Another Day another doily

 

Finished doily.

Last night I finished the current doily, it's official name is Jolie Decor from Magic Crochet number 133, August 2001.  It came out alright for once I didn't have to fight to block out the doily.  One of the perks of using such an open design.  The doily didn't even use up the whole ball of thread.

In the afternoon we unearthed some of my yarn which was surprisingly undusty.  Found some real treasures including over 800 yards of wet spun linen..  There was also nearly a dozen forgotten crochet hooks including some really nice wooden ones.  The problem is which projects to ravel and which to keep working on.  There is a spider pattern throw about a quarter finished and a really lovely afghan made in different colors and yarn types including a sweater I raveled from the Thrift Store.  I even found a hat I knitted 14 years ago and never finished putting together!

I really love crocheting, it is an old friend but I just get into too much trouble with this hobby.  So now it is just a quiet Sunday afternoon and I really don't want to do anything.  Perhaps I will start another doily!

Doilies Old and New

Recently I started crocheting again.  Not the best thing for my hands but I do enjoy crocheting very much.  The last county fair I entered a square pineapple doily and it won a first place!  The only reason I won first was because I used size 30 thread and the second place winner used 10.  Because the second place piece was a truly beautiful Filet of Mary.  It was nice to have a real competition.  

 

Square doily during starching process.

Our local judges won't even consider a piece unless it is well blocked and startched.   First I washed it and soaked the doily in a cornstarch mixture.  However when I laid the doily out to dry it became apparent that the starch mixture was too weak.  So once I had the doily blocked I used canned spray starch to finish stiffening the project.  Personally I like my doilies lightly starched so they are softer to the touch.

One project this year has been to try and get my craft area in order and move my projects out of the bedroom.  I keep all my projects in bags to protect them but it is always the open bag that gets a drink knocked into it!  So organizing has taken some time.  However I have found some things I had put away in the wrong spots which is nice.  One find was the above doily sister.  I have made this doily 4 times now.  Here is a picture of the doily I made for my mom.

 

Same pineapple doily made 25 years ago.

Even without starching the doily you can still see how much my crocheting has loosened up over the years.  The doily was damaged when my mom set it on fire with her cigaret and then my nieces colored it with magic markers.  So I tried for a long time to get the stains out and then just put it away.  Now that I have found it again I want to make it into something.  What the doily will end up is anyones guess!

Currently I started a new doily, I'm making it as a gift.  The design is very open compared to the denser designs I usually choose.  It has worked up in 5 days instead of 3 months which is nice.  I'm on the last two rows.  Unfortunately the cat decided to help and now I can't find the hook!  Well there are still a few days to finish it and I'm sure it will turn up.  One thing I have learned about crocheting, try not to use another hook even the same size and company because they are all a little different!

 

Latest doily is a gift.