It's rainin' cats and dogs

What weather we've been having!! Rain. Snow. Freezing rain. We had more spring in March than we're having now. Only thing for it is to eat make cookies! These are for the Gananoque & District Humane Society's booth at the business showcase this weekend in Gananoque. Friday from 4 - 9pm and Saturday from 9 - 4, at the Lou Jeffries Gananoque & TLTI Recreation Centre.

There's nuthin' like a friend to pull you out of a rut.

So, things have been a little tense in the Kingdom this summer. Lots of stuff goin' on. Not all of it good. However, my good friend Kate had just the remedy. 'Let's knit a really, really complicated lace shawl!!' And you know what? She was right! A girl can't dwell on the dark side of things if her mind and hands are focused somewhere else. So, here's what we're knittin'. With Cassie's help, of course.

It's a new shawl by Anne-Lise Maigaard who designed the shawl we knit last year. Alberta. Kate's knitting a bigger size with lots of beads. I'm taking it a little easier. Mine will have beads at the cast-off edge. Kate's will be fully loaded with 'em.

Cruisin'

It's time for the annual Fur Ball Cruise! This is a fundraiser for the Gananoque & District Humane Society. These cookies will be available for sale during the cruise. For more info about the event, please click here: 
http://www.ganhumanesociety.ca/uploads/2/2/0/7/22072986/furball_2017_poster.pdf 
It should be a rockin' good time!

The colour-of-the-day is ...

There are lots of tutorials on the internet for dyeing animal fibres with Wilton food colouring. It's not hard. It doesn't require fancy equipment. It's non-toxic.

For this shade, I used Teal plus Ivory, plus a little extra yellow. Nothing precise. I just aim for a shade, and accept what comes.

This could also be the secret to happiness.

Sophie Digard and me

Still infatuated with those Sophie Digard designs. Here's how my scarf turned out:

12 inches x 60 inches. And since Sophie signs hers with a label, I had to, as well. I think I'm on the right track. I like how the colours work together, but I think maybe smaller motifs might work better next time.

In this photo, you can see the cone of white cashmere I bought here that I dyed with Wilton food colouring to get the gorgeous coral skein and the warm yellow-green. The cashmere is lovely and soft. I'm playing with some off-centre circles, and putting them together free-form.

Sophie's designs also include bags made from her crocheted 'fabric', as well as embroidered scarves. Doesn't embroidery sound like fun?

More crochet

Still workin' away on the Kitty Face Granny Squares, but I'm also insanely in love with Sophie Digard designs. She's a Parisian designer who has her work made up by women in Madagascar. It's supposed to be a Fair Trade arrangement, but I haven't actually confirmed that. Not that it matters. Her scarves are crazy expensive, and for me, the attraction isn't really in owning one. It's in figuring out how they're made. I don't mean the crochet patterns. That seems simple enough. They're mostly crocheted motifs that are joined to make a rectangle. What's extraordinary about her scarves is the way she manipulates colour. And THAT is what I'm grappling with.

Here are a few of examples of actual Sophie Digard scarves, but you can search her out on Pinterest to see more.

Heaven knows I have lots of odd balls of wool leftover from previous projects. I read that some of her scarves are made up of as many as 60 colours/shades that she has dyed for her. So, OK, I guess dyeing is part of the deal.

I've made several starts at this, but always get distracted by 'nice colours'.  I've decided I really need to tighten the colour palette. Then, I got the idea I should START with the colour palette. How 'bout this one? Pretty, eh?

So, I sifted through my stash, and chose all the teals and turquoises and beiges and browns. I'm sticking with wool and wool/nylon (sock leftovers), because a scarf doesn't get washed much, so hand washing shouldn't be a problem. I dyed some off-white with Wilton food colouring, and I over-dyed some turquoise with tea.

I think it's interesting that there are so many similarities between quilting and this type of crochet. Still working in squares, and still joining them together. The success of the project depends on the colour chemistry in both media. Of course, I've had to go back and re-learn my basic crochet skills, but that's been enjoyable, too. Much easier now with YouTube than it was when I was 13. And I get to work on my deck under Cassie's watchful eye. What better way to pass a July morning? Or several. I have 32 motifs made, and I calculate that I need 45. Some assembly required.

Crochet along with me, the best is yet to be

I have this idea!! There's this really cute pattern (no, it's not mine) for a kitty granny square. Really cute. If you've got some yarn and a hook, and you'd like to crochet along with me, just keep reading.

If you'd like to do some good with a granny square or 2, you could consider sending them to me, and I'll put them together into an afghan to try to raise money for the Lyndhurst Feral Cat Project.

Here's the pattern. It's free. http://www.sewrella.com/2016/07/kitty-cat-crochet-granny-square.html

It's written for worsted weight yarn. I used Bernat Premium and Bernat Satin. Both are classified as #4 Medium. It's acrylic, so it's easy care. If you're making your squares for the LFCP afghan, use any colours you like...... the brighter, the better. I used buttons for the eyes and nose, because I don't intend this for a baby.

Cassie approves!

I'm not a big-time crocheter, so my experience may differ from yours, BUT I think the first ring of the block should ask you to make 9 DC in the magic ring, so you end up with 10 stitches. The first chain 2 is really the first stitch.

Also, the pattern doesn't really tell you where to start the frame around the cat's face. I found it was easier to mark the cat's face like the hours of a clock (an old-fashioned clock). Put a safety pin at each hour of the clock, and start at the 2 o'clock point. I didn't count stitches as the pattern instructs. I just slip-stitched into each hour of my 'clock'.

Oh, and for some reason, my kitty cat granny square measures 8 inches square, not 6 inches as it says in the pattern. No matter. One of the great things about crochet is that it's so 'fudgeable'.

That's it! Have fun! And if you want to send me a block to add to the afghan, please just let me know. Just leave a comment on this post, and I'll get back to you with the address. The cats and I would be very grateful. Thank you!