I have been puzzling* about why crochet is so dispersed. There are at least 2 major systems for describing the basic stitches ( UK and US), at least 3 sizeing systems for hooks ( UK, US, and metric) and seemingly unlimited number of names for more complex patterns.
I will see a "new fancy pattern" to make something "new" and "wow"  when I carefully read the instructions I find it is the same old stitch with a new name. And most of the names don't even relate to the appearance of the pattern.
Don't these people read basic crochet books? Do they think no one has made this stitch before? Are they scamming us, hoping we will think it is "new" when they actually copied it out of an old book?
Maggie Righetti wrote "Crocheting in plain english: the only book any crocheter will ever need". In it she points out that there really are not 500 different stitches, despite what some books imply. There are only so many places to put your hook, so many times you can wrap the yarn, so many directions to go.
I also like the Readers Digest Guide to needlework. It has a brief description of all the basics.
So when the stitch you are trying to sell me is in both of those, no it is not new, even if you have given it a new name!
Here is one example:
In RD there ia a stitch called bushy, and yes it is somewhat bushy, so reasonable name.  I have  a book called Crochet Stitch Bible, in it the same stitch is called Paris stitch, say what? Why Paris for goodness sake?
And on a blog it was called forget-me-not, and no it does not look like a flower.
This rant does not even take into account different stitches being called the same name. It is starting to remind me of why Linneus came up with his scientific nomenclature system!

Knitting seems to have an international naming system. Everyone knows what purl, knit, garter, stocking ( or stockinette) refers to.
Why is crochet so different.
I read today online somewhere that there are just 3 basic knitting stitches ( I am guessing knit, purl and ? I don't knit so I don't know the third one) and there are just 7 basic crochet stitches. I do crochet, quite a bit, and I have no idea which ones they meant!
When I am in charge of the world I will make us all do crochet the same way.  Metric hook sizing , US names for simple stitches, and no new  stitch descriptions unless you can show they are not in other mainline sources.
And if you are writing a pattern you will call the stitch by a recognised name. I am thinking here of something like the IUPAC organic chemistry naming system,which has logical rules based on structure.  ( actually this exact analogy just came to me. I think I may be on to something here. Can we get a committee together to work on this?)










* OK "banging my head on the wall" ,might be a better way to put it.

It is 16C today, a big and welcome change from the plus 30C we were having last week. It feels OK to touch yarn again!
So some crochet projects:

The all pink "lapghan" I had started last crochet update

I don't actually wear scarves, but I do like these scarf/shawl items and they do seem to be popular online. Currently I own 4, and want to give more away, several have already been given to ( hopefully) good homes.

Peach colour, with beads, my own pattern

 

Sea Foam scarf, inspired by Kat Goldin 'Spun Gold'

To keep someone's neck warm next winter, crochet cowls.

A bit tired of crocheting in cotton, and having finally used up almost all my cotton  stash, I have switched to acrylic crochet hats to give away. Possibly to Bissell Centre.

Now I think I will go and bake some cookies, while the temperature is reasonable!

The kiln was firing while I was away last week and my big bowls are now done. Last time we saw them they were still wet. Now they are all finished. I had also made mugs and I tested various glaze combinations on them before using them on the bowls.

One bowl and a pair of mugs were left at the guild to sell, but I forgot to photo the bowl, must run ( bike) back and do that!

A bit of everything this time!
Since the last post I have had company for a week, been out of town for 4 days and generally puttered around. but some things did get accomplished.

hook

well always some hooky

 A second shawl/scarf in a variegated white/pink/green/beige. This time I did not start with un-liked yarn and did not have to take it apart.

Not a selection of very narrow scarves!
These are the beginning of a strip afghan. Each will have a border, then the pieces will be joined together and an edging added.

 throw

These three have moved a few steps further along the path but I still have not glazed them. Can't decide what  want them to look like.

bake 

Every few weeks I make a batch of 8 loaves of bread. One of this weeks batch.

sew

On request I am trying scrubs hats. This is the best so far, it fits me, now to see if it fits the requester!

It is surprisingly hard to take a reasonable looking photo of a hat, without a head!





So there we are, all "crafts" checked in.

Busy garden season keeps one away from other projects. But now the garden is almost entirely planted and pot trimming commences.

 I never seem to remember to take photos at pottery. maybe because my hands are usually dirty!

 I may take a table at a farmers market later in the summer to try to sell crochet and pottery items. I thought I had better get some suitable things made. Mugs are always useful and usually salable too so I threw a few last week. Here they have been trimmed and handles attached. Once they are dry enough it is into the bisque kiln for first firing.  I also threw a few bowls, but I need more and bigger ones. Big bowls are usually a hit at sales, at least here at the guild.
Two shallow bowls, with Rorschach patterns!

Everyone sees the design as something different. To me it is like seaweed, others say trees. One person saw ghosts!

It IS possible to turn back time.
Or at least to fix a crochet piece which did not turn out the right way.
I have ripped out, right to the first stitch, before; but if most of the piece is good, then that can be very discouraging. I crocheted a shawl/scarf from a free online pattern and started with one yarn then changed to another part way through. I thought they were closer in character than they turned out to be though, and in the end I did not like the first few rows.
I posted an appeal for help to a facebook group I belong to " Make it, wear it (crochet and knitting) " and a reply led me to a Utube video  which gave me enough help that I could figure out the rest.

The white part was a thicker yarn and somewhat scratchy. It also did not have the flexibility or stretchiness of the variegated yarn so it pulled the shape in.
To remove it I first had to be sure the wanted stitches did not unravel. I threaded a cord through each stitch of the first desirable row, cut away the unwanted parts, then pulled a "good" piece of yarn through to replace the cord.

Then, still following the Utube instructions I crocheted a row of single crochet and chain. In this case I tried to mimic what should have been there.

It now looks as though the first row was crocheted into a row of chain.

I may add a row of single crochet or of some matching kind of edging to make the top end a bit more sturdy, but overall I am pleased with the results.
A new summer shawl/scarf. Truly a ta da moment!

The first weekend in May was our spring pottery sale, no payout yet but it seemed to go well. I also have a couple of items done just too late for sale.

hand built mug

hand built rectangle bowl

wheel thrown plates

And a small "lantern"

 The camera just ran out of battery , again, so these were taken by dumb cell phone.