The last few days one of the pop-ups on Annies Attic had a booklet on Side-to-Side Crochet jackets & shrugs. I liked the off-white one. Has anyone made one of these side-to-side jackets? It looks fairly simple and I think would work up quickly. I really don't feel like buying the book of 4 patterns since I only liked one - the others are not something I would wear (and neither would the daughter)

Here are a few I found: http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/projects/mar99_crochet.html http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/projects/july99_crochet_1.html http://home.earthlink.net/~crochetme/id12.html http://www.knitlist.com/98gift/bedjacket.htm

First: Sorry about the quilt show picture here--it was a mitten until today. I posted the quilt show picture over at the quilting forum and I have no idea why Garden Web imported it over here, too. Marcy: Mittens and socks are kinda weird to make the first time. What I tell first-timers is to do EXACTLY what the pattern says to do. Don't analyze it, don't try to make sense of it, just do it--it will turn out in the end! I found a very basic crocheted mitten and posted the link below. It looks like the trickiest part is the cuff; just remember that the reason the cuff is done sideways to the rest of the mitten is to get the ribbing effect. You could just decrease and make a sc cuff until you have the rest of it figured out. It wouldn't be ribbed but it would still work. Also, I'd finish the thumb before I went on to the cuff if you do opt for the ribbed cuff. I remember the first time a student of mine tried turning the heel on a knitted sock. She called me in a panic because she couldn't understand how those goofy instructions could possibly work. I just told her to stop thinking and do what they said. An hour later she called back, all excited, "I made a heel! I made a heel!" To this day, I honestly can't figure out how heels work and I think the first person to invent one was an absolute genious. Annie Here is a link that might be useful: Basic crocheted mitten

Wow -- thanks, everyone, for responding! It's fun reading about what you're working on. Mscsippy -- I don't have photos of any of the stuff I've made; and none of the stuff that's currently in progress is at a point where a photo would make much sense, because my camera just doesn't seem to take decent closeups (they always manage to end up out of focus or blurred in some way - I guess I need a tripod!). But, I'll try to get photos of all of these things as I finish them. Taigen -- my paternal grandmother tatted. I have many beautiful things that she tatted. I tried, but failed, to learn to crochet, so I don't think I'd be able to master tatting, either. Cherbo -- you're much more sane than I am! Moni -- your secrets are safe with me. ;-) Donna37 -- I haven't done any embroidery in sooo long! I'd like to start up again with embroidery and also counted cross stitch. I've got a counted cross stitch Christmas sampler that I started soooooo many years ago! The horrid thing, too, is that there's not that much more to do to finish it. I have completed many, many counted cross stitch projects, I just don't know why I've never gotten around to finishing this one. One of these days... Dances -- my sister wants some fingerless gloves/mitts, so that's a project that is on my "to do" list. I'm sure this Winter will be long gone by the time she gets them. LOL! But I, too, have vastly different yarns on each of my projects-in-progress, and I'm certain that must be why I have so many going at once. Eliza Ann -- knitting is supposed to be very good for relaxation and stress relief. Maybe you should spend 15 or 20 minutes knitting each evening to help relieve the stress of getting your house ready for sale. :-) Linda -- that is a really cute poncho, and I love the color! I also think it would make a cute skirt (not without a slip/petticoat of some sort, though!). But, as I've said, I can't crochet at all, not even one stitch or chain or whatever it's called... :-( Donna Loomis -- you're my hero! Keep adding to your list of projects so I won't feel so bad, ok? :-) Zipper -- I'll be sure to pay attention to what I'm doing when I finally get around to the Baby Surprise Jacket. My niece isn't due until mid-July, and since it's her first, it could easily be late July or early August by the time she delivers, so I'm counting on having enough time to finish the two baby blankets that I'm working on (I've already given her one, and all three are totally different from each other); and I also want to get some booties and caps done, too. Janie -- I haven't experienced the "knot on the wrist," but I HAVE suffered from cramps in my left thumb from gripping the left needle too tightly when it's a small size needle and lace weight yarn. Another reason why I like to have a bunch of projects going with different yarns -- so I can relieve that stress on my thumb. Socks -- I keep each project in a separate bag, and I always have paper and a pencil (mechanical pencil, so I can retract the lead) with each project so that I can make notes as to where I am when I stop. And I try to always stop after I've finished an odd-numbered row, which somehow helps (like a placebo, I'm sure!). Susanjf -- yarn outlet??? WHERE??? Ivamae -- what color poncho are you going to make? Jannie -- your project will turn up when you least expect it! What size bamboo needles were you using? I use bamboo needles for everything that I knit that is knitted on straight needles. I also have the Bamboo Sister interchangeable circular needles set from Plymouth Yarn Company, and some fixed circular bamboo needles. One of the baby blankets is being done with the Plymouth interchangeable bamboo circulars, but for the other I'm using the Options Harmony Wood Interchangeable Needles from Knit Picks. I love those needles because the points are much "pointier" than on the bamboos, so it makes it easier to knit lace weight and fingering weight yarns. I've also got an afghan going on another size of the Harmony needles and the varigated-color yarn is nearly the exact same colors as the needles, so it's a challenge! Sheila Joyce -- what a great thing you're doing! I'm a tight knitter, so I certainly hope that no one ever has to attempt to finish anything I've started... Would using a smaller hook (than the one called for in the pattern) help at all? Have you tried taking the partial cloth into a yarn store to see what they can recommend to match the thread?