Crochet and Big Life Changes

So, I started this blog originally because I felt like my creative life was being drowned in dissertation work and other obligations.  Last semester was a time of huge upheaval in that regard, and I ended the semester by going on academic leave.  So now, a month-and-a-half later, I'm still hunting for a full-time job, but I have a part-time job writing scripts for study guide videos for an Australian company, I've started a new class in bellydance, and I'm excited to not be constantly dogged by the guilt and stress of the dissertation.  I may go back next fall, but I'm not sure.  The unfortunate truth is that the Ph.D. CAN be worth it for an alt-ac/non-ac job, but it can also be a hindrance.  So, we'll see.  In the meantime, I'm trying to jump back into craft mode (and blogging mode!) post-holidays.

I have a bellydance costume in the works, but I keep struggling with some beautiful but very unforgiving fabric and a deadlock over how to decorate the bra.  I've got a ton of ideas, but I'm just not sure which one to run with:

I cannot get this darned thing to load right-side up.
And this one is my favorite, too.  Sigh.

In the meantime, I finally got around to learning a new hobby that I'd attempted, failed, and put off at least twice: crochet.  I've been knitting for years, now, although I rarely do anything more complicated than a basic garter stitch or knit 2, purl 2.  I mostly make blankets and scarves for family members, and it gives me something easy but productive to do while watching movies or TV.  Decorating a dance bra requires a lot more concentration!  Anyway, I'd been interested in learning crochet with the number of neat patterns online, especially for bellydance stuff.  But every time I'd tried, I kept making miserable, curled up swatches that looked terrible.  So I gave up and figured I'd try again another time, maybe when I had an actual person to show me how, rather than a YouTube video.

Well, true motivation came last week, when my bellydance instructor asked us to bring zills, preferably with mufflers.  I finally bought my own zills back at the Texas Renfaire in the fall, but I had no mufflers.  So, I looked up some patterns, bought lace weight yarn, and I was ready to try learning knitting in the round (something else I'd never attempted).  Unfortunately, it was the day of the class, and I got home to discover that I didn't have the right needles.  I have a huge stash my grandmother gave me, but it's a random assortment.  There was no going back to the store, so I decided "what the hell" and pulled out a crochet hook and a crochet pattern, ready to learn, hardcore.

Before I started the crochet, however, I knew I didn't have time to finish them before class, so I made some fabric zill covers according to this SUPER EASY tutorial at The Tribal Way:

Tribal Way Zill Mufflers -
She takes lovely pictures and also has lovely hands, don't you think?

So anyway, I knocked those out in 10 minutes, and then realized bellydance class was cancelled due to Louisiana's uncommonly cold and icy weather.  So I went back to crocheting.

It was HARD.  I probably unpicked and restarted the pattern 7-10 times before I actually started getting it right, and I watched and re-watched one particular video (I'll link to it when I can find it again).  I actually ended up switching patterns halfway through, too: I started with the Pretty Petaled Zill Covers by kNew England Knitter, but I couldn't understand how to get from one petal to the next, so I switched to Shira's Large Spider Web Zill Mufflers. The spider web pattern was much easier to follow, but it still took a few tries to get it right.

I finished the first one that night.
Tada!  Here is my first one and my fabric muffler:

I didn't get the center shape in the crochet quite right, but once I got farther out, I got more used to the tension and technique.

I was ADDICTED.  In the past 5 days, I've made three more covers and attempted a crochet slave bracelet.

For the bracelet, I used the free bejeweled bracelet pattern from The Joyful Dancer.  I didn't understand parts of the pattern I, so I just did what seemed right.  I got pretty much the right shape, but it's very loose.  Also, the edges are a bit wonky.  But for kind of making parts up, I'm okay with that!

Overall, I'm still working on loosening my stitch tension, but I'm getting better.  I really enjoy how crocheted work comes together, and I like having only one needle.  The only downside is that my left wrist hurts from the effort of controlling the work, the working thread, and the tension.  But it's worth it!!


And, for a final, ferret note for the day, Ferret Nation cages are the best.  We finally ordered one and set it up last Thursday.  It's great and the ferrets love it!

Look how huge!