New Project!

I get antsy if I don't have at least two projects going at once, so it's felicitous timing that my good friend Raquel, after many years of trying, and all manner of technological intervention, has finally managed to get herself knocked up. So I'm making her a baby blanket, to her specs. And the yarn came in the mail, just as I was finishing the thread cardigan. Woo! As you can see, Raquel is not interested in your typical pink and blue blanket, which is a sentiment I can fully support. That big thing there in front? The 10.5-inch long crochet hook. Yowza.

This blanket will be made using the Tunisian, or afghan crochet technique, which is relatively new to me. It's kind of a cross between knit and crochet. Instead of working with only one loop on the hook at all times, you pick up loops all the way across the work, and then crochet back across, ending with one loop on the hook. I like the way it looks. The only drawback I can see is that the piece will have a definite front and back, much like knitting. This yarn, made by Berroco, is super soft, but made with acrylic and nylon, so it's machine washable, which is something you want in a baby blanket.

This is also a technique that demands deliberation and a slow pace, which is pretty far outside my wheelhouse. It's a challenge! Also a challenge? Getting used to the ungodly huge hook. Here's the Tunisian hook and the hook I've been using for the thread tablecloth. Tunisian crochet is not likely to result in The Claw though, so that's a plus.

And finally: here's the other thing that came in the mail. Crochet So Fine ... oh my god the delicate yarns, the tiny hooks, the massively complicated diagrams! I can hardly wait to sink my teeth into this book. Yum.