Seeking comfort in the colours of crochet during a very challenging week.
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| Close-up of finished slip stitch scarf. |
More pictures than print today because I am too tired to put words together.
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| Latest silk mohair scarf |
The latest silk mohair scarf came off the blocking board today.
It hangs on my dining room dresser.
Notice the dresser is empty?
That's because I have packed up all the china and emptied cupboards and shelves so we can move furniture to make way for new floors.
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| Empty cupboards! |
Even though I have tried to pace the task over days and weeks, it left me "shattered".
Extra demands worsened my symptoms and, of course, the fatigue.
So I am trying to rest and do quiet things whenever possible.
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| Alpaca scarf in progress. |
The double-ended crochet hook is making steady progress on the striped alpaca scarf and a steadying influence on my nerves too.
I am loving all the colours of the latest projects.
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| Two scarves finished this month. |
Despite fatigue, I've discovered a renewed design enthusiasm as I untwist some more hanks of silk mohair in readiness for something new.
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| Alchemy "Haiku" silk mohair 'Air & Fire' |
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| Alchemy "Haiku" silk mohair 'Paper Crane' |
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| Alchemy "Haiku" silk mohair 'Secret Agent Blue' |
I lose myself in the possibilities that these colours bring to mind.
beautiful yarn and love the finished projects.....
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gill. Nice to see you here again! :-) Thanks for taking time to say hello. I love making new friends, especially those who appreciate nice textiles. ;-)
DeleteAll of these yarns are stunning thanks to their beautiful colours. I try to find projects and yarns that complement each other.
The colours in that scarf are awesome. Hope your fatigue starts to lift soon. It is amazing how much you accomplish. kudos to you!
ReplyDeleteThose colours are awesome, aren't they, Mary-Anne? There are two scarves pictured. Does one take your fancy more than the other?
DeleteI haven't quite shaken off the fatigue - today I woke up with a cold! No wonder the fatigue hit me for six. Thank you for your kind encouragement but I am sorry to say that I haven't accomplished much in the past couple of days! Thank goodness it is a weekend. The plan is to rest as much as possible in the hope that I will wake up on Monday ready to go again. At least I have an excuse for crocheting all day instead of household chores! Take care xx
That silk mohair is just delicious!! Take care of yourself xx
ReplyDeleteOh it certainly is delicious, Michelle! Totally worth every expensive penny!
DeleteApart from being awake at 4:00 a.m. (God knows why!), I have been taking it very easy and yesterday did something I rarely do - stayed in my PJs all day - but I supposed it isn't hard to do when one is very sleepy. At least I can read and reply to you while the house is quiet and while I have a cuppa by my side (aha! That is why I am awake at 4:00 a.m. - the call of the chamomile tea!) :-)
How is your recovery coming along after your market stall? Take care of you too!
("yes, Mum!") hehehe xxx
Hello Jodie!
ReplyDeleteHow are you doing, my friend?
Sorry to hear about your fatigue, hope you feel better soon!
I love your scarf, that yarn must be so soft!
And the colours are just my thing, as you know! ;)
Hugs,
Ingrid xx
http://myfunkycrochet.blogspot.be
Hi Ingrid! I am glad that you are able to visit blogland more regularly again. How are you (apart from busily crocheting shawls)?
DeleteI'm okay. It is difficult to do anything much but rest so that is what I have been doing.
That silk mohair is the softest I have ever come across. Even though the scarf has an open pattern, when I put it on, it is toasty warm within a minute or two!
The silk mohair has truly spoilt me - it is hard to go back to my other scarves because they don't feel as soft in comparison.
I can't decide whether to combine the silk mohair hanks with contrasting colours like my previous scarves or to come up with a monochromatic design that will show off the different tones in the one hank. What colours would you combine with the ones above?
May every day be bright with colour! xx
Oh, I hope you will get better soon, I know how it feels when daily life is difficult to manage because of poor health. YOur scarfs look gorgeous and the mohair yarn is just beautiful. I haven't crocheted with mohair yarn yet. Is it difficult? All the best to you, Viola
ReplyDeleteThanks, Viola. I know that you 'get it' when it comes to adjusting one's life around health issues.I hope this reply finds you feeling well.
DeleteThe main difficulty with mohair yarn is the fluff factor! It can cause it to matt and tangle if you are not careful and can make it difficult to see your stitches. It can help to work the mohair strand (often very thin) together with a smooth, thicker strand of yarn.
The quality of the mohair makes a difference too (but isn't that true of all yarns?). I have had synthetic mohair-style yarn given to me and that wants to stick to itself very badly. Perhaps it generates static electricity which causes the strands to attract each other - I wonder... Maybe bad experiences with the cheaper synthetic product is the reason many knitters and crocheters are reluctant to buy the more expensive natural products.
If you think there is the slightest possibility that you may want to undo your work, I recommend a very loose tension on your mohair yarn. It will also help you to see the shapes of your stitches and the spaces between them. The tighter you pull your stitch after working it, the harder it will be to undo, so avoid pulling up too hard after each stitch.
Patterns in which you work into chain-spaces are easier with mohair than working into individual stitches. Chain stitches are easier to undo than triple trebles where the yarn twists around the stitch.
The actual crocheting is no more difficult than any other yarn. It moves on an off the hook just as easily. Just keep in mind the fluff factor if you think you will need to undo it at any stage!
I wrote about mohair last year which has more information about the fibre and more tips: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/method-to-mohair.html or click on 'mohair' in the 'word cloud' in the right column to find all the posts concerning mohair.
Good luck with your mohair adventures, Viola!
Wow! Sorry about the long reply, Viola! You got me started, didn't you? :-)
DeleteI am sorry you are having a tough time at the mo, it is just so frustrating when the slightest little extra knocks you back. i really hope you soon feel a bit stronger. The scarves are both so different but gorgeous, I can't decide which I like best :-) The yarn is great too, it looks so soft but maybe not the easiest to work with? Take care of yourself, hugs. Sharon x
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sharon for your caring thoughts. This time it was one "little extra" after another with barely enough recovery in between. Today I discovered I've caught a cold on top of it all - one more "little extra" which is like the drop of water that causes the bucket to overflow.
DeleteI don't like being laid up for too long otherwise it is harder to regain one's strength again.
Those scarves really are quite different in so many ways, but both warm and snuggly with eye-catching colours. Now that you mention it, their contrast looks great in the photo.
You are right, the yarns are not the easiest to work with but not too hard either - totally worth the effort. Have you ever crocheted with mohair or other fluffy yarns?
I hope you are feeling better this week too. Hugs, xx
Hi Jodie, I;m so sorry to hear that you've had a challenging week. It so often sucks that fatigue hits just when you need a bit of extra energy to cope with something you had planned for - but it is always that pants thing to remind you despite all the planning you are not always in control (however frustratingly). My flare is reducing as I'm back on steroids again and so feel for you immensely. Your makes however are completely gorgeous and must help on the mental positivity front. I adore that blue mohair. You know I never knew that you had to re wind shanks like that? I'm so daft! I wish you lived closer and I would help you with your tasks - I really would, something shared is always so much easier. I hope that the balance of rest v activity gives you renewed strength in the coming week. Sending you a virtual hug and a couple extra spoons for good measure, J9 x
ReplyDeleteI feel for you too, Janine! Steroids are the pits. I hate them. Sometimes the side effects are worse than the original illness and then there's the hassle of having to wean off them over a course of weeks and months well after the original flare has settled down. Nevertheless I am glad your flare is responding to treatment and hope you feel better every day. I'm glad the blue mohair helps you to feel better too. Feel free to stare at it as long as you like - that's what I do and it helps! If it helps, do it! :-)
DeleteThank you for generously sharing your precious spoons. That's very sweet. Thinking of spoons, I just realised that my tea cup is empty which means I have probably been awake too long in the wee hours replying to everyone. That's the problem with fatigue and sleeping at all times of day and night - it messes with the sleep cycle. I had better be kind to my body clock and go back to bed now!
Healing hugs to you too xx
Oh I hope you fell better very soon .... You didi a great work on the scarfs !! I'm impressed ! I love your mohair skeins too. I got some mohair fleeces I have to prepare and spin ... I've never spun mohair yet ... I'll see how it is ! Have a lovely day !
ReplyDeleteHi Géraldine, I am starting to come good today. I am sure all the good wishes from you and everyone else have helped! I'm glad you like the scarves. What will you make with your mohair fleece once it is spun? Do you need to spin it with another fibre? Please let me know how you go. I would love to be able to link to your discoveries and add it to my "Method to the Mohair" blog entry. I would like to learn to spin one day but am kept busy with so many fun crochet projects!
DeleteGood luck with the mohair fleece. :-)
Hi.... I am just wondering what the yarn used on the rainbow coloured scarf is..thx beUtiful n work 🌻🌻..
ReplyDeleteHi Heather,
DeleteBoth featured scarves have rainbow colours in them.
You can find the details in the blog entries "Slip Stitch (Bosnian Crochet) Scarves" (June 2015):
http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/slip-stitch-bosnian-crochet-scarves.html
and "Silk Mohair Scarf Delivery" (July 2015):
http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/silk-mohair-scarf-delivery.html
I am sorry I don't know how to make a direct link appear in a comment but you can cut and paste the web addresses from here into a browser or use the Blog Archive list on the right hand side.
Have you made any scarves? If so, have you posted any pictures of them online? I love seeing what other people make.