October & November report!

Somehow with Halloween, my son's birthday and Thanksgiving I never posted a report for October - so instead here's a 2 month progress report...

My plan for October was to "whip some WIPs" and start some new CALs. These included 3 WIPs (Floral Fantasy Pullover CAL, Tennis Sock CAL, and Colinette afghan kit) and 2 new CALs (Felted Memo Bag CAL with crochet challenge and Jacob's sweater CAL with crochet-a-long) and if possible to start on vests for the kids.

My plan for November was to "whip the WIPs" I never got to in October and start some the CALs that I never started. These included 2 WIPs (Floral Fantasy Pullover CAL, Colinette afghan kit, and dh's socks) and Jacob's sweater CAL with crochet-a-long (start date 10/25, LOL!)

So here's what really happened:

1. The Floral Fantasy Pullover CAL at Crochetville began October looking like this. By months end it looked like this but then remained unassembled for several weeks. Finally in a post-Thanksgiving push, I finished my version, complete with all the usual pattern modifications. My dd has already claimed the unused collar as a scarf! Status = 100% complete.

2. Tennis Sock CAL - I have no motivation for summer socks right now. Officially shoved to UFO status until Spring.

3. Colinette afghan kit - I did manage to get a few more rows in on this one. New photos will appear soon. Status = 35% complete.

4. Felted memo bag - Yahoo crochetchallenge bag CAL. I grabbed a hook and began this on 10/16 using KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Hyacinth, Hollyberry and Fog, and a K hook. Here it is as a new WIP, again crocheted but not sewn, and finally pre- and post-felting. All done in about a week in October! It still needs the strap added. Status = 99% complete.

5. Peter's Jacob sweater - a CAL at Yahoo crochet-a-long using RH Medium Spruce. This was finally officially started on 10/25. I started it on 12/2.

Sidetracks in October included
6. Dot's little ditty bags - I started these on a whim for my twin 9yo nieces birthday , and sent them off with appropriate "9yo girl stuff" inside them. I used RH 'Dark orchid' and 'Light Fuschia' with a 5.0mm H hook. Status = 100% complete.

7. Fur-trimmed poncho and beret - I made these two sets for a friend of my dd and her big sister. Status = 100% complete.

8. Pink perfection vest - except Abby chose white. I started this in mid-October and finished it within the week. Status = 100% complete.

9. 'Oxford Style' socks (Crocheted Socks!) - In an attempt to appease my dh (and because I really want to make these for him, but don't tell!), I started his socks using my 3.25mm Addi E hook and Patons Kroy Socks in 'Windsor Tweed' with Silja in 'dark charcoal' for contrasting cuff, heel and toe. Status = 25% complete.

Sidetracks in November included three more projects:
10. Baby It's Cold Outside - another Crochetville CAL enveloped me...that and Abby needed a fall jacket! I had some Antique Homespun and a skein of beautiful dark silver gray Simply Soft for trim. So it was a stashbuster finished in just a few days!! Status = 100% complete.

11. Fall into Fall Vest - from Kimane designs for Alex using Caron Simply Soft in Dark Sage. I started this in early November and finished it within the month, not quite in time for his birthday, but almost. Status = 100% complete.

12. Prayer/Healing Shawl - an impromptu stashbuster (Barrington Homespun - leftover from the ponchos) for my ds' teacher's aide who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. I used this Lion Brand pattern (made in one direction though, not out from the center in 2 directions). I was in such a rush to give it to her, I forgot to take a picture... oops! Status = 100% complete.

All in all, a prodcutive two months!

Westminster fibers: more yarn!!

Thanks to a post from Nancy at Crochet Partners I heard about this fantastic yarn sale at Westminster Fibers. They are the distributors for Gedifra, Jaeger, Rowan & Nashua Handknits yarns. Apparently they are closing the NH warehouse and moving to North Carolina. According to them this was a sale not to be repeated, ever. It was amazing. I didn't have as much of a plan in my head as I did for the JCA yarn sale, thus I'm actually thinking I may not have purchased enough yardage of certain yarns for adult sweater projects. This of course would mean my kids get more things! (Since all but one are machine washable, it's certainly possible). Anyway, here's the loot...

Schachenmayr nomotta 'Micro' - 100% microfiber, 160 yd/50g, 6st/inch. I have 10 skeins (1600 yds) of this pretty blue multi. It looks like 3 ply twist of light, medium & dark blue. I currently have no thoughts for this sportweight yarn, just couldn't resist it at $1/skein.

Jaeger 'Aqua' - 100% mercerized cotton, 115yd/50g, 5.5st/inch, $1.50/skein. I have 20 skeins (2300 yds) of this soft navy cotton. My first thought is some version of the the Sassy Shells Tank from Crochet Magazine July 2006 issue.


Gedifra 'Cotton Merino' - 52% Merino wool, 48% cotton, 110yd/50g, 4.25st/inch. This pretty purple yarn (top in photo) was so soft I just had to buy 20 skeins (2200 yds) and at $1/skein it didn't even hurt a bit! One possibility is Crochet Me Purple Haze, but this calls for DK, so I'll have to check guage etc.

Gedifra 'Wellness' - 60% cotton, 40% acrylic, 121yd/50g, 4.5st/inch, $1.50/skein. I have 10 skeins each (1210 yds) of 2 colorways (white and a pale dusty rose) of this soft cotton yarn (center in photo). These are most likely headed toward some more summer tops... yet to be determined. I think I'll have to go search out some more Drops Tops! With the limited yardage, however, I may consider some sort of spring cardigan for Abby instead.

Gedifra 'Florida' - 50% cotton, 50% acrylic, 143yd/50g, 6st/inch, $1/skein. I have 10 skeins (1430 yds) of this darker, dusty rose yarn. It is also wonderfully soft, and is itching to become something..... maybe some sort of spring cardigan for me...

Classic Yarn 'Soft Tweed' - 56% wool, 20% viscose, 14% polyamide, 10% silk, 87yd/50g, 3st/inch, $1/skein. I have 10 skeins (870 yds) of this luscious yarn in a purple/white tweed (top left). I grabbed it at last minute, when I touched it and decided it was a steal that was calling to me for Abby. Of course it is the one yarn that's not machine washable! Nonetheless, I see a warm sweater in her future...perhaps a few sizes up when she wears less of her food!

Rowan '4 ply soft' - 100% Merino wool 191yd/50g, 7st/inch, $2/skein. I have 20 skeins (3820 yds) of this beautiful light blue fingering weight yarn (top right). It is incredibly soft, and I think will surplant previous yarn possibilities and become that Spring Green cardigan from Annie's Attic also called Lacy Diamonds. That would take 2400 yds. That leaves another 1400 yds for a kid-sized vest or sweater.

Regia '6 ply Tweed' - 70% wool, 25% polyamide, 5% viscose, 137yd/50g, 5.5st/inch, $1.5/skein. I have 10 skeins (1370 yds) each of the green tweed and the grey tweed (bottom left and center). I grabbed this yarn thinking it was thin sock yarn, and while it could be used for heavy socks, it's not fingering weight yarn. So... now I'm thinking it could be used for some vests or sweaters in Jenny King's For the Boyz pattern booklet.

Jaeger 'Matchmaker Merino DK' - 100% Merino wool, 131yd/50g, 5.5st/inch, $1.75/skein. I have 10 skeins (1310 yds) of this muted olive green yarn (bottom right). I think there will be enough to make a vest for my dh from Jenny King's For the Boyz pattern booklet.

So there it is, all 18690 yds of it! Oh yeah one more thing... another book for the shelf! I own her 2nd Aran sweater book, but I didn't have the first. Now I do!

FO: Floral Fantasy Pullover

The Floral Fantasy Pullover is a CAL at Crochetville. I definitely tweaked this pattern a bit by the time I had finished it. I changed the yarn, the hook size, the method of joining motifs, and the edging stitch. I ended up dropping the flared sleeves (no motif B) and skipping the collar entirely.
Yarn & Hook: I used 2 strands of Sirdar Salsa DK - a merino wool/acrylic blend, in place of the super bulky mohair/acrylic blend, with a 7.00mm hook. The sweater is made with motifs to be joined at the end. The super bulky recommended yarn makes a 7.5" Motif A with a J hook. Using a K hook (which actually measures 7.0mm) I was able to get the square to just over 7.25". I decided to go with that and use the shoulder and side gussets of the large size (instead of medium).
Joining: As someone at the 'ville suggested, I used a "join-as-you-go" method for assembling these motifs - anything to decrease the number of ends is a good thing!
Edging: With my 2 strands of yarn the 5 dc scallop edging was just too heavy and forced the sleeves (even without the larger motif B) to flare too much for my liking. Instead I simply put 3 sc in each loop to add a little weight to the sleeve ends and sweater bottom edge.
Sleeves: I used 2 motif A instead of the larger motif B at the end of each sleeve. I also modified the underarm gusset so that I began it at the middle of the 2nd motif, crocheted toward the underarm (joining to the side gusset), turned and then crocheted a 2nd sleeve gusset row from the underarm toward the cuff. On the 2nd side of the sleeve, I used this 2nd sleeve gusset row to seam the sleeve.
Collar: Try as I may I just couldn't get 4 motifs (particularly my slightly smaller motifs) to form a collar and lay nicely as the picture shows. I decided to just leave off the collar and added a few rows of arch stitch to tighten up the neck opening. I realize now that I didn't put the edging on the collar. I think it would be too heavy.
In the end this sweater fits a bit too tightly on me for my liking. In 2006 I regained about 15 of the 50 lbs I lost in 2005. I'll model it after I lose that 15!

Fall into Fall vest

I just finished my son's vest - not quite in time for his 7th birthday, but better late than never. I love the pattern, which is not surprising because the designer writes wonderful patterns. (Hi Kim!!) The pattern is Fall into Fall vest from Kimane Designs. I used my Brittany 5.5mm I and 5.0mm H hooks and about 10 oz Caron Simply Soft in Dark Sage (about 1/3 of 2nd skein remains). For those of you who pay attention to these things, yes this is the same yarn I used to make my Jiffy Jacket AND it's the same designer! I still have another 6 skeins of this yarn left so look for it to appear on some other wearable in the future! It's a tad big on him - I always forget he's not currently expressing my family's "tall" gene - maybe he will someday! I made the small 6X/7 size so he can grow into it. The XS 4/5 would probably have fit him now but not next year. The good news is he loves it. I think I'll make the pullover vest I plan to make him a tad smaller.

Newborn BICO with Baby Yarn

Baby It's Cold Outside is another Crochetville CAL that I joined. This pattern is written for 6 or 12 months using bulky yarn. The pattern copyright allows for derivative works as long as credit is given back to Julie Holetz, the original designer.

That said, unlike the size 6 jacket I made, this is a theoretical pattern! I have NOT crocheted it. I wrote it up to help a villager who wanted to use baby yarn.

Her gauge: 36st = 8 in; 4 rows = 1.5 in.

For a newborn, I wrote this so the finished garment would have the following dimensions
Length: 8.5" (top of shoulder to bottom edge)
Sleeve length: 6" (from sweater body to wrist)
Sleeve circumference: 7" (flattened sleeve is 3.5" wide)
Body length: 5" (before sleeves begin)
Width: 9.5" (so chest = 19")
Neck opening: 3.5" (should be about 1/3 of width)

Pattern modifications:
Ch 43
Row 1: as written - 42 hdc (chain for desired width, here ~9.5")
Rows 2-13: as written for rows 2-9 - 42 hdc
Row 14: as written for row 10 - 42 hdc (here 15 rows should the desired body length of ~5")
Row 15: Adding sleeves (use chain number to achieve desired sleeve length, here 6") - ch 27 , follow row 11 as written, ignoring chain numbers, ch 28 (one more chain than other side)
Row 16: as written for row 12 - 94 hdc
Rows 17-25: as written for rows 13-19 - 94 hdc, until garment measured ~8.5"
Row 26 (WS): Creating the neck opening - Hdc for 39 st, Sl st in 16 st, hdc for 39 st (you should hdc for the sleeve length plus 1/3 of your back width, sl st for 1/3 back width, then hdc for the sleeve length plus 1/3 of your back width)
Rows 27-30: similar to rows 21-22; hdc across 39 hdc. (this is making the sleeve + shoulder area - the number of rows should give you the desired length of neck opening - here rows 26-31 should give me about 2.25in - if you think the neck opening is big enough after row 28, then add the chain 16 at row 29 instead of row 31 and continue with 53 hdc through row 35)
Row 31: similar to row 23 - adding chain for right front panel. Hdc across 39 st, ch 16 (chain number should be the number of stitches you sl st in for the neck)
Row 32: as written for row 24 - 53 hdc.
Rows 33-35: as written for rows 25-27 - 53 hdc. (ends right sleeve)
Rows 36: as written for row 28 - 27 hdc.
Rows 37-50: as written for rows 29-38 - 27 hdc. (fasten off when "front" side = 8.5")

Pick up for left sleeve (and shoulder) -
Row 1: as written for row 1 - 39 hdc.
Row 2-4: as written for row 2 - 39 hdc. (again if you think the neck opening is big enough after row 2, then add the ch 9 at row 3 instead of row 5 and continue with 47 hdc through row 9)
Row 5 : as written for row 3, except ch 9. (shoulder completed, ch to add left front panel)
Row 6: as written for row 4 - 47 hdc.
Rows 7-9: as written for rows 5-7 - 47 hdc. (left sleeve finished)
Row 10: as written for row 8 except hdc in first 21 st (half the width of your back)
Rows 11-24: as written for rows 9-18 - 21 hdc (fasten off when "front" side = 8.5").

BICO - size 6 sweater jacket

Baby It's Cold Outside is another Crochetville CAL that I began on a whim as a stashbuster...that and Abby needed a fall jacket! I had some Antique Homespun and a skein of beautiful dark silver gray Simply Soft for trim. I used a K hook that is closer to 7.0mm than 6.5mm, roughly 2.75 skeins of Homespun and a bit of Caron Simply Soft (single strand with K hook) for the edging.

The pattern is for 6-12 months, it was fairly easy to modify, but it took a little bit of attention when crocheting as I was modifying it on the fly. I made this for my 4.5 yo dd, who wears mostly size 5 now, but I wanted this to be a sweater jacket. I looked a a bunch of loose fitting sweater patterns and made what I thought would be a roomy size 6. I made the neck too big and modified it after the fact (homespun is forgiving). The pattern I have written corrects the neck size.

My finished garment has the following dimensions (including 0.5" edging on length measurements):
Length: 17.5" (top of shoulder to bottom edge)
Sleeve length: 12.5" (from sweater body to wrist)
Sleeve circumference: 10" (flattened sleeve is 5" wide)
Body length: 12.5" (before sleeves began)
Width: 16" (so chest = 32", with bulk yarn though)
Neck opening: 5" (should be about 1/3 of width)

My gauge with Homespun matched the pattern as written.

Pattern modifications:
Ch 41
Row 1: as written - 40 hdc (chain for desired width, here 16")
Rows 2-21: as written for rows 2-9 - 40 hdc
Row 22: as written for row 10 - 40 hdc (here 23 rows gives the desired body length of 12" - garment length minus sleeve width)
Row 23: Adding sleeves (use chain number to achieve desired sleeve length, here 12") - ch 30 , follow row 11 as written (ignoring chain numbers), ch 31 (one more chain than other side)
Row 24: as written for row 12 - 100 hdc
Rows 25-37: as written for rows 13-19, until garment measured 17" - 40hdc (here this gives you the total garment length and the sleeve width)
Row 38 (WS): Hdc for 43st, Sl st in 14st, hdc for 43 st (you should hdc for the sleeve length plus 1/3 of your back width, sl st for 1/3 back width, then hdc for the sleeve length plus 1/3 of your back width)
Rows 39-42: similar to rows 21-22; hdc across 43 hdc. (this is making the sleeve + shoulder area - the number of rows should give you the desired length of neck opening - here rows 38-43 give me about 2.5in)
Row 43: similar to row 23 - adding chain for right front panel. Hdc across, ch 16 (chain number minus 2 should be the number of stitches you sl st in for the neck)
Row 44: as written for row 24 - 57 hdc.
Rows 45-51: as written for rows 25-27 - 57 hdc. (ends right sleeve)
Rows 52: as written for row 28 - 27 hdc.
Rows 53-74: as written for rows 29-38 - 27 hdc. (fasten off when "front" side = 17")

Pick up for left sleeve (and shoulder) - with homespun, the RS-WS pattern is not apparent, so I followed the pattern instructions - if I were to use ww yarn, I would follow the RS-WS pattern and use a chainless foundation when adding the sleeve

Row 1: as written for row 1 - 43 hdc.
Row 2-4: as written for row 2 - 43 hdc.
Row 5 : as written for row 3, except ch 9. (shoulder completed, ch to add left front panel)
Row 6: as written for row 4 - 50 hdc.
Rows 7-13: as written for rows 5-7 - 50 hdc. (left sleeve finished)
Row14: as written for row 8 except hdc in first 20 st (half the width of your back)
Rows 15-36: as written for rows 9-18 - 20 hdc (fasten off when "front" side = 17").

WIP explosion... again

I haven't even started the "scheduled" CALs because I've been sidetracked off my sidetracks...yes I'm that confused! I had another WIP explosion the last week in October so here's the WIP status report...

First old WIPs:
1. Floral Fantasy Pullover - progress = 90%. This CAL at Crochetville is STILL all laid out waiting for me to attach the sleeves, add underarm gussets, attach the neck and crochet the trim.

2. Tennis Socks - progress = 25%. Sock CAL at crochetsocks. No motivation - it's a summer sock.

3. Colinette yarns afghan kit - progress = 30%. 5 rows more than this photo, but untouched for too long.

4. 'Oxford Style' socks (Crocheted Socks!) - the long awaited socks for my dh were begun...

New WIPS:
1. Baby It's Cold Outside - another Crochetville CAL enveloped me...that and Abby needed a fall jacket! I had some Antique Homespun and a skein of beautiful dark silver gray Simply Soft for trim. So it was a stashbuster!!

2. Fall into Fall Vest - Kimane designs for Alex. I have a few inches done, but need to frog it, I forget how little my ds is. I shouldn't "upsize" for him like I do for my dd.

3. Prayer/Healing Shawl - an impromptu stashbuster (Barrington Homespun - leftover from the ponchos) for my ds' teacher's aide who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

FO: Pink (White) Perfection Vest

Abby's newest piece of clothing is done! This is a white version of Pink perfection vest. I used Caron Simply Soft and my Brittany 5.5mm I hook to get gauge on the pattern stitch. For the buttonhole edging, I used my Addi 4.5mm G hook. I love the way the vest is worked in one piece up to the armholes. I found these cute purple flower buttons (5 for a dollar) at the checkout at the huge yarn sale last week. My only pattern modification is that I did 5 rows instead of 3 for the button hole edging, with the button holes in row 4. I made size 6. It seems a little long, but Abby is tall and always growing!

Felted memo bag - all but strap

This is the Felted memo bag I made as a CAL at Yahoo crochetchallenge using KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Hyacinth, Hollyberry and Fog, and a 7.00mm hook.

Pattern modifications: I tried to add side panels to the bag by adding 11 st to each side of the front panel. This necessitated adding a base as long as the width of the side panels. You can see the bag unassembled here. I felted this 2 nights ago, but blogger wouldn't let me post..wah! So today, here it is before & after felting. Oh yeah, someone asked on the pre-felting post about dimensions. So, here's that info as well. Dimensions are in inches (H x W x D)

Before:

bag (13 x 15.75 x 4),

flap (15 x 10) .

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After:

bag (9 x 9.75 x 2.75),

flap (9.75 x 8).
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I still can't decide whether I want to try a felted strap or whether I'll use the leather strapping I have and make a thicker version of the strap I used on my well traveled bag.

WIP update: felted memo bag

Progress feels good! I'm almost ready to felt! This is the Felted memo bag I'm making as a CAL at Yahoo crochetchallenge using KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Hyacinth, Hollyberry and Fog, and a K hook (closer to 7.0mm than 6.5mm). I still need to sew the side seams and attach the D rings and then it's time to felt. I'm considering at crocheted/felted strap, so I might try to make that before I felt. Here are a few pre-felting photos. This is the bag opened up. I tried to add side panels to the bag by adding 11 st to each side of the front panel. The Fog rectangle will be the base of the bag. I ran out of blue (Hyacinth) after I finished the back so the chevron flap is just the Fog & Hollyberry.
Here's the bag as it will be assembled with flap open and closed.

Yarn score & new ideas

Wow! Shopping at JCA was amazing! Thank you to Carol from CP for bringing me as her guest! I just calculated....22,334 yds of yarn including wool, angora and cotton. I'll start with the wool.

Reynolds 'Lopi' - 100% Icelandic wool, 110yd/100g, 3.5st/inch. I have 20 skeins (2200 yds) of this pretty red/white blend. It's a bulky yarn, so now I'm in search of an interesting sweater pattern for myself. Drops 97-1 is one thought.
Grignasco 'Australia' - 100% pure virgin wool, 95yd/50g, 4.25st/inch. I have 20 skeins (1900 yds) of this wonderfully soft wedgewood blue. Drops 97-6 is a possibility.

I couldn't resist these 1 kilo cones of Reynolds 'Devotion'. There were no labels, but according to yarndex this yarn is 51% Angora, 49% Nylon, 93 yds/50g, 4st/inch. In theory I should have 1860 yds of each color!! I'm pretty sure the black is heading toward the Robyn Chachula's Kimono sweater (scroll down) in "Not Your Mama's Crochet". The other two haven't yet spoken to me... although some of the blue could become Robyn Chachula's Spider shrug. I'm kind of hooked on her patterns as of late!

Reynolds 'Gypsy' - 100% cotton, 82yds/50g, 5st/inch. I have 12 skeins (984 yds) of the pale blue, 14 skeins (1128 yds) of the pale green and 30 skeins (2760 yds)of the ocean blue. The pale blue hasn't found it's voice, but the pale green is heading towards the Must Have Blouse from "24hr Crochet Projects", and the 'ocean blue' was calling to me across the sale floor, "Twyla, Twyla, Twyla".

Grignasco 'EURO' - 100% mercerized cotton, 612yd/200g, 7-7.5st/inch. I have 6 balls (3672 yd) of this bright teal green yarn - essentially a fingering weight, I believe. Remember that Spring Green cardigan from Annie's Attic? They call it Lacy Diamonds now. That would take 2400 yds.
Reynolds 'Madrigal ~ a speckled soft cotton' - 88% cotton, 12% nylon, 118yd/50g, 5st/inch. I have 20 skeins (2360 yds) of this almost tweedy yarn - it looks like a natural with a thin line of dark brown. This was purchased specifically for a new Drops pattern I love - Drops 89-15 - I'll probably skip the collar.
Reynolds 'Saucy Swirl' - 100% mercerized cotton, 185yd/100g, 5st/inch. I have 10 skeins (1850 yd) of this variegated dark pink, light pink, white & gray yarn. This had Abby's name written all over it. Drops s8-12 could use about half the yarn.

WIP explosion!

Last night I had a WIP explosion. I finished the last "join-as-you go" motif on a sweater and didn't feel like beginning the final assembly process...so instead I started 3 new projects! (message to dh: yes your socks were included in this explosion!)

First old WIP progress:
1. Floral Fantasy Pullover - progress = 90%. This is a CAL at Crochetville. Here it is all laid out. I put a white shirt inside so you can see it better. I need to attach the sleeves, add underarm gussets, attach the neck and crochet the trim.
2. Tennis Socks - progress = 25%. Sock CAL at crochetsocks. No motivation - it's a summer sock.
3. Colinette yarns afghan kit - progress = 30%. 5 rows more than this photo.

New WIPS:
1. Felted memo bag - Yahoo crochetchallenge bag CAL. I grabbed a hook and started last night. I'm using KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Hyacinth, Hollyberry and Fog, and a K hook (closer to 7.0mm than 6.5mm). I decided the pattern would be too flat for my purposes so I added 11 st more on each side to make side flaps. I'll cut back to the original width after I finish the front panel, crochet the bottom and then continue the back panel to match the stripes from the front. Hopefully it will work.
2. Pink perfection vest - except Abby chose white. I'm using Caron Simply Soft mill ends anf my Brittany 5.5mm I hook to get gauge. I like that the vest is worked in one piece up to the armholes.
3. 'Oxford Style' socks (Crocheted Socks!) - In case you haven't noticed my dh has been mounting a write-in campaign in an attempt to solicit your help to convince me to make his socks!! So I started his socks last night... see dear! I'm using my 3.25mm Addi E hook and Patons Kroy Socks in 'Windsor Tweed' with Silja in 'dark charcoal' for contrasting cuff, heel and toe. They're supposed to have a slst BLO cuff, but that drove me batty last night so I restarted with a sc BLO cuff.

Floral Fantasy Pullover - almost there

Must finish soon!!!! I really need to work on some vests & sweaters for the rest of the family! . For the Floral Fantasy Pullover, a CAL at Crochetville, I am using 2 strands of Sirdar Salsa DK with a 7.00mm hook. My motifs are coming out close to 7.0 in than the required 7.25in. My solution is to use the side gussets, underarm panels and shoulder shaping of the size large. This together with my smaller motifs will achieve the measurements of the medium. The body of the sweater is done. The sleeves each have 4 out of 6 motifs connected (I'm trying to decide whether or not I want flared sleeves... I think not). The neck piece has 2 out of 4 motifs done. The underarm gussets will fill in the armhole. I think I'm going to try to taper mine a bit - do some creative shaping... we'll see.

FO: Sister Poncho & beret sets

Two sets for a friend of my dd and her big sister.
Pattern is LB Fur-trimmed poncho, and my child version of LB beret.
Yarn is Homespun 'Barrington' and Fun Fur 'Teal'.
Hook size is 8.0 mm hook for the poncho, a 7.0 mm hook for the beret and a 6.5mm or 6.0mm hook for the beret ribbing.
Pattern modifications: Poncho - add a row of dc at the neck and thread a drawstring (anchored at multiple places to reduce choking hazard) through holes. Beret - I followed the adult pattern out to 72 st, then I do 2 rounds even of 72st and then 2 decrease rounds doing 12 dec (instead of 6) which brings me back to 60 st and then 48 st. Then I did a ribbing. On my dd's I did the ribbing as written - sideways sc blo. I decided to try the faster (for me anyway) fpdc, bpdc ribbing on these - I did 2 rounds- and I think it worked.

FO: Matinee Swing Jacket

Well here it is, ends sewn in and modeled by yours truly!
Pattern is Lion Brand's Matinee Swing Jacket, done with the gang at crochet-a-long.
Yarn is Bernat Soft Boucle in Shades of Blue. Hook size is 6.5mm.
Modifications - Size medium with body lengthened to 10 inches. Sleeves were lengthened and tapered more. I started with 24 hdc and increased to 46 hdc over16 inches - increasing every 3 rows.

Sidetracked again...

New WIPs took over when I have so many already!! Last Friday as my dd pranced about in her poncho & beret set, I was asked by the very nice grandmother of my dd's friend to make her two dgds (ages 3 and 8) the same poncho & beret set that Abby was wearing. Now I usually don't sell items I make. I always tell people it just takes too long to make items and that I really make things only for my kids or their cousins. Well.... I commented that these were quick & easy to make and I was held to my word! So I dug up the pattern, LB Fur-trimmed poncho, and my notes for making a child version of this LB beret and headed out in search of appropriately colored Homespun. The grandmother loved the teal on my dd's poncho, but I knew 'Modern' was discontinued. She suggested purples, maybe with the teal. So I found this colorway of Homespun, 'Barrington' and have one poncho completed so far. I'm using a 8.0 mm hook for the poncho, a 7.0 mm hook for the beret and a 6.5mm or 6.0mm hook for the beret ribbing.

In the midst of making these I was reminded that I made these berets for my twin nieces' birthdays last October.... hmm what about this year. So I whipped up two of Dot's little ditty bags and put appropriate "9yo girl stuff" inside them. I used RH 'Dark orchid' and 'Light Fuchsia' with a 5.0mm H hook.

Yarn stash & project matching

Before I can do my October listing of projects, I need to get a handle on the yarn in my stash and the projects on my WIM list. I guess what I'm saying is I'm getting confused about what yarn I was thinking about using for which projects and I need to make match them together and thus have more designated PIGs. One of the reasons is simply sanity - I don't often succeed at organization, but I crave it. Another reason is more yarn is coming...shh! it's a secret... I have the opportunity - thanks to a fellow CPer - to attend a major blow out yarn sale at JCA Crafts. I've been forewarned that the sale prices are amazing on this high quality yarn.

So... yarn...weight...yardage...pattern or project possibilities

Cotton/cotton blends
Omega Sinfonia - sportweight - 100% cotton - 1680yd - ?







Classic Elite 'Imagine' - DK weight - 53% cotton, 47% rayon - 679yd - ?










Knit One Crochet Too '2nd Time Cotton' - ww - 75% cotton, 25% acrylic,180yd/100g. - 900yd Borealis (deep purple) - ? for me; 1080yd English Heather (pink, green, dark & light gray multi) - ? for Abby












Schachenmayr Nomotta Catania - DK - 100% Egyptian cotton - 1233yds marine blue- Drops 68-15 Summer cardigan (swatched)

Katia Mississippi 3 - fingering - 60% cotton, 40% acrylic - 1150 yds lilac - Drops 88-20 Safran Tank


Wool/wool blends
Cascade 'Lana de Oro' Tweed - worsted weight - 45% Superfine Alpaca, 45% Peruvuan Highland wool and 10% Donegal (tweed) - 770yd maroon, 110 yd charcoal - Autumn Spice ?





Cascade 220 - ww - 100% wool - 1760yd Dark Teal, 440yd gray, 220yd black (RJN vest), 220yd black/blue multi (RJN hat), 440yd purple (Abby hat & mittens), 330yd blue/purple multi, 110 yd blue (Alex hat)

Knit Picks Wool of the Andes - ww- 100% wool - 1540yd mulled wine ( Spring Crochet Cardigan), 330yd Fog, 220yd Hollyberry, 220yd Hyacinth, 220yd Hush (felting - bags)








LB Wool-Ease - ww - 80% wool, 20% acrylic - blue mist, green heather, gray heather, rose heather ( 'Alpine Meadow' hooded sweater)




Acrylic
James C. Brett Marble - DK - 100% acrylic - 2400yds - this sweater from Susan Huxley's Today's Crochet or Lush Lace Pullover or IC Smoky Quartz Tunic








RH Kids - ww - 100 % acrylic - 1160yd periwinkle (FCEC cable sweater Alex)
Caron mill ends - ww - 100 % acrylic - 1000yd lilac (Girl's Lacy sweater), 2400yd light teal (?), 1600yd coral (pink perfection vest)
LB Chunky USA - ww - 100 % acrylic - 620yd grape (Ballet sweater)





Caron Simply Soft - ww - 100 % acrylic - 800yd gray, 1600yd navy (Two-toned Pullover; Boy's Easy Vest), 2750 yd dark sage (Kimane design vest - Alex, lots leftover!), 400yd plum wine, 300yd country blue, 400yd white, 150yd light country blue, 300yd light country peach (edgings)


LB Homespun - bulky - 100% acrylic - 555yd Antique (Sweater Jacket - Abby), 150yd Orchid, 200yd Baroque, 185yd Boston Rose, 150yd Fuschia berets


So in the end - I never posted my October UFO/WIP/PIG/WIM list.... but I will add here what's on board for this month. Mostly I'd like to "whip some WIPS" and start some new CALs. These include
1. Floral Fantasy Pullover
2. Tennis Sock CAL
3. Colinette afghan kit
4. Felted Memo Bag CALwith crochet challenge
5. Jacob's sweater CAL with crochet-a-long (if the pattern is ready)
Finally, if time allows, I want to start on vests for the kids.

September progress report

My crochet hopes for September were…to whip some WIPs - the Crystal Lace Bolero at crochet-a-long, the elusive sock-a-long CAL at crochetsocks, and start the swing jacket at crochet-a-long as well. I also wanted to do some work on the Colinette afghan WIP.

So here's what I actually did...

1. Crystal Lace Bolero - progress = 100%. I wasn't sure about the ribbing at first, but I've been wearing it quite a bit and receiving compliments galore, so I guess it's a keeper!

2. Tennis Socks - progress = 25%. I did finally start this sock-a-long at crochetsocks, and I'd say I'm about half way done one sock. I just became absorbed in a few other projects...

3. Matinee Swing Jacket - progress = 99%. This was a quick project. In spite of being sucked into yet another CAL (see below), I started this one around the 16th at crochet-a-long and finished it! OK, I still had the ends to weave in on the 30th... but that's done now too. I'll post a final picture and my sleeve modifications as well. I'm not sure what they were thinking, but a jacket with 3/4 sleeves seems really weird to me.

4. Colinette yarns afghan kit - progress = 30%. I've actually crocheted 4 rows more than this photo shows. I really want to get it finished soon.

5. Floral Fantasy Pullover - progress = 40%. This is a CAL at Crochetville. I still can't believe I actually started another CAL this past month! I've been flying on this one the past few days as well. I'll take pictures tonight and try to post tomorrow.

Not a bad month, all in all!

Floral Fantasy Pullover - progress

Here's another CAL I really want to finish soon (I really need to work on some sweaters for the rest of the family!) . The Floral Fantasy Pullover is a CAL at Crochetville. I am using 2 strands of Sirdar Salsa DK - a merino wool/acrylic blend, in place of the super bulky mohair/acrylic blend, with a 7.00mm hook. Here's what will be the front panel, back panel, or a sleeve, you pick! I have another 4 of 6 motifs assembled into another panel as well. The sleeves are supposed to use 2 larger motifs at the end for a flared look, but I'm not sure I like that... we'll see!

Matinee Swing Jacket - all but ends

This is Lion Brand's Matinee Swing Jacket, done with the gang at crochet-a-long. I used Bernat Soft Boucle in Shades of Blue, and a 6.5mm hook. I think I've mentioned a few times that I hate weaving in ends... I'll try to get to these today, but no promises.... so, here's the jacket with ends still hanging out!

A good day..

is one where I receive yarn, patterns and time to use them. Today!! In truth I did not actually crochet the specific yarn or patterns I received today, but I did have daylight crochet time.

My day (after losing the kids to their schools) began with a trip to the home of a fellow crocheter whom I met on one of my yahoo crochet groups. She offered me some old craft/needlework magazines if I wanted to come get them. Another crafter had given them to her after pulling out the patterns she wanted, in turn my friend Kris had sorted through them, taken some that interested her and was offering me the rest. Thanks Kris! So here's the loot... it will take some time to sort through, but there are definitely some intriguing items. (There are also some decidely 70's and 80's patterns...LOL). I managed to make this 74 mile round trip in the 2 hour window I had between dropping off my dd and being a lunchroom volunteer at ds's school.

I came home to discover a delivery of this gorgeous Sinfonia yarn I had ordered from Crafts etc. I've wanted to try Sinfonia ever since a few online friends began raving about it, but as I am more than 500 miles from Oklahoma (Hobby Lobby's rule about store placement) I hadn't had the chance....until Leah told me about Craft Etc (HL online store) and sent a link for free shipping. Thanks Leah! I fell in love with this lavender colorway and the rest, as they say, is history...

On top of all of this, I had two daytime crochet sessions today during my dd's speech session, and during ds's dentist appointment. All in all, a good yarning day!

WIP progress

I've actually been working on several projects at a time this week so I thought I'd do a WIP progress report.

1. Tennis Socks - sock-a-long at crochetsocks - I was very confused about whether or not this had started. Apparently it had and I just missed it. So, I finally started working on this. This is a top down pattern, so the beginning takes a fair amount of attention for the cuffs and the heel. Now that I have reached the foot I should be able to work on it more often - during my mindless crochet opportunities. The pattern is in Crocheted Socks by Janet Rehfeldt and Mary Jane Wood. I'm using Knit Picks Dancing sock yarn. It's a cotton, wool, nylon & elastic blend. It took a while to get used to crocheting with elastic. I had to drop to a 3.25mm hook to get gauge, but I'm hooking along fine now.

2. Matinee Swing Jacket - I'm making this with the gang at crochet-a-long. I'm using Bernat Soft Boucle in Shades of Blue, and a 6.5mm hook. I've just completed the back panel. After counting out the starting chain AND getting in that first row, this is great for mindless crochet opportunites - especially soccer games because I crochet boucle by feel!

3. Colinette yarns afghan kit - Last night I actually crocheted 4 rows more than this photo shows. My dh has been asking about it. I really want to get it finished soon. It's an easy pattern for TV watching, but not for carrying around as it changes colors almost every row.

4. Floral Fantasy Pullover - a CAL at Crochetville. I can't believe I actually started another CAL. But I just couldn't resist matching this yarn I had in stash with this project. And what better time to do it than when a bunch of people were wanting to do it too. I am using 2 strands of Sirdar Salsa DK - a merino wool/acrylic blend, in place of the super bulky mohair/acrylic blend, with a 7.00mm hook. I'm also joining the motifs as I crochet them. Here's the first two.

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