Knitting and Crocheting Combined

I'm glad to see more TV shows on with both knitting and crocheting. There is a station called Create TV that shows how to do something like cables with knitting and then shows how to do something similar with crochet. It you are going to be working with your hand and with yarn anyway, it doesn't make much sense not to learn both. Once you know both there are so many more things you can make. And it speeds things up in many cases. For example a crocheted purse handle is much faster to make than a knitted idiot cord handle. And it's easier to crochet around the edge of a veil than to knit around one.

There are many books out on knitting and crocheting edgings. If you are tired of boring t-shirts for example, you can cut off the collar and cuffs and crochet around them instead. You can also crochet edgings around handkerchiefs, dress hems, pocket edges, and the tops of socks. Have fun exploring.

Witty Knitting

My friend sent me this very cool 'witty knitting' site. http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/9809

This is definitely the year of the knitting and crocheted cupcakes, intestines and bottle hats. What is the zaniest thing you've knitted or crocheted?

I'm working on a faux rubber chicken. Or would that be a faux faux chicken? I'm also crocheting a squid.

Freestyle Poncho

Twice yesterday I tried to start a crocheted loop to make a poncho out of. Both times I ended up with a mobius strip. So I decided to give it a rest. I'm glad I did because this morning my mind solved the problem. I'll just make a straight piece the right length, then crochet a few rows of double crochet to give it some stability and then join the ends together and start my rounds at that point. I believe that will work. Plus that will give me a little leeway if I want to add a button and clasp fastener down the road.

I got the idea from a poncho I saw in a book yesterday that was not only crocheted, but also beaded and embroidered with a cowrie shell fringe on the bottom. While I was doing research I came across this page of free poncho patterns which wasn't of use to me at the time but might be of use to one of my readers. http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/ponchos.php

Making a vest

Today I got an idea from a rug I saw on Etsy, only instead of a rug I'm making a vest out of some fire yarn I bought originally to make an afghan. The vest will have a squarish front and back like a vest I loved in the 70's and then straps to hold it all together. I might use black or brown for the borders to hold the piece together. First I need to make about 50 circles of various sizes.

Choker Work in Progress

I got some more done on the freeform choker yesterday. I switched to a smaller hook and crocheted a flower motif to attach to the main band. I'd like to add some more color to it by dyeing some of the thread, but I will be out of town so much this week I don't see how I'll have time.
I may take the project on the train with me on Thurs.

Freeform choker

I just started a freeform crocheted choker out of DMC Baroque ecru thread. I haven't done thread crochet in a long time and I feel like I'm all thumbs this morning. But onward I go.

Etsy Items for Sale in my Shop

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade Pigglewiggins.etsy.com