yarn planning

It feels, somehow, that I am at the end of my LEARNING where knitting and crocheting are concerned. I don't really want to bother with complicated patterns, and I must admit that I am a forever novice yarn person. That's ok. Mostly, I've made afghans, hats, scarves, tons of wash cloths and such. I've been seeing patterns for little coin purses and such that don't look super complex, I am more proficient at crochet than knitting. I have more confidence when I crochet and have made items "by ear" meaning, just hold it up and start crocheting and adding stitches where I want to. Doll dresses mainly. Lately, I've wanted to do only little projects instead of afghans. I only knit one sweater in my life, and my mom finished it because I got frustrated. I took a class on pattern drafting, and made some small sweaters for dolls, but there was a LOT in that class. It was called Needle Arts, and included needlepoint, knit and crochet, and crewel embroidery. I loved trying out all the different skills, but mainly focused on crochet. I'm left handed, so that has complicated learning for me. I end up crocheting left handed and knitting right handed.

I do have a set of looms that I have made MANY hats. I enjoy the repetitiveness and the fact that I don't have to think much. 

Right now I have all projects that I started finished. I did abandon one, since I couldn't tell where the  pattern was, it was really nubby yarn and so I frogged it. I am thinking about doing socks out of some lovely variegated stuff like the first socks I did. 

Then I'm down to scrappy things, odds and ends, odd skeins that don't match with much. I'm thinking that I will pull out the doll sweater patterns and get going. They are pretty small and quick and something I can finish, and no new stitches to learn or anything. And I love that the dolls have sweaters, too. Feeds two addictions, yarn and dolls.

It does feel good to be all caught up with yarnish projects. Now to use up the stash. No new yarn, there's still a couple bags. Lorna gave me a BIG bag of all sorts of stuff, acrylic. I have enjoyed making little things with it. My favorite was the Shawlette with some sparkly white yarn. 

It does seem that life is winding down. I'm not old, but I really do not want to keep collecting yarn and fabric and paper, but use up what I have already so I don't leave so much junk for my kids to have to sort through. 

But I'm not dead yet, at least today.

UFO assessment

Just re reading some posts, trying to figure out when I started the rectangular blue afghan that I found deep in the closet. To my shame, 2015. I guess when my dad died, I shoved it in the closet. 

Well I've been working on it in the evenings, and it's getting there. Right now, it's 36x44. If I add another 5 rows, or six if I do an edging, then it will be about 40x48 or so. I guess that will be a good lapghan size... I do not, however, know why I was making it, or who I was making it for. I didn't realize it was there, I don't really remember it. I kind of vaguely remember buying the yarn, I think I was with my daughter and son in law. But did I have a recipient in mind? Don't know. I do know that was a time of life I was kind of on autopilot. I was spending weeks at my parents' place, trying to take care of them when I really should have had them both move to assisted living. Hindsight is 20/20 though, can't go back. It's hard to do self care when you are caring for everyone else. 

The trouble with cleaning out to the very bottom of that closet.... so much I don't know how to deal with. All of Mom's quilts. All well worn and well loved. All need patching. Not in good enough condition to donate. BUT..... how can I just toss them in the trash??? 

I did let go of more of mom's clothes. Only took me almost 5 years.

So one UFO almost done, maybe a couple more days of evening crochet. 

One day at a time.

keeping clean

Spent the last two weeks at my parents' home. I HAVE to keep my hands busy or I go crazy. I read a bunch of books and crocheted a lot of wash cloths. Usually at least two a day. I got a book at WalMart, Crochet Stitch Guide by Jean Leinhauser and Mary Ann Frits. I'm learning a lot, and making wash cloths helps me learn and practice new stuff. I am pleased with the results. Although maybe I should have made a sampler afghan.

Unfortunately now it is just my mom's home. My father died while I was there. I can't fathom life without him in it... but I am glad his suffering in this life is over. And now those washcloths are helping me deal with the grief, just keep those hands busy. I've learned a few patterns that I could do in my sleep! Then of course I have to figure out what to do with them.... L {squared} might sell them. Or I'll donate them to the Rag Quilters. Or give some away.

this looks hard but is easy. Basically, you skip one ch and dc, then go back and dc in the skipped ch. For this one, every other row is sc.

sc 3, ch 3, skip 3 ch, 3 dc. 

twisted stitch, like above, but twists every row. 

four tied together for a gift.

Knitting Challenge

see it sparkle? It is really pretty.

Finished my short-row shawlette. I've been trying to challenge myself a bit; this one is designed by Lorna Miser and it said "beginner" and it was, once I got over being intimidated by A Pattern. I love the way it came out. I used Caron Simply Soft Party yarn which has a bit of a sparkle in it. I normally don't use anything but Red Heart (blush!!)  but Lorna gave me a bag of stuff and this was in it. I am really going to enjoy this. Now we need some cold weather so I can use it. Thank you, Lorna, for the yarn, and for the encouragement.

The Giant Granny

Trying to figure out just how big to make this. I love watching it get bigger. So far, it is about 40 inches square. I googled and found lots of pictures of other giant grannies-- all different sizes. I seem to always want to see what is the "right size" and guess what there isn't one.

I guess I have to figure out what it is for.

Here's a site I am going to explore some more...http://easycrochetpattern.blogspot.com/

I like the edging she put on her giant granny. I hadn't thought about an edging.

When I started this, it was going to be a rainbow. Then as I got going on it, I changed my mind. I had a bit of the blue-purple variegated (Red Heart yarn) left over from my daughter's afghan  and so I decided to go that direction.

Now. I've used up all the scrap yarn except small balls. Now what to do. Buy more yarn to make it bigger and use it as a coverlet for my bed, or leave it at this size and donate it somewhere? I really like it. But I'm trying to use up the Old so I can do New. I'm leaning toward buying more; Red Heart is not expensive and it wouldn't cost me more than $10 I think. One more navy, one more purple... then it could be diagonally on my bed over the blue bedspread I already have. I like changing the look of my bed often. That's going to be more of a guest room, so it will be pretty without being too "girly". Can't believe I actually have PURPLE in my bedroom. When I was little, I hated pink and purple. But this isn't THAT kind of purple. LOL and it goes well with my purple and blue plaid sheets.

Decisions, decisions....

I love her never-ending granny... and here's a tutorial: spiral granny
I didn't use a tutorial, I just kept going around and around. Nothing to think about and you only have to count to three. Great for working on while visiting with my mom.