Crocheting with Dollar Store Yarn Part 2

 

A while back I posted about crocheting a cowl with dollar store yarn. If you remember, that whole project came about because I'd found a single skein of unlabelled yarn in a colour I loved (also at the dollar store). Before I did anything with the mystery yarn, I decided to experiment with some other yarn first. The experiment went pretty well, so I decided to go ahead and replicate it with the mystery yarn (which turned out to be "Knit It!" Cable Knitting Yarn in 100% polyester).

Well, I finally completed a second cowl in the dreamy colour that happens to match a hat and mitts I already had. Yay! Not in time for winter, but hey, it'll be winter again soon enough.

By the way, I don't know why these photos are so washed out. The yarn looks vaguely grey, but it's actually a lovely aqua colour. 

I used the same pattern again for this cowl. It's meant to be striped, but I didn't want a second colour this time. I just switched up with stitches as I went to get a striped texture instead.

 I also used the right size hook this time.

 

It ended up narrower at one end again. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong (probably multiple things, and that's what I get for being self taught). If anyone has any tips or suggestions, please leave them in the comments...

 

It's a cowl! (And this photo shows the colour a little better.)

In the end, this cowl fits a little better and is less stiff than the last one. I think that's probably because I used the correct hook (and maybe because I didn't cut or alternate yarns? I just crocheted along, switching stitches when the pattern said to, without starting a new row.) I'm really happy with it and look forward to wearing it when the weather is right.

I still think dollar store yarn is a good choice for newbies or those of us with more amateur skills (and/or budgets). I've noticed the selection doesn't tend to be great, though. If there's ever a really nice colour, it's guaranteed they'll have only one skein of it. At most they seem to carry only three or four skeins of basic (browns, greys) colours. And they never re-stock. So if you want to use dollar store yarn, stick with smaller projects and get all the yarn you need right away. That, or be prepared to drive around to all the stores in your area to get the amount you need.

Don't forget to get my books! I promise I write better than I crochet (links below)...

Where do you go for decent quality, affordable yarn? Share in the comments...

Cheers,

Aspasia

My Books 

Love Lies Bleeding

Bleeding Heart

*Blood Magic

*Tooth & Claw

(Links take you to all available stores. Books marked * are free everywhere other than Amazon. Love Lies Bleeding and Bleeding Heart are also available in paperback.)

 

PS: Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com. 

All photos by Whimsy Bower/Aspasia S. Bissas

 

Crocheting with Dollar Store Yarn

 

Not too long ago, I was checking out Dollarama's craft section when I found what seemed like a treasure: a soft, seemingly decent quality, chunky ball of yarn in a colour I loved. The only problem was that there was just one, and it didn't have a label. Sigh.

I know, I know-- dollar store yarn. The thing is, I'm allergic to animal fibres. I'm also not super familiar with all the alternatives. I do know that cotton doesn't work for every project, and bamboo can be hard to find in stores (and never seems to come in colours I like). So, acrylic is my go-to. Problems with acrylic aside, it's soft and I love working with it. And as someone with fairly amateur knitting/crocheting skills, I appreciate not spending too much on my experiments.

Anyway, I couldn't put that yarn down, so I decided to risk it and figure out something I could make with it. The colour matches a hat and mittens I already have, but I didn't think the yarn would be enough for a scarf, so I decided to see if I could find a pattern for an easy cowl to make.

I also tried finding more of the yarn at a different Dollarama, and ended up finding what looks like the same kind of yarn--but only in two other colours. Since the pattern I found is for a striped cowl, I went ahead and got the other colours (a black and a blue so light it almost looks white). And then I decided to use the new yarn to make a practice cowl first.

Oh, and it turns out the yarn is "Knit It!" Cable Knitting Yarn in 100% polyester (I'm honestly not sure if that's the same as acrylic or not). 

So I...

• Used the new yarn meant to supplement the original yarn without it
• Used knitting yarn in a crochet project
• Used the wrong size hook (a 6mm instead of an 8mm) because that was the biggest hook I had, and I didn't feel like getting another one

See why it's better that I don't use really nice yarn? Here's how it went...

The sad beginning (I thought I did something wrong, so I re-did it. It looked the same): 

 Looking a little better as I added in the second yarn:

Coming along. Look at all those ends that need weaving in (the one thing I hate about crocheting/knitting):

 

Looking much neater now. It also ended up narrower at the end than when I started out. I have no idea how that happened. 

It's cowl shaped!

 

So, what's the final verdict?

Working with the yarn was fine, mostly. I noticed it kept losing strands as I went. Not a lot, but it does make me wonder how much the cowl will shed over time. The yarn also split (separated from itself) as I was crocheting. It didn't bother me, and doesn't seem to have affected the cowl, but I know that's not generally a good thing. 

I really like the feel of the finished cowl-- it's soft and cozy. But it's also stiff. I hope the yarn will "relax" a little after I wash the cowl a couple of times. I also expect it'll pill like crazy.

I think this yarn would make a nice blanket with some good weight to it. But again, the pilling would be a problem (not to mention finding enough yarn to make a blanket in the first place).

Based on my very limited experience with it, I think dollar store yarn (at least this one) is perfectly good for a quick and easy project, like this cowl, or for anyone who wants to hone their skills before investing in better, pricier yarn. Have you tried dollar store yarn? What was your experience with it?

By the way, don't forget to get my books! I promise I write better than I crochet (links below)...

For anyone interested in making their own cowl, here's the (free) pattern I used: Sweet Bee Crochet 

Cheers,

Aspasia 

Get My Books 

Love Lies Bleeding

Bleeding Heart

*Blood Magic

*Tooth & Claw

(Links take you to all available stores. Books marked * are free everywhere other than Amazon. Love Lies Bleeding and Bleeding Heart are also available in paperback.)

 

PS: Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com. 

All photos by Whimsy Bower/Aspasia S. Bissas

 

 

 

And the Kitchen Sink

As I was getting way too excited about admiring in a dignified fashion my freshly cleaned and shiny kitchen sink...

 ...it occurred to me that I'm probably not the only person out there who appreciates a clean sink. Kitchen sinks tend to get used a lot, and for way more than just washing dishes and rinsing vegetables. Mine is often a repository for plants in the process of being re-potted or trimmed. I also clean paint brushes and palettes in there, as well as empty cat food cans on the way to the recycling bin. And repeatedly rinse out cloths that are being used to clean other things. Anyway, the point is that all kinds of unpleasantness goes on in the kitchen sink and it tends to leave a residue. I've found that even washing the sink doesn't quite get it shiny, or even that clean. So in the spirit of mutual sink appreciation, I thought I'd share what does work:

Bar Keepers Friend Cookware Cleanser & Polish

It's meant for cleaning stainless steel cookware, which it does admirably and I recommend for that purpose. But it also does a great job on stainless steel sinks too. Just follow the directions on the package (basically get sink wet, sprinkle some powder on, use a cloth to scrub gently in a circular motion, rinse). I then wash the sink (with the same sudsy water mixture usually used for washing dishes) to get all the powder remains off and rinse well. Then dry if I want it looking extra nice (although that lasts all of five minutes). If you can't find Bar Keepers Friend, you can also use:

Lagostina Stainless Steel and Copper Cleaner

Although in my experience, Lagostina Cleaner is actually harder to find in stores. It also costs a little more but, strangely enough, smells nicer than Bar Keepers Friend, which I actually think smells a little gross. Either way, both these cleaners do a great job and are well worth keeping on hand, even if you never use them on your cookware. Bonus: these are considered to be green/environmentally safe products, although they can cause irritation (I recommend using gloves, especially if you have sensitive skin).

A few minutes of effort for much dignified admiration. You can't go wrong.

(PS: I'm in no way affiliated with either of these companies, nor am I being paid or otherwise compensated for my opinion. I just like shiny things...)

 

[Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com] 

Getting Steamed: Pros and Cons of a Clothes Steamer

This is the Salav model I have

One of the things I most appreciated about having a mom who was a professional seamstress was having access to her tools. My sad little Brother sewing machine felt a lot like the Scooty-Puff Jr next to her Senior-level Juki (we won't talk about my skills in using those machines compared to hers). But my favourite item she had was a garment steamer. Why did I covet that steamer?

• Easier to use than a regular iron
• Faster than a regular iron
• Can get the wrinkles out of spots on clothing that are awkward to get at with a regular iron and board (fussy bodices, narrow areas like sleeves, gathers and pleats...)
• Can get wrinkles out of clothing that you can't really use a regular iron on (e.g., suit jackets)
• Can quickly and easily use on large items that don't fit well on a standard ironing board (tablecloths, sheets)
• Handy for non-ironing tasks, like getting wallpaper off a wall or sneakily steaming open letters

With all these benefits, I don't know why it took me so long to get my own steamer. I guess, as useful as it is, it's not quite as much fun as buying obscene amounts of books and craft supplies. Still, even I can be practical sometimes and I finally went for it, getting the Salav model in the picture above.

So, what's the verdict? On the plus side: it heats up fast, it's easy to use, and a little water in the reservoir goes a long way. Not so great: It was a pain to put together/set up (why does *everything* require assembly these days?). I also wish I'd noticed it had a non-slip base instead of wheels. I'm sure a stationary steamer has many advantages (not that I can think of any right now) but it's heavy and awkward to move. I've had to set it up permanently next to the ironing board because putting it away and taking it out every time I need it would definitely result in it never getting used. But aside from the issue of no wheels, I'm happy with the new addition to my own sewing room. Anyone have any wallpaper that needs to come down?

2024 Update 

A few months after I wrote the original post, my steamer stopped working. The problem was mineral buildup from using tap water in the reservoir. In my defence, my mom used tap water in her steamer and it never had any problems (not to mention that it's decades old at this point and still works. My sister will probably end up passing it on to her kids). Also, I thought mineral buildup could be cleaned out. But no. Once we realized the problem, we tried cleaning the steamer (and switching to distilled water), but nothing helped. So without any warning signs, it broke and can't be fixed. This steamer was too expensive to be so flimsy.

Final Verdict: I do not recommend Salav garment steamers. 

[Edited to expand title and add an update. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]

Season Premiere 2010

Air Miles rocks! Sorry; I don't usually wax ebullient about products and services, but those miles have really come in handy for me. First they got me my KitchenAid stand mixer and now a new Nikon Coolpix--and man, do I love this camera. I thought my old one (by a company that shall remain unnamed) was pretty good (until it started going wonky a while back), but now that I've seen what the new camera can do...it's like the difference between a disposable camera and, well, a Nikon. Finally I can show my garden the way it's meant to be seen! The only bad thing is I have yet to get a memory chip, so for now I'm limited in the number of photos I can take. 

By the time I got around to uploading these, the weather turned rainy. But at least I can share a few early shots of my roses (and one delphinium). 

Click photos to enlarge. Enjoy! 

The sweet-smelling apothecary rose bloomed early and didn't last very long this year, probably due to the unusually hot and dry weather. But it was lovely while it lasted: 

 

My Explorer series rose (still can't remember which one it actually is--grr) is now covered in masses of blooms, but this shot is of the first one: 

 

I wanted to take more photos of the delphinium, but the camera was full after this. It's still blooming happily, though, so as soon as the weather improves I'll be out there:

 

Photos by Whimsy Bower

[Edited foe formatting. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]

Killing with Cleanliness

Cleanliness might be next to godliness, but antiseptics are next to paranoia. I've been noticing something when I go shopping for soap and cleaners--it's getting harder and harder to find any that aren't labelled "antibacterial." 

This is a problem. 

As a borderline germaphobe, believe me when I say I understand that bacteria, germs, cooties, and all things gross can be damn scary. I mean, seriously--you can't even see them and they can kill you! So it's not really surprising that store shelves are as clogged with antiseptics as our airwaves are with fear-mongering commercials featuring helpless children and germ-laden surfaces. 

The thing with germs is that they are living organisms, and as such they adapt and evolve. On top of which, even the best antibacterial products only kill 99.9% of bacteria. I know it seems weird to say "only" with a percentage like that, but those 0.01% bacteria that survive? Well, they're stronger and even more resistant to those antibacterial products. And as they reproduce and get hosed down again with said products, the next batch of surviving 0.01% are even stronger and even more resistant. 

You know what you end up with over time? Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, aka Superbugs. And then we're screwed. 

That's not to say that washing your hands with antibacterial soap is the sole cause of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but why add to a growing problem when you don't need to? So, what should you do instead?

• Stop buying antibacterial products and cleansers.
• Regular soap and hot water are all you need to keep your hands and most surfaces clean! Regular cleansers will take care of the rest.
• Wash your hands (with regular soap and water) regularly and thoroughly.
• Be aware of cross-contamination. If you sneeze into your hand, don't touch anything else until you wash it (you might find sneezing into your sleeve easier all around). If raw meat touches a cutting board or utensil, don't use that board or utensil for anything else (the commercials would have us believe that everyone places raw meat directly on counter tops. If you're doing this, you need more help than I can offer here!)
• Buy organic meat, milk, and eggs (the use--and overuse-- of antibiotics in agriculture is a huge contributor to the problem).
• Get over the paranoia--our bodies are teeming with bacteria and micro-organisms, most of which are harmless or even beneficial. When you go out of your way to kill the bad bacteria, you end up killing the good ones too (that's why people on antibiotics often experience yeast overgrowth, e.g., thrush). Besides, exposure to a little dirt builds up the immune system.

Just remember: clean is good; sterile is overkill.  

Image from freeimages.co.uk

[Edited to update title and for formatting. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]

How to Make Tea-riffic Iced Tea

I have a confession to make: 

I'm a tea person who doesn't drink much tea. 

I love everything to do with tea. The ritual, the cups and pots, the various steeping mechanisms, the fancy little sugar cubes and swizzle sticks, even the names of teas and the way they're packaged. I have a decent-sized collection of tea paraphernalia. But I just don't drink it. 

I blame this on my innate abhorrence of hot beverages. I don't know why but I prefer my drinks ice cold, or, if I must--lukewarm. And then there's my fear of making iced tea. 

The only greater mystery than the process of iced-tea making is the mystery of why I found it so intimidating in the first place--it's just about the easiest thing in the world to make. And yet for far too long, if I wanted my tea sweet and cold (which of course I did), I was forced to resort to the kind that came pre-packaged in bottles and cans. A sad state of affairs. 

I even ended up buying an "Iced tea maker," (that's how it was described at the time, anyway) hoping it would demystify the process. It didn't. It does, however, steep the tea nicely and then strain the leaves out for your convenience. 

But as my tea stash threatened to gain control of the pantry in a hostile takeover, I had to put my fears aside and just go for it. With no small amount of trepidation, I boiled, steeped, strained, sweetened, and chilled. And it turned out great. Who woulda thunk it? So in the interest of helping out anyone else who might also be intimidated by the mystical tea-making process, I offer a tutorial of sorts. 

Easy Iced Tea 

You'll need: 

a container in which to boil water 

a container in which to steep the tea (this can be the same as the pitcher, if you have an easy way to strain out the leaves) 

a pitcher 

tea bags or leaves (general guideline: 1 bag or tsp per cup of water) 

sweetener, if desired 

Boil water. Meanwhile, place tea in steeping container. If using a sweetener that doesn't instantly dissolve (like honey), add to the pitcher now. Remember--it's easier to add more sweetener later than it is to correct tea that's too sweet. 

I'm a honey fan. Doesn't it look gorgeous?

When water is ready, pour over tea in steeping container. Check the guidelines on the package to figure out how long your tea needs to steep. Generally, 3 to 4 minutes is fine for black or green tea. Four to six minutes works well for herbal tea. 

If you want to get a handy gizmo like mine, they're not too expensive. Just keep in mind you need to get a pitcher with an opening that is smaller than the base of the tea maker (the base needs to fit over the rim of the pitcher to work). If you don't have such a gizmo, remove tea bags (easy) once steeped, or strain tea through a sieve into the pitcher to catch the loose leaves (messy, but still pretty darn easy). It might be worth it to you to invest in a large tea ball or removable strainer so you don't have to worry about sieves and whatnot. That also saves you needing a separate steeping container.

  Once the tea has been strained, you can add it to your pitcher--stirring if necessary to dissolve any sweetener you added. Let it cool to lukewarm before putting it in your fridge to get properly cold. 

Theoretically you can use it right away by adding ice cubes, but in my experience that just leads to watery, warm tea rather than cold tea. It's worth waiting for it to get cold in the fridge. 

Our steeping gizmo is on the small side (it holds about 3 1/2 cups, give or take), so I make two batches and pour it all into the much larger pitcher. In total, we get about 6 servings. 

Once it's cold, you can pour it into your fanciest cups and add ice, lemon slices, more sweetener, fancy paper umbrellas, swizzle sticks shaped like naked ladies--whatever you like (I won't judge, honest). As for me, my tea stash doesn't stand a chance.

(Edited to alter title, and for formatting and clarity. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com)

Cheap Thrills

I usually keep liquid Coffee Mate on hand to add to my crack iced coffee, but the cold weather lately has even me seeking out warmer beverages (I'm the nut who orders iced drinks and who craves DQ Blizzards during snowstorms). On a whim I experimented with what I had on hand and discovered that Caramel Vanilla Coffee Mate goes really well in hot chocolate (particularly Mexican hot chocolate) and Green Tea Chai. I'm sure it would work in regular Chai as well. Tasty, warm, and cheap--what more could you ask? Now to solve the mystery of why I'm still finding pine needles all over the place a week after we took the tree down...

(Edited to add picture. Follow me on my main site: AspasiaSBissas.com)

Bulbs and Basil

I'm getting the garden ready for winter. My bulbs finally arrived! I ordered some tulips ('Jan Reus', left, and 'Gavota', below) for the back (to go with the yellow tulips that were already there when we moved in), and a crocus-tulip mix for the front. Planting bulbs is a pain, but it's so worth it when spring comes around. 

Yesterday I harvested the basil. Not that it needed to be harvested just yet, but I needed the pot it was in. I transplanted the French lavender into the pretty glazed ceramic pot and moved it inside. French lavender can't survive the winter outside here, but it smells divine, and I've been dreaming of growing it indoors. Hopefully it'll survive in my south-facing living room window. 

 

I also re-potted my smaller hibiscus. I've been noticing for a long time that the soil was pulling away from the sides of the container and always looked dry. If I'd known how bad it really was, I would have taken care of it sooner. It turned out there was hardly any soil in there at all, the pot being much shallower that I realized due to the water reservoir at the bottom. The roots at the bottom had grown into the shape of the reservoir, and the soil was just a hard lump. Poor plant. I got rid of as much of the old soil as I could without destroying roots, then I gave it fresh soil and plenty of it, followed by water. It already seems much happier. 

Speaking of potting soil, I learned by accident that you really get what you pay for. I used to buy my potting soil at a store that shall remain unnamed (they don't just sell tires) because it was convenient. I never thought there was anything wrong with it, despite it being full of wood chips and rocks. Fortunately, when I moved I ended up in a neighbourhood with a proper nursery. I started buying my potting soil there since it was convenient, although more expensive. What a difference! The nursery potting soil is light, clean, and free of rocks and wood. The way potting soil should be. My plants are better off and I'm not breaking my back moving them. Completely worth a few extra dollars. 

(Edited for clarity. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com)

"Quality Craftsmanship"

So, I was wandering through The Bay (Canadian department store) a few days ago, and what should catch my eye but this lovely set: Of course, I had to take a closer look, what with my teaware addiction (see previous post). 

The set came packaged in a pretty box, emblazoned with this label: "Celebrating a Century of English Craftsmanship." 

Awesome, I thought to myself--I'm a fan of English craftsmanship! Turning over the box to check out the price, thrilled to have found THE perfect teacup, I was aghast to see that 100 years also meant $100. Extravagant even for me, 

I was still considering it (I had a gift card) when I noticed the small print: Made in Indonesia. 

I put the box down and walked away. So much for that fine English craftsmanship. I hate to think what they paid the person who made that $100 teacup. Instead of tea, I ended up with a cup of irony. Tea tastes better. 

 PS: The really sad thing is, I just noticed on the company's website that this cup is out of stock. Guess irony's a big seller.

(Edited for spelling and clarity. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com)

Mouse in the House Part 2

 

Just when we thought we were free of furry crashers, the cats flushed out another guy. 

This time we didn't notice until Wraith had the poor little thing in his mouth, dangling by its tail (looks like he figured out what he's supposed to do with them). He let it go for a second--just long enough to get a better grip on its backside. We tried getting him to let go, but our very sweet, mellow cat just growled at us and held on. I guess the two of us cornering him, with S grabbing him by the scruff and me holding the plastic mouse containment unit (aka empty salad bin) over his head finally convinced him it wasn't worth it. He finally let the mouse go and I trapped it in the bin. 

This was definitely a different mouse--a bit smaller and way more hyper. It was hopping all over the place, trying to escape. At least (and surprisingly) it wasn't hurt! Again to his credit, he eventually realized the cats couldn't get him through the plastic and he settled down. Another trip to the park, another release into the night. I hope there aren't any more of them. Maybe there's a mouse grapevine and they'll let each other know to stay away from here: Dude, that place is not sweet. 

                                                       

On a related note: I have to mention how much I hate glue traps. I know that sometimes you have to break out the traps, but glue traps are horrific and cruel. Imagine running around and all of a sudden being stuck to something and not being able to move. Maybe you're only lightly stuck and you can get away by ripping off hair or skin. Maybe you're panicking so much you chew through your own limb to get free. Or maybe you're well and truly immobile, terrified, helpless, and someone comes along and dumps you into the trash. They might be "kind" and drown you first. Either way, hello, slow and painful death. I realize we're talking about rodents, but there's no reason to inflict unnecessary pain and suffering. Get humane traps (the kind that let you release the animal unharmed), or if you must, spring-loaded traps. Glue traps might be convenient, but they're evil. 'Nuff said.

(Edited for clarity and to add photos. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com)