Shell Lace Crochet Scarf (With Free Pattern)

Ages ago I posted that I had finished two projects.  One of them still hasn't been given to the person it's intended for, so I still can't post about it, but the other is my crocheted scarf.  Yesterday morning I made myself sit down with Stitch'N Bitch Crochet - The Happy Hooker, which explains how to sew in the ends (hey, I'm new at this!  None of the other beginner's crochet books tell you how to do this, by the way, so yay Debbie Stoller!), and actually do it.  I'm convinced I'm going to get a hairball from threading the needle, but it's done.

Isn't it pretty?  I'm really proud of this because it's my first project and it went so well and I can actually use it.  I taught myself to crochet about a week before I started this, and it only took me a week of evenings to finish it (and about three weeks to get around to sewing in the ends).  It has a base chain of 31 st, and is ~ 18cm by 184cm.

The pattern is really simple:
V:  1tr, 2ch, 1tr
Shell:  5tr

Multiple of 5st + 4
(add 2 for base chain)
Row 1:  V into 8th ch from hook.  *3ch, skip 4ch, V, repeat from *, ending in 2ch, skip 2ch, 1tr into last ch, turn.
Row 2:  3ch, *Shell into 2ch sp of next V, repeat from * ending in 1tr into 5th of 7 ch at beginning of previous row, turn.
Row 3:  5ch, V into middle tr of first Shell.  *3ch, V into middle tr of next Shell, repeat from *, ending in 2ch, 1tr into 3rd of 3ch at beginning of precious row, turn.
Row 4:  3ch, *Shell into 2ch sp of next V, repeat from * ending in 1tr into 3rd of 5ch at beginning of previous row, turn.
Repeat rows 3 and 4 until desired length is achieved.
 

Sorry about the quality of the chart, I did it myself on a piece of refill and scanned it in because I couldn't find a program on the internet that makes crochet charts (for free).  If you know of any, let me know and I'll redo it!

I found a variation of this pattern in Basic Crochet Stitches by Erika Knight*, where you alternate Shells and Vs on a row, then carry on Shell-ing into Vs and V-ing into Shells.  It's denser because it needs fewer ch (the Shell becomes the ch between two Vs):

(Click on the image for a bigger version)

*The entry on Mighty Ape for this book has a different cover picture to the one I'm looking at, so I'm not 100% sure it's the right book.

Next Project

You may recall my mentioning (well, I believe I mentioned it...) that I was working on a gift for a friend who was leaving (and has now left) for Africa for four months and would be celebrating her 30th birthday over there.  Well, Thursday night was her going-away/birthday dinner (which was fabulous by the way, but I'll come back to that) and I had aimed to finish the project by then, however, as is usual for me, I was overly ambitious, and had to text her on Wednesday to ask for an extra day.  So I finished yesterday.  This is why I haven't been around much (now I know I have mentioned this project, in the same breath as 'sorry for not posting!'), and I will post about that tomorrow.

But for now, I thought I would post about my next project.  I know I shouldn't be taking on yet another project when I still have my scarf to finish (ie sew in the ends), Mum's scarf to finish (that I haven't mentioned yet, but will post about shortly), a canvas for myself (finally), and one that Mum's going to attempt to sew (that I will doubtless have to help her with - read 'help' more as 'force to work on and not put off' [do as I say not as I do]).  However, I have cold hands.  So I am looking around on the internet for a free crochet pattern for fingerless gloves.  Gloves with fingers don't allow for ease of typing/sewing/etc, and mittens freak me out (don't ask), so fingerless gloves are the way to go.  And, as we all know, I can't finish a knitting project to save my life.

To make a short story long, I just can't seem to find any patterns for what I want.  There are so many lovely fingerless mittens/mittens/glove patterns in crochet out there, but until I found these it looked like I was out of luck.  I don't like the button or the gap on top of the hand (that is, the dorsal aspect), but I'm hoping to combine it with this pattern (or something like it) to get the hand and lower arm right.

I blame the fact that I'm still tired, or re-tired, from the sewing, and the fact that I've been listening to story podcasts end-to-end all week while I've been sewing, for my being overly verbose about a very simple semi-complaint that has no pictures...  Perhaps this should mark bed time?

To make up for it, here's a cute, be it very grainy, picture of Kashka, demon Russian (but not really) kitten (cat):

Links of the Week: III

Sorry this is late, I'm trying to post these every Saturday, but Mum's been home on leave and so we've been having fun doing... housework :-( but also :-)

Recipe:  Kaiserschmarrn at SBS

My good friend Jonathan cooked kaiserschmarrn a few times while I was living at Toad Hall in Canberra (yes that is its real name, no there are no badgers or rats...  okay, there might be rats, but only if someone were to leave their uneaten lunch in their room...) and if he had cooked it every night I would have eaten it every night without any self control.  Luckily, he didn't, and I didn't explode.  Now I have this recipe...  I can't look at it *the light, it burns us*.

Fashion:  Vintage Sewing Books at Colette Patterns

This is such a great site.  At first I thought I was simply signing up to a feed that would let me know when they post a new free pattern (like this one and this one), but I have been learning all about the different techniques used in dressmaking, properties of different fabrics, and famous and/or fabulous designers, both modern and retro.  Do sign up if you think you might be even a little interested (money back refund upon request if you don't like it, promise!).  PS:  Damn I just found a whole bunch of craft blog links at the bottom of the page.  There goes my afternoon/week.

Environment/Craft:  Plarn at My Recycled Bags

What a great idea I had on the way home from the supermarket the other day - take plastic supermarket bags and crochet them to make strong reusable shopping bags and minimise the guilt of forgetting to bring my own bags now and then.  Then I found out it had already been done and this technique is so much better than I had thought up.  Still a great idea, just not original, and done better by someone else!

Science Fiction and Science:  Science Future at Escape Pod

If you're not convinced about signing up for this podcast, this very short article should do it.  If not the article, then the two very apropriate quotations bookending it.  If you're still not convinced... then...  I don't know, just do as I tell you, minions.

Food and Culture:  Matariki at Foodlovers

As I write this there is still time to rock on up to this event if they're still taking registrations (and if you're not like me living across the other side of Auckland like a chump).  Maori and Pacific Island food has always interested me, but I've never tried cooking any...  Now, where do I buy puha?