Still struggling

I am still struggling to get on to the site to be able to blog. I have resorted to not using my shortcut but using Google to access the site through it's home page. Maybe this is the way forward?

I am still battling with the long sleeved shrug. Last sleeve is half done. Where oh where are the good UK crochet book designers. You don't get all these mistakes in UK patterns - well not in my 40+ years of crochet experience. I can honestly say I only ever had one UK pattern that defeated me but nearly every US pattern I have used has me scratching my head and using expletives a lady should not be heard to utter. Crochet is supposed to be relaxing not brain taxing and unravelling experiences. I have taken a photo of the original garment from the book and all I can say is after 3 attempts mine still doesn't have the same shape as theirs! Maybe the fancy border will cover all the dodgy shapings. Here's hoping.

I am looking forward to some straightforward crochet next (using a tried and trusted UK pattern) as a rest from the last 3 garments I have made. Not sure what it will be. I feel a browse through my yarn stash and pattern stash looming. That will pass many an hour I am sure.

I am still waiting to try out my new bamboo and wooden crochet hooks that I ordered from the Angel yarns site. I have had a trial with them but am not sure I like them. They are lighter but I am sure I can come to terms with but the main flaw is that they seem to snag on the yarn. The hooks don't seem to come through the yarn as cleanly as the metal and plastic hooks do. The ends seem a different shape to my original ones, not as rounded at the ends. I found that they slowed my speed down considerably with having to check that the yarn had not been split on its way through the stitch. I have spent quite a bit of money on these so am determined not to give up with them just yet but they may just finish up being re-sold on e-bay as I can't afford to hang on to things I am not going to use. Maybe I could wrap them up as a present for my novice crochet niece at Christmas. Hopefully she will forget I ordered them for myself!