FO: Plaid Scarf

Pictured above is the Shades of Plaid Scarf by Julie Armstrong Holetz from Crochet Me (Ravelry Project Details).  Made with three colors of Berroco Ultra Alpaca, it was a quick and easy project.  You basically crochet a large mesh scarf and then weave chains through it.

The placement of color is the key to getting the nifty plaid look.  This particular scarf was made as a sample for a workshop I’m teaching this fall.  I would totally make this project again.

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It’s All Square

In recent years, I’ve loosely participated in a crochet block of the month group on Ravelry. I’ve made a few squares here and there but never really finished all of them. This year, I picked some skeins of Plymouth Encore Worsted out of the stash and I’m doing my best to keep up.  Here are the squares I’ve finished so far.

January’s square is Maggie’s Square by Drew Emborsky.

Ravelry Project Notes

March’s square is SmoothFox’s Starburst Flower Square by Donna Mason-Svara.

Ravelry Project Notes

April’s Square is the Lace Petals Square by Chris Simon.

Ravelry Project Notes

(February’s square isn’t playing nice with my color scheme, so I’m looking for a replacement.  It’s a beautiful Pineapple Blossom square, but should really be done in a solid for the best effect.)

So far, I’m very pleased with how these are turning out.  They seem to be a perfect weekend afternoon project when all I want is a little mindless crochet, some instant gratification, and (usually) some SciFi on the tube.

I’m also playing catch-up with the 2010 squares in a softer palette, so you’ll get to see a different color scheme than the one pictured above.  You know I can’t do the same thing for a whole year…  More squares to come in the future if I don’t get distract… oh look!  Something shiny!

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A Quick FO

Want something to crochet that works up in an evening?  The Undulating Cowl is it.  Cute, fun, and super easy.  It’s perfect for that one skein you have lying around (for example: a skein out of the orphan bin that is a discontinued color with low yardage).

I met up with Kira K at Stitches West and the shop ended up ordering a bunch of her crochet patterns.  The Undulating Cowl is one of the several that we got (I’m also loving these hats).  I’m using it along side the Sleek Cloche as part of my Crochet Level 2 class coming up in the spring.  Best of all, Kira is a local-ish to me designer!

I have at least one more single skein that is destined to be one of these cute cowls. (And I’m sure my big sis will want one after she see’s this post.  I’d better go dig out the blue yarns…)

My Ravelry details on this project can be found here.

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Sorting It Out

Because the world has decided to explode around me while we were on vacation, the pictures are delayed until I can deal with my destroyed garden bed, the sudden appearance of fleas, and overwhelming depression.  In the meantime, I am trying to find some order in the chaos.  More upbeat posts to come in the future…

P.S.
Can anyone tell me why I have a dozen size I hooks?  Methinks it is time to cull the herd…

P.P.S.
The side/abdomen pain is back with a vengeance.  Not sure if I want to go in for more scans that will have them telling me nothing is wrong with me.

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Soft Serve – A $14 sweater

Meet the 2nd FO of 2011!  This sweater is a dream to make and looks pretty good, if I do say so myself.  It still needs blocking, but I wanted to get some pictures of it anyway.

The yarn is Plymouth Tweed, an aran weight wool.  I scored 11 skeins of this woolly goodness for just $2/skein at the 2008 Sidewalk Sale.  The sweater only took 7.  Seriously.  Under 800 yards for a crocheted sweater!  And I even added length to the sleeves and body.  (Full details of the sweater, with notes on my modifications, can be found on Ravelry here.)

The pattern is from Everyday Crochet by Doris Chan.  Special thanks to Liisa for turning me onto this book.  Doris’ method of top down, seamless construction is very fun and uses up less yarn than a normal crocheted sweater.  The shells make it go fast, so this lovely only took me three days.  No, really.  Three days!

A good blocking will open the shells up further and help the drape in the front. The wool is a little scratchier than some I’ve used, so it’s not a close-to-the-skin kind of sweater.  Although, I can definitely see this as a layering piece for  a cool spring/summer evening.

And I’d like to end this post with a Public Service Announcement.  If you ask your husband to take your sweater shots, you will inevitably get a picture like this.  I’ve come to accept that.

(At least the butt shot shoes off the edging detail nicely.  Yeah… That’s it…)

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Going Out… Crochet Style!

We went out to a going-away bash for a friend last night.  I decided to attend in style.

Winkle Vest by Tracy St. John.  Project notes here.

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Peas in a Pod

I finished the Peas in a Pod project requested by Sonja late last year.  I can check another FO off the list!

They’re supposed to have little embroidered mouths, but these legumes have taken a vow of silence to contemplate world peas. *grooooooan*

Particulars:

• Yarn – Cascade 220 Superwash in colors 899 and 887 (I think)
• Pattern – Amigurumi Two by Ana Paula Rimoli
• Mods – None that I remember.

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The Truth About UFOs

Ok, maybe not that kind of UFO, but rather, the yarny kind (and I don’t mean the Yarn People of Nylar 4).  I was browsing through my Ravelry project folder and had to avert my eyes as project after project paraded by with a little “WIP” tag.  Thirty-five in total (25 WIPs and 10 hibernating).  OUCH! I’m not sure I want to admit that in public… (Woops!  Too late!) So, let’s do a breakdown of these projects.  I want to get that number down to a manageable size pronto.  Are you ready for this?  I’m not sure I am… (Warning!  Ravelry links ahead!)

Easy to Finish:

• Flore – Needs ends woven in and petals tacked down, plus a light blocking.
• Shroomy and the Gnome – These are felted and just need to be sewn together (if I can find all the pieces).
• Granny Mitts – Missing buttons.
• Piggy and Chicken – Again, felted and just need to be put together.
• Ridged Bag – Needs handles and possibly a lining.
• Mitered Hanging Towel – Needs a button and ends woven in.
• Little Butterfly Top – Needs the straps sewn on.
• Brown Bag – Needs a lining and snaps (and maybe a handle).
• Pink & Black Felted Bag – Needs the handle put on and possibly a lining.

In the Middle/Active Projects:

• Simple Thing – Recently started and my active purse project.  No complaints.
• Bramble Owl Softie (aka Fred) – His body is knit, I just have to do the wings, eyes, sew and stuff.
• Sweet Peas – The pod and one of the three peas are complete.  Now where did I put that project…?
• Mystery Socks – These are ready for the boring foot knitting, that’s why they’re languishing.  I need to suck it up and finish them.
• Corde Market Bag – I was chugging along on this and got distracted.  It’s not far from completion and would be great for summer.
• Crossover Top – This is fairly close to being finished and really just needs to be seamed up.  Whether or not I knit the pants to go with it is another story.

Long Term Commitment:

• Man’s Ribbed Cardigan (aka Sam’s Sweater) – The back is nearly complete, but this one is requires lots of knitting and I keep getting distracted.  (Sorry, honey!)
• Swirl Shawl – This one is a pleasant, ongoing project that I pick up in between other projects.  I’m in no hurry to finish it.
• Harvest Blanket – Another ongoing project that is in no hurry.  I need to get at least one of each block done in time for the fall schedule at the shop.
• Great American Afghan – This is a club at the shop that I was in and then got distracted.  I do plan to finish it, but it has no time line.

Stalled, In Time-Out, or Single Socks:

• Cabled Coat with Hood – Originally cast on as a gift for a friend who recently gave birth.  But I’m realizing now that it will be too big and too warm for late spring/summer baby.  I need to decide whether to rip it out and knit something in a size the baby can wear in the fall or make something different altogether.
• Colonnade – This is complete to the pattern requirements, but I wanted it larger and bought another skein.  Now I’m considering whether to end it where the pattern states or continue on.  I need to decide and finish it one way or the other.
• Dangerous Dinosaur Sweater – The front is nearly done, but I ran into a snag and I can’t remember what it was.  Now I need to re-evaluate it and figure out where I was so I can finish it.
• Calvin & Ripple Socks – Not even sure where these are.  They will most likely be frogged (if they haven’t been already).
• Ribbage Socks – A sock I was knitting out of boredom.  One is nearly complete but I’m just not that into sock knitting.  Not sure where this one will end up.
• Steggie – This one isn’t even cast on yet (other than the swatch).  I have all the yarn and I want to knit it for my darling nephew.  This will most likely end up as next year’s Christmas sweater.
• Mariposa – Finished through the first repeat and then I screwed up on the eyelet twist row.   Not sure if I’m going to finish it or rip it out and re-purpose the yarn.  I really don’t have any strong feels about it one way or the other.
• Todos Scarf – I got stopped in the first stages of this.  I want to finish it, but I’m not sure where I’m at in the pattern.  This one may rest a while longer.
• Finn Socks – A baby sock pattern I designed up when everyone was pregnant a couple years ago.  I’m not even sure where this project is.  I’m just listing it for good measure.
• A4A Sweater – Started out of scraps of Lion Brand Wool.  I just need to finish it.  (Are they even accepting sweaters anymore?)
• Cabled Coat – I may have already ripped this one.  If not, it needs to be ripped and the yarn re-purposed. The kid this was started for is way too big for it now.
• Raindrop Lace Socks – Single Sock Syndrome strikes again.  Do I knit the second sock or just call it good at one and let it go?
• Mixed Motif Cami – Not sure if I have any intention of finishing this.  It’s a pretty concept, but a little too finicky for me.  Most likely the unused yarn will go to something else and the finished piece will become artwork or something…

And that’s it. That’s the list.  I’m a little afraid… I’ll update later on when I’ve located these projects.  Hopefully this list will start shrinking soon!

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In-Vested in Orange

Wow, a flurry of blogging and then all of a sudden silence.  Do you know what was happening during the silence? (Of course you don’t, that was a rhetorical question.) Well, we’ve been spending a lot of time purging more stuff!  Yesterday saw a large trailer load to the dump and a nearly equally large trailer load to the Goodwill.  And there’s still more to go!

In the meantime, I wanted to show you a recently finished project.  Please forgive the pictures, they were taken late at night with bad lighting and the wrong color shirt.  (I promise I’m not wearing a road cone orange vest in public.  It’s really more of a melon color.  Really.)

Pattern: Winkle Vest from Interweave Crochet, Spring 2010
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock, Color 802 “Terracotta”
Mods: Added 10 rows in length
Accessories: Shawl pin is from The Unique Sheep

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Pod In Progress

Did you know I’m crocheting Peas in a Pod?  No, seriously.  From this book.

Pod in Progress

(Are you sick of faded, slightly blurry cell phone pictures yet?)

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