October 7, 2024

I am delighted with this crochet hook from a set I bought on Temu:
https://share.temu.com/aSbqGbMKs2A
Something about the shape and/or non-slippery handle makes it easier to use for longer sessions! No, I’m not going to tempt fate by returning to my previous pencil-hold; it was too painful! So long as pain-free crocheting is possible using the slower (for me) knife-grip, I’m happy.

October 8, 2024

0911 hrs.
Couldn’t sleep.
18 rows done; partial ball and one entire ball used up so far. Two balls to go … after some sleep.

October 9, 2024

0511 hrs.
Twenty-one rows done! From back of neck (foundation chain) to hem, it now measures one foot. One ball and about a half to go.
I may add a border - in black, since I have a lot - all around.

October 10, 2024

2222hrs.
First knot in yarn cut out … in the fourth ball of this batch of yarn!

October 12, 2024

0725 hrs.
This yarn is DONE!
What wasn’t long enough to work another row, was more than long enough to work a row of single crochet along the sides and neck. I don’t think what’s left now would be long enough to sc across the bottom edge, but I did a couple of inches just to see. Sc is too tight to add to the hem. IF I find a black yarn of similar consistency, I might add a shell-like border.

October 13, 2024

Bottom border is just one row of pattern in black, followed by a 3-stitch applied i-cord using a 7mm circular needle. Super boring!! BUT I think it’s the best way to hide the fact that one of the back panels is a stitch different from the other.

3-stitch i-cord:
K2, k2tog tbl; pick up next stitch on shawl; slide. Repeat ad infinitum.

Slow, but looks nice … eventually.

October 14, 2024

Oops! Just because an unlabelled, partial ball of yarn is bagged with complete labelled balls, I should know better than to assume it’s from the same batch! 18” into the i-cord border, I have discovered that the yarn I’m using - that unlabelled partial ball - only has three plies, not the four of the two complete balls! So, continue and ignore that difference in thickness, when I join the thicker yarn; or rip out now, and switch to the thicker yarn?
Being somewhat thick-headed and nearly at the end of this partial ball, I (of course) will continue, splice in the thicker yarn, and possibly rip back afterwards.

October 16, 2024

I tried adding a row of black in pattern and then working a 3-stitch i-cord border onto that. No good! The i-cord, as loosely as I worked it, pulled in and caused the edge to cup!

So, having discovered that the yarn I was using wasn’t as thick as the full balls, I ripped it out, and tried again, without the row in pattern. It cupped too!

Finally, I opted for a crochet picot border. 2sc, ch3, sl st in front loop of sc at base of ch; repeat ad infinitium.

While doing it, I considered the large-ish holes of the three spines. It’s October. Hallowe’en decorations - including plenty of fake spiderwebs - everywhere. So, I worked - ever so loosely! - from the inside/wrong side (determined by the last row) a chain climbing from hem to neck - ch 1, remove hook, place hook beneath the next stitch, ch 2 - catching the row within the first ch. For each spine.

I like it!