craftiness: crocheting madness

It’s cold, icy, grey, and dreary; It’s dark by 4:30PM. Romanian reality shows aren’t helping my language or my nerves.  We only have so many books.  So, I’ve been crocheting.  Bunches.

I started an afghan on my train ride to Bucuresti back in November (a few interesting stories from that) and I finished it last week.   I used a (free!) pattern that Mom and I love:  Skipping Stones Circular Afghan.  It’s surprisingly easy and it grows fast.  I just used remnants of yarn that Mom shipped with my winter clothes, so it’s no work of art.  It’s definitely practical and will warm up our pleather blue couch.  Zami has already adopted it.   I think it’s big enough to keep both of us toasty.

I’m working on scarf number 2 for David.  I made him a really thick one, but he’s requested one for less cold days that ties in his brown hat with his black coat.  I found some yarn at the Bucuresti Nord train station that fits the request and the scarf is underway.

While we try and steer clear of plastic bags as our Chico bags are more than adequate, we inevitably get some plastic ones.  So, I’m recycling them into plarn (plastic+yarn) and then crocheting a mat with the plarn (probably for the cat’s food or for wet shoes).  It’ll continue to be underway until we’ve accumulated enough bags.

I inherited (or took) some yarn from Melody’s stash — her local 2nd hand store carries beautiful yarns on occasion — and I think I’m going to make  some hand warmers using this pattern.  I also have a itch to try to crochet some nifty but practical leg warmers to go over my jeans to keep them clean and my legs warm.  I like these but it’s a knitting pattern and might need to be toned down a bit for my more muted tastes.  And then there’s always my dream of finding sheets at our second hand stores for rag rugs.  Anyway, the crocheting bug has bitten for the cold season.