Crochet Terms, American or British?

I am a self taught crocheter. I learnt via YouTube and taking books out from the library. I was very aware in the beginning that British and American terminologie was very different, in that we use the same wording for different stitches, very confusing.

I can remember thinking more in terms of American terminologie in the beginning, so just thought that i would always use American as my go to language. Then last week i wrote a pattern of sorts and posted it on my blog. It has now only just occurred to me that i used British terminologie. I think this turn around in my thinking has occurred because i have read and used quite a few vintage British pattern in the last year, e.g. the blue berret, and the Victorian crochet collar. 

So now i have to discide what to do. Do i keep using British termanologie or revert back to American?

In favor of British is the fact that i am British, and any books or old patterns that i come across will nearly always be written in British.

Then there is the Beast which is the internet, which i do love. Where mostly American is used and the American to British split of my readers is about 2:1. 

Source: http://knotsewcute.blogspot.com

As a side note, there is also the issue of my spelling. Obviously i used British, but i read so much American i know that there are words that i spell the American way, but i don't even realize and spell checker often changes my Britishness to American without my permission, despite ticking all the right boxes. So that's in a hopeless Mid-Atlantic place as well. I could never convert my spelling totally to American because there i so many words that i am unaware that are spell differently.

So, should i change my crochet terms?

Ben Nevis Crochet Camera Cases

So this is the last project from the French Alps. My last few weeks in Chamonix were very stressful and there was a lot going on, most of it not good. I found nearly not enough time for knitting and crochet, or even skiing. It was really struggling to finish any knitting project i started, and was getting really frustrated at myself.

But i work in cycles, as as one cycle ends another starts. I think that this is the end of my current knitting phase, and i have moved on to a new crochet phase. My last major crochet phase had me frantically hooking up granny squares like a crazy woman. This time my mind seams to be focused on more simple solid items. I can visualize me hooking up hats, headbands and mitts, in more simple double crochet. But i am probably imagining completing more than i ever will.

My first crochet project in this phase, are these little cases, for mobile phones and cameras. The inspiration was a camera case that i made several years ago after i bought a camera on a trip to Scotland. Once i bought the camera, the sales man tried to persuade me to buy a case, but i had just learnt to crochet, so was eager to make my own. I went in search of a yarn store, i found a John Lewis with a haberdashery and bought a hook and yarn and hooked it up on the train to Ben Nevis (highest mountain in UK). This case was starting to look a bit battered, so i hooked up this new one with the chunky Phildar (Partner) yarn that i bought in Sallanches.

The pattern is really simple (slightly modified to give a better finish)

• Row 1: Chain 14, DC into second chain and then double crochet (DC) in to each chain (13 stitches), turn work.
• Row 2: Chain 2 then DC until end of work, turn work.
• Repeat row 2 until work wraps around the camera (or phone) and overlaps by 1 inch, turn work.
• Decrease row 1: DC until 2 before end of row, then decrease last 2 stitches. Turn work.
• Decrease row 2: DC to end of work. Turn work.
• Repeat these two decrease rows until there are 8 stitches remaining.
• Now decrease both ends of work.
• When there are 2 stitches remaining make a chain of 6 stitches, then slip-stitch into the next stitch.
• Sew in ends.
• Sew or crochet up sides.
• Add a button or make a crochet button.
• Pull camera strap through fabric with a crochet hook.

Once i had finished this little project ,and it only took me an hour so. I made two more with the same yarn only in sport weight, i made these for my mobile phone and work phone. This little project was the therapy i needed after a needlessly hard couple of weeks.

Yarn Shopping in Sallanches, France

I am trying to make the most of my days off work and visit some of the out lying town and villages around Chamonix. Its a shame that you can't chose the weather, because my day off managed to fall on one of the worst weather days this winter. Nevermind it did not dampen my determination to get out of Chamonix for the day. So i took the train to St Gravais and then on to Sallanches. Sallanches is one of the larger towns in the Chamonix valley, and it is good for shopping, especially if you are looking for stuff other than ski wear. I had heard form locals that there is a yarn shop there, so i thought i would check it out. 

I hit the internet before i went but found out very little. I did find this little yarn store though. 

Phildar
75 rue du Mont Joly, 74700, SALLANCHES
Website: http://www.phildar.fr/magasin/phildar-sallanches.r.html

The store is very small, and mostly carries a small selection of clothing. Along the back wall of the shop, they stock yarn. They have a good selection of yarn within the Phildar brand. They also have a small selection of Phildar knitting patterns and buttons. I could not see any knitting needles or other knitting tools for sale. Before i visited this store i looked them up on the internet. The picture they have on the Sallanches page is very misleading, as the store in the picture is much larger than the one found in Sallanches. So when i was looking for the shop i was looking for more in the way of a big department store, but instead found this small shop. Overall the yarn was very reasonably priced and they stock a lot of the plain wool that i like to knit with, so it's worth a return visit.

Any way here are some more images of a very wet town in the French Alps.