Buckeye Baby Completed

Buckeye Baby got completed...just in time for the baby shower. Hat, booties, and sweater all knitted with Lion Brand Woolease (washable, soft wool). I love working with this yarn such a nice texture. Was thrilled to find the Buckeye Baby Bottle, Bib, and Binky(guess Binky is the "new" name for what we called a pacifier) to add to the Buckeye Theme. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you'll see 2 football buttons to jazz it up. Hope Luke (soon to make his way into the world) enjoys his Buckeye Outfit. Here it was in the works.

Continuing to work on his baby blanket, as we speak. Hoping to get this blanket finished for his birthday. Stage 1 HERE.
And here it is at is progresses, worked on squares and joined these 9 in the car on our weekend jaunt to St. Louis to visit our DD.

The blanket is crocheted in granny squares, 8 inches with lots of shades of blue. The lightest shade you see here, is blue not white. Felt like good headway was made on the car trip, so stage 2 moving right along. Must check my blue stash to see how much more yarn I have and what shades of blue they are in order to move to stage 3. Stay tuned.

On the return trip from St. Louis I worked on edging knitted blocks for a ghan for Faith Mission for Bridge and Beyond. Got them all edged, and ready for joining.

Busy finishing Hats, and designing afghans

Here's 2 more hats I completed from the partials garage sell donation group. Believe I've got about 4 more to do, so stay tuned. The pink rows don't match, but I think it's ok given the fun trim I ended with. I'm finding it's possible to use up some real odds and ends when completing these hats. You might remember reference to this garage sell donation for Bridge and Beyond HERE. There were 9 hat starts and I've been chipping away fixing and completing them.

A fun girly set with scarf here, had more of the fun pink, black, white, gray so didn't have to add pink to this first one.

Two more doctored up here.

Also been busy designing, photographing, and bagging up afghans. Got several ready to be worked on from squares I had here mixed with those being donated through Give a Square. All the afghans made thus far have been donated to Faith Mission for those women and children in temporary housing. Some of these people have been homeless and some abused. Having fun doing the designing. The method of photographing them is working out well. Once I do that, I don't have to leave the squares laid out and can bag and label them. Then as soon as I'm done with one ghan I can reach for another bag, select the joining yarn keep the process moving ahead full speed.

What are you working on now that the holidays are over?

Hat Doctor

These 2 hats were part of a rather large garage sale donation for Bridge and Beyond. Where the color changes is what was sent. A sweet little elderly lady (who's no longer with us) had crocheted these. Perhaps she didn't realize they weren't finished, long enough to stay on someone's head, or snug enough to stay on. I'm not one to let things go un-used and so...doctored them a bit and sent them on their way to warm the head of someone in need. When forming your initial ring (when crocheting a hat), you do not want a hole. Snug up your draw string. These both had a 1/4 inch hole in the top that needed attention. I've seen this problem listed as one of the most common mistakes when someone makes their first hat. Several methods will work to snug it up. You can stitch it together if your drawstring won't get tight enough and add something to the top. You can also go around it twice with your draw string using every other stitch to get it tighter.

In the green hat, I decreased when adding the brown to make it more beanie in style. The yellow one was pretty wide so I decreased much slower and it gives it more of a tam/slouchy style. A third one I forgot to take a picture of was solid green. I happened to have the same color of green...can you believe it and made it like the two tone green and brown.

Hope you're all staying warm, staying safe if you're traveling, and getting all your projects done if you're stitching for Christmas. I finished a scarf for my older brother before heading to his retirement dinner the other night; also forgot to take a picture of it. I loved the yarn and will have to see if I can get a picture to share with you. Was nice tans, browns, gray...very manly wool. Taos, a favorite of mine to knit with.

Sometimes Ugly Changes

Using up odds and ends from basket beside the chair (my knitting and crochet station), I made this hat of whatever for my friend who asked for an ugly hat for a gift exchange. One of those white elephant things. Some of the yarn is knitted worsted weight, some is bulkier (Light n Lofty), and some was fingering weight (though I mixed it--the green with another light weight blue). As you can, no rhyme or rhythm for the colors either.
To add to the ugly, tacky, weird, funky............whatever, I added bows that don't match. I used purple and tangerine bows, there is no purple or tangerine in the hat. I used black curly things as well. After all, I had a pile of them needing to throw out, so why not throw them in for contrast. LOL

My friend actually ended up thinking it was cute, vs ugly. But, it will serve the purpose anyway. Talk about fun to make! What's the ugliest thing you've knitted or crocheted?

It Pays to clean?

Anyone addicted to yarn, like myself will relate to this I know. Moving a few things around the other day, and found a bag of something soft. Hum, wondered what it was. When I opened it, I found booties! Had completely forgotten I made these. Not even sure when I made them (maybe on the plane when hubby and I went to Florida?), but was thrilled to find them. They're mostly FO (finished objects for my non yarn friends). I'll be able to add these to the current hats and booties I'm making. Got 2 sets finished, and 2 partial set's going...so hopefully can get these all finished and in the mail soon.
*Found objects are the 2 pair of patriotic booties, the multi-colored wee little preemie booties, current items are the yellow hat and booties-multi-colored hat, aqua hat & booties, and the light blue booties. Plan to make booties to match multi-hat, and hat to match light blue booties.

Soooooooo....go clean out something and see if you find a treasure too. Let me know if you do.

Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving with family, and hope you'll check out my posts about being Thankful, here and here.

I love making booties and wee little hats

I'm not sure what color you call this, but it's one of my favorite colors when making baby items. This is the same yarn I used awhile back for a scarf and hat for The Bridge Project. In fact, it's the same skein of JoAnne's Sensation. I love buying that yarn in it's large quantity. This hat and pair of booties went to my SIL for a baby shower gift. I've made a 2nd pair of booties, and have started a 2nd hat. This 2nd set will go one of the charities...perhaps Lil Troopers?

One skein has 615 yards of yarn, so you really can make quite a bit with one skein of it. This is chunky, so thicker than normal weight yarn, and soooooooooo soft. The set is knitted. The hat was knitted in the round, while the booties are straight garter stitch (I think they're more cushy when made with straight garter stitch), on size 9 needles.

Patriotic Donation

Patriotic booties and hat for newborn. This last set fills my box, and completes this donation to Marine Corp. Kids (link on sidebar). I sent 5 newborn sets, plus one extra pair of booties, and 3 preemie sets with 2 additional hats. They are all knitted, and vary in colors. Blue variegated, light pink, yellow, brown variegated, rose etc. Think most have been pictured here earlier as they were finished. Marine Corp Kids sends donations to various military hospital when wee ones are born while Daddy's deployed. Such a small thank you for all they do.

I must now focus on finishing up some long over do ghans that are in my project bags. I don't like having them hang over my head for as long as they have.

Working on stuff....and

Working...
Pink booties, got 3 knitted, need a 4th and need to stitch them together. 2 Different sizes, one newborn, one larger newborn. Probably will go to....? Must check my list,

Pink short sleeve sweater, crocheted....will go to.........wherever I send booties.

2 tone blue scarf, knitted nice and thick and warm for The Bridge Project. Wish you could see the design, doesn't show up in pictures.

Purple cap, I made for my daughter; but it's not quite large enough for her...fits me pretty well.......though purple isn't the color I needed to go with a red coat. It might go to one of the charities. Still thinking.

The fun super soft orangey shawl was a Christmas gift for my great-niece. Knitted with Red Heart, bright and lofty. Fun yarn to work with.

The black, white, and grey scarf is one my daughter is working on for The Bridge Project. She might get it done in between working on lesson plans and cover letters for job applications. Love the yarn.

PREEMIES, 10 for Ninja

Made it! Just, and will mail on my way home from work today. In previous post posted picture of pullover sweater, booties, and hat...but the picture didn't show the colors in the yarn...slight but not really all white like it looked in previous picture. Think this picture of a close up of the hat shows the colors.


That same yarn, used in a cardigan sweater crocheted this time not knitted, also shows the colors a bit better; notice the cute little yellow duck button. I love that.


Using that same pattern, I made 2 more sweaters. Again both are crocheted. The green one is short sleeve and made with Caron Simply Soft (nice to the touch, though not a favorite yarn to work with), the 2nd cardigan is a multi-colored Berroc Comfort which is also a soft yarn.


Then made a hat, green and white (also crocheted) that matches the little sweater. These items don't have to be used as sets, however. If when they are distributed they need more pieces, they can be used separately. These will be mailed today on my way home from to Ninja for her 10 for 10 Preemie Project.

I'm getting closer to my goal, but ...don't know. Need to make time to clean, deocrate the house, address Christmas Cards. Yikes, so much to do and time is getting tight.

PLEASE check out my other blog regarding, The Bridge Project

Stay warm, and happy stitching one and all.

"FROST on the Pumpkin"

VOTE 12 days left

Frost on the pumpkin...I know I'm dating myself when I say that; but...we're really had it this am. Windows, grass...all frosty with the temperatures dropping. Soon it will be gone and warm up, but we've now had our first frost and sooooooooo, sadly I must admit the season is upon us. How many months before summer again?

This red granny hat, quick and easy to make. 3 approximately 6 inch granny squares, all edged with sc, sewn together. I used 2 rows of sc for band portion, and again using sc decreasing as I went (every other stitch), enclosed the top to make the crown of the hat.
The green slippers are both knitted and crocheted. The initial rectangles/squares--the green portion is knitted while the grey edging is sc. Stitched together with grey.
This pair of slippers, larger than the green pair is crocheted (basic dc for the rectangle portion, and again sc for edging).
I LOVE this blue and I LOVE working with this yarn. Probably my favorite for regular knitted worsted weight yarn, Caron Wintuk. Nice feel, soft but also very substantial. I don't actually know what the difference is between this Caron yarn and the large Caron pounders which I also like to use. Though, I think this might be softer? This is dark colony blue.
Another pair of knitted booties, pink multi-colored for a newborn. This is some of the balls of yarn I rolled and rolled and rolled. Berroco's Comfort Yarn, works well for booties, is soooooo soft.
Using more of the multi yarn donated by a friend paired with rust, this scarf is crocheted with basic dc, sc, and fpdc.
This very nice Red Heart Yarn. I ordered it several years ago in 4 or 5 different colors and was thrilled to find I still had 2 of the green skeins left. I've never seen this yarn in the stores (JoAnne, Hobby Lobby, Michaels or Walmart). It's called Red Heart Tweed came in 4 oz skeins 113 g, worsted weight, 4 ply. It's very soft and I'd like to find it again. This color is Moss. The scarf is simple dc, with this nice yarn--the tweed really no need for fancy stitches. In fact, I experimented with a few that were lost. You really just didn't see them, or texture. So, keeping it simple seems to be the way to go.
More fun with granny squares. I call this hat fall granny. Green, gold, burnt orange all harvest colors varigated squares (3 approximately 6 inchers), edged in sc burnt orange. Stitched together in same burnt orange, several rows back loop sc for band, topped with pompom of orange. I did not decrease to make a crown on this hat. I gathered the top using darning needle weaving in and out, every other stitch and pulled tightly. This method is faster then the one used for the red hat, but also makes hat smaller. A good way to alter sizing. Kids heads are soooooooo many different sizes.





Slippers are heading to Pine Ridge
Scarfs heading to Homeless Veterans through a group on Rav called Knitters for Obama
Booties ...will be sent ??? Gotta check my rotation and see who's turn it is next. Several groups need booties.
Hats will go to the school project, Prevent Brain Freeze as soon as I get the address.

Works in progress:
The blue scarf, candy corn ghan, pink and purple ghan. I'm really really really trying to finish all my projects before starting more. This is pretty good for me to only have a few things in the works. The project bag organization seems to be helping.

Had a busy, and tiring though enjoyable long wkend with my daughter in Baltimore this past wkend. Trying...to catch up.