Romance in France Scarf

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well. I have been away for some time due that I had a lot of projects to be done then squeezing in a short trip out of town. And all these within my limited time frame.

My husband and I were on a weekend vacation in the Wairarapa region. The idea is to visit a friend but he has a last minute call to the city so we just drove around Masterton and Carterton, stayed in Greytown overnight and had lunch in Martinborough on Sunday. In Martinborough there weren’t much shops open as we came in around 3 PM and like most weekends they close at 4- 4:30 PM.

But we’re able to go in some quaint shops that sell French-vintage accessories. Most of the home decor are too feminine for us, however in the end we bought a small antique looking frame. We’re going to put a picture of us as a reminder of that particular trip.

Now I’m back. It’s Labour day Monday here so no work. It would’ve been perfect if only the weather stayed clear for people to enjoy outdoors. This is the kind of weather that will induce flu so I’m going to stay indoors. And while I’m here, I’m going to work on my throw. It’s near to being finished so I will put more effort in it. I plan to finish this by Wednesday or let’s say- within the week if I have the time. Because it’s going to be another trip out of town.

Work In Progress of my blue throw.

Ergo a new schedule to load my works here in WordPress has been created. I will make sure that I upload my articles every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

I’ll tell you more of my throw project once I’m done, that is a promise. 🙂 But for today I will share with you a granny square scarf I made for my mother-in-law. I made this for her to wear over winter. It’s also going to be a Christmas present. Who knows she may find a boyfriend while wearing this.

I titled it ‘Romance in France’.

My color scheme is based only in 4 colors taken from vintage photographs. Their combination is a from a sepia tone with red tint: Cream, Light Pink, Dusk Pink and Light Brown yarns.

My yarn is John Q Creative 8ply and 100% NZ wool, washable.

My chosen colors come from a vintage and romantic feel.

Forming the base of 20 squares for the scarf.

I have two types of granny square here same as the bohemian bag I made. All in all it’s a total of 24 squares. I sewed them together to make the length and finished it with scallop border to give it a more feminine touch, and it would create an interesting detail when it peeks out from a coat.

A lengthy process in the making. Here I’m preparing it for a dusk pink edging.

Sewing the ends in to make sure the scarf doesn’t fray.

Attached at 4 3D flowers on both ends of the scarf.

Here is a finished edging of dusk pink yarn to tie all the squares together in color.

Now edging it with cream colored yarn.

And finally adding a scallop edging to make the final design for the scarf.

Finished scarf. I added flower designed wood buttons in the middle of the 3D flowers.

The result turned out nicely, in my opinion. But I still have a long way to go with the joining process. Anyway, I may make another one in the future, for me.

I’m quite ready for Christmas gifting now. I hope my maman likes it.

And I hope you liked it too.

Have a nice day!

Confession Of A Crochet Addict: An Introduction

Me with a scarf my cousin bought.

Hello my name is Marie and I’m addicted to crochet.

I got hooked on crochet only a month ago. It was all my husband’s fault, I’m afraid.

It all started when we went to Frank Kitts Underground Market in Wellington and we both got interested in this one girl who sells loom knitting kits. Her loom knitting kit is made up of wood with metal spikes that hold the yarn in place while you weave them together.

That day we just looked but didn’t buy.

At home that evening we talked about getting one, trying it, and making a scarf for each other. It was a nice plan to give me something to do, while for him it’s going to be a past time. So we got some cheap yarns at The Warehouse and come Saturday next, we bought the loom. He was the first to try it and the outcome was really nice. I didn’t get the chance to try it since he was still using it.

One day I was in Cuba street and I found this Japanese store and they have a section there for crafting. So I got 4mm knitting needles and tried my hand in making a scarf the knitting way. I was able to make some but I my hands fumble all the time with the needles. But I didn’t give up on knitting, I just put them aside and wait for my husband to finish my scarf.

These are our knitting looms. That is my scarf my husband is making for me and is still WIP since June. It’s September now. 😀

Three weeks after and in the middle of winter, I still don’t have a scarf. And I can’t use it because the yarn is still attached there. So while he was on vacation back in France to see his family. I was left with nothing to do. In order to keep my mind stimulated I looked in the internet for yarn crafts that I can make. And I found interest in crochet.

 I had a slight understanding of crocheting back in my uni days. My youngest sister was in high school at the time and they have crochet in their home economics subject. She showed me some of her works which are really pretty and intricate. I got interested in it and tried to make some but I wasn’t good with the hook, and like the knitting, put it aside and forgot completely.

While I browsed in the internet for more topics about crochet and finding how cute they are, with growing interest. I am slowly leaning towards and telling myself to really sit down and learn it.

 But I still have some yarn and I want to use it before starting a crochet project.

One Saturday, two weeks before my husband is to come home, I went to the underground market. It seemed like it was calling me because the theme of the market happened to be ‘Wool Sale’, so I found the loom knit girl and got some instructions, I got some wool from Anna Gratton (and her wools are exquisite!) and got busy making a scarf- two scarves that is, for my husband. I want to surprise him when he gets back.

Anna Gratton wool. I will have to learn how to unwind them properly in the future.

 Within 7 days I finished 2 scarves. I suddenly wanted more, and I was hungry to make more than just scarves.

Finished scarves I made with the knitting loom.

There was leftover yarn, so again I researched in the internet for inspiration, and one of those inspirations is to have an afghan throw in granny square. I went back to the Japanese store that afternoon and got 4mm/6mm hook. It was a really good deal because for $3.50 I get two hooks in one.

It was a slow start but I made a swatch from blue yarn and found it was relatively easy and possible for me to learn and do. Then I put that practice in action, and I got to make a large granny square. This is the first time I made a large project like this The feeling of making the afghan was ecstatic and so my addiction to learn and make more began.

This is my beginner afghan in white. I ran out of yarn…

For the next few blogs I will share some of my projects in WIP (Work In Progress) and some finished. I will incorporate some of my projects with the knitting loom, from time to time, as it was from it that my crochet inspiration began.

The intention of this blog is a diary of sort for me to remember most of the lessons I made for myself. Also this is to share some of my creations and hopefully, since I was inspired by some of the best crochet artisans on the internet, I too could inspire other newbies like myself.

I’m now starting to have the jitters, but no worries I have a mantra for making the jitters disappear.

“Get yarn and hook it!”