Keeping Busy

Oh how the summer starts to seem shorter in July. I suppose our move at the end of June didn't help with that much. But there is still sunshine and peace to enjoy, if I take the time to find it. 

New book this week!

So far, I've been finding a decent amount of time for my crocheting, which has taken several different forms. In trying to minimize my stash, I have pulled out a ball of cotton yarn after finishing big projects. In as little time as possible, I try to finish as many dishcloths as possible. Above is my 4th with this bright yellow yarn. I'm participating in a Rav group's "Epic Summer Stashdown" and find that just getting one ball of yarn out of the closet is really helpful for me. 

However, I'm not entirely ignoring other projects. I've been working on a baby sweater as a test pattern, and finally sat down again to put more time into it. It is quite a quick pattern, when I am actually paying attention and working on it. It helps that I am working on it in worsted weight wool, but still a straightforward pattern. 

Baby Sweater in wool

For comparison purposes (and because I wanted to make two baby sweaters), I started a second sweater in DK yarn. This second sweater is in CotLin, which my last project (Hexy shawl) was made out of. I really enjoyed working with it, and wanted more. 

Dim kitchen does not like color

From my first photo, you can tell I've jumped on the bandwagon and started reading Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler. I absolutely love this book and cannot recommend it enough!! It's honest and insightful and so much fun to read! I really have not been able to put it down, which is a joy for me, especially after trying several books that I just didn't like.

Hopefully I will have more progress on my CotLin sweater next week-- lots of car-riding in my future :)

Check out Tami & Ginny

Books & Hooks

Wedding preparations are getting really busy-- just over a month left now!!

But amid all the hub-bub of bridal showers, moving, fittings, bachelorette parties, and general preparation, I've found time for my hooks.

First Love
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette fingering in Mulberry
Hook: H

Little Star Dishcloths
Yarn: Sugar'n Cream scraps & the like
Hook: I keep switching between G and H, though I like H best.
True Love
Starting this one as soon as First Love is finished!

I've also found time for new books. One was suggested by a follow Yarn-Along-er, the other by a co-worker.

Thieftaker, D.B. Jackson-- pre-Revolutionary War era

Movement of the Stars, Amy Brill-- mid 1800s

I'm enjoying the historical angle of both books, though they are from two different eras and have completely different story lines.

Linking up with WIPWednesday & Yarn-Along!

FO Friday

The end of a busy week is more than a welcome sight. Tomorrow I might even wear jeans-- five days of "teacher clothes" can wear you down! And I don't insult teacher clothes, I just need to adjust my wardrobe to find stuff that is appropriate to teach in, is reasonable attractive, and comfortable.

But I get off topic so easily!! I'm here to post about yarn-y things. After school yesterday, I sat down with my hooks and cranked out a dishcloth, the border on a shawlette, and dithered about what to make next. I just found a few really nice cowl patterns in the Ravelry database, and I might try some out in the near future.

My 2 finishes are the Tulip stitch dishcloth that I've made before-- I super love the pattern-- and the Oveja shawl in a scarf/shawlette size. The Oveja is the CAL in the Crochet Shoulder Wrappers group this month, and as it is a goal of mine to get my stash under control, I'm finding yarns to go with various CALs so I have support when I work a pattern. It's a fun and active bunch  participating in this CAL, which is super helpful.

However, there is always a condition on my finishing-- today it is the fact that I still have 15 g left of the yarn I used, and I hate saving those little balls of yarn. So I'm debating between frogging back the final written row in the pattern and redo-ing, or adding on another border row to finish up the yarn.

And no photos because of my early rising and self-imposed bed times. Sorry. Maybe I'll do just a photo update this weekend. 

Nothing too Big

This week's WIP Wednesday/Yarn-Along is an attempt to keep busy without starting any huge projects before the Ravellenic Games. I am participating at part of Team CSW, and even though I originally planned on simply being a cheerleader, I felt that I could join in and make projects that will be part of my Holiday Stashdown. I leave on Saturday for summer camp, so I have Friday and the few days when I get back to complete my 2 projects. Hopefully I can do it.

Since last week, I've been working feverishly to finish several of my larger projects, and I'm nearly there. In the in-between, I've been trying to stick to smaller projects, like afghan squares and dishcloths.
3 more squares for my Autumnal afghan (which brings the total to 9 out of 30) and 3 dishcloths.

Forest Chains Re-do, Sundial, Home on the Range

The first 9 squares!

I did crack a little bit, as I was "out" of afghan block patterns, waiting for this week's BAWL pattern to come out, and with a random ball of hot pink and yellow wool, I started a ripple scarf. I finished it yesterday, but more about it on Friday.

It's more psychedelic in person!

I had the brilliant idea to actually work on something that is a slow WIP, so yesterday during my millionth viewing of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I pulled out my Citron and knit a row or two. I feel like if my progress is slow, at least it can be steady --so I'm hoping to pull out my two long-term knitting projects and work on a few rows every week.

I solar-dyed some yarn over the last 2 days, and I'm really pleased with my results so far. I'm going to try some more today-- hopefully it goes as well as this first time.

Yarn cooking on the back porch!

I'm still trying to finish the Merchant of Vengeance, and have read quite a bit at work. I've got a few more books waiting-- still need to find a new audio book, as I'm nearly finished with HP4.

I'm linking up with Tami and Ginny today-- so head over to both blogs and check out cooler stuff!!

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!

Foiled Again!

Thursdays are the day to link up with Tricia's Stash Bash, and I hang my head again, as I have been unsuccessful. Again.

Michael's had Vanna's Choice on sale this week for 2/$5, which is a pretty decent deal, so when my sister mentioned she was going, I gave her a list. She brought 4 skeins home for me, in the fall colors I am using for my mom's Christmas afghan.

But I suppose since the yarn was purchased with a purpose, it doesn't really count. I'm still not entirely sure of the color palette, as I am used to much brighter colors, but I think I will like the end result. (And I hope and pray that my mom does too!)

I shared a bit of what I've been working on yesterday, but that doesn't really cover the variety of what I have been working on in bits and pieces.

• I was originally making a scrap yarn dishcloth, as I had been making dishcloths that use nearly an entire skein, but not quite. That evolved into an idea that was sparked by Pinterest. I figured I could just crochet a longer piece, and instead of sewing on a towel, I would do a chain stitch through both layers of the crocheted fabric. It's a little bulkier than I would like, but for an experiement, it's not too bad.
• Blooms in the Water. I feel like this project is going both slow and fast. I started it in favor of finishing my Juliana Re-Mix, because the weather was so hot. But now, it's just easier to put this project in my bag because it's so compact. The goal is to finish this or Juliana by next week
• Felted blanket (Smorgasbord). When I can sit and just stitch around my felted squares, this is a great project. But I've been so antsy and stressed that I can only work a few at a time.
• BAMCAL squares. They have been hibernating in a bag for several weeks now, though I think the time is ripe to finish it off-- lots of putting squares together, which I dread a little bit.

But I have been cleaning in my room, and there is now a box by my bedroom door for yarn that I will never use. When it gets full, I will take it to the school for the fourth graders. So I suppose my Stash Bash is going both successfully and unsuccessfully- it just depends on the definition of successful/unsuccessful. There has been a lot of movement of yarn out of (and into) my bedroom. But, 6 months until Christmas, and less than that until the fall craft shows! 

Weekend Catch-up

It's been so hot the last few days, and I've been really discombobulated with the wedding weekend followed by the mid-week holiday. But I am catching up today with a combined post for Stash-Bash Thursday and Finished Object Friday.

• It's been too hot to work with worsted weight wool, so my Juliana Re-Mixed has been temporarily on hold. I'm hoping that once the weekend cools down a bit, I can crank out the border in a few hours.
• My Citron has been rescued, and I worked a few rows on it Wednesday evening and a bit on Thursday, but the rows are really long (and I cannot take a good picture of it).
• Because I was at work and it was air-conditioned, I started another scarf/shawl-- Shallow Waters Shawl, by Anastacia Zittel, as part of the Show Your Support JAL over in the CSW group. I'm using KnitPicks Shadows Lace in Summer Blooms and I totally adore the colors. I've always been a pink girl, and this yarn, while being a bit fiddly because it's lace-weight, makes me super happy. This was a spulrge for me a few weeks ago when I was making a KnitPicks Christmas order (they were having a big yarn sale) and I am pleased.

• I'm trying to eliminate my stash of cotton yarn, as I would rather buy colors as needed for gifts. So scrap dishcloths are flying off the hook!

Not much else to report!

Does Frogging Count as Progress?

Today, as I join up with Tami's Amis' WIP Wednesday and Ginny's Yarn-Along, I wonder: I frogged a whole border this weekend- does that mean I made progress on my project?

Story time!

Here you can see how ruffly and wide my border *was*

I'm working the Juliana Wrap for the June CAL at Crochet Shoulder Wrappers, as I mentioned previously. I was all set to finish the wrap for Friday, but that obviously didn't work out. I realized after I was nearly done with the border that I had worked too many stitches into the ch6 spaces at the end of the mesh, making the border REALLY long and quite ruffly. I persevered, convinced that I could finish it....

Until I was getting precariously close to the end of my 4th and last ball of yarn. I frogged back 2 or 3 rows... still not enough. Friday evening, I started working on a second Juliana, trying a different shape for the 1st section, even though I knew I should finish the pink one first. But the rows were still too long.

Saturday night I decided that I was going to run out of yarn. And I really wanted to make the tassels that were included in the Juliana pattern. So I ripped. And ripped. And got 2 balls of yarn out of that border. I took 2 rows of the mesh section out, and started the border section again. As of today, I only have a few rows left, and I haven't started the 4th ball yet.

The border is much smaller here, and the wrap lays flat.

I started working a second Juliana because I was attempting to make it narrower and more crescent shaped.

As you can see above, the first few rows are worked differently, making #2 nearly as long as #1, but quite a bit narrower. The yellow yarn is mostly the first section, with a row or 2 of mesh at the end. I will probably work one or 2 more rows of mesh before starting the border. The yarn, KnitPicks Telemark (I believe it's been discontinued), was a gift from my brother. He bought me 5 skeins, each a different color. I'm hoping that I will be able to finish without adding a 4th color.

That's all I have today! Stay tuned for both of these to be finished within the next week or so!

Progress, I think...

As I join up with Tami's Amis and Ginny's Yarn-Along, I'm making a mental list of all I have to do this week. My classes started yesterday, so my days are busy once again. My best friend's bridal shower is this weekend! and I'm excited to celebrate with her.

Once again, I have a list of afghan squares for the BAMCAL and Melinda Miller CAL to work on. This month's squares have been languishing in my project bag (my rainbow tarn bucket has become the temporary home for my BAM squares) because I have been working on so many other projects. I did finish the Windowpane Square early on, but did not want to post it separate from its May counterpart. Above is pictured the Stained Glass Square. It is such a well written pattern, and the color combinations are endless! I really want to make a whole blanket of this square.

Also pictured above is my library's copy of The Fellowship of the Ring on audiobook.  I wanted something fun to 'read', and it needed to be something I could crochet to. I thought that LOTR fit the bill. I just finished Book 1 last night, and I'm excited to listen to the rest :)

As I look at my list of things to do this week, the squares dominate, so hopefully I'll have a set of completed ones to share with you soon!

I've finished my Eva, but it needs dyeing and blocking. Look for it on Friday!!!

I'm hosting next month's CAL at the Crochet Shoulder Wrappers group on Rav. We are making the Juliana Wrap! I'm super excited to work on this pattern, and I already have 2 different yarns picked out so I can make 2 wraps :)

I'm also helping to host a Dishcloth Swap on Rav, and the sign-ups for the July swap (We do 4 swaps a year, and each one is 2-3 months long) are still open- maybe you'd like a pick-me-up?

I hope everyone has a fabulous Wednesday, thanks for stopping by!

Tell Me a Story

I'm linking up with Tami's Amis for today's FO Friday!

Today, my FOs have a story to tell. And it starts with a story from me.

I'll admit it, I love to tell stories. Usually they are just an elaborate telling of a certain activity throughout my day. E often calls me out on it, not because he doesn't like my stories, but because he knows I can be more precise. So I attempt to be precise, but often I still tell a story. Maybe it's because I am a history major, and I know that often times there is more to a simple statement then meets the eye.

Take today for instance. I could just tell you that my FOs for this week are a huge stack of cotton dishcloths that I suddenly decided to make. But honestly, that would be pretty boring. There are several stories behind the excessive amount of dishcloths that I made this week.

The first is a story about me and my mom. I have been crocheting since I was around 12 years old. As a middle schooler, I had a limited scope of the crafting world, and mainly enjoyed making simple square dishcloths for my mom and anyone else important to me. (I also made a handful of simple scarves, but that's beside the point.) As I expanded my knowledge of the crafting world, I knew that there was more to life than dishcloths. But my mom, who shopped regularly without me, could not be 'trusted' to buy yarn in colors and quantities that I needed for whatever project I wanted to complete. So I told her it was safe to buy dishcloth cotton for me, as a skein of it could make one or 2 dishcloths, and it didn't really need to match. And so here I am, nearly 10 years later, with a drawer full of cotton yarn that will never be anything other than dishcloths.You can see this in the picture above- the blue/yellow/purple yarn, the purple/blue/green yarn, and the pink/purple/magenta yarn.
So that is the first FO story from me. I hope it made some sense.

The second story has two parts, and starts with a very kind aunt, Aunt B, who supports my crafting in many ways. (she's the aunt who sells her sweatshirt designs at craft shows, and allows me to piggyback on her booth.) Aunt B often 'gifts' me yarn that she won't use, as she had a friend who passed away a few years ago who left most of her crafting stuff to my aunt. Aunt B is my mom's oldest sister, and she mainly sews now, as machine sewing is easier on her hands. Within the last year, Aunt B passed along to me a half-used cone of cotton yarn. I accepted it graciously, because what craft can refuse free yarn? However, as it sat in my room, waiting to be used, it started to grate on me. Why, you may ask, did it bother me?

Enter part 2- the boyfriend, E. E and I have been together for nearly 3 years now, so I would say he has a huge impact on my life. E is in the military, as I have mentioned before, and quite patriotic. And I am student of history, and have much respect for my country. However, E finds some displays of patriotism to be cheesy. This yarn falls under the umbrella of cheesy patriotic as defined by E. (Note: I am not trying to insult anyone who loves Americana print yarns.) So this half-empty cone of yarn sat and sat and sat, until last week when I went on my dishcloth making craze. I knew that if I was going to be on a creating kick, I should probably use this yarn before I chucked it across my [very small] room.
Pictured above is the empty cone (OK, not all empty, there might have been 8 ft left.) with the third and final dishcloth, made extra cheesy in the shape of a star, using the Americana print yarn. I joking told E the other day that I would send them all over to his house-- he was not entirely keen on the idea.

The third story is short and sweet. I broke my yarn fast, and bought MORE cotton yarn-- again you may ask why... Well, as I may have mentioned on Wednesday, one of my closest friends is getting married next month. Her bridal shower is next week. I wanted my gift to be more personal, so I had to buy more cotton in her kitchen colors, so I could make some dishcloths for her. Of the stack of dishcloths that I have made, 3 of them are currently for her. I plan on adding at least one more, plus a reusable grocery bag.

I hope you enjoyed my little stories to go with my FOs.
I have one final thing to celebrate- I finally wove in all the ends on my 2 lapghans!

Pay it forward handmade anyone?

WIP/Yarn-Along- too much cotton?

Joining up with Tami's Amis and Ginny's Yarn-Along today!

I've been working on a large number of crocheted dishcloths as part of a wedding gift, which leaves me with lots of WIPs laying around, but no big projects accomplished.

Dishcloths: I've been using the tulip stitch dishcloth pattern, with a few modifications- throughout the dishcloth, use ch 2 instead of ch 3, except for the edges. I like the density of this pattern, and it's simple and quickly memorized.

May CSW CAL: My Eva shawl is relaxing and taking a temporary vacation, as I am not entirely fond of the laceweight. Some of you commented last week that my yarn's '2-stranded-ness' would be difficult to work with, and I will admit, that's part of the reason why I am stalling on this project.

But I love the way this drapes, and as soon as my dishcloth kick has cooled down, I will come back to this.

Something else that I'm super proud of this week is my progress on one of my UFOs- I brought the knitted vest for my brother out of hibernation, and after knitting a few more rows, it was long enough to FINALLY decrease for armhole shaping. This is where things get a bit uncomfortable for me, as I have never before made a garment that needs to fit properly.

I will definitely have a few things to share on Friday, so don't hesitate to stop back to check it out! :)

I still have open spots for the Pay it Forward Handmade, mentioned here.