How to: Crochet and travel


I enjoy both crochet and travel and have mixed them together on a lot of occasions. Crochet is one of those hobbies that can be really portable and can fill in those long hours. I crocheted on my USA trip and have come up with a few pointers and tips for anyone interested.

Size. Don’t bring a giant double size blanket with you. It’s heavy and not practical. Bring something small or something you can sew together later. Make a few granny squares, a baby size blanket, a scarf, beanie, or shawl.

Limit yourself to only a few colours. The last thing you want is to juggle 15 different colours. This takes up space in your bag and increases the risk of misplacing something. Stick to 3 balls of yarn. If you must bring heaps of colours rewind them into smaller balls.

Storage. Project bags are a must. I have several made of cotton or organza. The opening is a drawstring allowing it to be fully closed but still be able to draw up the yarn. I travel with a normal sized handbag which allows for 1 ball of 100g 8ply yarn. This is an awesome size as it isn’t too bulky. Watch out of liquids in your bag (or nature) from spilling on your project.

Hooks. While it is legal to carry hooks on Australian international and domestic flights you should always check with your airline. I’ve had mixed results in having to open my bag and prove that it’s just a hook. With my first flight with hooks i was so scared they’d take them off me I brought a plastic hook! I hated this and it slowed me down. My next flight saw me take my ‘good’ hook and wasn’t any drama. I also took my hooks through security at The Pentagon, One World Observatory, and The Capitol Building in Washington with no problems. This info may change at a later time 😉

Looks. People will look, people will be curious. It’s something you have to deal with. I go into my own world and don’t even think about it, my sister seems to notice it more.

Goals. Don’t set goals, enjoy your holiday. If you don’t feel like crocheting, don’t do it.

Advertisement

Finished: Purple Sunday Shawl

If i like a pattern there’s a good chance I’ll make it a lot. I finished my first Sunday Shawl and instantly wanted to make another. I did want to mix it up a bit, cause i like to personalize everything. I found this yarn at Spotlight and grabbed a pack. Then ran back and grabbed another when I realized it was not 4 ply and more like 8ply. So I hate trebbles, not good when this pattern is mainly that! So instead I worked double crochets. I work much faster this way. Due to the limited yarn I had to change colour in the body of the shawl. I wasn’t Continue reading Finished: Purple Sunday Shawl

Finished: Baby Granny

There is nothing better than a simple granny blanket. I ordered this yarn without a project in mind and after a lot of research I just went back to a granny. I’m trying to make smaller blankets right now so they are more practical for strollers and babies, plus they work up quick and Im less likely to get bored. This will be the first of many Baby Granny Blankets!

Finished: Birds of a Feather shawl

I decided to try my hand at a shawl made from 8ply yarn. I usually work with 4ply, but i wanted something warmer. I found this yarn at Lincraft and got 2 balls. Then hours and hours of Ravelry later I downloaded a pattern. I’ve decided to buy patterns to support designers. This pattern is called Birds of a Feather shawl. It’s a super easy repeat pattern and works up sideways. Super cool looking! The gradient yarn came out great and this didn’t take that long to make. I used a 4.5mm hook, but should have used a bigger one to make it drape.

 

Pattern:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/birds-of-a-feather-10

Blanket Progress

I’ve been making a lot of shawls and scarfs lately but not a lot of blankets. I got in stages of loving giant projects then hating them. I’ve recently started a few blankets and work on them every so often. I have a stash busting 12 point ripple, yellow cotton baby blanket, and a pink diamond baby blanket.

I’m trying to use up a lot of my stash as i’ve had yarns sitting in it for years and also because i want to buy more yarn hahaha A 12 point Continue reading Blanket Progress

Finished: Sunday Shawl

I’ve had the Sunday Shawl Pattern on my computer for a year now. It seems to be a project i like to start and never finish, then for it to vanish so i have to start again. So a few weekends ago I sat down and made it, start to finish. The pattern is so simple to understand, lots of photos. This was my first paid pattern so was hesitant at first, but Continue reading Finished: Sunday Shawl

Finished: Lost In Time Shawl

 

The other week we went up to Brisbane for an adventure. We just happened to come across a yarn shop! Totally weird, not sure how that happened. Anyways, I was able to get some Bendigo Wollen Mills Sock Yarn in a totally lovely colour way. I got two balls of it cause i “needed” it. So when i got home I got onto my trusty ravelry and looked for some patterns. My Instagram is filled with all sorts of lovely shawls right now so I headed towards that direction. I found Continue reading Finished: Lost In Time Shawl

Addi Kingsize Knitting Machine

 

I was bored one day and after some googling I discovered the Addi knitting machine range. I wanted one. To make beanies in half an hour seemed too good to be true. But why would I need all those beanies, it doesn’t get cold here. To use up a lot of acrylic yarn i had been stockpiling and make them for charity, duh! Now these machines are not cheap, well the are if you are in Europe, but the shipping alone was over $100 for me. So i got to work doing all the research, youtube, blogs, Facebook where I got a negative reaction. So it seems a lot of people don’t find these machines ‘hand made’ enough. To me it’s no different to using a sewing machine to make clothes. People are odd creatures. So I settled on buying from Etsy as it seemed legit. I went with the bigger machine so i can make more adult sized things. After about 3 weeks it turned up! I ran to the post office to collect it, I was so happy! Immediately I set it up and loaded a youtube tutorial. My first attempt was good, the trick is the tension. And after a few more attempts I finally had a decent result! Que the hat making business! So in the first weekend I had it I made 30 hats… I made the tube bits in bulk then finished them off. So much fun. The machine is noisy enough that you can’t hear the tv, so I used my laptop and head phones. Now i just need to find a charity to give them too.

Finished: Garden Granny Blanket

 

I love a granny blanket. So simple to make. I found this yarn in the clearance bit of the local craft store and loved it. I love pink, blue, and green together. This worked up so fast, I’m not sure how. Maybe I was just really enjoying the project. This took about 400g of yarn and came to a very decent size. I gave it a nice ruffled border and called it a day. I’m not sure on the brand of the yarn as it didn’t have a wrapper. It was amazing to work with and incredibly soft. This would be great for a baby blanket. I enjoy making simple blankets with beautifully coloured yarn. It’s so relaxing to not have to count a pattern out every row.