Yarn and Birds

As usual I've been crocheting. It was good to realize that I still enjoyed it even after a 2 month hiatus. But in the time since my last post in February I finished the shawl I started in September as well as the sweater I was testing (for the same designer). Neither of the projects have been blocked and the sweater still needs buttons but here are my latest photos.

The first project finished was the Anemone designed by Michelle DuNaier. I was one of the testers for the design to help make sure it was typo-free and understandable to the average crocheter. It was pretty straight forward and fun to make (once those granny square motifs were all finished, they seem to take forever!)

Anemone without Buttons

 My other project was her Goldberry shawl, named after a character in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. (One that didn't make it into the movies.) It was pretty easy except for making sure I had the correct number of stitches in each row, toward the end there were over 500. The hdc's were easy to make but a headache to count. However I really love how this one came out, it's big and heavy, warm, and ought to look even better once it's steam blocked. The perspective in the photo looks a little odd because I flipped it 180 degrees.

Goldberry

I finished it on March 12 and immediately started another shawl also designed by Ms DuNaier called Ginny's Patronus Cloak. I used some Red Heart Unforgettable in the Candied colorway and bought some skeins that coordinated really well. There are 57 rows, I think I am on row 44 but the photo was taken a couple days ago and is only to about row 25 or so.

Patronus Shawl

This pattern has been really easy and I had to learn to make post stitches. I thought it was supposed to be a fairly large shawl but I am starting to wonder. It's possible the yarn and hook size were just wrong for a big shawl. I'm using an H hook (5 mm) mostly and yarn that is about US size 3, DK weight rather than the fingering weight which the designer used in her sample. (She also used an H hook)Then again the model wearing it is probably fairly small and maybe it just looks big on her, I guess I'll find out when I get to the end. That will take a while because the rows are becoming very long.

One final note, since winter is hanging on (happy first day of spring, everyone!) I am still putting out seed and suet for the birds. I caught a small pileated woodpecker on the suet behind the house. Not the best picture in the world, but it's still pretty cool, I think. I'm surprise it could get its huge beak into those little holes. The other suet feeders are much larger. This one is more squirrel proof which is why it's behind the house.

Pileated Woodpecker, probably female

Kinda cool.