Diagonal Buckeye

Geess...totally forgot I had this scarf in the works. Found it when I was moving things around in my office. I see I must have needed the size 10 needles for another project and even removed them. Thankfully, I left a note as to the size I was using on the card with the pattern; but...I didn't leave a note about where I was in the pattern. I may have to take this to my LYS to see if they can tell me where I am. I'm not good at looking at the stitch and seeing what I did last...that's a real problem. I can do that easily with crocheting, but not with knitting.

Dang it, why didn't I leave myself a note! I was making this around Christmas as part of a gift and it just didn't make it. Using Lion Brand Woolease, size 10 needles and am probably 1/4th done?

Any suggestions as to how to tell where I am in the project to keep my increase and decrease going correctly?

Starts

It may not look like it, but I have in fact made headway on my Red Scarf Project Scarf. Think maybe it's doubled from when I previously showed you.

The blue worm, geessssssssssss. I've now started this project for the 3rd time. Yeah you got that right, that means I've frogged it twice. The first time I decided I didn't like the pattern. The 2nd time, I decided I couldn't count. I really frogged a whole week's worth that time. I had a mess. With 300 stitches on the cast on, I apparently couldn't count. And...yeah you see me now cheating with the plastic ring thingy's every 10 inches. Good grief. I'm really only making a scarf, but, x number of knit, and x number of pearls with each row being different has caused me to have a headache. Now on the positive side. I LOVE this yarn. I LOVE the color, which I bought with someone else in mind....might keep for myself...hum, just don't know. I wanted to do the scarf lenthwise instead of the more traditionally widthwise as I think it stretches less and a larger pattern would show up better. The yarn is Ultra Alpaca, 50% Alpaca and 50% Wool (Laine), a Berroco hand wash made in Peru. Yeah....I think I'm gonna keep it. The person in mind is not a hand wash person I'm thinking. So with my cheater markers I've now started over the 3rd time; but have chosen a less involved pattern. The stitch repeat is 5 stitches vs 9 in the previous attempt, and a 6 row repeat vs 14. I guess it's "Baby Steps". Still amazes me how long it takes to complete 1 row.

The pink-blackish gray triangle blanket is coming along with quite a bit of headway since last you saw it. No worries with counting with the traditional dishcloth pattern. This yarn Jazzes up the the basic garter a bit too.

What are you working on. I can't imagine I'm gonna have anything to show you for Finished Object Friday. Just saying..........

Started before Christmas...still a Work in Progress

Buckeye Colors, Scarlet and Gray. This was going to be part of a Christmas gift, but as you can see....it didn't get finished in time. It's basic garter stitch and is striped but at an angle which I like called Chevron. Now that it's sat awhile, I'm not sure I can figure out where I am in the pattern. Errrrrrrrrr, why didn't I leave myself a note. I don't want to frog it since it's striped would have all those separate pieces. tsk tsk...must think on this. This is where my knitting isn't up to my crochet skills. With crochet, I can count figure out where I am and or determine what the stitch is etc. I find that harder with knitting. I keep at it, hoping I'll improve my skills. I do enjoy knitting; but...I can't do it as easily when someone's talking etc.

Did you get all your planned projects done in time for gift giving?

Young, Youthful or not?

When I bought this yarn I wasn't sure if it would be a scarf for a gift, or a scarf for me. I liked the colors but, just wasn't sure who it was appropriate for. I started it just before leaving for Mexico, as I thought it would be a good small, light weight item to pack and work on during my travels. I'm using a lacy stitch pattern. Not sure how much you see the lace in this picture as I'm holding it up to get snap the picture with my other hand. Believe it moved a bit. (I think you might see the lace pattern better in the first picture I took when it was started, click on I bought this yarn).

So, my question is...is it youthful looking or not? If it's youthful looking it may end up being part of a Christmas gift for my niece who's 14, I think. I'm terrible at birthdays and remember ages; but believe she just started middle school this year. If it's not youthful, it may go to a charity for battered women that likes lacy and pretty scarves. This scarf though lacy, is also warm as it's 100% wool, made with one of my favorite yarns to work with, Taos. Then again, it might find it's way around my neck because it is a warm scarf. Generally, I make light weight scarves for those battered women; not knowing what climate they're in. Light weight works for all as an indoor scarf for decor and comfort. A wool scarf would only be welcomed by those living in cold climates part of the year, so is less usable.

Open to you thoughts and ideas. What do you, Young Youthful, or Not?

Continuing to work on a scarf for DD, which I should be able to finish by tomorrow when she arrives. Finished the corner to corner ghan for Bridge and Beyond 2 days ago, worked some yesterday on tucking in the ends; just a few left to do today. On last section of the blue and burgundy squares also for Bridge and Beyond; should finish it today. Hoping to get both those ghans in wash so I can block them. Have some fun colorful yarn sitting here starting at me, calling my name. I might have to give in and start something with it.

If you're traveling for Thanksgiving, travel safe and enjoy.

Helping Women with choice of Yarn

These were fun to make, love the colors and feel. You might remember me blogging about this yarn HERE. You can read about yardage, cost and how the money goes for a good cause. These are fun skinny summer scarves, great to add a little interest to a plain colored top, cover the neck when a.c. hits it and bothers your arthritis and well...just to spruce up the night.

These were made while vacationing in Colorado, and on the plane coming and going. Great to have small projects for trips.

Nice also to have some small projects to work on inbetween larger projects like the 2 ghans I'm working on for Homeless Charities.

Also wanted to let you know you can win some FREE YARN, as I'm sponsoring a contest over on Bridge and Beyond to celebrate a 200th blogs posts that's up and coming. Please hop over and read all about it, get yourself entered and feel free to spread the word about the cause and the contest!

When I Grow Up I'm Gonna....

When I grow up, I'm gonna be? What? This yummy, super soft baby alpaca yarn is waiting to be something. My daughter selected this when we had a yarn shopping day. She loves green and purple. Most of her clothes are green and purple. Her room where she's living will be green and purple (still hasn't technically moved in).

This yarn is too pricey to buy much of it, so one skein of each limits what it came become. She asked for a scarf and while she knits herself; she wanted something beyond her current knitting skills. So, it's not really a question of what it will become; but the details of what type of scarf. So, when you shop for yarn, do you know ahead what you're going to make? Or do you buy colors, textures you like and figure it out later?

She asked for stripes, so currently I'm thinking about whether or not I want each color to have it's own texture, or maybe only one color have a pattern/texture with stitches in contrast to a plain 2nd color....Thoughts? I don't think I want both stripes be the same stitch?

Taking Stock

I pushed hard towards the end of year to turn lots of UFO (unfinished objects) into FO (finished objects). I didn't get them all done, but improved the situation 10 fold.

Taking a counting here:
Need to make the mate for this mitten which is crocheted and would be nice and warm. I really disliked doing this pattern, I remember that, which is no doubt why I tossed it aside. Though I didn't remember it, way down at the bottom of my basket. The basket I keep by my chair. Now to make matters worse, I don't have the hook I used with it, so wonder what size I used? And I need to find the pattern. Normally...I'm better organized and have the pattern and hook or knitting needles with the unfinished object (UFO)

Finish my scarf (which I didn't get done for New Years like I planned), but fingers crossed I'll get it done by the wkend. This is the 2 different sized needles, Condo Stitch I've blogged about in the previous post.

Finish Candy Corn (which is the longest running unfinished project I've ever had). Seriously I found where I had blogged about this in the starting stages way back in June of 2008. It would be constantly pushed aside when I was working on other things. It's crocheted, a big granny, but piecemeal and irregular in design as you can see. I like funky things.
Finish The Circle's in a square ghan for a co-worker. I love the look, but this isn't an easy carry along and do elsewhere type project. So...I need to work on it here at the house. I have brought the bag, pattern and yarn being used for this up from my storage shelves....hint hint.

Yummy Baby Alpaca, Chunky and Fabulous

This beautiful luscious red scarf is made with 2 different sizes of knitting needles, 10 and 17. This stitch is called Condo stitch and is straight garter stitch knitted alternatively with the 2 different sizes.

You can see how lacy the stitch can be in this photo where the scarf was held up next to a light in order to see through it. The suggestion is to use the size needle suggested on the yarn wrapper for your small needle and then go as big as you like, depending on how open you want the lace to be. I like this 7 size difference. My daughter made this fabulously soft scarf for her school secretary as a special gift to thank her for all the extra things she's done. The yarn is Cascade yarns, Baby Alpaca Chunky ( a bit pricey but this is a special gift).

Below is my start using the same technique but with size 8 and 15 needles and some rather nice high end wool. I say high end, because I rarely purchase fiber of this nature; but am treating myself. I've not made myself a scarf in about 5 years and those I have are looking pretty pathetic. I love the fun colors in this yarn. Crystal Palace Taos 100% wool. Daughter needed to take needles with her so I'll knit this off onto my round Denise needles and attach a different size to each end.

Working on Works in Progress

Doubt I'll get all my WIP (works in progress) turned into FO (finished objects) by years end; but am making headway. Last night finished a scarf for The Bridge and Beyond. Finished and have ready to mail a scarf for Oklahoma Brain Tumor Foundation (the one pictured here), which is knitted with 2 strands of yarn. The dark purple is Plymouth washable wool, and the light purple (which looks almost gray in the picture) is super soft Red Heart Plus...or at least I think that's what it's called. The wrapper was no longer on that yarn. It looks and feels like mohair; but having used it previously I know it's not. It's very thin and soft. This isn't a charity I'm real familiar with, but am doing this through the group Sharing our Gifts, which I just recently joined.

I've just separated some baby items, and am getting those ready for mailing, where did I put that address? lol...seriously, I cleaned my desk off the other day and it's caused me problems about where I put stuff when I got all neat.

My first Scarf

This is my first scarf for The Bridge Project

Crocheted with 2 shades of blue and 2 shades of grey. I just delivered it to my sister-in-law who will delivery it with other items this evening at dinner meeting with Rae.

Excited to see our daughter tomorrow. We're heading to Baltimore where she's singing with The Baltimore Handel Choir. It's The Messiah!

Have a good wkend all.

Special Olympics...5 in the mail

Previous post, shows 1st, 2nd, and 3rd scarfs made. The 4th one in the works was ripped out and here are the 4th and 5th scarfs made. All 5 were crocheted. Used 5 skeins of yarn (2 white and 1 blue). 5 x 364 yards = 1,820 yds of yarn for this project...minus a wee bit left of the blue.

Of the 5, my personal favorite is #5. I really like the way the slant stitch scarf made on the horitzontal came out. Believe I'll make another scarf using that method for a different project. Scarf 4 and 5 were made with a J hook (larger, as the others were H and I). Scarf 4 was sc, dc, slant stitch, and crossed dc. 5th scarf was dc and slant stitch. (see the close up of this one pictured above)

My only thought on the 5th is that is might be gender specific? I think it might be too lacy looking to be appropiate for a guy? What do you think? I tried to make all the other 4 scarfs gender specific, as I was concerned with the number of definately female ones I spotted over on Ravelry in The Special Olympics Group. Didn't want them to not have some for the guys.

QUESTIONS:

What browser are you all using? Anyone having trouble getting into a few peoples blogs? Getting message blog can't be opened with Int. Explorer? Having that trouble with Ghost's blog. Wondering if there are others? Unsure about loading foxfire (had tons of trouble with it about a year ago), what about a different browser? Whats the difference between foxfire and mozilla? Anyone use Netscapes?

Anyone have a link for a good tutorial for crocheting from a graph...carrying over yarn? I don't want to have lots of joins, but would like to try my hand at that.

Happy Stitching one and all

Time to Scarf!

One red scarf done, one in the works. Both to be sent to The Red Scarf Project (link on right side of blog). Remember the month of Sept is the ONLY time these scarfs can be sent to The Orphan Foundation of America. The completed scarf was knitted, the one in the works is being crocheted. Look at the close up...I'm really liking the texture. (texture is 2 dc, followed by fpdc, 2dc across...then instead of putting a bpdc in the next row where the pfdc is, I've continued to use fpdc. This is making a nice thick scarf. Hoping to get one more Red one done for this project and get them in mail. Goal to wrap this up this week...fingers crossed.

Then would like to work on some rectangles for HAP, and blue scarfs for The Special Olympics Project...and many other items, but those probably on the top of the list.

Ohio State Football Game yesterday. Yes we beat Ohio University; but we did not play well. Weather was nicer than the previous week in that I didn't feel like I was going to melt from the heat.

Headache, sore throat today...not good, have a very long week ahead at work.

Motto for the week:

Be kind, it makes the world a better place.

Mr. Mailman.......PLEASE

Things are piling up.....where's my mail carrier? Donde'? Silly me, I need to get up away from the computer and go to the post office. What's in need of being mailed, you might be wondering.
Squares:
6 red 8 inchers to be used in a joint effort to make lapghans. Goal 100 lapghans for senior citizens at a nursing home through Stitches of Love, check in with Sissie, if you'd like to lend her a hand.
Scarfs, 3 of them (all knitted), for ladies with cancer through Scarfs from the Heart




And to more pair of baby booties I got done before sealing the box for Marine Corp Kids (see previous post).
Once these were all addressed, I turned my attentions to the pink and blue baby blanket (picture in previous post), and while watching the closing ceremonies last night got it done. Picture later....gotta get to the post office remember. Then once I photograph I need to decide where to send it. Got another pair of booties started last night, but just barely.

Weather is much nicer here today than it's been for several days, not nearly so hot AND we got rain last night!!! YIPPEE. We really needed it.

**updated my mileage knitted and crocheted
****updated my counter towards my charity goal
*****Since my last post, I've only managed to get above 10,000 steps once while wearing my pedometer....wish I could figure out how to walk and knit or crochet at the same time?

Projects I'm focusing on:
Some baby items to mail with the pink and blue blanket
Some Squares for Pine Ridge
Finishing Candy Corn Ghan....started long ago
Finishing the pink and purple ghan picture in previous post
Rectangles for HAP

Wednesday and wackiness!

This green wool scarf was a bit of an experiment. The green yarn was left over from something my mother-in-law made YEARS ago. I had no label to know it's weight, composition etc. but, feel certain it is mostly wool, a very light fingering weight yarn. So, I used to 2 strands and knit it on my Bond. The tricky part of that was pulling the yarn from the 2 sources at the same tension so as not to have a knotted mess. It was still thinner than I like scarfs to be, but I made it wide enough with this in mind and so doubled the scarf itself over. Rather than stitching up the side, I folded the two ends toward the middle which I think makes a softer edge for the scarf. This is for my daughter, who's not a lover of fringe and so I crocheted scallops for the edge. She loves it and wears it everyday. Though Stella is mifted she no longer has the green scarf around her neck. lol It's snowing like crazy here today, was bitter cold and windy yesterday...the day before that I was in Baltimore and it was 65 wonderful degrees. Wackey Weather!!!



We had a nice visit with our daughter in DC and Baltimore over this past wkend, and so I'm now trying to catch up on household stuff, and knitting and crocheting.



Last night I started a green and purple pillow cover thing for my daughter. Her room is purple and green.......... she does love green!



I finished a 2 tone pink scarf last night also and need to determine which charity it should go to. Am feeling behind on my charity count, so need to shift some gears and get some projects finished.