My Daughters Think I'm Old

Have you noticed the abundance of shawl patterns on Ravelry? There are several groups dedicated to making shawls... and so many beautiful options.  After this ridiculous winter, I've been thinking a shawl would be a nice thing to have around.  Remember, I live in Toledo, OH - winner of the title "Worst Winter" for 2013/2014.  I know you are jealous!

For my first effort, I thought a simple triangle would be perfect.  I had this gorgeous Debbie Bliss Angel yarn in gold, waiting for the right project.  Light and airy - needing a delicate pattern - how hard can it be?  Searching for patterns, I couldn't decide, so I just started making SOMETHING.  It will turn out in the end, right?  

Frogged a few rows here and there... not fun with mohair. Ugggg.  Worked until I ran out of yarn.  It's not done. Needs at least another ball or two to get to an appropriate size.  Since I probably won't be able to match the color exactly, I'm adding an Angel Print - Gauguin.  Now I wait for it to arrive, so I can finish my project. 

So why the title of this post?  I was proud of my work, and I showed it to Thing One and Thing Two. They looked at me with horror and said, "Mom. Who wears a shawl?"  I stared back - blankly. "Seriously, Mom. Tell us. Who wears a shawl?"  My sheepish answer.... "Old people?" 

I protested.... Lots of gorgeous shawls on Instagram and Ravelry and other blogs - being made by people who are younger than me!  They weren't buying it.  There's nothing like young adult children to put you in your place.  

Well, I'm persevering.  Making my shawl. I'm quite pleased with it so far.  And if I can figure out how to make the graphs, I will write up the pattern.  That's a daunting thought!  I've made tutorials and given instructions for little things, but a whole shawl?  Scary stuff! 

Caution: Yarn Porn Ahead

I know I should be ashamed, but I just placed a big order for new yarn.

My justifications (as if any are needed):

• Stylecraft has new colors. I must have them. 
• I'm down to 2 bins of yarn, and starting to run out of a few colors.
• I like yarn.
• Free shipping with an order of $50 or more.
• It's cheaper than drinking.
• Okay, I like wine, too. Maybe I was drinking when I placed the order.... my shopping cart sure was full! 

Here's a little preview:  Gold, Petrol, Stone, Spice - I think they are great additions!  I'm looking forward to putting them next to all my other Stylecraft, and seeing what new combinations I can make.

   

        

I also ordered Merry-Go Round in rainbow.....  Yes - I have a plan for this.

And now, for something completely different...... I'm trying Louisa Harding Amitola, in Tango.  I have a special project in mind for this fingering weight yarn. Pretty gorgeous, isn't it? 

Is anyone else this excited about new yarn?  Seriously! I can't wait for the packages to arrive.

Snowdrop Shawl - Ta Dah!

 Red Heart Boutique - Unforgettable. Colorway: Dragonfly

This yarn is a little on the fuzzy side - so if you don't like working with fuzzy yarn, you might want to avoid it.  For a warm winter wrap, I think it works well.   To me, this pattern came out more like a scarf than it did a shawl, but that doesn't really matter.  

Don't you love these colors?  Dragonfly is a great name for this combination of greens, blues, and purples.  Vibrant! 

When I compare my end result with the original pattern, I think mine came out longer and skinnier. And there is definitely a tendency to pull on the edges. I'm thinking that's probably because I was lazy in the beginning, started this with too small a hook, and instead of ripping it out and starting over, I just kept going. I finally increased the hook size about a dozen or so rows into the project. Yes, I should have started over. I just didn't feel like it! Confessions from a lazy crochet queen. 

Here are a few more pics.... yes it needs to be blocked. No, I probably won't bother.  (Lazy - remember?) For a scarf, I don't want to be bothered!  It's going to be wrapped around my neck, so it shouldn't really matter. 

Quick note - the pattern did not call for a border, but I went around the whole project with a round of single crochet.  I thought it would give the points a little more stability and help with the waviness. 

I'm satisfied with the results! This was definitely a deviation from my usual solid colors. I'm not sure I'll do a lot with variegated yarns in the future, but it was a fun change.  We will have to wait and see how the mood strikes me! 

For more details, and a link to the pattern, visit my project page on Ravelry. 

  

Love-Squared

Love-Squared is an amazing organization in my community.  It provides an opportunity for people to donate 8 inch crocheted or knitted squares that are then combined with other squares and made into blankets for homeless children.  

This summer, we were challenged to donate 1,000 squares by the end of September.  But people are awesome, and we doubled it, donating over 2,000 squares.  Yesterday, the organizer of Love-Squared posted pictures of the 87 afghans that have been completed to date.  

Take a look at what we did!  

Fantastic! Amazing! It makes my heart sing!  You can see lots more pictures on the Facebook page for Love-Squared.  And HERE is a link directly to this photo album.  

Many, many thanks to Leah, for creating this organization and opportunity for "yarnies" (as she calls us) to help make winter a little less harsh for kids in need. If you want to contribute squares, information is available on Facebook.  

Crochet Hook Case

Well, this isn't the most beautiful thing I've ever made, and it would definitely benefit from blocking, but I'm probably not going to bother.  It is functional, and does what I need it to do! Let's talk tools.

I love Susan Bates hooks. Boye hooks irritate me. It's all what you learn with, I suppose. Being a good mom (and Girl Scout leader), I taught my daughters, and all my Girl Scouts to hook with Bates as well.  At one point I had four identical sets of the main 6 hooks - 3.75 mm (F) up to 10.5 (K), plus a handful of extra I's and J's.

I've been good - Thing One and Thing Two each has her own set, and a set went home with one of their friends. Every girl in my troops received a hook and skein during one of our camping trips. I give away the extras at every opportunity, along with a quick lesson or two, whenever someone says she wants to learn. This got me down to my regular pack, plus a pack of 6 tiny hooks - 1.15 to 2.55 mm.

The sets come in a plastic case that worked fine for a long time. They kept them together, made them easier to find and store. Recently, I noticed the plastic was starting to tear. Time for a replacement. It seemed only appropriate to crochet the answer. I spent a lot of time searching for a pattern I liked. No need to reinvent the wheel. I knew I wanted full "pockets" to slide the hooks in, not just loops.

Choices available include pockets or loops, roll-up cases or folding. The folding cases have plastic canvas embedded to create firm sides.  While I like the look of the folding cases, I didn't have plastic canvas on hand, and I certainly wasn't going shopping.  Roll-up it is!  So here's what I came up with:

I followed THIS PATTERN for the basic shape and to make the pockets, but of course, I made changes. The pattern is written for worsted weight yarn. I used DK from my stash, so I added a few stitches to compensate.  My case has 14 tubular pockets for hooks.  

The little fish shown in the top picture is not attached. (You can see him in the basket, below.)  I don't remember where the pattern came from, as he was hooked many months ago. (See what I did there?) The fish holds my needle for weaving in ends, keeping it safe and easy to find. The yellow tie is nothing but chain stitches. It is not attached to the case, since I wasn't sure where I wanted it.  Unattached is working fine.  

At some point, I may make some improvements to this case, but for now, it's doing a fine job. Have you made a case for tools that you really like?  Let me know!  

It's Snowing! Again!

68 inches of snow this winter with 4 more expected today.... one inch short of a record breaking season. Everyone's complaining.... kids have been out of school a ridiculous number of days and all my friends are losing their minds. I don't know how they are going to make up for all the days they've had to take off. I'm thankful my kids are grown.

The first big snow hit early in January, before the new semester started at the University, so I was lucky to have my girls home. We had a great time - lots of tea, baking, knit and crochet projects, and a Lord of the Rings marathon. There's something wonderful about snuggling inside with your favorites while the storm hits.

Just to give you an idea of the amount of snow this is, here's a picture of Gertie, my Newfoundland - Golden Retriever mix, next to the ever-accumulating pile of shoveled snow.  And the little dog is Izzy, also known as the varmint.  We think she has some border collie or sheltie in her (notice the party pants on her backside!) She is smart as a whip - and absolutely obnoxious.  My Golden, Ellie Mae, is hiding in the house - smarter than both these beasties.

See the white fence/railing from the back porch, behind the snow?  It's 4 feet high. Crazy!

The snow doesn't bother me. It's much better than our typical Toledo winter, which is gray and bleak. A weekly dusting (or dumping) of fresh, sparkling, white stuff has made January and February brighter.  It's the super cold I can do without.  It's not bad this week, but January saw several episodes of 25 to 40 below wind chills. Enough of that!

Lots of random projects going on now....

This weekend, I started the Snowdrop Shawl.  I needed something simple and mindless to use up the Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable yarn in my stash.  Originally, I picked up the yarn for my beginner knitting projects, but I found it very fuzzy.  Not good for learning!  It's the yarn I used for my first knitting project 22.5 Degrees, but I'll talk about that one later.  Back to the Snowdrop Shawl...

Because I had a 4 mm (G) hook in my hand, that's what I started using for this project. Well, I knew it was going to be too small.  Consequently, the beginning of the shawl curves a little. I debated about starting over, but didn't feel like it. Tried just crocheting loosely, but that wasn't cutting it so I gave in and changed hooks, increasing to a 5 mm (H). Curling has stopped.  Why the delay? The hooks were upstairs; I was downstairs. I was lazy. There it is. The truth.

This pattern is very easy. Once you get the rhythm down, it just goes. It's a good project to have on hand for those times when you are waiting, and annoyed, because you are waiting. You know what I mean!

The colorway is Dragonfly. I usually stay away from variegated yarns, but I really like the way this looks. It makes me want to experiment with more self-striping yarns.  For this project, the Unforgettable yarn is fine. Like I said earlier, it's fuzzy. Good for a scarf or thick shawl.

I'll have an update on my Crochet Mood Blanket soon, and pictures of another project I've been working on... here's a preview:

Happy President's Day! Time to put the kettle on, and watch the snow fall.

Crochet Mood Blanket 2014

Everybody's doing it!  This is definitely all the rage.  Stacey Wentford-Hall aka "Frofunky" on Instagram started this, having no idea what kind of response it would get.  Visit Stacey's blog for more information.

But here is the basic idea:  you crochet a block a day, or a block a week, based on your mood.  I've seen people take that idea and morph it into lots of different things.  People are making giant granny squares and all kinds of striped blankets - chevrons, granny stripes, mixed stripes.... lots of choices.

Having recently finished two big blankets, I decided to go small.  That's definitely a new concept for me. Besides, I have other plans in mind, and don't want to feel overwhelmed or burdened by this project.  I want to keep it fun.

So, this is what I have so far: mini-hexagons - using colors that reflect my mood at the time. I am using my existing stash of Stylecraft DK - and only working with what I have on hand.

My color choices and moods have been greatly influenced by the death of one of my dearest friends on December 3. She was diagnosed with advanced, metastatic colon cancer in August, and died peacefully at home just four months later.  Donna's favorite color was purple. Blue ribbons represent colon cancer awareness.  Right now, "feeling blue" is something I understand and experience often.  My hexagons mainly reflect my memories of Donna, missing her every day, and a visual representation of my grief. The shades of purple and blue vary in intensity based on which color speaks to me that day.

There are some colors with a different meaning. Red hexies are days that I was angry or frustrated.  Bright pink means I had a migraine.  (There are two of those in the top row, left).  And fiesta pink, which is actually brighter than "bright pink," reflects happiness and excitement (bottom right).

As I move through the year, I suspect some colors may change their meaning.  I'm okay with that.  I will be flexible and try to really let the colors speak for me.

This picture was taken just about 2 weeks before she died.  Donna received an award from our local Girl Scout Council.   At this point, she had been bedridden for months.  Hospice worked a miracle getting her into a wheelchair and escorting her to the award ceremony.  They were amazing!

Donna worked as Marketing Director for our Girl Scout Council many years ago, and that is where I first met her. We met again 7 years ago when we were both running local homeless shelters. She become one of my absolute dearest friends. She was an amazing woman, and the world is definitely a better place because she was here. I will miss her forever.

Donna Perras, 9/15/1954 - 12/3/2013

Final Update - Mixed Stripey Border

I worked hard to crochet my ends in during the project.  I still had a few to contend with at the end, but not too bad.  To me, weaving them in as I go is really essential. It's the worst part of the project - very tedious - and feels overwhelming if left to manage all at once.  But that's just me!

The border: 
2 rounds half double crochet - shrimp, 3 hdc worked in each corner stitch.
3 rounds hdc - aster

3 rounds granny stripe - wisteria, saffron, aspen.
*Work each corner like a regular granny square: 3 dc, 2 chain, 3 dc

Bobble stitch stripe - turquoise background and plum bobbles.

Final - Edie Eckman's Around the Corner Crochet Borders, #133 - fondant and lipstick.  I did a round of single crochet in fondant before beginning the special stitch.  Because of copyright, I can't give the directions, but border #133 is very simple - a series of chains looped and sc in place.  If you don't have this book, it's worth getting.  It has lots of great inspiration.

And that's it!

On Ravelry, there is a Crochet Along (CAL) that will be open at least this year - maybe longer - for people who are making their own version of the mixed stripe blanket.  If you've been thinking about making your own version of Little Woollie's awesome design, I encourage you to join the group.  I am one of the moderators, and know you will get lots of encouragement.  It's a nice group of hookers!  You can work at your own pace - share your progress - and get support and ideas from other people who are working on this project.  It's a lot of fun! 

Big Happy Ta-Dah!

I thought I would never see this day, but here it is! Almost 1 1/2 years after beginning...it's finally done!

My posts with instructions/colors for each row are way behind - and as soon as this blanket comes out of the wash - I'll get that updated.  In the meantime - I think this is awesome eye candy!

Picture Updates!

Squares made by my daughter and students at Bowling Green State University. They yarn bombed the residence hall in December. Now those squares are being donated to Love-Squared.

More progress on circles! 

My daughter is a knitter!

Isn't this gorgeous?  She did a great job.

She is teaching me to knit.  Very challenging! (Ignore the dog hair!) 

Christmas stockings made by my Mom.  She has made 27 of these over the years - one for each of her children and grandchildren, and a few for nieces and nephews.  I can see how her skills have improved from the earlier stocking (made for me 48 years ago) when compared to the ones made for my girls.  They are all beautiful! 

Intricate patterns!  Lots of detail!

I'm still working on knitting.... switched to circular needle and find them much easier to use.  Shortly after taking this picture, I found a dropped stitch. Tried to repair it...ended up ripping out the whole thing and starting over.  Sigh.