Monthly Archives: February 2024

The Last Yards

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I got nervous with yarn chicken on my Mom’s In The Light and started the fringe. Turns out a wee bit early as I could have done at least four more rows of shawl body. But now the edge has been knit, unraveled and knotted. I am NOT going back. The shawl was also supposed to be this size, lol.

So, I am going to do up some tassels to weigh down the edges of the shawl and use up the last yards. These balls are pretty close to 4 grams so I will get fairly robust tassels. I don’t know my mom’s feelings about tassels….so I won’t sew them on permanently until she gives the okay.

If she hates them, I will give them to PB to add to her craft kit. Happy Knitting!!

Blanket On Parade

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Happy Valentines Day!! I woke up to many many hugs from my littles and chocolate for breakfast.

We are back in full swing with all the lessons/appointments/chores. This means my blanket is on parade. So far this week we have done PB’s gymnastics lessons. The warehouse is still chilly so the blanket felt great on my lap!

And of course in the middle of all this, our washing machine broke and developed a leak. So two hours at a local laundromat got me through 2 weeks of laundry and the next advent day mini skein. I think I am on eight or nine? I should count.

This blanket has also been to work, car rides and at least one doctors appointment. I have just fully embraced this is my public life now. Muggles be darned! I did find another crafter at the laundromat, this lady was working a very complicated and lovely cross stitch.

Happy Crochet!

Crocheting Day 7

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The blanket fever continues apace. I even took this to a crafty lunch at work and my coworkers went GAGA over it. I am just now adding Day 7 mini from this 2021 Queen City Yarns advent calendar.

Thus far I am doing okay at managing my edges and keeping a consistent stitch count. Counting the clusters helps. I also find that I must keep eye contact with this project 90% of the time and I can’t watch and craft. So for this project I am re-watching old shows or listening to media to compensate.

I adore the contrast stripes, but find I am 40% way through the blanket days and over 50% done withe my full skein. I have been weighing to watch the yarn disappear. I may have to go stash diving to find something that compliments this to help me get through all 24 days….

Happy Crocheting!

Pin Update

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It’s been a minutes since I got out my bag of stitch markers and assorted progress keepers. I tend to use a small subset of what I have and that is a shame! I also purged the top of my dresser and found 8-10 new enamel pins I needed to add to my collection

My mom made me this simple canvas pouch that is perfect for pin holding. And the tools inside are not at all bothered by the backs on the inside. I would never store yarn in something like this, that would be a nightmare of snagging.

I just need to keep working on filling out the back! PB tells me that she loves the tinkling sound it makes when I carry it and it shakes. She says it like an inside windchime!

Happy Knitting!!

2024 TBR

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PB asked me to go to the Library so she could play ABC mouse and Library toys. I happily obliged as it has been SUPER cold this winter and we are all getting cabin fever at home. By luck or coincidence, it was Library sale day!

I found seven books that needed to come home with me. I found a new series to start (top 5) and old series to revisit (2nd from bottom) and a random book I picked because of the cover (bottom). All of these cost $14….

I don’t know when I am going to find time to read between my craft goals, working hours, raising kids and taking care of my health. But I am going to put these on my bedside table to motivate me 🙂

Happy Reading!!

A New Tool

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A package arrived this week with a new crochet tool. I did some looking around on Etsy for an ergonomic crochet hook and I found this one local-ish to me. I found the AMysticalFarm out of Missouri and loved how quickly the hook would get here.

The hook really feels good in my hand and fits better than the metal one. It also warms as I work and that is nice as well. Not to mention it is gorgeous.

The hang-up is that this hook is not a great fit for this granny stripe project. I am having trouble with grabbing the yarn and splitting the yarn. I am a lot slower with this hook. Probably just need more practice with it or need to dry a different yarn? But for now I want to ZOOM on this blanket so I am going back to my metal hook and going to find a cushion grip to slip on it.

Happy Crochet!!

Halfway (Ish)

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My blanket mojo is making it hard to work on other projects but my Mom really wants this shawl so I am making sure it gets some love as well.

This is In The Light and I have made it three times before so I am very comfortable with this pattern. Normally this would call for fading but I skipped this to use the yarn my Mom bought. I may be playing yarn chicken…so I am keeping track of my balls of yarn and where I am in the pattern. The edging starts at like 180 stiches and I am at 90 something.

I probably won’t be able to knit the full pattern but I should be able to knit to a stitch count that fits the multiple needed and still add the edging. This will just mean it will be a tid bit smaller, which won’t affect its warmth at all. I just need to keep knitting!!

Happy Knitting!!

Moody Blues

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Progress is slow on these socks for the second go around of this yarn. But I have reached the moody/blue section of the fade.

I got a little irked as I found a dropped stich on one these back in the greens. I had knit SO FAR past it that I could not possibly ladder it back up. I slipped a stich marker on it and during a lunch hour I dropped down the row next to it to fix it. I combined that dropped stitch with a good stitch and then laddered back up. And on the next round I just increased one where I lost that stitch.

One stitch won’t affect the overall fit. Just a little mad that I didn’t notice. I will give myself grace that these live loose-ish in my purse and take a lot of abuse. They are faring well considering all that!

Happy Knitting!!

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

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This granny stripe blanket is quickly becoming an obsession. It it literally the only thing I want to work on all day long.

This new skill is really itching something in my brain that is brining so much dopamine. I have just started the day 3 mini skein. And I actually really like how the red/green/white stripes are looking between the minis.

I am working on this so much that my hand is hurting a little bit. So I have added some stretching, compression gloves and I have looked online for more ergonomic crochet hooks than this Joann’s $2 special. But in the meantime….I’ll be crocheting!

Dusting Off The Wheel

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Finally getting back to my spinning wheel after months long hiatus. My last spin was some Spotted Circus and so I am going back to some of the 4 ounce fiber I had from a club.

This is some WoolFiend fiber in a 85/15 Polwarth and Silk blend. It’s name is called Lovin’ Feeling but I am calling it Frosty Roses as it looks like lovely red roses and it’s currently colder than a witches elbow.

    I split my braid in half and I am spinning half on on bobbin and I’ll take the second half and flip the other way and spin. Then take both halves and ply for a lovely barber pole. Again, I’m not a trained spinner. I just do what my fingers and body know how to do and I take the yarn as it comes.

    I was a little rusty at first, but the muscle memory came back quickly. I just need my blanket fever to subside so I have time for all my crafts!

    Happy Spinning!!