Crochet Hats by Candi Jensen

I started the Lacy Duster Coat by Doris Chan last night but it was looking a bit loose on the hook recommended. I have gone down a couple of hook sizes and am now making a larger size and the tension looks better. I know that the pattern is supposed to be open but there is a difference between open and too loose. The jacket does tend to drop down with wear so I didn't want it to be too droopy to start with. The yarn I am working with feels like a cotton crepe but as it has no label I am not quite sure what it is as the friend that I am making the Duster coat for bought the wool.

As promised I have put some photos of hats from the Candi Jensen book Crochet Hats. I have used Candi Jensen baby patterns from her two baby books many times but this is the first time that I have bought a hat book. The patterns are mostly for adults but the green sunhat with the flower and the tri coloured hat with the pom pom are for babies and children.

The sunhat is made with raffia. I have never crocheted with raffia before although I have seen crocheted handbags made with it for sale. There are also a couple more hats with similar brims in the book that are made in wool.

The green beanie is made from ribbon. Again this is a yarn I am not over keen on crocheting with as I tend to flick my yarn whilst crocheting and anything ribbon twists into a twisted thread instead of remaining a flat ribbon. I will probably try the design in a different type of yarn.

The ski hat pattern will come in handy when I start making hats for the homeless again. It looks like a nice warm hat and a way of using oddments up with it's four colours.

The Fair Isle cap is also a useful pattern for using up my oddments which I still have a lots left. I have so many half and quarter balls in my stash.

The beanie is cute with is cluster of flowers. I am not sure whether I would wear it with so many flowers but it is an attractive beanie.

The Aran design will be useful for both men and women. I do like a crochet pattern that is a close stitch for a hat as the wind doesn't blow through it quite so much and it keeps the ears warm.

Lalltop - I looked through the current Sirdar patterns available online and there is a pattern very similar to the one that I used for the baby white bolero. It is Sirdar 1699 and is for Snuggly 4ply. There is also a lovely bolero pattern by Kay Jones. It is for a larger child and in double knit but I am sure that you could adjust it by using finer wool and a smaller hook. If you click on my blog title it will take you to the pattern. I have ordered quite a few Kay Jones patterns today. I like her patterns as they are in UK terms. They are available as PDF's or paper patterns. Pdf's are useful if you don't live in the UK as you don't have to pay postage. I prefer a hard copy particularly as at the moment I am without a working printer.

I have ordered a couple of Tunisian stitch patterns from Kay Jones as I am determined to master the skill before my Doris Chan book arrives in June as she uses Tunisian on some of the patterns. I have ordered a set of Tunisian hooks that are short hooks attached to cables similar to circular needles. I think that was why I couldn't get the hang of Tunisian before as I could not wield the long hook. I had a carpal tunnel operation 3 yrs ago and although it is a success it still limits the wrist movement on my right hand and angle of the grip that I have on the long Tunisian hook just makes my wrist very painful and stops me crocheting until it recovers which is a tragedy in my eyes. When I see the garments that Beverooni has made in Tunisian stitch it makes me even more determined to master the art.

I am looking forward to going to Manchester tomorrow to meet my friends for lunch and a quick browse around.I can't walk far but we are hoping to visit Abakhan and although I am on a yarn buying diet I am sure that I will get tempted with something whilst I am there. Some people are addicted to cigs, some to drink. some people gamble - myself I am addicted to crochet books, hooks and wool !! Does that sound familiar? I can think of a few web friends who have the same addiction. I bet if we pooled our stashes we could open a shop.