Accounting

With this being the last day of 2008, I got curious. What has my year of crochet looked like? Between the blog and Ravelry I was able to take an accounting. The total is startling!

31 Infant Caps
12 Shawls
11 Dish cloths/scrubbies
10 Scarves and 6 scarf sections
7 Hats
5 Cat Toys (approximately)
1 Pair of Mitts
1 Very Small Stuffed Animal
1 Baby Blanket
1 Ipod Cozy
Some Snuggles (no idea how many...)

If you don't count the snuggles or scarf sections that is 80 items or 6+ projects on average a month. WOW! I had no idea. Kinda cool to discover I've had a prolific year.

Ericka Jo got me thinking about how I wanted to start the new one. She suggested that we should start a new project at midnight to bring in the new year. I like the idea. With all the snow and ice we've had, I have been wishing I actually made the mittens for which I purchased wool this summer. So, at midnight I will begin. Perhaps having them as WIP instead of just skeins of yarn will get me moving!

HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND SAFE NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

Santa's TSG Swap Elf

Santa enlists all kinds of people to act as elves during the holiday season. You just never know who they will be! Well, this year I discovered one of them was my TSG swap partner. See, the return address proves it!I could not picture what might be hiding in this HUGE package. (CD case for scale)Imagine my delight to discover that Santa knows I celebrate Hanukkah and wrapped my package accordingly. And so on the eighth and final day of Hanukkah when all the candles are lit, I received eight yarny candles ablaze on the back of a tremendous shawl!According to the note it took an entire month to design and create. The work is so detailed! She even made the candle flames a bright yellow in contrast to the golden menorah. I am overwhelmed by her generosity.

Thank you so much to my personal elf!

Keeping Warm

So, Friday at "knit night" I was sitting next to Mary who was making a beautiful set of hand warmers she had designed. I think that might be the reason I got so excited when I saw these beauties. This free pattern works up quickly and has great stretch! Just enough to keep my hands warm and in crochet trim!

Note: used H hook instead of G

Why is this so important, you might ask? The holidays are mostly over. Well, there will be a new baby in the family come February. Plenty of time to make a warm blankie you say? Ha! I got an invitation to the baby shower and it is much sooner than expected. MUCH sooner.

As a result, I've been crocheting like mad because I know better than to wait until the last minute. Progress has been good. (Sorry, no pics yet...) The center section probably needs 4 to 6 more rows. That's the easy part.

The hard part? The border is twelve rounds! Yes, you read that correctly. I spent part of last night mapping out the numbers to see if I had the right count to make the border work.Not surprisingly I don't. That's what happens when one changes the gauge. I'll either have 8 stitches left over or need to add in 6 more. Luckily, I think this will be fairly easy to adjust. Now, I just have to figure out how many stitches to place on the sides for the first round to make their numbers work... back to the math!

Little Things...

Thirty little caps all in a pile...

Thirty little caps laid out in style...

Mission Accomplished... Thirty caps in twenty-two days! If the post office is open this morning, they'll be on their way, too. =-)

Three little treats to make us smile...These were for a Holiday BBQ. An annual tradition for which the BBQ is fired up and the men folk do stand outside in the weather to cook. YUM!

Making little squares is not a trial...

These cheery flowers are additions to two Traveling Scarves that came my way recently. It is so much fun to play around with motifs and stitch patterns finding just the right thing to add! I think I had spring on the brain when I made these. (Trying perhaps to counteract all that snow? LOL)

Now, there's just one more BIG thing to say...

WISHING YOU ALL HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Messing Around

The messy season has arrived with a bang this year. First an ice storm that knocked out hundreds of thousands of people's power (many of whom are still waiting to be restored) and then this morning I woke to this!

Yeah, and there is more coming later in the week. Is it any wonder they decided that my school district will not reopen until January 5th? I've been off since last Friday and thought I'd be going back at some point. That was until I talked to one of the teachers living in the district and found out what a mess the area is in. Not only are there still downed lines and tree limbs everywhere, there has also been a flooding problem. Man do I feel lucky to live where I do. The impact in my immediate area was minimal!

So, it is an extended vacation for us. Here's hoping they have a good plan for making up 8 days of missed school! If they do not extend the semester, I'll never get through the remaining material without being VERY creative. I can do it, but it will take a lot of planning and reconfiguring!

Hope everyone is safe and warm. Here's hoping that if you are still waiting for power to be restored that it comes today!

Successful Seconds!

So, I decided to try the same pattern again and, voila, success!This one is Lion Brand Wool-Ease using a J hook which is two hook sizes larger than the one I used on the first go round. Then, since it is for a little girl, I had to add the pom-pom. I'm contemplating making another hat for variety...

More Pics:

It will be cute if the edge needs to be turned up!
The hat is so stretchy that I can actually try this one on. =-)
As disappointed as I was the first time, I'm that happy with the final version.
The Adventures never end.

How to Enjoy the Winter

Saw this on Ravelry, and could not resist sharing. Such a hoot!



In other news...

No new baby caps, but I made a Driftwood Cap last Saturday which is now dry. It was supposed to block bigger as a gift for the 6 year old I picked off the giving tree. It DID NOT GROW (swatches lie, swatches lie, swatches lie). It only measures 16 inches around and 7 inches tall.



Sigh. I'll have to look into the stash and make the next out of acrylic instead of washable wool as I'm now all out of girl colors (only dark red and green left).


So here's the question: Do I put it in the package anyway and hope she is a small six-year-old? Or do I donate it to one of the keep folks warm type drives that abound at this time of year, so someone will enjoy it? Help!

Progress

A little bit of this...

A little bit of that...

And plans (well, more plans)!

This one is for soon...

and this one for the future.

just too cute!

Saturday Fun

Our city is active in promoting the downtown businesses. This past weekend was a "downtown hometown" weekend where over 40 businesses offered 30% off a single item/service! How could I possibly resist visiting the LYS since it was participating? I'd have to be crazy not to go.


Well, it turns out I should have read my newsletter a little more closely. The LYS was also having their Grand Reopening sale. So, not only did I get 30% off one of these balls of Cascade 220, but I pulled a "25% off entire purchase" ticket from the bucket! Yipee! I think there is enough here to do the squares for my Year-in-a-Blanket squares (Ravelry group). And, yes, I succumbed to a pattern as well. The little hats have the cutest flowers on them. It is the flower patterns I really want. Those flowers have a lot of possiblities...


After the LYS, I walked down to my favorite gift store and bought myself a gift. I've wanted one of these Lampe Bergers since I first saw them several years ago. They are not inexpensive, but with 30% off it was right in my price range. It is simple, pretty, and smells oh so good. They were developed by a pharmeceutical chemist who was looking for a way to clean the air. I don't know if it cleans, but I do enjoy the light scent. =-) Info here and here.

Lastly, a hat update! The count as of this morning was 6 days and 11 hats!

Hat the Sixth Hat the Seventh Hats the 8th, 9th, 10th, & 11th

With Thanks to the Rents for This One!

The Mom Song from Northland Video on Vimeo.

Just had to share!

Spoiled!

I'm participating in a swap on Ravelry and have I been spoiled! These beautiful crochet pieces arrived first, then today I got a ticket from the mail man for a package. I figured it was yarn. Boy was I wrong! A full set of the new bamboo handled crochet hooks by Susan Bates. Not one or two like I thought I might get, but the entire set! Woot! Lucky me. =-)

Thank you spoiler whoever you are!

On the hat front we have these:

Hat the Fourth and Hat the Fifth

Made using this pattern

Modifications:

Used H hook. Changed round 3: Ch3, dc, 2dc, (dc, dc, 2dc) around (40 st). Worked through round 8 even. Shell edging. On the second one I added another round of working even so the end could be folded up into a cuff.

Day Two

Hat the Second

This is the Knit One Save One Worsted hat again, but I changed the cuff to give it more stretch:

Round 10: dc around

Round 11: alternate dc with fpdc

Round 12: Use round 14 of original pattern

Hat the Third

(my favorite so far)

pattern here

This one takes much longer to make as it is worked flat to a length of 10 inches before sewing up. I love the look, but since my goal is 30 hats, I think I'll go for quick! More tomorrow. =-)

Gotta Goal

GOAL: 30 caps in 30 days December 2 through December 31 for Knit One Save One

Cap the First

Made to pattern with worsted weight and an H hook.

WISH ME LUCK

(And make a few if the mood strikes...)

Thanksgiving Play

Did you know crochet is a spectator sport? Apparently my kitty thinks it is! LOL She snuck up very quietly between the sofa and chair to watch...The Country Shawl is growing nicely! Almost at the end of the second skein it is now 18.75 inches deep. =-) A cute alternative to a pom pom. I love pom poms, but I don't like how I can pull out the piles no matter how tightly I tie them. Also, I am terrible at shaping them by hand so chaining is a great alternative!

Hope you had fun with family, friends, fiber, and hook/needles/spinning yesterday! I certainly did.

Celebrate!

With family and friends may you be blessed

Good wishes to all for happiness!

Feeling Country

I don't think I can often claim to be feeling country, but in this case it is true! I've been smitten by the Country Cotton Shawl. Now, truth be told, I've seen this shawl on a number of occasions and simply didn't feel any pull to make one. How did that change? I blame Elisa. She and I have similar taste in many things. Not the least of which is shawls. I'm fortunate that she can see the potential in a project where I sometimes miss it. Such was the case with this shawl.

Instead of cotton, Elisa made this with sock yarn. Trekking sock yarn in shades of red. Then she had the audacity to tell me how wonderful it was! Even sent me a special e-mail singing its praises. Yup, I was sunk, and grateful. See?

I wish the picture was clearer, but there will be better soon. I fell in love with this colorway of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool on a trip to Vermont. Could not walk away. In real life it cannot decide if it wants to be blue or purpley blue. Just love it. The silky wool has a body that reminds me of cotton a bit and is behaving beautifully with the pattern. Can you tell I like it? Here's another hint. That picture is what I've accomplished since staring this last night! Pardon me, I must get back to crocheting... =-)

Do Over...Done!

Squea! I love, love, love this scarf! A little lacy, a little texture, a whole lot of length...What's not to love? Specs:

Pattern: Acacia (Ravelry Link)

Yarn - Knit Picks Gloss in Fingering Weight, Color Cosmos

1.5 skeins, approximately 330 yards

74 inches long x 4.5 inches wide

I changed the pattern a little by doing a hdc foundation row and adding stitches until I liked the length. I haven't had a scarf I could really wrap up in for ages! Happiness is...

It Followed Me Home...Really!

It was a dark and mild Halloween night, when suddenly my plans went awry. Partying in a LYS is just too good to pass up. Would you? I figured I would eat, drink, be merry, and crochet the night away. Horror movies and outstanding company, what could be better? I'm saving my yarn budget for a little get away this weekend, but who could resist a yarn named Purple People Eater on Halloween? Especially, when the LYS decides to celebrate the holiday with a discount?

Heather of Sereknity (Etsy Shop) has done it again with a bright purple (sorry the picture doesn't do it justice) with little touches of blue. My colors? OH YEAH! This fiber blend is known as Good Harbor which is 70% superwash merino and 30% seacell. It has such a lovely sheen and soft hand. I see another shawl in my future!

Speaking of...

I have started working on the Pampilles shawl (Ravelry Link) with some yarn that followed me home from a different LYS. They are moving and clearing some inventory...yum!

L to R:

1) J-Knits Superwash Me - Light Sock in Louisiana colorway

2) Classic Elite Yarns Alapca Sox in a dark grey (3 skeins)

3) The Great Adirondack Yarn Company Soxie in the Beach House colorway (2 skeins, but not for me!)

This will shortly be "do over v2.0". See the lead edge? That angle that starts in the middle and drops away. Um, not quite right. It should be straight! I'm working from a diagram only as the original pattern is in French. I need to change the edge and see if it comes out a bit straighter. Wish me luck!

Can I have a "do over"?

This is the Acacia Scarf by Megan Marshall which is a newly added free pattern on Ravelry. For me this pattern was love at first sight. I have been looking for a project to use up two skeins of Cascade 220, and thought this was it. Um, no. The Cascade didn't want to be this scarf, but my Knit Picks Gloss did! Good thing they both have the same yardage! The scarf has a wonderful texture and lovely drape in this yarn. It is also soft on the skin. Seems perfect no? Well, there is just one small problem. Or maybe two. (Are you thinking I'm going adventuring? You would be right!)

I swatched. I did! I wanted the right hook size and drape. I got it. I did, however, neglect one little task. I didn't measure the gauge. It is a scarf. Who needs gauge? Hmmmmm.

The original pattern turns out a 70 inch scarf. Too long for me so I ran some numbers to shorten it. Ha! Want to guess how long my 60 inch-scarf-to-be turned out? Mumble, mumble, 48 inches, mumble, mumble.

I wasn't deterred and decided to see if the shorter length would work. Yeah, not so much. So it is off to the frog pond and I'm going to try something different. Instead of chaining to get the length, I'll do a hdc foundation chain so I'll know exactly how long the scarf will turn out! Hopefully my tension will be consistent with the rest of the scarf...

So, I need a "do over" to get this one right. Fingers are crossed!

Shapely

Feeling shapely? I am today!

I wanted to do some simple motifs as a sort of "break" from big projects. It is also another part of my stash busting efforts. I want to move along most of my acrylic. Motifs like these allow for even small bits to be used.

So, here's my first attempt. I saw this really cool blanket (pattern) on Ravelry (link) and thought it would be fun. Here's the first triangle...

I really like the look. Making it, however, is not my idea of relaxing and fun. I'm not a huge fan of post stitches and did not realize at first that the entire thing is post stitches! Oops.

So I moved on by pulling out this book.

Let me stop for a moment and tell you of my love for this book. The motifs are clever and attractive. The projects help the reader see the possibilities created by linking motifs together. The instructions are clear and the pictures enticing. I love this book. I recommend it to anyone who wants to break out of the motif "box" and into other shapes!

I was hoping for a cute double crochet triangle without those post stitches. No luck. There was a great one in single crochet, but I'm not that patient. I want quick and gratifying! I did try to make one on my own. Nope. So, I thought, let's try a different shape. Page 96 yielded this beauty:In a mere five rounds (plus a single crochet edge to make joining easier) there sat a beautiful six inches of hexagon. And, bonus, the center looks like a flower. Yup, this one is a keeper!

Look out Caron Simply Soft stash yarn. Your days in the skein are numbered!

Special Delivery

I've been watching the mail for this package....

In only moments I had it open!What was inside? A dancing sheep...Or two...

And a crochet hook!

Thanks to Jennie the Potter for the custom order! Want one?

She'll make one for you, too!

Hmmm, what should I make first?

Tea or hot chocolate to "christen" the new mug?

P.S. Hey knitters! She makes ones with knitting needles, too...