First Doily Finished

My first doily!

It's not bad as a first project. But I still have to figure out the proper tension. It's very tight in certain areas but loose in others. I still have to block it (trying to find something to use as a blocking board), so maybe it will be better after. I actually finished last week but then I got sick. The flu season has started and just in time for the first fall of snow here.

Another piece of news, my new crochet hooks are here :) but they didn't get here till AFTER I finished the doily.

I've already started using them on my next project, this time it will be an oval doily, and the hooks are awesome. There is such a huge difference in grip between these and the cheap steel hook I bought at Wallmart. If you are interested in these hooks, there is an ebay seller arpat_yarn, who has them in stock. Look for them under Japan Hamanaka Crochet Hooks. Believe me they are worth every penny.

Not so new craft

For a while now I've had this craving to crochet again, but I didn't want to make amigurumis or even work with wool yarn. What I really wanted to try is crocheting with thread. Unfortunately I didn't have the thread or the hooks to do so. I spent a lot of time googling, looking at different styles, like doilies and fillet crochet, and discovered some new crafts I never knew about like "Bobbin Lace" (google it and look at the pictures, it's mind boggling).

Last week, I told myself enough waiting and ordered the set of lace hooks by Hamanaka. I already own the other set and LOVE them. But by Thursday they still hadn't come in and I got impatient.

After 10 minutes at Walmart, I came out with a simple steel hook and a huge ball of Aunt Lydia's thread:

3 days and 2 restarts later, I had this doily almost done. I'm reading off a Japanese chart and the great thing about it is that from the pattern you can clearly see what the doily should look like while working on it. While in written charts you have to sit down and decipher every line like its a code (which it is).