New Runner

For some reason, I adore these interlocking circles, and the finished product (with border) is lovely. I also like working from a chart. So this makes for a good (smaller) thread project.  Pattern here. It's not in English, but the chart is clear and helpful.

I'm not sure yet how big I'll make it, but I'll keep you posted.

Table Topper in Thread

This year's item for a school auction is a round pineapple table topper.  This one is worked in size 10 thread, so it is significantly larger than the one in the pattern.  There's not much to say, except that it's a logical pattern that I enjoyed working, particularly after the center section. (For some reason, I like to work pineapples; I'm not sure why.) It took me about a month to finish it.

Here are some photos of it while it's blocking.

And here is the final product.  I am very pleased with this piece. I think it's elegant, and I hope it fetches a good price at auction.

Largish Doily

I'm working on a thread doily for my cousin to use in her upcoming June wedding. She has opted to use several doilies for her reception tables, and I LOVE the idea.

She selected this pattern. The site is a little obnoxious to me and requires registration, but I haven't received emails from them since I first signed up.

I initially used size 10 thread with a size 5 steel hook, but it was a little too loose, as seen in this photo. I started over with a size 7 hook and got much better results.








I took a pretty good break over the Christmas season, at which point I was gifted a few Jo-Anne gift cards, and I treated myself to a very nice set of steel hooks. The good news is that the hooks are comfy and high-quality; the bad news is that they don't include size 5 or 7. I went with a 6 and had no trouble.

 Here are a few photos of progress. I'll make a few more notes about construction when it's finished.

Snowflake Doilies

This pattern is from Mypicot.  I am a big fan of their large, easy-to-follow charts.

These come out large and are better as window snowflakes than tree snowflakes.  In my case, they are intended as small doilies for my grandmother to put under her dinner candles.  She's an 88-year-old widow who still lights candles at every single dinner.

Snowflake Extravaganza

I have this ambition to make an heirloom bedspread in thread crochet, and as a result, I am in possession of nearly 2 miles of white cotton thread and about 8 finished bedspread motifs.  (I don't anticipate finding myself with a finished bedspread any time soon; perhaps I'll finish it by the time my daughter is ready to move out of the house.)

I have used this thread to make several other things in the meantime--the dresser scarf I've already posted about, the table runner that is currently hibernating, several bookmarks and other small sundries.  Since the thread is no longer dedicated solely to bedspread construction, I now spend lots of time doing thread crochet.  My mom tells me I look very focused when I work; I think really I'm just trying to see the stitches.

At any rate, I now present for your viewing pleasure several snowflakes I've constructed for my co-workers. I found all of the patterns for free on Ravelry. I didn't get good detail shots of the ones I made for work because the camera battery died as I was rushing out the door to deliver said snowflakes.  Still, I have a group shot.

I also made snowflakes for the kiddos in my life to contribute to their growing ornament collections.   The photos below include shots before and after blocking in order to demonstrate the difference a little patience makes. Some of the ones I made for work are merely starched and pressed rather than blocked; the ones I made for the kiddos turned out much better.

Elder Niece is quite a good crocheter herself, so I went ornate.  To the left is fresh off the hook.  To the right is the pinned and stiffened finished product.  Pattern is the first one here.

Nephew is getting a pointier ornament.  The blocking process is very important in this ornament, as is clearly seen in these two shots. Find the pattern here.

My son chose the most involved snowflake to add to his collection.  The one on the left is pretty; after blocking it has a lot more structure. Here is the pattern.

Younger Niece's snowflake has more structure on its own because of the heavy outer stitches.  Blocking makes it pointier, but it doesn't change it much. It's the first pattern on this page.





Daughter's is made more elegant by blocking. It's the second pattern here.

This is my first attempt at snowflakes.  For blocking, I pinned them to a piece of cardboard covered in plastic wrap, sprayed them with heavy starch, and let them dry overnight.  They are holding their shape for now, but they aren't stiff, and I imagine they will be a little less structured as time wears on. Of course, they are washable and can be reshaped.

Next time, I'll likely make a glue and water solution, soak and pin them, and let them dry.  I think they will be more durable that way.

One last shot of a snowflake under construction.

Thread Crochet Table Runner

  Update 3/2/2012: I picked this back up in mid-January and finished it at the end of February.  I blocked it and ironed it, and then I promptly proceeded to ruin it.  I burned it with the iron.  I had about a week to try and salvage it before the auction, so I dyed it with tea to hide the burns.  It's not perfect, but it's a lot better.  The auction is tomorrow, so we shall see what it earns.

Update 11/4: Here's the first week's progress.  I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month, so progress will be slow for November.  This table runner will definitely require blocking, but I think it will turn out nicely.












I've begun work on a thread crochet table runner using this pattern.  I plan to offer it at an auction to benefit my son's school.

There's not much to say about it at this point.  It's worked in size 10 thread with a size 7 steel hook.  It's a logical, easy pattern that progresses quickly, the sort of item that you can hook while watching Fringe and still follow the story line.

It's likely that I will put it down for a few weeks while I engage in NaNoWriMo, but there's a good long while before the auction, so I'm in no hurry.

Here's hoping nostalgia will fetch a decent price!

Dresser Scarf

This is a dresser scarf I made for my mom last Christmas.  I used motif pattern 4004 from mypicot.com , size 10 crochet thread, and a size 7 steel hook.  I am very interested in thread crochet but have yet to develop the patience to see a large-scale project through.

mypicot.com has fun, modern motifs.  I recommend the site to anyone who is interested in thread crochet but who wants to do something other than vintage crochet.

 

           

               Here is a detail of the motif.