lacy crochet

I took my knitting on the road this weekend and came back with a big fat nothing. I was hoping to work on the beginner's ribbed scarf from SNB and thought I pretty much had purling down, but I spent 5 plus hours knitting and frogging the thing until I wanted to scream at my sweet husband. It turns out that the math involved in "knit 2, purl 2" was beyond me (this is why I was an English major) and, on top of that, I kept adding stitches and ending in knits instead of purls.... How in the world do you add extra stitches???

Since I don't actually have any progress to show, here's a peek at the book that's keeping me inspired past frustration. It's my first Japanese craft book and I love it. Especially since it cost me $15 instead of the usual $30 and no shipping. Oh, and it's in my native language--also a plus.

 

I realize this is crochet, but that's next on my list after I get a bit more knitting under my belt. Whoever finally decided to publish a Japanese craft book in English is a genius, I tell you.

Comments

[Mary Ann]

good to come by and see what you've been up to!
the pillows are divine
your knitting attempts...HURRAY
glad you're happily creating over here my dear

xoxoxox

[Felicia]

They're definitely a genius. I guess they finally figured out how much we love their crafting :)

[Bev]

Actually, my daughter says crochet is easier -- only one needle to mess with -- what can I say, I was able to teach my daughter to crochet, and my husband to knit but not vice versa --

the adding of stitches as you go along usually comes from when you switch from knit to purl (or purl to knit) and swing your yarn over the needle instead of between them

maybe that will help!

[Lisa]

Keep going with the knitting, I'm also trying to learn knitting right know and... Well, it's not hard to see that the creator of the stuff i manage to make is a beginner. It's so easy to miss, and evey miss is so visible in the knitting.
But with the right kind of yarn it's doesn't really matter. Sometimes it may even seem like it's supposed to be like that, beginnerlike.

Awesome blogg, by the way ^^ Really inspiring.

[Jennifer]

I'm with ya on the whole translating Japanese craft stuff in to English -- I'm amazed that there isn't more of this going on (or, hope against hope, maybe there IS and we just don't know all about it yet!). I also wish the US craft magazines, etc., would take a clue from the popularity of their Japanese counterparts -- here I am willing to spend 20 bucks on a craft magazine in a language I can't hope to understand just because the stuff is so COOL but I can't find a US magazine I'd spend $6 on!! Oh, keep the faith....

[Debra]

Ha ha yes knitting is complicated! It took me most of my 2nd pregnancy to knit a little stripey cardy for my baby that ended up so tiny - maybe the tension was wrong> ha.. but I still like buying the odd ball of special wool and owning tonnes of knitting needles etc...
the craft book looks good, I still use mine since buying it over 2 years ago, the stuff in them is just so nice!!!
:-)