Wrapping Up the Final Wrap-Up

Does anyone wanna see the newest finished blanket?

Because I DEFINITELY want to show it to you.

Dark Blooms by Cori 2012

Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Black (4 skeins), Dark Orchid (1 skein), and Cherry Red (1 skein)
Hook: US H

These are just basic granny squares with three rows of color in the center surrounded by three rows of black. I attached them to each other by single crocheting the edges of the squares together (through the back loop only) using the colored yarn. Then four rows of border (black, red, purple, black) in the granny shell stitch.

Easy peasy.

But oh my goodness, isn't it beautiful! Not gonna lie, this may be one of my favorite blankets that I have ever made. It's smaller than my usual fare, only a throw, but it is going to be perfect for cuddling up on the couch during the upcoming winter months.

No more blankets to make this year, yay! Now I just have to tackle my laundry list of smaller projects. First up is a few things for a care package I want to send out (a crocheted scarf and a few ewoks). Next a pair of leg warmers I've been commissioned to do and then hopefully I can full steam ahead on that shawl. I've only got three pattern repeats and the edging left, so there is light at the end of that particular tunnel.

So I would say it's going pretty well on the yarn front right now. Ask me again in a month, we'll see if I'm still on the same page.

Past, Present, Future

Remember when I mentioned that I had done another small quickie project but couldn't show it to you?

Well, it was another Ewok, part of my sister's birthday package. I am rather happy with how he came out.

Oh Look, Another Ewok by Cori 2012.

Pattern: Ewok Star Wars Mini Amigurumi by Lucy Ravenscar (available for purchase at Etsy here)
Yarn: remnants from my stash
Hook: US E

I decided to try using the smaller hook for this one, and I like how it turned out, so I think I'll keep using that size for future Ewoks.

I am told that my nephew tried to appropriate this little guy when he arrived at his new home, so he was definitely a hit.

Currently I am very close to finishing my last blanket of the year (HUZZAH!!!), as in, I will probably finish it later today. As in, I only have one row of the border left. I am kind of in love with how this has turned out. It is just simple granny squares but I played with the colors a little and tried a different method of joining (as part of the color play) than I usually use. I can't wait to show it to you guys!

Next up, I have a few more Ewoks to make. Don't look at me like that. I have a lot of friends who like Star Wars, and of the amigurumi patterns I got for that, these guys are the cutest/quickest/easiest to make. So, yeah. Expect lots of Ewoks in the future, is all I have to say about that, I guess.

I also have a special project in mind for a friend of mine that will finally give me an excuse to use this awesome yarn:

Nerd Girl Yarns Shimma in Stargate colorway.

Then a few other small projects left on my list for the year. If those go over well, I want to make a new pair of fingerless mitts for myself, a pair for my daughter, and then try to squeeze in a pair of socks or a sweater for myself. Oh, and that shawl, of course. We shall see how all of that goes.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Just A Bit Giddy

Okay, well, first off, I finished the penultimate blanket, whoo!

Sunshine and Roses by Cori 2012.

Pattern: Granny Ripple by The Lazy Hobbyhopper (available for free here)
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red, White, and Bright Yellow (3 skeins each)
Hook: US I

I am overall very happy with how it turned out. I was kind of worried that the color combination in stripes would make it look like a flag, but after the first few repeats that feeling went away. I really do like these colors together actually.

So. One more to go! This one is just gonna be basic granny squares and I am thinking I will play with using a chain to join them rather than sewing them together. I gather it is actually pretty easy, I've just never done it before. But I think I've got a good tutorial saved somewhere in my bookmarks.

I did also finish one small quickie project on Friday, but I can't actually show it to you just yet.

In other news, Friday I was reading the Yarn Harlot's blog and she mentioned that she would be in Texas speaking at MadTosh today. I clicked on the link because I just recently discovered a MadTosh down the street from me and wondered if she could possibly mean that specific store.

She did.

After a giddy round of jumping up and down and making sure someone was available to watch the kiddo tonight, I managed to secure myself a ticket to the event.

You guys. I am SO excited about this.

So, that's what I'll be doing tonight. I need to dig out the socks I made for my daughter last winter and take them to see if I can get a first socks picture with her. Fingers crossed!

Hoping you are all having a fantabulous Tuesday!

And, At Long Last...

I know you guys are either sick of hearing me talk about it or eagerly looking forward to seeing it (or perhaps a little bit of both). So, at long last I present to you...

...the dragon blanket!!!

Watchdragons by Cori 2012.

Pattern for the Dragon Panels: Dragonscarf by Ravelry user Tina13 (available for free if you have a Ravelry account)
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Soft Navy (four skeins), Light Blue, and Coffee (two skeins each)
Hook: US J

Everything is just straight up double crochet with a little color work for the edging, dragon panels, and center stripe. It took me just under two months to make (and a whole lot longer to plan). I am fiercely proud of this thing and I know that it will be well-loved in its new home.

Every couple of years I get a really cool concept idea for a blanket. One that challenges me and really stretches the limits of my own skills while teaching me new things. This was one of those blankets. It's one for me to remember with pride for the rest of my days.

So, there you have it. Now, I am going to take a break by working on some super simple patterns for the next few (several) projects!!

Inching Ahead, More Or Less

Oh man, I have very very little progress to report today. My daughter and I got whacked by a big ol' stick of summer cold last week and as a result I really didn't do a whole lot on the yarn front (or on any other front, to be honest).

I did manage to finish two projects.

One of them, I can't show you yet, because it is a present and has yet to be gifted.

The other is the blanket I was making for my daughter.

Snuggle Time by Cori 2012.

Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Shaded Browns (four skeins)
Hook: K

It's just a huge granny square. I did one row too many so the border is just a cluster of five single crochet in each chain one space around (with a slip stitch in the middle of each cluster). You can't really see it in the picture, and I really couldn't get a good shot of it (because of the aforementioned cold and my addled brain), but I am most proud of the detail on the left bottom and right upper corners. All I did was (chain ten, slip stitch in third sc of cluster) five times. It's a cute little almost flower effect though.

My daughter truly seems very pleased with the blanket, and she is slowly starting to realize it is her blanket for cuddling out of bed, so that is all for the good too.

Other than that, I did a few rows on Color Affection (finished the second section--one more and the edging left) and the small project I can't show you. Now I am back to the dragon blanket. Hopefully I can get some marked progress made on it this week.

Room to Grow

So, for Christmas my daughter received a My Little Pony nightgown set that included the nightgown and a pair of matching slippers. She adores the set but her favorite part is the slippers, which she calls her "pink shoes."

As I am sure you can imagine, six months of hard wear by a toddler has taken its toll on the slippers. The nightgown is still holding up pretty well, though like most things my daughter owns, it is now way too short (all legs, that one, she's gonna be trouble later on). I noticed a little while ago that the slippers were starting to come apart at the seams in a few spots and realized they were not long for this world. So I decided to try to make the kiddo a replacement pair of slippers.

Just A Little Big by Cori 2012.

Yarn: two skeins of remnant Red Heart Super Saver
Hook: I

I totally winged the pattern, but it was inspired by the knit slippers that my mom has made for me since I was a kiddo myself. I let my daughter pick the yarn for her slippers out herself, and she very much enjoyed trying them on as I made them (to check fit and see how much I had left to go). Once I had finished the first one she happily wore it as she waited for the second to be made.

My hope was that by engaging her in the process of making them she would take to them as replacements for the "pink shoes" a little more quickly. It has more or less worked. She seems to prefer her "green shoes" (as she has dubbed them) for when she's hanging out in the house and her "pink shoes" at night for sleeping. I'll take it. I've sewn up the holes in the pink slippers, so hopefully they'll last for a bit longer.

I really like how these came out, and I've tried twice to start a pair for myself but the magic doesn't seem to be happening on a larger pair. Give it time though, maybe the third try will be the charm.

In other news, I've started the next blanket and work progresses, if slowly, on my Color Affection shawl. It might be done by the time the weather actually cools enough for me to wear it...

Dimensions in Space (progress shot) out at a ball game.

Judge Me By My Size, Do You?

In between all of my blankets (and sometimes during) I have been trying to keep myself from getting bogged down with lots of quick smaller projects, as you know. One of those recent projects was a birthday present for a friend of mine.

Yoda by Cori 2012.

Pattern: Yoda Star Wars Mini Amigurumi by Lucy Ravenscar
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Honeydew, Buff, and Coffee (with some black for the mouth and safety eyes)
Hook: US G

Oh my goodness this little guy was so easy and quick to make! I think he maybe took two hours, and hardly any yarn. I will definitely be making more of him. The pattern has also been updated since I purchased it to include a removable robe, which I think is pretty spiffy. Now I just need to figure out how to crochet a teeny tiny lightsaber to go with that. I don't think it will be too hard.

I have several more Star Wars amigurumi patterns from the same author (I bought them in a package deal), so I look forward to making a little Darth Vader or storm troopers for future Yodas to fight with. Maybe I can figure out how to modify the storm troopers to make them clone troopers like in The Clone Wars.

Huzzah for small, quick, and fun!

Better Than Coffee (For Keeping You Warm At Least)

I managed to tick another blanket off of my list, leaving only four left for the year (knock on wood).

This one was a wedding present for my cousin. He just got married this past weekend to an absolutely wonderful girl who I think makes a fantastic addition to our family.

Anything But Neutral by Cori 2012

Pattern: Iowa Throw Afghan by Frances Burgess (from Blue Ribbon Afghans From America's State Fairs)
Yarn: Red Heart Classic in Shaded Browns (12 skeins)
Hook: US J

I will note that the dimensions weren't exactly what I expected for a throw--it ended up at about 72" by 40", which is a lot longer than I would have expected for that width. Something to remember for the next time I make this pattern, to be certain. Also, apparently (as you can see in the pictures) for just about one skein the variegation lined up with itself instead of staggering. I, of course, did not notice this until after I had finished and was photographing the blanket. I think it's okay, it just makes it a little quirky, not unlike the couple to which it was gifted. Still, a good reminder that working with variegated yarn on a large scale can have unexpected results.

Overall though I am really happy with how this turned out. As I mentioned in a previous post, the colors remind me so much of coffee and cream, and that makes the blanket seem extra warm and cozy, which should be perfect for cold Midwestern winters. Also, the really really cool thing about this blanket is the texture. It is all double crochet and front-post double crochet, so it has a fun tactile aspect. This was actually the reason I chose this pattern, because my cousin has severely impaired vision and I wanted him to be able to enjoy the feel of the thing.

All in all, I'd call this one a win. I am cruising along through the last baby blanket on my list and after that only three more full-sized blankets to go for the year. By which point it will be time for me to start thinking about what kind of holiday gifts I might be planning to make...

It's a never ending cycle, but at least it's an enjoyable one.

Checking Off Another One

Ooh, I love the feeling of completing a project! Taking pictures and updating it as "finished" on Ravelry give me a nice warm fuzzy feeling. Even better, I then get to share it with you! So, here you are, hope you like it!

Spring Roll by Cori 2012.

Pattern: Circles to Squares Afghan* by Shiri Mor
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Real Teal (8 skeins)
Hook: J

*If you are familiar with the pattern (or clicked over to the link to see it), you might be wondering why I am listing it for this blanket, since clearly, this is not a blanket consisting of many squares and colors. I actually had a completely different ripple/chevron pattern picked out for the blanket but I got about three rows into that and realized I would not be able to keep it up for the long haul without a) hating the blanket fiercely, and b) going more than a little nuts. I wanted something simple because this yarn is so soft and pretty I didn't want to distract from that. So, I decided instead to make a glorified granny square, but with a little more elegant twist. I worked square number three from the Circles to Squares pattern (minus the color changes) and then instead of finishing off and making more squares, I just kept going. So basically, double crochet all around, super simple! But it features this nifty little wheel in the middle:

It kind of puts me in mind of the center of a flower, and as the color makes me think "spring," I thought that was appropriate. It's a wedding gift for a couple that has been through some very rough waters over the past year and come out together on the other side even stronger. So I like the spring/floral theme that I am feeling for this blanket. It represents the start of a new life, full of all of the hope and promise of a new season. I don't know, maybe I am reading too much into it, but sometimes when I am making these projects, those are the kind of things that go through my mind. I can tell you that this blanket is imbued with a lot of love and hope for good things for this couple. It is just going to be a blanket to them, but that doesn't diminish the love I put into it, if that makes sense.

Anyhoo, for the border I wanted something that felt leafy, and after a a bit of searching online, I found one I thought was perfect. Kim Guzman offered up this border for a blanket made of friendship squares, but it worked quite perfectly for this project too. Since I already had a solid base of double crochets, I just worked rows five through seven of the border. I am super happy with how it came out.

I will definitely be keeping that border in mind for future projects. It was simple and fast and looks very nice.

So, now that I've crossed that off my list, I am back to my two lingering unfinished projects--the scarf and the sweater--as well as six more blankets. I've got the yarn for two of those and I bought swatching yarn for the dragon blanket, so I am in good straits there. My plan is to focus on the scarf and get it knocked out in the next week or so before I jump into another blanket. Then I can figure out what to do about this poor sweater! So, lots to do, as always. But approaching the pile doesn't seem so daunting with a freshly finished project under my belt, I can tell you that!

Happy crafting friends!

Hello Everybodeeeee!!

One of my favorite childhood storybooks was The Monster At the End of This Book, featuring Sesame Street's lovable furry old Grover. With my daughter's full-on conversion as a Sesame Street fan, I watched closely to see how she would react to Grover. While Elmo is undeniably her favorite character, she also clearly enjoys Grover's antics.

So, I felt the time was right to get her a copy of Grover's beloved story for her very own. When I bought it, I also purchased its recent sequel, Another Monster At the End of This Book, which features Elmo as well as Grover. (I was actually surprised by how cute it was, too--it captures the spirit of the original while putting a new spin on it and making it more relatable to today's Elmo-crazed youth.) I also bought her this guy:

Lovable Furry Grover!

Because, really, the best way to enjoy a Grover story is with a stuffed Grover of your very own. (She already had her own stuffed Elmo, of course. Three, actually.) Baby Girl has enjoyed both stories and her Grover doll quite a bit since we got them. After she had owned Grover for a little while, I noticed something. Her favorite thing to do with with Grover is to help him "fly." She'll aim him at something, cry, "Up, up, and away!" and then launch the fuzzy critter at its target.

The doll flies about as well as the actual Grover does, for the record.

Anyhoo, I am sure this is because more often than not these days, when Grover appears on Sesame Street, it is as Super Grover 2.0 rather than as plain Grover. This gave me an idea. I got it into my head that if our Grover was going to be flying (or attempting to do so) with so much frequency, he should have a cape to help him out. So, I made him one.

Grover's Super Cape by Cori 2012.

Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Glamour in Ruby Red (one ball) and Red Heart Classic in Pumpkin (one ball).
Needles: US 5 Circular
Hook: US G

I just kind of winged it with this one, starting from the bottom and working my way up, decreasing as I saw fit and working until it was long enough. Afterward, I took the orange yarn and chained fifteen stitches then single crocheted across the top of the cape and chained fifteen more stitches before finishing off. I used the Vanna's Glamour because a) it was the right weight for what I wanted, and b) I think every superhero needs a little bit of bling in his getup, and this yarn has just the right amount of shine. Also, c) it's not like I have any other projects in mind for the stuff.

All in all, I am pretty happy with how it came out. I think that Baby Girl is enjoying it as well. Though with her current preference that all of her dolls be naked (seriously, what is up with that?), I don't know how long he will keep it on...

Here are a few action shots for you to enjoy:

Grover seems to approve.

Um, pretend he's flying, here. Or that he's just landed. Awkwardly.

Up, up, and away!

Super Grover to the rescue!

With that, I will leave you to your Tuesday. Happy crafting, y'all! This week, I start Blanket Number Two, whee!

Add An Extra Shot of Cozy

With my first blanket of the year finished up and The Scarf still in the works, I had a few quick small projects I thought I'd knock out before starting up blanket number two. The first of those was a cozy for the lovely new Kindle I received as a Christmas present.

Kindle Cozy by Cori 2012.

Pattern: Easy Laptop/iPhone Sleeve by Neesha Edrupt
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver (two balls from my stash)
Hook: H

That "easy" in the name of the pattern? Yeah, it is no joke. All there is to this pattern is a basic chain and then single crochet down each side and around until you hit the desired length. I worked this up in a couple of hours. I probably could have eventually come up with doing it this way on my own, but I did look at several patterns online, knit and crochet, before deciding to go with this one, so credit where credit is due, eh? This is a great stash buster project too. I used two strands of regular worsted weight together to make it a bit thicker and sturdier. It also has the added bonus of giving it that cool visual texture. I love projects where I can use two (or more) strands at once! They have to be small and pretty mindless pattern-wise though, or I get a bit sidetracked.

Without the Kindle.

Sliding it on in. It's like a nice little sleeping bag for my reader!

Now, the fit on this thing is entirely customizable, of course. I made mine a little more snug than I probably needed to, strictly speaking. I could have added one more chain in the foundation to make it slip in and out with a bit more ease. But I wanted it to be snug. This is not for quick and easy access, but rather to keep it out of the hands of my lovely darling daughter and away from the paws of kitties who don't necessarily bother to look where they are stepping when prowling on the furniture. Also, this will keep it from getting scratched up if I throw it in my purse or another bag. I like that, a lot. I did toy with the idea of adding handles, either at the top, just working them right into the pattern, or along the side, just crocheting a strap and attaching it. In the end though, I decided to just leave it as a sleeve. I am pretty happy with how it turned out.  I might have to make one of these for my netbook as well, come to think of it.

Snug as a bug and safe from kitties and babies.

Peekaboo!

Huzzah for small quick projects! I love when I can just knock one out in an afternoon. It is a wonderful feeling, let me tell you. I've got one more in the works that I should be able to show you next week. I think you'll get a kick out of that one, too. After that, it is on to another blanket. I added a new one two more to the list this week too, but that's okay. I am really digging this schedule I've got going right now, so hopefully I won't be experiencing a blanket-related meltdown in the next few months. We shall see. We shall see.

I am wondering what the repercussions would be if I sent out a general request to my friends and family to stop procreating/finding the loves of their lives/finding their dream homes--just for the next year or so.... Of course, when I put it like that, I can only be happy that the people I love are all so happy and just tell myself to shut up and pick that crochet hook back up. After all, it really is just silly to complain when my blanket list is so big for so many happy reasons.

One Down!

Kicking off 2012 with a bang, I am already done with my first blanket of the year, huzzah! I finished it up this past weekend. Here, take a gander:

Earthstar by Cori 2012.

Pattern: Granny's Ripple by Jean M. Roush (available in Blue Ribbon Afghans From America's State Fairs: 40 Prize-Winning Crocheted Designs)
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Aran (one skein), Buff (two skeins), and Cafe (two skeins)
Hook: US N (9.0 mm)

As I mentioned before, I really do like the construction of this blanket. It starts out with nine small granny squares, but you attach them as you make them, so there's no sewing together of squares. Then the body of the blanket is worked in the round after that. It's spiffy. Here's a closer look at the center detail.

The border is a series of small (one-round) granny squares, again attached as they are made, and then a row of single crochet around the granny squares. Here's a detail on that for you.

All of the rows done in the round are done in the back loop only, which gives it that cool ripple effect (hence the name). I have to say, I really love this pattern. I could see easily scaling it down for a tighter weave too by simply using a smaller hook and adjusting the number of rows and border granny squares. This one is really light and open and came out to be about six feet across at its widest spot. Should make a very cozy blanket for curling up on the couch.

Now, this is the second blanket I have made using a pattern out of the Blue Ribbon Afghans book, and I do have to register one small complaint. For some unfathomable reason, when listing the required supplies to make each pattern, they only specify the weight of yarn (sport, worsted, etc.) and the number of ounces. No brand name is given, nor the yardage. This is driving me nuts! If you are not going to give me the yardage (which gives you a much more accurate idea of how much yarn to buy), at least tell me what brand the creator used so that I can look up the yardage/ounces ratio and make an educated guess when purchasing my own yarn. I mean, yes, I still highly recommend this book if you are looking for some awesome crochet blanket patterns to add to your library. But I do want to make you aware of this eccentricity at least. Maybe this doesn't mess with other people as much, but it is throwing me off. For instance, when I made this blanket, I ended up needing to buy three extra skeins of yarn despite checking my gauge faithfully. I also know I didn't get in as many pattern repeats as the instructions called for. Now, with this second blanket, I followed the ounce requirements given, and this is what I had left over after finishing the blanket:

For those counting at home, that's four full skeins (28 ounces), and three remnants. That's a lot of leftover yarn. I'm not complaining too much about that though, I am sure it will all come in handy eventually. I actually think I already have a project in mind for at least some of it. So there's that. Still. Weird.

Anyhoo. Still working on the scarf (of course), and then I've got two little quickie projects I am hoping I can get done this coming weekend before I jump into blanket number two. I am enjoying the forward momentum. Fingers crossed that I can keep it going.

Approved By Kitties and Coris

Despite the two unfinished projects lingering in my yarn cubby, mocking me, I have actually been making some progress on the yarncraft front.

There is, first and foremost, this beautiful item:

Hearth and Home by Cori 2011.

Pattern: Irish Afghan by Nancy Sheck (available in Blue Ribbon Afghans from America's State Fairs)
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Buff Fleck (15 skeins)
Hook: I (5.5 mm)

Here is a closer look at the pattern:

Bobbles, bobbles, everywhere!

This pattern was not hard, but it was time consuming, and it rather involved paying more attention than I like on such a large project. Still. Holy cow, worth it. I was almost sad to have to give it away, but not really. I mean, yes, I will probably never make this pattern again (at least not in a blanket, although I think it could be adapted for a really nifty vest). It is possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever crocheted. But how can I be sad that it went to a home where it is already loved this much?

It has clearly gone to a good home. For those wondering, this was a wedding present for my youngest brother-in-law and his new wife, who were married the weekend before last. (As far as I can tell, they seem to like it too.)

The pattern itself wasn't difficult, like I said, it just took a lot of time. This is primarily because the whole thing is basically single crochet all the way across. It was a row of single crochet, then a row of embellishment on the right side of the blanket, then single crochet, then embellishment, and so on. All of those bobbles and front post single crochets and puff-stitches don't add anything to the actual length of the thing. I will note I made two modifications to the finishing of the blanket. Well, three. First off, it called for twenty-four pattern repeats. I think maybe I had sixteen or eighteen, but it was definitely long enough. I also modified the border, just doing two rows of single crochet around instead of the one row of single crochet and then switch to a larger hook for a fiddly bit. Lastly, the pattern called for fringe, and I don't do fringe. (Unless I am making a reproduction of something specific, as in a scarf from a movie or show.) As it was, I barely had enough yarn to finish and I bought three more skeins than the pattern called for. I swear my gauge was right on, but I still didn't come out with the same amount of yarn required by the actual pattern. Sigh. Oh well, such is life. I had enough to finish the blanket I was making, and that's the important thing.

After I finished that I made some pretty decent progress on that project that I wanted to finish by the start of December, though I am still nowhere near finished with it. Sigh. The problem is that it is a scarf and it is knitted. Apparently knitted scarves are my kryptonite. I can get in about a week of working on them diligently and then I have to just put it somewhere that I can't see it for a while. I get bored, I get annoyed, I get distracted. I go buy more yarn when my closet is already overflowing with the stuff...yeah. I had to set it aside when the month started in order to begin a Christmas gift. I was feeling pretty badly about that, until I realized that the recipient's birthday is early next year, but still a few months away. So. New goal. That will be her birthday present. I will work on it for a week or two in between bigger projects, or as a break from things I need a break on, and hopefully it will get done in time. Then, I will ask you all to kindly shoot me the next time I say I want to knit a scarf. (Except for when I finally get around to making myself that Gryffindor scarf....)

The Christmas gift is, thankfully, crocheted and is already working up quite nicely (as I write this I am about 3/4 done with it). The pattern seems simple but has a really nifty little catch to the primary seam. I am using a wonderful yarn, and it calls for a blessedly huge hook. I seriously almost cried tears of joy when I saw that the pattern called for a size K hook, I kid you not.

So that's where I am on the crafting front. Things are looking optimistic (unless you happen to be my poor KAL sweater, which is still only about half of a back--but it will get finished one day, I swear, hopefully before it gets too warm to wear it again).

+2 To Productivity

Well, I've hit the home stretch on my blanket, huzzah! I might, might, just finish it this week. We shall see what we shall see on that front. But it is looking good, my friends, looking good. I absolutely love this pattern. It is gorgeous. I will likely never use it again though. Because, well, dang. Very time-consuming on top of the normal time consumed in blanket-making.

I did cave in and take a day out last week to make myself that pair of fingerless gloves I was thinking about. They turned out to be pretty fantastic, actually.

NaNoWriMo Mitts by Cori 2011.

Action shot!

Action shot (the sequel)!

Pattern: Idony Fingerless Gloves by Sarah Francis
Yarn: Red Heart Wintuk Sock & Sweater in Grape (1 Skein)
Hook: E

These worked up very quickly. There was one little confusing bit in the pattern in regards to how the increases were written, but it was explained pretty quickly in the comments on the blog where the pattern was posted, so that didn't slow me down much at all. I even found a use for that super fun random vintage Red Heart sock yarn my mother-in-law gave me. There is enough left over that I can probably make a matching accessory of some sort, possibly a hat, though I will save that for a later day.

I am pleased as punch with the finished project. I have been thinking about making a pair of fingerless gloves for quite some time now but have always hesitated because I remained unconvinced they could actually do much good in the keeping my hands warm department. I am glad to say I was wrong about that. These work like a charm to keep me comfy in my chilly office. I am considering them my NaNoWriMo good luck charm, as I am already doing ridiculously well on my word count (more than a little ahead of where I need to be at this point). Of course, I need to keep the story itself at a sustainable pace, but that's another issue entirely.

Nonetheless, these turned out wonderfully and that made me very happy, which in turn gave me a little extra boost of motivation with my blanket, which also made me happy. Circle of happiness, yay!

Okay, gonna go try to get something creative accomplished. Until next week, folks.

Reprioritizing

Well, I don't really feel like I got a whole lot done this past week on the yarn front. The blanket is moving along, and I did get a small project made, but I didn't get very far at all on my sweater. That last one has more to do with the fact that my daughter's molars are coming in than anything else. She has been having trouble sleeping, and Friday night was particularly bad. The lack of sleep made me just worthless on Saturday and I totally gave into lazy-mode. Which of course meant I had twice as much to do on Sunday and therefore got less done yarn-wise.

I don't know why I ever think it is a good idea to have multiple big projects in the works at once. I mean, yes, it is nice to be able to take a break from something to pick up something else, but when you get to a certain point, each one just starts distracting you from the others. Sigh.

At this point, I have three things I am working on. Only one needs to be done by a specific date, but I would like to get the other two done by the end of November. I think this is possible, but I could be totally kidding myself. Once those are finished I only have two must-do projects on my official list and one want-to-do. One of the must-do items can totally wait until the start of the year, so there's that.

Here is my priority list as it stands for what is in the works now:

1. Blanket (I am 1/3 of the way done with this and might just buckle down and plow through and then pick up the other two projects once I am done.)
2. KAL Sweater (Still slogging along on the back on this one.)
3. Secret Project (This is actually ridiculously easy, which, unfortunately, means it is not very engaging. I just need to find some good television or movies to burn through while I work on it and it should go pretty quickly.)

Once December rolls around I will pick up Must-Do project number one (because it is a Christmas present) and put whatever else I am still working on from the above list on hold if necessary. It is a crochet project so I think it will go much more quickly for me, thankfully. Depending on how much of my sweater and other project I have left, once I finish the Christmas present, I might or might not attempt to make my daughter a pair of socks for her Christmas stocking. Her feet are small, so those should go by relatively quickly even with the learning curve involved. That's the plan, at least. 

If, by some miracle, I managed to finish ALL of those projects before December is out? I would like to make myself a vest. Then when January rolls around, I will start off the year with my last must-do item, a blanket for one of my cousins, and then I shall dive into SOCKS. 

Yup, got it all planned out. This means that you, dear readers, are now free to sit back and enjoy watching my plan fall completely to pieces. Feel free to laugh as things go all pear-shaped. It's okay, I won't mind. I was totally asking for it anyhow.

To end things on a good note, here's that small project that I did manage to finish off this week. I made another Ninja Turtle hat for my friend's daughter. 

Red is for Raphael.

Pattern: Meh, totally winged it.
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Dark Sage (1 skein) and Red Heart Classic in Cherry Red (1 skein)
Needles: Size 8

My friend thought red would be the best color for her daughter, so red is what we went with. I was a little put off by the contrast between the yarns at first (I used what was in my stash), but I actually ended up really liking it. The mask is not part of the turtle's head, after all. It makes sense that it would look and feel different.

I also am much happier with how the eye holes on the mask came out, as well as how the attaching of the mask to the "head" ended up looking than with my first turtle hat. For the eyes, I ended up just binding off at the holes and joining a new strand of yarn for each separate section until it was time to resume knitting across. This did mean that I had three strands of yarn attached this work at one point, but only for like three rows, so no real biggie. It was a good practice lesson for the neck shaping on my sweater, actually. When I attached it, I actually overlapped the last row of the head and first row of the mask, with the mask on top, and just back-stitched it on. I think it makes it look more like an actual mask, so I was very pleased with that.

I got my daughter to sort of model it for you, too, so I'll leave you with that. Have a great week! Hopefully I'll have more progress to report next Tuesday.

Mom, I really don't know what you are doing but you're
interrupting Planet Sheen.

Fine, if you're going to make Daddy hold me still insist,
I will pose for a picture. Sheesh.

One Skein Wonderings

Well, I almost chickened out on Sunday, but in the end I managed to make myself go to the Sunday Social at my local yarn store, Jenning Street Yarns. It was a little more crowded than I had hoped it would be (and, apparently, more crowded than the owners had expected) but it was still nice. I jumped into a few conversations here and there, but not too many (I didn't want to just butt in). Mostly I just sat and knit quietly and listened. It was good though, and I am glad I did it. I definitely want to try to go back next month.

I was also very good and managed not to buy any yarn, even though several skeins were calling to me. I did pick up a few things, however. I felt it would be rude to come hang out and not buy anything. I needed another row counter necklace, so I picked one of those up. I also snagged a pattern book of baby afghans to crochet, Leisure Arts #5260, that I had been eyeing on my last visit. Of course, I couldn't get past the stitch markers at the checkout counter without picking a few of those up too, sigh. One of these days I will be able to resist.

I had hoped I could find a book of patterns for one-skein projects while I was there, but didn't see anything. I have several random skeins that I have picked up here and there and have no idea what to do with, so I thought they might make for some nice one-skein projects. Looks like I will end up taking my mom's advice and looking up each yarn in Ravelry to see if I can get any good project ideas (and pattern links).

For those that are curious, here's what I've got in my One-Skein Stash.

Cascade 220 Heathers, color 9443.

Picked this one up from Craftsy. I really need to learn how to resist their "deal of the day."

Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, Dusty Eggplant.

This one came to me from my mother-in-law when she was cleaning out her own stash of yarn, as she very rarely crochets any more.

Cascade 220, color 8339.

Another Craftsy "deal of the day." I think I might see if I can combine this with the Cascade 220 Heathers skein, the colors will look really nice together. I just need to figure out what to make with them.

Cascade Kid Seta, color 837.

Y'all, I have no idea what to do with this yarn. Seriously. This was included in a surprise box from, you guessed it, Craftsy. It is a silk/mohair blend, which I have no use for in my life. Sigh. It is nice and soft, and I don't want it to feel unloved. I think I am going to just have to see what I can find in the ways of patterns for this one and make a gift for someone else.

Red Heart Wintuk, Grape.

This is another one from my mother-in-law. It is awesome and vintage. It's labeled as a "sock and sweater yarn." I want to make something really nifty with this.

Wisdom Poems, color 571.

Finally, I have this Poems from my mom's stash clean-out. I love the name of this yarn, and it makes me want to use it to create something whimsical. We shall see what I can find!

Ideally I would like to use these one-skein projects as quickies in between some of my bigger projects. That way I can feel like I am actually making progress on something and use up some of my stash before it grows sentient and decides to assume full control. I mean, let's face it, it's not like I can't pretend it doesn't have an unnatural amount of control over me already. It's really only a matter of waiting to see if I can keep it from taking over completely at this point.