Red Heart

For a very long time I was prejudiced against Red Heart yarn. I had it labeled as the domain of extremely poor people and grandmas. But recently I've been buying scads of it and I've had to change my tune, especially since I found out that if you wash the item you make in warm water with castile soap (i.e. Dr. Bronners) or shampoo, the sizing that makes the yarn stiff and scratchy will wash off, and the item will get softer. I have tried this several times with moderate success.

I'm not a total RedHeartophile- there is only so much my fingers can take- but I'm enjoying their color selection now that I am in the boonies and am too poor to buy from a LYS. Our Joann's is small and has a poor selection of yarn, so I find myself turning to Red Heart more and more often. We'll see how long this lasts.

There's a long thread on Ravelry about this that I've been following, and it's interesting to see the opinions.

granny squares

I spent all of yesterday working on this pattern, to make one of those granny-square hippie halter tops that you will need to line with fabric if you have any common decency. I have no illusions about my body, so I know exactly how I look in everything, but I figured I could give this halter top a try. I learned quickly that, being made of granny squares, it's going to show everything if you allow it to, which is why it will be lined with cotton before wearing to prevent nippledom.

(How did people get away with these patterns in the 70s? Crocheted bathing suits, crocheted tank tops... and no one wore bras with them, OR seemed to mind that their goodies were on display. I guess this is the darker side of the sexual revolution or something.)

Then again, as What Not To Crochet points out, sometimes crochet can be used as a contraceptive strategy, so maybe the designers of kinky halter tops had the complete emasculation of men going for them.

Back

I've been gone forever, and undertaken a huge move! Now I'm back, and in the cozy cold boonies where crafting comes in handy to keep you warm and looking good. I've been making hats like a madman and selling them just as quickly (thank you, Etsy!) I'm making gifts for everyone for Christmas... been doing lots of knitting, crocheting, and even embroidery.
I've also been trying out new crochet stitches, making afghan blocks for an afghan I'm going to donate to the old folks' home where my grandma lives.
Oh, and taking pictures of the local scenery.
I have several new patterns up at Quazen: Thick Scallops Washcloth, Bulky Single-Crochet Tam (a new favorite of mine), Wheel Washcloth, and Crunch Stitch Washcloth. As you can tell I'm on a washcloth kick. I'm not sure how I feel about that site. It's easy to post articles, and that's the quickest way for me, but sometimes they put up weird ads on the page, so just read the article and DON'T CLICK ANYTHING. Haha.

What have you all been up to in my absence? I'd be surprised if anyone reads this anymore, but I'm glad to be back. :)