Hooray, the first WIP of the year!
And of course it's fall-related. I couldn't resist.
While I enjoy fall with its colors and events, spring is my true favorite season. I find it to be an exciting and hopeful time with the first signs of flowers and the warming of the days. Gardening has brought more anticipation to it, too. I can't wait to clean the beds and sow some new seeds. But we're not talking about the garden just yet; let's save that for another post. :)
Today is about a crochet work-in-progress.
. . . . .
. . . . .
The Pattern
This week's pattern is by Anchor Crafts. It's called the "Pumpkin Treat Bag," and is available on their site for free. I mentioned it in my Fall-Inspired Pattern Wish List back in October, and it's been on my mind since. I couldn't get the thought out of my head of having a cute notion bag ready to go for the season, so I printed the pattern and cast on last week.
...
Reading The Pattern Charts
The Pumpkin Treat Bag pattern works from charts. There are three of them to construct the bag, and if you are unfamiliar with reading charts, it may confuse you. I am one of those people, so let me tell you what I learned for this particular piece:
In Chart 1, the vertical lines mean to work in the stitch below.
The chart's key shows everything in it except those lines. When I first looked at it, I thought it meant to skip stitches and work the next row, then chain the number of skipped stitches back on when called for. When I tried doing this, I could tell it didn't make sense. The chart showed the next row after what I'd chained being worked in the the back loops only, and, to my knowledge, a chain doesn't have front and back loops to work into.
So, I frogged that error and tried again, this time stitching the third row of the repeat across the whole length. That was my "Aha!" moment. That's how it was meant to be!
To save you the same frustration, Keep in mind that those lines mean crochet in the stitches below to create the shape and structure. I added it to the pattern's key so I wouldn't get confused in the future.
The other two keys look straight-forward, so as long as I have the proper stitch count and read the proper row, it should work up without problem.
The Yarn
The pattern calls for only two colors: orange as the main and green for contrast. I'm unfortunately running with an Unidentified Yarn Skein for the main color. I think it's Vanna's Choice in the color "Rust," but I lost the label long ago. Considering how often I bought that specific brand back in the day, I'm pretty confident it is. It's a pretty, deep orange shade that's perfect for a pumpkin.
I have yet to pick my green yarn, but it'll probably be another UYS (unidentified yarn skein) from the stash I have at my parent's house. It will most likely be an unlabelled Vanna's Choice.
My Current Progress
As of today, I've completed 82 out of 94 rows for Chart 1 of the treat bag. The chart is a pretty simple 4-row repeat after the initial setup, so I've worked on it in the evening as a wind-down project. It has begun to curl on me as it grows (see the photo above), but that's nothing a little steam can't fix before seaming.
I'm also running low on my orange yarn. I look at the scant remains of the once-plump cake, and I worry if it's enough to complete the bag. It needs to stretch 12 more rows of the first chart, then part of Chart 2.
If I run out, I'll need to check my yarn stash for another rust-colored skein. If it comes down to it, I'll order another, but I'd rather use what I have than purchase more. Hopefully I have another orange, as well as a nice green to complement it. It looks like I'll be in a game of Yarn Chicken with the pattern for now.
Will I make it through with just one cake? You'll have to tune into the next finished object reveal blog to find out!
Comments