Teal crosses

Wow, cutting it fine this month - right up to the wire on bashing out a blog post! Nearly there now on this 'blogging every month in 2014' New Year's resolution. It's been good, I feel like I've actually been pretty productive in showing you my stuff.

It's another scarf blog this month you'll be thrilled to hear. I do make things other than scarves, I've just been so preoccupied with this mammoth blanket project (which needs to be ready for Christmas) that I haven't had much time for anything other than mini-sideline projects.

If you're a regular reader (pfffft! Hahahaha! Deluded) then you might remember this project where I was using some lovely silky (but splity) wool I'd bought from Northern Cyprus whilst on holiday there. I was holidaying in Cyprus with my friend Chrissie, staying with her mum, and so I thought it would be nice to make her a present in the wool I had bought whilst there with her. This delicious teal yarn looked just like her. Obviously I made a scarf because, well, I'm lazy.

It was pretty quick to knock this up beauty using a pattern from Ravelry. I get most of my patterns from there. If you're on Ravelry and want to add me as a friend my name on there is CraftyTort.

My absolute favourite job in the world - sewing in ends. Gah!

I didn't take many photos of the scarf in progress, as I started it in the back of a car driving up to Newcastle for a friend's birthday. And then a few weeks later I broke my phone with the photos on, by dropping it down the loo. Clumsy oaf.

My second favourite thing to do is blocking

 Cool crosses bro'

Blocking is my crochet nemesis. Why must it take so long? It has to be the least fun part of the whole process. I find it all - trying to measure out and pin the item evenly, sticking pins into layers of towels, burning yourself with iron steam - quite unpleasant. It was necessary for this project though, because the ends were curling up on themselves and the width was different in places.
I learnt from the autumn leaves scarf project and this time didn't expose the yarn to the steam for quite so long. This prevented it from losing elasticity - as the yarn in the earlier project had.

Word up iron

*Obligatory drum roll please*

 

 *Cue oooooooooh noises*

 

I like how the ends are shells, although it does make them flare out a bit.

 

ZIGZAG!

Lovely stuff. I'm pleased with that one! Hope you've had a cracking November and I shall see you in December. Can't believe 2014 is nearly over, I don't feel like I've been awake for most of it!

x x x