The 2014 Hello Doily Challenge Chronicles: Chapter Three

In the last Chapter of this on-going project, my homework was to:

• decide which pattern I wanted to use.
  
• collect enough comics and then spin them into paper yarn.
  
• crochet it up.

I've been doing well with my self-imposed homework assignements: I decided to use the "Irish Rose" doily pattern by Dorothy Drake that is featured in the "Doilies in Color" book by Annie's Crochet.

Thanks to my Crochet group and my husband who have been collecting them for me, I've collected nine comics thus far, each consisting of three pages.  Of those I have already spun a total of 18 pages. I know I'm going to be needing more!

Spinning the comics: This has not been an easy task as I am still relatively inexperienced in the art of spinning, and with this being my first time to actually spin paper into "yarn" it has been an interesting learning experience.  Yes, it is true, I do demonstrations on how to crochet with unspun roving, but that is a different skill-set.  To say I have been feeling a bit like Rumpelstiltskin trying to spin gold is an understatement; dragon slaying might have been an easier job!{grins}  There were some spinning sessions that went smooth as honey, and others, well ... more like my homemade gravy (a bit lumpy).

... but, I pushed on ... slowly honing my spinning technique to the point where my paper "yarn" pops less (when it breaks it actually makes a "popping" noise!), and is more evenly spun.  I have even cut down on the amount of time it takes me to spin one set of comics: from four hours to about two and a half.  This time includes the cutting of the paper, and the time it takes to join all the pieces as I am spinning it.

Crocheted Newspaper/ Sunday Comics

About the tension:  Controlling, or rather, not controlling the stitch tension as much as I normally do has been an interesting lesson.  I've learned if I put too much tension on the comic yarn that it will break -- making that "popping" noise I mentioned just moments ago.  Since the paper yarn is stiff, I cannot just let the "yarn" be as I draft from the drop-spindle. If I let it roam, it will wrap and twist about itself causing a big mess.  And we can't have that!  LOL 

In actually creating the crochet stitches, no problem there.  Except for picot stitches.  Oh, those are a bear to create with stiff yarn!  OY!

So the project continues.  And as it does, I now ponder about how I am going to block the project once it is complete.  And about how I will display it...