to marry him on Saturday. Pretty busy weekend, announcing the news and talking about what we want. We are looking to get married in September 2005. I am thinking about making the wedding gown cover from Needful yarn… will see!

To crochet or not to crochet... That is the question

Yesterday, I had to go to the next town (2 hours drive one-way) for a meeting ... with my boss. He was the one who was driving. So 4 hours in the car... really nice opportunity to work on some crochet projects but there is a but:
Here is the situation, I have been working in this company for a year... by the way, I moved to this town for Love, yes with capital L and had to find a new job. I work in a very professional consulting company and I have to admit that I was worried about how it would be perceived by my boss ...

I never been shy about it. I have been crocheting in doctor's offices, in car repair shops, in malls, in driveways, at the hairdresser, waiting in line to get gas for my car, chatting with friends and family... I am out there and spreading the word... but would it change my boss' opinion on me, he is young, would he understand my passion for this craft... that is what I was worried about.

On the way to the meeting we talked for most of the ride so I didn't get anything out... On the way back, I did some business related work and then after an hour... I got my crochet out. It was alright, he talked about a friend of his that is an avid knitter and made some jokes only a non-initiated could do but it was all right....

That is funny because I finally got out of the closet with my boss when he is the one who is gay!

I should learn to do buttons and add one on my blog as a "girl guide badge" ... I crocheted in front of my boss or My boss knows... this is quite and achievement for me, I am telling you.

For now on it is: Think twice, Crochet once

I worked on the black poncho this weekend and attached the two pieces together. I can't believe it! It is way too big. I should have had figured it out before; if I make it long from the shoulder to the wrist, the point will en up between the knees. I don't think that it is what Nat had in mind but there is no way I am going to un do it. It is just too emotional, I work so hard and I was sick of it but I kept at it. I am not the perseverant type but this one I stick to it... I guess that is what I had to learn from this experience. I should have pictures soon.

I am officially a Crochet Addict!

My work requests some traveling and yesterday I had to go to another town (2.5 hrs drive) to meet with some clients. I left home in the morning and was coming back today. I realised when I was about 1hr from the house that I had forgotten my "crochet bag" where I keep a project in progress. I was so disappointed and I could not face a day without crocheting. So after my first meeting, I had a bit of a wait before the next one so I went to a store and bought some yarn and a hook. Nothing fancy, just cotton yarn to do a couple dishcloths. So here it is, I am a crochet addict and I have no intention to quit anytime soon!

And since that is what I am and that I am proud of it, I have to tell the world! I have been crocheting in public regularly but the new thing is my blog so I joined a blog ring: Crochet blogs. I also found a Crochet Meet Up group in my region; I am pretty excited about that. The next meeting is in December and I am very much looking forward to it. I also met two fellow crocheters at my Tai-Chi class; I don’t know where this will lead to only future will tell…

Are we there yet?

NO!

Yesterday I thought that I would be able to finish the black poncho. On my way home I started thinking about it, the two parts might not be long enough to make a wide neck line... And I was right. So back at it too adjust the length. It has been so difficult to adjust the size of this poncho.
Here is the pattern I used; http://members.aol.com/JSchlossma/epon.html

I brought one of the side to work today and I am hoping It will be long enough by the end of lunch break.

I love those progress bars

For the love of yarn! (I saw that somewhereelse and I just thouht i would find a day to use it) I don't know what I am doing wrong but I cannot make it work in my blog... . All I get is a white rectangle. I found the info at http://annamation.ca/annaknits/freeblogstuff.php.

Hopefully "Anna" can help me, I sent her an e-mail. She has not updated her blog for over a year so I am not expecting too much results. I am getting a little frustrated. I asked yarngirl for her input since she has them in her blog ... I think it is her because that is not what the address is saying.

I worked on the "black" poncho last night and the two pieces are ready, I will be able to finish it tonight and move on. Youppi!

No more black mood

Procrastination can be a good thing

Last week I had the poncho drag, my mood was definitely low and I think I found out why. This weekend, I could not stand that poncho anymore, I am less than a ball away from finishing it (if I don’t decide to undo-redo the first side) but anyway I started a new project and suddenly my mood swung up and I felt so much better. The poncho I was making is black… I think the color just killed my spirit seeing black all the time, the new one is pink, “La vie en rose” just makes me feel better. Did you ever had this happened to you?

I will be careful for now on and will try to alternate with another project when I work with black… It made such a big difference.
I had a get together last Friday and I thought I could make some “crochet friends”. I thought it would be more of a sitting down kind of party but everybody was pretty much standing… a little difficult to crochet. I had to leave after an hours and half only… I was expecting some friends for the weekend and had to be there to welcome them. So really no great result on the crochet side but it was nice to chat with those women.