I swing both ways

Before you get the wrong idea, I mean that not only do I knit, but I crochet as well. I guess I have always been baffled by knitters who can tackle fair isle and complicated patterning in knit, but turn to jelly at the prospect of crocheting an edge on anything! I have actually finished many projects over the years in crochet, including a few sweaters for my daughters when they were little. I just thought that most crochet was rather boring and dumpy.

Enter Monster Crochet and Debbie Stoller.

I found Regina Gonzalez's Monster Crochet blog many months ago from following links on another knitting blog. Go there! This woman's imagination is amazing (and just a little disturbing, but in a good way). You will crack up and be in awe at the things she crochets.

I was in SoCal visiting my youngest daughter last March. She works for a well-known, high-class clothing store that originated in the Pacific Northwest. 'Nuff said about that. Anyway, I was killing time waiting for her to get off work and wandered into a bookstore in the mall. As is my way, I went directly to the knitting section. There, in all it's glory, was the new Debbie Stoller book, The Happy Hooker. For shits and grins, I started looking through it. Damn if there aren't lots of really cute projects! One in particular caught my eye and I haven't been able to forget about it. The Violet Beauregard Skirt. First, it's purple. I am sooooooo easy for purple. Second, it is a rather retro-hippie skirt and again, I love that, too! I finally broke down this weekend and bought the book. While reading the instructions for the VBS, I realized that I have 10 skeins of Cotton classic in my stash that I was going to use to make the Green Gables sweater. Out with the sweater, in with the skirt. I went to my LYS on Labor day and they were having a sale so I got the other 2 colors to go with my stash yarn.

I started the skirt last night and I like the fabric that it produces. I am now a happy hooker woman.

What about the fixation socks? Well, they are sloooooooow going. I can be fairly quick about socks when they are simply zooming around in stockinette. I get bogged down with k2 p2 ribbing so they are taking a long time. I am also concerned that there won't be enough yarn left to make a decent length for the legs. Each ball is about the size of a medium egg and very dense. Cross your fingers for me and hope it works out.