Take Joy!

Emma, Keeping Warm

Emma, in the poncho I crocheted her for Christmas—which is good, since I never took a picture of it. It's the usual two rectangles, crocheted in Paton's Astra (hot pink, a lighter pink, hot lilac, and variegated). I had originally been planning a sweater, but the way she's growing, I thought something less fitted would wear longer. And there was enough left to crochet a hat, and knit a small monster (who is languishing in my knitting bag, in pieces . . . ).

Finished Objects

The other two blankets I promised for the Warm Hands Rankin Inlet Daycare Center Blanket Drive. I have a box all three will fit in; now I only have to wait for money to ship them.

This one (which isn't quite finished yet, as you see . . . dealing with  ends is today's project) is made from two one-pound skeins of unnamed acrylic someone gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago. One is. obviously, dark blue; the other is a light green, which doesn't show up very well, but I think it's dark enough not to get filthy.

This one is also acrylic, made from odds and ends of yarn in the three tubs of yarn (all acrylic, alas) I was given a couple of weeks ago. (Roger appeared, bearing yarn . . . "Belinda's cleaning out the building and she doesn't want this anymore. I was sure you would want it." Many, many full skeins, partial skeins and odd balls. Perfect blanket fodder!) This one is the chain stitch square pattern, which is beyond easy . . . no joining rounds, just interminable crochet until it's large enough (this one is 38" square). It makes a nice flexible fabric, too, and I'm contemplating a lap/nap blanket or two for us; I've received several suggestions about how to rectangle-ize it.

But for now, back to Hermione's blanket . . .

F.O.—Mom's Shawl

My mother, as I've mentioned, has rheumatoid arthritis. She's also taking coumadin, which means she's cold all the time . . . so I made this for her.

These are not wonderful pictures; I took them in a hurry before we left for Thanksgiving. And, of course, I failed utterly to get one of her actually wearing the shawl! Even though I did remember to take the camera . . .

The pattern is the Prayer for Comfort Shawl by Tammie Godfrey; I got it from a Crochet! magzine last year, but I believe it's been republished in an Annie's Attic book of prayer shawls. The pattern calls for Bernat Satin, but I used wool—KnitPicks Wool of the Andes—because it's warmer. This color, Beryl Heather, has unfortunately been discontinued. It's absolutely gorgeous up close; there are strands of purple in it. I had bought something like 20 skeins when it was on clearance a couple of years ago, intending to make a sweater for Eliza. Then they moved to Florida . . .

So I used five skeins to make this, and another three to make a hat (pictures later, possibly), and still have lots left to make something else.

And now it's time to fill the bird feeders again, and put catfood on the back rail for the crows, and plop myself back into the rocking chair in front of the stove. It's 16 degrees and windy and snowing outside.

FINISHED!!!

After two weeks, and several sore fingers, it's DONE! Despite help from some people—

Pattern is "Spiderman Round Ripple Afghan" by Gail E. (AKA the "Stitch 'n Frog"); I found it online when I was looking for something else, but you could probably Google it if you want.

Materials: 14 oz. each Red Heart Cherry Red (#0319) and Blue (#0866), and on3 skein of Black. Size H hook.

Sixe: 57" across. The pattern says it should be 53", but I stuck in an extra row or two to use up all the yarn. I also did the black 'spokes' a bit differently than the pattern, simply because the directed method was really awkward for me, and I was more than ready to be FINISHED.

Also, I crocheted a small black circle to sew over all the ends in the center. That wasn't in the pattern directions, but since Riley is only 5, I thought it would be safer to just tie the ends off and cover them up.

Next: Eliza's fairy princess dress. (After Thanksgiving, I think. I can start it on Friday, since I'd rather be boiled in oil than go shopping on Black Friday. Or most any other time, in fact . . . )

 

A Bee Bag

One thing finished! This is the Bumblee Bag; Kai sent me the directions a long time ago, I bought the yarn . . . and it sat in a bag in the box of "things I'm definitely going to make next" until last week. (I tried looking it up online to see from whence came the original directions, but had no luck; all the links I found led back to an AOL Hometowns page, and since those no longer exist . . . I did find reference to 'Marilyn' in one link, though. So—Marilyn, whoever you are, thank you!)

It's made of knitting worsted: I used Caron Natura, for reasons unknown to me now. Probably because that's what I could find in all three colors. I bought it, almost certainly, at either A.C. Moore or Michael's, and since their yarn lines have changed over the past couple of  years (and not for the better, either, I might add), I probably couldn't find more.

It's about 10 inches tall (plus the drawstring) and 6 inches across at the widest part. Just right for a small girl (or boy) to carry treasures in, don't you think?

I altered it a little bit: the original directions called for two drawstrings, but I only made one, since the yarn is thickish; two would have fit through the eyelets, but been difficult to tighten. No sense in giving children anything extra to frustrate them. And I added a row of black around the eyes, just because I thought it looked more bee-ish.

I have enough yellow for another, and enough white, but not enough black . . . therefore, I think I shall use the leftovers to make an owl hat. Or perhaps a bee hat. Or a small yellow-and-black striped catnip fish. Or something else . . .

Stuff I Have Finished Lately

(Not the pile of fabric . . . that will be finished later, hopefully.) The golden thing on the left is a scarf, made from KnitPicks Palette in Golden Heather (more detail here, on my Ravelry page). The pink stuff on the right is a dress and hat for Emma's bear Hermione—or possibly for Ginny Weasley the leopard—made from Amy O'Neill Houck's book Crochet for Bears to Wear (likewise, more details here). And the baby hat and shoes in the center are from patterns I tested; not sure if they're out yet, but I will definitely be making more baby shoes. Quick, easy, and decorate-able . . . I'm thinking crocheted flowers, or pretty appliques, or . . .

Oh, the fabric . . . well, the top piece is striped gauze that I bought a couple of years ago to make a tunic top, but [obviously] I never did, so I think it will become a skirt (mostly since three of my summer skirts have died this year—even past mending; the fabric simply disintegrated. This is what comes of washing something at least once a week for three or four years.). Possibly with embroidery . . . shisha mirrors would be nice, but I plan to wash this fairly often. Winter is coming, and I have lots of time to think about it.

 The middle piece (the solid blue) is something I ordered to make a dress; it was labeled chambray and I expected it to be fairly soft, like shirting . . . but this is rather stiff, even after washing, and the dress pattern requires something with at least some drape, so I think this will become either a skirt or a jacket.

The bottom piece is three yards of fabric my brother gave me . . . oh, at least ten years ago. He bought a bolt of it at an auction somewhere. My original thought was that it would make an interesting coat for a doll (I was considering a Santa) if I added mother-of-pearl cactus buttons, which I had seen somewhere . . . of course, I was unable to ever locate any again, so the fabric has languished in the bottom of a box. Now, however, I have a [decorative] coyote pattern, and I think this will do admirably. I can avoid the sun-faded streaks, and I think I'll have enough left over to applique something for Emma. (Since I, in a fit of god-knows-what, promised many years ago to make her father a stuffed coyote, it's only fitting that she, too, be afflicted with this fabric.)

For now, though, I have a swap piece to finish (begun before my life was devoured by Halloween costumes), and Mom would like to have a vest to keep her shoulders warm this winter (which will involve making a muslin to test for fit, since her only sizing directions were, "oh, large, I think", but she is shorter than normal, so . . . . ), and I need to finish a bag I began making some while ago (also 'before . . . costumes'), and I am finally (after Kai sent me the pattern two years ago) making a crocheted bumblebee bag for some lucky grandchild . . . apparently this will be The Year Of Making Things I Should Have Made Years Ago.

 

 

Work In Progress

My current work-in-progress: it will be a shawl, one of these days. Hopefully by the time it gets cool enough to weear one . . .

 

The pattern is Flying Diamonds by Vicki Mikulak (available here for $2.99). It's a nice simple pattern, a three-row repeat after you get it set up, and I'm enjoying working on it. The yarn is KnitPicks Imagination handpaint, in a discontinued colorway that I believe was called Woodland. I bought seven skeins when it was being phased out; I think this will probably take three and a half or so, so I'll have enough left to make some hats, or a pair of socks, or maybe some fingerless mitts for this winter . . . but first I need to finish this, I guess.

Here's the diamond pattern. I've actually done a lot more than this; these pictures were taken last week, and my plan—hahaha—is to do one three-row repeat a day until I finish. However, the rows are getting longer and longer . . . but I'm about halfway through, I think, and I shall persevere.

Finished Crochet Projects

I finished a couple of projects this week—the first two are baby blankets (the first is 36"x36" and the second, 45"x45") that have been sent out to Pine Ridge Reservation, for the Head Start program. The zigzag one is made from Patons Classic Wool in three colors, and the second (aka Twilight Blanket) from odds and ends of wool and mostly-wool left from other projects, plus a skein or two of bamboo/wool that I just liked.

 

This third one is for Emma (already sent, received, and thank-you-called for); it's her very own personal Minion.

All Red Heart worsted (well, except the gray goggles rims; that's Vanna's Choice), all from The Stash. Even the felt. Directions here—well done, easy to follow, actually turned out right . . . the only thing I changed was the gloves. I had trouble seeing the stitches in black yarn, so I crocheted a separate piece for the cuff and just stitched it on.

All in all, a productive week. And for next week, I have two patterns to test for someone on Ravelry: a baby shoe and a pretty little hat, both in cotton, which can also come from The Stash. Not as much fun as going shopping for yarn, but much, much cheaper . . .

Finished Objects

This is a hat and scarf combo made from KnitPicks Palette (mostly) with some KnitPicks Imagination (Frog Prince, I think; the ball band has departed long since). I'm happy with the hat; the scarf, not so much. I love the way it looks, but I didn't realize that single crochet will curl up on the edges. So, I am now on the lookout for a length of fine wool jersey with which to back it, and I shall pretend that I meant to do so all along. It will be warmer that way, too.

 

This and the following vest were both done for the Ravelympics last month (and I have medals—see them over on the left?). Begun and finished during the Olympics, they're both made of KnitPicks Wool of the Andes, using the In-Vest for Peace pattern. The top one went to afghans for Afghans for their March campaign. I hadn't planned to make the hats, but I had extra yarn . . . and I love these colors! I'll definitely be getting more of all three with my next order.

 

This one is for Wool-Aid, and I'm not sure yet just where it will go. I altered the pattern to make a closed vest, mostly because I didn't have any buttons I liked and couldn't get to the fabric store in time to get any. I have more of these colors, too, so more hats are in the offing. I don't like these as well as the red/green/yellow combination, but I had them in The Stash from a couple of years ago. The reddish was for a shawl that never materialized, and I have no idea what I was planning with the gold kettle-dye. I suspect that it may have looked brighter in the catalog.

Next: finish my February beaded piece for the BJP, and see about making green hats for Brian, Lara and Emma. By next week.

Finished Just in Time!

Just in time for today's below-freezing temperatures and -5 windchill. . .this is the replacement for my late and much-lamented wool scarf (actually, I suspect that I've put it somewhere 'safe' and it will surface about June). It's only a long tube, wide enough to fit over my head and down around my neck. The yarn is Noro Kureyon, which I despise working with because of its thick-and-thin-ness—the thins are really skinny and the thicks are bulky and wooly—but I had six skeins of it in The Stash. I don't remember what I bought it for, but I think I got it on ebay for a little bit of nothing—probably because I love these colors.

 

It's one row of single crochets, one row of half doubles all the way through five skeins. (I still have one skein left; maybe a hat at some point. A small hat.) And it's warm, which was the whole idea—I wore it out to feed chickens and goats this morning, and break ice on their water, and add hot water to everyone's buckets and pools (all of which took half an hour or so out in the wind), and my ears were nice and warm.

I'd love to have another cowl—shorter and not so bulky, that I could just tuck inside my jacket collar, but I haven't found a pattern I like yet. I'm pretty sure I already have yarn for it, though . . .