Knitting up a Storm (Wedding Ghan, Cotton Cloths YOP))

Week #3 for me

Here's the wedding ghan progress, got 4 stripes (4 of 5) done, joined, AND ends tucked in...not final edge as those will get done when the ghan is bordered; but forced myself to tuck in all the ends from changing yarn colors etc so I wouldn't have them all staring at me in need of attention all at the same time.

2 blocks of the 5th strip done, working on the 3rd block (3 of 6), hoping to have this done and joined yet this week, but may not make it given my work schedule and the fact I'll be out of town later in the week.

You've perhaps seen these cloths when they were work in progress, and or separately for a finished object on a Friday post, but here now are 3 which means this project is 1/4th done. May, June and August here in this picture for my Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge. July has been started and is about 1/3 done.

The remainder of the list:
Oddball
Blue Scarf
Edging and joining ghans for Bridge and Beyond
Poodle Ghan
Candy Corn Ghan
Buckeye Scarf
*Learn to knit socks
*Learn to knit a cable
have no progress.

In my previous post I added a fun video, please treat yourself and scroll down.

Hope you've noticed my blog log for those who visit, and comment that are part of the yop. I like to keep working blog logs, and have removed a few folks from my regular blog log who never return visits, don't blog anymore etc.

It's Friday!

FO (finished object Friday) is here again. You saw the pink (May Flowers) on Wed as a WIP; I'm happy to say it's now finished, as is August's Hot Sun Cloth (which was a WIP last week). August is straight knitting, orange and yellow for the hot hot dog days of August is knitted with casting on 33 and knitting til it measures just under 9 inches square. May Flowers also is a cast on of 33 using a double eyelet pattern and a single crocheted edge as it curled just a bit.

Did you know Julia Roberts is an avid Knitter? I didn't. Did you know Tom Hanks likes to play pranks while on the set of his movies? I didn't know that either; but since these two fabulous actors/actresses are a couple of my favorites, I wanted to share this video with you. It certainly proves, yet again Knitting is not just for old ladies! Not just for Grandma's.

Turn on your sound and enjoy.

Wedding Ghan, and May Flowers

Work in Progress Wednesday (see sidebar for links)

Almost done with the last block on the 4th strip of the wedding ghan. One more strip to go. I have managed to assemble the 3 previous strips HERE in case you didn't already see them. To finish I need to complete strip 4, knit strip 5, attach the 4th and 5th strip (using mattress stitch), tuck in all the tails (worst part of any project), and do a border...probably will crochet the border. I was rushed and didn't lay this strip out nicely so it looks very uneven here, but thankfully isn't in reality, so I don't think the wedding ghan will require more then gentle blocking when completed.
Pretty pink, this makes me think of May Flowers and so is the 3rd cotton washcloth in the Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge. Hopefully this will be appear again Friday for FO Friday along with August. June's complete cloth is HERE, August in the works is HERE.

Year Long Challenge, Week #2

It all began HERE. A post about the challenge itself and my working list.

I had a decent cotton stash that needed to be turned into cotton washcloths for my DD and for my homeless in need through my charity, Bridge and Beyond. I got the idea of a cloth to represent each month, after I purchased the above stash. Not good, as much of above stash doesn't lend itself that way. I've mention Cotton Challenge, then Calendar Cloth, and have now "officially" named this part of my list as Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge. Part 1 of this challenge is the monthly cloth for my DD, (June is Done, August on the needlesand yesterday while out I picked up an additional color suitable to mix with something from the stash for October. So 1 down and 11 to go. All those made beyond DD's will go to The Bridge and Beyond. Though I still need more manly colors.

No work on Candy Corn Ghan, Buckeye Scarf, Awesome Blue Wool Scarf, Poddle Ghan, or Give a Square Ghans (listing still forthcoming on Give a Square Ghans).

I've continued to work on wedding ghan, working on 4th strip currently and tucked some ends in on the 3 stripes already joined.

Made selection of yarn for border patrol for The Oddball Blanket, this one titled Mardi Gras.
Will be using a bright pink variegated for a row or two, followed by a solid pink which to me is the color you first see...it's almost in the middle of the ghan, probably will make the final edge a dark purple, but that remains to be seen. The staring stage is complete. Next will select the border and hope to start crocheting on it this week.

**edited to to add this after several comments, these aren't dishcloths, these are washcloths for people to use on their bodies, larger then I would make it I were making them for doing dishes. When we make them for homeless and those in shelters it's a wonderful comfort for them to get a shower or bath with a special made washcloth. I'm making both some for the charity (Bridge and Beyond mentioned above) and some for my daughter. Using what I have in the stash, so cloths are not being made in chronological order.**

Grandma's Favorite is not just for Grandma's anymore

While I've done lots of knitting this week on multiple projects, this is the only item that moved from a wip to a FO. A cotton corner to corner washcloth. I used size 7 needles even though the label on the Sugar'n Cream calls for a 6 cause it's a nice needle and it's metal. I don't like using my Denise needles (which would have been a 6) with cotton, it simply doesn't slid easily. This is cloth 1 of 12 in my Calendar Cloth Project. My thinking is a cloth to represent each month, this is June. June to me is summer, the kids are out of school with summer excitement in their heads, families have summer vacations ahead of them, the pools are open, the grass is growing and needs mowed...thus the green and blue. Using Grandma's Favorite pattern I cast on 4 and increased with my yarn overs until I hit 44 stitches, then started the decreases. The cotton was self striping so no need to change yarn which helps to make it an even quicker little project.

Everyone loves cotton washcloths, and with such pretty colors, truly they aren't just for Grandma's anymore. See my pretty Cotton Stash HERE

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.