Today's subject was "A New Skill". This is a photograph of my newly learnt skill of Tunisian Crochet! Isn't it lovely? It's a moss stitch scarf from the booklet I received from Marie. The booklet is the Beginner's Guide to Tunisian Crochet and is available on Ravelry. I love the appearance of this stitch. It is similar to knitted moss stitch but has an added dimension to it.
The reverse of the fabric looks very different. I think before I go any further I would like reassurance that I'm doing this properly!
The yarn I chose was Sirdar Balmoral which is 73% Wool, 25% Alpaca and 3% Silk. It is a wonderfully warm and soft yarn and it is draping beautifully with this new technique. I have 5 skeins of this yarn and I think it is a perfect fit with the pattern. I can really see the appeal of Tunisian Crochet and plan on trying more of the stitches included in the booklet and seeing where it will take me.
I'm so pleased that the above photos match up with three of my current memes; A Month of Crafty Photos, The Blog Hub Swap and WIP Wednesday! I couldn't have pulled that off I'd tried LOL!
Other WIPs include a pair of plain vanilla Discovery Socks in Regia. I love this yarn as it is the perfect choice for everyday socks. It can be machine washed and even tumble dried and is guaranteed for 10 years, which is more than most shop bought socks will last for!
This is a self striping yarn so I don't see any need to add any other embellishment. These are just socks for me to wear every day, they aren't for fullfilling any creative need, but simply to put on my feet. I can't stand shop bought socks any more and, in order to avoid them, I need more hand knit socks. This pattern is quick and easy and the socks it produces fit brilliantly. I have bought another two sets of this type of yarn to knock up another couple of pairs as soon as these are off the needles. Maybe when I get enough ordinary hand knitted socks I'll start making something a bit more decorative!
I've also working on two gifts for family members and I can't really share them here (just in case they peek).
So now the WIPs are out of the way, on to the thing I know you all want to hear about...... my next gift in The Blog Hub Swap!!
Today's parcel was squishy, but I was fairly sure it wasn't the yarn that is required for the swap as it was quite small. I was partly wrong, because it was made of yarn!
This stunning crocheted scarflette was made by Marie using hand dyed and hand spun 100% wool from HandDyedAndSpunToo on etsy. It's a really pretty shade of green which I probably wouldn't pick myself but still love. This is one of the great things about a swap, you discover new things about your likes and dislikes and try things you wouldn't necessarily try if left to your own devices - such as the Tunisian Crochet.
It's a lovely design and really warm. I don't think of crochet as a solution for scarves, especially with such large motifs, but if done in the right yarn it really works. The scarflette can pinned in place, or one end threaded through the gaps left between the motifs.
This gift is really beautiful and something I'd never make for myself which makes me treasure it more. I shall be wearing it when I go out later to post my own Blog Swap Package! I can't wait to see what will be in tomorrow's wrapping paper!
To help you wait for tomorrow, click on the button to see what WIPs are being created in blogland! It should take up some time, clicking away happily!
