Cotton Conclusion: Pretty Pictures

to conclude my feature on the yumminess of cotton yarn, i give you another project torn from the pages of the happy hooker.

skullholders
by Kacy Fallon
stitched in one ball each black and purple Lion Brand Lion Cotton on a size "I" hook. i think i completed them in late september (06) while i was at a designer run for a show. this was the project that sealed the deal for me on the happy hooker, and i had to have the book. i marched right out and bought the yarn the same day i bought the book.

this was my first intarsia or "tapestry" crochet project. i'm hooked (pun intended). making pictures is a lot of fun, and it is way easier when crocheting than knitting. one day i will be ballsy enough to do it in knit work, but right now i am loving me some ease.
because crochet stitches are little independent units stacked on top of each other, you can sandwich your yarn between the rows rather than carrying it behind the way you must when doing pictures in knitting. i think this is just swell--no float threads! it also serves to make this nifty pair of potholders extra thick in the middle, which is a good thing. when i use these puppies, i barely feel the warmth of the pan i am touching.
the only drawback to this technique is that you will see tiny bits of the yarn color you are carrying behind the one you are working. if your yarns contrast greatly in color, this can be unsightly, but in the instance of purple and black it is no big thing. if you don't want this shadow color, you can carry the unworked strand loosely behind your work the way you would with intarsia knitting. you will have float threads, but if you are lining your project, they will never be seen.

charts are a little easier in crochet than knitting as well. because single crochet stitches are the same height and width, you can create your own graphs very easily on standard graph paper. knitting is taller than it is wide, so you need fancy math to make it work out.


i liked this particular chart so much that i started a small handbag i intend to felt. it was inspired by a project i saw on hello yarn. i need to pick it up again, but i want to determine the side panels and type of handle i want before i cross over to the second chart. the yarn i am using is blue sky 100% alpaca. i have never felted alpaca before, but the gal at the LYS i bought this from says it felts beautifully and stays softer than sheep fibers. we shall see. i just want a cutie mini bag that doesn't need a lining. i'll post a picture of the final product.