Autumn/Winter Projects Update

I'm really enjoying crocheting this poncho.  I just love making the cables. Every time I come to the end of a row I can't put it down and have to do another row to see how it looks.

These pictures aren't showing the colour very well. The middle one is the best of the three.

My main problem with getting the poncho done is trying to unravel the coat that I had originally knit with the yarn. Well, it's not really the unravelling that's so hard but unpicking the seams before I can even start to unravel. The one good thing is that I don't think I'll need all the yarn from the coat to finish the poncho.

Anyway, at some point I wasn't getting too far with the seam-unpicking and knitting-unravelling so I started the Star Fruit Rug from my Boho Crochet book. I didn't use the yarn suggested in the pattern but substituted Drops Paris cotton instead.

The colours I used were as close as I could get to those used in the original design. My colours were red, orange, mustard, moss green, green, dark turquoise, denim blue, raspberry, petrol and dark purple. The Drops Paris yarn, which is Aran weight, is horrible to work with; it splits constantly. But I'm happy with the finished rug!

I like to have something to work on in the car too. This lap blanket was started using three 100g balls of chunky acrylic that I had in my stash. The black and the sort of grey looking one were Stylecraft but I'm not sure about the green yarn. I ended up buying another two 100g balls of Rico chunky to finish the blanket.

This one is going to the Rathfriland Manor Nursing Home where I think it would be suitable for an elderly gentleman to use.

It is certainly a very warm blanket, as I know from having it across my knees when I was making it.

Thanks for all your comments, as usual. I'm joining with Jennifer and her Winter Project Link Party.

Autumn and Winter Crochet Plans

Thank you all for your comments on my cardigan. I was very pleased to read that almost all of you concur that cardigans are great.

I wonder do you remember me telling you about knitting an Aran coat? I think this was the last of the pictures I posted about it because when it was finished I discovered that it was huge; so huge that there was no way to correct it without ripping out and starting again.

Since then I've been looking at patterns, on and off, to try and decide what to make. Eventually I've decided to make a poncho. On a recent visit to the Avoca Mill in Wicklow (I hope to post about that soon) I saw one that I really like. Coincidentally, I had also seen an item in a recent Inside Crochet magazine giving details about a poncho kit that is to be available soon.

This is it. It looks quite easy to make so I've decided to just try and work out a pattern myself.

Well, sort of. In the same Inside Crochet magazine there's a pattern for this lovely jumper. I'm going to use the cable section in my poncho design. I've already made a start on it! It took a few attempts at understanding how the pattern was worded and should be executed but I've got it sussed now.

It is easier on my hands to make the cables in crochet rather than knitting. Hopefully it works out as I don't want to end up with another disaster!

That's one of the projects I'll be working on this Autumn and probably into the Winter. I also am working on a rug and a blanket with plans for far too many other items.

I'm joining with Jennifer's Winter Project Link Party. Go and have a look at the projects that everyone else will be working on. This is the first link up that I've been involved in so I hope I do it right!

All the best for now. Hope you're enjoying the lovely Autumn weather we're having (or that you're getting lovely Spring weather). I have lots of pictures from when we were away at the beginning of September and again at the end but just don't seem to get time to post them. Maybe soon.