Moving Along

I got up very very early again today. The good thing about that was that I wasn't awake at 2 a.m. Those 2 extra hours of sleep are what makes life worth living. without those, I can't function.

This morning I finished SS's moms socks. They are ready to send, but I will talk with SS to see if there is anything else she wants to send with it.

And then I sort of looked at the work bag, and decided to give socks a break. There are two in the bag on needles, but the mildly neglected vest looked like a whole lot more fun. I've been picking it up at odd moments here and there, and its progressing quite nicely. Though the basic pattern is the same ridged one I began with, its not going to end the same. I am combining two patterns from the book, Classic Vests, but working them to the sizes found here.

I like the way its turning out. My worries about sagging are unfounded. This vest is worked in one piece from side to side or front to front as it were. The rows are vertical so when you hold it up for drape, not enough sagging to worry about. There is a lot of sag between rows when its held in the working direction horizontal, but since that isn't the way you wear it, lucky me. That would be why the designer designs things, and I only make things following someone else's idea.

I picked up the newest Interweave Crochet magazine. I think I am going to like this magazine. Lovely patterns, edited by someone whose approach to crochet I really admire. Some might call Kim Werker innovative, but I don't know that its innovative so much, as it's about darn time. Someone needed to put this crochet world of ours out of the 'only for doilies, blankets and things for the kitchen' stage it has been stuck in, and put it right back to where it ought to be. Crochet ought to be full of just as many seriously fine yarns as knitting. Crochet ought to be full of just as many wonderful people designing things to wear, to use, to accessorise with as knitting. We aren't there, and though there are as many of us crocheting as there are knitting. In fact I think there might be more of us, than knitters, but we are a much quieter community.

Kim Werker is one of the people who is dragging us to the new crochet by the seat of our communal pants, she's helping all of us see what else is out there. Kim is a mover, making our crochet world expand and grow and I for one am really really glad. Calling this monumental task innovative sounds too small in my view. Its a herculean task, setting crochet on its edge, but Kim is the woman to do it.

But I digress. There is a really interesting article in this issue about stitch patterns and working with multi coloured yarn. Multicoloured yarns sparked a wonderful things in knitting, particularly sock knitting, and there is no reason they shouldn't in crochet too. But crochet, with its very different and much more textural stitch work means you have to look for something a little different out of the yarn. This closeup shows the sort of colour variation I am getting, working to this gauge, and in this pattern.

This second fuzzy picture (My bad. I was in a rush this morning by the time I took the pictures), shows the way it looks so far. The big U is the armscyce. The colour is forming waves and weaves. It might block the colours if I was working in a different gauge, and I am thinking about trying to see what the difference might be. I do like the way it looks, but after reading the article, I wonder if it can be better. I want this seriously fine Blue Moon medium weight to be shown to its best crochet advantage.

So, what do you think? Is the pattern the colours are making pleasing? Is the ridged stitch showing off well against the yarn? Opine please, because I am just not sure. I usually operate on the principle of 'if I am not sure, I'm not there' but in this case, I just don't know where to go. I'm looking for direction and I hope you can help.