I've been experimenting with yarn mixes this month.  

This hat -- from an upcoming pattern -- uses three strands of worsted weight yarn.  I combined Vanna's Choice in Eggplant, Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool in Brown Heather and Plymouth Gina -- a self-striping yarn -- in Color 0001.

At a gauge of 7 sts = 4 in./10 cm, the fabric is thick, warm and bouncy.

Yesterday afternoon I received a lovely order from LoveCrochet: six skeins of worsted-weight yarn, shown here.

Shortly after receiving the yarn, I couldn't resist starting a hat with the Malabrigo Rios in Indiecita.  It's about 2/3 finished.

I'm stocking up to make the samples for my upcoming pattern releases.  Another order -- chunky and super bulky weight yarn -- is scheduled to arrive today, and I'm hoping to have a chance to order some sock-weight yarn this weekend.

TIP FOR INTERMEDIATE CROCHETERS: Sometimes when you go from a double-crochet fabric to double-crochet post-stitch ribbing, noticeable holes form at the transition.  Most unlovely!  

I've found that working a transition round of half double crochet creates a less holey fabric.

It's a refinement that works both before and after the ribbing rounds, as seen in this beanie called Tobey.  The pattern is currently being tested, and it will be available later this summer.

I'm working on a sock yarn version of my Wyder design.

Here's the start of the hat -- the ribbed cuff -- worked in Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn.  I'm in love with this colorway -- 211. 

The yarn tends to be twisty -- it's a single ply -- but it smoothed out as I crocheted.

The texture of this shell stitch used in the vintage Flower Power pullover is so pretty.

Here's how to create it:

Make a chain the desired length (with the number of chains divisible by 3 plus 2).  Sc in second ch from hook, 2 dc in same space, *skip 2 ch, [sc, 2 dc] in next ch; repeat from * across.  Ch 1 and turn.

Pattern row: [Sc, 2 dc] in each sc across.  Ch 1 and turn.

​I think this would make a super hat.  The swatch has a lot of vertical and horizontal stretch.

Here's the swatch for one of the stitches mentioned in the previous post on Flower Power sweaters.

This one is simply alternating rows of double crochet and single crochet.

Both sides are attractive, but the 1960s Flower Power Flapover has the dc row as the right side.

In the Harmony Guide to Crochet Stitches, James Walters and Sylvia Cosh note: "This is one of the simplest and most effective combination stitch patterns.  It is also one of the easiest to get wrong!  Concentration is required as you work the ends of the rows to avoid increasing or decreasing, or working two rows of the same stitch running by mistake."

Underneath these giant flowers are some lovely, simple stitches.  I've crocheted a couple of swatches, which I'll share in upcoming posts.

These two designs are from a 1960's American Thread pamphlet "Better Knitted and Crocheted Sweaters for Him, for Her."  The one on the right is called a Flapover, consisting of two rectangles with some shoulder and neck shaping, joined at the sides with chain-stitch ties.

This is probably my all-time favorite crochet photo from my all-time favorite crochet book.

From "Crochet Workshop" by James Walters, it's a black-and-white photo of the author.  I like to imagine this in color.  Oh, the exuberance of it all!

Crochet Workshop was first published in Great Britain in 1979.  My much-loved copy is from 1983.  Fortunately, this valuable resource for crocheters is readily available again, having been re-printed by Dover Publications in 2014

Here are some detail photos of the scarf/shawl that I posted earlier this week.

There are dozens of ways to wear this -- the buttons simply are slipped through any of the double crochet stitches -- no buttonholes needed.  Clever! 

Today I received a much-anticipated package from Poland containing this beautiful scarf/small shawl.

As a designer of simple crochet hats, I can appreciate the artistry of complex pieces.  The scarf has three large flowers and one small one, with organic-looking free-form rows.  The colors are rich Victorian shades of crimson, green, brown and ecru. 

The very talented designer is Danuta, and her Etsy shop is Degra2 at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Degra2​.