Okay, I admit it, things are a bit grim these days. As my area rolls into the second wave of this pandemic, we’re all buckling down for yet another season of isolation. That said, I also have to admit that I’m one of the lucky ones. I’m actually doing quite alright, because my family and friends are all well, I’m still working from home, plus, I’m a natural introvert with a partner I enjoy spending time with, a cuddly cat, and too many indoor hobbies.
No, really.
That last one’s me Netflix-ing. In case you were wondering.
Don’t worry. We go outside sometimes.
Point is — I’m doing fine, and not at all turning into a Cat Lady.
BUUUUUT… while puzzles, books, and Netflix got me through the spring and summer (to be fair, I also picked up golfing), there’s another hobby that fall makes me eager to return to…
Crochet!
So, to kick off the season, I went with a classic — a hat and scarf set for a friend who loves autumn, and all the colours it brings, as much as I do.
Bonus: I got to buy my first skein in over six months. It was pretty exciting, and not even because my bar for excitement has lowered since the whole covid thing, but because yarn genuinely excites me.
I wanted a Caron Cake with autumn colours, but decided to try something new (to save a few dollars and be adventurous). I came across this Papatya brand yarn cake, colour: Fall Weather. Yep. Fall Weather. So, I was off to a good start. It’s a lightweight yarn (probably a 3). There is no recommended hook size on the label (very odd), but I’d say a 5mm would work best. I, however, don’t mind a loose stitch, so I used my trusty 6 mm (as I do for most things).
For the hat, I returned to my favourite hat pattern: Sewerella’s Puff Stitch Slouchy Hat. I encourage any crocheters out there to check out her video tutorial. It’s definitely medium-difficult. Intermediate and above crocheters should have no trouble with it.
I love this pattern because it works up super fast and leaves you with a distinctive texture, lots of colour (if you are using striped or variegated yarn), and a sleepy assistant.
Yeah… this post is kinda cat-themed. But I’m fine. Really.
After working my way through the hat. I moved onto the scarf. I used the Early Morning Wrap pattern by Fiber Flux (another fabulous video tutorial here). Don’t let the term “wrap” fool you, this is a great cozy scarf pattern, and depending on how big you make it, it can turn into a shawl or wrap. I give it only 20 rows, and get a scarf. Again, it works up quick, and as a bonus, it’s all V-Stitch which means you really only need to know how to double-crochet. In other words, ideal for beginners who have only done a couple previous projects.
Now, because this was a set, I was a little concerned about not having the same colours in each piece (unlike with Caron Cakes yarn, none of the colours in the skein repeated). I got around this a little by pulling from the outside to get the deep green colour in both the hat and the scarf.
I think that did the trick. This is what I ended up with.
Overall, the yarn worked out for me, but I did miss the coziness of the Caron Cakes brand (which I believe is a 5 weight) in my fingers. Also, I had quite a bit of yarn left, which is nice.
Now that my first fall project has come and gone, I’ve definitely got the itch and I’m looking forward to doing more. There’s no limit to the number of throws a person can have, right?
Thx for reading! Happy Fall-ing!
Words & Stitches 