Saturday 1 February 2014

Spreading Myself Thin… and Your Advice Please

I have so many things on the go at the moment that I feel I'm spreading myself a bit too thin!  There is the granny square blanket which now has 75 squares.  Then my eldest son, who never has any of my handmades anymore asked me for a scarf because he's cold.  He wanted dark red with flecks.  So I found this perfect wool which is Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran.  Nothing frilly for him, just a nice, plain(ish) rib-type pattern which I'm very pleased with:  it's the mistake stitch scarf.

This is the scarf whilst I was still on the first ball of wool and I'm now nearly finished with the second ball.  So progress is being made.


Then I wanted to make a couple of pretty things for my mother-in-law's birthday coming up.  I saw this pattern for a pot-holder which looked cool.  I wanted to try the stitch which was interesting.  It's a doubled up single crochet stitch.  It makes for a great texture and very thick fabric.  Perfect for a pot-holder.  I will add a nice shell edge when I'm finished.

The colour is more interesting in real life; it's a pale blue-grey-lilac colour.  I will edge it in a different colour to make it look more interesting and also add some flowers near the hanging loop (to be added at the end).


See how thick a fabric this makes?


You crochet in the back of the loop,
and also take in the back loop from the row below.
This makes it a bit slow growing because it's like
making half rows every time but I really like
the texture it produces.

You can see in the last photo below how there are
two layers but they are crocheted at the same time.
Clever.  I like it.

should anyone be interested.

And then, whilst I'm working on my current blanket, I'm already thinking of the next one I'd like to make!!  I must be mad.  I fancy making one in colours to match our living room.  I've been trying other types of granny squares.  And I've fallen in love with Drops Merino Extra-fine wool.  Gorgeously, scrumptiously soft and wonderful to crochet with.  I can't stop handling this wool, it's so wonderful.  Aaaaah.  Heaven.



And of course, there's also MY TATTING.  I have the wonderful design from a couple of posts ago which I haven't made any progress on yet because I've been so busy with all these other projects!

This leads me to my question.  Should I keep this blog for tatting only and post about my other needlework projects somewhere else?  Another blog? Do you guys want to read about all I do or keep it to tatting only?  I have to say that throughout my life, I have always enjoyed many different types of needlework so in fact, it's been unusual for me to concentrate nearly exclusively on tatting for over three years!

So what do you think?

Best wishes,
Frivole


29 comments:

  1. personally i like hearing about other peoples crafts.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lots of us do more than one craft. I say talk about whatever you are doing on this same blog.

    The yarn looks yummy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you're right there Martha. If you're a "crafty" person, it's hard to stick at just one, isn't it? Too many wonderful things to do and try!

      Delete
  3. Please- tell us about all the crafts youu're doing here. I have the feeling most tatters do other crafts, too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh yes, show everything here! I love looking at tatting for sure but many crafts are of interest and your work is so lovely. Please put it all here!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow that scarf is nice and fine to see you are very talented it great to see all!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love reading about your knitting and crocheting!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dear Frivole, You have done a lot of beautiful tatting during the last years. You deserve a break. By the way, the things that you are making now are aso very nice. The grey, white and burgundy colors look super!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love seeing other fiber crafts that tatters indulge in. It helps ease my guilt over flitting from one pattern and craft to another! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Less than 10 projects??? I think I have at least 6 crochet and at least 20 tatting projects going right now. I do finish eventually...I finally got to interlocking crochet over the winter break, and after I rewrite the patterns, it is fun. Tell us everything! We love it!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I post my feeble attempts at knitting on my tatting blog. I think there are lots of other tatters who also post their other fiber-crafts on their tatting blogs. I think anyone who does even one type of fiber art is likely to be interested in other types. I don't know how to crochet, but I love seeing yours; it reminds me of my great-aunt.

    Besides, who has time to manage more than one blog?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Miranda! You're right about the blog too! With everything else that goes one, one blog is probably more than reasonable! :-)

      Delete
  11. I really like to read about all the different projects people do as well as tatting. It makes for a more well rounded person. Splitting up crafts to different blogs would be tiring after awhile.
    You are you and you do all of these different things. I for one like to know the whole person, not just one aspect.
    As for the items you posted today. Very nice.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Since I write about more than just tatting on my blog, I'm glad to see here a consensus that that's fine, we all are happy to read about more than one craft on a blog! You've been busy.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh please Joelle leave the blog as it is, it's so nice to see different things you are doing as well as your tatting. I know my blog is a complete mixture of other things I think it makes for a more interesting blog to read. I could be wrong, but I am enjoying reading your other crafts as well as your tatting
    Margaret

    ReplyDelete
  14. Since I am a huge fan of your aesthetic choices in all crafts, I'm delighted to see whatever you are working on, regardless of technique. That potholder is going to be really pretty. I think most of us hop around among fibre techniques. I know I do! I'm going digging in the stash to see if I have an appropriate skein and hook to try the potholder. Doesn't matter that I already have a shawl and a hat on knitting needles....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do let me know if you like the potholder! I've finished mine now and I really like the thick texture of it, wonderful.

      Delete
    2. I'm 2/3 of the way done with a potholder in acid green kitchen cotton (the color of new spring growth). The texture is fabulous! and it is so quick to work. I think I'll do one in tangerine next, and use the leftovers for decoration (tangerine on the green, and green on the tangerine). The double thickness really provides much better insulation than regular crochet, or double-knitting (which is double thickness, but much more open - allowing heat through the gaps between stitches). This might be a potholder that I will actually use (the others tend to hang as decoration, but I am always afraid of being burned by steam filtering through them, so usually did in the drawer for something with insulation). Thanks so much for sharing this pattern.

      Delete
    3. That was supposed to read 'dig' in the drawer. I really must do a better job of proofreading!

      Delete
    4. I'm glad you like it Suzanne! I bet it looks great in acid green… and with tangerine, even better! It does have such a great texture, doesn't it? I've finished mine now and will show it in my next post. This one's a gift but I think I'll have to make myself one and test its heat-protection abilities.

      Delete
  15. It's all good - I love your blog just as it is. I think of it as the blog of a person who tats, but she's not a one-dimensional person. I love reading about everything you get up to and I think I like it better that you share all sorts of things.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Megan! It's so nice to get all the positive replies. I was a little worried that people had started following me for the tatting and whether they would like to read about all sorts of other stuff too! But as many have said, I guess most "crafty" people have more than one string to their bow and I know I like to read about other people's other stuff too!

      Delete
  16. Love to see it all! I, too, vote for keeping it all here on this blog...I love seeing whatever you are working on!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love seeing all of it! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love it in variegated way:)

    ReplyDelete
  19. So many lovely projects! I have always got lots of things on the go, so if I need a little break from one, I can do something else for a bit. I think it would be better to keep all your crafts on one blog - it's great to see what other people are working on!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I do a range of crafts and am always interested to see what other people are up to. I would say show all the crafts you wish to share, I would love to see them.

    Now I shall have to try the potholder (off to add it to my ever expanding list).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that's the problem, isn't it?? So many projects, so little time… :-)

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to write a comment, it's always appreciated!