Knitting basics I was taught when I was younger, but for Crochet my mum stopped at the single chain. So I can do the single chain and I taught myself multi chains. But making anything more advanced doesn't ever seem to turn out quite right. So far its gone quite wrong actually :oops:
A good example is the munchy monster I
The Munchy monster is based on something I saw on an advert a few months ago. Basically A woman is wandering along and sees a rather tasty looking Ice cream Sunday outside a cafe. Then a pink with white polka-dots puppet monster, suddenly and rather alarmingly from her expression pulls itself out of her coat. And then starts doing its damndist to get her to go back and eat it. Even hauling/trying to haul her around the street while she resists. It was like a small and very strong child with long legs. With no neck and a massive Cheshire cat type grin.
I can't put a picture of it here but I can post a link. I think I have to say who did it, its “McVitie's Go Ahead Snack Range – Go ahead Yoghurt Break Bar - Keep Your Hunger Happy”
http://www.visit4info.com/advert/Goahead-Yoghurt-Break-Bar-Keep-Your-Hunger-Happy-McVities-Go-Ahead-Snack-Range/60213
Criminal little bugger considering that this is in fact someone else's ice cream. The fact that they have just wandered off and abandoned it so it can tempt, taunt, torment and generally mock in an inconvenient manner innocent and munchy passerby’s is seemingly irrelevant (and strangely no flies, see if that was my ice cream, or any of my friends ice creams, or indeed anyone I know or have ever seen's ice cream, attended or no, there'd be flies. What the person did to drive them away is not shown or hinted at. Maybe that’s why the person is not eating it; they've done something to it, and it’s driven them and the flies away. This is not a comment on our cleanliness, just a statement of some observation about flies).
Anyway (The Prologue-that had to be expected) I planned to make a trio of them in different colours, Sweet (custard creams or Jaffa cakes, hmmm hob nobs are good too, nom nom nom), savoury (crisps or nuts) and takeaway(pizza, Thai or chinese) and, it didn’t go right.
How hard is it to crochet a flattened torpedo shaped thing with blunt ends? Well like (I imagine) many people thought, sure it can't be that hard, I'll give it a go. It is nigh on impossible, unless possibly you’ve been trained (Or are Extremely talented).
It started off well. I found something called the magic loop (I think that actually maybe something else sock related, I'm positive it is actually, |-|) on the internet, tried to follow it to create the nice base increases. Made my method up and things started to go very wrong and OBSENELY phallic rather rapidly after I’d finished the increases.
It got very embarrassing and for CGBF, hilarious as I was crocheting it on the train down to Edinburgh and it all got bad and it was all very embarrassing. Once the “No it doesn’t look like that, it’ll turn out ok, why are you laughing (to CGBF), will you stop laughing, ok it actually does I’ll put it away” denial ended. I have no idea why it went wrong or indeed why I am discussing this innocent object getting sordid on the internet in public (pictures later, the home computer doesn't like my bluetooth software any more :-/ :roll:).
Anyway, back away from the sordidness and return to decency, I have some lovely patterns including a shawl and I would really like to make it. It is however, intermediate-advanced and I haven't finished my first repeat of my first shawl. Which is knitted. Which I can do (mayhaps with errors but there you go). Optimistic much? I should show you the shawl of my affections. It is the Dragon Shawl made by Epicurus off of Etsy who does a lot of Crochet patterns. Patterns (shorter link) in her shop linkie is here http://www.etsy.com/shop.phpuser_id=33247§ion_id=5060810
I have a few other ones, a rug, scarves, a loose top, but this is the main one I like. My challenge and thing to work towards.
What this shawl is, is a dragon shawl, with a tail, wings right down to wing tips a and spinal ridge. It even has stitches that imitate scales, its amazingly well designed, all the abbreviations are included and its well presented in the pdf pattern. Although it could do with being broken up because there is a lot of text involved, which can be pretty daunting in any sort of chart. The Lady (I’ve messaged her, she is very friendly and helpful) also produces the colour changing yarn to go with it. She will also custom dye it should you fancy a dragon of a different coat (though none should bow so low). That’s all the truth I know. Sorry for those of you who are not A Song of Ice and Fire fans, that a (poor :oops:) reference to the Rains of Castermere. I'll mention that later.
Anyway, if you can crochet and have made or indeed are making it show us. I’d love to see it and definitely think I should try learning again.
SOCK
I am not going to beaten by a sock, so I have got a new pattern (I hear that comment about running away, I tell you I am not, mutter mutter mutter, I'm trying something else).
The sock maybe thinking it has won the battle (it was able to easily circumnavigate my calculator 8|)but whilst I feel determined and rather stubborn, I'm going to give it another go.
I've got a photo of the ex sock (it is no more, it has become deceased) and a pattern called "The Harris Tweed Sock" by Ali Green (she has a book called "Put a Sock in it", I may get it if this starts getting enjoyable). I got it off Ravelry and it looks nice. It may even look nice in grey. I am mid way through casting on and shall proceed once I have finished here. I shall also post pictures :).
My scarf of cool temperatures is longer than I am tall (its about 6 feet :>>) I feel really pleased and slightly impressed with that. About now many people will be wondering, why do you need a 6 foot scarf (and growing?) Well its called the Scarf of Cool Temperatures for a very good reason. Its light and I like to wrap it around my neck at least twice. Under the hair next to the neck, over the hair to hold it in place and both ends down to my waist so it can be tucked into whatever I am wearing (I'm sure you all really wanted to know those details). Also now its this length it can wrap around your entire face easier (sometimes around here, daftness is in fact repeated).
The Scarf of Cool Temperatures seems to have an unlucky spot on the bus route (I usually knit it on the bus to and from work). In the most bumpy and pot holed spot is where the mistakes or dropped stitches appear >:XX >:-[. The bus is rattling, wrooming and alternatively Raaarrring, flinging you around and that's when the stitch falls off >:-[. Or I have to rip it back to correct something (accidents are more likely to happen when you half asleep). But it never happens outside of this place so I am beginning to speculate..... This places causes the mistake by warping the fabric of space. No? I'll leave it there then with the excuse about tools.
Now I’ve brought up A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin, my favourate series. It’s a series of medieval era (not European, just the style) high fantasy books that are amazingly in depth, vivid and complex. In a scope far beyond what I can describe as well as beyond Robert Jordan and in many ways Tolkien. The characters grow, develop and undergo many trials and Martin does what many authors do not, he kills off the main characters. To quote my brother, “This cub isn’t afraid to kill people off”. These aren’t minor characters, these are major ones, something you’d never expect.
The world is Westros, a strange world where dragons existed and magic still exists. A world where seasons last years and in the winter comes the others. Westros, the land of the seven Kingdoms. Seven Kingdoms united 300 years ago by the Targaryns, Dragon lords from fallen Valeria. The last of the dragon kings died, deposed by the current king who comes to the northern most of the King's lands to Lord Eddard Stark, Warden of the North for help. The land beside The Wall, where the Night Watch stand, protecting the lands of men from the dark. The King needs a Hand, a person to implement his will and rule whilst the King does what he wills.
But leading him there came treachery, which follows with him and brings tragedy behind it.War, betrayal and death. Each House using its members and other houses, weaker or stronger, vying for position, some, individuals of houses sacrificing anyone in their path for advantage, others acting from nobility. This is where the books focus, not on elves, dwarves, orcs and goblins for there are none. The focus is on the people, high and noble, small and weak for everyone has their own goals and plans and no one is the same. Although the magic is there its in the background, it is the (sometime swear filled) interactions that the books revolve around.
Written in first person with a character’s POV per chapter initially took some getting used to and from the start there is no background explanations of what happened, you have to piece together what happened over a decade before to bring the characters to their current positons. The writing is superb, intelligent and every details ties in with such depth it is amazing. Re-reading adds depth as little things tie into what happens in further books. The pace is fantastic, the writing realistic, not sugar coated and the writer expects readers to keep up.
Linky to the first book here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/000647988X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247301579&sr=8-1"
Here is the Rains of Castermere
Rains of Castermere.
And who are you, the proud lord said,
That I must bow so low?
Only a cat of a different coat,
That's all the truth I know.
In a coat of gold or a coat of red,
A lion still has claws,
And mine are long and sharp, my lord,
As long and sharp as yours.
And so he spoke, and so he spoke,
That lord of Castamere,
But now the rains weep o'er his hall,
With no one there to hear.
Yes now the rains weep o'er his hall,
And not a soul to hear.
Here is Amazon's review
The The first volume of George R R Martin's glorious high fantasy tells the tragic story of treachery, greed and war that threatens the unity of the Seven Kingdoms south of the Wall. Martin unfolds with astonishing skill a tale of truly epic dimensions, thronged with memorable characters, a story of treachery and ambition, love and magic. Set in a fabulous world scarred by battle and catastrophe over 8000 years of recorded history,it tells of the deeds of men and women locked in the deadliest of conflicts and the terrible legacy they will leave their children. In the game of thrones, you win or you die. And in the bitter-cold, unliving lands beyond the Wall, a terrible winter gathers and the others -- the undead, the neverborn, wildlings to whom the threat of the sword is nothing -- make ready to descend on the realms of men. A Game of Thrones begins the most imaginative, ambitious and compelling fantasy epic since The Lord of the Rings. Thronged with memorable characters, it unfolds with astonishing skill a tale of truly epic dimensions. There have been many pretenders to the throne of Tolkien: now at last he has a true heir.
I've blathered enough. But I may add something later. There has been no shawl progress since I last mentioned it. ALso there's been no spinning this week. I shall rectify that later this (long) weekend :>>
Have a good weekend everyone. Play nicely and Do NOT give into the socks. Temporary lulls are permissible ;).
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