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.