Blocking Comparison

I worked up two beaded bracelets yesterday, using No. 10 crochet thread.  One of the issues I've noted with projects like this is the tendency for the finished item to twist, so I make it a practise to block them, even though they are so small.

I happened to also be experimenting with blocking baskets using a stiffener I've never tried before.  Epsom salts, dissolved in water.  It was recommended by someone who used it to stiffen snowflake Christmas ornaments.  Basically, Epsom salts are dissolved into hot water until the water is saturated (no more will dissolve into it), then the items are soaked in the water and pinned out, like the usual wet blocking.

Having mixed up enough to soak several larger items in it, I was left with a bowl full of dissolved Epsom salts, and I didn't want to waste it.  So when I made the bracelets and was ready to block them, I wet one with water, as usual, while the other got a quick dip in the Epsom salt saturated water.

This is what they looked like, after drying overnight.

Visually, there is no difference.  The top one (a slightly wider bracelet) is the one blocked with Epsom salts, the bottom one with plain water.

The water one is much softer.  After unpinning them, the water one also retracted slightly in length.  It also was more likely to twist around itself, though nowhere near as much as it did before blocking.

Here, you can see that the Epsom salt soaked one is slightly stiffer and keeps its shape more when the bracelet is folded in half.  I was somewhat concerned that it would be somewhat scratchy, as well, but it isn't at all.

The Epsom salt bracelet was MUCH easier to put on one handed.  That slight stiffness made putting the toggle through the loop so much easier.  In the plain water blocked one, the loop tended to get easily pushed away while trying to get the toggle through.  It was also harder to put it on without twisting the bracelet.

Overall, I think I prefer the Epsom salt soaked bracelet.  The only thing I would change in the future is to not stretch it out as much when pinning it down.  I'm used to it bouncing back again slightly, like the plain water blocked one did.  With the Epsom salt one, the length it's pinned to it the length you get!  So it's a bit longer than I intended it to be.  Still, I would definitely recommend using it for blocking jewelry items, or anything that would normally be starched to hold its shape.

Until next time;

Get Crafting! :-)

Lariat

Here is a lariat I made, modifying a pattern from Hooked on Jewelry; 40+ Designs to Crochet, from Pat Harste. Some very lovely designs in this book!

The original pattern is called Jet Set, and was made using black silk thread and black beads and a 2.25mm hook.



I used the same metallic yarn I used for the Dazzling Dahlia, and a 1.50mm hook. I chose pearls and shells for the beads. The pearls were 4mm beads that came in strung packages of 290. The pattern called for 416 beads to be pre-strung onto the thread. The glass teardrops of the original pattern were replaced with seashell pieces, also purchased in strings. I was intending to make the matching earrings, but couldn't find my silver earring hooks. Of course, I found it after the sale. *L*

The finished lariat was about 4 ft long. It's a lot narrower than the silk lariat in the photo. The instructions said to iron the finished lariat on a towel, which wouldn't have worked with these materials. As the ends tended to twist quite a bit, I used my ironing board to wet block it, instead. The lariat was quite a bit longer than the board, but since just the ends needed to be straightened out, I just lay it out with a flat curve to "fold" it in half, pinning down the rest, then spraying it with water.

Although this one sold, now that I've found the earring hooks I was after, I think I'm still going to make the earrings. The beads are already pre-strung, so I may as well. ;-)

Dazzling Dahlia

pin
Originally uploaded by amkb

Here's a pin I made using the pattern, Dazzling Dahlia, in the Fall 2009 issue of Crochet Magazine.

There were a few changes I made. The metallic yarn I used was Phildar Sunset, which is about the same size as the superfine recommended. What I can't understand is how they used the recommended 3.5mm hook for this! I ended up using one of my much smaller thread crochet hooks. I think I ended up using a 2.35mm hook, but I can't remember exactly. It may have been a 1.5mm - I had several false starts, trying out different hook sizes, before I settled on one.

The Sunset yarn is a pain to work with - constantly splitting, catching and slipping. Especially when I tried to use the larger hook size. the end result is worth it, though.

Blitz - beaded bracelet

This is a pattern from the Fall 2009 Crochet magazine. The original used gold metallic yarn with alternating green and pearl beads and a toggle clasp. It also called for a 1.80mm hook. I used a 2.35mm hook, as I don't have a 1.80mm, though I do have smaller. Too small for the yarn. I have a rather large size gap in my thread crochet hooks that I need to fill!



The yarn is the same Phildar Sunset brand I used for the filigree choker and earrings set. The beads were taken from mixed bead sets I got at DeSerres some time ago.




I used a magnetic clasp instead of a toggle clasp, too. That did make using a needle to attach the clasp and sew in the loose ends interesting. The clasp kept sticking to my needle. *L*

Because of the larger hook size, the bracelet is somewhat wider and looser than in their sample. This actually worked out well. The bracelet fits my daughters, but it's got enough elasticity to it that I can wear it, too.

I'm very happy with how this turned out. :-)

That should be it for the next while. I still got another project I didn't get a good photo of, so that will wait until later. For now, it's back to work! :-D