... learning another language ...

So, guess what language I'm learning right now? The language of crochet. Really, this story started this last winter when I made that Debbie Bliss Scoop Neck Cardigan -- the one with the crochet edging. If you look closely at that cardigan, you'll see that the crochet edging that I did looks nothing like the one that DB intended. That's because I don't really understand crochet, nor crochet language. So, after making that cardigan, I decided to pick up a crochet hook and finally figure out what crochet is really all about.

(I have to mention that the parallel of first speaking French and then learning Spanish has been just like knowing how to knit and then learning how to crochet; I remember quite vividly how frustrating it was to learn similar -- but slightly different -- rules between French and Spanish, and how unfair it was that while being an expert at one thing I had to re-learn something else as a complete novice. This is exactly how I feel right now with crochet ... a complete novice.)

So, I snagged a copy of Debbie Stoller's Happy Hooker on sale, and armed with the witty descriptions of how to crochet, I undertook what I call "the washcloth project." The goal: make as many crochet washcloths as I could, each out of a different crochet stitch. The result:

Dishcloth #1: Single Crochet (sc)

Dishcloth #2: Half Double Crochet (hdc)

Dishcloth #3: Double Crochet (dc)

You can see by the trapezoidal shape of the third washcloth that this is where my experiment went awry ... and rather than try to stick it out, I simply put down the hook and took up the needles again for a while.

Enter The Uberknitter's crochet hat from the most recent Interweave Crochet ... and I decided to pick up the hook again. That hat was just too cute to pass up! So, I picked up my copy of the magazine ... but instead of starting the hat, I instead fell in lust with that granny square tote bag, Larger Than Life*. As it turns out, there's a knitalong going on (excuse me, would that be a crochetalong?). A long time ago, long before I even had my alternate life as a blogger, I tried granny squares ... and crashed and burned. However, armed with my dishcloth experience, I went to my stash and found this bag:


These were a bunch of Kool-Aid Lion Fisherman's Wool that I had dyed before I started dyeing with WashFast Acid Dyes ... and as we all know, Kool-Aid is the gateway dye. So, once I started getting real color results, I cast aside all of this yarn (they were originally intended for a fair isle project for the Little Girl):


So, I picked them up, started hooking away, and look at the results:

This is side #1 ... where I ran out of the orange yarn.

Granny squares! I've even put some of them together for one complete side of the bag:

This is side #2, already done!

Very exciting. I ran out of the orange yarn, so I picked up a few more packets of orange Kool-Aid. Once I dye up that yarn, I'll finish these squares, crochet the edging, and sew in the lining. And I've resolved myself to actually getting out the sewing machine as soon as school is out (this Friday!! Woo hoo!!).

yarn for edging + fabric for lining = one purple-ish and bright bag

But while I was waiting to get more orange kool-aid ... check out what I made in the meanwhile:

FO: Fun in the Sun Hat; Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cotton DK in beige and white; Pattern: Spring 07 IWCrochet; Hook: 6

Yes, it's the crochet hat from the current magazine. I think that the edge is a little too floppy, however ...


... so I've started another hat, this one smaller to fit the Little Girl. (Pink and green ... her choice.)


Wish me luck!

Up next ... the most amazing swap package I've ever ever received!! Seriously!! (Good thing I haven't sent mine out yet, so I can try to match the quality of the package I received!)

*And can I say that the worst part about the Larger Than Life bag is that everytime I read the title, I can't get this song out of my mind?