Friday, February 15, 2008

I can get back to work now


You know what's really fast? Crochet. Crochet is really fast.

I don't really know how to do it, though. Sure, I made a pair of mittens, but the texture of my mittens is not the same as that of the mittens in the actual pattern I used! It's like setting out to knit a seed-stitch scarf and ending up with ribbing -- it's fine and it works, but... huh? What happened?


What I think happened is that I was half-double-crocheting into just the front half of each stitch, when I probably should have been going under the whole loop. (Make sense?) The mitts are not worked in a continuous spiral, but rather in one round, then you stop and turn and go back around, and so on. So the inside and outside are identical, and there's an extra-holey "seam." Anyway, I don't really know what I'm talking about... I don't have a handle on crochet vocabulary.

Once I got to attaching the thumbs, I abandoned the pattern and just winged it. One thing I like about crochet is that it is very sculptural, and you can see what you're "building" as you go. I knew I didn't just want the thumbs sticking out from the hands, so I tried to "build" a different shape, more like a knitted mitt with a thumb gusset. Oh, and I did get the ribbing at the bottom right, so I did understand fpdc and bpdc correctly.


So there you go: quick (but certainly not windproof) mittens. They're cute. Because of the crochet look, I actually think of them more as hand cozies than mittens.

OK, no more excuses. My reading list and the bathtub are calling to me...

21 comments:

DesiLoop said...

These look good u know... But you are right... going through the entire loop would have given you the right texture.

No worries, next time on...

The red is gorgeous... I love red !!! :)

Take Care
-eSS

Anonymous said...

crochet mittens extra large with non-superwash wool, then felt them. Takes away the seaming holes, the stitch holes, any hole crochet may have left. Windproof crochet mittens!!

Nadia said...

Crocheted lace is also super fun and fast, but I won't mention that since I'm sure you have Very Important Readings to read. I certainly wouldn't offer to mail you some patterns or booklets because that would just be mean. I'll just compliment you on your mittens instead.

I love the bright red of your mittens!

Chris said...

Cute! Now I wonder what will be the next siren song...

Montreal Mama said...

I saw them in person and just loved them! :) I tihnk you did a fabulous job. I can't crochet for the life of me - so yey to you!

Jean Genie said...

Yup, it's because you were just going through the single loop instead of both. I think they even call it the rib stitch. I actually prefer the look of your mittens to the original!

JustApril said...

I concur with Jean, yours are prettier. I don't understand crochet either, yet - Hey that's almost like admitting I might learn it someday.

FUZZARELLY said...

I like crochet because it is so FAST! If something goes awry, ripping and redoing is a snap. Hats and mittens are great crochet projects.

Crocheted doilies are my favorite thing, though.

You must investigate.

La Cabeza Grande said...

Yeah for crochet! You get your useful item and instant gratification fix, all rolled into one. I just did a 2-day hat and neck warmer for that very reason.

I like your version of the mittens,too. PhD on!

Anonymous said...

Cute mittens! I actually like your version better. The most I can do with crochet is make an edge around my knitting.

ingrid said...

They look really neat, even if they don't look like the original pattern You're obviously a very resourceful gal!

I can't help you with the crochet lingo -- I only know how to do a chain in order to do a provisional cast on.

Anonymous said...

I did the front loop thing for years--YEARS--before I realized that going through both loops makes a difference. I love the textural look of your mitts!

Sally Comes Unraveled said...

I think crocheting in one loop is exactly why yours came out different. And I wouldn't worry about too much. (Some patterns actually call for crocheting in the back loop to create that affect. The main thing is that now you understand why.

Anonymous said...

I think that's what happened, too. But ... is this some kind of crochet heresy? ... I like them even better that way!

kris said...

they are so cute! well done! now i desperately want red mittens too.

i have no idea about crochet either - i mean, i love doing it but half the time i have no idea what's happening. so many different stitches! and they're all called different things in uk and us patterns! (and then there's the norwegian ones, and the french, and ...)

Anonymous said...

Cute! Crochet is so fast and fun, I agree. I hope they keep your fingers cozy!

Stacey said...

look at you - you came up with your own pattern! :)

Seanna Lea said...

The sculptural qualities of crochet are one of the reasons I love the idea of freeform crochet, though I'm pretty bad at it. I just don't know what I am hoping to make so I end up with random curls and swirly things. One of my friends is pretty good at the freeform crochet and doesn't need patterns for anything crocheted.

nstssj said...

Great mittens! Also, good luck with comps---yipes!

Scrappy Raven said...

I think your stitch looks a little more decorative.

Jennifer Lori said...

I had to laugh when I read your post - for my first 10 or so crochet projects I couldn't figure out why all my results had that staggered look when the pattern showed a nice smooth finish. You are (as pointed out by many others as well) correct- had you gone through both strands of the previous row's stitch you would have obtained a smooth fabric. Going through only the front or back strand is often done diliberately...just not in that particular pattern.