Six Degrees

No I am not referring to the temperature, but to a great idea. I was over reading Meowfish Pie's blog and saw this. It sounded like fun. Here's her description:

I start out on my blog & move the mouse over the blogroll on my page, close my eyes, move the mouse & start clicking. When it gets to a new blog I do the same thing there and so on & so forth. When I get to the sixth blog I leave a comment. Silly I know, but it amuses me. If you come to a blog that does not have a blogroll just go back to the blog before & do it again. Try it & let me know what blog you end up on, who knows, you may even make new friends.

Now, as you can see I do not have a blogroll because I cannot figure out how to make blogger put in a column on the left! However, I do have a master list in my favorites and started there. I didn't keep track of the intermediate steps (although I can tell you I crossed paths with Eunny). Where did I end up?

Here!

Of all the places I might have ended up it is at the site of an author whose name is familiar! Small blogosphere. Very small. =-D

If you decide to give this a try drop me a note in the comments so I can come see where YOU ended up.

Happy clicking.

Confession

Despite the fact that I seemed to have dropped off the blogging landscape, I have actually been crocheting. See!

I have to confess, though, that not a single one of them is complete! Every time I got close to being done with one, something else would catch my eye. So here goes...
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This sweater did not turn out at all as I had hoped. There is so much blank space and even after I added the sleeve it just seems to lack grace. I think it is too boxy and not cute enough for a baby. Yup, you guessed it. This one is headed for the frog pond. I think it has sat long enough now that I can bear to rip it out...

It's saving grace is that I love the way the hearts came out. This fillet crochet motif will have to find its way into something else!

What will become of the yarn? Well, it is destined to become the border for this:

It is a car seat blanket (see the hole for the strap?) that is to replace the heart sweater. I picked up the coordinating variegated yarn. This is based on the pattern found here. I thought this was a great idea given how many blankets I've seen land in puddles or on the floor when baby was being carried! I've changed the gauge, eliminated the color changes, and switched from single crochet to half double crochet. It now has better drape and I won't have to weave in a bunch of ends! Let's here it for mathematics that allowed me to figure out the rows and placement of the hole. =-D (O.K. so the teacher in me just had to throw in her two cents...)

Then there are these that are ALMOST done. It is really shameful that I have not finished them.

The baby sweater just needs a sleeve and tie. That's all. Shouldn't take more than an hour or two. The other one is the ISE scarf that just needs a border. Why the delay? Waffling on if I should start the border or do another repeat and fear of running out of yarn. I'm just going to go for it and do the border.

And this:

JUST FELT IT!

That's it. I'm out of confessions. Off to AC Moore to get another skein of yarn to finish the car seat blanket. I hereby promise not to start another project unless at least some of this stuff is done!

Obsessed

O.K. so once I hatched the idea to change up another baby sweater, I HAD to make it immediately. Here's the original pattern. Not very "boy". So change the color to blue and the motif to hearts (four of them around the bottom - two on front and two on back) like this:

And it should yield a cute sweater. Only one problem. I've been working on this since yesterday. Charting hearts, swatching, and then creating the sweater. The gauge swatch lies. BIG TIME. Am I going to rip it out? Heck no! The baby just won't be able to wear it for a while. The chest is 25 inches!

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Does anyone out there have a chart that gives chest measurements with approximate ages? I've searched the net to no avail. I'd like to know what age this sucker is going to fit!

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Off to start the lace part of the pattern. With luck my obsession should yield a finished sweater by the end of the day.

It's...

It's a baby sweater for baby number four or six. Yes, the baby count has risen once again! I have to add sleeves yet, however, I think I really like this pattern. I was going to make another one just like it, but decided this morning to do a different one from the same pattern book. (Of course it will be with some alterations...!)

It's a bag o' yarn. Yup. Destashing. I have reached the point where I cannot force myself to handle yarn that is not pleasing to the eye. In this tall kitchen bag is the charity yarn that I was going to use for snuggles and other projects. I've decided I just cannot face the avocado yarn or the Homespun. The first is nowhere in my color schemes and the second just too hard to work with. I love the feel of Homespun, just not its handleability. (Did I just make up a new word?) It is going to others who will make things for charity from it. So, no guilt. It will go for its intended purpose! Thanks Amanda!

As for this, it's the result of "just stopping in" to the LYS without the intent to purchase a thing. Riiiiight. I know, I know, I was delusional! But, it was on sale. It was 50% off. And, I immediately knew what felting project it was destined to become, so no harm on foul right? Who could pass it up? (Clearly not me!) When the yarn gods smile, who am I to say no?

Wanna see a progress pic?

Whatsit?

Mystery pictures!

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Any idea what this will grow up to be?

Or what might be in here?Or how I came by this? Answers tomorrow! :-D

Silhouette

Here at last is a progress picture of the ISE4 scarf I am making. A big thank you to Gina who suggested I give up on getting a good picture of both pattern and yarn. Her solution? Show off the pattern in silhouette. A bright sunny window and viola!

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I have dubbed this scarf "Windows on the World". It just delights me to imagine the knitters and crocheters who are part of the International Scarf Exchange waving hello from each of the open fillet windows! I can even see them holding up their most recent WIPs and FOs to show to each other. It makes me grin.

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The pattern comes from The Crochet and Stitch Bible by Betty Barnden. Great book which I highly recommend. So at this point the scarf consists of 22 six row pattern repeats and will need about 11 more to be considered done. Of course, it also needs a border so that the edges will be straight. I'm thinking a simple round of single crochet in the same yarn will do the trick and not detract from the pattern.

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And pal if you are lurking out there:

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Stitch by stitch and row by row

I watch this creation grow.

In a warm smile's glow

I'll send it off to you!

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(Of course you'll have to wait until I finish!)

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Enough cheesy for today. Have a great weekend all!

Baby Love

I've decided this is the Year of the Baby. I know yet person who will be giving birth this year! This couple is young enough to be hip. So, what else would I make but a hoodie? The pattern looks simple enough for this nascent garment maker so I'm going to give it a go once I finish several other projects that are due first! (IF I can resist starting this...) Here's the yarn I picked. The pattern calls for two strands of DK held together, but I'm going for a single strand of heavier yarn. Easy care superwash seems just right for first time parents. I'm hoping the garment will still drape!

Spring!

Spring has sprung? Yup, New England style!

This white stuff did me a favor this morning. It let me sleep a little later as my school had a delayed opening! (Well, I did have to answer the phone at 4:20am to find out we were opening late, but I'll take it.)

And here's a dose of cute for the day. I caught Harold using the new toy for a kitty bed. He caught me taking the picture. I didn't know a cat could give the evil eye. Once I was done taking pictures he promptly went back to sleep!

I'm making progress on the ISE4 scarf with 15 pattern repeats complete. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to take a decent picture of it. So no pics for now...

Project Spectrum

With a new month comes the first color change for Project Spectrum. I didn't do a very good job with the first two months, but I've got a good start on the new ones! See?

Yellow for the top bead and metal, green in the second bead and each large one, and pink swirls make up the first stitch markers I've ever made! What do you think?

These will be wending their way to the southern hemisphere along with the ISE4 scarf (when it is done) and several other goodies I bought on a shopping spree this Saturday. I'm having so much fun!