Thank Goodness For Top Down Crochet

The good thing about Doris Chan's patterns ( or any other top down pattern) is that I can try them on whilst I am crocheting. As I mentioned before I am using thinner wool and a smaller hook than the pattern calls for so I am making a much larger size than I would normally have made for myself.

I always crochet the sleeves before I finish off the body. I find it far easier than turning the whole garment around and around as I crochet sleeves once the body is finished altogether. It's fortunate that I do as when I started crocheting the sleeve and then tried it on after a few rows it was far too tight under the arms for me. My arms are quite thick at the top and I always have to watch the size of armholes and sleeves when I am making anything for myself. All was not lost in this case. I didn't have to start all over again and make a larger size. I simply adjusted by taking the sleeve back and adding more chain under each arm so that I have added a couple more pattern repeats to the sleeve and the body. The result is that not only do I have a wider sleeve I now have a bit extra width at the bust line. Once I return to the body I will work the bust shaping on each front.

I am quite enjoying making this jacket.I always crochet faster when I am using variegated wool. It's the thrill of finding out which colour comes next and what colour design it makes. Variegated wool looks quite different crocheted than it does when knitted. Knitted fabric tends to come out more stripey and crochet comes out more in blocks. I can always knit random coloured socks far quicker than any plain ones.

I think this comes from using rainbow balls when I was a child. Does anyone else remember those? They came loose or in knitting baskets with a little pair of plastic needles. There was only a few yards on each ball of wool but I used to love knitting with them. In my day almost every little girl had a knitting or weaving set in their stocking from Father Christmas. I once had a set where I made dolls from the old fashioned wooden clothes pegs. The dolls had pipe cleaners for arms and I had to paint a face on them and dress them from the tiny squares of material and bits of ribbon and lace included in the set. I doubt if any little girls get 'craft sets' at Christmas any more. My Mum used to try and get a different craft for me every year. One year it was blanket stitching around cardboard animal shapes, another year it was the bobbin knitting, another year it was making daisies on a loom.

It's no wonder that I grew up thinking that everyone crafted. All of the female members of my family knitted, crocheted or sewed. The male members made rugs, did jigsaws or in my Dad's case made posters in beautiful lettering for the fetes and jumble sales at our Church. He had a lovely set of pen nibs and could write in any style. He taught me a lot of styles but sadly now I have forgotten. He always wanted to be a shop sign writer instead of a butcher but never managed to find a job in that industry. In the old days the shop signs were always painted by hand.

The day started off quite sunny and we played ball in the garden whilst I tried to crochet but of course as soon as I hung out the washing the rain started. I need to bring my sun umbrella in before it gets too wet. Buster won't be having a walk again today but never mind he will be going home tomorrow and will have Skye to chase him around and exercise him. I am afraid that he gets a lot of attention whilst he is here but I can't keep him as not walking him properly is OK for a week but not on a permanent basis.