Knitting socks is one of life’s great pleasures.

I have to admit that I am a ‘mindless sock knitter’.

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

I knit plain socks that can just flow through my fingers without me having to pay attention to them except at critical points like heels and toes.

I use sock knitting as a way of soothing myself if I am feeling stressed,

or if I am in a situation where I have to pay attention to other people,

or if we are driving (my husband is driving, that is, and I am passenger-ing),

or if I am in waiting mode.

So, I tend to use self striping yarns and let them do the work,

or  I use bright colors and switch them around for a whimisical approach,

and I love to tat flowers on the tops of the cuffs.

So, even though I tend to like to zip along with easy sock knitting, I still love to collect fun patterns for great socks.

My daughter recently sent me a link for 5 free sock patterns, so if you would like some more sockie patterns here’s the link for you, too:

Free Sock Patterns

The ‘Little Black Dress’ is a  design concept that is an archetypical.

I’ve been thinking about classic designs lately, and wondering-

What exactly is THE PERFECT LITTLE BLACK DRESS and can you crochet it?

sketch and photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The perfect little black crocheted dress absolutely must:

1.Be Comfortable - it has to fit without binding, drooping or emphasizing places that prefer to be blessed, not blushed over.

2. Be Versatile- The Perfect Little Black Dress must be a champion of  multi-tasking. It needs to be able to be worn in several different ways, and be suitable for many different occasions and events.

3. Be Layer-able- Worn over, worn under, worn with …. shrugs, shawls, sweaters, fancy tights, bluejeans, leggings, bare legs

4. Be  Timeless- Well, perhaps not ~quite timeless~ but certainly needs to be able to stand up to several seasons of changing fashion.

5. Be Fun to make- That may mean that it is incredibly complex or it could mean that it is super simple. Both are definitely fun.

6.  Be Yarn appropriate- It must be made in a yarn that is a pleasure to work with and wears well.

7. Probably have drape through the skirt.  Having drape integral in the skirt is going to mean that it moves beautifully and won’t get pulled out of shape by sitting. Nothing looks worse than having the bum of a skirt go all droopy.  A little flex and drapability goes a long way in alleviating humdrum bumdrop on the back of the skirt.

8. Have a stitch structure that gives stability over the shoulders. Have lots of stability through the upper bodice and over the shoulders is essential. It’s going to make the dress much more durable and will sustain the shaping, which will make it fit better.

9. Make you feel absolutely DIVINE! There has to be a certain something that is totally magical about it, that makes you want to hug it to you like a teddy, but makes you feel like a million dollars when you wear it.

10.  Inspire your Creativity! Perhaps the PERFECT LITTLE BLACK CROCHETED DRESS  IS NOT A DRESS!  It might just be a wonderful tunic, like Doris Chan’s, or a spectacular skirt (like the tunisian stitch skirt that I designed for Crochet! magazine), paired with a brilliantly designed little top ( like Angela Best’s Sweetie Pie Top) , or Halter top (Like Amie Hirte’s spectacular Amelia), and possibly topped off with Doris Chan’s fabulous circle jacket

11. The most important and final rule: It has to be something that you will enjoy. So, get out your hook and black yarn, and a really good light (crocheting black yarn can be challenging!) and  ENJOY your perfect LBD!

So, tell me, have you crocheted your PERFECT LITTLE BLACK DRESS? I would love to see pics!

Lion Brand is hosting a crochet along for a sampler pattern afghan. It’s lovely!

Here’s the link if you’d like to join in: Sampler Pattern Afghan

There are some lovely snuggly shrugs being featured at the Craft Yarn Council of America website.

I love shrugs…. they’re great for layering up when it gets chilly.

Grab your hooks and get comfie!   Shrug patterns

The Lion Brand website has been re-configured. It has a fresh new look and new features.

There are lots of free patterns and I just scrolled through a ton of totally darling amigurumi patterns. Here’s the link:

Amigurumi