Cinco de Mayo, Mardi Gras Baby Blankets for Charity

Finished Object Friday post (link in sidebar)

Cinco de Mayo on the left, and Mardi Gras on the right. These are Oddball Baby Blankets. I've blogged about them as a wipw post, and on the yop post. Here they are done. Actually there's still pinned here as they were being blocked. I'm pleased to say the heavy duty blocking did take care of evening out the sides. If you want to see the before and after Click here. My portion on both these blankets was Border Patrol.

Had hoped to have another Cotton Cloth done for the Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge to show you today; but have been rather busy dealing with an elderly aunt and getting her admitted to a nursing home. My last couple of days off have been short of knitting time.

The weather is turning here in Central Ohio. I'm actually sitting here inside drinking hot coffee, have a fleece on even. It's only 43 degrees this am, which is only 11 degrees above freezing! That causes me to think about switching gears on my projects, as items for the homeless are so needed when the weather turns. Bridge and Beyond will get my knitting and crocheting attention.

Pink Petuna

It's Wednesday and time for another WIP post. Above is the start of Pink Petuna. Pink Petuna is an OddBall Baby Blanket. I've often worked with this charity group who sends blankets around the country, every knitter doing a section based on a theme. The last 2 I did were Mardi Gras, and Cinco de Mayo where I was the border patrol person (the person who crochets the border). Final pictures after blocking for those 2 blankets will be Friday's Finished Object Post. They've already been mailed off. Pink Petuna is worsted weight yarn...and the bright pink caused me to name it, Pink Petuna. I cast on 120, rather than the traditional 100, feeling the last couple of blankets were a bit too small. Babies now days seem to be getting larger and larger. I'm using the the needles that traveled with Cinco de Mayo (size 8), and a stitch called Little Blocks from the 200 Knitted Blocks by Jan Eaton. I used this stitch on the wedding ghan I recently finished and liked it's texture so thought I'd use it again. Will do a few more inches, and when assignments are complete I'll mail off to the next person in line and Pink Petuna will start her travels. I'm also working on Pink Poddle Ghan which will be donated for Bridge and Beyond for a new program, where afghans are given as house warming gifts when a previously homeless family transitions from temporary housing into their permanent housing.

Challenges with OddBall Blankets

WIPW (links in sidebar)
Oddball Blankets is a group on line on Ravelry. Each person knits their section based on a theme. Rules say no ribbing or cable stitches should be used as they draw in and make things uneven, count your stitches before and after your section to be sure you have 100, adjust the number of garter stitches for the edge to prevent curling, use the same type of yarn (sport, baby, knitted worsted etc.) mail onto the next person on the needles after knitting your 4 inches. The above theme is Mardi Gras. My spot is called border patrol. Crochet a border on this knitted blanket......pull it together and finish it off, mail it onto the organizer to be donated to local hospitals. Stitches selected should be reversible and have no right or wrong side. I've found over time, there's lots of leeway with the stitch selection, the yarn selection and sometimes it's quite a challenge to finish them off doing the border patrol. The yellow and purple sections do pull in, quite a bit. Hoping when I add border stitches that unevenness is less noticeable, and or when laundered and blocked it will be even.

I select 2 bright colors and do several rows of border. It does, I think pull it together...color and theme wise; but it doesn't even it up as much as I had hoped. The yellow section though not cables or ribbing definitely pulls the blanket inward. It's a lovely stitch too, so it's a shame. Click to enlarge, I don't know what the stitch is. Probably not a good choice for a group project, but would make an awesome scarf, and or blanket on it's own.

Close up of the border, and the pretty yellow section. Fingers crossed when blocked I can even it up more.
WOW, this one Cinco de Mayo really has issues with being very uneven. The black in the center is infact ribbing. I love this blanket, I love it's bright colors and variety of stitches; but am concern about the challenge of evening this one out.
It's a beginning. Yarn selected and stitches to use for the border patrol pattern have also been selected as this point. But, as you can see after one round of single crochets how far off it still is.
A close up shows a good 3 1/2 inches variance is the width of this blanket. I don't know if even heavy duty blocking will get the job done here. Pondering my choice of stitches again on this. As I continue to work on it, am constantly pulling, stretching it...in hopes of improving the rather large gap.

Wedding Ghan, and Work in Progress Wednesday

A small beginning to a standard corner to corner cotton washcloth. I love the color combination. This is the first cloth made from The Cotton Stash I showed you HERE. My thought is a cloth a month, calendar cloth project I think I'll call it. I think this combination works best for June? It's summery, blue for water, green for grass, and the colors remind me of swimming pools and beaches. But, with my idea now of calendar cloth some of the months aren't represented in my current stash, and some of those colors in the stash don't jump out as a particular month. Might have to give this more thought, and or go shopping again? Primarily trying to focus on the wedding ghan, but need quick little items to toss in purse for on the go knitting. ( I should mention I'm using the lightest color for the joining, the color from the eyelet block, and you don't see it even on the dark brown blocks).
This shows the back of the wedding ghan and the mattress stitch. I had planned to whip stitch, but someone...good friend Sandie in Louisiana suggested mattress stitch. I discounted it as too tedious, good stitch for hats and sweaters, which is the only time I've used it previously. Then I watched a video of it to refresh myself. She talked about how easy it was, how fast etc. Sooooooooo, I thought...ridge on the front from whip stitch and seeing it differnt color yarn, vs ridge on the back using mattress stitch join, and not seeing, or barely seeing different color yarn?
Soooo, decided to give it go. Three rows joined. Two more to knit. Plenty of tails to tuck which I find you can't really do at the same time as doing the mattress stitch. I do like how smooth the top is, but...it seems far more tedious to me and not quick like the lady in the video. Naturally the ghan will need to be blocked, but the monochromatic colors in the traditional diagonal blocks are coming together.
This in Mardi Gras Oddball Baby Blanket. I'm tasked with being the border patrol for this. I'm currently in staring mode. lol I always stare awhile to decide what I want to do with the edge. What color, what type of crocheted border. I have some purple variegated that might work?

All WIPW badges on side bar with links if you care to join in.

If you missed reading yesterday's post, or if you like flowers just CLICK HERE.

Oddball Baby Blanket now a FO

FO Friday post

Cupid, the Oddball Baby Blanket is now complete and will soon be on it's way, traveling once again. It will be heading to Minnesota, and after being wash on it's way with many others to a hospital for babies in need. I blogged about this blanket, the process and the purpose for my WIPW HERE.
Here's a close up of the border which is comprised of a row of sc, followed by a row of dc cross stitches, followed by a row of shells made with 5 dc. I believe it does pull the blanket together a bit, not as much as I had hoped. I see the yellow (Xanthic), but the blue speaks aren't as visible as I would have liked. I like it better finished then when I began, but it's still not a favorite for me.

Items to work on: Afghan for Bridge and Beyond, Washcloth for Bridge and Beyond, Scarf for...maybe myself?, Scarf for Red Scarf Project, but have the urge to start something new....I'm seeing and hearing some yarn calling out to me. And, it's calling pretty loudly, so don't know if I'll be able to pretend I don't hear it much longer.

**Z-A V post is HERE
***U post is HERE

OddBall Baby Blankets

6 Knitters each on these Baby Blankets for the western group in RAV Oddball Baby Blankets. I love seeing the different stitches people use, and how they interpret the theme. Someone starts the ghan based on the theme and then it makes it way around with each person doing a section and mailing it on. I was the border patrol for both of these blankets. The blanket on the left is titled Pumpkin Patch and the one on the right is called Sweet Pea. I expected Sweet Pea to be lots of shades of green...my interpretation...however right from the start it seems everyone else thought of the flowers Sweat Pea's which are all different colors and thus the blanket begins to take shape.
Here's a close up of the 2 tone orange boarder. I did several rows of single crochet to try and give the blanket a bit of shape...even it up. As you can see in the first picture, there's quite an hour glass shape due to the differences in stitches and yarn used. Then with the darker orange did a simple scallop/shell. That darker orange to me is true orange.
Did some tugging to again even it out, and am hopeful when the blanket is laundered and blocked it will maintain the square shape. I also thought this blanket though appropriate for male or female looked a bit more boyish, and thus didn't want a real frilly border.
A close up Sweat Pea's boarder here. It's all in one color, made with single crochet, chains, triples, and V stitch. I like this boarder for adding a few inches to a smaller blanket. And with the name Sweat Pea, seems more girly to me. Plus the pastels so went with a more frilly boarder here. Considered doing a green border since it started and ended with green...and because green is the first color I thought of for Sweat Pea before seeing the blanket. But, since blue was the middle section on the blanket I choice that to pull it all together.
These blankets are done for charity. All given to hospitals around the country for babies and families in need.

Improving one stitch at a time

I keep trying, ever so slowly to improve my knitting skills. This is a close up of my portion of "Mossy Delights" Oddball Baby Blanket. The darker green, top of the photo is my section. I used a stitch called pique triangles. I like the stitch because it has lots of texture, and is completely 2 sided which is nice for a blanket. It's only a 4 row repeat which also nice...for me. Perhaps as I improve a bit more, I can expand on that.
Here's a picture of the whole blanket before I sent it on for boarder patrol so you can see how everyone does a strip, different stitches and colors (or in this case shades of the same color). The blankets each have a theme, a name and we're to do our bit based on our interpretation of that name/theme. The blankets are donated to babies in need at various hospitals around the country.

I think I'd like to do that stitch again, wouldn't it make an awesome scarf? Perhaps best knitted lengthwise vs widthwise? Would the pattern show up less is the scarf were done in the more traditional method of knitting it widthwise?

Lots of WIP (works in progress for my non crafting friends), but chipping away. Hope you're all staying warm. Sorry I've gotten behind in visiting your blogs, but hope to chip away at that today and tomorrow too.

**Adding this per hakucho's post, so you can see this blanket when it was finished. Here's Nancy Blog.

Some End of the Year Thoughts

Time is so fleeting and there never seems to be enough of it; here it is almost the end of the year 2010. As I think back over the year some thoughts come to mind. I think hubby and I need to plan to visit our daughter more in the coming year and not just wait til she comes home on the holidays. We enjoy our time together so much; and a few times a year just isn't enough.

I got stuck on the letter R as I typed up memories of Mom. I really want and need to finish the alphabet. Hoping to think of an R memory soon. When I have the alphabet finished, I may print for the rest of the family.

I've been really busy with things on Bridge and Beyond in the last couple of months. Did quite a bit of P.R. which seems to have paid off, in that we're getting more frequent donations, and more donations from new pairs of helping hands which is always exciting. The more donations we receive means we can help more people in need. My hope for the coming year is that continues to be the case. If you've not been to the blog lately, please do. Even if you're too busy to knit or crochet something at the moment; spending time on the blog is helpful...as is leaving comments. Both help the page rank with regard to search engines, and placing well on search engines helps us be more visible to possible knitters and crocheters who can help.

I'm hoping to finish the border on a ghan I'm currently working on and get it laundered and blocked in the next couple of days, and finish a ghan my daughter started for the same cause while she was here in town.

I don't make resolutions, though I do sorta make goals for myself for the year. Do you? Belated Merry Christmas to you, and Happy New Year. If you're traveling; travel safe.

The photo was from a 2nd start of the Oddball blanket I mentioned not being happy with previously. I used 2 strands of fingering weight yarn to accomplish the right thickness and since I had the blanket longer then is normal, didn't do anything fancy in terms of stitches. Just did your basic garter. It made a nice contrast both in color and texture to the previous strip. This is only the start; forgot to get a photo of the completed section before I mailed it off. Darn it. I'm expecting another oddball blanket shortly to work on titled confetti. The one pictured was titled Candy Land.

Harold and The Purple Crayon

One more of my unfinished projects sliding over to the finished objects column. Yippee, the end of the year is almost here and I've made some good headway. I still have 2 ghans in the works, that simply aren't going to get finished this year; a scarf I'm working on for myself (which I plan to finish in time for New Years Eve), and a pair of mittens I need to finish (probably will be the first item in 2010 to be finished). Made one mitten and laid it aside, totally forgot I never finished it's mate.

The credit for the cute name for this preemie blanket for The OddBall Knitters group goes to my daughter who thought of the book when I showed her the purple yarn I planned on using. The stitch I used is Purled Ladder Stitch which is an 8 row repeat. It's soft, as I used Caron Simply Soft yarn. I don't like working with this yarn, though knitting with it is better than crocheting with it. Many love this yarn because it is soft and is classified as worsted weight. Although I don't believe it stays together well, separates easily when working with it which requires one to knit or crochet slower. It also often requires adjustments with gauge because it truly is thinner than most worsted weight yarn. For a baby blanket though, it will be soft. It's now on it's way to Michigan to the next Oddball knitter.

Happy New Year one and all, if you're traveling be safe.

Green Acres

Green Acres is the place for me, ...can't remember the rest of the words to the song. Chim in, if you do. This is, as you can see bright lime green. I am the first knitter on this preemie blanket already headed to the next knitter. With the title of Green Acres, I imagine as the blanket grows we'll see lots of shades of green being used. Kinda fun to start one and think up a title/theme.

I cast on 102 and used a new stitch...well new to me that is. It's called horizontal dash which is an 8 row repeating pattern. I like texture when using a solid color, as I don't think stitch varieties show up when using variegated yarns.

This preemie blanket is for OddBall Knitters who donate to hospitals all over the country for The Linus Project.

Who's counting down til New Years with either crafts or home projects?

Another WIP turned into FO..count down til the end of the year

This is titled Sunnydaze, cute name but looking out the window right now it's sure not true. It's snowing again here, and it's cold. This is an oddball preemie blanket I finished a few days ago. Each person knits a prescribed section. The blanket travels until completed and is then blocked, washed and donated to an OB unit for project Linus. I was the last knitter on this blanket and so did a little orange lacy edge after completing my orange section. One more WIP converted to FO. YIPPEE!!! Started another one called Green Acres, and will get it in the mail heading towards the next knitter as soon as I know who that is. I'm counting that as a FO (finished object), cause I've finished my portion. Check back for picture on the next post.

Look at this fun yarn, I bought 2 skeins at a yarn specialty shop the other day to make myself a scarf. Mine is looking pretty shabby. Time for a new one. Am anxious to start working with this yarn, it's super yummy soft. Not gonna start it until I get at least 1 more WIP converted to FO.