Friday, January 15, 2010

Update on Yarn-Weighing Crochet Adventure

Am checking in to blog the results of my design experiment with weighing yarn on a digital scale. It came close enough to perfection that I'll be using the scale for planning other designs.

I came within 2 grams (0.1 oz.) of a 100-gram skein. It's likely that I would have come up short if I had not ripped out the longest row before beginning the decrease rows.

Would you like to see the finished result?
It will be a Tunisian crochet pattern on my new pattern website.

After simple damp-blocking, this triangular neckscarf relaxed into large enough dimensions to also serve as a shoulder wrap. In fact, the fabric behaved more like knitted lace while blocking. The Tunisian stitches grow to double the height of the usual Tunisian Simple Stitch.

I'll always remember finishing this project while sitting in the sun at Starbucks with my friend Colette. It was the start of a cold front that froze Florida, so I didn't notice that I was getting a January sunburn! As the freeze came, this alpaca wrap was the perfect layer with a turtleneck and cardigan.

7 comments:

  1. HI, Iwill like to know model of scale shown for weighing yarn. I order a Taylor Digital scale from Target and it was no the one you use. Please advise.
    Thanks!
    Marilen
    PS: I LOVE YOUR BLOG>>>EXCELLENT!!!!!

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  2. Why do you weigh your yarn?

    Love the shawl, but hate to block things.

    Sandy

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  3. Vashti, Love the results! What alpaca yarn did you use? Don't know whether you know this or not, but a finished garment made of alpaca often has a tendency to "grow" as alpaca lacks the memory of wool and other fibers. A fortunate quality in the case of your wrap. Beautiful!

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  4. Hi Marilen, you can see the box here:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/vashtirama/4163412114/?edited=1 Model # is 3831.

    Sandy--blog post just before this one explains. You don't have to block this if you don't want to. It is just warmer, less lacy if unblocked.

    Thanks Renee and Blaze! It's Misti Alpaca's sock yarn, so it has some nylon and merino in it. It has enough resilience that I worried it wouldn't hold the blocking! But there's an alpaca/silk version of this yarn and I bet it would behave just as you say.

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  5. Hi Vashti,

    im not sure where else to post my question, so im hoping you can help me. im making your Barcelona Jacket and i have the main piece done. im where you have to do the armhole edging and cannot figure it out at all. i dont know you have pictures or can explain it but if you can that would be appreciated,
    sabrina

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  6. Hi Velma, I took a few photos along the way as I created the Barcelona. It was 2 years ago and I no longer have the finished sweater here (the yarn company has it). You can see the photos in this Flickr set, perhaps they will help: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vashtirama/sets/72157622545503238/
    Also, see its Ravelry.com page: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/barcelona-jacket

    You crochet the seam as you go. It's lacy like the rest of the sweater so that it will blend in.
    The version of the pattern that you are using is the yarn company's, and they have staff available to help crocheters with their version of a designer's pattern.
    It is a different way of seaming, so it might seem unfamiliar or difficult, but it's fun and easy once you understand it.
    I'll create some online tutorials or crochet-alongs when I publish patterns that use this pretty crocheted seam.

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