It’s finally getting cold in New England. And hot. And cold again. Today it’s hot. Still, it’s got to get cold and stay cold soon, so I’ve been crocheting warm accessories like crazy. Is it just me, or is crochet easier to learn than knitting? Crochet certainly seems faster. It took me a long time for crochet to click finally, but now that it has, it seems like I got the hang of it more quickly than I did with knitting.  I want to get a lot of practice so I could develop the muscle memory and not forget what I learned.

Thanks to Knit Picks, I discovered The Crochet Workshop by Emma Osmond. And thanks to their book sale, I got it for around $7.00. It’s a slim volume. This book is helpful, with clear instructions and photos, and the entire book is beautifully photographed.  It’s a feast for the eyes that delivers all the info one needs to get started, including some terrific beginner projects. New-to-me fact: Americans and Britons use differently terminology for crochet stitches. Emma Osmond, who is British, emphasizes the American, with the British terms in parenthesis alongside every stitch in the instructions.

I started with the chunky cowl project. I figured super bulky yarn and a large hook would be fun to use. I wasn’t wrong. 🙂

Forgive me for the photo being on its side. The yarn is from Flat Rocks Yarn in Gloucester, MA. The colorway is Mussel Shell.

My first ever crochet project is done, and now I have a super thick cowl to keep me warm.

I’m still trying to perfect my selfie face…

 

Next up, my second project from the book, The Simple Wristwarmers. These worked up quickly.

One:

Two:

Three:

These wristwarmers will be handy to wear at work. My office building is always too hot in the summer and too cold in the fall and winter. I often need to bundle up at the office.

I wore my cowl as soon as it was blocked and dry, a couple of weeks ago. It was actually cold that day. I went to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem to see the It’s Alive exhibit, a collection of classic horror and sci-fi objects from Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett’s personal collection.  It’s a  fun exhibit and goes perfectly with all the Halloween madness that Salem embraces all month long. The museum encourages photography in this exhibit! They usually prohibit it, so, thanks Kirk Hammett!!

While there, I had my picture taken with this charming guy:

A friend saw the photo and commented that it’s a great photo of “two fabulous redheads with awesome neckpieces.”  Funny, I don’t see the similarities… 😉 😉