Selecting what to do at the CGOA Chapter meeting

This month I had a difficult time trying to think of what to present at the CGOA Chapter meeting. I try to come up with a stitch, technique or book to share with the group. Sometimes it's tied to a holiday or seasonal theme, others just something interesting I've run across. Well, until last week I really hadn't decided, then a lot of things seemed to come together.
While sorting through some crochet stuff, I came across a swatch of a two color reversible stitch/technique. It was all yellow on one side, and white on the other, and I remember learning the technique from a book many years ago (ok, honestly it was many decades ago, probably in the 60's). The one color on each side is worked by working in the front loop of the last row and at the same time in the front loop of the row before. Then, in one of the online groups of which I'm a member, someone posted a link to an afghan using this technique. Then, remember that book I wrote about last week, the one on the waffle weave technique, these are related techniques, variations on a single crochet. That got me thinking about variations on single crochets, so I created a little sheet with the alphabet, and at the meeting asked everyone to think about the variations that they were familiar with. Try this, how many variations can you think of? Part of the project will be determining what constitutes a variation as opposed to a slightly different technique. For example, I considered a decrease a variation, you're making one single crochet, but across two stitches. But I listed an increase with a question mark, you're not making any variation in how you make the stitch, you're simple putting two or more of the basic stitch in the same place. I don't consider that a variation, but some people might. It was fun discussing all the variations, and how to make them, and all the various names for the same stitch. On that note, what stitch do you know that has more names than any other? The one that I think of, is a single crochet variation - the reverse single crochet,...also known as,...the crab stitch, shrimp, corded, piecrust edge, Italian edging,

Two Color Reversible Side one



Two Color Reversible Side Two

I then attempted to explain how to do the two color technique, and then I was going to show them to to do the waffle weave. I did get the two techniques intertwined in my brain, and confused everyone, but several people did get a nice waffle weave out of the two color I was trying to explain. Now I need to go back and get some links to websites with instructions and post those to the group.


Waffle weave in Read Heart Beach (bright blue & lime) with solid Lime green
I can't get my scanner to like this color combination. See what looks like white with a grey/pink tint, that's really a bright lime green!


This is a three color waffle weave, using country blue, frosty green and a variegated with blue, green and tan.
I really love this stitch combination. The fabric is very stretchy, soft, and warm. I've got several projects in my mind, but I've so many that I need to get finished first.