Crochet Friday

Yarn is made. Patterns are made to support said yarn. Some like to let the yarn do the work and keep the stitch pattern to a simple stockinette or some knit/purl combination. Other patterns want to show off the stitch definition and work cables and/or lace to make each stitch pop. I can't speak for anyone, but I wonder if anyone thinks of whether a yarn will look better when crocheted rather than offering only knitting patterns.

Well someone at Rowan realized that crochet is no longer the bald-headed stepchild of the craft world. That's been said for some time, but support is being developed to back up that statement more often it seems. The staff of Rosie's has never been crochet-discriminatory, but more of us have been picking up hooks lately.You can imagine that we were excited to see that Rowan 47 had crocheted garments. Not just some toaster cozy/pillow cover amalgamation made solely of granny squares, but things that you could wear with a pair of jeans, a pair of cute knee boots (brown always works), and go out the door feeling stylish without having tried too hard. 

Enter Cheery, an over-sized crocheted pullover with knit ribbing at the hems & neckline. As soon as I laid eyes on it, I knew I was going to make it. At first, I sighed. Summer Tweed is 70% silk/30% cotton. I will be completely honest and say that cotton isn't exactly my favorite fiber for knits. I like a bit of stretch in my sweaters and you just don't get that with a cotton/silk blend. So what do you do? You crochet!!!!

The sweater has a knit ribbing that is bound off before working the crochet pattern. The jump from knitting Summer Tweed to crocheting it almost feels as if you were working two different projects. (The ribbing does seem to go for a bit longer than you want it to, but it wouldn't be ribbing if it didn't, now would it?) After that's done, you crochet the body, which doesn't even take that long compared to how long it'd take you to knit it. Crochet isn't always faster than knitting, but this is one of those times when it is. 

Summer Tweed won't mind if you knit it. Rosie's regular Karen has nothing but amazing things to say about her Hey Teach cardigan. It's just something about the texture of the yarn that makes it feel lovely when you crochet it. Hopefully, by next week there should be a finished product with pictures to boot! Check out all of the Summer Tweed colors we have here! 

Last but not least, in something unrelated to Summer Tweed, check out the new First Fall Knitty! Milly is worked in Felted Tweed, Winnow calls for Louet Gems, the Coquille Shawl features the amazing Swans Island Fingering, and Lamina shows off Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend. It's good to see Fall things coming down the pipeline when the low for the week is 89 degrees!

Crochet Friday

Lately we've been taking inventory of what we offer in the way of house patterns. We're trying to diversify things and not offer only scarves or only hats. With that said, more crochet items will be introduced. With more of the staff picking up the hook more often (with no lost love for the two sticks), we're more mindful of the number of available crochet designs that we can offer as a standalone pattern. Not to say that there aren't great books (Crochet Me, Crochet In Color, Crocheted Gifts, etc.), but sometimes you're more in the market for a single pattern, especially if you're trying something new.

With the surge in crochet's popularity, not only do we have your average length crochet hooks but we also made sure to introduce/reintroduce you to Tunisian crochet. What is Tunisian crochet? Tunisian (or afghan) crochet uses an afghan hook, which is simply an elongated crochet hook. You start by working the same type of chain you use as the base for any other crocheted work. Now here's where it gets interesting. You don't work one stitch at a time and move on as you do in normal crochet. Instead you are pulling one stitch up and leaving it on the hook. This is why you need an elongated hook, or a hook with a plastic cord similar to the ones seen on circular needles, to accommodate the extra stitches. The next step is to not turn the work but to wrap the yarn around the hook and pull through the first loop, then proceed to yarnover and pull through two loops until you reach the end of the row.  What you get after working a few sets of rows is.....

The fabric is best when worked on a hook size that is larger than normally called for depending upon your yarn choice. Here is the Manos del Uruguay Serena, usually knit on a US 4/3.5mm-US 5/3.75mm, and I got a nice, drapey fabric at about 4-4.5 stitches per inch on an H/5mm afghan hook. You might be a tight or loose crocheter; it all comes down to washing and blocking your swatch (which I did). As soon as the yarn touched the water, the alpaca content in the yarn made it drape but the pima cotton kept the stitch definition while still keeping it soft. Summer yarn option anyone?
 
Well, we've got a few patterns in the works even as I'm typing this, and maybe in the future we'll have a Introduction to Crochet class structured much in the way of the Beginner Knitting/Project classes. Stay tuned for more info and for new patterns!

February Project of the Month: Pebble Lace Crocheted Tam

As we were planning ahead (and looking back at the past year) and thinking of design ideas for Rosie's Projects of The Month, it quickly became very clear that crochet has not received its fair share of face time!

So, this month, Jen designed a totally awesome beret for you to crochet. The project is designed in two sizes (less or more slouch depending on your tastes) and features a classic Rosie's favorite, Nashua Creative Focus Worsted (available in every color in the shop)!

For die-hard crocheters, there is a ribbed crochet brim, or for knitters looking for a crossover project -- or those adept at both needle and hook -- there is also a traditional K1 x P1 brim option (shown above in the Larger size).

Click the link above to be taken to the pattern page. Then, come into Rosie's, pick out your favorite color and whip up this super cute beret. If a project like this appeals to you and you have the basics down but you are a little daunted by the pattern, don't worry! We offer a crochet drop in on the 4th Monday of each month. If you can't wait until then, give us a call at 215.977.9276 and sign up for a private lesson with the designer herself!