HOTTT in August 2018!!!

Hello Everyone!

It was definitely “HOTTT in August!!!” here at Yarns by HPF. The last full month of Summer sizzled with a choice among knitting one of three beautiful tops for our month long KAL. We also ventured back into crochet with the Crocodile Flower Shoulder Bag brought to you by our very own Margaret, the Madame of Mystical Magical Crochet! 

Breeze Sleeveless Airy Top

Marsh

Out HOTTT August KAL offered a choice among three “cool” tops. I have to say it was difficult to choose which top to knit. Do I pick the Breeze Sleeveless Airy Top by Irene Lin with its top down construction and intricate eyelets and I-cord strap? 

Or do I go with the cap sleeved Marsh by Amy Palmer for Berroco featuring an almost full body lace motif?? Or, do I go with Deschain by Leila Raabe, a cropped boxy pullover with dropped stitches throughout a classic shale lace motif???

After much deliberation, which is my usual when Linda gives us project choices, I went with Deschain. The reason I chose this particular top is because I knew it would go perfectly with my new pair of jeans that had an embroidered lace flower on the bottom outside of the hem. The yarn we used for the KAL also played into my decision. We used Universal Yarn Fibra Natura Good Earth Cotton/ Linen Blend. I have knitted with cotton, but never with linen. The linen gives the cotton more structure and dimension that I thought would work well with the Deschain top. Knitting with this cotton/ linen blend had been a purely wondrous experience. The drape this yarn gives to each of the tops makes them fall attractively. The linen gives the cotton a lighter feel, so perfect for these HOTTT days of Summer, even in the Northeast where we’ve had more than our share of high 90s days. And these projects are small enough to be easily portable and quickly knitted so you can knit more that one, making your choice somewhat easier...maybe! 

Out HOTTT in August would not be complete without a very special guest appearance by our very own Margaret, the Madame of Mystical Magical Crochet! Madame Margaret shared her love of and talent and expertise in crochet by guiding us through the beautiful intricacies the Crocodile Flower Shoulder Bag by Joyce D. Lewis.
This project includes Tapestry Crochet, surface crochet, and a chain loop version of the Crocodile Stitch. The key is in the stitch where its mystical loops in this design may be a flower, a multi-point star, or a mandala. Whatever it is to you, this motif is fun and yes, magical. We used the Good Earth Cotton/ Linen Blend yarn where its texture really comes to life. The color choices can take the full range from monochromatic to several complimentary or contrasting colors. The directions in the pattern are clear and the pictures are particularly helpful, especially if you are an occasional or new visitor to crochet.

And if you were fortunate enough to crochet with Margaret, the Madame of Mystical Magical Crochet, then you know how amazing crochet can be! We are grateful that Margaret so generously shared her love of crochet with this beautiful pattern. 

 

So, as we bid adieu to August and to the last days of Summer, we will have warm memories of the camaraderie we shared while exploring our creativity through knitting and crochet. We’re looking forward to September and to further building new skills. So…in the meantime…

Knit, Crochet, and Stitch On! Lisa