Posts tagged shrug

Frustration.

August 25, 2008 · Filed under Crochet, Shrug/Sweater/Shawl, WIP · Tagged , , , , ,

I have to frog the brown metallic shrug.

I had gotten a good way along on the round and tried it on to see how much farther I’d have to go before I could comfortably call it a shrug and not a cardigan.

And I couldn’t get it off again.

So I’m going to have to sit here and frog almost a month’s worth of work and re-do it.

However, looking on the bright side… if I have to do that, then I can make it longer sleeved (I’m thinking 3/4 sleeves) and do it in a different stitch with a different hook.  I experimented with the same type of yarn, but in purple, doing an Extended Single Crochet with the F hook I used for mine and Syrina’s Almost-Beatrice shrugs, and it looks good.

I just hate that I have wasted all this time on something and I’m going to have to do it all over again.

*sigh*

Oh well.  Shit happens.

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Syrina’s version of the Beatrice Shrug

August 24, 2008 · Filed under Crochet, FO, Shrug/Sweater/Shawl · Tagged , ,

Syrinas Almost-a-Beatrice Shrug

Syrina's Almost-a-Beatrice Shrug

These are my alterations to the Beatrice shrug, made to fit my 13-year old daughter, who has a 28-inch bust and is just under 5′ tall (so she’s fairly short).

To calculate this, I used my version of the Beatrice shrug as a guide.  The yarn I used was the same weight/gauge as the Spritz, and I used the same hook, so measuring was fairly easy.

Made using plain old acrylic yarn, DK weight, and a Susan Bates F (3.75 mm) hook. (The body of the shrug took exactly 2 100g skeins, and I had to dive into a 3rd for the waistband/tie.)

Sleeve 1

Chain 97
Row 1: dc in 4th ch from hook.  Dc in next 3 sts.  [dc, ch1, dc] all in next st.  Dc in next 4 sts.  Skip 2 sts, *dc in next 4 sts.  [dc, ch1, dc] all in next st.  dc in next 4 sts.  Skip 2 sts.*  Repeat from * to * to the end of the row.  Ch 3, turn.

Row 2: dc2tog, dc in next 3 sts.  [dc, ch1, dc] all in next st. Dc in next 4 sts.  Skip 2 sts, *dc in next 4 sts.  [dc, ch1, dc] all in next st.  dc in next 4 sts.  Skip 2 sts.*  Repeat from * to * to the end of the row, dc2tog the last 2 sts.  Ch 3, turn.

Repeat Row 2 until you have 32 rows.  (or until it measures approx. 13.5″)

Neckline shaping

Row 33: continue pattern as for Row 2, only finishing half of the row (you should have 5 hill/valley combinations)  Continue for a total of 9 rows.  (Measures approx. 4″)  At the end of row 41 (the last half-row), ch 57, turn.

Sleeve 2

Row 42: dc in 4th ch from hook, dc in next 4 sts.  [dc, ch1, dc] all in next st.  dc in next 4 sts.  Skip 2 sts, *dc in next 4 sts.  [dc, ch1, dc] all in next st.  dc. in next 4 sts, skip 2 sts.*  Repeat from * to * to the end of the row, dc2tog the last two sts.

Continue pattern as written for Row 2 until you have 73 rows total.  Fasten off. Weave in ends.

FINISHING

Steam piece with hot steam iron and a pressing cloth*.  Measure in 8” from starting ch and mark beg and end of row (see schematic).  Measure in 8” from last row worked and mark beg and end of row.  Fold piece in half lengthwise.  Sew fronts to back up to markers.

* – optional

Waistband/Tie

Using the same hook and yarn, ch 15.

Row 1: Sc in 7th ch from hook, (ch 3, skip 3 ch’s, sc in next ch) twice.  Turn.

Row 2: Ch 5, skip 2 ch’s, sc in next ch, (skip 2 ch’s, 1 sc and 2 ch’s, sc in next ch) twice.  Turn.  Rep Row 2 until band measures 48” from beg.  Fasten off.  Sew one long edge of waistband to lower edge of shrug leaving ends free at front for ties.

Add fringe if desired (I melted the ends of Syrina’s fringe so that it wouldn’t come apart in the wash).

(Note 1: Instead of actually going through the stitches after Row 1, I go around them.  I don’t know a better way of describing it.  I pass my hook under the chain and then pull the yarn through over the top of the chain.  It’s easier, and it seems to me it would make for a stronger fabric.)

(Note 2: Please keep in mind that I use American crochet terms; adjust your brain accordingly)

Please remember: this is NOT a fully original pattern.  These are my alterations to a pattern already in circulation.  I am not trying to take credit for the original Beatrice pattern, just the alterations I made.  Which I post in effort to “share and share alike.”  :)

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Why yes, I DO have shrug on the brain. Why do you ask?

August 20, 2008 · Filed under Crochet, Shrug/Sweater/Shawl, WIP · Tagged , , , ,

But to be honest, I started this one before either of the Beatrice shrugs.  I’ve been wanting to make one of these for the longest time, I just didn’t believe that it would look good on me and I had to think of the perfect yarn to make it with once I decided fuck it, I’m going to try anyway.

I can’t remember exactly why, but I went looking through my stash and found this yarn that I’ve had in there for about 2 years now.  I actually bought it at my local Wilkinson’s, of all places.  It’s not exactly what you’d think of when you think “buy yarn,” but they actually have some pretty nice novelty yarns (for only 99p per 50g skein), as well as a few colors of the basic acrylic staple (for 89p per 100g skein).

I’m using the “Fluffy Pink Shrug Schematics” (also known as a Mrs Who shrug) to make it.  I was actually an active member of Crochetville when it was first posted, so I’ve been loving on this pattern for a long time now.  I’m not sure if you can tell from the pic, but I’m making it half-sleeved.  If this comes out as well as I’m hoping, I’m considering doing another one in the same type of yarn but different color (it comes in three colorways: brown, green, and purple; all have the metallic thread woven throughout to give it the shimmer).  I might make the next one full-sleeved, since it’s going to be getting cold soon anyway, and it gets FREEZING in this house (it’s very drafty).

Because I’m obsessed with ripples lately, I’m doing the collar/back in a round ripple.  I’ve done a round ripple blanket before, so I’m basically following what I remember from the instructions for that.  I’ve only done one full round and part of another, but it looks good so far!

I’m keeping this in the laundry basket that I carry around the house with me.  I work on stuff first thing in the morning, while sitting at the computer desk, in the living room at the end of the night when all of my daily chores are done… pretty much whenever I have a spare moment, really.  Right now I’m all gung-ho on Syrina’s Beatrice, but I figure if I keep it in my basket, then whenever I get the urge, I can pull it out and work on it a bit.  It’s going to take a lot longer than the Beatrice did, simply because the yarn is so thin and I have to use a small hook (3 mm).  But it’ll be worth it in the end.  :)

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I wasn’t kidding…

August 19, 2008 · Filed under Crochet, Shrug/Sweater/Shawl, WIP · Tagged , , ,

… when I said that my crochet creativity has been kicked into high gear.  I’ve already started on a “Sort of” Beatrice Shrug for my daughter.  I’ve had yarn in my stash to make her a sweater for a couple of years now.  I keep starting one and then putting it down, only to forget what I was doing once I picked it back up again.

I’m using her measurements as a guide to figure out how many stitches, how many rows, etc., and it’s looking good so far.  Because it’s going to be so much smaller than mine (my daughter is quite thin, as well as a little short for her age), I think it’s going to go a lot faster than mine did.

Syrinas Sort of Beatrice Shrug, day 1

Syrina's "Sort of" Beatrice Shrug, day 1

This is what I had finished as of late last night (technically early this morning, but let’s not quibble with semantics, shall we? ;) ).  I’ve done just as much again (IOW, I have twice this much done altogether) and I’m sure I’ll have well more than that done by the time I go to bed tonight (tomorrow?).

I love this.  The ripples give it a nice effect, but since it’s mainly just dc, so I can be watching TV or listening to something without worrying that I’m going to do some major fuck-up.  And I find that when I’m watching or listening to something that really interests me, I can get a ton of work done, because my hands just go while my attention is occupied.

It makes me feel really productive.  :)

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So where’s my medal?

August 17, 2008 · Filed under Crochet, FO, Ravelympics 2008, Shrug/Sweater/Shawl · Tagged , , , ,

The Sort of Beatrice Shrug

The "Sort of" Beatrice Shrug

The “Sort of” Beatrice Shrug is now finished!

Hip hip hooray! Hip hop hooray! Hip hip hooray!

Seriously, folks, I’m not just cheering for my own ego simply because I got it finished before the deadline (also, one thing I’ve never mentioned: I didn’t actually start this until August 10. So I got this done in a week).  Yeah, I’m happy about that, but it’s not the only reason I’m happy.  It’s also the first wearable that I’ve ever made for myself that actually looks good on me.  And it was so easy that I’m giving serious thought to making a bunch for Christmas presents for some of the women in my family.

Side View

Side View

Honestly, I didn’t change it all that much.  As I mentioned before, I had a hard time following the stitch pattern, but it was just a more intricate ripple pattern.  And as I was using an F hook, my gauge didn’t exactly match the pattern, but things seemed to even themselves out.

As it turned out, the starting chain as written was the exact number of stitches I needed to do just a simple double crochet ripple.  Then I followed the schematic guidelines of the pattern (see them here).  Oddly enough, the measurements I wanted to duplicate?  Lying flat, this thing is exactly what I wanted it to be.  On the other hand, though, it also matches the schematic measurements almost exactly (I think I might have been off by 1/2 an inch).  And yet, as you can see from the picture, it fits me perfectly.  So either I was wrong in thinking a 34″ bust measurement would be too small for my own 38F/FF bust, or something is off here.  Whatever it is, I don’t really care.  It looks good, it fits, and I will definitely be able to wear it the next time I go out.

Back View

Back View

I do believe it’ll fall better once it’s washed and tumble-dried.  For acrylics – which this is – I always wash and tumble-dry it at least once.  It softens up the yarn and makes it drape on the body beautifully.  Also, the Spritz is a bit scratchy – though I expected that – and I’m hoping washing & tumble-drying it will help with that.

The only modification I might have to do in order to make this as a gift is to do a few less half-rows for the back.  The women in my family whom I think might like something like this are all smaller than me, and that seems to be the only real difference in the pattern’s sizes (of which there are only 2).  Come to think of it… my 13 year old would like something like this, I think.

Oh, the ideas that are going through my head right now!  I could extend this from the bottom of the tie to make it a full-length cardigan!  It would be easy to modify the sleeves to make them longer!

My crochet creativity has been well and fully kicked into high gear.  I love it.  :)

Edit:

HERE are my medals!!! :)

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Progress report: the “sort of” Beatrice shrug

August 14, 2008 · Filed under Crochet, Ravelympics 2008, Shrug/Sweater/Shawl · Tagged , , ,

Well, it’s coming along quite nicely, I must say.  :)

I had a feeling that I didn’t have enough of the Spritz to do the whole thing.  Since I’ve never tried anything like this before, I just didn’t know for sure.  So my plan was to start it towards the middle and work my way out evenly on both sides.  I’m down to my last 1/2 skein (which is just enough to make one 4-row stripe) here.  You can tell which side it needs to go on (see below).

It’s okay, though, because I had a contingency plan at the ready.  I have an American yarn – this one here – that has a shimmery thread through it.  I think it’ll go nicely with the silver thread that’s spun throughout the Spritz.  I have a TON of this stuff in white, so I’m going to use that for the sleeves of the shrug, edging the sleeves in some more spritz, in pink.  I’m also going to make the tie in pink.

I will definitely be able to get started on the white as of tomorrow.  Barring some sort of major disaster, I think I’ll actually get this done well under the deadline.  Which is surprising, because every time I’ve tried to make some sort of wearable for myself, it always seems to take too long and then I get bored and put it away.  Could be why I’ve got something like 15 UFO’s in the yarn cupboard.

(Also, the date on my camera is all messed up.  I didn’t realize it until I uploaded these to my laptop.  These photos were actually taken about half an hour ago, not three weeks from now.)

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Ravelympics 2008 – Beatrice shrug. Sort of.

August 11, 2008 · Filed under Crochet, Ravelympics 2008, Shrug/Sweater/Shawl · Tagged , ,

I had grand visions of making myself a Beatrice shrug.  I even asked Hubby’s opinion, and he said he thought something like that would look good on me.

Finally, the start of Ravelympics 2008 came, and I whipped out my yarn and hook, and tried to make a go of it.  And Could. Not. make heads or tails of the pattern.  No matter how many times I tried, I just couldn’t make sense of it.

But the more I looked at it, the more I realized that what it was was just a more intricate ripple stitch.  And considering the yarn I’m using (Paton’s Spritz) is a very sparkly yarn, I realized that a simple ripple stitch pattern would suffice, as the sparkle adds enough oomph all on its own.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the pattern as written wouldn’t be appropriate for me anyway.  With a size 38F/FF chest, there is no way in HELL that a bust measurement of 34 inches was going to fit me.  No way, no how.

However, using a jersey shrug as a guide, and using the basic pattern of the Beatrice shawl (ripple stitch, made in one piece from elbow to elbow), I think I’m going to end up with something that will not only fit me, but will look good as well.

This is what I had as of last night:

My sort of Beatrice shrug

My "sort of" Beatrice shrug

I like it.  I think it’ll be good for when I go clubbing with my friends, too.  :)

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