Abalone Shell

I've finally finished my Abalone Shell summer top. This pattern was created by Kira Dulaney and published in the Spring 2010 edition of Interweave Crochet.

This great spring-to-summer piece has a fitted upper bodice and a draping body, giving it a romantic look that is easy to dress up or down. (Interweave Crochet).

I started this project with 300g of Moda Vera Gardenia (75% Acrylic and 25% Viscose derived from Bamboo) in purple but I actually ran out of yarn with a couple of inches to go in the body. This yarn is discontinued and Spotlight were unable to find any more stock. Rather than start the project again with another yarn I hunted around in my stash for another yarn that I could add to what I'd already done. I had a little bit of Moda Vera Gardenia in Aqua so I incorporated a couple of rounds of this to get the desired length.

The pattern was fairly easy to follow despite being quite intricate. There was one misprint in the magazine but the correction can be found on Interweave Crochet's website. I also found I needed the pattern close by for reference as the stitches change from round to round.

The finished top is a little heavier than I'd like for a summer top and I'm not sure that aqua was the right colour to add to purple but I'm glad its finally done. I really like this pattern so I might come back to it in the future and try it again with a lighter yarn.

Review: The Indigo Spell

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3)

by Richelle Mead.

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives.

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she struggles to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she finally tracks down the elusive, enigmatic Marcus Finch – a former Alchemist who the organisation denies exists, and who lives in shadows, on the run. With Marcus's help, Sydney realises that the group she's been loyal to her whole life has been hiding the truth from her. Is it possible that her golden lily tattoo might have more power over her than she thinks?

As she struggles to come to terms with what that might mean, Sydney is compelled to use her growing magical powers to track down an evil magic user who is targeting powerful young witches. Using magic goes against everything she always thought she believed, but she realises that her only hope is to embrace her special blood – or else she might be next.

Forging her own way is harder than Sydney ever dreamed. Maybe by turning off her brain – and following her heart – she'll be able to finally figure out where she belongs. (Goodreads)

**Warning - This review may contain spoilers**

Trellis Vest

This week I created a cute little Trellis Vest. This pattern was created by Kristen TenDyke and published in the Fall 2012 edition of Interweave Crochet.

Delicate crochet lace is reined in with a deep single crochet through the back loop only ribbed waist for a versatile vest that adds a touch of femininity to anything you wear. This easy crochet vest comes in eight sizes and is a great beginner crochet pattern (Interweave Crochet).

I completed this project using 150g of Moda Vera Gardenia (75% Acrylic and 25% Viscose derived from Bamboo) in Burgandy (#0028).

The pattern requires some concentration and I found that I needed it close by for reference as the stitches for the lace pattern change from row to row but it is fairly straightforward to follow and the stitch pattern easy to memorise. I did however have some trouble obtaining the correct gauge. I found that the hook size that obtained the right gauge for the lace section was too small for the ribbed section. I went with a 5mm hook thinking that it would obtain a gauge as close as possible to that stated for both sections of the pattern. Though if I made this again with similar yarn I would use a 5.5 or 6mm hook to obtain a wider/longer waistband.

Overall this was a fun, quick and easy project to create :-)