Tygger Knits! (and Crochets!)

what’s on “the hook” / “the needles”

Posted on August 20, 2008. Filed under: crochet and knitting | Tags: knit cable fishermans sweater, Men Who Crochet CGOA chapter, red, white and blue granny square afghan |

In online crochet and knitting groups, this is known for short as OTH or OTN. 

On the Hook (OTH)

A giant granny square afghan is in progress (red/white/blue Red Heart).  I hate sewing squares, so opt to do “the whole enchilada”.  Will post pics when there is significant progress to show. ETA (edited to add /24/08 ) This is the center area of the afghan, which is single, large granny square:

 

I put crochet first for a couple reasons.  I learned to crochet long before I was ever comfortable with knitting.  I’ve been crocheting for 35+ years now, an am completely self taught from books.  To me, crocheters have been “ugly stepchildren” or something, or at least so they strongly feel they have.

I’ve been a CGOA member since the late 1990s.  Speaking of CGOA; for the Men Who Crochet (chapter of the Crochet Guild of America, CGOA, http://www.crochet.org) group I attend in Oakland, CA (about 50 miles north of me in the East SF Bay area) I finished the Jacob’s Ladder afghan I made for their charity afghan (see pic below).  For the record, Men Who Crochet (MWC) was named by its founder, crochet designer Peter Franzi, to encourage male crocheters to gather and “network” in a somewhat female dominated craft.  Despite the chapter name, women ARE welcome, as my membership in it proves.  I try to encourage male knitters and crocheters, their perspective is fresh and they have valuable insight to contribute.

I guess you could say I have a “thing” for red/white/blue LOL  One of our MWC members, Cay, once asked me if I had any OTHER colors in my stash.  Indeed I do; the yarn I own all piled up would probably weigh at least a ton LOL   One of these days, I will pile it all in one place and take a picture of it and PROVE that it probably DOES weigh, well, at least a few hundred pounds.  

Back to MWC. Thank goodness we found a group that will accept the 50 odd we had already completed, Project Linus.  We had started out with “other” ideas for who they should be given to that didn’t work out too well for one reason or another.  I DO have a local CGOA chapter (Southbay Crochet, who meet at a senior center in Santa Clara, CA, just a couple miles west of me), but WHY do I travel 100 miles round trip to “commune” with the Oakland group?  Because they meet in the afternoon.  I like to SLEEP on Saturday/Sunday mornings.  Its’ my “thing” LOL

On the Needles (OTN)

As I’ve posted before, knitters and crocheters tend to “want” to be adversaries.  Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.  We both manipulate yarn (loop by loop) to form a fabric of some sort, be it a scarf, potholder, sweater, shawl, or whatever.  So what is the DEAL?  WHY do people choose adversity when commeraderie is so much more pleasant?  Why do I turn off the TV whenever a politician opens their mouth, or news commentator discusses politics?  Because it is ADVERSARIAL.  I don’t like yelling, screaming, and otherwise making an idiot of yourself.  On TV or otherwise.  I also refuse to discuss religion with anyone for similar reasons.  I practice a faith, I do not practice any religion.  What’s my religion/political affiliation?  MYOB.  Between me and the fence post, dear.

Anyway, to get back on topic, for the longest time, I was intimidated by knitting.  It looked COMPLICATED.  Again, Stupid, Stupid, Stupid (on my part this time).  Funny it might be, but I “caught” the knitting bug some years ago at a knitting workshop, held by of all groups, Southbay Crochet, my local Crochet Guild chapter mentioned earlier in this post. 

Another meeting or two down the road, at one of its’ “sister” CGOA meetings further north (it was in San Leandro, CA, which is just south of Oakland, at the time, Bay Area Rabid Crocheters, named for the local rail transit, BART), I stood behind a friend who was purling, and the “light came on”.  So what’s OTN?  The classic Fisherman Cable Pullover sweater, done in Woolese (78% acrylic, 19% wool, 3% polyester) yarn in #301 White/multi (which is white with a strand of metallic throughout) pattern and yarn from Lion Brand (http://www.lionbrand.com).  Will add pics once some progress is made.

ETA (edited to add 8/24/08 ) some pictures of my progress on the fisherman’s cable pullover:

Here is a closeup of the cable pattern:

Here is a full view of the progress on the sweater back.  It is about half done.

Make a Comment

One Response to “what’s on “the hook” / “the needles””

Comments RSS Feed

Where's The Comment Form?