Tuesday, October 18, 2005

For the Love of PLAID -





I have been mentioning to my closest friends and anyone who would listen that I discovered this insanely easy technique to create amazing tweed/plaid. You see I am an advocate of the redemption of crochet from the cornball craft that it has been portrayed in every magazine from 1984 till now to the high end FLY artform that it is portrayed in every magazine before then.

While looking for what I would actually like to make for myself from my over 2,000 plus patterns, I came upon a unique pattern - now granted it was in Olive, Orange and Yellow - the theme colors it seems (with beige, cream and RED) for the early to mid seventies - but it was a unique concept: Create a crocheted mesh, a filet crochet if you will, but create it in Yarn and make a consistent stripe pattern - 2 Olive, 2 Beige, 1 Taupe, 2 Olive 2 Beige, 1 Taupe - you get the picture.

When you have the width and length to your liking, starting from the center of the item - and with three strands of yarn REPEAT THE STRIPE - but VERTICALLY in and out of the holes of the mesh (always remembering to alternate with each vertical row (if one is outin out in, the next should be inout, in out). When I first started out, well, assured of my incompetence I was disheartened at the scary mishmosh that developed....but I plugged along.


when I finished the first side, I almost could not breathe

It was PLAID - and moreover it looked NOTHING like CROCHET!

And LIGHT? - the fabric of these skirts/jackets/scarves - whatever you want is so dense, yet so light - they don't even need to be lined. I found that this is a wonderful technique for unknown yarns or acrylics that disappoint as well as with unknown quantities of yarns - these items create great volume without requiring much yardage - for each of these I barely used two skeins of yarn (grignasco sizes - 132 yards) and they are a size 2-6

Making sure I've got somethin' ta' wear!!
















This is a HOT mini - I combined a slubbed and a rayon yarn together and WOW! (actually looking forward to putting it together with some boots!)


Because I am so crazed for EBAY I spent an ridiculous amount of money on a SLEW of yarn of which there was ice blue, lavender and purple chenille on cones (oh yeah, I can REALLY use that!) - Well I got over with this skirt - you've got to love the fact I found Light Blue Shoes!





Ah but the piece de resistance is this creamy concoction of Grignasco coral yarn with Orange and a Red thread running through to give it umph! I added the white band at the bottom to give it a prep feel (..... if it didn't come off of my shoulders so!)

Finally I had to work on this beautiful wrap dress. Over a white blouse with a tie and a pair of black boots - it fits like a dream and the yarn was exquisite!