Episode 44: Bauble tastic is now live on YouTube

Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the Crafternoon Treats Crochet podcast. This one is hinting at the coming holiday season… there has been bauble making!

Watch episode 44:

This podcast is about what I’ve been up to in the last month. The light at this time of year isn’t great for podcasting, so its been a bit of a trial to get this episode out! As a result, its a bit disorganised in places so I apologise about that. I need to get back into a better routine so that I can record at lunchtime, when the light is good.

Start to 3.06 – a general chat and intro

3.06 – 9.40 Crochet bauble making and going bauble-tastic

Links to the three blog posts about crochet bauble making are here:

9.40 – 18.54 My faffing with colour planning tools

While doing the bauble tutorial I’ve been trying out little granny squares, yarn pegs and wound tags, all used in combination with a shade card. Loads of fun and a huge eater of time!

I found a lovely Etsy seller too, who winds pegs and sells them so that you don’t have to… what a fantastic idea by ThePolkaDotGiraffe on Etsy.

18.54 – 23.36 Progress on my new Linus blanket

I’ve started this and completed the first dozen rows and I’m really liking the vintage pastel colours. The website in the UK that coordinates blankets and other things with charities who need them is called Loving Hands.

23.36 – 34.38 What I’ve been up to on the Craftsy Crochet Blog

I’ve been working on several new posts and the first one on the retro legwarmers was published on 25th November.

My post on blocking granny squares will be published on December 12th, and the one with the free pattern on the fingerless mitts will be out in January.

34.38 – 39.14 A bit of Etsy shop news

I’m back to the dyepots and I’ve also been making new sets of the Never Forget your Hook size crochet stitch markers, stitch keepers and progress keepers.

39.14 – 40.06 is the bit about the giveaway winners from ages ago

I then ramble on and have loads of excuses (none of which hold water) about why I’ve not been very good at my Ravelry admin ;(

41.50 – 53.56 News about my crochet WIPS and the poncho along

The ponchoalong got underway on November 8th and is in full swing. It will run here on my blog and podcast, on social media and in the Ravelry group until 14th February 2018. Check this out on the Ravelry group – there are now two threads, one for chatter and questions and the other to post the finished ponchos so that you can win a prize.

The lovely Emily has already finished her poncho and its fantastic. I’ve asked her and she says its OK to feature it on the Ravelry pattern page 🙂

I’ve finished my mini-poncho and I’ve just started another full size one, but there’s nothing much to show yet…

53.56 – 1.00.14 Some of the crafty birthday gifts I got this year

I was very lucky with my handmade and crafty gifts from my lovely friend Nicola 🙂

The End

My phone ran out of charge while I was still burbling so I’ve added in a little footage of Mango, and his reaction to a snow flurry outside the window. That cat is such a character!

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Sally says:

I am glad you use cheaper yarns as well as your own hand dyed fibres. Something like £25 is a lot of money for me. Crochet and knitting has become very exclusive with commercial yarn knitters really feeling inferior because of all the expensive stuff being used. The snob element is something very unpleasant about a lot of podcasters and fibre arts generally. I do not include yourself, as I know you use all kinds of yarn quite happily and without judgement. Lots of podcasters can be very disparaging however.

I am often aghast at the huge largely unused yarn stashes some have, and the nonchalant way they treat a new skein perhaps gifted to them and thrown rather casually on the pile. I think some people are very fortunate to be able to finance their hobbies with ‘unicorn’ yarn and always have an endless supply to meet their needs. They often show little acknowledgement of how fortunate they are. Enough as ‘they’ say is as good as a feast.

Some of us have to wait and save up to get even modest amounts in order to buy cheaper yarn to make the blanket or garment we want to make, and using fibre like cashmere is well outside our range. Our skills therefore do not get improved at the rate they might be, if we could keep up with the yarn needed. Should we stop doing what we enjoy because we can’t use the best materials?

The people who spend so much money making socks with merino (often not cruelty free) and cashmere just make me despair. They just seem like the Imelda Marcos of the fibre arts and in their own bubble. Often the resultant socks seem not to be used but piled up in a drawer. They are not reflective of the average crafter and I am tired of being made to feel that if I can’t keep up, then don’t bother as what I make will just be inferior. I may appear to have a chip on my shoulder and perhaps I do, but I am tired of the snobbishness inherent especially in knitting. The superior craft when compared to crochet don’t you know?(!) Something which as a knitter and crocheter (narrowly preferring crochet) had never encountered before ravelry.

I do all kinds of work with what I can afford – often acrylic and spend a lot of time trying to create beauty with colour and texture. A nice or expensive yarn does not necessarily make for attractive knitting or crochet in unskilled hands. So yes it is worth spending time and attention on cheap yarn and honing my skills and learning with what I can afford. I like the end result even more when it looks good despite the yarn’s modest beginnings.

1 December 2017 at 2:35 am

3 thoughts on “Episode 44: Bauble tastic is now live on YouTube”

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Sally says:
I am glad you use cheaper yarns as well as your own hand dyed fibres. Something like £25 is a lot of money for me. Crochet and knitting has become very exclusive with commercial yarn knitters really feeling inferior because of all the expensive stuff being used. The snob element is something very unpleasant about a lot of podcasters and fibre arts generally. I do not include yourself, as I know you use all kinds of yarn quite happily and without judgement. Lots of podcasters can be very disparaging however.

I am often aghast at the huge largely unused yarn stashes some have, and the nonchalant way they treat a new skein perhaps gifted to them and thrown rather casually on the pile. I think some people are very fortunate to be able to finance their hobbies with ‘unicorn’ yarn and always have an endless supply to meet their needs. They often show little acknowledgement of how fortunate they are. Enough as ‘they’ say is as good as a feast.

Some of us have to wait and save up to get even modest amounts in order to buy cheaper yarn to make the blanket or garment we want to make, and using fibre like cashmere is well outside our range. Our skills therefore do not get improved at the rate they might be, if we could keep up with the yarn needed. Should we stop doing what we enjoy because we can’t use the best materials?

The people who spend so much money making socks with merino (often not cruelty free) and cashmere just make me despair. They just seem like the Imelda Marcos of the fibre arts and in their own bubble. Often the resultant socks seem not to be used but piled up in a drawer. They are not reflective of the average crafter and I am tired of being made to feel that if I can’t keep up, then don’t bother as what I make will just be inferior. I may appear to have a chip on my shoulder and perhaps I do, but I am tired of the snobbishness inherent especially in knitting. The superior craft when compared to crochet don’t you know?(!) Something which as a knitter and crocheter (narrowly preferring crochet) had never encountered before ravelry.

I do all kinds of work with what I can afford – often acrylic and spend a lot of time trying to create beauty with colour and texture. A nice or expensive yarn does not necessarily make for attractive knitting or crochet in unskilled hands. So yes it is worth spending time and attention on cheap yarn and honing my skills and learning with what I can afford. I like the end result even more when it looks good despite the yarn’s modest beginnings.

.

1 December 2017 at 2:35 am
- Crafternoon Treats says:
  An interesting comment – I don’t necessarily disagree with any of it. You have to work to your own budget and try out new more expensive yarns when and if you can. However, I sent a test email to your address as I thought about writing a reply. Your email does not exist. I’m leaving this for you here in case you come back – why are you hiding behind a fake ID and address?
  
  4 December 2017 at 5:59 pm

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