Some thoughts on handmade presents

A few years ago I used to follow a wonderful Facebook crochet group. Sadly it grew too large and eventually it was shut down because the moderators couldn't cope with all the vileness hurled at them in response to their strict policies on what was and wasn't allowed. I still miss that group because there were some wonderful patterns and projects posted, but I understand why it couldn't continue. But there was one topic that divided opinion and which I've wanted to talk about ever since, namely handmade presents, in particular crocheted gifts.

Many of the people who made crocheted gifts for their friends, family and work colleagues reported that the recipient was delighted with the present, but there was at least an equal number who posted resentful comments about how their hard work had not been appreciated as they felt it ought to have been. They would complain that they were mortally offended that their handmade garment wasn't being worn or their doilies, baby blankets or teacosies had been stashed away in a drawer, unseen and unused.

The posts were all about them and their grievance, but it made me wonder why should a gift be valued and used just because it has been handmade?

If the person making the gift has consulted with the person they plan to give it to and they are sure of size, colour preferences etc. there is less likely to be a problem, but you have to face the fact that not everyone appreciates hand crafted things. Are you confident that it is skilfully made to a professional standard? Parents treasure the wonky craft projects produced by their offspring, but if you're an adult they won't cut you the same slack. Many people are not that keen on handmade items and would rather have a commercially made item. You may think this is shallow and consumerist of them, but when it comes to gift giving, you need to respect their opinions.

However, even if someone likes the originality of handmade items, you still need to be sure that what you're planning to make will be to their taste. If the colour is wrong or it's just not something the recipient would use or wear -- someone who loves the minimalist look is not going to appreciate doilies! -- or they're allergic to wool or hate the feel of acrylic, then regardless of how many hours it took to make, the gift will end up unloved and forgotten in a cupboard somewhere.

Then there is the opposite problem. The recipient may think that the item is lovely, but if it needs too much care, for example gentle hand washing in a mild detergent instead of being thrown into the washing machine along with the rest of the laundry, a busy person is going to find it's too much trouble for general wear.

I have made crocheted gifts occasionally. There was the Year of the Blankets, when I made colourful crochet blankets for the grandchildren to snuggle under while watching TV or playing games on their tablets. These were a great success and smallest granddaughter loved the blanket I'd made for her when she was a baby so much that she wanted one for her doll, so I made a small version out of yarn left over from the original. I've also made hand knitted scarves for my daughter and daughter-in-law which were very well received, so much so that daughter-in-law requested another one for her sister. So handmade gifts can be a delight, but my advice is to give freely and don't expect extra gratitude just because you made it yourself.

Colourful Christmas stockings

I started making three of these colourful Christmas stockings to hold small additional gifts for the grandchildren. When the first white one was nearly finished and the other two were about half done, I realised that they were coming out a lot larger than I expected. Fortunately it wasn’t difficult to modify the pattern to make smaller versions which came out just the right size for some chocolate “gold” coins, a Kinder Santa and a small toy or other small packet of sweets. The red and blue stockings have been posted off to the grandchildren and I will keep the big one to put some chocolates in as a present to myself and G. :) In the New Year I will frog (ie unravel) the other two part done white stockings and reuse the yarn, probably as tea cosies, of which I could do with a couple more.

A whimsical witch hat for Halloween

I'd spotted this Whimsical Witch-Hat pattern on Ravelry

Here's my version...

To be honest, I ended up using the pattern more as a guideline than something to follow exactly. This was because the pattern calls for worsted weight yarn, which I don’t use and which isn’t that common in the UK. Also, I wanted to use up my stash of double knitting left over from various blankets and other projects. As I didn’t want to buy new yarn for what is, after all, just a silly dressing up hat, I used the pattern as a starting point and then just winged it.

I am, however, delighted with the result as it’s very similar to the hat my avatar wears in Habitica.

It even sort of suits me. :)

I’m now planning to make another one in black.

A table runner becomes a net curtain

My 92-year-old Dad moved into residential care last autumn and my brother and I had the job of selling his bungalow. I started to make a filet crochet runner for the lovely dark wood dining room table, thinking it would help to brighten up the place while the bungalow is being viewed by potential buyers. Once the bungalow was sold, I intended to find a home for the runner in our house. However, the bungalow sold more quickly than I expected so I didn't have time to get very far with the project. In fact all I had was a number of Japanese flower style motifs joined into a strip.

The table runner languished for some months. I was busy with Christmas projects and also wanted to finish a blanket for me to use while the weather was still cold. It didn't help matters that we don't really have a suitable place to display it as a table runner, so motivation wasn't high. And then, realising the Easter bunnies and baskets (see next post) were almost complete and wondering what to make next, I had a rummage through the bags of yarn and unfinished projects and found the pretty flower motifs I had made. My first though was to finish it as a table runner, but then I had a better idea. A net curtain!

I removed a couple of motifs and managed to improvise a way of joining the filet crochet onto the floral strip. Once I'd put some different sized stitches in to level up the row, the filet part became very straightforward.

I contemplated placing the another band of motifs part way up the curtain, but then rejected that idea and instead I'll place them randomly on the net. This is a venture into the unknown for someone who, until now, has always religiously followed patterns! :)

As spring is here and sometimes -- like today! the sun streams through the window on the landing outside my study-cum-workroom, I think a new curtain should look good and it will kick start the next round of cleaning and decorating. I went round the whole house a few years ago, but the décor is looking a bit tired and grimy because it was quite a few years ago now.

Anyway, I'm delighted to have found a good use for the motifs. Progress has therefore resumed and crocheting the filet net is a nice mindless project to do for relaxation.

In which I finish a hat just as the weather turns warm

I have finished another project. This time it's a slouchy hat. To be honest, I would never have attempted the pattern based on the photos posted with it, but someone on Ravelry had done it in a chunky tweed effect and added a flower. As I had some blue Marble Chunky to use up, I decided to copy what she did.

I didn't do as many increases or as many rows as the pattern says because of using different yarn and hook size, but I'm very pleased with the results. It actually looks good on me! If I sound surprised, it's because it's not easy to find hats that suit me.

The pattern is available free here. The flower was from Crochetgeek, also on Ravelry and available here on the Crochet Geek blog.

I was planning on wearing the new hat for our visit to London later this week, but the weather (which has never dropped below freezing all winter) has just turned even warmer, so my poor hat may not get an outing until next winter. Though having said that, March can be very cold and windy, so we will see. :)

How to decrease when crocheting the corner-to-corner stitch

Someone on the Creative Crochet Crew -- The Group Facebook group was getting in a muddle over where exactly to place the slip stitches for the decrease when making a corner-to-corner blanket. In order to try to help, I did some photos which I thought I'd also post here, so I have the tutorial handy in case anyone else has a problem.

1. Here is what the piece looks like as you finish the last of the increase rows. Until now, each row has been getting longer, but from now on, we're going to decrease to stop the piece growing and instead get it to narrow down to a point.

2. Turn the work and slip stitch into the trebles (US double crochet). I find that crocheting into just the two nearest the 3 chain loop works best.

3. Now slip stitch into the 3 chain loop which is on the same block.

4. Chain 3. You can see where the next block will fit. The decrease has started to make a straight edge and from now on, the project begins to decrease in width.

5. Here the decrease is complete and we're working the rest of the row.

At the end of this row, you can either carry on increasing, in which case you will end up with a long rectangular strip, for example for a scarf. Or, after you have reached the end of the row and made the turn, you can start to decrease at this side as well.

Ta da! Finished just in time!

This is the sixth blanket I've completed this year and the second rainbow ripple. Like the darker, rainbow coloured one, this is to be a Christmas present. I have to admit that I'm really not a big fan of pink, but our little granddaughter (almost 7 years old) is mad on it, so it should match her room.

I started this blanket back in July, but more urgent projects kept bumping it down the To Make List and then there was a hiatus when I ran out of the lilac and couldn't find more yarn of exactly the same colour. I never did find the absolutely perfect match, but I finally found one that was near enough and as it was only for the narrow lilac band at the point where the dark purple starts, I think it looks fine.

Anyway, the pink rainbow ripple finally reached the status of Most Urgent Project and I've been spending all my crocheting time on it. I finished it yesterday and just have the last few ends to weave in today, ready to wrap it and take it with me when I go to meet our son and daughter tomorrow.

This is all the purple yarn I had left! I was afraid I was going to run out, because though I do have plenty of purple, it's not quite the same purple, but I made it with just a metre or two to spare.

With all the urgent projects completed, I can take stock and see what to work on next. There are a couple more WIPs to finish and a few experimental things to either complete or abandon, but in the new year I want to start some new projects, in particular some sweaters and cardigans for me. Oh, and a couple of Happypotamuses and a Fatty Lumpkin. And what about... and there's always... (wanders off muttering and scheming what yarn to buy next)...

Ta da! And now the rainbow ripple is completed

Because of unexpectedly getting a teaching job in September, after more or less deciding to consider myself retired, my crocheting time has been much more limited. In the summer, thinking that I had plenty of time to fill with useful activities, I optimistically started a number of projects, but though progress obviously slowed right down, it hasn't halted. In fact I'm finding that crocheting while listening to radio programmes is a great way of relaxing my brain after working on something intensely intellectual, like learning up new stuff for my courses or putting together teaching materials and lesson plans.

This is the latest project to reach completion. It's a rainbow ripple blanket and will be a Christmas present for our grandson. I hope he likes it. His sister already has her own blanket that I finished earlier this year.

The other things that I had hoped to make for Christmas will have to be crocheted through next year and given as birthday and un-birthday presents, though I have another rainbow ripple in pink, purple and white that almost complete and which is intended for our granddaughter. It's not a colour scheme I would like for myself, but she is at the Everything Must Be Pink stage at the moment. :)

I seem to have another WIP!

I am trying not to start new projects willy nilly and instead have a strict, 'one out, one in' policy, but I did finish the gloves and quite a few of my other big projects are at the 90% completion point, so I thought I could sneak in another smaller and quicker one.

I'm making this pattern up, based on an idea inspired by a photo posted to the Facebook crochet group I belong to. Basically, it will be a border of Japanese flower motifs around a rectangle of filet crochet. I've never done filet crochet before, so I hope it turns out easy to do.

So far I have just one completed flower (to make sure they looked OK) and six centres. The yarn is James C Brett's Cotton On, which is nice to work with and comes in many pretty colours.

This will be a table runner for Dad’s dining room table while the bungalow is being viewed by potential buyers. After that, I’ll find a home for it in our house, perhaps on the TV table?

After finishing two blankets in fairly quick succession -- certainly quick for me! -- I have sneaked in a quick little project in the form of Attic24's Striped Wristlets.

The weather is getting colder, but normal gloves are awkward when it comes to using mobile phones and cameras. I do have a pair of fingerless gloves I bought a year or so ago, but they shrank when I threw them in the washing machine. I bought them in Accessorise and thought they were acrylic, but then ended up child-size!

So here is my latest WIP. I almost finished one glove yesterday, just crocheting in short breaks between brushing up my knowledge of CSS to teach to my students. Colour choice is due to me using up yarn from the blanket I made for my Dad.

As I think I've mentioned here before, until a few weeks ago, I thought I was more or less retired and had started lots of crochet projects to keep myself occupied. I then uttered the fateful words, (in relation to clearing and decorating Dad's bungalow so we can put it on the market), "I'm not working now. I don't have anything particular to do. I can take it on as my project." Unfortunately for all my free time, the universe was listening and totally out of the blue, found a teaching job for me. Though it's part-time, with just 10 hours of teaching a week, because I haven't taught any of the courses before, it's taking hours each week to get up to speed with the topics, prepare lesson plans and prepare presentations and handouts. I was determined not to abandon the crochet, however, because I find it very soothing, though obviously progress slowed right down and I've had to re-think all the things I wanted to make for Christmas presents. I will still make them, but I'll forget about deadlines and do them as random gifts throughout the year instead. Anyway, here is the latest completed project, which is a lap blanket for my Dad.

Sudden changes

I have sadly neglected my crochet blog because life has suddenly taken off in an unexpected direction. I was doing so little online tutoring work that I had more or less decided to consider myself retired and I was focusing on the crochet to give me a new purpose in life.

Well... Completely out of the blue, I was offered 9 hours teaching at the local college. Fortunately it's less then 10 minutes walk away -- I don't think I could cope with a long commute these days! -- but even so, it's tiring to be teaching face-to-face again after so much tutoring at a distance. I'm loving it though. It's a challenge because I've never taught these particular courses before, so whilst the subject matter is fine, some of it is a bit rusty and I also need to get to grips with the exam rules and regulations, not to mention all the admin systems. But things are starting to calm down now I'm nearing the end of my second week. Some of the initial learning curve is behind me. I have students! I have a code to use the photocopiers, I know where my classrooms are, I have access to Moodle (the online place where you put course resources). From now on I can focus on planning and delivering lessons... and I finally have time to think about crochet again.

Here is the mitred granny square blanket that I started at the beginning of the month. All the coloured squares are done and I'm in the process of using the granny Join As You Go method to attach the squares together as I crochet the white border. As I have all the ends to weave in as well, it's slow going, but it's wonderfully relaxing to sit listening to a radio play and crochet after a day working in academia.

My WIPs are progressing

Well, three out of my four main Works In Progress are progressing nicely. One rainbow ripple blanket is stuck because I ran out of the lilac coloured yarn and have been having difficulty finding another ball of it. With luck it should soon be unstuck because finally, yesterday, I realised that the reason I couldn't find the right colour was because I had mis-remembered the brand. I thought it was Robin acrylic DK, but a sudden inspiration led me to check the King Cole DK colours. And there it was! At least I hope this is finally the right colour. I've ordered it from Abakhan, along with some handbag handles because I want to make a fat-bottomed granny square bag.

But not until I have finished some more of my ongoing projects.

Meanwhile, the rainbow coloured rainbow ripple is in the final stages, my Dad's lap blanket is trundling on and my Snowdrop Shawl (which I will be doing shawlette sized) is looking really beautiful. I absolutely love the way the colour changes are looking.

Goodness! We seem to be having a proper summer.

The words "too" and "hot" don't often feature in a sentence describing Welsh weather -- not even in the summer. According to the radio news, it's been seven years since we had temperatures like this for more than the odd, isolated day. Anyway, I refuse to complain about it because a decent summer has been a long time coming and it might be another seven years before we get another one!

It should really boost our tourist trade and help the local hotels, restaurants and cafes.

Meanwhile the crocheting problem I've been having is that it's too hot to do much work on the main WIP, namely the rainbow ripple I'm making as one of the Christmas presents for family. (Yes, I know Christmas is a long way off, but I'm not a fast crocheter and I have quite a few things I want to make this year.)

It's coming along well, especially as I only started it just over a week ago.

The occasional round is just about manageable by resting the bulk of the blanket on the keyboard shelf of the computer desk, where I sit in front of the open window with a slightly cross-draft created by opening the window on the landing. But handling so much crocheted blanket eventually gets too much, so I have also been doing some work on another WIP.

This project can take as long as it likes because it's just a blanket for me to keep in the car. I intend to use on picnics or if I have to sit waiting for my husband on cold days. I've been popping all the remnants of yarn used for other projects into these storage jars and whenever I get a moment, I'm making these simple filet crochet starburst squares.

Crocheting alfresco

As my husband had to go to Llandudno on college business yesterday, I volunteered to drive him there and while he attended the students' graduation ceremony, I took the opportunity to sit on the sea front in glorious sunshine and did quite a bit of crocheting.

I've never crocheted in public before, but most people took no notice. One woman passerby did comment. She admired the blanket I was making and said that she used to crochet when she was young, but had tried again recently and found she'd forgotten how. We chatted for a minute or two and then she went on her way. I was left pondering what she had said. For me that kind of skill doesn't disappear, at least not totally. It might get rusty and I might find that it takes a while me to get the fluency and ease back, but the basics never go. Perhaps it depends on how much you did when you first learned?

Anyway, I made good progress on the rainbow ripple blanket, which now looks like this...

Rainbow ripple blanket

I was supposed to be starting the baby blanket with the Cotton On yarn I bought recently, but I was looking at people's projects on the Creative Crochet Facebook group and my eye fell on the lovely pointy rainbow ripple blankets. I investigated my stash of yarn and realised that I had some suitable double knitting that had been bought to make... well, I must have bought it with something in mind, but I haven't a clue as to what it was. Anyway, I think there will be enough to make a couple of these ripple blankets and they will do nicely as part of the Christmas presents I plan to give to the offspring.

The original pattern says they're baby blankets, but the beauty of them is that you can just keep on crocheting until it's the size you want, so I'll do them a bit larger so they can be used as picnic blankets.

Here is the start of the first one. It goes so quickly that I'm already well past this stage now and onto the second colour, but I'll post further progress next week.

Finally finished the baby blanket!

I have finally finished the blanket I was crocheting for our youngest grandchild. It was supposed to be a gift for when the baby was born, but I didn't manage to finish it until last weekend. I handed it over on Tuesday and our granddaughter seemed to like it. As she is now 11 months old (oops!), you can see that it took a lot longer than I intended.

The problem was, not only did crocheting the squares create a lot of ends to weave in, but every stage after that created what felt like another 9 million ends. :( There was joining the squares together. There were the ears to put on, and the mouths to crochet and the eyes to embroider.

The other reason it took a long time was that it's the project that got me back into crocheting. My skills were rusty and I've probably speeded up now, more than twelve months on from when I started this.

In the photo below the completed blanket is on the left. Top right picture shows a close up of the funny faces after blocking. Bottom right shows the squares just after completing. You can see how much better the ears and faces look after being pulled into shape and gently steamed. However, I suspect that after the blanket has been thoroughly cuddled and sucked on, the ears are not going to stay flat for very long!

In case anyone is interested, here is the original pattern I used, which is a free download on Ravelry. As the blanket was going to be for a baby, I didn't add the bows shown on the Ravelry page. I also crocheted the ears directly onto the blanket, rather than making them separate and sewing them on. I don't trust my sewing not to come adrift. Also, I'm not as good at embroidering the features as the designer of the pattern, but I think they'll do. :)

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...