Episode 72 > Crochet Circle Podcast

January 05, 2022 • Fay Dashper-Hughes • Cloud crop top • cloud crop top crochet • Crochet Circle Podcast • Crochet podcast • crocheted socks • Episode 72 • Fay Dashper-Hughes • Fjord Fibres • Harvest Hues wool • John Arbon Textiles • Segue socks • The Crochet Circle Podcast • Varde wool • woollyknit

Episode 72

About a 4 minute read

Audio of Episode 72 Crochet Circle podcast

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INTRO

My name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet. This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.

Thanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Amazon, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.

If you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon:

OLD DOG NEW TRICKS

For a while now, I have been thinking about how I can stop printing off patterns. I finally got my hands on a third hand iPad and that meant that I could download Knitpro, an app which allows you to upload pattern PDFs to work from.

Knitcompanion is available for ios and andriod and it helps you to track where you are in your pattern within the free version. For just under £20 a month, you can upgrade to the next version which allows you to scribble on the PDF and add notes too.

I'll keep on using the app so that I can give a more feedback in the future, but for now, I see no reason why I would ever print another pattern off at home.

Knitcompanion can be dowloaded direct from their website.

FINAL DESTINATION

My Cloud Crop Top by Colleen Webster of Evolve Crochet is finished! I’m crocheted it with WoollyKnit British Wool in shade Cinnamon Brown. It’s made up of two panels for the front and back and then two smaller panels for the sleeves. My version had a few modifications because I wanted to use a light 4ply yarn held double to get a different fabric. I followed the numbers for a 5XL because of my yarn choice, where are I would have been a M/L had a stuck to the yarn choice in the pattern.

I also wanted to knit the rib around the collar, and cuffs and to add some ribbing at the waist.

I used almost every last bit of a 500g cone of wool and it is a toasty warm jumper. It is available from an XS to a 5XL and I have linked to Lovecrafts and Etsy for the pattern.

Me wearing a crocheted crop top, in cinnamon brown wool against a brick wall.

Almost every year (I didn’t do it in 2020 because 2020 was meh!) I chose a word of the year which gives me a North star to keep coming back to and help me navigate through the year. In 2021 my word was WORTH and this year it is INTENTIONAL.

I like to embroider the word onto a large project bag to remind myself of each word I have chosen and am slowly building up a scrabble board of word of the year. It’s just a simply made bag from unbleached linen and I trace around a Scrabble tile to get the right size for each letter I need to add. The detail is added with two colours of linen thread using back stitch.

unbleached linen project bag on a wooden table with wool falling out. The bag has a Scrabble tiles embroidered on it with words like WORTH and INTENTIONAL.

I also learned how to crochet stars using 28 gauge (about 0.4mm) copper wire. The first one was a bit sacrificial but as soon as I came down to a 2mm hook, it all started to come together. The copper wire is quite malleable, so you can refine is quite a bit with your fingers when you have finished the pattern.

I used a simple two round snowflake pattern and each snowflake used about 2.5m of wire. Due to computer issues at the end of December, I now can’t find the pattern that I had used and book marked – sorry.

A handmade Christmas card made from shiny textured French blue card with three copper wire, crocheted snowflakes attached.

This next project is both a finished object and a work in progress because I am waiting to steal the extra yarn I need from a friend – luckily she has two spare balls of it.

Our dining chairs are quite low and Matthew was complaining that they were hurting his knees. Initially, I was going to buy some foam, sew on tabs and crochet around the foam. Then, I found seat pads in IKEA with the Velcro tabs on for just £4 each.

I promptly hacked at them with scissors to create the shape of the chair seat and using a chunky wool and 8mm hook and Herringbone Half treble crochet, I have crocheted a seat pad cover that goes perfectly in out kitchen.

It fits over the pad, which means I can remove it and wash it occasionally. No pattern I am afraid, but I do describe the simple process in the podcast. The wool is from deep stash and was an Erika Knight wool for John Lewis that is no longer available.

Split image showing up close dining chair seat pad with crocheted pad cover on chunky blue wool. Two dining chairs, one with crocheted blue seat pad and the other showing a foam seat pad that has been hacked at with scissors and awaits a crocheted cover.

EN ROUTE

What do you do when it’s cold outside and your wellies are too big? You crochet a new pair of socks of course!

I have been meaning to make a pair of Segue Socks by Deanne at Addydae Designs for ages, so last night I took to my stash to find 200g of a suitable wool. I’m using 100% wool 360m per 100g that was given to me by my friend Stasia from Troitsk Yarn in Russia.

I needed more than 100g yarn for these socks because I didn’t want to do contrast toes, heals and cuffs and the pattern suggests that I will need over 100g to make them.

There are many pairs of knitted socks in my drawers, but if I want my feet to be really warm in wellies then 100% non-superwash crocheted socks are the way forward.

Wooden table with the toe and beginning of a foot of a crocheted sock with a ball of wool and the ball band. The wool is a tweedy brown and grey and the sock has texture on the front.

FEEDING THE HABIT

My friend Charlie went on a trip to Norway at the back and of the year and kindly brought me back some Norwegian wool. It’s from a company called Hillesvag Ullvarefabrikk, Varde is the type in shades Rodgul and Rodbrun. It has 200m per 100g and is very woolly with a lovely plump twist.

Two skeins of plump aran weight wool with cream and red skein bands. One skein is a dirty mustard and the other is a deep orange red.

Continuing with the Norwegian yarn theme, I also bought some yarn from lovely Gilly at Fjord Fibres in Bergen, Norway. Her yarn is a firm favourite in this house, and often the socks that we both look for in our sock drawers. My only pair of socks in this yarn is now so threadbare that emergency repairs are required!

All of the yarn is Trollfjord Sock yarn which is 80% Norwegian wool and 20% polyester. The shades are Moroccan Tagine, Night Storm and Desert Oasis.

three skeins of yarn. Left is a mic of blues, peaches and pinks, then a stormy grey blue and finally a glacier blue colour.

I also couldn’t resist Gilly’s bundle of 6 x 50g undyed yarn (natural, white/grey marled, white/brown marled, light grey, heathered warm grey and medium grey).

Six 50g skeins of yarn in undyed creams, greys and brown greys. Some have a slight marl to them.

QUICK NEWS BEATS

1 - The next Global Hook Up is on Saturday 22nd January at 8pm (GMT) and Sunday 23rd January at 9am (GMT). Go to www.zoom.us and use code 475 047 5819 and passcode WOOL.

That is it from me. I will be back on the 4th of Febuary.

Fay x

KEEP IN TOUCH

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Instagram: provenance.craft.co

Newsletter: Provenance Craft Co.

Instagram: FayDHDesigns

Newsletter: Fay DH Designs

Instagram: @livingatno87

Newsletter: Living at no. 87

Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite

ABOUT THE PODCAST

My name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet. It’s a community for people that like to support their fellow humans regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ability, size or age. I hope you feel the welcome embrace and love of the Crochet Clan.

Come on in and stay awhile.