Chain Necklace

Chain, Chain, Chain

Knitter's Journey

This is a kit I picked up at the Knit & Crochet Show in Minneapolis. The picture is a little dark, but it is made with silver wire and purple beads. Right now I'm not sure I like crocheting with wire. The whole process was very tedious and I am such a perfectionist that I wanted all the chains to be the same. The advice I was given was not to fight it and let the crochet hook do the work. That's what I tried to do. The only change I made was to twist the strands (I made four) before attaching the clasp. It is a pretty necklace and one I will wear, I just doubt if I'll make another one anytime soon.

Projects in Progress

This is the start of my very first attempt to design a garment. I want to make a cotton lace top that fits loosely so a tank top can be worn underneath, or it could be worn as a vest during the colder months.

So far I have a swatch completed. It is made from size 10 mercerized cotton. Yes, it will take a lot of thread and will take some time and it uses a small steel hook. I don't mind. Many of my very first projects were doilies and Barbie-doll-type clothes. The next step is to block the swatch for the gauge. Then the sizing charts, graph paper, and a calculator will take over my work area.

Wish me luck!

What I Am Reading

Still reading Saving Fish From Drowning, by Amy Tan. I haven't gotten very far this week. Our Americans think they are guests of a primitive village, while the village people think one of the Americans is a god re-incarnated--I think.

Other Stuff

There isn't a whole lot going on in my area of the country. The weather is beautiful for late August and the pollen count is very high. I did find out some of my health issues are due to allergies, so the better part of the weekend has been spent trying to get rid of as much dust and pet dander as I can. This is turning in to a very difficult job, especially with two dogs who spend a lot of time in the house. If I can keep them out of the bedroom, I can at least have a pet dander/dust free place to sleep.

I am slowly getting more items up at DinaMarieCrochet. Come on over and check it out. I am still offering 10% off. Use BLOGGER01 for the coupon code. Once I get everything in, I just may have to have a bigger sale.

Have a good week!