Sunday, July 21, 2013

Aran throw progress and Cassie off to camp

It's a Slow Stitch Sunday over at Kathy's blog, and I'm getting some time in to the Aran throw before the day has to completely get started. 
As promised, I stopped crocheting the bobbles after the first two colors, and replaced those with triple-crochet stitches.  It makes the color bands a bit larger; growing the afghan a bit quicker, and much less frustrating.  The bobbles certainly ARE adorable, and they will return on the 'other side' as I near the finish line to keep some symmetry.  

And ohh......that Judy L!  She's been posting about yarn lately.  Being such a newbie to yarn, and already feeling the difference between the Caron Simply Soft I used in Slanted Shells and the Red Heart Super Saver yarns I'm using now, I started doing some self-educating on yarn weights and such...


At least now I know what WPI stands for!  But what still gets me..... BOTH the Simply Soft and the Super Saver yarns are "4/Medium", but they feel so different.  The Red Heart Super Saver clearly says "worsted" on the label;  the Simply Soft doesn't.  Does that mean it's a different type of 4/Medium yarn ???  The feel between the two is SO DIFFERENT.  The Super Saver feels so coarse as compared to Simply Soft.  Hm.  Am I missing something else?  Judy D (in WA) gave me some reassurance that the Red Heart will soften after I wash it.  Maybe 4/Medium yarns differ brand-to-brand just like 100% cotton differs.  You quilters know what I mean!  There are some cottons that feel soooooo lovely, and others that feel nearly like sand paper!

Anyway..... my yarn education (and Judy L) lead me to Ravelry.com.

Oh!
Dear!!!

People talk about Pinterest.  Psht!!!!!  For a newbie to yarn/crochet projects.......Oh Lordy!  Ravelry takes addictions to a whole new level!  LOL

And now that Caitlyn has had her time with the Slanted Shells, a new project is in the early stages for her.  I'm not sure if you can follow the link unless you are a Ravelry member, but here's a potential project for her:  Super Fast and Easy throw.  Gotta love that name, right??  LOL

I have another hour and half before I really have to get the day moving.  Cassie is scheduled for a week long Science and Technology camp for girls entering 7th grade.  The camp is two hours away, so we'll need to leave by 11:00 to get her to registration by 1-2PM.  She's excited!  This will be her first extended length camp away from home.

I'm hoping your Sunday is enjoyable and relaxing!

8 comments:

Sherry said...

Such lovely colors you chose for your afghan. I'm a new follower. Enjoy your slow stitching Sunday.

Quilter Kathy said...

Looks like a very complex pattern you are working on!
I miss the days of going to summer camps :(
Thanks for linking up!

Maggie said...

I think you have it right, that yarns are like fabrics in that sometimes the manufacturers describe them the same way yet they are very different. I usually read what people say about a yarn on Ravelry, lots of times people mention that even though a yarn says worsted, it works up more like a smaller yarn. Then you know your item might be smaller than you expect.

scraphappy said...

We really must have been separated at birth and sent to different states to grow up. Anna, my oldest is currently upstairs packing for her week long sleep-away church camp. She will go tomorrow and is SO excited to go away with her friends from Girl Scouts for all sorts of camping fun. You are making amazing crochet progress. Hard to imagine how fast you are working as I just spent most of a 7 hour car trip almost finishing a dishcloth. Well, there might have been a nap or two in there as well, but time sure did fly.

libbyquilter said...

i think you may be addicted . . .
the newest crochet piece looks very nice and i did look at the super fast and easy throw. it looks very different depending on what yarns and colors have been used . . . am looking forward to seeing yours all finished up. something tells me that it won't be long in the doing. lol

happy slow sunday stitching
:-)
libbyQ

InfinityQuilter/Knitter said...

The aran throw looks fabulous. Welcome to the dark side girl! Next you'll be stalking The Loopy Ewe update every Monday night with Judy and me. The next project will be awesome, especially with variegated yarn (multi-colored). I'll have to look for you on Ravelry so I can "friend" you. My username is Waunaknit.

Not all worsted yarns are the same. It just means the thickness of the yarn. There is yarn made of 100% wool, acrylic, cashmere, silk, yak, alpaca, and combinations of those (wool w/cashmere YUM), etc.

Andee said...

That afgan is looking FANTASTIC! You never cease to amaze me!

Luann said...

Your Aran looks fantastic. Great job. You're moving right along at top speed.