Crochet, Anyone?

All the Knight has ever REALLY wanted since I first picked up the sticks and yarn over a year ago, was another hotpad.  I quickly realized the average knitted cloth wouldn’t do even when sewn together with another average knitted cloth, but as the regular reader knows, I had ZERO interest in crochet.  Well, the secret project required a bit of single crochet, and it was so quick and easy…

Yeah.  That’s the single side.  Scrap cotton, per the Knight’s request.  He wanted it made out of leftovers, so there are FOUR different colorways in there.  I ran out of color #3 about halfway through the seaming together stuff.

 

I had a little trouble with the double crochet.  I increased every once in a while, but it all worked out in a homely, functional way when I stuck the two cloths together.  I had to turn one sideways to make them match up, so Mary or one of the other “hookers” will have to tell me how to cast on the right amount to make a double “swatch” match a similar single “swatch.”  All that matters is that the Knight is happy.

I was going to show you photos of my two socks on two circs.  Forget it.  I was too stressed (yeah, me, the Sock Lady!) to do anything other than pull the needles out and immediately wind the yarn back on the two balls.  And no you Magic Loop lovers, I don’t think that will help.  I have the same problem with any type of color work; I simply cannot manage more than one strand of yarn at a time.  Period.  The end.  (Locals… know of a color work class?  Can  you tutor your idiot friend?)  My sock mojo was so deflated I couldn’t even find a pattern I wanted to attack, one sock at a time.  Of course, it helped not that I was without an internet connection, as our computer dude (who works for Pampered Chef products; how cool is that?!) was overhauling things last night, so no Ravlery.  Oh, the horrors!

So, I headed to Mason-Dixon’s bib pattern, but fell for the burp cloth on the adjoining page.  Cast on, knitted to nearly the end of my ball of cotton, and KNEW I was going to be way short.  Went to bed.  In the morning light, I thought to measure.  Du-oh.  50 stitches = 10 inches, *NOT* the “about 7″ the pattern suggested.  Crap.  In another fit of frustation, I pulled out the needles, and frogged.  Cast on with my trusty Bryspuns.  8.5″.  Frogged, but only the three rows I’d so wisely stopped at for a “gauge” check.  Dropped down to 40 stitches, and voila!  So, we’re about a quarter of the way into it again and I hope you’ll see an FO tomorrow or later tonight.  Oh -and because I always seem to knit loosely with cotton, I began on #6s in the first place.  I don’t have #5 straights, and I don’t think the stitches needed to be any tighter!!  I’m off to Ravelry to see what others say…