Friday 15 April 2016

A Bit of This A Bit of That...

When Diane first made this rectangle doily, I thought straight away I'd want to make it too!  I believe she is now working on her second one.  I finally made a start.



As you can see there is a little bit of a curve going on there which means there will be some tension when this needs to be straightened when attaching the other side.


Yes, there is a bit of tension but it's not too bad and it will be sorted out with a bit of blocking.  This could be fixed by adding/removing a few stitches here and there but the nice thing about this design is that everything is made with 4s:  the rings are 4-4-4-4 and the chains are 4-4-4... so it would be a shame to mess with that.  It also makes it a really easy pattern to memorise!

The other little thing I was working on is these simple medallions with bare threads.  I do like the delicate look of tatting with bare threads.  I don't know how far I'll get with it but I thought I'd show you what I have so far.




Maybe you can see better on a dark background?

The one on the left is a messed up one which will go in the bin.



And I have a question for you:  would you make a blanket in cotton?  I'm thinking of making a new blanket which is being released as a CAL (Crochet Along) by its designer:  Jane Crowfoot.  The pattern calls for cotton to be used... but I'm not sure I like the idea of a blanket made of cotton yarn.  Do you?  When I think of a blanket, wool seems much more appropriate.

I tried the first motif in both to see how it looked.  The wool is on the left and the cotton on the right.  You can see that the cotton colours are more vivid and the stitches more defined.  The wool is more "fluffy" and although the colours are quite close, they are a bit more muted.


I also enjoy crocheting with wool a lot more than I do with cotton.  So what do you think?  Would you make a blanket out of cotton?  Or would wool be your preference?  I always love to hear what you think!


Best wishes,
Frivole


13 comments:

  1. I crocheted wonderful blankets for all five grandchildren - big ones, which they still use. They are all cotton blends, are washed often and look brand new. I don't use wool, as I am allergic to it, and the moms wanted cotton anyway, so that was that.

    The yarn I used was usually quite thin. Some blankets were made using several strands together. ( I had great choice as I was working in the wool shop at the time)

    All baby blankets I have made have been cotton as well. Not a fan of wool!

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  2. Ah, that's very interesting to hear Fox, thank you for that! But a cotton blanket won't be very warm, will it?

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    1. I suppose I am the wrong person to ask about that... I have never had a wool blanket - causes a rash. And I wear unlined Blundstone boots all winter long and have for about 18 years with only cotton athletic socks! And my feet stay warm and dry. Go figure.

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  3. Love your new doily, I like the colour you are using, look forward to seeing how it works out, a little curve might just work itself out as you do another row.
    Not a fan of bare threads but they look lovely
    Cotton or wool, depends is it a blanket for summer use or just winter or both, cotton can be warm on the chilly summers night, if you are making fir winter then wool might be best or you could go for a cotton mixture which would solve the question of wool or cotton. Both samples look ok
    Margaret

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  4. Definitely, I've made many blankets in cotton. They are quite warm and wash well. Love the bare thread motif, it is very delicate.

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  5. Cotton is heavy enough to make pretty blankets, I have got for 40years one crochetted by my granny (I remember her making it when I was 10-13), it weights 6kg and it's wonderful during autumn and spring.

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  6. Looks like a great start to your rectangle doily!! :)
    Love the medallions!!! :)
    I don't have knowledge in knitting or crocheting so I am of no help, sorry! :)

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  7. I never made a cotton blanket, but I have knitted socks in many different fibers. Cotton works up nicely, but is not warm in winter. It's enough to keep one's feet warm on a cool spring/autumn evening, but definitely not warm enough to wear on a winter day. Wool, on the other hand, is wonderfully warm. A cotton blanket would be nice for a cool evening (as are the socks), but if it is to be used in winter, I would choose wool.

    I, too, love bare thread medallions. Your look so pretty and delicate.

    Have fun with the rectangular doily. Your 'start' is very pretty.

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  8. I think a cotton blanket would be nice for a cool June day when you sit outside, reading or tatting. M the kind of day where if you were moving you'd be fine but just sitting, you need a little something extra or on a cloudy day.
    I've been thinking of that rectangular doily too. The negative spaces are so interesting.

    I'm never very happy with bare thread when hiding ends, what's your solution?

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  9. Would I make a blanket in cotton? Definitely. Good for babies, particularly if organic cotton (cotton and strawberries have the highest pesticide use of any crop). Hypoallergenic if organic, easily washable...however, it depends on where it will be used. I live in the desert with low humidity, and except for a few weeks in winter, warmth isn't needed....just merely keeping the chill off. I originally was from western Oregon which is damp...and cotton absorbs moisture from the air and doesn't retail n warmth well when wet, whereas wool does. My guess is in England I wouldn't choose cotton. If the yarn is thick it could be heavy to lie under. But you know all this....i love wool. I would use wool, myself unless a compelling reason to go with cotton.

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  10. Cotton blankets are lovely, and I would definitely make one. I actually have a lovely pattern stashed away, that I really should try to make up. So many patterns, so little time ;)
    The doily looks like a great pattern, and the medallions are super cute. I have never tried bare threads, I am just a novise tatter so I am sure I would have problems getting the bare threads even in length. But it sure is lovely :)

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  11. If I weren't distracted by other projects, I would have my second Concentric Rectangles doily finished, and I would probably be on my third or fourth by now. I love that pattern! A little steam press seems to work quite well for getting everything to lie flat. When school is out, I'm going to try the rolling pin method of blocking to see if it works for me. Was it Muskaan who showed that?

    I love your motif, although I struggle with bare thread tatting. No matter what method I use, I can't seem to create consistent bare thread lengths.

    My mom crocheted a cotton bedspread for my dad years ago. She passed it on to me, because it was too heavy. I didn't have a king size bed, so I passed it on to daughter Alison. It was too heavy for Alison, so she passed it on to daughter Joanne. Joanne loves it! I've never asked about the warmth, but it is gorgeous! I assume that the weight depends on the pattern. Mom's was very solid, made up of what I would consider counterpane motifs. It will be interesting to see what you make!

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  12. Beautiful work on both the tatting projects. It will be fun to see how they look when finished.

    If I want to use cotton I make sure I use a cotton blend. I find it helps with the weight issues. As I'm not allergic I prefer wool; although I have found some great acrylic blends that work well.

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