Hook Acquisition Syndrome hits again

For several months I haven't spent much time looking at eBay, then recently I started checking things again. I have saved searches for "crochet thread", "crochet pattern", "crochet hook" and "Sonshapes hooks", along with my "cookie jars". The last few times I've checked Sonshapes there have been no listings. But Saturday I checked again, still nothing, but I noticed a place to contact seller. Why hadn't I thought of that before?
So I sent an email telling how much I love the hooks, and how much I've missed new listings. Was there hope for new items? The seller responded that she had to go out of the business, the carving, sanding, etc was just too hard on her hands. She did have a few hooks left and was planning to list them on eBay. She offered to sell them to me,...well, I jumped and bought them all. Sent a payment, and only then really thought, "what will hubby say?" The hooks were on their way to me before I got a chance to tell him, I did suggest that he could save them for Christmas or my birthday if necessary. He said "nope, enjoy".
I had to go to the post office to pick them up today, but I have SEVEN new hooks, 2 size I, and a J, then 3 Tunisian size L, and a Tunisian size P. Each of the hooks is a different color. The Tunisian hooks are brown, slate gray, reddish, and green. I took some pictures. Don't know how soon I can get them added here.
But I'm loving the hooks.

Next doily finished

I finished the orange doily on Sunday evening, but I haven't had time to block it yet. I'm hoping to catch up on a lot of crochet things tomorrow, because I have the evening off work. But, it is Trick or Treat night, I will have to man the door and candy supply.
Tuesday evening at Borders I worked on the spiderweb runner. If I've calculated correctly, I'm about 5/6ths of the way to the finish line. Pun intended - runner, finish line. Yeah, not so funny.
I've spent a lot of time swatching stitch ideas for the Special Olympic scarves in Delft blue and white. One evening I tried about 6 different ideas, and frogged every single one. Last night, while crocheting and watching tv after work, I started a scarf in Tunisian. I've only gotten about 6 rows finished, but I have a feeling this one will be staying on the hook.
I'd like to find some time to catch up on my Ravelry reading. I've joined 37 groups, I think. If you're a "Ravelry" member, check out the Learn Crochet group. I've become a Jedi Master (instructor), and a moderator. It's fun and informative.

Today a reader posted a comment on my blog. She's interested in the two-color reversible technique that I showed at a CGOA meeting in March: At Thursday, October 23, 2008, momtothegreat said...
"I have been searching for this reversible, two-color pattern for over 30 years. I was given a beautiful baby afghan in several shades of pink, but have never been able to find instructions for it. Would you post the link where you found the pattern? Pretty please?"

I'd love to, but I can't see to find it! However, I did find several other sites that use the technique, which involves working into the current row, and the row below in one stitch. The result is one color on one side of the project and another color on the other side.

"Double Sided Afghan"
"Two-Toned Reversible Afghan"
"Reversible afghan"

This last one looks like the pattern that I used for my original swatch when learning the technique. I think it was in the 70's sometime.

"Reversible afghan" This pattern is a little different, but similar in technique.


A similar technique is call the waffle weave or thermal stitch. I purchased a pattern book by the American School of Needlework called Learned to Do Waffle Weave by Nancy Nehring. This technique also uses working into two different stitches in two different rows at the same time, however, it results in a textured fabric which shows both colors layered.

Both techniques result in beautiful fabrics very different than what you usually create with crochet. I recommend that you expand your crochet skills and learn these techniques.

The yellow doily is finished!

Tuesday evening during CIP at Borders I worked the final round of the yellow doily. As I thought, the variation of 3sc, picot, 3sc did give me enough yellow thread for that final round. It looks very nice, also.
This doily needed more blocking than any doily I've ever done. It was all bunched, not cupped, or ruffled, but all scrunched up like knitted lace. I blocked it last night, and had to work hard at it. I pinned the inside rounds, started stretching it flat and pinning the next rounds, and before I could get more pins in, the first pins were pulling out. I finally got it stretched and pinned to a nice round shape. But this morning it looked like the inside and the outside looked great, but the middle areas need a little more work. I think that I'll attempt to re-block and stretch the middle areas so the spiderweb designs are more attractive.

Doily Dilemna

Let me tell you a story about the yellow doily that I started last week. It's called Star Shine and it's in the booklet "Elegant Crocheted Doilies" by C. Strohmeyer.
Before I started I check the amount of thread called for in the pattern, it says "1 ball (282 yards per ball). I checked the ball of thread I was thinking of using "280 meters", then I did a conversion. 280 meters is a little over 306 yards. Ok, I have enough thread. I did a gauge check, smaller than stated with a size 7 hook, so I went to a size 6. The 6 is actually what's called for the in pattern, but I'm so used to using a 7 with #10 thread. Anyway, with the #6 hook, it was still a little smaller than the gauge stated, but I'm close with the yardage, so I don't move up to a #5 to get gauge.
Then, about 2/3rds of the way through I realize I'll probably run out of thread. I look at the picture, and check the remaining rounds and figure that I can change to a different color for the shells in the last couple of rounds. But I decide that I'd much rather have it all one color if that's possible, so I keep going. When it becomes obvious that I'll have to change colors, I frog back about 2 rounds.
Then, I start the shell border in multi-colored pastels. It looks pretty good with the yellow. But then I realize that the final round is all singles and picots, I can do that final round with the small amount of yellow.
Well then, you guessed it, not enough yellow for the final round. How close is it?

So, I start thinking about what color I could use as the final round if I keep the multi-color part. I like the idea of mint green, but doesn't match the green in the multi, blue? I have several shades that don't quite match, pink? Again, I have several shades, but don't want pink with yellow. White? nope, just doesn't go. So I started the final round again, with the multi, not totally happy. I put it down and walked away. I checked my email, browsed a little in Ravelry, made some posts, and went to bed. Before falling asleep, the brain said "what if?"
So here's my possible solution, work the final round with the yellow. Where the pattern calls for 4sc, triple picot, 4 sc; I'll work 3 sc, picot, 3 sc. That should give me enough extra thread for those final - what 12-15? - stitches. We'll see.

Doilies

Tuesday I worked more on the orange doily. How come my pattern doesn't have a name? Anyway, this doily is very "compact". I've worked row after row, and don't seem to be increasing the diameter at all. It's going to be a pretty little thing, and will be going to one of the ladies at our Crochet in Public group.
Thursday evening I started another doily,...wait, how many on the hook at the same time?
I received an order of thread from
"RA_Yarnsandmore", 3 balls of mint green, and 3 balls of parakeet, a beautiful blue that reminds me more of a parrot. The colors are so gorgeous, and it's been almost more patience than I have to try and ignore them. Well, for some totally unrelated reason I was browsing the books on my crochet shelf and got distracted by several books of doilies. Next thing you know I'm thinking about what would look good in that parakeet thread. And then I'm drooling again over a doily I had marked with a sticky note some time ago. THEN, yes, I hunted up the perfect yellow thread and started on that doily!
That's right, I'm guilty,...I couldn't help myself. It had spiderwebs, that's my new love, right up there with pineapples.... "Come on woman, show some restraint on the doily making".
Sorry, I can't. But, I guess the question now is "If I couldn't resist that new parakeet thread, how come the doily I had to start is yellow?" And how soon is that parakeet going to take over my mind and fingers and I have to start another doily"
I finished about 2/3 of the doily in 24 hours.

What's on the hooks?

School started, and I've got so much new paperwork that I'm falling behind on crochet paperwork and my blog. I've not been blogging, does that mean that I'm not crocheting? Hardly, so what's on the hooks?

In thread -
the spiderweb table runner is about 2/3 finished, and got set aside while I worked on other things
a doily in bright orange, that I started at a Tuesday night CIP, it's about 3/4 finished
need to select a motif for the Antique Threadwork CAL and work it up

In yarn -
Tunisian shawl for shawl ministry
Tunisian baby afghan for shawl ministry
Tunisian baby sweater design in progress
Christmas afghan in Victorian colors, almost finished

Today's project - grading papers