I've just finished this mini scarf with a "woven" effect.
colour : snow-white (the one I've been ranting about earlier),
yarn : sport weight acrylic,
size : about 1mX15 cm
This will be my first featured "free pattern", provided I write the pattern down and find a way to feature it in my blog...

At first I wanted to make a shrug as Mrs Who explained. Then I thought I really didn't like to sew things up afterwards, so I thought I would crochet in round instead of crocheting a rectangle (which is a minor change to Mrs Who's method). I didn't know if it would be for me or for my daughter... I hesitated untill I had the first arm finished : after all, my daughter needs new clothes more than I do, she grows so fast.



the stitch : I found it on the online stitch dictionary of the site called le crochet (points pour crochet, page 3 n° 24). Unfortunately, crocheted with a thicker yarn and in round, it doesn't look the same at all... but it still looked ok to me. The trim is a single crochet worked into the back loop of the stitches of the previous row, thus creating a ribbing, plus a popcorn-nope stitch (R1:all in single crochet/R2: 2 single crochet, a 4 double crochet cluster, 2 single crochet/R3:all in single crochet) with regular increase (or decrease as I crocheted from wrist trim to wrist trim) for the wrists. The body has a quite similar trim, I tried to create a pattern with the popcorn flaring out...

the yarn : a cone of unknow quality, cotton I think, 6€ for 2_ pounds, which is a very good price. Rather thick, sturdy but smooth and easy to crochet, crocheted with a n#4,5 crochet. I think I used 800g of it.


My daughter agreed to let me take a picture with her unfinished shrug... isn't she lovely?
It wasn't easy...
 I should have figured out something was wrong, she never kept it on long enought for me to take a picture. Now I know what's wrong : she doesn't like it. So I'm not going to line it or add flowery buttons as I thought I would, it will just sit there in her closet untill I manage to sell or give it off...
 
I wish she would like it. But with children this age you can never tell. Never mind. I'll be more lucky next time.

What I learned from this experiment :

I just wanted to wipe up a no-sew sweater, a warm winter one, but I had a yarn shortage accident (I got the yarn from my mother in law, who got it from her mother, reason why I HAD to do something with it although I really don't like this colour...).
So I improvised something to finishthe second part of the front, I used a few cotton ball I had in stock.

The stitch is a basic diamond cluster one. I chose it because it was full while keeping a textured lace-like look. It's crocheted in one piece, from front to front, starting with the leftside one (bear with me). Shoulders were crocheted afterwards in a single crochet stitch, allowing to attach the upper part of the fronts to the back, collar and arms were then crocheted in round, in single crochet too.

There's a button inside to keep the front in place, and one outside to close the collar. They are far less cute than what I expected... You live, you learn, next time it will be better...
The embroidery on the collar and shoulders is a kind of chain stitch serpent, I savedd just enougth of the original yarn to do : I wanted to add a Russian uniform look to the collar (à la "Général Dourakine" ? if you know Mme De Ségur's work) and combat the "my mother went out of yarn and I look a hot mess" syndrome...

You'll find details about this vest, stitch scheme and all, on this album

My daughter just loves this vest.
I must admit I love it too now !