Abydos pic

Abydos - DONE
Originally uploaded by saintlex

Here it is! :) I plan to get my fiance to take a pic of me wearing it soon. A few more pictures can be found here, but since I took them myself, I couldn't get the whole thing into the picture while I was wearing it. Still, they'll give you some idea of what it looks like on, if you're curious.

I am frustrated with the Sweetie Pie cami. I did the first 2 or 3 rows, only to discover that it was twisted and that I didn't count right for my starting chain. It took an awfully long time to get even that far along. I'm not sure I'm up for starting over yet. I think I'll work on something else for a bit. I really want to make a Farpoint Topper. Here's the Farpoint, modeled by Doris Chan:



Hope she doesn't mind my using her image here! She is the designer, after all. (The Farpoint is also in "Amazing Crochet Lace.") I want to use Lion Incredible in Autumn Leaves, which is the way the one in the book (not the one pictured here, which is Doris's own) was made.

I can't get started on it just yet, though. I am waiting to hear from Ms. Chan on the Ravelry forums, to find out if I can make it a little bigger somehow. My bust measurement is almost exactly the finished bust measurement of the Topper, which would make it too snug for my taste. I was going to just make it and pray that it would fit right, but then someone else on Ravelry asked a similar question, so I jumped right in. :) It is SO COOL to be able to ask Doris questions about her patterns. She rocks.

Abydos vest (WIP), modeled by me

Abydos vest (WIP), modeled by me
Originally uploaded by saintlex

It's now the length of the "short version," before blocking. I'm making it longer, though (hopefully tunic-length). :)

So happy with it!!

Abydos vest, take 2

I was able to get in touch with Doris Chan via Ravelry to ask her for suggestions regarding my size problem with the vest (being between the Medium and the Large). She gave me instructions for making the Medium a little bigger! Hooray!!! :) ♥ I am so grateful. She has since posted the instructions, along with instructions for some other sizes that weren't in Amazing Crochet Lace, in her blog. Go Doris!

I had to start the vest over, since I'd initially started making the size Large. I've only done the first 2 rows on my Medium vest now, but I know most of the rest of it will go fairly quickly if I keep at it, since the pattern is an easy one.

I'm a little bit worried about the yarn I'm using, since it's from Mystical Creation Yarns, which, as it turns out, is now out of business under some pretty weird-sounding circumstances. Loads of people have complained about bleeding dye with their yarns. The Sweet Pickle colorway that I'm using is fairly light colored, so I'm not as worried about bleeding dye as I would be with darker MCY yarn; but I am a little concerned about what may happen after the garment is washed. When I get a chance, I will make up a swatch and try washing it. I really hope it'll still be OK. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

I'm going to a folk festival today, and I'm seriously debating bringing my crochet with me. ;) I don't really want to carry it around, but how much fun would it be to work on it while listening to good live music?! Hmmmm. I guess I'll go for it.

It's supposed to rain today...Hopefully I won't have to find out about the bleeding dye that way! Meep. I will bring plastic bags to protect the yarn.

Abydos vest

Last night, I started working on the Abydos Vest from Amazing Crochet Lace by Doris Chan. (Picture at left ganked from Doris' Flickr photostream!) I am very excited about it. It took me a long time to figure out what yarn to use, but I finally decided on Rayon Chenille from Mystical Creations Yarn. I then had to wind it, which was difficult. I had to abandon the first skein because it got too tangled, even with being around the backs of 2 chairs. *sigh* Still have 3 skeins, though (2 of which have now been successfully wound).

It's a tricky yarn to work with, since it breaks somewhat easily. I accidentally broke a strand while frogging a stitch, which was annoying. Is this the way chenille generally behaves, or is MCY just talented like that? ;) Anyway, I'm not too worried about that, as long as it doesn't break while I'm wearing it!

I'm a little worried about the vest measurements. The bust measurements for this pattern are 40" bust for Medium, and 46" bust for Large. Seeing as how my bust measurement is 39.5", I wasn't about to make the Medium--a vest that's practically the same size as my bust wouldn't really fit over any of my shirts, far as I know. But I'm afraid the Large will be too big for me. We'll see what happens, though! If I decide to make this fairly long (and if I have enough yarn for that), at least it will fit over my hips.

If I like the way this turns out and want a smaller one, I can make a size Medium in the short version and use a stretchier yarn. I think that would work?

Ravelry, WsIP

I got my invitation to Ravelry!

*bounce bounce bounce*

Now seems like a good time to stop slacking on the blog front. ;) Sorry I vanished for a while. I have been having health problems, and just haven't felt much like blogging these days. I have been crocheting, though.

Lately, I've made some more baby booties and some scarves that will probably be gifts. Nothing exciting enough for picture-taking. I've started some slightly more ambitious things in the past week or so, though.

I started working on the "Anisette Vest" from Amazing Crochet Lace by Doris Chan. Haven't gotten too far on it just yet, since it takes too much concentration for me to be able to watch TV while I'm doing it. ;P I am making it so I can wear it to my cousin's wedding in late October--I've got an adorable sleeveless black dress that just cries out for something like this. I'm making the vest in Mystical Creation Yarns rayon boucle in Domino, which is a black and white colorway (probably stating the obvious there!). I only have one skein, so I am praying I won't run out of yarn before I'm done!

I've also started up a pair of Fireside Slouch Socks. Don't know who I'm going to give them to yet, but I'm pretty sure they'll be a gift. I plan on making a few pairs to give to some friends and family.

And, last but not least, I've started making a little something for my sweetie. It's a surprise, and I know he checks this blog every once in a while, so I can't say what it is until after I've given it to him for his birthday on 10/19. :D I'm very pleased with the way it's coming out so far, though.

I still haven't finished my first pair of socks. Looks like the Fireside socks may become my first finished pair, instead. I'm not feeling so motivated to finish that first pair--I was never really wild about them. I hope I will do it eventually, though. Even if I don't want them, I'm sure someone will!

I picked up a copy of The Weekend Crafter: Crochet on sale a week or two ago. There's a really cute bag in there that I'd like to make, and a few other projects that look good.

There's a Lion Homespun poncho from an old issue of Crochet Fantasy Magazine that I really want to make for my mom for Chanukah. I have a lot of Homespun Mill Ends, and I don't think the dye lot varies much (if at all) in the yarn I've got that I want to use for it. Also, I may make mittens for my sister's family from one of the patterns on the Lion Brand site, also using Lion Homespun. I have a TON of Homespun! Gotta use it! :)