'Twas a busy week last, but I got in some crocheting and even finished a few projects.
I made two more little doilies from the book 99 Little Doilies. First up is Doily #56:
I'm calling this "Garden Web"
It measures 5 1/2 inches across
And immediately following that was Doily #81 - which measures in at a whopping 4 inches across (at its widest):
Thanks to suggestions below, I'm naming this one Pretty Little Bird House
Marsha asked me once how many doilies from the book I've finished, and today I counted 14 different patterns I've crocheted. I don't intend anymore to complete all the doilies in the book (necessarily), but it will be fun to make the ones that appeal to me - and there are plenty that do.
After I finished the little doilies, I decided to make a pattern I had printed out some time ago. It's called Dawn Glow:
While Dawn Glow isn't as tiny as #81, it only measures 8 inches across. It will be a pretty little doily to create a vignette with some ceramic bunnies and maybe a little plant next Easter time.
The pattern was a little unconventional (from what I'm used to). I'm used to symbols which tell me where to repeat the pattern (kind of like music notation, but different), where this designer just trusts a person to know where the repeats begin and end. That said, many people who made it found the pattern easy, so there is that. Fortunately, it's not a complicated doily and I was able to ad lib when I hit a snag. I made notes in case I wanted to do it again, but honestly... I'm not even sure my notes are correct.
And then the last round was pretty much a total departure from the pattern, but except for a missing picot or two, it works. I think this doily probably took me at least an hour more than it needed to with the different times I got stuck or decided to rework something.
It sounds like I wouldn't recommend the pattern. If you like making doilies, do give it a try. No one else complained in their project notes, so it really may just be me.
And that is all I've got for a Year of Projects post today. The weather has turned glorious here in central Indiana. After some rainy days (finally), the humidity is getting knocked down and the nights ahead look comfortable for sleeping with the window open. Mmmm... my kind of weather. And our grass is green again! It's amazing how quickly a yard can go from crunchy yellow to luscious green after a couple of good soaks.
That said, my heart goes out to those still suffering the aftereffects of Hurricane Ida - from the gulf coast to the eastern coast. What a shock and devastation that storm was for so many.
And I know many are still praying for the safe return of Americans and allies still in Afghanistan. The stories that are making their way out are heartbreaking.
On that note, though, I was excited to learn that several thousand Afghan refugees are being temporarily housed at a National Guard base just a few miles south of my little town. They are being quarantined for two weeks, and then will be allowed to leave for more permanent housing. I know many (maybe most) will leave the area, but regardless of where they end up, it makes me happy to know (and hope) that Indiana is one of the soft places they've landed on their journey to making a new home here in the U.S.
And that is truly all I have for today.
I hope you have a good week!
Your doilies always make me smile. Dawnglow is beautiful. Picot edges are my least favorite to do. Yours are always so perfect looking. Arizona has also received many of the evacuated Afghans. Hopefully they will feel safe now that they have come to the USA.
ReplyDeleteI dislike picots, too, but I must admit... they are getting easier. I redo a fair number to get them looking right, but even so some wonky ones still get through. ;^)
DeleteSuch pretty doilies and I have to admit the third one is my favourite (despite your difficulties with the creation!).
ReplyDeleteSo many things to cause us concern happening throughout the world. Very hard to sit through a news program these days because it seems there are so many disasters absolutely everywhere.
I'm on the search for more unbiased news. Truly, I know most news sources are in it for the profit, and their way of attracting views is to either catastrophize or pretty much ignore a situation depending on their political slant. I'm finding a few independent journalists that mostly just deliver news. Maybe once I get a nice collection I'm confident of, I'll make a post of them. Even then, balancing the biased news sources against each other (with a healthy dose of skeptcism) seems the best we can do.
DeleteReuters is probably best for unbiased news, they only report facts not opinion.
DeleteWow. Your dollies are amazing. I can't imagine such tiny stitches. I have a hard enough time with fingering weight yarns.
ReplyDeleteI felt that way before I finished my first one. Once I mastered my first one, it really didin't seem difficult anymore. That said, I don't know how long I'll have limber enough fingers to hold onto a little hook. Ergonomic hooks can help, but there is a fair amount of tight fiddly work that puts one fingers in awkward positions when crocheting doilies. OTOH, the weight of the blanket I'm trying to finish is giving my left thumb and wrist fits, so there is that side of things too.
DeleteOh I simply love Dawn Glow. That is gorgeous. I missed getting to post on your last post. I have had a very busy week and tonight I am trying to catch up on my blog reading. I thought of you this past week. My daughter came and we took a few hours to go through her old bedroom. She cared about nothing...I however was slow to drop in the garbage or donate pile. We did however make a huge pile of books and some knick knacks in there and directions for more of the room to do later. I had a mess all over the floor for about three days. I finally got some boxes to take what I had pulled off shelves and the closet to the Goodwill. I still plan to spend another day or two in there when I get a chance. I also hit up two other closets in little snippets here and there and unloaded about 15 cookbooks and several baking things. Woohoo. I was thinking of you the whole time and your motivation. Keep it coming.
ReplyDeleteI am tickled that you thought of me as you were sorting through things last week. You, in turn, have inspired me to tackle one of the areas I've been putting off. We'll see how that goes this week.
DeleteIsn't it interesting how little our grown kids are interested in keeping that we are reluctant to get rid of? Earlier today I came across a drawer of things I collected when I was into scrap booking, and in there were some certificates and ribbons that I know my sons will likely have no memory of having even earned. And I haven't even cracked open the box full of 4-H ribbons! I'm pretty sure my sons would have a burning party over those, but for some reason I hang onto them. Sigh...
These are some intricate doilies.
ReplyDeleteAnd these aren't nearly as intricate as some modern doilies. There are many doily designs that completely intimidate me.
DeleteThose are little artworks. The center of the Pentagon one reminds me of a house shape. Maybe that might suggest a name if you don't want to go with Pentagon.
ReplyDeleteYou are right! It does look like a little house. WIth your and Vee's input I have renamed the doily. Thank you for helping me see it! :)
DeleteI feel famous!
Delete😊 In my book, you are.
DeleteI so love your doilies! Thank you for sharing Dawn Glow, I was looking for a doily to put on top of the old radio I inherited, to make it all look truly vintage - you know, old radio with doily on top and wedding photo on top of the doily, just like grandma used to have - and this one is just what I had been looking for. Here's hoping I'll get it right.
ReplyDeleteI'd be very interested to know if you find the instructions easier than I did. I do think it depends on what one is used to, but I also can struggle with some instructions where others just don't seem to. All that said, for someone who makes doilies, it's an easy pattern and it's easy enough to ad lib when needed or desired.
DeleteI love your doilies Dawn Glow looks familiar to me I have a feeling I may have made that one before. A friend has passed a vintage crochet book on to me and it's bringing back memories of when I used to crochet with the very fine cotton I don't think my hands will allow me to do that now but I may try some with thicker cotton. Have a great week. xx
ReplyDeleteSome of these little doily patterns are so small (and for some reason they come out smaller for me), I'm going to be doing some of the smallest of them in larger (size 3) thread. That's still fairly thin stuff, but I like the slightly larger doilies it produces. The above doilies were all done with size 10 thread.
DeleteThe Pentagon looks a little like a birdhouse. The last doily is charming. Glad that you are an accomplished crocheter and could figure out those endings and beginnings.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy these early, gentle days of autumn.
You and Boud (above) are right! I've come up with a much cuter name thanks to both of you. I think I'd been too close to it to actually see what you two saw right away. Thank you, Vee!
DeleteYour doilies are always a marvel at the work that goes into them. The purple one has a Halloween spider web vibe, and goes well with the rust one for autumn. They are the type that look beautiful sewn onto a sweater.
ReplyDeleteI think the purple makes that doily stand out as very Halloween-y. I didn't plan it that way, but I kind of like the spider web effect it has crocheted in that dark muted purple.
DeleteI love your doilies! I should get that book as I only have 1 doily pattern so far. What yarn do you use? Is it cotton? I love the colors! I didn't post for YOP as I had nothing really. Isn't that amazing we have the same window in our master bathrooms? Although, mine is really a mistress bathroom or maybe I shoulf call it a Ms. bathroom? LOL!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sam. I use various brands of size 10 cotton thread (for the most part). I use HL's Artiste thread, Knit Picks Curio, and Aunt Lydia thread. These have been been easily available to me for good prices.
DeleteAll your doilies are so very lovely it's hard to pick a favourite. I like that you are able to critique the most recent but still be fair in recommending it as a pattern to try.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, the Northeast took a real beating from Hurricane Ida, the Gulf Coast will be suffering for a while and the Afghan refugee situation just feels all so heavy. My prayer is that all the refugees will find soft places to land and in the meantime, we have our hobbies and interests to brighten some of these heavy days.
Critiquing a pattern feels tricky, and I don't often do it. I am torn between feeling it's not right to do when someone has put their creation out into the world. Especially, if they offer it freely. OTOH, I appreciate when I can read other's experiences with a pattern.
DeleteSo lovely! Dawn Glow might be my favorite, but its not easy to choose when they are all so pretty.
ReplyDeleteIt just occurred to me that doilies and granny motifs are constructed similarly! I might have to try making one!
You're right! I can't tell you how much I struggled my first one, tediously referring to the pattern with every repeat on a round. Until it clicked for me, that if I just committed the repeat pattern to memory (with something like a little ditty) it would be much easier. Now... this is harder to do on more complicated doilies, but still, every round is composed of several repeats of a pattern - just like a granny square.
DeleteYour doilies are always so beautiful to see. I wonder if there’s a way of setting them in some kind of glue or similar so that they would stay flat when hung...you know like a snowflake. They are so pretty it would seem a shame to hide them under a houseplant or bowl, but I guess they are ideal to stop furniture getting marks on.
ReplyDeleteBefore blocking, I add spray starch to them. When they dry they are stiff-ish, so they could possibly be hung. At the moment, I'm not putting anything new on the walls since I'm in the mode of getting our house ready to put on the market. When displayed on a table or shelf, they're really not hidden. Picture a layered vignette with a ceramic or metal bunny and a small plant the bunny might munch on all sitting atop a doily. Try to picture something more whimsical or cute than a "doily with a plant stuck on it". Their purpose isn't to keep furniture from getting scratched, but rather to contribute to a little eye catching display. I have to remember to take a picture when I do this. It's not all that picture-worthy, but I'll try to remember. ;^) I'm sure I have some here on the blog somewhere. Maybe if I find them I'll tag them with something I can link to later since it seems this topic keeps coming up.
Deletewell that sounds lovely that they are display items in their own right and not hidden. I guess I was thinking of the 15 houseplants I have that could do with something to sit on. They are on free drinks coasters at the moment. Part of me thinks I should make some doilies for them and the other part thinks if I do make any I wouldn’t want them hidden lol
DeleteI love Dawn glow....looks like it's glowing just a little lavender! Nice to see what you are making. I'm working on a junk journal today. Nice to do something crafty every day! Hugs, Diane
ReplyDeleteI went to your blog hoping to see your junk journaling. While I'd love to see what you're creating, I did enjoy the gorgeous nature pictures from your hikes. :)
DeleteI love all of your doilies. There are some glimmers of hope in the news which is nice - most makes you feel so helpless.
ReplyDeleteGotta look for the hopeful things, for sure.
Delete