New Blanket

For some reason, this is making me insanely happy this morning:
Thanks to one of my fellow stash busters over at Ravelry, Nat Red Knit's, I found this free Lion Brand pattern called "Baby Love Diagonal Baby Blanket". Finally, yesterday I could resist no longer. After all the finishing I've done in January, I was getting desperate to start something new. I really needed some mindless knitting for the evenings, since all the UFOs I have left require more concentration than I'm up for at the end of the day. And this project makes me happy because I was able to haul a big old skein of yarn out of my stash and start using it up! I went through a period where buying skeins of Lion Brand Pound of Love seemed like a really good use for a 40% off coupon at Michael's or Joann's. I still have 3 skeins left to use. (Now you see how I managed to acquire 105 miles of yarn in my stash!)

And I'm also happy because tonight and next Thursday, I'm helping with a children's program at the library. We are having a 2-part learn to crochet program. We will be teaching 10 kids basic crochet stitches and getting them started on a granny square. Apparently, 2 of the girls who are coming already know some of the basics, so I am going to work with them on some more advanced techniques. It should be a lot of fun! I'll let you know how it goes.

Chemo Hat with HDC Brim

Earlier this month, when I posted my chemo hats over at 25 Things for Charity, there was some interest in the pattern I had used. Since I had modified several patterns to come up with those hats, I decided that I would write up what I had done and share it with everyone. I started with the "Basic Boy Beanie" in Stitch 'N Bitch: The Happy Hooker, and then I went from there.

I would ask that you use this pattern for personal or charity use only. If you do use it for personal use, please consider making one to donate to your local hospital as well. Also, this pattern has not been tested, so if you find any mistakes in it, please let me know and I will happily edit it.

Chemo Hat with HDC Brim

1 skein of any worsted weight, soft acrylic yarn (hat in photo made with Bernat Satin)
H hook, or size needed to obtain gauge
Gauge - 3 dc to 1"

Note - do not turn work when joining rounds.
Ch 4, join with sl st to form ring
Row 1 - ch 1, 10 sc into center of ring, join with sl st into first sc.
Row 2 - ch 3, 1 dc in same st as ch3, 2 dc in each sc, join with sl st to top of ch 3 (20 dcs).
Row 3 - ch 3, *2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc; repeat from * around, join with sl st in top of ch 3 (30 dcs).
Row 4 - ch 3, 1 dc in next dc, *2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next 2 dcs; repeat from * around, join with sl st in top of ch 3 (40 dcs).
Row 5 - ch 3, 1 dc in next 2 dcs, *2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next 3 dcs; repeat from * around, join with sl st in top of ch 3 (50 dcs).
Row 6 - ch 3, *1 dc in next 9 dcs, 2 dc in next dc; repeat from * around, join with sl st in top of ch 3 (55 dcs).
Rows 7-13 - ch 3, 1 dc in each dc around, join with sl st in top of ch 3.
Row 14 - ch 1, 1 sc through blo in each dc around, join with sl st in ch 1.
Rows 15-18 - ch 2, *1 hdc through blo of next stitch, 1 hd through flo of next stitch; repeat from * around, join with sl st in top of ch 2.
Fasten off and weave in ends.

blo - back loop only
flo - front loop only

Decisions, Decisions!

Now that I have finished so many of my UFOs, I don't have any mindless knitting or crocheting for evenings. I still have some UFOs, but mostly they require time and concentration and will be finished on weekends. So I have been casting around for easier projects to work on in the evening. And it is slowly dawning on me that maybe it's time to get back into some charity work. But that raises the issue of what to work on, and I am feeling somewhat unfocused about where to start.

Yesterday, I logged onto Ravelry to find that I had a message waiting. I was pleased to find that it was an invitation to join a group called "Charity Knitting". I have been busy joining groups on my own over there, but I had not been invited to join a group before, and somehow I had not found this particular group. So I accepted the invitation and have since been reading back posts and getting all kinds of inspired! This is a good thing, because there haven't been many new charity projects starting up lately. I have been following one called LovePurl, but I haven't joined yet. Homespun Helpers has been quiet lately, although they have reached their goal of 100 items donated in January already. So I needed some new inspiration to get me going.

Of course, I should make a few more chemo hats for my crochet guild. I rediscovered my bag of softer yarns the other day, which also reminded me to get busy. We will be donating preemie blankets and hats in the next couple of months, so there's another option. And it's not too soon for me to start on some hat and scarf sets for next December. There's always a need for hats, scarves, mittens and afghan squares. Socks are another option and would be good practice. Hmm, maybe my problem is too many choices! I will have to spend some time today mulling this over, and then tonight I will try to settle to something productive.

Weekend Update

I really need to come up with catchier titles for these posts! Anyway, this weekend went very well. We spent Saturday up at my inlaws, and I always bring a project with me, something easy that I can work on and visit with everyone at the same time. This time, I brought both the green child's sweater and the Lucy bag, since I was so close to finishing them both. I was very pleased that I had the time to finish the crocheting the sweater and the knitting the bag on Saturday. Yesterday, I grafted the handles together on the bag, wove ends in, and seamed up the sweater. Now both are almost but not quite finished.

Here's the sweater:
Unfortunately, it's rather plain vanilla as is. So my intention is to crochet up some daisies and attach them around the bottom of the sweater, just to jazz it up. I just ran out of time yesterday.

And here's the Lucy bag:
I'm hoping that I can get it felted on one of the long weekends in February, and then it will be completely done.

Then, last night, I finished crocheting the watermelon squares. It will be a while before I get the afghan sewn together and edged, but I am glad to know the squares are done.

So here are my numbers for January: 10 projects completed, 8 frogged, and 6 more projects almost finished or well under way, for a total of 24 projects worked on this month. My Knit a Mile total is currently at 2,533.5 yards. I really can't imagine a more successful month - and there are still 4 more days to go!

One More FO

I'm beginning to feel like a broken record. Look, another FO! This seems to be my daily theme right now. But I can't possibly keep this up forever. As a matter of fact, it may be coming to an end with this one. I really think I need to rest my hands for a bit. It's just frustrating, though, because I still have 23 items on my list of UFOs and I just want to keep going. At a minimum, though, I need to mix in some knitting with all this crocheting, just to use some different muscles.

Anyway, on to today's FO. I started this scarf last July, so that I would have a travelling project when I went to the Knit and Crochet Show. I decided yesterday that I wanted to get it finished.
I used 2 skeins of Koigu, the Fan Lace stitch from Jan Eaton's book The Encyclopedia of Crochet Techniques and an E hook. The stitch pattern is really pretty, but it doesn't show up well in today's photo. Here is a photo that I took just after I started it that shows the stitch pattern much better.
I will probably send this one to the CT Sheep and Wool Festival along with yesterday's FO, since both are made with natural fibers.

Total yardage used since 1/5/08 - 2,070.5. This means that I have completed 2 of my goals for this month. I have used over 2,000 yards and I have now completed 3 items on my Ravelry project page. Not bad considering it's only the 23 of the month!

4 Fos in 4 Days!

Yes, I finished another project yesterday, which means that I actually finished 4 items in 4 days this weekend. I wasn't sure I could do it. I did have real world stuff to do yesterday, like house cleaning and bill paying, that I had put off while I didn't feel well over the weekend. But when I did have a few minutes, I kept picking this scarf back up. I just seemed to get into a rhythm with the stitch pattern, and by the end of the evening, it was finished.
I started this scarf years ago, and I don't know how many times I contemplated frogging it. This was one of the scarves I didn't frog last Friday, which is when I committed to finishing it. I was just so unsure that it would turn out ok. Usually, the projects that I worry about the most are the ones that turn out the best, and this one is no exception. It has the most drape of any crocheted scarf I have ever made. I used the Shell Trellis stitch from Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Crochet, Cascade Yarns Success (an alpaca/silk blend that I think has been discontinued), and an E hook. I think I will send it along with my crochet guild to display at the CT Sheep and Wool Festival in April.

Total yardage used since 1/5/08 - 1,895.5.

The Fos Just Keep Acoming!

But first, the big news - I managed to get to 1,760.5 yards just before dinner last night! I probably crocheted entirely too much this weekend, but I just couldn't stop. And along the way, I managed to finish two more items on my UFO list.

The first, on Saturday, was my 3rd Shoop Shoop Capelet.
I had started this last spring for my MIL's birthday, but it just wasn't right for her. So I got some different yarn and finished a different capelet in time for her birthday. My intention was to frog this one, but I had made it holding 2 strands of Lion Brand Microspun together, and frogging really wasn't an option without major tangles. And there was nothing wrong with the project. It just wasn't right for its original recipient. So I decided that I would finish it on Saturday and then donate it to my crochet guild for a future sale. By the end of the afternoon, I was ready to tear my hair out, but the capelet was finished. If you have ever used Microspun, you know that it is splitty. Well, let me tell you that holding 2 strands together about triples that splittyness! I also decided to try and see if I had enough for a larger shawl. I got to the edging and decided that, no, I didn't have enough. So I ripped out what I had done and put the edging on the smaller size. An afternoon's work, and all I had to show for it was 144 yards used. I was not very happy, but there you are.

Then, yesterday, I decided to make a mitten to finish a pair and put "second mitten syndrome" to bed for good.
I have always had a love/hate relationship with this pattern. Years ago, I had to count every row, because I couldn't see the difference between the sc and the sl st easily. Reading the stitches is easier now, but the pattern was hard on my hands. But it's done, and one more thing is off my list. The one on the right looks bigger, but I swear they are the same size. I used Caron Simply Soft, which isn't very soft in the variegated color, and these should fit a 5-7 year old.

I have also been working away on the green child's sweater, and I should have that done in a day or two. It may still need embellishing, but the bulk of the crocheting will be done. So the FOs should continue to keep coming!

Ups and Downs of Yesterday

First let me thank Cole and Amy for their well wishes yesterday. Those wishes must have worked, because I do feel better today. I'm still a little tired, but not nearly as crummy feeling as yesterday. And I did accomplish a few things yesterday, while I sat around and treated my symptoms.

I ended up frogging 3 of the 4 scarves. I was going to frog one of the scarves because I thought it had gotten wider as I had worked on it. But then I measured it carefully, and it is the same width top and bottom. Even though it is crocheted, it is flairing at the top and bottom, which threw me off. So I will finish that one. Then I found a 5th scarf in with one of the scarves slated for frogging. I decided I like that one, too, and since the yarn is designated for a scarf, I might as well keep working on it. So that leaves me with 5 scarves on my WIP list, 2 knitted and 3 crocheted. 2 will become traveling projects, 2 I will try to finish this month, and 1 is going to hibernate for a while longer.

Then I rewrote my WIP/UFO list. I may have been a bit more, shall we say, honest this time around. So there are still 27 items on it. But I organized it by type of project, so it feels managable.

Then I pulled out a child sized sweater to work on. It's crocheted in one piece, and I had almost finished the sleeves when I realized that they were about 3 times bigger than they should have been. That was months ago. So I took the time yesterday to frog 300+ yards and then set up the sleeves correctly. It is once again a nice, mindless crochet project that I should be able to finish quickly. It's a good thing I did this, too, because when I went back to making squares on my watermelon afghan last night, I ran out of green yarn. So that nice, mindless crochet project is on hold until I can get the yarn to finish it. And I only have 4 more squares to go! So frustrating. But it does bode well for finishing the sweater.

2 weeks into the Knit a Mile challenge, and I have used 1,369 yards of yarn. I only have 391 yards to go to hit a mile. I'm going to try to do that today, but if not, definitely by the end of the weekend. Very exciting!

And Another FO!

This is what I get for looking forward to a 3-day weekend. I now have a cold, and I'm home sick today. So I get a 4-day weekend, but I'm not sure how much I'm going to enjoy it. I've been sicker, so hopefully I will get over this cold quickly.

But I'm a trooper. I've been sitting here this morning quietly finishing the edging on a second baby blanket.

I used Bernat Softee Baby in 2 colors and a G hook and my own design for the stitch pattern. I think I started this one at the same time as the one I finished a couple of days ago, so say April 2005. 3 years to finish 2 afghans. I think I need to move a little faster if I'm going to get the stash under control! I'm going to play with holding 2 strands of all this leftover sport weight yarn together and see if I get a worsted weight gauge. Then I should be able to use it up a little faster.

My Knit a Mile total now stands at 1,160 yards used. I'm not sure how much I will add to it today, though. Maybe it's the cold, but I seem to be in a destructive mood, and I've got 4 scarves that want frogging. Then I'm going to rewrite my UFO list and decide what to tackle next. Have a great weekend!

You'll Have to Excuse Me...

...if I'm feeling a little big for my britches this morning. I had a terrific day yesterday. Not only did I pass the 1,000 yard mark on the Knit a Mile challenge (1,020 yards as of noon yesterday), but I did it by finishing yet another UFO on my list! And now Blogger is being difficult and won't let me upload a picture, but you can see a picture here.

This is a baby blanket that I started in April 2005. I used TLC Baby Sparkles, a sport weight yarn (which is one reason it took so long to finish), the V-stitch and a G hook. I am hoping to get another baby afghan finished tonight (another one that just needs an edging), and then I am planning to donate both to Afghans for Angels in honor of one of the members over at Homespun Helpers.

And I have to close by saying that I find it just amazing that I have burned through 1,000 yards of yarn so far, but I have only finished 1 skein of yarn! How has that happened?

January Goals Update

I'm not sure if I posted my monthly goals over here, but I had put them on my Ravelry profile page. Since we are halfway through January already, I thought it might be a good idea to review them and see how I am doing. (This is also a good way to distract you all from the lack of FOs again this week.) As you might guess, since I am willing to talk about this publicly, I am doing quite well this month!

So here are my January goals:

1. Knit/crochet 1,000 yards of yarn to go toward the Knit a Mile challenge.
2. Finish at least 3 WIPs - still haven’t finally decided which ones.
3. Knit a pair of socks for the monthly sock KAL I joined.
4. No yarn purchases for the foreseeable future.

And here is my progress, along with revised goals:

1. As of this morning, I have knitted and crocheted 955 yards of yarn. I had hoped to hit 1,000 yards last night, but it was not to be. But still, I think I am doing very well! So my revised goal is to use up another 1,000 yards, bringing my total for the month to 2,000 yards.

2. Well, since the end of December, I have finished 3 UFOs, so I have met that goal as well. The revised goal is to finish 3 more UFOs that are actually posted on my Ravelry project page. Since I plan to finish 2 baby afghans this weekend, this should not be a problem.

3. This one is not going so well. I have not yet found the time to start a new pair of socks, and I haven't really settled on a ribbed sock pattern either. So, since the KAL is pretty easy going about these things, I have decided to finish at least 1 sock of the 2 sock WIPs I already have going. Considering that I am almost to the toe on one sock and almost to the heel on the other (a toe up sock), this is very doable. And then next month, I will start a pair of Jaywalkers for the KAL.

4. Well, it looks like I am going to get the skeins of Jaeger Baby Merino I was after, so I have bought some yarn this month. But since the yarn is for a specific project and will get used right away, I can't feel too bad about it. So far, so good on this goal. No revision here, just a renewed commitment to not buy yarn.

So, all in all, I am a happy camper. I have a 3-day weekend coming up this weekend, and not much planned for it. I intend to accomplish great things this weekend and keep winnowing down those UFOs. I'll let you know what I get done!

WIP Monday

Yes, I know Wednesdays are supposed to be for WIP progress reports. But since I haven't finished anything since Saturday's post about the chemo hats, and since I crocheted a lot yesterday on several projects, I figured I would post WIP progress today. Who knows, maybe by Wednesday I'll have an FO!

First off, I know I crocheted a lot yesterday because I used up 233.5 yards, bringing my Knit a Mile total to 825 yards. That is almost halfway to the mile! At this rate, I should hit a mile in another week and a half, give or take. If I could actually keep this up, I might manage 3 miles by Feb. 19th. Now that might make a small dent in the stash!

I am still working on WIPs, too. Thanks to a conversation about crocheting scarves over at the Stash Knitdown on Ravelry, I pulled out a scarf I had started last summer. I don't think I ever posted a picture of it, so here it is, halfway done:
I am using 2 skeins of Koigu KPPPM and the Fan Lace stitch. I finished 1 skein yesterday morning and am ready to attach the second. Since this is fingering weight yarn, crocheted using an E hook, it is a little hard on the hands. But if I do a little at at time, I will get it done. And since Koigu is 100% merino, if I get this finished I can send it along with my crochet guild to display at the CT Sheep and Wool Festival at the end of April.

I also made most of another chemo hat during the guild meeting yesterday afternoon. And I am working on squares 18 & 19 of the watermelon afghan. Once I get those done, I just have another 5 to make. While I love this afghan, I will be glad to finish up the squares and move on to another project.

After 1 week, I have to say that the Knit a Mile challenge has been very instructive. I have learned this week that if I push myself to do even a little bit on my projects each day, the yardage adds up and the projects get done. This shouldn't be news to me. After all, I already learned this lesson when I wrote my dissertation. But I don't always transfer knowledge from one part of my life to another, so here I am learning it again. But I now know that the time spent tracking all this yardage is worth it. And I can't wait to see what else I can accomplish!

Totals for Week...

...447 yards crocheted up for the Knit a Mile challenge, and 5 chemo hats ready to be donated tomorrow. I will probably make another chemo hat at the guild meeting tomorrow, and I'll try to remember to take a picture of it before I donated it. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Why Is the Stash Never Big Enough?

I had a lovely morning yesterday, sitting at Borders with Dee and a friend of hers whom I hadn't met before. As you may recall, Dee had won my contest at the beginning of the month, and this was the first chance I'd had to find out which charity she wanted me to make something for. I have to say that I am just pleased as punch at what she asked me to do. Instead of creating for an established charity, she asked me to make a Doris Chan moebius shawl for someone we both know who needs comforting right now. Dee asked that I use a yarn that is soft and warm, and she would like it made in shades of purple.

I had never thought about substituting the yarn in that pattern before, but as Dee described what she wanted, my mind immediately went to a yarn I had bought at the Webs after Christmas sale. The yarn is Jaeger Baby Merino in a DK weight, so it should substitute beautifully for the Ritratto the pattern calls for, in a purple variegated colorway. It's perfect. Of course, I only bought 2 skeins at the sale, thinking I would use it for a scarf some day, and I don't think I have any other DK weight yarn in the right color to combine it with. (Hence the title of this post!) And of course, the yarn has been discontinued. Webs doesn't list it for sale any more.

Then the word Ravelry jumped into my head. And wouldn't you know, when I went over there to look, 2 people have the exact yarn I want listed for trade or sell in the quantity and colorway I need. I couldn't believe it! I have contacted one of the people and haven't heard back yet. But I'll let you know how this works out.

WIP Wednesdays

As promised, I am starting my WIP Wednesdays today. This week and next week, I am concentrating on my Watermelon Afghan. So far, I am on track with my schedule. I have made 1 square a day for the past 4 days, giving me a total of 14 squares so far. 10 more to go, and I will have enough for an afghan. Then I just have to put the thing together and edge it. I have also made 3 chemo hats so far. 5 days into the Knit a Mile challenge, and I have used 274 yards. Not exactly great, but I am on track to complete the challenge at least. I am meeting with my crochet guild at Borders this morning, and I am hoping to make at least 1 more chemo hat, if not 2, which will help the yardage total.

I found another along online - the 2008 Stashalong. I decided not to join, partly because I belong to enough groups already and partly because I felt like there were too many rules for me to live with successfully. But reading through the site made me realize that I needed better guidelines for myself this year than just a vague "I'm going to knit/crochet down my stash". I know I can't possibly use up all my stash in a year even if I wanted to (which I don't - I do like having stash, just not as much as I have now). So what would make this year's stash down successful? I settled on the goal of trying to use 1,000 yards a month and being down 12,000 yards by the end of the year (assuming I don't buy any yarn at all, which is a big assumption). Even if I do buy yarn along the way, I would still like to end the year with less yarn than I started, maybe in the neighborhood of 10,000 yards. So the fascination with yardage is going to continue into the forseeable future!

It Ain't Easy...

...finishing long standing UFOs. It is extremely time consuming. (Note to self - try to remember this fact the next time you are tempted to start 32 projects at the same time.) However, I am persevering, and I have actually finished 3 items on my list of 32. I also frogged a sweater that was going to be too big, so that makes 4 items off the list. I think I will put all 3 FOs away to donate to the crochet guild for some future sale. Now, without further ado, here are the 3 FOs:

1. A set of 6 coasters. I had made 5 of the 6 one snow day a few years ago, and all I needed was 1 more coaster and then ends woven in. So the Thursday after Christmas, I sat down and finished the set. I used Lily Sugar & Cream for this project and a pattern that I found in an older magazine called "Crochet Home".

2. A crocheted baby sweater. I'm guessing I started this in 2004 or 2005. This was my project this past Friday afternoon. I used Lion Brand Baby Soft for this sweater and a pattern from a Leisure Arts booklet called "Crocheted Layettes for Baby".

3. A knitted baby sweater. I'm pretty sure I started this when we still lived in the apartment. We bought our house almost 9 years ago, so that makes this one of my oldest FOs. It took all day today, but I finished this one a little while ago. I used Lion Brand Baby Soft for this sweater also, and a pattern in the Good Housekeeping needlework book.

Yesterday was also the start of the Knit a Mile challenge. Thanks to a wonderful spreadsheet from Eva in Luxembourg, I am now able to track my yardage on a daily basis by weighing my yarn. (The spreadsheet converts from grams to yardage.) So I can report that I used 85 yards yesterday, which is 5% of the total needed. I am concentrating on the watermelon afghan and chemo hats for now, and that should get me a long way towards the goal. It feels wonderful to finally be started on the challenge!

Back to Reality Today!

I don't know about all of you, but I for one am glad the holidays are over. It was great fun, but by the time we got home last night, I was "partyed" out! I love my family, but 3 family visits in one week, with essentially all the same people, is a little wearing. By yesterday, there just wasn't anything new left to talk about. But it's back to reality today with a vengence.

Before I go there, though, let me catch up on the past few days. I got to Webs and Creative Fibers on Friday. There were a few purchases, but unfortunately I don't have any pictures. I haven't had time to take any, and the yarn is all upstairs this morning with my sick hubby, so I can't take pictures this morning without disturbing him. But let me just say that Webs was all about sale items and sock yarn. Did you know that Regia has a new line of sock yarn with designer colors, designed by Kaffe Fassett? It's yummy and will probably become Jaywalkers next month. At Creative Fibers, I didn't find any sale items to buy, but I did discover their lace section. What can I say, I am weak! I came home with 2 skeins of Malabrigo Lace in a colorway called Emerald Blue, a skein of Fiddlesticks Knitting Laceweight in Sable, and a tiny (250 yards) skein of Jamieson & Smith cobweb yarn. I've been wanting some cobweb yarn, and that should be enough for a scarf, so it seemed worth it and affordable. So it was a really fun day, and my Mom enjoyed herself too.

The weekend consisted of housework and entertaining, but I did find time to properly finish my stash inventory. I added everything I bought on Friday, and I counted the baby yarn that I had skipped last week. The final totals: 844 skeins of yarn, translating to 105 miles of yarn. So I did make it past that 100 mile mark! Now that I have, I'm actually kind of proud. After all, I do have quite an impressive stash! And I'm really going to enjoy knitting and crocheting from it this year. I'm also working on my list of WIPs. Hopefully, I will have some FOs shortly.

And I promise, WIP Wednesdays will start next week. Right now, I am kind of in limbo, waiting for Saturday and the Knit a Mile challenge to start. I am going to try to finish up at least 1 or 2 things before that starts, and then once the challenge gets going, I implement my "focus projects" approach. I've tried to pick things with lots of yardage to use up, and I'm feeling pretty good about my chances of meeting this challenge.

Happy New Year!

Things have been a little hectic the past few days. I have so much to tell all of you, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. Today, I need to announce the winners of the contest!

I have to say - those of you who entered certainly thought I would accomplish a lot this month! Unfortunately, life and the log cabin afghan intervened, and I actually only made 4 more items for charity after I hit 100. Dee guessed 6 items, so she came the closest. So I will be making an item for the charity of her choice this year. Dee, you can let me know which charity whenever.

Then, I had my dh draw a name from all of those who entered to see who would win the skein of Icelandic wool. The lucky winner is Valerie B. I will email you privately as well, but if you read this and could email me your address, I will get your prize in the mail ASAP.

Congratulations and thank you to all of you who played along! And may all of you have a safe and happy new year!