A Garment in 72 Hours

Even though I am both a process and a product girl when it comes to crocheting & knitting, today I'm definitely endorsing the product end of the spectrum.

Last week, after finally assembling the afghan for my parents, I felt inspired to tackle what seemed like another large project: a garment for me. Over the last 18 months, I have been challenged through various Block-A-Month crochet-a-longs, which have expanded my technique and helped me to become a more adventurous crafter. I have also gotten better at knowing what I like and don't like, and am now more than willing to frog a project if it is not suiting my needs.

3/4 length sleeves & 2 buttons

The garment that I choose to make: a crocheted cardigan. I knew this would be a good choice, because it would not take as long as a knitted cardigan (I knit a lot slower than I crochet) and also because I had just recently lamented to my sister the lack of colored cardigans in my wardrobe.

my pair of buttons are nearly an exact match to the stripe I added

The pattern I picked is a free one: Chevron Lace Cardigan. This pattern was recently brought to my attention again through Knit and Crochet Blog Week, where we were asked to think about projects that would reflect the characteristics of our chosen house. My chosen house, the House of Manatee, reflects the calmer, steady nature of crafters, and I felt like it fit my most prominent crafting personality. I further explain this here.

Back to product versus process. I enjoy crafting because it makes me feel less useless while watching television. It makes me feel productive. I also enjoy wearing the items I make. This project was definitely a product. The process was quick, meaning I had the desired item (a colored cardigan) in a few short days. I never thought it would take me so little time to make myself a sweater, and I am totally thrilled. I dyed the yarn for it simply ages ago, blogged about here.

Perfect length, perfect weight

After debating about buttons with several different people, I found the ones I wanted.

It didn't really need blocking, so I wore it on Monday. Outside in the sun, the wool was definitely a bit too heavy. But in my air-conditioned workplace, it was perfect. I had a lot of compliments on it, which calmed my worries about it being a completely awful garment.

This sweater also used up close to 700 yards of yarn, pushing my total yardage used this year over 5 miles!!! (I know I have added to my stash this year, but I still feel awesome!)

Linking with Tami to share the love of a finished sweater!

Thinking about the Future

It's  December, and I'm thinking of goals for the new year. Right now, I live with my parents, in the room I grew up in. It's tiny, and my yarn overwhelms me. But in less than 9 months, I will be moving into a new apartment with my new husband!!! However, I don't really want to start married life with a whole slew of WIPs and lots of yarn that I will never use.

I really want to get a head start on my craft show stock, something that I NEVER do. Let's face it, we all have goals that we never follow through on, or that remain incomplete for a while. Truly, I want to make it a goal to get through all of my Lion Brand Homespun yarn before I move out of the house. I definitely need a count of how many skeins I have-- I bought 9 skeins a few weeks ago, but am not sure where that puts my grand total. It takes me about 3 hours to crochet an infinity scarf, and some days I've been able to make 3-- especially when I'm sitting through several hours of lecture. Though, without hours of lecture in the coming semester (*me* lecturing, instead of me sitting through someone else lecturing), and more hours of lesson planning, it might not be as easy as I want it to be.

However, I do plan on keeping track (to the best of my ability) of my "Cold Sheep" progress. I joined the Cold Sheep group on Ravelry, and they are an inspiring group. The Nov-Dec "Cold Sheep Along" is helping me keep track of my stash reduction. BUT, it's only been one week since I last bought yarn. At the beginning of this year, I stopped buying yarn, and I believe that lasted about 6 months. i'm not really sure if there is a best method to solve my yarn-buying problem, especially since I work fall craft shows.

So far, the best method I can think of to effectively reduce my stash and still build up my craft show merchandise supply is to stick to my yarn budget. Like, really stick to it. And to do that, I really need to watch sales and clip coupons. Even though the *really* good sales tend to happen around this time of year (especially on yarn) if I only buy yarn with Michael's and JoAnn's coupons-- which would be 2 skeins of yarn a week, at the most--I think I would be keeping under budget. And it's also a matter of knowing my stash, so I can buy yarn that will be the most helpful for my projects. (If you're wondering, my current yarn budget is about $10 a month-- but I'm also working minimum wage/part-time, and going to school).

A List-- because lists are easy to look at--

1. Use 250 yards a week (minimum)
2. Make one craft show item for every personal item
3. Make one afghan square for every skein of yarn finished
4. Keep within monthly yarn budget

I'm not sure if I do better when the goals are broader or narrower. (I shall re-assess in 3 months)

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!

Repeat Friday

I don't know if I've shared my infinity scarves as a FO Friday recently, but that's what I have. I was really hoping to finish my second Shallow Waters Shawl for today, but it's still a WIP in my bag. I've mostly been making infinity scarves this week, and even though the picture is from a few weeks ago, it reflects what I've been making this week.

I'm going on a retreat this weekend with my mom, and it'll be a 3 hour car ride, so expect more photos next week of finished stuff!! Like, I will properly take photos of my new infinity scarves, and the Shallow Waters shawl should be done. I might even get to read a new book! Yay!

There will definitely be more fall-ish type pictures coming up too, as I've been waiting at least 2 weeks for my sister to finish editing photos from our trip to the pumpkin farm with my boyfriend. She's a perfectionist when it comes to photos, so they've been taking a while.

This is my new bag, purchased from another vendor at the craft show last Saturday.
I LOVE it!

My camera, when it was broken. But it's fixed now! :)

Thanks for stopping by!! Check out Tami's Amis for more FOs this week!!

Holiday Stashdown: Week 6

Reflection is always good. Marie's Holiday Stashdown prompt this week has us reflecting. Celebrating success, re-examining our goals, and setting new ones.

Our challenge has been going for six weeks.  Let’s celebrate our successes so far.  For each of us, success may be measured differently: stash organized, list made, awareness of our potential recipients, finished projects, etc.  What have you done so far for the Holiday Stashdown Challenge?  If you’re not feeling successful, what’s preventing you from getting started on reaching your goals?  Or, are your goals unrealistic?

My success has been in finishing (or nearly finishing) 2 of the bigger projects that were getting in the way of smaller projects.

My 8 skein ripple afghan wedding gift is nearly complete, and will be out of my room as of June 30th. Over the weekend, I had 3 nights in a row of nearly uninterrupted crocheting, and I can see the end in sight. There are 2 sections left to be finished, 5 rows long, with 2 transition rows in between. This is how it looked Saturday evening:

My 7 skein 12" block afghan is nearly complete. I have to weave in all my ends, and check all the blocks once more, then put them all together. I don't know if what is left of my 7th skein will be enough  to join all 20 of my squares, but I know where to find a 40 or 50% off coupon to get a spare skein if I run out. And as this is my first blanket made of squares, I want to do it properly.

As I finish those 2 projects, smaller projects are leaping into my lap. I have a huge grocery sack (one of those awesome reusable ones) full of Lion Brand Homespun yarn that is all destined to become infinity scarves for the fall craft shows. I also plan on a few pairs of fingerless gloves, because they are quick, and maybe a knitted scarf or 2. I'll definitely stay out of large project territory for at least a few weeks. Especially since I still have some hibernating projects that need to be finished so they can leave my room.

OMG, I ramble. A lot.

The point, I need to get to the point. Yes, I am feeling successful, although I have purchased yarn that I never originally intended on purchasing at the beginning of the year.

None of them are on the Floor

My books, I mean. They are all either stacked on a shelf or some other similar surface.

I'm down to just my Michigan history books, for class and for my research paper. We have been assigned The Flivver King for the next week or two. It's quite a short little book, about Henry Ford and the rise of the automobile. So far, it's not killing me. I'm glad to be putting aside Rites of Conquest, as the author was writing to an audience that is quite a bit smarter than me.

Mary Higgins Clark went back to the library last week. I really enjoyed The Lost Years, it kept me up several nights in a row, something I haven't done in ages. I've never been good at reviewing books, but I will say that I had hoped for a bit more of the historical angle in it than was actually provided. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading something new (if not entirely different) and hope to do more of it once my classes are finished (at the end of the month, YAY)

I took the ASL books back to the library, for a time, and will probably check at least one of them out again. Robin @ Crochet Nirvana asked me why I was trying to assign hand motions to a song. For the past 5 years, I have worked at a week-long Christian summer camp, and I will be going back again this August as a head counselor. We have an evening where each cabin provides some form of entertainment, be it a skit or a song or the like. I have it in my head that I will work out hand motions for a song to teach my cabin so we can perform it for Entertainment Night. We'll see how it goes.

I've made my way through The Two Towers, and am now nearly halfway through The Return of the King. I find it is nice to "read" while crafting. Harry Potter has been put on hold a bit, though I will likely go back to him mid-week or so.

Other than that, not much else going on in my corner of the world- lots of crocheting, some attempts at cleaning, and lots of avoided homework. I'm planning on cracking down and churning out a history paper this week, I'll let you know how it goes.

Saturday Morning Musings

I can't believe it's 2 thirds of the way through Janurary already! I feel like it was just a few days ago that I was complaining about waiting until March/April, but now they are just around the corner! (sorry for those of you who like February... I'm just super excited for spring!)

In a few short months from now, I will be one semester closer to graduation, one of my best friends will be getting married, and I'll be able to wear flip-flops and shorts.

But until then, I will keep up with my yarn buying fast, and continue to try to clean my room. I'm making some decent progress on my yarn stash, however. At the beginning of the year, I had a huge container of scrap yarn, and now I've gotten it down to half full! I've made at least 4 -12" squares that will eventually become part of a super colorful blanket (I nearly said ugly...) and have 2 or 3 more blankets in the works. I never realized before this how helpful blankets are at using up yarn. It's totally fabulous.

I also finally started hooking the afghan for my best friend's wedding present. I'm using the Neat Ripple Pattern from Lucy at Attic24- it's my favorite ripple, and so far the only pattern I've found that just gives the theory (multiples of 14 plus 3) of a ripple blanket. I love working with the theory, as it makes more sense to me, and gives me more freedom in choosing my finished size. (I'm not sure if she visits here, so I'm going to stop giving details).

I've also been successful in 'stocking' my 'inventory' for my fall craft shows. I've hooked 2 more infinity scarves, as well as 2 hats. That brings my January totals to 5 infinity, one straight, plus 2 hats.

Enough of my rambling. Today I am happy to be alive, and thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon my life.