Yarn Weight: 4 – A Hooker's World

Wednesday WIP

I am still working on Karma Chameleon afghan. I have sewn all the motifs together, bordered the afghan with one row of double crochet, and began sewing in the ends. I anticipate finishing tomorrow.

The next project will be a bag of some kind with the left over motifs, and then with the last of the larger motifs I plan on making another bag of some sort. Oo! Or maybe a cowl?

I am still not sure which designation to assign: ODDBALLS or charity or A Hooker’s World? It is made from unknown yarns, though I am pretty sure they are all manmade, so it does qualify for ODDBALLS. I did receive the unfinished project from a guild member, so I could donate it back to charity since I didn’t pay for any of the yarn. Lastly, as I finished it, I don’t think it would be terrible to try and make a profit first. With my new business plan, it will eventually go to charity if not sold.

It may seem slow-going, but with four doctor’s appointments this week, I think my progress is definite!

Mystery Achievement Afghan: Name

New Project Name: Mystery Achievement Afghan

I figured out how to interlock crochet in-the-round!

I wrote down what I’ve done so far, which is good because I am liking the design and it will be measure of how well my documentation skills are for this new method in case I want to write a pattern up.

Today, I might play around with digital designing to see what I can come up with and then see if I might go a different direction for the actual piece…a mystery! :D

The name of this project is spiritually related and inspired…I was listening to music from my library, while composing this post and my interlock crochet progress and the three songs that impressed themselves into my memory are Mystery Achievement by The Pretenders, Snowball by DEVO and Trust by Me’Shell Ndegéocello.

I did “achieve” something really big – a “mystery” to me: interlock crochet in-the-round!

And I didn’t lose a love – sardonically speaking, I never had one to begin with ;)

As I had decided on Mystery Achievement, Trust had started, confirming my choice, and which was another good name.

I knew there was something I was going to add: The yarn I have been using for this afghan development is Michaels Loops & Threads Impeccable (Fiber Content: 100% Acrylic; Yarn Colors: 01044 True Grey & 01011 Soft Taupe; Yarn Weight: 4, Worsted)

Strawberry Fields Forever Water Dragon Shoulder Wrap

The Name

Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles relates to the colorway of the yarn, Cascade Tangier Strawberry Patch, with honorable mention: Here Be Water Dragons by Quinton Lime.

Strawberry Fields Forever Water Dragon Shoulder Wrap, designed by Quinton Lime, knitted by Hooker Leo, A Hooker’s World

Strawberry-Fields-Forever-Water-Dragon-Shoulder-Wrap-(1)

The Shoulder Wrap

Finished Size: 110 (L) x 11 (D, at deepest point)
Price: USD $120.00, less 25% Friends/Family Discount

2018-08-14: removed from stock; kept

I think the repetitiveness of the pattern actually helped my tendonitis. I noticed – for the first time – my right knitting hand needle hitting my left hand middle knuckle on the purl, which kinda ouched! 🤕 It’s always something… 😆

I saw how the designer blocked to the curve. I chose to block straight because I hate pin-blocking. Once again, I demonstrate my own poor-boy blocking method:

Strawberry Fields Forever Water Dragon Shoulder Wrap, designed by Quinton Lime, knitted by Hooker Leo, A Hooker’s World

I especially liked the ones with the wheelbarrow and dolly photo bomb…imaginations of my hunky farmer husband working out in the fields/barn while I knit, cook and clean at home. 😇

The Yarn

Cascade Tangier

Fiber Content: 46% Silk, 18% Cotton, 18% Acrylic, 18% Viscose
Yarn Color: 14 Strawberry Patch
Yarn Weight: 4, Worsted

Before I start this section, let me take a look at the pictures I captured…

The color/sheen seems gone after delicate hand-washing and sun-weight blocking. Of course the featured photo has been color enhanced; all other photos are only color corrected.

I suppose I am just too tired to be even typing right now…upon second review after color correction, the colors appear more muted in daylight than they probably would inside the warm ambiance of my orange room. The colorway just reminded me of the succulent that inspired me to purchase this colorway. Ha! I am even impressed with my styling, how the two angles juxtapose over the chest.

Strawberry Fields Forever Water Dragon Shoulder Wrap, knitted by Hooker Leo, designed by Quinton Lime

The Pattern

Here Be Water Dragons by Quinton Lime

As much as those p2tog tbls were a pain in the neck, I thought the designer took excellent notes for her pattern. I think I only found one thing that I might correct, but just did through my own experience, which seems to be increasing. I do have questions, though, about stitch choices.

Easy to follow. Repetitive. Quick knit.

Undone (The Sweater Song) Sweater

I MADE MY FIRST SWEATER!

I found Deb’s Crafts Baby Bumpy Sweater and thought it was simple enough to make. I also liked that it is for ages 0-3 months.

About The Pattern

Very well written and easy to follow. I made my sweater in about 6 hours. I did not include the “bumpy” because the pictured sweater looked puckered. The pattern calls for a US J hook and that’s what I used.

About The Yarn

Of course, I did not read the pattern in its entirety and missed the amount of yarn necessary to complete the pattern. Because of this, I changed colors because I thought I would not have enough. As I am writing this post, I discover that my skein of Caron Honeyspun (Fiber Content: 100% Orlon; Yarn Color: 5190 Country Peach Ombre; Yarn Weight: 4, Aran) is exactly enough. Glad I changed to Lion Brand Pound of Love (Fiber Content: 100% Acrylic, Yarn Color: Antique White; Yarn Weight: 4, Worsted) because I crochet loosely and probably would have run out at the very end.

I would like to call out Lion Brand for their poor customer relations with respect to their skeins of yarn. Why in the hell, after all these years, have yarn companies not come up with a easy center pull skein? In the middle of my project I had to waste my time untangling yarn barf. I finally cut the yarn. I am going to send the pieces to Lion Brand and DEMAND a new skein.

Black or White Scarf

My crochet houndstooth stitch development has been a regressive process from the beginning…

Name

The project name should be obvious: Black or White by Michael Jackson.

Black Or White Scarf

Dimensions: 66-inch Length x 5-inch Width

The work up of this scarf was very quick as I only had to change color every row, alleviating additional yarn twisting. I used

Yarn

Michaels Loops & Threads Impeccable

Fiber Content: 100% Acrylic
Yarn Colors: 01040 Black and 01005 White
Yarn Weight: 4, Worsted

Designer Notes

My crochet hound’s tooth stitch development has been a regressive process from the beginning because I finally made a scarf in the recommended hound’s tooth stitch pattern – Griddle Stitch – and now I see it!

I will be presenting all four scarves to the recipient and let him choose which one he likes best; the three that are left will go into inventory.

And now…back to work on the eBook: Hound’s Tooth & Beyond.

I’ve Got You Under My Skin Scarf

I’ve Got You Under My Skin Scarf | USD $40.00

This is my second attempt at fine tuning the griddle stitch into a houndstooth pattern. Once again, I missed my original intention, but accidentally, and logically, crocheted out of pattern and came up with this stitch pattern, which, unlike Flock of Seagulls Scarf pattern, is not reversible. Still, I am determined to get a better houndstooth and through this iteration I have seen the error of my ways.

Again, this pattern is primarily a stitch pattern for advanced crocheters that are comfortable with carrying yarn and changing colors. I am indicating what I used to make my scarf, but please note this stitch pattern is flexible and may be used with any weight yarn and made to any size.

In this iteration, I have mirrored the stitch pattern, which has caused a different stitch pattern on each side: one side is Escher-esque in pattern and the other side resembles a houndstooth variation.

This scarf – measuring 60 (L) x 5 (W) inches – took four days to complete and is closer to my new default scarf size: 66 (L) x 4 (W) inches. I have purposefully blurred by detail shots to protect stitch definition – images are focused within the pattern. Again, I have used Michaels Loops & Threads Impeccable (Fiber Content: 100% Acrylic; Yarn Colors: 01040 Black and 01005 White; Yarn Weight: 4, Worsted).

The project name – I’ve Got You Under My Skin by Dinah Washington – comes from the fact that I still have houndstooth under my skin and hopefully, will not have any more brain farts before the next iteration.

~~Price: USD $40.00~~ 2018-08-14: removed from inventory; donated to charity

Escher Detail (blurred to protect stitch definition)

Houndstooth Detail (blurred to protect stitch definition)

Not The Doctor Scarf

This is my first attempt at houndstooth. Not exact, but I am loving it! While a mid-range view can be visually disruptive (noticed by me at the bottom of the scarf), a view from afar reveals a pleasing vertical quasi-houndstooth pattern that zigzags. Even the close up view looks quite acceptable when it comes to the visibility of the carried yarn. My cousin likened the pattern to flying birds.

This is a modified griddle stitch. My mistake started from the very beginning, when I inadvertently crocheted the pattern in the reverse. Technically I crocheted the last row incorrectly as well, bit I don’t think most people’s focus will be drawn to that. :D

I used 2 skeins of Michael’s Loops & Threads Impeccable (Fiber Content: 100% Acrylic; Yarn Colors: 01040 Black and 01005 White; Yarn Weight: 4, Worsted) with a I/9 – 5.5 mm hook. The scarf measures 70 (L) x 6.25 (W) inches. this project took my four days to complete, and that was with a braced finger.

The project name – Not The Doctor by Alanis Morissette – was the best choice as the recipient is not my doctor, but my case worker.

I will be writing up the pattern, but was eager to share another finished object.