Thursday, May 20, 2010

Lost in translation...

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Double crochet?... treble crochet?... single crochet?....

I commented yesterday that what was keeping me from starting the Babette Blanket was my memory... I couldn't figure out what double crochet was.  I was doing what I thought was double crochet and it just didn't seem right.  In search of answers I turned to the trusty Google and....  turns out I was right and wrong....

Apparently there is a difference between Australian and US definitions of the stitches...

It turns out that what I was doing WAS double crochet - at least as I'd been taught here in Australia - but in the US, this is a single crochet.  And what I call treble, is what the US call double... confused??? I am!!!

So now my problem is.. which stitch is the pattern calling for when it says double crochet?  At this stage I'm assuming that the pattern I have was printed in a US magazine and therefore would be using the US definitions, meaning that when it says double crochet, I should do what I know as treble crochet and it should all work out fine...  Fingers crossed....

I have sought clarification over at the Flickr Babette Blanket group and I keep checking every few minutes to see if anyone has an answer. I love the internet and it's wealth on knowledge!!

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The importance and power of words was also pointed out to me (subtly) yesterday in relation to another matter completely...  As we were leaving the office 3yo son of my boss asked me where I was going... I told him I was going to ****  place to which he replied "why?" (as 3yo's do) and so I answered "because that's where I'm staying for now" at the same time as his Mum said "because that's where Sophie lives now"...  And his Mum was right... There are some great quotes out there like "fake it till you make it" and "the power of positive thinking" and small differences like using 'live' instead of 'stay' are all part of convincing myself that what I am doing and the choices I have made are right and that this is permanent!


I have no doubt confused many of you with the above... Up until now I've tried to keep my blog about my art and creative pursuits with small snippets about the house and the dog but generally I have kept my personal life out of it.  Apparently this is not just the case with my blog... I've been doing the same with my Family and Friends and as a result they have not known of the things going on in my life - not really anyway - not until recently that is... 


The past week I have toyed with what blogging is for me and why I blog and I have discovered that it's more than the art and creativity.  It's about the connection and the community that blogging envelopes... but for me, right now, it's also a means of picking myself up and getting on with life.  Blogging each day this last week has made me look for positives and as a result I've found myself looking forward and not dwelling on the past.  And so I'm keen to keep it up!  I will warn you however that I've now decided that there will probably be times where the focus of my blogging turns inwards.  I hope that this doesn't turn you off, but if it does then that's alright too.


BTW in explanation... I left my husband a couple of months ago... I tell you this as an explanation and NOT to seek sympathy... It has been and still is a struggle but I'm at the stage where I need to get back into doing the things that I love and that make ME happy and blogging, creating and art are some of those things....

5 comments:

Doreen G said...

Hi Sophie--I read you blog whenever you update as it is on my bloglines feed and I don't always leave comments but I just wanted to say that you have to do what is best for you-you could waste your life trying to please others and be miserable but this is not what life is about.
Stay strong look ahead and be successful in whatever you do--you deserve it.
Oh and how confusing is that crochet stuff--yikes.

Jeana Marie said...

You're right - it is confusing but you are correct a US double crochet is an Australian treble. Single crochet is what US people call Australian double crochet.

I can't be sure about that pattern, but if it was published in the US chances are it was written in US crochet lingo.

There are some translation charts here and there on the web, but I haven't looked then up to share the link..maybe a search under USA, Australian crochet might bring something up!

The first time I tried to follow a pattern here years ago I got something much bigger than I was supposed to!

Very big hugs to you - you are in my thoughts.

Promise I'm leaving the country - very soon!

xo,
Jeana

CurlyPops said...

I had a life changing break up 18 months ago. It's difficult and I'm still not fully over it, but life has moved on and I'm trying to make the most of every day.
Good on you for choosing to live your life and make yourself happy!

Sophie said...

Thanks for your support ladies!!

Zreekee said...

Hi there, found your blog through a google search of Babette...anyways. The wonders of the web.

I'm from Canada and I use the american style of crochet in terms of names of stitches.

The Babette Blanket uses my style of double crochet throughout the regular squares.The edging is also done in double-crochet (my way).

Unfortunately there wasn't a universal picture pattern done for it. But if it had been made you'd see tons of the symbol of the T with one slash in the middle.

I hope this helps! I'm not an expert crocheter, but really love the craft!!