Crochet Shrug

With some of the yarn I bought from my local yarn shop, I made a shrug.  THIS shrug to be exact.  It's originally supposed to be made from Lion Brand Homespun, but I decided to use something else.  Well, I had a bulky weight yarn in my hand at the yarn shop, but the lady told me that it wouldn't be the right stitch count.  So I listened to her.  I wish I had bought the yarn I originally chose because I ended up have to use the yarn I bought in a double strand, which means I had to go back and buy more when I ran out.  And I couldn't just exchange the stuff I bought because it was on sale.  That was sort of aggrivating.

But anyway, in the end it looks ok.  It's comfortable, but it's pretty heavy.  As you can see, I ditched the ruffle.  It was just too much for my taste.  I think if  I make it again, I'll just make it in Homespun and do the ruffle.  I opted for an even double crochet all the way around.  I do love the color and the yarn, which I would use again, but not for this type of project.

Who knows, I may frog this and make something else out of the yarn when I get sick of it.  And that is the beauty of homemade garments.  I will say that the pattern was very easy, as was the construction (which is why I have no qualms about ripping it out).  It really works up very quickly.  I'm still working on the other sweater, which I will be sure to share when I'm done.

Local Yarn Shops

Over spring break, I ventured to my local yarn shop for the first time.  It's called Ewe'll Love It!.  And really, I did love it.  I spent most of the time walking around and feeling all the yarns.  Everything was so soft!  I could have easily spend a fortune there, but I tried to behave myself.  I went in with three different sweater patterns and planned to pick a pattern based on the yarn I found.  In the end, I bought yarn to make two sweaters.  I picked THIS shrug and THIS cardigan.

I spent more than I normally would have on a crochet project, but I figured that if I was going to make a piece of clothing it would be worth it to splurge a little.  That and I felt good about supporting a local business.  I even learned about yarns made in my hometown and yarn that's made from recycled cashmere sweaters.  There were really so many neat options.  I really enjoyed chatting with the nice lady in charge of the store.

I found that we also have a local yarn shop here in Maine called Fiberphilia, which I plan on checking out sometime soon.  Do you have a local yarn shop near you?  Have you visited yet?  Careful though, it can be dangerous!  I have finished the shrug and will share it soon!