Monday, August 27, 2012

Yarn Stash

I had a long weekend this weekend, thanks to Hurricane Isaac.  Tampa Bay was expecting tons of rain and heavy winds, but the Hurricane went further west than the original forecast models predicted.  My employer had cancelled work for Monday.  Last time we got a lot of rain, my work was like an island, where the parking areas were completed flooded, even the road in.

So, I decided to work on a project that I have been meaning to do for some time now.  The online knit and crochet database & fiber community, Ravelry, allows you to enter in your patterns, yarn, needles & projects.  I had previously entered in my patterns, magazines & books.  This weekend I entered in all of my stash yarn.


Here is a bin of my oldest yarn.  I have had some of this yarn for years, that I even moved from Mass with it.  I swear I will use it one day.  There are some unfinished objects (UFOs) in there that I have full intention to rip out and make better use of the yarn.  Someday...


Here is a picnic basket full of one skein or half skeins of yarn.  This mostly houses the leftover yarn from my completed projects.  It also has my metal straight needle collection.  My cat, Roo, is dying to jump in that basket.


Here is a small basket of yarn from projects that I have recently completed and don't have room in the bin or the picnic basket.

I need to start stash busting.  Some ideas I have are to make scrap scarves, striping with different textures of yarns.  I did a bit of that for the Trio Scarf and the Quintet Scarf. I have other patterns that would look nice with multi textures and colors.  I also want to make a scrappy throw blanket where I would knit different blocks of different patterns and sew them together.  It would be so kitschy; I would love it.

I have a few knitted Christmas gifts to get through (I'm limiting it to just a few) and then I may just start on some scrappy scarves and throws! 
 

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Star Baby Blanket - Part 3

Hooray!  I finally finished the Star Baby Blanket!  This took me about 2 weeks, I think I started on Aug 4, which was a Saturday.

Here is a close-up of a corner:


I did have to go out and buy one more skein of each blue, but I only went around the blanket with one set of two rounds with each.  These skeins will join my bin of stash yarn.  I was trying to stash-bust using yarn I already had, but alas, I'm left with the roughly the same amount.

I will have to make scarves as gifts to stash-bust these skeins.  Anyway, here is the final picture:


It came out very nice.  It's not perfect, but I think that one won't even notice.  If you look real close, a skilled crocheter will pick out the irregularities, but the layperson...doubtful.  I will send this blanket as a gift soon.

I am now at a loss of what to work on next.  I have yarn for projects, but I fell like if I'm going to make a few gifts for Christmas, I should get knitting or crocheting now and put my personal projects aside until Dec/Jan.  Doing that, I then feel some anxiety that I must do the gifts and pick a nice project or the recipient will not like it and think it some ole granny gift.  

I will think it over and you shall see in my coming posts, what I decide to work on next.  Have a great week!

Related Posts:

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Star Baby Blanket - Part 2

I have been working on the star baby blanket from last week's post and I am about 60% done.  So, I will show what I've been up to, then I gotta go!

Here it is so far:


I figured out what I was doing wrong, which was pretty much nothing.  I just connected it at the top of the chain on that 3rd round and went with it.  The next round I made sure that I crocheted the proper quantity of double crochets.  

I have been alternating between the colors so that you can see the star/ripple pattern better  I have about 13" done from the middle to the point.


I need to crochet until I have 20" from the middle to the point, giving me a 40" diameter, when complete.  I am running low on the two blue yarns, so I will figure out how many more rounds I need to do in 7" and see if I can squeak by with what I have or if I will have to buy another skein or two of the blues.


Here is a close-up of a star corner.  The blues I am crocheting two rounds and only one round with the cream.

I hope to finish today or run out of yarn so I can be at the position to buy more during the week and finish it up by next weekend.

Would love to chat more, but I gotta get hooking!

Related Posts:


Sunday, August 5, 2012

Star Baby Blanket - Part 1

I have one more baby blanket to make.  This one is quite a bit late, but it'll come.  I wanted to try something new, like always.  I chose a cute star-shaped baby blanket pattern and started it the other evening.  Then I ran into a road block where I was doing something wrong and I can't figure it out.  Again, as usual!

Let me introduce the pattern: It is called "Pipsqueak Star Blanket" from Bernat and it is crochet.

Picture from Bernat's website

Isn't it adorable?  I thought it looked easy and it is marked as a 2 out of 4 skill level. 

I am going to use Loops & Threads Country Loom (100% Acrylic) in a light blue (Ocean Tide) and a brown/blue mix (Landscape), in addition to Bernat Soft Boucle (97% Acrylic, 3% Polyester) in a natural color. 


My issue was with Round 3, in which I am left with a gap before I connect to end the round.  I redid it several times and still a gap.  


I don't get it.  So, above was my first attempt.  I should have 6 points, for one thing and I only had 5 and not enough room for the 6th.  After fooling around with it for a bit, I decided to try it with regular yarn so that I may see all the stitches.  I was thinking that maybe it was the yarn and I could not see the stitches in order to count them correctly.


My next attempt with regular yarn, still yielded a small gap.  I have 6 points this time, at least.  I have put a call in with my sister and she left me a message that the pattern was working out fine for her.  Of course it is!

I will try and try again until I can get it right.  So, enough typing, I need to get hooking!

Related Posts: