Yellowbird Yarn Room

Start learning Tunisian!

Just in time for Memorial Day...let's get ready for the Fourth of July!

I have been wanting to improve my crochet skills for quite some time now.  It just doesn't come as easy to me as knitting, and I suppose that's why I never found it nearly as fun.  But I do believe I have found the perfect segue in Tunisian Crochet!

I find this method of crochet very intriguing.  Basicly, you work your way across the rows, starting your crochet stitches without completing them.  You end up with the stitches all lined up on the hook knitting-style.  Then, you work your way back by completing the stitches.  The resulting fabric looks almost woven and reminds me of those classic rag placemats.

Hmmm...placemats...

I have that Sedona that looks like denim...would look pretty cool...maybe a couple of embroidered fireworks in the corner...some fringe on the side...

YAY, CRAFT-ALONG!

You don't have to make placemats, though.  I do realize that the yarn I intend to use is not exactly spill-friendly at 90% wool and 10% silk.  Can you say hand wash?  But you could make a really cute pillow.  Or a clutch.  Or a coffee cozy.  I can see maybe a dishcloth out of the cotton blend sock yarn doubled up.  The possibilities are endless!

All you have to do is come to at least one Open Knit (and, yes, WWKIP Day counts) with the intent to try to make something using Tunisian Crochet and I will give you 30% off your supplies!

I have some absolutely lovely hooks on the way from one of my most favorite companies, Laurel Hill.  A shipment from them never disappoints, and I cannot wait to get one of their Tunisian Hooks in my hands!  As soon as they come in, I will set one up in the Yarn Tasting so you can try it out before your buy it. 

And just for giggles, here is a fantastic newsreel from 1934 that some wonderful Raveler pointed out a while back.  I'm sorry to say that I do not have extendable hooks like that!

As always with my craft-alongs, there is no registration or fee required.  It does help me to have enough of the right size hook in stock, though, so if you know you'll need one just say the word!

Calling it quits

Sometimes, you just have to know when to throw in the towel.

Oh, it was fun in the beginning.  Exciting even.  But it was never easy.  Things just never fell into place, and that gets very old very fast.

No new pool bag for me. 

I still stand by the idea as being good in theory.  I would gladly cheer on someone else willing to take on the challenge.  Hey, I'd even go so far as to sell them the handmade Plibbon to do it!  But, alas, I have had my fill and decided to move on. 

It is just so very fussy to work with.  That in and of itself wouldn't be so bad if I absolutely loved the end result.  But I don't.  It's just okay.  Looked much better in my mind, and I just can't make it do what I want it to do. 

What I really needed was some combination of the techniques.  I needed the ease of the standard plarn (cutting the bags into strips and chaining them together) with the tightness and strength of a plastic cord and the cool melted colors of fusing.  If anyone has any ideas of how to make that happen (ideas that I have not already attempted), then I may be willing to try again.

As it stands, however, I'm done.  I finished the bottom of the bag, picked up stitches and worked about an inch and a half up the sides. 

Now I look at it sitting there and I sigh.  That's four weeks worth of work right there, that is.  If we stuck it out, where would we be in another four weeks?  Would we have made enough progress?  Would I be happy?  Is this relationship really worth the time and effort?   

I gotta say no.  You just never know until you try, though, right?  And I did.  I tried.  For that, I am proud.

There are so many other projects out there, just waiting for me to take them on.  Heck, I can think of at least four or five that are ready to go right now!  There are socks, coffee cup cozies, a sweater, a gift...not to mention a new craft-along for June!

But I'm not ready to talk about those just yet.  It's just too soon.  I need time.

Maybe tomorrow.

River City happenings!

Another quickie here, as I've got the afterschool stampede coming through any minute now.  But I can't believe it's here already and I haven't said a thing!

Friday and Saturday from 10-5 at River City is the Copley Community Flea Market.  There will be some booths outside (around 20 I believe) and 10% discounts inside (sale runs Friday - Sunday).  Judy was a busy lady this morning so I didn't get the chance to get the inside scoop on what crafty goodness would be filling the booths this time around, but it's always worth a look-see!  And I hear it's going to be a bit toasty out there, perfect for some Hershey's Ice Cream!

And when you're done tasting the ice cream, maybe switch gears from your taste buds to your fingertips.  Check out my Yarn Tasting page (up there on the right) for more info.  Let me just say here, though, that knitting a few rows of that was a nice change of pace from the fused plastic ribbon!

Happy Friday!

Forgive me for having just a moment to spare here, but it is that time of year when the craziness of life kicks it up a notch. 

I just have to say that I sat in Judy's Ice Cream on Wednesday and finished the bottom of my pool bag.  I used the last of that first experimental fused Plibbon, cast 30 stitches onto my #15's, and knit until I could knit no more.  Looks like a good size to me! 

I'll be whippin' up another batch or two of Plibbon before next Wednesday so I can pick up for the sides of the bag.   And you know what's really cool about this material?  I can fuse the ends together so there's nothing to sew in!  Yay!

File under "For Future Reference"

Oh, you shoulda been there.  You shoulda seen it!

My mother sat in a chair in Judy's Ice Cream with one end of the plastic bag chain tied to the arm (of the chair, obviously, not of my mom).  I walked out through the gift shop with the other end attatched to the drill bit.  Then, on went the drill!  

It was so fun watching it spin!  It came out pretty cool, though not quite the way I had thought it would.  Maybe if I had made wider stips.  I cut them 1/2 inch wide, but I'd like to see what happens when you cut them a full inch or more.  I think it might stretch a bit less and make for a better, tighter twist. 

And just in case anyone's interested, I did play with it a bit on the Tasting just to see how it behaved on the needles.  (Check out the "Yarn Tasting" page for the latest changes there!) 

It makes a fairly thin and stretchy string of bold, vibrant color.  Would surely be great for a market bag.  But I really like the colors of the fused bags so much better for the Pool Bag.  They look so beachy and sandy and like frothy, foamy waves.  And it's not quite as stretchy, so I feel like it could stand up better to the abuse of being packed full with wet towels and toys all summer long. 

So, this Wednesday I will be there with my fused "plibbon", ready to start whipping up this thing!  I'm liking the look of the garter stitch - it seems to add to the wave-like beachy look.  Think I'll just knit the base to the size I want, pick up the stitches for the body, and see how things go from there!   

Honey, can I borrow your drill?

Have you ever watched Knitty Gritty with Vickie Howell?  And did you see the one where she used a drill to make string?

I'm thinking about exploring more options for the Pool Bag come Wednesday.  See, I really liked the color variations I was able to get out of fusing the bags together but it makes for a very thick and scratchy plastic ribbon.  Plibbon.  Not too comfy on sun-drenched shoulders.  So I was thinking...

What if I cut the bags in strips to make loops, like most people do to make plarn.  Then, as I connect the loops together I pick the colors at random.  I make one long strip, attatch one end to a chair and the other to the drill and turn it on.  I let the string double over on itself as it twists, and there you have it!  Plastic string!  Pling!

By mixing up the colors of the loops along the way and doubling it over, I should get a nice variegated color much like what I got with fusing.  And it would be a much smoother texture, more pleasant for carrying.  Hmmm...

Looks like we're on to Experiment #2!