Baby Boy Gifts

There are two couples in our church expecting baby boys anytime now. For one couple, this is their first baby. For the other couple, this is their second boy. So needless to say, I had fun making "baby things" from yarn for gifts. The first couple had a shower a few weeks back, and I gave them this crocheted blanket (1-2-3 stitch) and a matching knitted hat.

For the second couple, they are having a "box shower" for them at church tomorrow. This means there's a big box in the entryway, and people can leave their gifts in the box. Then the couple will take the gifts home, without having an actual shower "get-together." (They live a ways away.) So for them, I'm giving a crocheted blanket (alternate rows of SC and DC, bordered by SC), and a couple of crocheted hats in "boy colors."

Ruffles

Hadn't worked with "lace" yarn before, until recently. You knit the edge of it, and it makes a ruffly scarf. Fun!

A Knitting Kit

Today at the thrift store, I found a Lion Brand "Learn to Knit Kit" for $2.00 It was all brand-spanking new, didn't look like it had even been opened.

I wondered if perhaps someone thought it was missing a needle, since only one was visible on the back side? But the other one was "hiding" inside, between the skeins of yarn and the front label.

This is why I got the kit - the beautiful, indigo-colored yarn. :)

Here's the kit all opened up.

It has yarn, knitting instructions, patterns, knitting needles, and even a plastic darning needle for weaving the ends in when you're done (poked through the label in the photo).

Another look at the gorgeous yarn, which I am going to have fun making something with, either from the pattern provided, or maybe something else entirely. What a fun find this was. :)

Thrifty Finds

Some recent finds from the nearby thrift store:

Some chunky white and dark yarns.

A big skein of "gold" yarn.

Three skeins of some neat southwestern-colored yarn, kind of thick, and I've already about finished working this into a "bolero"-sized shrug.

A ball of patriotic-colored cotton yarn.

From the cotton yarn, I made two patriotic-colored dishcloths.

One Finish, More to Go

Ahhh .... got the "Wingspan" shawl done! It was FUN, I like how it turned out, and I want to make another one.

Also, I'm still working away on the "Cashsilk Fern" scarf. It's getting easier and easier as I go along. Just don't anyone talk to me while I'm working on it, it's a complex pattern (to me anyway), and I get mixed up easily if I get distracted! But I LOVE how it's looking.

Flying by the Seat of My Pants

I'm the type of person who likes directions and a pattern that tells me exactly what to do by steps.

Here awhile back, I came across a "wrap" knitting stitch on YouTube that gives a long, stringy effect. The more wraps you take, the longer the stitch "strings." I thought it looked like fun.

So ... though I tend to like to stick to rules and patterns and directions, I'm knitting a "decorative scarf" using this long stitch. I'm not using a pattern. I'm pretty much free-wheeling it ... unfamiliar territory for me! But I'm sticking with just a basic knit stitch plus the "wrap" stitch. So far, I like it, and it's turning out exactly as I pictured it. No pattern, I just knit however many rows, then make a long stitch row with whatever length seems good. It's supposed to be kind of haphazard-looking, in an organized way. Woo-hoo!

Knitting Progress

I'm happy to report good progress (for me) on a couple of my main projects right now.

First, I'm having a lot of fun knitting this "Wingspan" shawl. Today I reached the halfway point (four triangles out of eight), and started the second skein (ball) of yarn. This is easy and fast to knit, but turns out looking very impressive and "modern art"-looking. Different yarns give a different effect - it's been fun to see others on Ravelry and on the 'net.



This next project is probably the most challenging one I've attempted to date. The "Cashsilk Fern" scarf has a very lacy pattern, but it's not as intimidating as it first appears. After getting into the pattern, I'm actually enjoying it. Yet I have to really pay attention to the rows in the pattern repeat, and where I am in each row. I definitely like how it's going so far. And each time I go through a pattern repeat (only twice so far), it gets easier. So maybe I'll really start sailing along the next few times I work on it!

Fingers Were Made Before Knitting Needles

Came across some "finger knitting" videos on YouTube, so I just HAD to try it. Talk about fun and quick! Hilarious.

Knitting in progress:

Finished decorative scarf:

I used a small leftover ball of Homespun "Purple Haze." It's thick and soft, and was fun to do with this method. Must ... make ... more ... a great way to use leftover yarn!

Two New Projects

Like I need two new projects! I counted on my Ravelry project page and I have TEN "WIPs" (Works-In-Progress). But nevertheless, they're started. And I'm enjoying them. I seem to be moving into a "challenging" phase in knitting - pushing myself to learn new stitches and such.

This first one is called "Wingspan." It's a small shawl made of offset triangles, ending with an overall curved shape. The new things for this project are knitting a triangle shape, and adding on cast-on stitches. This photo shows the start of it. Earlier this evening I finished this first triangle, and started on the second. The pattern calls for eight triangles, but you can customize this shawl however you want with more or less triangles and such.

This pattern called for size 4 circular needles, but I don't have such a critter in my knitting tools. I had size 4 straight (flexible plastic) needles that were my mom's, so I started on these. But I realized I was REALLY going to need the length of the circular needles as the project wore on, so I started over on the smallest circular needles I had, size 8. So far so good, I like the looser feel it has - the size 4 was almost giving a dense, "carpet" feel to it. So this may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

The second project, also just started, is awesome. I wanted a "lacy" scarf of some kind. I found this pattern called "Cashsilk Fern," and loved the viney-lacy pattern in it. Since I learned yarnovers in recent times, they don't intimidate me anymore. It called for size 3 needles. I was sure I had everything but size 1, but I can't find the size 3's for anything. So .... I picked up the size 4 flexible-plastic needles "discarded" from the other new project, and cast on. Only one size difference will hopefully not be too much. So off I go with probably the most challenging project to date for me ... this photo shows the beginning of what I hope will turn out to be a fun, pretty scarf.

Barely cast on:

Getting a good start on the beginning rows and I'm LOVING the pattern:

Both yarns are "Shimmer" by Red Heart, "Purple Haze" for the "Wingspan" shawl, and "Lime" for the "Cashsilk Fern" scarf.

Morning's Work

This morning's yarn work all lined up ... along with some iced coffee!

Trying to get very brave and jump into something very, very challenging ... knitting socks. The new things in this project will be knitting with DPN's, and that "heel area" on the sock that is intimidating the snot out of me! But ... I'm ready to try!

Shawl Finish and Flowery Granny Square Start

Talk about taking a break! Almost 3 months ago, I posted about the "Splendid Triangle Shawl." So, above is the finished shawl. Since the yarn was thinner, it turned out smaller, sort of like big scarf. But I enjoyed the pattern, and learned a lot. Will post some more other things done lately, but for now, here is the most recently-started project, a pattern I found on YouTube called "Loopy Granny Square - Flower." I really like it, and hope to make an afghan out of a bunch of squares, and maybe put it in the local fair in August.

Compromise

For a long time, I've wanted a crocheted or knitted shawl. But I'm nervous about complicated patterns (especially knitting), so awhile back, I found a very simple crocheted shawl. This is it in a yellow yarn.



But I wasn't thrilled with it, so put it away for the last week or so. Well, at wallyworld yesterday, they had "free pattern" sheets hanging on the yarn shelves, so I grabbed one, and got some homespun yarn to see if I could tackle it. I came home and got started on it. It's knitted, and it's called "Splendid Triangle Shawl," by Lion Brand Yarn.



Recently I made a knitted cowl. It was my first time to use circular needles, and my first try at the "yarn over" stitch. It all turned out pretty good. Well, this pattern calls for circular needles (though just knitting back-and-forth, not clear around like I did the cowl), the yarn over stitch, and now another new thing I'm learning: MARKERS. I was really intimidated, but once I went through several rows and saw how easy that was, it's a breeze now.



BUT ... two different times I messed up somehow on getting going on this knitted shawl. So I ripped it out twice. Also, since I wasn't happy with the yellow crocheted shawl, I ripped it, too.


Now we have a compromise: Reusing the yellow yarn in the knitted pattern. That homespun-style yarn has a lot of "substance" to it, being thicker and wavy and all. Maybe it will help to knit with this plainer yellow yarn, and I can see better how everything works. THEN, I may get motivated to try it in the homespun yarn again.

Scrap Mat

Using cotton yarn to make dishcloths, each ball has made two dishcloths with a bit of yarn leftover. So I have a lot of "bits" of different colors of these cotton yarn scraps. So ... I picked several that went together, and crocheted us a new bath mat for our bathroom. Sure takes the chill off the tile floor! Still have lots more scraps in lots of colors, so will have to make some more, maybe for the relief sale as well.

Project and Stash Update

I finished a scarf for a friend. It's made out of Lion Brand "Homespun," in "Pearls" color. As I was finishing the knitting, it was twisting (as usual) as I went back and forth on the rows. Usually I untwist it every few rows, but at one point I'd let it go quite awhile, and this was the result.


"It's a twister! It's a twister! Auntie Em! Auntie Em!" (Name the TWO movies you might hear that line in!)



All nice and proper now, with the fringe added.



And ... a little more cotton yarn for the dishcloth pile, which I'm still having a load of fun with. Small, colorful projects to ease the dreariness of winter? JUST what I need! These two colors are "Sweet Pea Stripes" and "Candy Colors."

New Yarn and a Find

I acquired a little more yarn today. These first two are new:


Homespun yarn in "Mimosa."




Several skeins of Caron Simply Soft yarn in "Baby Brights."




Then, this bunch of yarn was spied in the thrift store, and the cost worked out to about 50 cents a skein. I fell in love with the color. It looks like it's been through rough times in storage or whatever - not sure how it's going to act as I wind it all into neater balls. But it's EXTREMELY SOFT acrylic yarn by Giovanni, and the color is "Shimmering." So we'll see what will come of this, but it'll be interesting for sure!

Yarn and Project

I'm having a blast making dishcloths for the relief sale. They're quick and colorful. Which are two things VERY IMPORTANT to me right now in this kind of endeavor!


Here's some more cotton yarn I got - the colors (L to R) are "Oasis," "Rose Is a Rose," and "Sandstone Stripes."




Here's a finished knitted dishcloth made with the "Oasis" yarn. I did a little different, and included interspersed "yarn-over" stitches, which make a pattern of small holes. Just something a little different from the straight-knitted ones.

Soft, Soft Yarn

This will be a comfy baby blanket of some kind. I'm trying to make some baby blankets to have on hand for gifts. We had 5 weddings in our church this last summer and fall! Ya never know when a little one will be on the way.

Colorful Binding Off

Got the "Hot Cocoa"-colored dishcloth done, and was binding off. I noticed the combination of browns with the dark pink-red needles. I like different colors of knitting needles and crochet hooks, and will use certain ones with certain yarns, sometimes making it easier to see. I thought, "Yeah, pink and brown kind of go together." Then I looked at my PJ pants - pink, with (brown) chocolate donuts all over them. So here's a picture of the whole pink-and-brown conglomeration. Now I need spring-green or baby-blue PJ pants to match the other dishcloth that's almost done.

Finishes, Starts and Continuing On

Finished another dishcloth, started two more.




Finished a granny square afghan-throw. Two more continue to be in the works.

A Time for Everything

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven ... A time to rend, and a time to sew ..." (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7)


I know this isn't "sewing," but these are the verses that I thought of as I ripped some crocheting so I could use the yarn for something else.


I'm using up yarn on hand, and needed more of that dark blue. I found something I'd started, and realized I didn't care to finish it. So I ripped it and will crochet it into the "Granny Square Afghan" I'm working on in the background of the above photo.

Adding to the Stash

To some, it may appear that knitters/crocheters in some cases may be a little bit obsessive. I know I am - it's as if my fingers and my brain MUST be making all this stuff. One obsession that may stand on its own is the simple obsession with YARN. It's just as bad as having "inumerable" projects going at the same time. You see neat yarn, and you HAVE TO HAVE IT. "It'll be perfect for such-and-such a project," you tell yourself. So you buy it and add it to the variety of yarn already in the house.


I've been having a blast making simple, cotton dishcloths for the relief sale next fall. It's a nice way to have something quick and simple to pick up and knit on, without having to think too much. OF COURSE, as I use up my current stash of cotton yarn making these, I need to replace that yarn so I can go on and make more. So .... I got a few skeins of yarn at wallyworld the other day. Some nice yarn for a couple of scarves (also for the sale), and some new colors of the cotton yarn.



Needless to say, I've been happily knitting and adding to the pile. This is all so colorful and cheerful to look at when it's drab and wintery outside! I intend to have a HUGE pile of these to send when it's time. These are a lot of fun to make.