6" Lacy Cross Crochet Square

Yesterday, I made a 6" Lacy Cross square from the 200 Crochet Blocks book that I'm loving right now. Nobody on the Craftster.org crochetalong wants to make this block (yet), but I thought I'd go ahead and try it. It's a 1-hook pattern, and it's on the same page as "Traditional Granny." I had no problems at all making the pattern EXCEPT that I'm still crocheting too big, and I had to do sc around the edges to get it to 6" instead of dc like I should have. I used a 3.75mm/F hook and Robin Egg TLC Essentials yarn (isn't it a pretty blue-green?!). I guess I can try a 3mm hook, but that seems awfully small, and I wonder if I'll have a problem splitting the yarn. I guess I'll just have to try and see. I really need to figure out how to loosen up.

200 Crochet Blocks Question...

Hmmm... When I started making the 6" blocks in the 200 Crochet Blocks book by Jan Eaton, I had no idea what size hook to use to get the patterns to come out to 6" so I scoured the book, and found a hook recommendation for the projects that are shown in the very beginning pages. BUT... it says to use a "Crochet hook size F (4mm)" and I can't figure that part out. According to my little chart and the metal hooks and the plastic hooks I have, it says that 4mm is a G and an F is 3.75. I would think that that's a typo, but the same thing is listed on 11 projects.

So... my question is: do I use an F hook or a G hook to get 6"? I'm so new at this I need explicit help! I've tried both 4mm and 4.5mm hooks and one came out at 6" with all the rounds; one came out at 6" minus one round; one came out 6" minus two rounds; and one came out 6.5" minus two rounds. I'm trying an F/3.75mm hook now (on the Lacy Cross square). On one hand I hope that works, but on the other hand, it's a blunt-tipped metal hook that I don't like so I hope it's too small! Hmmm... I wonder if I have a 3.75 plastic hook that has a sharper point? I'll have to check.

Ravelry Projects

Wow! I'm loving Ravelry. It takes alot of time to enter information about projects, books, yarn, etc., but it is very thorough and that way I can't forget, exactly, how I made a particular project or what kinds of yarn I have.

For example on the Projects page, I had to enter the following:

• project name
• pattern used
• the pattern author
• the size hook used
• who it's made for
• the yarns used
• notes/coments
• when started
• when finished
• a progress scale
• a smiley face
• how difficult the project is (on a scale from "piece of cake" to "impossible")
• and finally, a picture of the project

Whew! As I said: very, very thorough, but so worth it because I wouldn't keep up with this information in any other way.

Craftster March 2008 Cygnus Square

I can't believe it, but it looks like I haven't written about the 12" Cygnus square I made the other day! I was soooooo disappointed in this one when I finished with Round 12 because it was SUPPOSED to be finished and 12". Well, mine was only 9"!! HA! HA! I used the recommended hook size, but I wonder what weight yarn I was supposed to use??? (Like I understand enough about yarn weights anyway--and besides, I want to use the yarn colors I've picked out so it doesn't matter what weight yarn was suggested). Anyway, I had to add an extra row of TC and one of SC to get it to come out to 12"


This pattern is from the March 2008 Craftster CAL, and is a Chris Simon pattern called Cygnus (which is a male swan and a constellation).


Here are the lyrics to a Rush song (my brother LOVES Rush, and he's the one who wrote all of this out for me:)

Rush, "Cygnus X-1 book II Hemispheres"

In the constellation of Cygnus there lurks a mysterious and invisible force - The Black hole of Cygnus X-1. Six stars of the the Northern cross, in mourning of their sister's loss. In a final flash of glory, nevermore to grace the night.

Invisible to telescopic eye
Infinity, the star that would not die
All that dare to cross her course
Are swallowed by a fearsome force
Through the void to be destroyed
Or is there something more?
Atomized at the core
Or through the astral door - to soar

I set a course just East of Lyra
Northwest of Pegasus
Flew into the light of Deneb
Sailed across the Milkyway
On my ship the Rocinante
Wheeling through the galaxies
Headed for the heart of Cygnus
Head long into mystery

The Xray is her siren song
My ship cannot resist her long
Nearer to my deadly goal
Until the black hole gains control

Spinning whirling still descending like a spiral sea unending
Sound and fury drown my heart - every nerve is torn apart

I have memory and awareness
But I have no shape or form
As a disembodied spirit
I am dead and yet unborn
I have passed into Olympus
As was told in tales of old
To the city of Immortals
Marble white and purest gold

I see the Gods in battle range on high
Thunderbolts across the sky
I cannot move I cannot hide
I feel a silent scream begin inside -----

Next two squares

So, I know what blocks the next two people have picked for the 200 Crochet Blocks crochet-along on Craftster.org so I thought I'd get a head start and make them. My Sunshine Lace block was exactly 6" with a 4.5mm hook so I thought I'd use that size again for the "Willow" block (which is the first picture below).

Well... That pattern has 9 rounds. On the first block, I stopped because I thought it looked too big--and it is; it's 6.5" square after round 7. So, I dropped down to a 4mm hook and tried again. Once again, I stopped after round 7; it's exactly 6". It's supposed to have two other rounds, but oh, well... I think it looks just fine without them. (It's hard to see in the picture, but the top square IS bigger than the bottom square).


Next is "Traditional Granny." I stuck with a 4mm hook for this one, too, and guess what? I had to stop a round short on this one, too, because it was at exactly 6" already.

Maybe the yarn I'm using is thicker than what she recommends...? I just don't know. I don't understand why the Sunshine Lace square would be 6" exactly, and I'm using the same yarn and a smaller hook and my other blocks are STILL TOO BIG (and it's not like I'm crocheting too loosely because I crochet so tightly I sometimes can't even pull the loops through)!!! AAAhhhhh!!! Explain that to me!??? Ha! Ha! I'll just have to keep measuring the blocks and stop with they're 6". I don't think that's a big deal at all.

Big box of crochet books arrived yesterday!

A 7lb. box of books from Amazon.com arrived yesterday! Oh, how fun!

This time I got:
Crochet Me: Designs to Fuel the Crochet Revolution by Kim Werker
Double Stitch: Designs for the Crochet Fashionista by Erika and Monika Simmons
Sensual Crochet: Luxurious Yarns, Alluring Designs by Amy Swenson
Cool Crochet: 30 Hot, Fun Designs to Crochet and Wear by Melissa Leapman

First off, the first two books are Interweave Press books, and I LOVE anything by Interweave Press. The photographs are beautiful, and so far, all of the IWP books I have are the same 10" square size (so they all "match"). Plus, they list corrections to their books on their website.

Second off, there are a number of patterns out of all 4 books that I'd love to try. But, there are several I think are just hideous or flat out stupid. For example, in Double Stitch there's a one-armed shrug. I guess that's supposed to be very hip, but I think it looks stupid. In that same book, though, are some FABULOUS designs that I can't wait to try!

Third off, I haven't tried any of the patterns yet, but this is what I like/dislike about each book:

I really like the difficulty scale in Crochet Me. Well, actually rather than difficulty, it lists the concentration level required (from "Crochet at a party" to "Defcon 5: crochet in a very quiet room with the telephone off." This book, though, has the fewest designs I'd want to try. The silliest one is a felted, crocheted basket. Why would I make that??????

Sensual Crochet has some GREAT patterns, but it doesn't list the skill level or the time it takes to make the project. I like that it gives a little blurb about the author of the pattern.

Cool Crochet has some wonderful designs. It has a pictorial table of contents that lists the skill level of each project. There's even a sweater that has cables (probably out of my league right now, but it's an awfully cool sweater). I'll never crochet a bikini, though. And I don't like that alot of the patterns are exposed-belly-length. That makes the designs seem rather dated to me as that was the rage a couple of years ago, but now covered-bellys are the "in" thing.

Finally, Double Stitch! This book was written by twins, and has some very cool, very hip designs. Like I said before, I'd NEVER waste my time on a one-armed shrug; I would NEVER in a million years make crocheted boot covers (what the heck is THAT?); and the corset top looks like the tube dresses I used to make my Barbie with my KnitMagic machine). But... there are other designs that I would LOVE to make (like the FABULOUS deep-V halter and the t-neck top which has a zipper in the back rather than laces which I hate). I also like that most of the models are women of color which there needs to be more of.

Oh, fun, fun, fun! Now let's see if there's any room left on my bookshelf to put them!

Yarn Inventory

Yesterday, I photographed and inventoried all my yarn so I could post it in my stash on Ravelry.com. That took alot of time, but kept me occupied for awhile.

#1. I only have cheap yarn that can be bought at a chain store (Michael's or Joann's). #2. I only have one or two skeins of each one (except for Lt. Celery which I have 5.5 skeins of!).

BUT... the reason for both of those points is that I'm new to crochet and I'm not willing to spend alot of money on yarn (yet) if I'm not going to stick with it or if I find it too difficult to do. I'm not a yarn snob anyway, and even if I do get better at it and want to make say a wearable item, I'll still probably buy my yarn at Michael's or Joann's.