issue 27: finishing the 21 day project
enjoying the deep dive into purples and greens
hey everybody,
And just like that, the 21 Day Project is over. The short time frame was very enjoyable for getting this project underway, for staying hyperfocused on using all of these greens and purples. My freeform project continues, but the 21 days have passed, so I’m working on my own leisurely schedule now. Here’s a look at what I came up with since the last newsletter.
Day 11. I don’t like doing lots of brioche knitting, I make too many mistakes. But I can handle it in small amounts for freeform projects. The tiny piece of brioche in yellow and purple was the starting point for this scrumble.
Day 12. I added on to yesterday’s scrumble with some of my favorite bits and pieces. Isn’t it crazy how some of the grey stitches on top of the brioche look kind of like bullions? They’re not, though, they’re actually treble crochets with a half double crochet worked around the post.
Day 13. I always enjoy making an irregular (wonky!) spiral, the graduated stitches are just so entertaining to play with. The small, non-wonky spiral on the outer edge was an experiment with Romanian point lace cord. I crocheted into the cord, curled it up, and stitched it into place. A little fussy, but it’s kinda cute.
Day 14. The lower section of this scrumble is made with short rows of crochet stitches worked around the post for texture.
Day 15. The grey knitted section was picked up and worked onto the edge of last week’s leaf spiral scrumble. Putting some eyelets (yo, k2tog) at the bound off edge gave me a place to work some crochet stitches, blurring the line between the two sections.
Days 16 and 17. The small scrumble from one day was the starting point for the next day’s work. Those green “fingers” that stick out at the top the bigger scrumble somehow give this piece a kindergarten craft project vibe……anyone see a Thanksgiving turkey? Hopefully, I won’t see it anymore when it’s surrounded by more crochet.
Days 18 and 19. Another small scrumble that grew into a bigger piece. Will I regret using the almost white yarn in these scrumbles? White does tend to stick out like a sore thumb. I’ll keep using it sparingly, and only for small bits.
Day 20. The foundation stitches in the purple and yellowy green arms of the spiral that extend out from the spiral itself are a little messy, but they probably won’t show up too much in the final product. Bigger spirals look more integrated into the fabric when they have extensions like these that literally reach out to connect.
Day 21. The final day’s piece (another wonky spiral) is in the lower right corner of this photo of all the pieces arranged together. There’s lots more crocheting to be done to put everything together in the shape of some kind of small shawl. This is the part that I’ll do at a more leisurely pace.
Other than thinking that the project will most likely end up being a shawl, I didn’t do any planning or give any thought to how things might come together. Here’s one possibility for shaping:
This is a shape I tend to like for a shawl, but it may end up being a little irregular. And I’ll try not to get too focused on a formal layout; the individual pieces could end up almost anywhere in the triangle. Part of my goal with this piece has been to just let it grow organically. For a freeformer, I’m a bit of a control freak, usually trying very hard to achieve the appearance of chaos. Hopefully, allowing some actual chaos into the process will be a relaxing way to work.
Subscribe to have new posts sent directly to your inbox, usually once or twice a month.
a few more things you might like
What I’m admiring: These little embroidered pieces from Julia Wright’s Instagram. They look so much like crochet! The larger pieces on her website are incredibly inspiring.
What I’m reading: The Ensemble by Aja Gabel. If you’ve ever played in a string quartet, this book will appeal to you.
What I’m listening to: Dvorak’s “American” String Quartet in F Major, Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat Major, Beethoven’s String Quartet Opus 131; inspired by The Ensemble by Aja Gabel. All of these selections are played by the string quartet in the book.
That’s it for today, thanks for reading!
Lisa
PS: There are a few spots still available in the Freeform Favorite online class on October 20th. Check out details here if you are interested.
So gorgeous! The shawl is going to be stunning!
So beautiful