dilly, dally, doily

anyone remember when i said i wasn't sure if i would work with thread more than once every 10 years or so? well i guess i'm sure now....i've made a few doilies....although cee is dubious as to their usefulness and/or practicality....so am i if i'm honest....not many people use doilies anymore. still, they are pretty to look at and can be a fun way to challenge your abilities with a hook and thread. so far the nice thing about them i've found is that they are largely repetitive in the patterns, so once you get the basic stitches it's just a matter of repeating them around to the end...as long as you can get the stitches...i have run into a couple i haven't been able to figure out...but maybe it's not my abilities, but the way the pattern is written? yeah, yeah, that's the ticket....

this first one is called 'grape harvest' and it's my latest:



i found the pattern for this one online at annie's attic. it was a free pattern of the day. i rather like the 'grapey' texture of the stitches...i actually used a smaller hook than recommended for this...no, not because i'm crazy, although that is a good argument...but because i didn't have the size the pattern called for so i had to use the one i did have...funnily enough mine came out to the same size as stated in the pattern...either i crochet very loose or the pattern tension was a little off...it measures around 12 inches.


this next is from a pattern booklet and is called 'artist's choice oval'...the thread is a variegated one that i got cheap (i'm thinking because not many people were wild about the colours) and thought i'd try out these patterns...if i made these again i would probably just use white or ecru as i like them plain like that...it's just how i roll--hey check out my 'street' lingo--this is a good one for the center of a table...it's about 20 inches or so.


last is called 'pinapple fantasy'--not sure i'd fantasize about it, but oh well--and it's also from a pattern booklet. i was worried you wouldn't be able to see the pattern to its full effect in the variegated thread, but i think it picks up okay...and again i'd probably only use a plain colour to make it in the future....another large piece at around 22 inches in diameter.