Ripple in Motion

I'm moving along on that ripple now...as fast as I can, anyway. Since I've started crocheting this shawl, I have a sudden urge to want to crochet more ripple-stuff. I have it in my head to make a like-version of this shawl in 70's colors like brown, yellow and orange!

New Project on the Hook

This is a swatch of the Peaceful Waves Shawl from the Prayer Shawl Companion. I had a bit of trouble working out the first few rows of the pattern and hope it goes smoothly from here.

Question: Has anyone worked the Peaceful Waves Shawl yet? If so, what color scheme did you use? I'm trying to decide if I should work the shawl all in one color or add another shade of darker blue to make the cool-looking stripes.

Abandoning Shawl!

I'm abandoning the ugly shawl I started. I worked on it some more last night and the more I worked on it the bigger and uglier it got! I'm trying out another pattern in the same book in hopes I'll have better luck. I'll post a pic of the new shawl tomorrow-once I get a few rows worked.

Question: Did anyone else work Mary's Hug Shawl with better results? If so, I'd love to hear about which yarn you chose for the project and which hook size you used.

Not Liking This Project!

This is a swatch of the prayer shawl I've been making. As you can see, I've gotten about 2" done on the project. I'm not crazy about the yarn and I'm having to use an enormous size N hook to achieve the 8 sts=4" gauge, and I'm still a bit shy...I'm getting about 7.5 sts to 4". The hook is making the project appear too holey for my tastes. I making this shawl up as a test model anyway, then I'll probably go back and rework the pattern with a smaller hook and different yarn to see if I get better results. The recipient of this shawl has decided she wants it in a different color anyway. :)

Question: Don't you hate it when your projects don't turn out as pretty as you'd like, especially after dropping your hard-earned money on supplies?

Yarn for my Prayer Shawl

Here's the yarn I'll be using to crochet my prayer shawl. I'll post a pic of the WIP progress tomorrow. :)

Question: I'm crocheting with this yarn for the very first time and honestly, I'm not too crazy about its color or texture. Has anyone else crocheted with this type of yarn before (naturallycaron's Country)? If so, what is your opinion of the yarn? I may change my mind about the yarn and fall in love with it once I see the completed project. It's hard to judge this early on...but I think if I make another shawl like this I'll use Caron's Simply Soft yarn, which I love.

And My Next Project Is...

I have a request to make the "Mary's Hug Shawl" found in The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion book. So, I'll be starting that project as early as tonight.

Question: Has anyone crocheted Mary's Hug Shawl yet? If so, which brand of yarn did you choose for the project? In which colors? I'd love to hear about your version!

Meet the Designer

Like my flat fairy doll? You can visit the talented designer, Paula McGee's, site here.

Question: Paula's dolls are so charming! Has anyone taken one of the classes she offers on her website? If so, I'd love to hear about your experience with the class. Was the class easy to follow? Was it worth the money? Let me know!