The Hybrid and Triphid

I bought a new crochet book called Crochet Inspirations that has really cool stitches and motifs, I've been doing sample swatches of different stitches. I decided that I really liked the Peephole Stitch and decided to use up some of my stash to make a wrap/shawl. Of course I get into it and realized I am doing the stitch wrong! So I've got a hybrid stitch going on. The stitch calls for a row of cross-over half double crochets and the a row of singles done in the front loop only. Of course mine are in the back loop, I think I like it my way better! It's also crocheted long ways, which I think looks prettier in the finished product.

We have had almost no rain this summer and it shows. I had a beautiful fern that had been doing so well out by the hot tub, and it was a brown mess! So I got the scissors out and chop chop! I cut all the brown out and put it in a slightly bigger pot. My lovely Mother does this with her plants sometimes, cuts them back to one lonely triphid and they come back like crazy! So here is what it looks like now:


I cut a huge amount off, mostly around the bottom edges, the center seemed to remain greenish. I will post the progress of the triphid in days to come!

Shrinkage

Here is a picture of the purse/tote I started last Thursday night and finished last night on Saturday. I started out as being a medium sized tote, but after I took it out of the washer I could still see the stitches although it was felted. So I threw it back in! I have a front load machine, so I couldn't really check it until the cycle was finished, when I took it out it was now a small purse! LOL, but the felting is dense and you can't see the stiches, just like I like it. You can see in the photo that I picked up two skeins of Patons Merino Wool and forgot to check the dye lot! MY BAD! But in person you can't really tell. The pattern is from Family Circle Easy Crochet magazine from Fall/Winter 2005.

Tomorrow starts my new job, I wasn't nervous, but I'm getting there! I'm not looking forward to how exhausted I'm going to be!

Finally Finished!

I finally finished the wrap/shawl I was making, you know the one that started as an afghan and ended up a shawl since I ran out of yarn! Well I was adding the fringe and ran out of yarn again! I went to every Michael's and Joann's around me and they didn't have it anywhere! So I asked my friends on Crochetville.org (a bunch of crocheting guys and gals!) and a crocheter in Michigan found it and mailed out to me! It was so nice! And I gave it to Rochelle, my neighbor, for all the support she gave me over the last couple of months. So here it is!

The color looks weird, so here is a close up of the same, the color here is closer to the real deal. The yarn is TLC Amore in Celery. The pattern is a variation of the Lilacs afghan in the July 2007 issue of Crochet! magazine. Rochelle loved it! I dont' know what's with me, but I'm really into the crochet right now!

On another note, I got a job! I start on Monday, Oct 15th, and I can't wait. The people seem really great and it is everything I was looking for!