Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge and Lessons Learned.

Finished Object Friday Post(link in sidebar)

Here we have the back of faded summer (Septembers) cotton cloth for DD for the Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge. Pastels indicating the brilliant summer colors no longer at their peek. Details in this post

Here's the front of the cloth, on my lap, sorry folks didn't have a good place to lay it down to photograph at this particular moment. I finished this cloth once we arrived in Park City for our family vacation and passed it on to DD who was happy with collection to date. I had 3 finished prior to the trip, finished July on the plane, started above September on the plane. (finished Sept and April before the end of the trip). Love this pattern and will definitely use this stitch again. Actually already have, now that I think about it....as a design element in the red and purple scarf.

This is another cloth for the challenge started after arriving in Park City for the family vacation also. This cloth was started over 4 times before I hit on a pattern I liked. Several of the patterns just weren't showing up using the variegated yarn/cotton...and so were a bit of a waste of time counting etc. Both DD and I like this, it's a bit thicker and has good texture for a cotton washcloth. This now is cloth 6 in her possession. #7 which is March is on the needles, as we speak which leaves 5 to complete for the cotton cloth calendar challenge. 50% there.

I have discovered 2 things while making these cotton cloths. Some time back I posted I didn't like to work with cotton, that it bothered my hands. What I found out is, I was using my Denise needles and the cotton does not slide nicely off the needles, in fact it really sticks which makes working on the item hard on the hands, fingers, and shoulders (you know tension). However, I had a metal something (Susan Bates I think), circular needle the right size and started using it for these cloths............WOW, what a difference. It's not the cotton that's hard, it was the combination of the needles and the cotton. The 2nd thing I've learned so far with working on these cloths, is the fun in trying new stitches/patterns on a small scale.......much less fearful, and also much more willing to frog if I don't like it.

Girls Night Out, Class Mates and Old Friends

Through the beauty of Facebook old friends and high school classmates connect. Proving one doesn't have to fear Facebook just because you're under the age of 30. Some of us had seen each other at reunions here and there through the years; but nothing consistently. Some of us hadn't seen each other at all. It's particularly hard, I think with women. We get married, we change our names, we're therefore harder to find....hint ladies please include your maiden name like it's your middle name on your Facebook profile. Anyway........we have a private, invitation only page on Facebook, so only our classmates can view it and chat freely. We've been sharing stories, pictures and memories. We decided we should get together, those of us locally. Posted a date and time, and managed to get 5 us together for a fun packed evening of dinner and drinks. We collected up at The Winking Lizard. Prices are reasonable, the menu is huge, happy hour drink specials exist. We followed their posted motto for the evening!

Happily we got an outside table on the patio under an awning and had a fan blowing so it was most comfortable. Not sure I would enjoy being inside as much, as it's pretty loud in there.

Passed my camera to the opposite side of the table so Marilyn could snap this photo of Judy, myself, and Dana.
I then snapped this one of Eleanor and Marilyn. None of us had any trouble knowing who we were as we arrived despite the time lapse since most of us had seen each other. We had a great time catching up on things like who worked were, who had how many kids and what they were up to, who's married and so forth. We shared stories from school, from the neighborhood, and remembered lots of our classmates. Wondered where certain people were, compared notes about whom had stayed in contact with whom.

On a trip to the ladies room..........Iguana with a very very long tail.

We found a willing photographer at the next table to get all 5 of us in the shot. Poor thing was wearing one of those walking cast/boot things; but she didn't seem to mind. Eleanor open your eyes. Glad it was someone else for a change, usually mine are closed, lol. Marilyn was our sole Glenmont Elementary School Representative, the rest of us attended Sharon; which has since been bulldozed.

Going for the perfect shot, we kept at it. Our friendly neighbor tablemate was having as much as we were. She and her friend were also catching up, hadn't seen in other in awhile. Though they were younger than us and thus it hadn't been as long for them. Judy took their pictures also.

And...one more for good measure, you can see the laughing increased! We had a wonderful time, chatted more in the parking lot before leaving and definitely plan to do this again. Hope some others can join us.

**For those unfamiliar with blogging who may be reading this, you can enlarge pictures by clicking on them so you can see things better.
***You do not need to be a blogger to leave a comment, simply click the drop down box that says name and url, leave your name and leave the url portion blank.........PLEASE do leave a comment so I know you were here. If you're a fellow classmate and want to join us next time, you can leave that info in your comment and or email me at sandycrochet@gmail.com, and you can click on the Facebook Badge in the sidebar to be taken to my Facebook Profile Page. ***

Whetstone High School Class of 1969 Dinner Gathering's will continue.

Now for those not in my high school class, are you trying to connect with friends you've lost through the years on Facebook? If not, do yourselves a favor and give it a try. It's FUN!

*-*-*-scroll down one for WIPW*-*-*-

Wedding Ghan, Scarf round 3, and Easter Cloth

Work in Progress Wed Post (links in sidebar)
This is the start, barely perhaps of the cotton cloth for March (Easter). Several problems right from the get go. The stitch/pattern is called basket rib. Well basket certainly seems appropriate for Easter and the colors sure look like Easter Eggs and Jelly Beans so that part works. However, started this with my Denise Needles which is how I discovered cotton and Denise needles don't play well together. There's no sliding, and do you see a pattern? No sure I do. Sometimes patterns don't show up well with variegated yarns; but perhaps the needle size is to large? Perhaps frogging and starting over with a smaller and metal needle (like I used with the other 6 cloths) is the way to go? This cloth is part of the Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge for DD.
TaDah! Well yes I know that expression and a drum roll is usually reserved for when a project is completed. However, I feel whew.......finished the knitting the last strip (far right), and am joining using the mattress stitch. Well, this is a scheduled post, so perhaps thats done as you now read this? Anyway...the very last brown square on the last strip gave me fits. I frogged it 4 times. Had issues with right and wrong side, not seeing the brown well etc. So, to actually have the last strip done really thrills me. Once joined will crochet edge/border and laundry and block! Stay tuned. Am thus far pleased, this is the largest knitting project I've done, and I learned several new stitches/patterns in the process so this was a challenge for me.

Anxious to see how much larger it will be after joined, border, and blocked. Currently it measures 43 x 53.
This scarf, started out HERE, as an early start for The Red Scarf Project. For some unknown reason I've gotten bad at not noting what pattern I'm using and or where in the pattern I am when I lay something aside. Needed to put this aside to work on wedding ghan. So, frogged it and started over. Decided I would use the pattern from the faded summer cotton cloth, but after several rows decided it was to open and adjusted. Mentioned here. Well.........as things progressed I could see I wasn't going to have enough yarn. I purchased this red yarn several years ago, and so didn't even attempt to match; but was sick and tired of frogging.......so my new idea....see above. I knitted until I ran out of red and joined purple to do the 2nd half. As you wrap scarf you'll see both colors. Jury's out on how I'll like it or not on completion. I do love the colors together, but no...it's not a gift for a lady in The Red Hat Society. lol The other day I read guidelines for The Red Scarf Project have become more restrictive regarding red, which was not an issue before. I need to read and see if this scarf will work for them or not. If not, will go to another charity.

Running to Catch Up

YOP wk 4 for me (Aug 7-13)

Some progress to report on my YOP list:
Got July finished, and both April and September started for my Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge. I was traveling (Park City, Utah), so washcloths projects were perfect for the plane trip.

This is a neat pattern, one you might remember from the medium tan blocks in my stripes for the upcoming wedding ghan. It's called little blocks.

April showers is a cool stitch pattern, one I plan to use again perhaps on a scarf. It's called Chinese Waves. It's working up fast since it's basic garter, is nice and I think a very adaptable pattern. It called for a cast on of 45, but I thought that was too large for a washcloth and cast on 35, trick is to have an odd number for the cast on according to Margaret Radcliffe, designer. Was thrilled to come across this pattern, as I have now started and frogged this green--April Showers Cloth 3 times.....argh, just really didn't like the look of the other patterns I tried.

Fading summer is sort of an eyelet pattern but with garter and purl stitches, called Reversible Open Rib Washcloth. The pattern called for a cast on of 31. I really like the look of this stitch and plan to use it again also. The nice bonus in making these cotton cloths is trying out new stitches.

Also on the plane finished 2 more blocks on the wedding ghan's last stripe (which were blocks 4 and 5), and was almost finished with the 6th and final block of the last strip when I realized there was a mistake. Somehow I had gotten off with right and wrong side. I either didn't count a row, or I hit my clicker (row counter) twice. Arghhhhhhhhh. Dark brown to hard to see to rip out and get back on track on the plane so laid it aside. Once we reached Park City and got settled in, I again re-did the brown section....And...dang it, the same thing happened. I do find it hard to see, and was apparently not paying enough attention so completely frogged it again. As of the writing of this post, I've restarted this last brown block 3 times. I didn't attempt to do it on the plane ride home and plan to finish it today and begin attaching. Fingers crossed. Taking it slowly to be certain I don't get off again. Only doing it when there are no distractions.

Have updated my YOP list when I realized I'd left something off. I started a scarf for The Red Scarf Project way back and didn't get it on the list. Actually that link shows were I made progress, as it was started before that. However...........I didn't keep the pattern I was using with it, don't remember it, and have no clue where in the process I was. So, though I took it with me for this trip to Park City, I ended up frogging it and starting over.

I started out with the idea of using the Reversible Open Rib Washcloth pattern, but once I did several repeats decided it was too open for a scarf. Click to enlarge. I think with this wonderful soft Plymouth Yarn (washable wool), the openness is greater than with the cotton in above washcloth? So, after doing several repeats decided to do a section of garter stitch (32 rows which is double the amount of rows 16 used in the pattern stitch), then back to the pattern though only did 1 repeat and was going to repeat that. Changed my mind again and kept going with garter. The little bit of pattern, I think just gives some detail to the scarf. Now my problem is whether or not I have enough yarn. The skein is 200 yards, and this scarf is wider then I sometimes make them. I'll dig out my scale and weigh how much yarn I have left. If there's not enough, will have to get creative with how I finish it, as I've had this yarn a long time and won't even attempt to match it.

YOP list:
Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge (about 40% done with DD's cloths)
Cotton Cloths for Bridge and Beyond (haven't started)
Wedding Ghan (about 80% done, need to finish last block, attach last strip, edge, launder and block)
Candy Corn Ghan (no headway)
Buckeye Scarf (no headway)
Learn to knit socks (no attempt)
Learn to knit cable stitches (no attempt, but....have found a pseudo stitch I may try on a cotton cloth to get me started)
Awesome wool (blue) scarf (planned to take on recent trip; but as I was packing it realized I once again had not included the pattern I was using in the zip lock bag!) Why...probably because I was using the pattern on something else? I have no yet frogged this start---it's a 300 stitch cast on and I'm hoping to be able to determine what I was doing.
Poodle Ghan (had planned to finish this by now, had it packed for mentioned trip....mindless knitting would have been good; but.........needed to remove it from the suitcase to make room for our Martini glasses)
Oddball (sorry to report no headway since picking out colors and edging pattern)
Bridge Ghans (no additional headway)

Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge

Today's Work in Progress Wednesday (badges with links in the left sidebar) focuses on my Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge. I've listed it as one of my YOP (year of projects). I want a cloth to represent each month. This stemmed from all the beautiful cotton washcloths that were collected during the month of June's focus on Bridge and Beyond, and my wanting to get some of the awesome colors I saw, and my DD seeing them and stating how much she LOVED cotton washcloths and wanted a mound of them. After making 2 shopping trips, one to JoAnne, and a 2nd one to Hobby Lobby and Michaels, I think I finally have colors that will work for my calendar idea.

January, cold, snowy. Blue and White is my current idea
February, naturally one thinks red; but I may do this combo? Thoughts vs plain red?
March is Easter, so thought this looked like an Easter Basket of pretty eggs and jelly beans.
April tends to be a rainy month, things here in the Midwest start turning green...........unless there's still lots of snow on the ground.

In normal conditions those April Showers bring on May Flowers (though again snow can get in the way of seeing many of them). I used a cast on of 33 and a double eyelet pattern, one of the stitches I used in the wedding ghan you've been seeing...HERE

June makes me think of summer vacation, swimming pools, kids out of school, beach vacations, laying around in the grass getting a sun tan. This is the famous Grandma's favorite washcloth knitted corner to corner. Everyone's go to pattern.

July is 4th of July, the celebration of our Nations Birthday, Patriotic, Red, White and Blue and family picnics. This is using a cast on of 33 and a pattern stitch called Little Blocks that's also one of the stitches being used in the wedding ghan. HERE
August, the dog days of summer......hot scorching sun, bright orange and yellow. Another cast on of 33, with straight knitting side to side.

September...well, not totally sold on it yet; but thus far I'm looking at this. Though it seems like pastels...I'm thinking fading summer? September is still colorful, but less so. Some flowers gone, but too early for pretty leaf color? Thoughts? I also thought of just stripes of primary colors, thinking back to school, crayon colors; but since I'm using all those colors elsewhere...didn't want to be repetitive???

October of course is Halloween, and Candy Corn.
November makes me think of the end of fall leaves, Thanksgiving on the horizon.
And naturally for December we think Christmas and Red, Green and White.

I'm feeling like I'm a bit over 1/3rd done with this project, even though 12 divided by 4 equals 3, and my 4th cloth isn't yet done. After all, the time to shop, to think and plan...that counts right? And now to lock in some patterns for above colors and months. Thoughts, suggestion? Happy to check them out.

For those who've been following my progress on the wedding ghan...it continues, as of the writing of this scheduled post I'm on block 4 (6 in a strip) of the 5th (I think final) strip. Fingers crossed when I get the 5th strip done and attached I'll feel like it's large enough. I know it will grow a bit when blocked, and again a bit more with a nice border. Running out of time to make a 6th strip, and am pretty sure doing so would be very tight on yarn....don't want to run out and not have enough for a nice border. Have you ever knitted a border? Thus far, I've only crocheted them, but...have a few knitted patterns? How hard is it to pick up stitches? I haven't done this before. This is quite a learning process for me, in that, aside from corner to corner's this is my first knitted vs crocheted ghan, and I did learn new stitches in the process.

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.