Plans A and B for March

So I was gonna do the Fairisle mitts for the Changeling, and try one of the toy patterns I have bought (eek! paid for!)  as well as the Comfy Slipper pattern  (payed for again!) but since the weather is warming up and it is National Crochet month, I thought I would set them aside and concentrate on crocheting.

I am doing lots of squares as I have joined a block a month crochet along on Ravelry. I don't have a single project in mind for this though. I wish I had the money to buy some yarn to actually do something with my squares, but I will just try them out for now, and maybe do an actual project in the future with my favourites. 

I have been watching the Bernat mystery CAL as well. I wish again that I had the money to get some of the Bernat Waverly yarn sent over as it looks lovely. Or even to buy some Aran stuff here and take part, but I will try another time. I have never done a Mystery CAL and it looks like fun!

I am doing one of the CALs with Ravelry's Shoulder Wrappers Group. I was on the verge of giving up, as there were too many CALs to choose from, and then I had to find appropriate yarn in my stash. I was looking through my stash and found some packs that I want to use for Shawls later in the year, so it was a bit productive, but I didn't find anything I really wanted to do the Frosty Night Cowl CAL with.

And then I found it! The undyed yarn that Martine got for us a few years ago. We have done a couple of batches, but there was still some left! So I got it out, and managed to dye it and have it hanging to dry before the allotment society AGM on Saturday! I had wanted more orange than yellow, but what I got was more yellow than orange.

It is cheering me up though and I shall start crocheting today! 

The Babe is happy as well because she has yet another hat. Ok, so she doesn't like to wear hats often but I still keep making them, and this one she actually puts on her head herself and runs around the house going Toowhit Toowhoo!!

Just as an aside, that cardigan she is wearing was knitted for me when I was her age. So it is about 42 years old and still going. I think it is acrylic, because I just chuck it in the washing machine, but it still looks good, if a bit furry now and then. I hope some of my things will be around in 40 years!

I am working on some craft fair things in crochet as well. Here is the beginnings of a poncho...

And the beginnings of a cowl that I am making for myself in the lovely stuff Martine made for me...(It looks better in real life.) I had tried to do some shell patterned cowls from the Lion Brand website, but in the end they just didn't look right. This is a version of crocheted moss stitch which is making a fine texture and showing of the hand dyed yarn much better. :-)

So here I am at my last craft fair as well. It was the first time I was outside, and it was a bit of a cold day to be outside. Of course, when you are outside there is a lot more foot traffic, but this day was dire. 7 hours sitting in the cold, and I sold one hat, which paid for the stall. It was rather depressing. This is me at the beginning, naiveley smiling away. My display is a bit cluttered because I had left some of my acoutrements at home.

These are some of my children's hats. The weather is changing now so I will try to get some more spring and summer things ready.

In further honour of National Crochet Month, some things that make me happy are here and here. I have ordered some of this yarn so I can attempt to emulate those lovely and talented crocheters. (This is where I find out if my husband reads my blog as I am not supposed to be spending money on yarn!)  I want colour and cheer in my life right now and I can't wait to crochet with these colours! I will probably make a couple of baby blankets to sell at the craft fair I have booked at the end of March (after which I think I will give up.)

Another happy thing  is that we have an allotment, which means that I will be digging and planting and weeding and watering, while still trying to crochet and knit every minute that I get left alone to do so. (Not so many of those these days.) I am planning an asparagus bed and a strawberry bed and some other fruiting bushes, so not ambitious at all. :-)

And a very sad thing as well. This was my new teapot.

I got it from Oxfam for £4.99 and I loved it. For about a week. As you can see, it got its handle smashed, and we can't really glue it, because the handle is hollow and the glue would be exposed to the boiling water and  brewing tea. It was one of the few things I was excited about buying myself, and it is just sitting around reminding me why I don't buy myself nice things. :-(

So I will have to get back to making nice things. Happy Crochet Month everybody!

Organisation actually works

So focusing on certain things each month actually works. My brain is usually all over the place, capable thing that it is, but choosing some things to work on, and then actually working on them actually gets things done. Who knew?

As I said before, the shorts are done. OK, so they were a Jan focus, but they are done, so let's not quibble.

The hat to go with the January  Cigar gloves is also done.

He likes to wear it with the brim turned up, in spite of the fact that he asked for it to be baggy. Also, we don't know what it looks like with the gloves, as he has lost those. Cold hands again, but this time, it isn't my fault. :(

I also managed to  do a hat for the Meister, who had asked for a black and sparkly one.

It is made with the lovely Lang Lanulux from Purl City Yarns, which I got on a spontaneous visit. It doesn't photograph well because of the sparkles, I guess, but it looks quite nice, and has a bow.  It is helping to make up for the disappearance of the Frog Hat. On Dec 20th, 2011, on the way back from home ed drama, she was harrassed by a group of 4 kids from St Anthony's Catholic College in Trafford. They knicked her hat and ran off with it. :( It was a well loved Frog Hat (called Frank) and we shall have to make another one, but in the mean time, we have glam and sparkle.

I also finished the fingerless mitts that I was doing for the Changeling.

They are actually being sent to The One Who Has Flown The Coop, as she  didn't seem to mind them too much, and being hard to impress, I'll give her first refusal. That is fine, as I can then make the ones for the Changeling in the colour that I was going to do originally for her. Or I could do a pair to match the Fairisle gloves I am getting ready to start.

I also have a craft fair this weekend, at the Horse and Jockey in Chorlton, but I haven't really done any extra to prepare as I have a lot of stock.  Although I did do this one, which I tried on The Babe for sizing. 

I finished the shorts!!!!!

The plan for February

I am sticking with the 3 project monthly focus plan, but I do have about 6 things planned for Feb. Oh dear. I am still working on the shorts, but I don't know if I should count that as one of the 3? No, I will have another 3 :-)

So we are doing a slouchy hat for the Boy to match his cigar gloves, in the same King Cole Merino blend.  And we are finishing off a pair of fingerless mitts for the Changeling. One is already done, so if I finish that, I may possibly start some Fairlisle ones for her as well.

Then there are the teddies. I have bought some patterns for soft toys that are absolutely lovely, and am really wanting to get started on them...Along with some slippers for me. I have the yarn for the slippers and the toys, so don't have to buy any. :-) And I don't have any crochet projects on the go, so I should start the Small Talk shawl for myself...

See! That adds up to three, doesn't it?

It is working.

So this plan of mine to concentrate on about 3 things a month is working. I finished the Shawl.

And I finished the cigar gloves.

And I have made lots of progress on the cabled shorts. But I haven't finished them. Will keep going!


I also  finished a pair of mittens for the Babe, and a hat for the Meister.

Another resolution?

So it is a New Year (Hello 2012!) and occasional bloggers around the world are resolving to blog more regularly and be better bloggers. :-) Am I one of them? I don't think so. I do experience a general feeling of  'things will be better' and the whole new year / new start thing. But I don't know if I do actual resolutions.

As far as knitting goes, for the past couple of years I have resolved to finish on-going projects. Funny, but I have the same on-going projects. I have gotten better (more experienced and focused I think) at finishing things that I start, but I do have a handful of things from the past 4 years or so that I haven't gotten around to finishing, and I would like to find the time and energy and motivation to finish them.

At the moment, I have this idea, that I will have monthly goals, and this month I am working on 3 things. I have joined the Crochet Shoulder Wrappers group on Ravelry, and there are a few shawls and cowls that I would love to make, so I started this month doing the Anna Shawl, which is pretty basic, but nice. This is the first of my 3 January projects and I have finished the crocheting this morning. I have made it big and warm and chunky and comfy. I used James C Brett Marble Chunky, which I have never used before, and would have usually rejected as being 100% acrylic, but  I wanted chunky and cheap, and it was also the only colours that the Meister and I could agree on. We are supposed to be 'sharing' this one.

I think really that has more to do with me wanting to justify buying the yarn, ("But it isn't for ME!") than any practicality. I mean, she is 12 and about a size 8-10 (3-5 US) and I am, well.... NOT! I have made this huge thing, using 600 grams of yarn, and it is rather cuddly. The Meister was not too diplomatic when she said she was happy to use it as a blanket. Just have to sort out if I am going to block it. It needs something, but I have never blocked acrylic before. 

I am also working on a pair of nearly fingerless gloves for the Boy. He wants these  - Cigar Gloves. I made a pair for Al a couple of years ago, and now the Boy wants his as well. I have some King Cole Merino in a medium blue. I have started them, but then got carried away with the shawl. This is number 2 thing I plan to finish in January. I think the matching hat will have to wait until next month.

Number 3 thing is the cabled shorts I started a while back for the Changeling and mentioned briefly before. I really do have to finish these this winter. I will lose all motivation once the weather gets warmer, and next year she will most likely be away at university. I have been struggling with the pattern, and then I was on a roll for a while, and then got distracted by craft fair things and Christmas knitting.

Although, to be honest, I hardly did any Christmas knitting. I made a nice pair of socks for my father in law, a shawl for my Aunt Edith, a hat for Uncle Bob, and a pretty shawlette for my Mum. Do I have any photos of them? No, because I had to get them in the post to get to America for the holidays, and I was so efficient and organised (read headless chicken-like) that I forget to get photos.

The thing I did get photos of, are the ones that were late, and were a very nice New Year's present.  These are Susie's Reading Mitts but apparently you can't get the pattern any longer. There was some confusion about copyright, but I managed to download the pattern during the time when it was up on Ravelry. And I am glad, because they are lovely. They are knitted in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK on 3.25 mm dpns. And since my tension got tighter and tighter the closer we got to Christmas, I actually knitted three of these in order to get a pair that matched in size. ;-) But never fear, I will get some more yarn, and the Changeling wants a pair as well. That will have to be a February project!

And here is a little hat I made for the Babe. Because she doesn't have enough hats. (note sarcasm.) It is a slightly modified Brr Baby Beanie.  She actually keeps this one on her head occasionally. :-) The photo is a crap mobile phone camera photo but it does look sweet in real life. It was made using Sirdar supersoft Aran, which is another 100% acrylic, but great for making things for toddlers that are going to need machine washing regularly. And it is actually super soft, so makes good hats for all ages. I use the Sirdar a lot when making things for my craft fairs.

I think I am losing a bit of snobishness when it comes to acrylic yarns. I am finding that they are nicer than all the ones from the 70s and 80s that come to mind when I think of acrylic.  I really want to make a couple of baby blankets with this yarn.

Here is photo of some more Sirdar supersoft in the same colour. I combined it with the lace mohair to make a really cute little beret for a friend's 1 year old foster baby. But guess what?  Forgot to get a photo.  Maybe that should be my New Year's Resolution - to remember to photograph things?!

But my stated goal for this month is to finish three things.
1) The Anna Shawl
2) Cigar Gloves
3) Rebecca cabled shorts

Guess I better get to it!

Christmas is coming...

So I have been doing a handful of craft fairs and also trying to get Christmas knitting done. I am only doing a few things for family who live far away this year, but still I am behind schedule. And I don't really know what to do about the whole craft fair thing. I like doing it, but I don't have enough free time to dedicate to it as a proper business. And it takes away from recreational knitting and crochet. I am still working on things the kids want, which won't get done until after the holidays. Unless I get to spend lots of time crafting over the holidays when others are around to play with the Babe. :-) One can always hope.