‘Listen, my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of’ – no, wait, wrong story. Something very exciting indeed has happened in toomanyhooks-land, and so (in the hopes that this will help oblitera- I mean, alleviate the formatting nightmare of shame that is my previous post) please read on to hear a wonderful yarny tale (complete with pictures!)
Once upon a time, there was a young woman who liked to crochet. She crocheted hats, she crocheted toys. She crocheted sweaters, and she crocheted scarves. She loved to crochet! One day, this young woman was cruising around the internet, when what should she find but this book:
“Oh, dear,” she said. “I love that book. I want that book. I must have that book!” So, she bought it, not caring whether any other pattern in the book was good, because she was going to make the beautiful little dress on the cover. The young woman waited, and she waited, and she waited, until one day a package arrived! She ripped the packaging open, and withdrew the book.
“Huh?” she said.
“Oh, dear,” she said. “It looks like a different version. Well, that doesn’t matter, as long as it has the pattern I want.” So she looked, and she looked, and sure enough, there was the smock.
“Well, that’s all right then,” she said. “Let’s see what kind of yarn it calls for.” She looked, and she looked, and then she realized that the yarn was not available in the United States – not locally, anyway – because although they had converted the stitches to American conventions, it was still an English book. Undeterred, she looked for a sub. “Red Heart Baby Fingering should do fine,” she said. “I even have some. Oh, it’s not enough for the whole thing – but I can start now and buy more later. Oh, but I don’t have the right hook. Oh. Darn.”
Not long after that (really, not long at all) she went to Walmart for yarn and a hook. To her surprise, she couldn’t find the Baby Fingering anywhere. She looked high, she looked low, but there was none to be found. “Where could it be?” she wondered aloud as she checked out, hook in hand.
Somewhat later, the young woman happened to be exploring the Coats and Clark website when the awful truth was brought home. The Baby Fingering yarn had been discontinued. “Oh, no!” she cried. “That’s the only fingering yarn I have ever seen! What yarn will I use now?” So, for many sad months, the young woman looked, at Walmart and Michaels and Hobby Lobby and even Joann’s, but she just couldn’t find a fingering yarn. “Oh, well,” she said. “I’ll have to make an internet order, but I don’t have a daughter yet, anyway. It would be silly to do it now. I’ll just wait.” And so the book sat on the shelf, unused, for well over a year.
Then, one day, she went to Walmart to buy some Softee Baby in Lemon and Mint:
(Doesn’t that sound delicious? And I like mint, especially for baby things – no matter what Crochetme says…)
…when she saw something amazing. Her Walmart was carrying Bernat Baby! She stopped. She stared. She dove in with both hands! And, in the end, she bought skeins and skeins – enough to make the smock both in Antique White –
– and Baby Green.
“Hurrah!” she said. She brought the yarn home, and introduced it to the book. “We’ll start tonight!” she declared.
There was only one problem. The hook she had bought, so long ago, was the wrong size.
“Oh, not again!” She couldn’t believe it. Still, the next day, she took one more trip to Walmart. Battling Saturday traffic, forging her way through the crowds, she bought the only thing standing between her and a little smock WIP – the hook! And a candy bar. But that’s beside the point! She returned triumphant with her size 4 steel hook, and she crocheted happily ever after.
The End.
I love a happy ending!
A classic tale indeed!
I didn’t realize Red Heart discontinued their baby fingering weight–bummer!
I *love* that book. It wasn’t until after I bought it though, that I realized it was written in British notation. I just have to photocopy and convert the notations into American. I made the Dancing Shoes in pink for my brother’s soon to be born little girl. (I hope to get pics up on my site soon!)
That IS an adorable smock!!
that smock is lovely! I wish I had a little niece or someone to make it for. I’m going to have to look for that booklet now….
I love that book – a friend of mine borrowed it from the library and I really really wished I had an excuse to make that smock. Will be checking in to see how it goes
I loved your story, did you finish the smock dress? I have a granddaughter and would love to make it. Do you have the pattern available?