(Insert crochet pun here)

Fall has arrived with a vengeance and for the last two weeks every day has been pretty much the same: grey and gusty, with rain -- sometimes real deluges, drumming on the roof and turning the streets to rivers. It's cold and nasty and when I get home from work each night, all I want to do is curl up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of cocoa and watch The Simpson's Halloween marathon on tv.

The MC tunic still needs a neckhole and one sleeve and gore attached, but (blame it on the rain) I've been crocheting instead. There's just something so cozy about working with wool. I've discovered that while I'm not a particular fan of crochet with standard yarn and a size H hook (which every beginner book told me was the perfect place to start) but if I have a nice chunky yarn, like Lion's "Jiffy" and a giant hook, it's much easier for me to see what I'm doing and oh my goodness, I took off like crazy.

I used up a few scraps left over from nalbinding to hone my nascent skills, and then I hit the craft shop because I wanted to make a saddle pad for my horse. You know, one of those easy, small, starter projects. When I realized how many skeins of Jiffy I was going to need (at $6 a skein!) and started looking for something a little cheaper, especially as I wasn't sure how it would turn out! I found Collegiate yarn in a big bin, only $8 for a skein the size of my head! I bought two in bright red and scampered home in the rain to make my start.

And you guys, it turned out great! I worked it in the round in what I thought was a single crochet. Later I learned that my "single crochet" was actually a slip stitch. Whups! But it worked up nice and thick and the diamond pattern is attractive, so I'm pleased with it.

Later when I tried it with the saddle, I discovered that even though it was the same dimension as the saddle pad I normally use, there's something in the property of crochet that is different. I need to make it two inches wider, and two inches shorter. That means tearing it all apart and starting over. (I know you're thinking "Couldn't you just give it a turn on the horse's back and use it that way?", but the answer is no. Then it's an  even worse fit.)  Good thing I don't mind repetitive tasks. It only took me three evenings to finish as is, and it's not like the rain will be stopping any time soon.

I started looking online for simple patterns; easy projects I could finish in a day or so using new stitches and techniques. Dave picked out the next skein (Collegiate again, because you get so much for the price!), a purple, grey, and black variegated yarn and I said I'd make him a scarf. That's when I discovered that I am just awful at turning corners! All raggedy-looking and uneven, ugh.

So I decided I'd go back to working in the round again and make an infinity scarf -- just a big loop you wind around your neck. I didn't notice that I'd gotten a twist in my starting chain but it turned out in my favor because I didn't have to count rows, a huge plus! I was crocheting a mobius strip! I did about eight rows of single crochet, then one row of half-double crochet, one row of double crochet, and I was done. Looking at the picture, you can see the way the pattern reverses itself in the center of the scarf, but I think it looks great. Not very masculine (sorry, Dave!)  but a nice learning piece and it'll make a good gift for someone.

So that's what I've been up to this week. Tonight is Halloween but I don't think we'll be getting many trick-or-treaters if this foul weather continues. I'll be finishing up a "Monk's Hood" cowl I'm making for myself from a soft, thick, forest green skein with a single crochet, skip stitch pattern. It's halfway done and going well so far, so stay tuned for pictures of that next time.

MC: The Tunic

Tonight is the season premier of The Walking Dead. Following tradition, we will be attending a watching party hosted by our friends. As I can't sit still and watch tv without some busywork in my hands, I decided to begin the tunic portion of my Manuscript Challenge.

It's a pretty straightforward pattern, with three main parts: body, sleeves, and gores. I based my style on this Dalmatic tunic (click the bottom text to see the pattern) although my sleeve insets are square, not rounded, and my neckline doesn't have that little tail on it.

When we dyed this fabric, my friend pointed out a few spots where the dye hadn't taken as well for whatever reason. (Yes, this is the same fabric! Amazing what different lighting can do to a camera.) I tried to work around those few spots, or place there where they'd be least noticeable, but there was just nothing for it when it came to this sleeve -- the spot was going to be right in the middle of it. I compared both sides of the fabric and decided that the one side was less noticeable than the other, so that will help, and I'll be sure to place it so the spot is on the back of the arm and not the front. Thank goodness I'll have that flashy cloak to command all the attention; no one will notice these few pale spots. I hope.

The store didn't have much to offer in the way of silk thread. This blue doesn't match exactly, but it's very close. Notice how the fabric color is again very different from the other pictures!

The color in real life is an almost perfect match to the inspiration picture, so let's end with that image again here. Next you'll see of this tunic is when it's put together and I start the gold work for the sleeves and hem.