About the Collaborative

The Crochet Collaborative was established in July 2006 to promote an interest and skill in and appreciation for crochet while serving the community. We've grown into a diverse group of crocheters who have banded together to work collaboratively to learn new techniques and solve age-old thorny crochet problems (skipped or tight stitches, ever-widening rows, flubbed patterns, you name it). The only requirement to becoming a member is a willingness to learn. We will teach you the basics -- in return you agree to make something for charity.

We've collaborated on several charity projects, including crocheting baby blankets for Project Linus, and small hats for Caps for the Capitol. We've also donated blankets to a local infants home. While we all have our ongoing personal projects to bring to meetings, we're always open to new special project suggestions.

So, who are we? We are more than co-workers, more than colleagues. We are a community of friends who share a passion for crochet. The Collaborative is totally unstructured, totally free, totally fun. If you crochet, are experienced or just learning, grab some yarn and join us. The Collaborative meets every other Tuesday for lunch to sit and chat while we work on favorite projects and share our passion for the art of crochet. Most members work in the Federal Triangle, Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Bootie Hunt (For Baby Feet)

Thought I'd bring you up to date with our efforts for duplicating the baby set. The blanket and cap are complete. The gown is underway and expected to be finished by mid-March. The bootie making is going a bit slower but it will be done on time. I swear it would be easier to crochet a "bootie" cover for the 'shake your bootie' variety than to make these baby booties. I have spent hours on the web looking for patterns. I tried out a pattern which looked exactly like the original in picture only--you can see here that the hook I used is w-a-a-a-a-a-a-y too big so I'm still working. But, thanks to my crochet collegue who sketched me a picture of what it should look like I'm pretty sure I will accomplish making 2 booties in the near future. She is very experienced in socks and hats so understands the nuances of finagling stitches to make them fit a certain dimension. I, on the other hand, like making shawls, ponchos, and blankets where you don't need to make them fit--they just do. Plus working with a Size B hook is very different than with a Size H, I, J, K, or N--my personal favorite is H. And now I have to use an even smaller Hook #1. Oh well, I feel better now that I have vented my frustration. Check out the attempt. The little bootie on the right is the one I am duplicating. The one on the left is what turned out when using a Size D. Next time you hear from me or see anything, it will be to show the new booties to match. The saying, 'no pain, no gain' is apt for my level of frustration. I don't like to have to struggle to get it right so this is good for the soul--we are never too old to learn new patterns.
Happy Hooking! L

1 comment:

Vic-Jo-Rob said...

NICE attempt! I'm proud of you. you must have spend all of Monday working on that. Yes, it is a bit big, but now you have one you can proudly attach to a baby shower gift, stuffed with with safety pins and other small baby paraphenalia. My Aladdin slipper sits on my bed a bit bedraggled. I should post it as my first attempt to figure out a bootie.