Weaving in ends

Oops! I don't seem to have posted here for a whole year! Must try harder in 2017. Recently, smallest granddaughter requested a blanket for her favourite doll. I thought I'd make a smaller version of the one I made for her when she was a baby and I've just finished crocheting all the squares. I've joined them using the join-as-you-go method, but whichever method I used, there would still have been an awful lot of loose ends! This is the snag of doing multi-coloured crochet or making items from squares or other motifs. See what I mean? You often see people saying that you should weave them in as you go along, but here's why I don't. For Christmas 2015, I decided to crochet some Christmas stockings for the grandchildren. The idea was that they would have money for their main present but I would give them some sweets and small toys in a stocking so they would have something to open and enjoy on Christmas day. I embarked on the three stockings, but after getting this far, I realised that they were coming out far too big. See all those ends?! Now, if I'd woven them in as I went, I would have just have had to throw those part finished stockings away because when I weave in an end, it stays weaved! I know that from bitter experience. A few years ago I was trying to make something out of African flower motifs and I'd followed the advice to weave in ends as soon as I finished and joined each motif. Unfortunately, I eventually realised that I didn't like the way the project was working out and I decided to frog it and rescue the yarn to use for something else. It was a complete pain trying to find and unpick the ends and I wasted quite a lot of yarn. This time, however, the unravelling was easy and the yarn, along with other random bits from my stash, ended up as small tea cosies which I use every day.   To be honest, I don't find it too bad tidying up the ends all in one go. I usually find an interesting drama on the BBC iPlayer and once you get into it, end-weaving can be quite relaxing. Here are the three small Christmas stockings I made. It was quite easy to modify the original pattern to make them smaller.
I did finish one large one. Here it is for comparison. It would have taken an awful lot of chocolate and treats to fill it and my son and daughter would not have been pleased if I'd given their children so much sweet stuff!

Showing off my first completed Tunisian crochet project

Here it is! The completed iPod case done in Tunisian crochet using acrylic double knitting.

The knitted case I've been using until today can go in the wash and from now on, I can rotate them so neither need get grubby.

I'm pleased to say that the set of proper Tunisian crochet hooks, complete with long plastic tails, arrived yesterday, so now I've mastered the basics, I can attempt my first large project.

As you can see, I use the iPod as an ereader and I'm currently reading Annabel Scheme by Robin Sloane.

My first proper Tunisian crochet WIP

When I bought my iPod Touch a few years ago, I kntted a little case for it. That case desperately needs a wash, but I needed another case to keep the iPod safe from scratches while the original was laundered. I have finally got around to making a replacement as a way of practising the Tunisian crochet that I learned how to do yesterday.

The day has been wet and dreary, so it was very pleasant to sit in my study listening to Hercule Poirot on the BBC website while crocheting something useful.

Learning a new form of crochet

Until a few months ago, I didn't even know there was such a thing as Tunisian crochet, but I saw it mentioned on the Creative Crochet Crew Facebook group and I was intrigued. As I had an Amazon gift voucher still left over from Christmas, I decided to treat myself to a couple of books and a set of the special hooks that you need.

Of course everything arrived in the wrong order!

The first thing to arrive was Kim Guzman's Tunisian Crochet Stitch Guide, which of course made no sense to me whatsoever because Tunisian crochet is very different to ordinary crochet.

The second thing to arrive was Ultimate Beginner's Guide To Tunisian Crochet, also by Kim Guzman. I looked at it. I wanted to get started right away -- but I only had ordinary crochet hooks. So I improvised. :) A small rubber band wrapped tightly around the end of the hook prevented the stitches falling off and I could try my first piece of Tunisian crochet.

Here is my entire output of Tunisian crochet to date. As you can see, I kept losing and gaining stitches! The sides wend their way in and out. It's like being 7 all over again and learning to knit. :)

Anyway, after doing this practice piece, though I wouldn't say that I have mastered Tunisian crochet yet, I think I'm ready to try making something using this new (to me) technique.

Now I just need the proper hooks so I can do things that are more than 15-20 stitches wide...