New Comet Arrives

According to an old American Heritage Dictionary, the comet is “a celestial body having a solid head surrounded by a nebulous luminescent cloud and an elongated curved vapor tail arising when the head approaches the sun.” In the Middle Ages, the comet caused both fear and wonder.

In 1986's modern times, Halley's Comet swung by for an exciting visit.
In today's blogosphere, the comet arriving is a versatile wrist cuff. It's crocheted using a sportweight linen blend yarn and can be worn two ways. I'm sharing the pattern if you'd like a Comet to wrap around your wrist. (I'll be adding it to Ravelry shortly.)

Comet Wrist Cuff
Materials:
Berroco Naturlin, or similar sportweight yarn, scrap amts.
Hook size: F (3.75mm)
One 1 ½ inch jewelry ring-style bead, or O-ring, or washer
Two ½ inch buttons

Finished dimensions: overall length: 12.75 inches; width at widest point: 2 inches
Fits sm. to med. wrists
Gauge is not critical but work crochet tightly.

Set up row: slip stitch onto ring. Ch 1. 11 sc around ring. (carry tail behind and crochet over). Turn.
Rows 1-29: Ch. 1. Sc in each st. Turn. (11)
Row 30: Ch 1. Sc2tog in first 2 st. Sc in next 7 st. Sc2tog last 2 st. Turn (9)
Rows 31-33: Ch 1. Sc in ea. st. Turn. (9)
Row 34: Ch. 1. Sc2tog in first 2 st. Sc in next 5 st. Sc2tog last 2 st. Turn. (7)
Rows 35-37: Ch. 1. Sc in ea. st. Turn. (7)
Row 38: Ch. 1. Sc2tog in first 2 st. Sc in next 3 st. Sc2tog last 2 st. Turn. (5)
Rows 39-67: Ch. 1. Sc in ea. st. Turn. (5)
Row 68: Ch 5. Skip 4 st. Slip st. in last st. Fasten off.

Correction Update: If you printed out the pattern, please make sure your version lists Row 38 with sc in next 3 st. (originally stated 5-oops!)

Edge: With right side facing, join with slip st into 1st st. at ring’s edge. Ch 1. Slip st. through back loops evenly along edge to button loop. Slip st into ch sp. 5 sc into ch sp. Slip st into ch sp. Slip st through back loops evenly along other side to last st. at ring’s edge. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Finishing: Sew buttons onto right side, approximately 2 and 4 inches from start of crochet at ring end.

Modifications:
Wrist size can be increased or decreased by adding or deleting rows in the 11sc. section (Rows 1-29)
If you only want to wear it one way, you can eliminate one button and decrease the length of the tail section (Rows 39-67).

© Betsey Sennott, 2009. For Non-Commercial, Personal Use Only.

You can see more views of the Comet Cuff on my Flickr photostream.

I'm into Metal

Not the heavy kind (although I do like Van Halen's Jump, but is Van Halen really heavy metal?). In any case, I seem to be attracted to the shimmery stuff lately. I think it makes for some cool-looking hyperbolic crochet.

The yarn is Berrocco Mica in the Abalone colorway. The motif is from Edie Eckman's Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs. It looks pretty good as a brooch also. I expect I'll be a metalhead for awhile. Sorry, Ma.

flowers and flames

I've been enjoying some vibrant summer colors in flowers from the farmers market. The tote I crocheted recently came in handy. It carries alot, yet doesn't overstretch.

The past week's ten minute hooking sessions have yielded good results. The flames are finished and the pencil bag is well on its way and I'm happier with the different colors.

Ten Minutes A Day

I joined in on the 10 Minute Rug Hooking Challenge that April started on her blog. It seems like a great way to commit to more rug hooking. A plus is that the 10 minutes often becomes more minutes and you've made more progress than you anticipated. So far I've filled in some of the flames in the J. Cash Thorn Tree rug and have completely re-worked the design of a pencil-style bag I'm hooking with the mini punchneedle. I'm pretty sure that ripping out time can be included in the challenge time! I'll be posting weekly with updates on the outcomes of my 10 minutes a day.