On crochet, PDF’s and experiments

The crochet thing got under my skin a bit. I don’t like being unable to do something. So the almost week  that I was at the Craft show I decided to use my train-time and my evenings to play with crochet. It took me a whole morning and a number of slow-motion YouTube videos to ‘master’ the Magic ring.      

From there I farted about trying to learn how to increase and decrease

and then I made a hamster, from a pattern. (Well, you know it was supposed to be a hamster but when I put the eyes in, it looked fishy so I just made the rest up and turned it into a fish)

and then I scoured the internet for easy crochet patterns and started a whale. But I got bored with white so tried to add another colour and then just played with the increase, decrease stuff again.

So then I made a ball and I was pretty happy with it.

So I followed a real pattern and made a mushroom which looks Ok from this angle and took me for-bloody-ever by the way….

and it looks a little bit NQR from this angle.

Verdict : It is possible that I could become someone who crochets. I can see that it could happen BUT hell it’s hard work.  I need to think and count and keep my tongue at just the right angle. I struggle with how many stitches I have or haven’t got and never have the right amount. Why don’t you count the one on the hook? What’s that about? Its there , I can see it !!! It seems so illogical.

I really struggle with hanging onto everything. I have fingers and string everywhere. I’m clenched and cack-handed and awkward and I move like a busted –arse.

It does not flow. It is not Zen.

( and in the ongoing PDF experiment I have now attached a Big Cartel shop to my blog over on the sidebar and some of my patterns are there, available as PDF’s. More to follow. More to think about. My Craftsy shop has PDF’s and free stuff and my Etsy shop has PDF’s and soon soon soon will have some real life toys as well. Yes three shops does seem like overkill but I’ll suck it and see for a while and then decide. Questions? Comments? complaints? Let me know. )

I hope your craftywork is feeling all Zen my bloggy friends.

PDF’s and Stuff

The whole PDF “thing” has become a bit of a big deal hereabouts. I know a lot of you struggle to find my patterns locally and others just want that instant gratification of a PDF: I get a lot of requests for PDF patterns. they are a “win” for the customer. On the other hand shops selling paper patterns struggle against the cheap cost of PDF’s and certainly can’t compete at price point. I have no idea how to keep everyone happy, and the whole thing has been festering away in my mind for a while.

For now I have added my new pattern Owl & Penguin & Duck to my craftsy store.  This pattern uses wool or polar fleece primarily so it doesn’t really fit into patchwork shops (where obviously patterns are there to help sell fabric) so I am Ok with making this one a PDF.  I have some others that will eventually become PDF’s, things are made with  non-cotton fabrics or things that are just more suitable to the PDF format. (Underpants embroidery at last?)

(photo courtesy of Liz Mcmahon)

Do you have the answers to the PDF dilemma? Do you have the answers to keeping everyone happy?