Textured Washcloth With Hanger

My dear friend Peggy loves handmade washcloths and dishcloths. She always asks me to make them for her. When I asked her how many she needed, her reply was, "As many as you want to make for me!" So, I'm on a mission to make a bunch of cloths for her. How can I refuse making something that someone will actually love and use?!

I will be giving her a mix of both crocheted and knitted cloths and scrubbies and see what she prefers so I can tailor more to her liking and needs. Knowing Peggy, though, she'll love them all.

Textured Washcloth with Hanger is a crocheted cloth that is on the smaller side. It was easy to make and has a nice wavy texture to it. It also has a chain hanger in the corner that will allow one to easily hang it to dry. I used the same cotton yarn as I used making the Market Bag: Peaches & Creme in 159 Pink Lilacs colorway.

Market Bag Finished

The Market Bag is finished and although it's nice, it's not exactly what I wanted. The bag is smaller than I thought, however it does hold quite a bit. I put in a decent size head of cabbage, 2 grapefruit and 8 clementines and still had room to spare.

The only thing I didn't like about it was the bottom design. Although it is solid and won't allow things to slip through, it has corners that look like weird "ears" when you put something in it that doesn't completely fill the bottom. My cabbage was the heaviest and looked VERY odd in the bottom. I know that aesthetics won't affect usefulness, but I guess I'm just a snob when things don't look right. I will continue on my bag search, but will still use this one for smaller things like peppers, etc.

WIP - Market Bag

I've been looking for good bags to use at the Farmer's Market. I'm not sure how sturdy my Tyvek type reusable grocery bags are, and they aren't the most joyous to carry around at the market. I usually have a numb and painful hand by the time I get back to the car.

I came across some market bags on Ravelry (don'tcha just love that place?!!) and found one that I liked. It's called Market Bag by Lily Sugar 'n Cream and Bernat Design Studio. It's a free download at their website. Ravelry has posted you need to be a member to download it, but I am not logged in, and could still download the pattern.

I'm using Peaches 'n Cream 1-pound cone in #159 Pink Lilacs colorway and am about 1/3 of the way done. It's an easy pattern and I'm hoping it will perform the way I want it to. I chose this over other mesh bags that were on Ravelry, because of the solid bottom. I thought it would help keep smaller things from falling/poking through the bottom. I also like that the sides expand and fit around the items that you put in the bag. Just not sure if it will be wide enough to get things like cabbages, etc. in. I guess I'll find out when it's finished and being used.

Darn Good Yarn Subscription Box Projects

Subscription boxes... you hear all about them, but are they worth it? Some are, and some aren't -IMHO. I have tried quite a few and will discuss them in future posts, but I really need to share one that I'm currently subscribed to now. It's called the Darn Good Yarn of the Month Subscription Box from Darn Good Yarn. When I subscribed to it, there was a code that made the first month free. At the time of this post, I see the code is still active. It is at the top of the page in large white letters on a blue header. If you're interested in trying this out - now's the time! The normal price for each month is $10 plus shipping. The cost of shipping will depend on where you live, but for me here in the US, it is about $4.

What separates Darn Good Yarn from other yarns? Their yarn is made from reclaimed silk that would have been normally just thrown away! I love the idea of making something useful out of something that would just become more landfill. The yarn is interesting. I've used three different skeins of their yarns and have enjoyed each one of them. They are, of course, silk and they are a lot of fun to work with.

The subscription boxes contain a pattern, a skein of yarn and a surprise. The pattern has both a crochet version and a knit version of a project, so you don't have to worry about choosing one that is for your favorite craft. I love the versatility of the kit. Sometimes I like the knit version of the project better than the crochet version, and vise versa.  My first kit allowed me to add a surprise item for $5. Of course, I had to add it to the box! When my first kit arrived, it contained a pattern for a cowl, Darn Good Yarn Roving Silk in the Rainbow colorway, a set of knitting needles and a crochet hook, both in size 5.0mm (their surprise) and the $5 surprise was a skein of Darn Good Yarn Roving Silk in the colorway Crimson Fire.

Since both skeins of yarn were the same type, I worked up both versions of the pattern. The crochet version is called Ripples Neckware by Victoria Dorn, and it was the perfect design to use the Rainbow colorway with.  This cowl worked up so quickly and in the round, so there was no seaming and just ends to weave in.  I love how bright and cheery this cowl is. Although you cannot really see it in the photo, this is done in a ripple pattern.

The knit version, called Snow Big Deal Cowl by Darn Good Yarn was knit using the Crimson Fire colorway of the Darn Good Yarn Roving Silk. Both cowls turned out nicely. The directions are easy enough for a beginner and each uses one whole skein. I did have a very small amount left from the crocheted version, but used the whole skein with the knit version.

My second box contained a pattern, a skein of Darn Good Yarn Fancy Twist Silk in the colorway Pink Flamingo and a needle bag. The bag is the perfect size to hold the needle set included in the last shipment. Each month, a few items are offered at a special price to subscribers and you can add 1 or all of them to your shipment if you want. With this box, I chose a handcrafted yarn bowl. I had expected my shipping costs to go up with this added item, but it didn't! So no only did I get the bowl at a great price, but there was no extra charge to add it to my order.

The second box contained directions for an adorable bag called "Treasure Keeper Pouch" by Darn Good Yarn. It comes in both a knit and crochet version. I did the crochet version because the dimensions were a bit larger and the bag would be more durable. I followed the directions with no modifications and found I didn't have enough yarn to make my tie the length that was specified on the directions. I was off just a bit, but still had enough to make a decent size bow when I tied it.

I am enjoying the subscription so far and will continue it. So far, each skein of yarn has been 50 grams and the patterns are designed for the yarn you receive. I like that you can pause the subscription if you need to take a break from it for a bit. I find the yarns different and fun to work with and the patterns, so far have been useful. This bag will be used as a gift bag.

The hand made yarn bowl was an add on.
The needles, crochet hook and case were the surprise gifts
from shipments one and two

I'm looking forward to next month and can't wait to see what yarn and pattern I will get - as well as the surprise. There have also been a few nice offers of exclusive add-ons that I'm mulling over. I'm sure at least one will be added to my next shipment.

Wave Scarf - A Memento of Australia

Anne Collins Australian Hand-dyed Merino
Colorway: Ocean

In 2016, I spent a good 5 weeks in Australia. It certainly wasn't long enough, but all fun things have to come to an end. While there, I spent some time at The Rocks and happened to meet a wonderful textile designer by the name of Ann Collins. She was friendly, helpful and oh... the items she had on display! It was so difficult to choose what items I wanted to bring home. I finally decided on two delicious skeins of yarn - one of her hand-dyed Australian merino and the other her hand-dyed mulberry silk. Ann also included a pattern with both skeins of yarn. I had decided when I returned home that I would look for the perfect pattern that would capture what I loved most about my stay there. I looked for awhile, gave up, and forgot about it. When cleaning my closet, I came across the bag of yarn and upon pulling it out, found that the perfect pattern was in the bag, all along. It was Ann's Wave Scarf pattern! I was entranced by the ocean and spent nearly every day by the water - either at Circular Quay or at Manly. This scarf has all the elements of the sea to me - the colors as well as the wave pattern.

I casted on and have been knitting on and off for awhile now. I haven't gotten a lot done, but have questioned my technique of the drop stitches. It looks messy to me and I'm not really sure how it should look, since I've never really done a drop stitch where you can see the yarn/stitch definition so clearly. I have also gotten my fingers caught in it and pulled the stitches, which gets frustrating. That's when it's time for me to set it aside. I have watched some YouTube videos to see if I am doing things correctly, and as far as I can tell, I am. I guess I'll just have to keep going, block it, and see the results. I know blocking can make all the difference. I had considered just ripping it out and making something else, but after seeing the videos, I think I'll continue and finish the scarf. The wool is so beautiful that I want to create something that will show it off.