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?

Waiting to be?

Waiting to be, no doubt a scarf as 2 skeins is the right amount. Though it could be a hat? It's my favorite Taos, 100% wool yarn. I love to knit with this and have often. My question here is....is this female or male yarn? I've changed my mind about 3 times since purchasing it; but I've been itching to start something using it. I really should probably know it's intended for male or female though before starting. Need some help, what do you think? I might like to start this as my first small on the go type project for the new year....sooo. What say you? And, has anyone crocheted with it? I've only knitted with it to date.

I don't plan to watch football for New Years, do you? I'm hoping to take a walk, my first walk of the new year.

Scarf or hat, Male or Female? hum.... Knit or Crochet?

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.

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?

Not sure this is going to work

This isn't the best of pictures, so hope you can see this well enough to see what I'm talking about. This is a scarf in the works, made from very small crocheted granny squares. These granny squares were part of the garage sell donation from Krystinne. I didn't want to use these in a ghan due to their size and thought I'd try a scarf. Was in the mood to try something different and so didn't line them up as squares to join, but as diamonds. Joined and edged...well the edging is still in the works. What I'm not sure about, now that I'm this far is if it will be thick enough between diamonds to not curl too much. I don't necessarily need it to be rigid....but will this work as a scarf?

My plan is to donate this through Bridge and Beyond.

Seems it would be appropriate for a teen through one of the 2 free clinics we donate to.

Thoughts? Have you done before? I've seen zig zag type scarves and thought this would be similar.

Hope you are all getting things done for holidays, staying warm, and being safe.