I Love The Sound Of A New Crochet Magazine As It Hits The Doormat

Today it was the sound of the Inside Crochet magazine Issue 9 being delivered. As you can guess no work has been done so far this morning as I have been browsing the magazine. When the Inside Crochet magazine first came out I wasn't that keen on it and didn't buy every issue but either my tastes have changed or the magazine has improved and now I subscribe to it. Before I used to browse through it whenever I saw one in Manchester or Bury and just bought the ones that I wanted. Now that I can't get out as much I subscribe to the magazines thay I usually like.

This month's magazine has a mini shawl on the front cover by Julie Armstrong Holetz which is similar to the idea that I was trying to work on when I made the dark green mini shawl last week, The cover version is made from 2 different 100 grams of sock wool and is worked in a granny square stitch. I will try it out first in some cheaper wool to see if I like it before I entrust any of my hand dyed sock yarn to this shawl. There is another photo of the shawl at the bottom of these magazine photos.

The Mesh Tank Dress by Bee Clinch isn't for me although I can see younger girls liking it and wanting to wear it. Whilst I can admire it I think that style is mainly aimed at the young.

The Climbing Vine Vest by Robyn Chachula is one that I am sure will be very popular. I rarely wear anything like this because I don't have the body shape to wear anything that stops at the waist but I am sure that this will be a much favourited design on Ravelry.

The Flower Square blanket by Annikan Allis is very pretty. I do like the blue and white although it wouldn't go with anything in my house. Blue and white always reminds me of my Grandma and her set of willow patterned china. Sadly none of that is around these days as I think that it all got broken piece by piece as she used it for everyday use.

As I am not a lover of the look of hairpin lace so the Hairpin Lace Top by Claire Montgomery is definitely not something that I would make. Far too loopy and openwork for me. The Twilight hairpin wrap by Helen Jordan is better looking but I am just not a fan of the technique of hairpin crochet and always get my loops twisted as I try to join the strips together. I decided long ago that if a technique spoils my enjoyment of crochet then I simply pass it by.

I like the Goldenrod cardigan by Marlain Bird. It has a very pretty stitch and is made mostly all in one. It starts with the back. Sleeves are added on and then it divides for the two fronts after the sleeves. I would possibly try to add a couple more patterns to each sleeve cast on as they are a little short for my taste. It is a pretty addition to a summer wardrobe.

Th Spearmint Shell Socks by Claire Collier are pretty easy looking socks. I love crocheting socks but I must admit that I only wear them in the house as I mainly wear socks with boots when I am out and I find the crocheted ones a little rough to the sole of my feet as I walk. Knitted ones don't affect me as much although my sensitive soles can still feel the ridges on those.

The Baby Dress by Marianne Cant is simply beautiful. I think that I am swayed by the colours used on the pattern. As it is made in 4ply I am sure that I could find some random sock wool that I could use for this dress. Maybe there is some other random 4 ply around as I would prefer something machine washable. I always hesitate before using hand wash only for a small baby as they are in the wash so often. It would be awful to make something this pretty and it end up shrivelled in the washer.

I am not a fan of table mats but I like the colours of the Fiesta table mat by Linda Permann. I think that I would try to make it in thicker wool and make a bedside mat for my bedroom. I have a cream carpet and it is marking from putting my feet down on the carpet as I put cream on my legs and feet before I get into bed. I have been looking out for a nice rug type pattern to make to save the carpet.

Whilst I have been unable to do any of the fine crochet shawl I have managed to fit in a bit of knitting whilst Buster was visiting. I have now finished off the blue hooded jacket. It took 100 grams of James C Brett Supersoft Baby Double Knit. I made a 20" chest as baby is growing fast and is rapidly catching up to the size that he should be for his preemie age. He is 10 weeks old now but really only 6 weeks developmentally and size wise as he was 4 weeks early. I wanted this jacket for autumn or winter wear so I think that he will be wearing it soon. I only get to see Sylvia now and again so I try not to make sizes that just fit as a month or so can go by from my knitting anything to my giving it to the baby.

I am off to the Kings Arms Knit Club tonight but once again I won't be taking my fine shawl. I am always too busy catching up on gossip to concentrate on anything that I have to think too much about plus the lighting is a bit dim in there. It is a pub after all and not a knitting room. I have just started a white crochet cardigan for a baby girl's 1st birthday so I will probably take that with me tonight. I have made the pattern twice before in pink. The baby is the child of one of Sylvia's friends. I only hope that I can get it finished and up to Sylvia in time for the baby's birthday. It won't be next weekend as I think Buster is coming for a week on Saturday and I can't leave him long so that I can go all the way up to Sylvia's and back again. I might try for later this week if the jacket is finished in time - or there is always the post.

I am hoping that the wool that I ordered arrives tomorrow. If it does then I will show you what it looks like. I am a bit disappointed that Texere only had 2 colours in the wool with the gold lurex blobs in it as my friend Sue bought it in all of the 5 colours.

Time for some lunch, a coffee and then a shower. Maybe then I can settle down to a bit of the fine shawl whilst it is still daylight. At the moment I am still crocheting 2 rows forward and 1 row back. I keep making the silliest of mistakes. It is an easy pattern I just don't know where my concentration has gone to lately!