What I'm working on in January

Down here we are veeeery slow coming out of a summer holiday Christmas...we must have had the best weather ever, making these bodies and minds so lazy and full of sun and sand we didn't want to go back to school and work and life  :-D

But the new school year tends to get you from 0 to 100  in a few seconds and here we are in the second week of school and getting back to choosing extra-murals and prefect-challenge duties and what not!

I had grand plans of finishing a project or two during December, but having spent half my time at the lagoon and the other half in the waves, there was little hooking done.  I did start with a neutrals stash buster in the form of Yuli Nilssen's Moon Tide Scarf - except that it's a cowl, not a scarf,and my second take on this pattern.  

 Ever since I've seen this pattern the first time, I wanted to make an ocean-inspired scarf with it, in the colour of the sea as you take the slow turn at Die Bakke just before Mossel Bay. The water there has so many blues and greens and turquoise and silver like you can't believe...and Vinnis Serina has the colour, in Java Jade.

Except that the pattern then got lost in the colours :-(

That was then...

And two panels through a 3-panel scarf, I called it An End and frogged the lot.  

So, hence the neutrals stash buster, trying to use the basic scarf instruction and just joining into the start to create a cowl.  I'm aiming for five bands of colours, as I like an uneven number, but I'll see how it goes.

...this is now!

I am going very slow, as I'm sitting with a troubled right hand and stubborn trigger finger that might have to undergo surgery, so I'm alternating with The Dark Side and finally turned to my Voolenvine Smitten DK Outlander, of which I have One Skein, al the way from NY via Ireland, to the Garden Route!  I really want to be really sure of what I'm going to make with this, so surfed patterns for ages on Instagram, Ravelry and Pinterest.  This was narrowed down to Something Knitted, more specifically a scarf, either shallow or asymmetric triangle, in colour blocks of stripes.

Easy, eh?

Except that my top 5 choices seemed to be in Finnish with no English translation to be found On This Planet.  

But then I found the Different Lines pattern, oh yes! Except I've now also visited Linda's Treehouse just around the corner, and there are so many temptations lurking, so there's two colours more to be added to the Outlander and the cowgirlblues Airforce I planned to use with it...So now I'm on Parallelogram with five colourblocks and 724 false starts until I figured out what a yo.x is (newish knitter) and that I would actually like to do it in stocking stitch :-D

The play of these three yarns with each other!

And the Different Lines has another set of special yarns already waiting in the wings...

So I'm busy with those two, mainly.  And reading...reading off  my challenge list, of which I finished two Theme books:

1 - Antarctica - Die sneeu bly altyd wit (Morkel van Tonder) - short, but intense description of Scott's doomed race to get to the South Pole first.

2. Poetry - Katalekte (Breyten Breytenbach - not you typical beach read, as I did; a melancholic, self-depreciating collection of poems by this ex-exiled poet looking at his place in South Africa as he's ageing. 

3. A (younger) classic - That was then, this is now (S.E. Hinton) - I missed the age-rating of this move, when it was released, and because The Outsiders was always one of my favourite books, I was really happy to find this one lurking in a second hand store.

I think that's enough for January.  Together with moving furniture around and throwing things out (my equivalent of spring cleaning usually happens between Christmas and New Year!) and general decluttering/re-arranging/putting up shelving etc.

Knitting happens every second or third day and from now most likely while waiting for a school sport to finish!

And reading sometimes on the beach :-)

Too much frogging going on

I seem to be hiccuping a bit, not much going on at the finishing front here!

Two are two biiig wips hidden in my closet, one of which really hurt my shoulder last year, so it's hibernating a bit.  And I tried all kinds of other things, that doesn't work like I want it to.

I saw a really beautiful shawl, the Dragon Wing/ Lizard Shawl  by Jasmin Räsänen...ooh, I wanted to start immediately, and did so...and couldn't find joy.

I think it might have been the ridges.

...I frogged it here. 

I started the Monsoon Shawl twice now (no, correction, the yarn changed twice...) - first in dark navy Vinnis Serina - which didn't show the stitch pattern.  The I added Ivory.  Then I frogged and added jewel colours.  Then I frogged,

And started again, in the new Moya Caresse.  The colours worked beautifully...but I didn't like the pattern.

(Love the shawl, not the pattern?  Yes, that can happen).

But - frogged

Then I had coffee with a hooky friend who made this most beautiful scarf/shawl - I might have been a bit overcome with admiration, because she gave it to me!  Her work is always so beautiful and I'm truly honoured to show this off:

Simply Crochet saved my crochet drought with this little amigurumi packet and I quickly could make a little bat for my batman-besotted youngest one :-D

Mouse ears...on a bat?

It was a simple, easy pattern, even when doing it late at night by a fire!

And now I started with Cherry Heart's Painted Roses Throw.  This was why I bough the Moya Caresse, after I've seen the colours.  I really wanted to try in old, faded, vintage colours.  There might be one or two brighter ones in my selection already,  but things look promising!

Here goes...hoping to be finished by Christmas!

Catching up and taking stock

Time flies, eh, when...

a) you're having fun

b) but actually get busier with the boys at school

c) and really shut down most everything while the sisi is visiting here from Eire

d) and then it's crunch time when the man of the house does Ironman (2h20min improvement!) and a week later the 361 MTB Challenge (finished in 27h30min) so we all just crash for a while

e) but actually after 18 months you're still not totally in love with the Mac (So I don't work on it every day0

:-P

f) AND: Inflamed labrum. Tennis elbow. Pinched nerve. Trigger finger.  All On The Same Arm.

So everything is happening very slowly here. And the attention span is also prone to jumping all over the place, therefor some crossing to the Dark Side happened (that helped while nursing all the injuries).

Some WIP's, longer and shorter term...

The first ever meant-to-be-a-blanket!

When I first learnt to crochet,  way back in 2012 (2011?), I immediately wanted to make the Vintage Stripe Blanket. Having no idea of yarn type, thickness, quality, hook sizes, stitches, nothing.  The only Known here, is that I used some Elle Rustica, and started with a chain.  Whatever combination of stitches I thought was making, no one will know.  And then I realised the edge was so uneven that ragged did not really describe it :-D

SO - swiftly abandoned, but not destroyed.  I firmly believed that it could be saved in the form of a cushion cover, or wrap (for a while) or poncho (for a while) and it wil now be transformed into the final version of...a poncho!  And might get an extra edge. Can't get rid of it.

#memories

Tiles Blanket

This is a recent starter - blanket inspired by tiles...ooh, haven't done a thing since my previous post.

#horror

Baerenwolle Linus Scarf

This is actually my third Linus! My sis gave me this beautiful Baerenwolle red yarn and it's all rolled and ready, but I'm stopping and starting and stopping and starting while I should be doing this with my eyes closed.
#alwayshopeful 

A cycle beanie

Black yarn.  Black yarn should be banned.  One should have to apply in triplicate before starting anything in black yarn! This is for a cycling friend who needs something thin underneath her helmet for those cold days, hence Thin Black Sock Yarn.

I've been working on/avoiding this for Almost A Year.

#willifinishthis

A Japanese Scarf

Beautiful yarn (Nurturing Fibres in Driftwood), beautiful pattern...fussy pattern.
#yarnmightgointoblanket

Malabrigo Linus Scarf

Oh, what a JOY it is to work with Malabrigo, even in sock yarn, and this colourway (Zarzamora) might just be one of the most beautiful I've set eyes on! This Linus Scarf took a long time, because of the thin yarn, but I love, love love it.  Just needs a small crochet border, and then I'm ready for the cold weather that just descended.

#absolutefavourite

Sampler Shawl

It's upside down.  Nothing in this world will rotate the photo.   This is al beautiful, simple pattern, and in Vinnis Nikkim and some I Love Yarn, it will feel like a hug around my shoulders. it's also my current WIP, whilst ignoring the others :-D
#workingreallyhardonitthough

There were/are others.

There's an Elise Shawl V3 (don't know where!).  But that's where the injuries started, with V1.  And there's been a cowl, and a bunny beanie that became a Yoda beanie (for that matter, some more beanies), another Linus Scarf, ah, a Graceful Shells Cowl that was finished (photos still downloading).

I'll catch up.  It's winter holidays soon.  Let's just get through the Gr 6 test cycle, eh?

A "Thank You" Scarf for Mrs S

It's the end of the school year (Yeayyyy!!) and I like giving a small gift to my son's teachers in their Foundation Phase years.  Last year I went a bit wild and crocheted SEVEN gifts - but then we were leaving the preschool after six beautiful years.

My youngest started gr 1 and he had a lovely teacher.  Mrs S is the old-fashioned type you want your child to have in their first year of schooling, properly teaching them their ABC's and counting, bonds and phonics, and he's  learnt and grown really well under her guidance.

I took note through the year that she is a scarf-wearing women.

You know, the type we hookers like.  

And blue is her colour.  

And luckily I met Yuli this year, and got to know her very beautiful pattern named the Thank You Scarf...so it was just the matter of finding the right blue, which came in the form of Vinnis Colours Serina in Pale Sky.

Bought the Pale Sky beauties en route to our Get Hooked! get-together atThe Blue Shed

With all the beautiful blues available in Vinni's range, I don't think there's a prettier one than Pale Sky!  It is just darn difficult to photograph, because just as with the real sky, the colour seems to keep changing. 

The Thank You Scarf is a pretty, easy pattern, and came out perfectly with my nr 4 hook.

I could easily sit and hook while watching the fun of learning-to-sail

 My yarn ran out just one row short of a full repeat, but I left it at that as it was also a natural end. 

The yarn's softness and my loose tension resulted in a light, softer-that-soft scarf that I would have loved to keep!

Trying it on quickly

The motif blocked our beautifully.  I would love to have one myself! I think I might make a five motif repeat then. 

And then it was done and time to wrap it up.  

(I posted this photo on my IG feed - where I took my photos of Anything On A Hanger :-)
I remove the bottom portrait, hang my item from the nail, get as close as possible while still keep the top portrait and door out of the frame - and that's my backdrop!)

My little one proudly delivered, together with the five roses and packet of Marie biscuits he insisted on ;-)

Aaaaaw

Happy Christmas, mam!

What I made with Moya - A yellow lacy scarf

When I received my gift pack of Moya Yarn, I didn't immediately have a plan with the Canary yellow yarn.  I chose it because it looked lovely, and I knew something would come up.

And so, something did.  Easter break was approaching,  as was our upcoming 3h roadtrip for Ironman South Africa and I would need something for my hands :-)

I've had the image of a loose, little lacy scarf in mind, more of a kerchief than anything else, so I took some internet patterns with me, as well as two of my Japanese crochet books.

First off was a pattern from this book:

Pretty, but it wasn't going to have the right, drapey feel. 

Second try was this one...

...great idea, but now I though another yarn would be more suitable

So I settled on this one:

...I would wear it the other way around though!

This pattern is from this book, that I bought from Pomadour24's Etsy shop

She stocks all kinds of incredibly looking books - I want to buy more and more and just sit on the stoep and look at all of the pictures.

In the end I only started out on our way back!

Passing a wind farm near Humansdorp

I took some time hooking in the car and during a pit stop at The Heath, just outside Plettenberg Bay. The boys played on the mini zip lines, the dad recovered his sore and tired body with some craft beer, and I cooled down with home-made ginger beer under the humongous trees outside. 

Nearing the end I realised my edge might be a tad more ruffley than the pattern indicated...but seeing as that my Japanese doesn't really extend much beyond konnichiwa to read any of the descriptions on the pattern, I declared it totally acceptable and ruffled on:

Having a look at the shape - mmm....can do with a good block, and the symmetry...well yes, the symmetry isn't 100%, but hell... worse things happen in the world and it will be draped loosely.

(Taken on a FOGgy morning)

Relaxed and stretched out, let's play with the asymmetry then :-)

(Taken that same bright sunshiney afternoon)

And I could wear it to church the next morning, cool and foggy again!

I love how it brightens up grey and will surely use it often during our rainy winter. 

I used Moya Organic Cotton in Canary, with a nr 4 Prym hook. 

Dewa mata!

This year I crocheted teacher gifts

I'm not much of a teacher gift giver.

For the preschool yes, and during the Foundation Phase I thought up tiny gifts that didn't break the bank.  But this year, we finished at the preschool, after six years of  being part of a great community - fundraising, PTA-ing, bring-and-share-lunching, wondering what greeting we'll learn this year (the kids greeted each in other in circle time in ALL the languages spoken...they could colour in the globe).

It was a great six years, and the school contributed so much to my boys' education.

And so, putting no pressure whatsoever on myself, no, not at the end of the year, with one child writing exam, and a house being build elsewhere, and a move to plan and coordinate, and a training program that leaves me with jelly limbs twice a week...I decided that I would crochet them each a scarf.  

A Chick Summer Scarf (or, I think the Little Lacy Scarf, in the English pattern book) - designed by fellow SA hooker Cornel Strydom for Ideas Crochet Magazine, available here.

The scarf promised to be quick and easy, to finished within a day or two.

That bit I struggled with...but it was done.

Five scarves.

One polka-dot neck piece.

One set of Nordic Wrist Warmers.

I only have energy to show the pics today.  Plus the packers are breathing in my neck to get into the study with their boxes and plastic tape...

For Irene - to contrast with her dark Zulu skin: raspberry and pink Rowan merino, label long lost.

For Meryl, who wears cerise to warm up winter: this one in Vinnis Nikkim

For Shan, whose blue eyes lights up when she wears blue - a soft,heavy, 100% bamboo, label also long lost

Blue-eyed, silver-blonde Heather got this soft one in Rico Baby Cotton

I Love Yarn's Imagine was Sheila's from the beginning.
She also taught Stephni's boys in in their early pre-school years
and somehow the duck-egg blue-green hues drew on her Scottish heritage. 

Eritrean Adiam often wears white linen and loved her neck piece in steelgrey Vinnis Serina,
 old gold Vinnis Nikkim and ivory Drops Cotton Light.

Miriam is a bright and colourful Zimbabwean, whose first Afrikaans word was "handskoene"
(literally hand shoes, for gloves). So the Nordic Wrist Warmers got an African twist for her.

Cook Kate got two balls of red Netlon and a nr 16 hook, which had her grinning from ear to ear.  She saw me starting on a giant doily with black Netlon, and was overwhelmed. Crochet is also popular in her Zulu culture, but she's never seen the oversized hooks and yarn.

That is it.  I think this was the fastest I've ever crocheted. They all loved their gifts - happy about that. 

Now, I'm moving house.  Next time I sit down to type will be from the shade of the Outeniquas, can't wait!

Hookin' on a road trip, and a new coffee spot

Off we went on a road trip, and I was armed with my hooky project for the next two days.  This baby blanket was going to be finished before the end of the weekend.

As I said, I am not totally in love with the V-stitch, but it does work up very quickly...

Pit stop at a favourite farm stall outside Aberdeen

...so quickly, that just after this pit stop, I ran out of Antique Rose...and I didn't think of bringing another ball :-(

(am using double rows of Antique Rose compared to the other colours)

Oh well, I enjoyed the scenery.

In George, I busied myself with building inspection and last-week-details that needed to be done for our new house AND, coffee pot that I am, I found a new spot, where I know I will spend many mornings crocheting away, systematically working my way through the delicious menu and one cappo after the other...

Mmm...

My sis, on a quick visit from Ireland, alerted me, so looking The Bench was on my list of Things To Be Done In Four Days.  She was totally right, it has my name stamped all over it.

A large table inside...for a group of hookers

Or a pozzie for me:

Or, if you want to stretch your legs after all the eating and crocheting:

Swings!
(My builder has been alerted - there has to be one like this on my stoep)

After one horribly hot day with berg wind conditions and 42ºC outside, the next day I had to borrow a scarf from my MIL to brace the onset on a cold front with quick, icy rain!  I actually knitted this for my FIL many years ago, a simple scarf in moss stitch, in this brown woollen-acrylic mix.

I almost stole it back

Love the browns

After being stopped in my tracks with the baby blanket, luckily, just-in-case, I had extra yarn with me to start work on a summer scarf.

It went well with the vanilla cupcake :-)

I'm struggling a bit with the pattern.
(One shouldn't do this one while chattering away, as I usually do, so it's now been relegated strictly to home, when it's quiet, which is usually never).

I decided therefor to go for three at once, doing it round by round, making sure I'm getting the round right, making my notes, hopefully getting back to this by the weekend.  

Three quarter Summer Scarves sitting in a row

Back to the baby blanket first!