Loops & Threads Dewdrops

Loops & Thread yarn is a Michael's in store brand. The Dewdrops yarn is a bulky yarn with sequins and when I first looked at it I was both intrigued and concerned. I was concerned over how the sequins would feel while working with this yarn and I can say that you do have to be a little careful as I have gotten one small paper-cut type of scratch from it. The pattern that I used was one of the free patterns that they provide. The color I used was Topaz which is a brown with garnet colored sequins.

I have heard that many stores are considering eliminating the free patterns which I believe would be a big mistake, because these free patterns sell yarn. I would not have bought this yarn if I had not seen the free pattern. Also the yarn was on clearance and I am on a very tight budget so that helped as well.

Dewdrops yarn is 51% Acrylic, 18% Mohair, 18% Polyamide, 8% Polyester and 5% Payette. The bulk of it is a soft, lightly brush yarn that is made up of what looks like a (stockinette) knitted chain of maybe 3 stitches of a thin yarn to produce a bulkier yarn with sequins scattered in the making. That is a lot of work to go into a skein of yarn. It was made in Turkey.

The pattern is for a wrap/shawl with a difficulty level of 2. It is very much a pattern that you need to pay close attention to and make sure that you end each row which the proper amount of stitches. I am not at an expert level of knitting yet and this pattern made me question my intermediate level that I thought I had reached if this is just a level 2. This would not be a good project to do if you have constant interruptions but one thing I found helpful was to clip a paper over the rows on the pattern that I had completed as I worked so that I did not lose my place.

This yarn does have a tendency to blend and stick with previous rows as you knit so backing up to fix an error can be a bit of a challenge.

The finished piece is warm and feels nice if you push the sequins to the right side so that they are not against your skin. It did take me longer to complete than the 8 hours they list on the pattern but I did have many distractions to deal with. In the picture you can not really see the sequins but in ordinary lighting they do sparkle well.

This would be a nice wrap for a sleeveless dress or shirt on cool nights out on the town.

Thank you for stopping by.
Dee Dee

Bath Puff Pattern with Improvements

I showed a crocheted bath puff in one of my blogs and told you that you could get the instructions from the wiki-how site.

Well, I would like to give you an update on that pattern.

It called for a G size crochet hook and that is a big problem.

I tend to crochet and knit to proper tension and I can tell you that a G hook is too big.

Look at what happens after this gets wet and hangs to dry after one use.

It is no longer a tight puff.

It is barely a loose puff.

So with left over yarn I decided to try again with a smaller hook. I used a size F. This multicolored puff is the tighter one yet I have not finished it. I ran out of the cotton yarn.

Chain 4 then slip stitch in first chain.

Chain 2 then do 6 single crochet stitches in the circle. Instead of doing a slip stitch to join the round do 2 single crochet stitches in the first chain up and then proceed with 2 single crochet stitches in each single crochet stitch putting your hook though both front to back of the top of each single crochet stitch. You will not be turning your work, you just keep going in the same direction. Keep going until you reach the size you want and tie off. Weave in the tail.

I used a size F hook for a tighter puff. I will let you know when I finish it and use it if it is still too loose.

You can see I've been busy and made five more of the wash cloths for my basket. The wash cloths go through the washer and dryer just fine and stay in pretty good condition. Maybe the first puff will shrink in the washer and get better. I will let you know.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dee Dee

UPDATE To make a loop to hang your bath puff, simply chain some yarn long enough for the loop plus extra to weave through first round of the puff. Tie the loop first after weaving to tighten the puff and then bring in the loose end of the chain to tie off at were the last knot was tied.