Lady Parker Beret

This pattern was designed for The Loop and directions can be found on their Free Pattern Page, as a pdf file. Post your projects on Ravelry and see other crocheters' results.

Alright, alright, you already have a slouchy hat this winter. Let me tell you what I like about this one.

It uses alpaca. The droopy slouchy factor is built in!

It has enough looseness to look haphazard,but not enough so as to look like you borrowed it from someone bigger headed.

Single crochet around the brim ensures a firm tight crown at the business end so that the textured fabric can do what it likes without falling off your head. Sometimes, in an attempt at volume, these hats contract too quickly creating a mushroom cloud hat or they overcompensate by ending in a very tight edge. Here, the brim is worked first.

It's crocheted, it's textured, and yet it takes 1 skein! (just)

As to inspiration;

Berets......

Mary Nolan


Clara Bow

...and Parkers

Bonnie Parker

psst...If you know how else to make 4'11 look tough, let me know.

Lady Amy Parker (who clearly would have gone for a fashionable chapeau like mine)

My Favorite Yarn

...so far

Liquid Lace Jacket

I made this a looong time ago. Maybe last summer. I know I added the Pineapple Edging at Pacafiesta. In theory it was an easy knit. A lace Jacket comprised of three Danish doilies (1 large for the back, 2 small for the sleeves. The sleeves were of a second pattern) crocheted together in a lattice worked between the crochet chain trim of the doilies. The vintage edging was added around the east, west, and north sides of the large circle, as well as the northernmost parts of the sleeve circles. This way a pineapple peak was placed at 12 o'clock on each doily circle.


Any further questions about construction, leave a comment and prepare for sketchy wordy explanations.



Unfortunatly for us, the edging puckers and bends the back of the jacket so it doesn't look particularly nice on a hanger. On the other hand, it's great to wear while puttering round the store and rearranging the store window ala Mary Portas, we hope.

Fiddlesticks Zephyr in Teal
3.5mm 24"circular and dpns to match
1.25mm crochet hook
3 Doilies -modified from the Danish, "Ingela" and "Lille Flacon"
Seamed with crochet and Applied Crochet Edge-vintage pineapple bedding edging.


Inspiration:
turning circles into squares
"t" shapes
"her gown was no more than the water could cover" S.N.

Morgan Waters Yarn

Kool-aid Dyed Red and Green Sheep
Kamala Dyed Sheep
Silk and Sheep Blend
Hot Pink Elastic Thread
Black Metalic Elastic Cord
Baby Blue Tulle

"It may be Low Budget, but it's Chock Full of Morgans
Like a Deep Tissue Massage That'll Clobber your Organs."

Rooms on Fire Yarn

"Long Nets of White Cloud My Memory"

Tusk!

Who's on the phone?
Tusk yarn.

Saved by the Bell

Did you hear?
Screech kissed Kelly!

Spinning with Add-Ins

Here's what I've confirmed about adding objects, namely bows, into yarn. The best thing to do is to incorporate the item into a single, using the fleece as glue around a core thread. I tried adding bows in during the plying stage, and even tying them on after -which is only sort of cheating. These bows are actually sections of a plastic lei.

New Yarn Fantastic

I hand blended dyed fleece with white to make pastel shades. I used both hand carders and my own hands. I flicked the two together and used a yogurt top diz. The technique is only suitable for small amounts. It's also hard on my fibro condition but probably good therapy in the end.

Traditionalish Ullared Sweater

Before Emma Jacobsson became the knitting heroine of Sweden with her Bohus Stickning co-op, the Grand Dame of Swedish knitting was the 17th century Dane, Magna Brita Cracau. The techniques she brought to Halland created a legacy of knitwear that would directly influence those of Norway and the British Isles.


Halland sweaters became stranded in the 19th century as documented in the fantastic "Swedish Sweaters, New Designs from Historical Examples" by Britt-Marie Christoffersson. I used this book as well as Knitting in the Old Way, Designs & Techniques from Ethnic Sweaters", Roberts & Robson to experiment with all of the area's signature techniques.


My sweater is primarily in the Ullared style. I used traditional diamond patterns with a typically placed record of the year and my initials. These sweaters bore the wearers rather than the makers initials, in this case they are one in the same. I also followed the oldest tradition of finishing using crochet to work the neck and cuff edges.
Using assorted geometric patterns from "Swedish Sweaters" I inserted 'false seam lines' using colour to line up the circular knitting with the point at which the front and back began to be worked flat. I also made half gussets following Plan 1 for the Danish Blouse in Knitting in the Old Way and patterned them separately.
The main adjustments I made were to change the shape of the sweater to the Danish cropped style, or the Swedish Spedetroja look. I also started with a split welt hem. I don't suit a big boxy sweater.
Using worsted weight wool is a major modernization along with the use of red yarn. Traditionally, these (and most Swedish) sweaters would have been knit in black and white and then dyed red.
You see, I had to post this before it was too late!