I'm Late to the Party

Hi all, it's early Monday morning thought I'd try to get this posted before heading to work.  Missed getting the post up for YOP yesterday.  Hope spring has finally come for most of you.  I have daffodils blooming which has me very excited.  And you can see Flat Stanley is also quite excited and wanted to get right out there and smell the flowers.  Some of you may know I have a Flat Stanley blog, and it's in the April A-Z Challenge.  There's tons of stuff there, so am inviting you all to have a look see.  Everyone learns with Flat Stanley.  Any of you parents, grandparents, teachers....would love you to get your young ones involved.  (ok end of my commercial)

I finished Iris and Lillies, and posted the final picture for Finished Object Friday.  Click or scroll back to see the finished afghan which is another that will be heading to Homeless Families Foundation through my charity, Bridge and Beyond. 

YOP List:

My Afghan Goals:
To complete 12 afghans:
10 from donated squares (9 down and 1 to go)
1.. Summers End
2.  Sandbox 
3. My Granny
4. Christmas Time 
5.  Buckeye Blitz
6.  Box of Crayons 
7.  Arapaho
8.  Desert Rose 
9.  Iris and Lillies 
Complete Candy Corn Afghan (longest work in progress project EVER)just don't know if I'm gonna pull it out of hibernation or not...sigh
Finish the Feather and Fan Afghan (knitted), that finally has a name, Sea and Sand
  **Sea and Sand in the works haven't worked on this in a couple of weeks

The goal accomplished last year, learn to cable. I want to make a skirt for myself using this new skill. Need to re-find the pattern for starters.
Changed to  The cabled scarf DONE

I want to make time for working on items other than the above afghans. I kept so busy with those last year, many other wanted projects didn't happen.

Cast on....I know there are other methods beyond the traditional one I always use. I get all tangled up when I try to do the thumb one and so ....do it old school...the long slow way. Would like to learn another faster cast on. No headway

I have a knitting machine, haven't used it in over a year. In fact removed it from my office in order to make room for my antique Treddle Singer Sewing Machine. Would like to set up a space in the basement and use it some again for accomplish quick things for charity, No Headway.  Bridge and Beyond.

Personal Projects:
 Need to block a blue scarf I knitted AND cable scarf mentioned above
Want to try the above mentioned cable skirt
Misc whatever items for DD (perhaps the jewel tone traveling scarf now in the works) and family, made scarf intended for DD, but ..colors didn't come out the way I hoped. (that was the above cable scarf, and she tells me she really doesn't need another, yet.  So perhaps it will be donated.  Project turned into a Green Sweater which is in the works.
perhaps even some washcloths for myself....in the works

So, in the works is the a washcloth for myself, the green sweater for DD, Sea and Sand Afghan
**No Headway...cast on, knitting machine, Candy Corn Ghan

It's all About Friday

Combining 5 on Friday with FOF(meme's for those all in tab at the top of the blog)

First...the finished object.  Finally finished the afghan called Iris and Lillies.  Iris because of all the purple and Lillies because of all the yellow.  There are about 6 shades of purple and 3 shades of yellow.  There have been many pictures of this as a work in progress and people keep saying they like the black and white swirls and the yellow and blue.  LOL, purple never shows up well in pictures, though it looks purple on my computer I know that varies.  I keep referring to the purple, makes ya wonder if that many screens are different color wise, people don't read, and or why is purple such a hard color to show up correctly?  Anyway, it's another of the ghans being assembled for my charity, Bridge and Beyond from donated squares for Homeless Families Foundation.

1. Though it's another dark gloomy day here in Central Ohio....you might think you were Ireland.  Seriously, in the last 2-3 days it's gotten soooooooo incredibly green.  The grass is waking up from the it's winter dormat blah stage, it's been feed with the recent rains, and warmed up.  Very green and very pretty.  I hope the weather men who say we're in for a few more snows are wrong, my daffodils have started blooming.  The yellow dotting the bright green..........puts a smile of spring appreciation on my face.
2. Do to technical difficulties, our cable not working we missed the season opening of Mad Men.  We both love the show and have been anxiously awaiting the 2 hour special.  Feet up, wine poured Sunday night we were ready.  ARgh.  Thanks to the cable men ...all 3 crews it took to fix it on Monday and Tuesday, we're operational again.  However, not in time to get it recorded yet.  So, fingers crossed tonight we'll get to see it...or get it recorded if it's on late so we'll be ready for the 2nd episode.
3. I've been involved an April A-Z Blog Challenge, which has been fun, exciting, challenge, and some days disappointing.  You blog in alphabetical order everyday, except Sundays.  I signed up 3 of my blogs.  The point is to be able to finish...the challenge.  AND meet new bloggers, by visiting at a minimum 5 blogs daily for each blog you signed up. 
4. It's almost time to get my bike out of the shed, wash it, check the tires to enjoy some bike rides.  I enjoy riding my old cruiser, heck it's an antique it's from 1971.
5. We have a long standing tradition for Friday night.  I never cook.  It's always pizza night for hubby and I.  We might change what type of pizza we get, but 99.9% of the time it's pizza and beer for him, and pizza and wine for me.  It's the way we kick back at the end of the week.

And, now ...off to do some blog walking through the various Finished Object Friday Meme's and the new one I'm enjoying Friday 5

Easter Sunday

Hope you're all having a wonderful Easter Sunday.  This afghan, Iris and Lillies is about 90% done.  I have one more join to do, the bottom section; then figure out a border.  I'
m hopeful I have a couple of shades of purple to mix with the mellow yellow for a border.  Must review my stash to see and hope to be able to show this ghan completed very soon.

This is my YOP post, and let's Get Social Sunday Post, both badges and links in meme tab across the top of the blog.

When completed this will be the 9th afghan assembled from donated squares with 10 as my goal there's one to go.  Additionally I had the completion of the longest running work in progress ever.....candy corn on my list (just don't know if I'm going to get it done...wrong time of year is my excuse, lol), and completion of the feather and fan, Sea and Sand...which has about 3 sections remaining.

Hope on over to Oozing Out my Ears to see the yummy brunch we had for Easter Sunday.



**I have just a few hours left to decide whether or not to enter this blog in the A-Z Blog Challenge.  Check back tomorrow and see what I decided.**

8-3

Working on Iris and Lillies on the Wednesday Before Easter

Am making good progress after the frogging of a group of 4 squares (1 block).  Top two blocks are attached, and am working on the 4th block which will get attached to the 3rd block, which will then get attached to the top rectangle piece.  LOL...Makes you think the hip bones connected to the thigh bone...blah

Normally, I edge the individual squares ( which I did in purple first) and tie them together and join in one long row, working across and then up and down.  But,  these squares needed a little more help with getting to the same size so (enter the mellow yellow) they're not all edge with the same number of rows, or even the same stitches; and I wanted a bit more width then the 4 squares across would give.  This seems to accomplish both of those goals, AND it's a bit less on your lap to work with therefore making it a bit more portable.  Currently the mellow yellow joining and edging of the block of 4 squares is muting the bright yellow a smedge which is helping to blend...I think the more mellow yellow in the variegated squares.

I'll be looking through my stash once this is all 1 piece to see about an appropriate purple to edge the whole thing with.

This is another of the ghans assembled from donated squares through Bridge and Beyond which will be donated to Homeless Families Foundation. 

I hope this Wednesday finds you happily busy.  Those who are traveling for the up coming holiday, please be safe and enjoy your time with loved ones.

(13) Work in Progress Wednesday badges and links in meme tab above.

Going Backward is no Fun

I feel like the Texas two step....going backward with my work on this Iris and Lillies Afghan.  All squares have been edged with various rows of purple.  I'm using a different joining then I typically do.  Normally I tied the whole ghan together and crochet all the way across and or all the way up and down.  But, that means you have to have the whole ghan on your lap at one time.  I needed this to be a bit portable...so decided to work in blocks of 4.  Plus felt it just wasn't quite wide enough at only 4 squares across, so by joining the 4 blocks and adding extra rows I could gain another couple of inches.  So first block of 4 done, 2nd block of 4 done, and when I went to join the 2 blocks of 4.......they weren't in the right order!  Somehow I had flipped them and couldn't maintain the diagonal design.  Kept moving the 2nd block around to see if I could use it as it was elsewhere in the ghan to avoid frogging it....to no avail.  I've added enough rows that it was probably 3 oz of yarn worth!  ERRRRRRRRR

But, it had to be done.  So, I redid the 2nd group of 4, and now have those 2 blocks joined.  I think I'll be happy with the additional width I've gained.

 

Flipped this around, thus the strange angle but thought you might better see the difference in width I'm talking about.  This is the way I see the ghan being used, but had to take the picture the other way at the time.

I'm in need of unknitting several rows on my DD's green sweater also, just haven't brought myself around to doing that yet.  Going backward on 2 projects at the same time was just more then I was up to.

Year of Projects (11) links in tabs across the top of the page.  And Let's Get Social Sunday (9) in the meme tab.   Looking forward to catching up with everyone, as I've been a bit behind.

Crocheting and Knitting on Wednesday

Working on Iris and Lillies. Making headway with the edging of the squares.  Think I'm about 1/3rd done with the edging of these squares.

Some squares require one granny style edge, others a sc row after the granny style, and others, maybe just a sc row to get things sized up before joinging.  Working on this afghan sure makes me think of flowers, lillies, iris, and daffodils.   It's another of the afghans being assembled from donated squares through Bridge and Beyond that will donated to Homeless Families. 

I've gotten upto 16 inches so far on this kimono style sweater for my Darling Daughter.  This is the back piece.  It's grown several inches since the last picture (previous post).  Think and hope when this is finished the sleeves and 2 front pieces will seem faster.

WIPW post.  Badges and links in meme tab  across the top of the blog.  Please join us.

Knitting and Crocheting Here There and Everywhere

 Sea and Sand is still in the works, coming along but seems like it's taken forever.  Not a good picture here at all, couldn't spread it out as I was in the middle of a row when I decided to stop and take a picture.  The row closest to you is the last row of variegated yarn before starting the darker gray so I think I'm about 3/4's done?  Probably going to take a little break from knitting this in order to work some on 

this afghan.  Sea and Sand is too big to tote around, so started on this one the other day.  Had a hair appointment to get un-gray and took the yellow squares with me to begin edging with purple.  You see the yarn off to the right.  Though in my picture it looks blue, it's bright purple.  I had several names for this afghan when I designed it months ago.  One was Iris and Lillies and one was Easter Basket.  The purple (which is what the really dark is even though it too isn't showing up true here) makes me think of Iris and the yellow Lillies.  Then both of those colors make me think of Easter Baskets.  Which name do you prefer?

You can see the variety of sizes of squares here.  And in this close up you can sorta tell the variegated is in fact purple and yellow.  These afghans like 99% of those I make and or assemble will be donated to Homeless Families Foundation through, Bridge and Beyond.

On my Year of Project List Iris and Lillies/Easter Basket is ghan #9 of 10...so doing well on that particular potion of the list.  I've not made any headway with the skirt I wanted to myself, or sweater I wanted to make for my DD, or worked any on the longest ever project, Candy Corn Ghan.  Well....we shall see what happens.  Happy Sunday, one and all.  YOP badge and link in tab across the top of the blog.  Do join us, it's fun.

*inviting you all to a new blog, a little of this and that