Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 28

I had a terrible evening yesterday. I'll be honest, I was stressed out beyond all belief, and even though the day started out just fine, it got bad. My school finally issued me my student teaching placement for January, but then decided that I have to fill out a huge stack of paperwork. I was not pleased. My fiance spent at least an hour on the phone with me, trying to convince me that it would be ok. Basically, I spent the rest of the evening listening to those silly videos that teach you things that anyone with common sense would know, but the schools require it anyway. It's nearly all done, but it required a stack of nearly finished projects and a glass of "apple pie" to keep me sane. --- Proof that yarn is therapeutic. 

On a positive note:

I am so close to being back on track!!! Marie's progress (and finish!!!) last week really inspired me to press on and finish some thing up. I'm not quite there yet...

More craft show items!

But still, I have made enough progress to feel super proud of myself. I have one craft show this coming weekend, and one the second weekend in December. I am nearly done with  scarves for this coming one, but knowing my habits, I will be crafting up until the night before.

As for Christmas gifts, I have spent some time this past week attempting to finish something other than a craft show item, and I am pleased to say that I am nearly done with my recycled cotton rug. The last measurement read nearly 24" across. I didn't really have a size in mind, but I'll probably go until I run out of yarn-- and I'm getting close to that point. I do have more yarn in both colors that I'm using, but I'd rather not make this a giant project.

My plan is to have all my gifts done the week before the 25th, if not before.

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 27

So, I'm so off track with the Challenge. Again. Or maybe it's still?

Anyway, I have a craft show Thanksgiving weekend, and because I did really well last weekend (Nov. 3), I wanted to be prepared for this coming one. It does put me a few weeks behind, but I know what I need to be making for my people, so that will go really quickly. My merchandise was just really depleted at the last show. I have 10 or 11 days to get everything ready. After that, it will definitely be back on track for me with gifts.

I have been making stuff though, I promise!! I just wrote the other day about all the yarn I "consumed" in a week of crafting. That was impressive, to me.

But, pre-Christmas sales are always my downfall. Yesterday I stocked up on Homespun for the craft shows, as well as enough yarn for a wedding blanket for me and fiance, plus a few extras.

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 26

I am procrastinating. I'm waiting for an email back from my caterer of choice, and hoping and praying that she has the weekend of my wedding free so we can book her. Wedding stuff gets me in a tizzy, and my parents are trying to prevent me from overloading, but there are about 5 things that need to be done super far in advance: set the date, book the church, find a pastor, book the reception hall, find and book the caterer. So this is the last thing on my list until we need to start marriage prep. Then the list is divided into "What needs to be done before May?" and "What can be done after May?" I officially graduate from college in May, but will be student teaching from Jan to late Apr. So we have time over Christmas break to get some stuff done, and everything else will be done slowly, or will have to wait until school's done.

But ya'll didnt stop by to listen to my ramblings about wedding planning. I'm supposed to be Stashing Down!

I had a craft show on Saturday, and my stock was seriously depleted. And I have been working on mainly that sort of thing.

My rug for my aunt:

It hasn't moved in a while.

Right now, my goal is to finish projects for my nearest and dearest, which means I still have:
Hat for Bro #1
Scarf for Bro #2
Rug for Aunt #1
Fingerless gloves for Aunt #2
Scarf for Mom
Hat for Fiance

It seems like a long list, but my hats are half done, and the scarves are both simple patterns. I've also taken the afghan off the list, because it keeps getting pushed to the back. I want to finish it, but it will be last on the list.

Honestly, right now, I am attempting to finish a wrap for me, to wear to a formal event this weekend. It's a little silly, as the weather is FREEZING and I'll still have to wear a coat, but once inside, I want to have a cover.

Anyway. I keep saying that the "regularly scheduled" stuff will come back, and I really think it will, but it will be slow. I only have 4 and a half weeks left of the semester, and have several huge papers to write, so crafting will be less. I hope you still stop by, cuz you never know when I'll have a few free minutes!

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 24

I'll admit, it's been a bit of a strange ride with me on this Challenge put forth by Marie, as I can be inconsistent with my progress and what not. But oddly, this has been a blessing. As I am smack-dab in the middle of craft show season, I do not have as much time to dedicate to family gift making. But because I know what I am making everyone and am halfway through, I have less to worry about.

Original sweater

Today I'm sharing my WIP rug for my aunt. I had a pattern, but then discovered it was not in English. Oops. Then HillyT at Hilly Town Blue shared a "not doily" that she made, Jameson. I thought the pattern would make a really cool rug. The yarn was the next debate. I knew some of it had to come from the giant basket of yarn that my aunt got me (at a garage sale) for my birthday. The rest came from a recycled cotton thrift store sweater. So far, it's looking good, though I deviated from the original Jameson pattern.

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 23

I'm still participating in the stashdown with Marie, even if most of my projects right now are commissioned items for other people. I'm still working mainly from stash, which I think is a major accomplishment (or a testament to the amount of yarn I have...) so I'm definitely stashing-down!

Chocolate cupcakes: Zero calories

On the menu this week... cupcakes! Last year, I made a ton, and they are still featured in my cover photo on my Facebook page. They are quick and fun and colorful! When I remembered last night that they were on my commissioned item list, I found some yarn and got straight to work. Well, straight to work meaning I assembled my materials, popped a bag of popcorn, and snuggled on the couch for the new episode of Castle. I know, who makes popcorn when they want to crochet? But, Mondays are my long stressful days at school, and I wanted something semi-healthy to snack on (Because I'm cheap and don't like buying campus food). Even including the food setback, I was able to finish 3 bottoms during the episode of Castle, and one more before I went to bed. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but at least it was a start.

More half-finished hats

Another bonus, I got paid this weekend! I saw both my cupcake lady and my boyfriend's sister this weekend at the retreat, and got paid for my services. All nine of my creative hats were delivered (and are out of my room!!!) and well received! I can't wait to see the response from the kiddos at Christmas time! As a college student, on a college student budget, getting paid is awesome. But, since my stash has overwhelmed me (temporarily, I hope) I will not be buying any more new yarn until I absolutely need it.

I'm still thinking about and working on some Christmas gifts, but with 3 craft shows all within a  5 week period, I really need to focus on those as well as the ever-growing list of commissioned items. I am thankful though. All this work means I practically have a job that pays me to do what I love: knit and crochet.

I really really want to have a proper gift crossed off the list next week, so stay tuned!

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 22

Marie just posted about how she is stalling in her holiday craft-making-- and that's exactly what I was going to post about!! The last week or so has been a whirl-wind of preparing for last Saturday's craft show, and in the aftermath, I've found that I still have a large number of commissioned items to make. But I still need to be keeping up with my business, so to speak, which means I am dividing my time between 2 types of projects, neither of which are Christmas gifts for my family. I am getting paid for them, though.

I am making progress on my list, though. I finished making  this child-sized Viking hat for my boyfriend's godson, and I am very proud of the results. I have until Christmas to make it even cooler, though it probably won't change much from the picture you see. I also finished a commissioned item- a pair of bulky slippers. The pattern is pretty good, but I think there could be an alteration to the sole to make them less boxy. However, as I said, another thing off my list.

I finally bought the size circular needles that I needed, and have started on the commissioned knitted poncho for Barb. I haven't gotten far enough to make an assessment about the pattern, but it will come.

I'm going to try to finish as many of my commissioned items as possible, but I will probably intersperse them with quick Christmas gifts. So there will be more coming!

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 20

I'm starting to feel successful in my Holiday Stashdown. My list has been adjusted, my priorities have been sorted out, and I am casually working on all my projects. I do not feel the crunch yet, and I am happy to say that things are rolling along. (Check out the awesome stuff Marie's doing!)

I met my goal for this week!!!

Dog Days

I proudly shared my Age of Brass and Steam scarf that I finished last week here. I really wanted to get modeled photos, especially since my little sister is really good at modeling my projects, but since it is her Christmas gift, I couldn't really ask her to do that. I got really fancy and stuff, and officially measured the yarn leftover, using my brother's coffee scale. It's awesome, and since I was knitting with "properly purchased" yarn (as opposed to one of my recycled & dyed yarns) I know how much I used!!! I definitely have more than enough leftover to make a "matching" pair of fingerless gloves for her-- probably to be held with a sock weight yarn in a natural color.

I made 3 more squares for my parents' afghan, and am getting so close to the end!! I'm still debating between 6x5 and 6x6, but I ordered Edie Eckman's Around the Border book, so maybe I'll just make a larger border.

Child's Play

Dog Days
Lazy Sunday
Child's Play

(I know the goal was 4 squares, but I am celebrating getting closer to the end, so I'm letting it pass. This time...)

Of the 3 I just made, Child's Play is my favorite. The designer also made a 12" version, Triangle Tango, and I think in primary colors, it would make an adorable baby blanket! Or even, paired with a plainer Granny for a full size blanket... Oh the ideas running through my head! (Mary, stop being distracted, you have other things to focus on!)

I found the yarn to use for my aunt's fingerless gloves- purchased on clearance a few weeks ago- Bernat Softee Chunky. It's black, so a perfect basic color!

Next week, I will list out my October goals, because I think it's a better way to organize my goals-- monthly instead of every 6 weeks. (Just to refresh everyone's memory, my goal for next week was to finish my parents' afghan. I'm not sure if I will get that far...)

I would have more pictures, except my camera died on me last night and I have yet to revive it.
Also, I posted another flower tutorial of sorts, along with photos from my last craft show (finally!). 

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 19

Wow- 19 weeks already! Marie wrote a roundup post, talking about what we've done so far.

Last week, I celebrated finishing my brother's vest, but it now means I need to come up with a different idea for a Christmas present for him. Probably a hat, because I always have yarn for hats.((Note: Sorry for no photos today! My computer was being slow))

I've also failed quite miserably on the stashdown aspect of this Challenge. On at least 3 separate occasions, I've purchased yarn for my parents' afghan, and after my successful craft show last week, I had to buy more yarn to make items for the next craft show. But I think, other than craft show yarn, I've overall done alright.

For this week, my 2 goals were more afghan squares and more star ornaments. With Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet Blocks in my bag at all time, I was able to make some progress, at least on the squares.

#13 Circle in a Square
#16 Waterlily
#22 St Petersburg (modified)

After those three, I actually reverted to the Vanna's Choice Group's BAWL- where I got 3 more patterns I hadn't tried yet.

BUT! I didn't get to them.

I have been focusing on 2 of my knitting projects, and am so close to finishing both of them! Hopefully I will add more items to my finished list next week.

I've also changed up my List slightly, as all of my close girlfriends have requested something specific. A wanted a hat (which, hey, I have a completed one!), K wants another infinity scarf (not pink, or green-last year's color), and B would probably like one too.

Little Sister is still getting Age of Brass shawlette, the progress is just slow going. A also might be getting a scarf (Azzu), as I re-dyed yarn with her in mind. Brother 1 will be getting a hat, as I finished his vest.

My goal for next week is more squares for the Autumnal Afghan (again!) and finished my sister's knitted scarf. I had listed out goals through mid-October, but will definitely be modifying them come the end of September.

Things that Still Need to be Started: 
Aunt #3: fingerless gloves in something bulky
Brother #1: beard hat
Brother #2: scarf
E: beard hat
Friends B & K: infinity scarves
Gifts for E's family (4 adult women, 5 adult men, 6 children)
Gifts for Co-workers (16, variety of age & gender)

Finished Items:
Shell Stitch Beanie- VC stash (goddaughter M)
Neon Soft Waves Cowl- hand-dyed stash wool (R?)
Lacy Cheery Cherry Cowl- VC stash (Aunt #2)
Starlight Tunisian Scarf- hand-dyed stash wool (cousin T)
Divine Hat for Sister Friend A- stash yarn
Non-Felted Slippers for Godmother- stash yarn
8 hats of 9 (custom order)- stash yarn
Snowflakes (6 to try @ craft show) - stash yarn
Love Cabled Vest
Star Ornaments (12)- bits of leftover yarn

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 18

Whew, I breathe a sigh of relief. After being an on-again-off-again project for at least 3 years, the cabled vest is DONE! I blogged about it on Friday, but it deserves another mention here. It is now another item crossed off the list, leaving a pile of yarn behind. I initially bought 4 skeins of yarn for this project, me being inexperienced with re-sizing patterns, and not wanting to run out of yarn. I have 2 skeins left, the first being partly used, but the little balls left from the first 2 skeins make up for it. I already know what I want to make with at least one skein of the remainder: a scarf for an aunt. I spent some time perusing my craft books, looking for something suitable.

My dashing brother in his new vest

Last week, I said I would finish the vest (which I did) and make 4 more afghan squares. Here are my squares:

Lightning Strikes

Diamond Squared

Unfortunately, my homework got the better of me this past week, and I only did the two squares above.  I did, however, make 3 infinity scarves while sitting at the craft show, because doing homework when trying to sell your wares just seemed silly. (One funny thing though: in reading Nietzsche, I found the word crocheted)

Anyway. Next week, I plan to make up for this week. 5 afghan squares and 5 star ornaments. Hopefully I can do it :)

Linking up with Marie!!

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 17

Last week Marie wrote out a list of weekly goals, and I thought that was a great idea. First I had to decide when I wanted all my projects finished. I figured either the week of Thanksgiving, or the week after. It would give me 11 to 12 weeks to finish things up. But because so many of my gifts are fluid and subject to change, I'll plan goals through mid October, and re-assess from there.

But before I get into writing out my goals, I want to address last week's goals. Last week, I expressed the desire to finish 5 afghan squares, 5 star ornaments, and one of my knitting WIPs. Both crocheted projects were easy goals to meet. I even went over my ornament goal, making double what I had planned to make. The afghan square goal was nearly met, as you can see from the photo above. 4.5 instead of 5. But considering the time it took to make them, if I tried harder, I would've done fine. (Counting the half square as a whole square, I am now at 18/30 squares)

However, the knitting goal was not met. I am very close to dividing the front of the vest for a V-neck, but not there yet. I know if I spend a whole day working on it, it will definitely be finished. The scarf for my sister is taking a backseat to the vest, as the vest was basically a gift promised nearly 4 years ago. My brother's birthday is next week, so my goal is to have the vest completed by then. Only problem with that is I will need to find something else for him for Christmas.

Anyway, onto my goals for the next 3 months:

By week of 9/11: Finish knitted vest for Brother 1.  4 more afghan squares (to bring the total to 22).

By week of 9/18: 4 more afghan squares. 5 more star ornaments.

By week of 9/25: 4 more afghan squares. Finish scarf for Sister
By week of 10/2: Afghan completed- squares pieced together and all ends woven in.
By week of 10/9: Scarf for Brother 2, fingerless mitts for Aunt 2, Scarf for A.
By week of 10/16: Hat for E, Start activity rug for E's nieces & nephews.

Be sure to check out Marie's post for this week- more inspiration!

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 16

This week, school started. My craft time has been cut into severely. I'm taking 15 credits, which is full-time. 5 classes, 4 days a week: Political Science x 2, Geography, History, and Economics. It should be a decent semester.

In an effort to finish projects that take longer, I have been mainly focusing on my 2 knitting projects- the shawlette for my sister and vest for my brother. Both of those projects are going well, but they keep proving to me that I am a slow knitter.

Love Cables

My crochet project, at least for the Stashdown, has been the Autumnal Afghan for my parents. I checked out The Granny Square Book by Margaret Hubert from my library, and have been picking squares from there to fill out the afghan more quickly. This really has not been a stashdown project because I've had to buy new yarn for it. It's a 7 color palette, so I started with 7 skeins of yarn, bought 4 more, and then 2 more after that. I'm thinking I'll make it work. I was hoping to have a few more squares done for today, but I only have one:

Paula's Pendant

Luckily, it's the only project that I've had to buy more yarn for. Everything else is about making the stash fit the projects and vice versa. To use up scrap, I've been making an adjusted version of the Star Decoration from Lucy @ Attic24. It's a great little pattern, fabulous for scrap-bashing :)

I've finished my snowflakes, but am going to see if they have success at the craft shows. (The yarn I was using has not been used up yet. I really want to see the end of it.)

That's all for me today! There are three goals for next week: to have one of my knitting projects completed, 5 more crocheted blocks, and 5 more star ornaments. Hopefully I can accomplish that around all my school work. Hop over to Marie's to see how she's been doing!

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 15

Stashdown is going quite interestingly, if I do say so myself.

In progress, I still have Underwater, the cabled vest, the autumnal afghan and the mishmash smorgasbord. On top of that, I am halfway through my largest hat order ever, and I have just received a possible request for a sweater. The sweater I am still very much on the fence about. My mom doesn't think I should do it, as it has taken me 3 years to get on the knitted cabled vest, and a sweater is much more fitted, etc. We shall see.

Pile of new sweaters

I'm so excited about my mishmash smorgasbord. I went about writing a whole post about it the other day, but now I'm feeling like it's a bit silly. In regards to this project, the Stashdown is *not* working. I was tempted by thrift stores, and came home yesterday with 3 100% wool sweaters, 4 wool blends, and 3 cashmere sweaters. They all went into the wash to be felted, and I spent the rest of my afternoon cutting them up into blanket sized pieces. With all my new wool bits, the first blanket should be finished quite soon. (I'm hoping to make at least one more, maybe 2)

Since I've been spending so much time on my mishmash Smorgasbord, I haven't really had time for much else, though I'm trying to whittle my list down. I am getting a decent bit of progress done on my knitting projects, mainly during evening TV shows. I really want to have a few items to share on FO Friday, but I don't know if I'm that good, lol.

Bashing the Stash!

I love seeing Tricia's Stash Bash post every week, and try when I can to post one of my own. This week I actually have a few things to share, and I'm excited!

First off is a small crochet basket. I made it holding 3 strands of yarn together and using a large hook (either K or N, I cannot recall). I definitely want to make several more, and will be making them bigger than this first one. I just retrieved a bag of reclaimed acrylic yarn from one of my basement yarn bins (oh, the places we all hide yarn!) and will definitely use it to make more baskets. This one has a base of dc, increased to 36 stitches, and then hdc in a spiral until it is the size desired. I added handles by working 5 or 6 chs, skipping that many stitches below, twice, and working the number of skipped stitches into the chain when I came back around. There are probably a million patterns for something like this out on the web, but I'm just going from my knowledge of crocheting in the round.

My second stash-bashing project is also crochet, but on the opposite end of the spectrum from the basket: lacy snowflakes worked in a light fingering/baby yarn. All of the patterns today are coming from Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs. I have yet to decide if I will repeat any of them, but as this project is also part of my Holiday Stashdown, I will probably repeat a few. Plus, I discovered more white yarn in my stash that is not destined for anything else-- more snowflakes! :-)

That's all for today! Be sure to hop on over to Tricia's to get more stash-bashing ideas!

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 14

This week I added some finished projects to my Stashdown List, starting with a lacy-style cowl in Vanna's Choice Baby Cheery Cherry (which I bought on clearance a couple of months ago) with gold buttons that will probably be gifted to one of my aunts. The color really doesn't look baby-ish, and I bet it would be fabulous with a black or gray wool coat.

I also finished my Starlight tunisian scarf, 'By the Firelight', after working on it all afternoon yesterday. I still need to wash and block it, but it goes on my finished list, because I'll need a decent day to lay it outside to dry. I love the color, but I am not thrilled with the wool. I bought it in high school (oh my, *so* long ago, lol) when I had less experience with nice yarn. Greenfield Village (near Detroit) was the location of a field trip my senior yarn, and I bought the yarn there. It's a fun memory, but honestly, I've purchased nicer yarn since then.

On Saturday I cast on Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief in lace for my sister. She requested a triangle shaped scarf, similar to the Holden Shawlette that I made last fall. I wanted to try out a new pattern, and I'd looked at ABSK before, so I figured I should give it a shot.
The pattern is so simple! I totally love that it is simple yet pretty. Even though I hate counting, since the author is totally amazing and provided stitch counts, I'm taking advantage of them.

Brother #2, when asked in a backwards way, said that he would like a new scarf. I've made him a variety of hats, so I'm honestly not surprised that he doesn't feel like he needs another one. He decided on Ravenclaw colors (blue and silver) so now I just need to decide what pattern to use. I'll probably adapt the PoA movie version scarf into crochet- using hdc and dc stitches for speed. Because he asked for a scarf, that means I will have one less hat to make! Yay!

I'm making a bit of progress on the Smorgasbord blanket, but have not assembled any more of it yet.

I readjusted some items on my list because they seemed like too much work, especially considering my relationship with some of the people. I've reasoned that there is nothing wrong with a scarf.

FINISHED:
Starlight Tunisian Scarf- stash yarn
Divine Hat for Sister- stash yarn
Non-Felted Slippers for Godmother- stash yarn
Neon Soft Waves Cowl- stash yarn
Cheery Cherry Lace Cowl- stash yarn (this was not originally on my list, but after I made it, I realized I could make it fit)
2 hats of 9 (custom order)- stash yarn

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 13

 The summer is winding down and fall is just around the corner.  Does anticipation for the change in season help or hinder your progress towards your Holiday Stashdown Challenge goals?  

OMG, I cannot believe it is week 13 of the Stashdown already (though I did miss week 12...)! I am finally starting to feel like some progress is being made, though I haven't crossed as many people off my list as Marie has.

Right before I left for camp, I finished my Non-felted Slippers, which honestly has to be one of the cleverest patterns I've ever worked. It was definitely a quick knit! I think I will be making a few more pairs of these as gifts for the females in E's family.

Since coming home, I finished the Shell-Stitch Beanie I had started before leaving. Luckily I had a spare flower floating around, so I didn't need to whip something up to add to the hat. I'm also thinking of turning this pattern into a bag... I love the shell stitches- sturdy yet stretchy!

Vanna's Choice Baby Mint & Rose

I'm 2 squares behind on the BAWL/autumnal afghan, but I'm not worried since I'm nearly 1/3 done and its only August. And I've been focussing on the Smorgasbord blanket for the last day or so. Definitely seeing progress on this one, and I'm starting to get creative with colors and embroidery.

The first section is still the only section all sewn together. 

Finally, in answer to Marie's prompt, I think the end of the summer is helping me work faster, because I know as soon as school starts again for me, my crafting time will decrease. So, I need to get the bigger projects wrapped up, because they are not transportable.

And I don't want to go back to my list from the other week yet. Maybe when I think I've made more progress...

Update from far Away!

Hey all!

This is a mass update for my Holiday Stashdown, WIP Wednesday and Stash-bashing with Tricia.
I'm away at camp for the whole week, but I did manage some progress during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics! I've been walking around all week with a ball of bulky wool, knitting needles and a pattern in my bag. Not too odd, I know-- except for the fact that I hadn't cast on anything! I've been meaning to start this slippers all week, but hadn't gotten around to it. Friday afternoon (4 pm to be more precise) I decided that I would try to knit them (even though I am a less than proficient knitter) as part of the Ravellenic Games. Listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, getting ready for camp and knitting some slippers-- sounded like a good idea for the afternoon.

My nearly finished slippers!

The slippers are for my godmother, who says her feet are the only thing that gets cold. The wool is KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Bulky Bare, which I then dyed. The ball of wool has been in my stash for over 6 months, waiting to be something. I love how these slippers turned out, the pattern is very clever! The second one still needs to be sewn, but I won't worry about that until I come back from camp. I also have some wool left, so I might make the cuffs longer (don't know why I didn't think of it before I bound off...)

As I'm not really here, this is all you'll get from me. I will be back on Saturday the 4th, hopefully in one piece. I'll be ready to tackle the last bit of summer, and will hopefully be energized to make more progress on my projects :)

(It's 8/5/12, and this scheduled post never posted... so I'm publishing it now)

Cast off and Cast on Again!

Over the last week, I have finished multiple projects!! As in: I cut the yarn, wove in all the ends, blocked, added buttons where needed AND took photographs. Weeeeee! I'm excited, because this doesnt usually happen.

First up is my Shallow Waters Shawl by Anastacia Zittel in Knitpicks Shadow Lace- Summer Blooms Tonal. I really loved making this pattern, as it was a simple repeat that makes a light and lacy shawl. I repeated the border rows more than necessary, but only because after 4 of them I decided I didn't want to frog back (even though I should've). My little sister is modeling, even though it is a "me" project because I wanted a pink scarf.

Isn't she adorable?

Next is my Any Which Way Lace. I used a recycled sweater that I dyed myself for this project. The yarn is soft, even though it's harder to tell in this lace pattern. I love that the button band is worked into the pattern (a row of dc at the beginning and end of the pattern)-- I will probably use this method myself next time I create a cowl. I modelled this one, though not very well.

turn sideways :)

The final FO this week is the Soft Waves ripple scarf that I mentioned on Wednesday. I finished it, added a bright yellow button, and decided it would be more suited to someone under the age of 15, rather than one of my friends. It is more of a cowl size, and it still needs a good soak in conditioner, but I will do that closer to the time of its gifting.

Sideways and psychedelic!

Even though it's not really a FO, I did get photos of my solar-dyed yarn. I feel like it might be a bit too gray, but I'm really hoping that I'll like it more once I start knitting it!

yes, turn your head sideways, again...

And tonight I will "cast on" several new projects, as part of the Ravellenic Games- a child size hat for the Hat Dash event, and a pair of fingerless gloves for the Mitten Medley. If I have time, I will enter a project or 2 in the Shawl Sailing event, as I am participating as part of Team CSW (crochet shoulder wrappers).

I also have a question, nearly unrelated: I'm trying to decide on my next afghan project (yes, for 2013) and these are the colors I want to use:

Northern Lights color palette in Vanna's Choice

I'm still not sure if I will work it in Vanna's Choice yarn (I'm leaning toward Caron Simply Soft right now). My main question is what style should my afghan be in? The first 2 options I thought of were either blocks or some variation on the ripple. Any other ideas? Votes toward one of my thoughts or the other?

Linking up with Tami today!! Be sure to head over there and see what everyone else is doing!

Holiday Stashdown Challenge: Week 11

This week for the Holiday Stashdown, we're reassessing our lists. Over the past week, I spent a great amount of time on my Ravelry queue, looking at patterns I wanted to make. Then, I wrote out my original list of who I wanted to make handmade gifts for. From there, I flipped back and forth between my list of "projects I *have* to make" and "handmade gifts for...". I think I've matched many of them up quite nicely. (note: this list has been *at least* a week in the making.. I've edited it several times already)

The List
Mom & Dad: Autumnal Afghan, various afghan blocks, Vanna's Choice in Honey, Rust, Cranberry, Dusty Purple, Eggplant, Dusty Green and Toffee.
Mom: fingerless gloves, in KnitPicks Felici Hummingbird
Dad: still unknown
Bro #1: that vest that never gets finished
Bro #2: Jayne hat, most likely in misc. acrylic that has been floating in my stash (He recently watched Firefly, & hats for him are a good standby.) If I have time and inclination, I will make him a beard hat.
Sister: Divine hat in easy care acrylic (finished!). Age of Brass and Steam Scarf in KnitPicks Shadow Deep Sea, fingerless gloves in KnitPicks Felici Tyrian Purple (maybe)
E: He wants a beard hat- go figure. Such a guy. Not sure if he will get anything else handmade.

Aunt #1/Godmother: bulky slippers in KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Bulky that I dyed myself, T-yarn rug
Aunt #2: A Touch of Gray, in a in between width (not scarf, but not stole either)
Aunt #3:  button socks in Bernat Jr. Jacquard (it's a sock weight and has some nylon in it)
T (my favorite cousin): Starlight Tunisian scarf (in yellow)(no yarn yet), possibly Smorgasbord blanket BMDAO (T's 5 kids): slipper socks in the yarn they helped me dye last winter (Basic Sock)

Friend B: Slip Stitch Shawl in a scarf size- tried this pattern, realized I hate slip stitches. Now I'm using the Soft Waves ripple from Jan Eaton's 200 Ripple Patterns with a hand-dyed wool yarn.
Friend K: infinity scarf in Lion Brand Homespun- She loved the one for her birthday, and requested another one. (personal pattern)
Friend A: Up to You Scarf (Re-dying the yarn from my first Juliana)

E's nieces & nephews: an activity rug with 6 amis
E's mom & sisters: fingerless gloves (maybe) (3 pair) or scarves
E's dad & brothers: hats (maybe) (5)

Coworkers: Cards with crocheted snowflakes on them. (if time)

And I found this ornament and this ornament that I would also think about making if any of the above ideas don't work out. I also keep finding cute ideas that would be fabulous for scrap yarn, which means I need to stop browsing patterns on Ravelry.

I feel loads better now that I have ideas for patterns, as I had felt a bit disorganized without a completed list. I also have the list separated into sections, where the first two need to get done, and the second two depend on time and inclination.

I hate and love this stashdown. My yarn supply feels limited. I'm trying to avoid placing another KnitPicks order, as it defeats the purpose of this adventure, so I've seeking out dyeable fibers in my stash. So far, I have found a few already dyed fibers that I forgot about, and I'm re-dyeing some others that are leftover from other projects. Yesterday, I figured I would try my hand at solar-dyeing, since it is too hot to use microwave or stovetop. I still haven't checked the results... I also know that I have multiple skeins of Bare KnitPicks yarn hanging out in my stash. Guess what else is going to visit the dyepot in the next few weeks?!

I have just received several Christmas orders for hats, and one of them needs to be done by October, so I'll be putting some of the above aside to work on those orders come mid-August.

Even more Progress!

This week, I've made some progress on my stash-bashing!

Using my current favorite dishcloth pattern, the Tulip Stitch Dishcloth, I used up another skein of Sugar & Cream cotton that I've had in my stash for a while as well as the majority of a skein of KnitPicks Comfy in Macaw. I absolutely loved working with Comfy. It's 75% cotton, 25% acrylic, and it is sooooo soft! If I ordered more yarn online, I would definitely get this yarn more frequently. I can also see it working really well for a summer dress for a little girl.

Hiding behind the dishcloths in the photo above are 2 WIP scarves. One is the Any Which Way Lace that I mentioned yesterday, and the other is my nearly finished Juliana Re-mixed. The AWWL is made from a recycled yarn that I dyed. I think it's a wool/nylon blend, with a bit of something else. Unfortunately, even with all my careful notes, I cannot find the tag for this yarn. It is really soft though, and will make a great gift. The Juliana should be done soon- hopefully soon enough to be shown off!

This past week, I also created a "loose ends" box near my bedroom door, where I have already started putting odd leftover balls of yarn in for donation to my church's elementary school. It is definitely helping me part with some yarn I will never use, as well as helping a good cause- the 4th grade classes make squares for Warm Up America afghans. I made a few squares out of the yarn I am getting rid of.

I'm sort of piggy-backing my participation in Marie(undergroundcrafter)'s Holiday Stashdown with Tricia's Stashbash (which is today!). Marie has been offering weekly prompts which have been super helpful for my organization. I currently have a pile of nearly finished scarves on my bed, waiting for the last bit of blocking and weaving in of ends. If you check back on Tuesday, I'll have a whole list of the patterns I plan on making in the next few months, which should be majorly helpful in decreasing my stash!

Holiday Stashdown Challenge: Week 10

It's a week for checking in and updating how the Challenge is going!

Accomplishments- I know what I want to make for everyone-YAY!- I've finished a few projects, but nothing really for Christmas, more for the stashdown bit.
~I've found another pattern that I really want to try- over the weekend, I saw many of my relatives (on my mom's side) because my one aunt had a party, and my godmother had 2 books for me!! She found Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting and Encyclopedia of Crochet super cheap at a garage sale, and thought I would like them! One of my other aunts wanted to take a look, and found these socks that she thought were cute, so I'm planning to making 2 pair- one for her, and one for my godmother. (My godmother has mentioned mulitple times that she has cold feet more often than cold hands, so the fingerless gloves I was planning on making would not be appreciated as much)
~ Looking back at my stash list from Week 2, I can see that while I've gotten some of my stash reduced, I've also increased it in different places. My cotton stash has been decreased by a few skeins, but gained another cone. All but one skein of my KnitPicks Telemark has been used up, but I just purchased 4 skeins of Felici, 3 skeins of Shadow, and several skeins of Bare Sock. And I bought A LOT more Vanna's Choice yarn. (I also think I was lying a bit when it came to my stash- I have tons of recycled sweater yarn...)

My emptying drawer of cotton yarn!

Obstacles- LIFE- I know that seems a bit cliche, but life really has been getting in my way. My "out of the ordinary" post from last week will give you a bit of an idea, if you are curious. (Thank you to those who responded with kind and helpful words, we're still working it all out)

Starts- Mom's afghan (though I don't know if I want to put the time into something for someone that I am currently at odds with). T's scarf- I have the pattern picked out and everything, just need to wind up the yarn and print out the pattern.

Finishes- Country Blues afghan from the BAMCAL- I blogged about it several times last week, and posted the finish on Friday! I was super thrilled to be done, and after deliberation (and a variety of comments from all you lovely people) I've decided to keep it! I love blankets, and I had originally planned for this one to be mine, so I figured I might as well keep it. (and everyone in my family thought my color choices were weird)
And over 2 weeks ago (omg, I cannot believe its been that already) one of my closest friends got married, and I gifted to the happy couple a ripple afghan in their school colors. So another checked box :)

The remainder of the yarn from my Country Blues afghan and the MSU ripple

This Stashdown challenge has been helpful for me, in that I am constantly thinking about where to go next. I am a list maker, and constantly update what I think needs to get done every day/week/month. The past few weeks I have been switching between the need to prepare for the fall craft shows and my desire to get Christmas gifts done.

But I think, since the fall craft shows are first, I can definitely dedicate a bit more time to those projects. Which means turning out a bunch of scarves and hats in as short a time as possible. I'm still trying to break out of my craft show box and create more original pieces to sell, but I've found that people won't buy a one-of-a-kind item. So every time I make something, I try to make a similar item in a totally different color. Even so, I cannot guarantee that everything I make will sell, which is super disappointing because I put a lot of work into my craft show wares, and I wish people would appreciate them more.

Oops, I got off on a tangent and didn't stop. I think the point was that even with all my planning, I sometimes have no idea where to start, though I think I'm getting there. Right now, I have 2 shawl/scarf projects that I want to finish (for me) and then I will get cracking on more Christmas gifts.