Charity Knitting

I learned how to fold origami cranes when I was in public school. I caught on well, still enjoy doing it, and have made possibly hundreds of cranes over the years.

Now I knit one:

I've been wanting to make this pattern for a couple of years now, and finally I had the right occasion and the time to do it. At least, I thought this the first time I had the time BUT it took ALMOST NO TIME! It knits up in about an hour & the felting is fun, and can be done over a few days, so it really isn't time intensive at all.

How perfect. Easy & quick to do, and just in time for my Haiku Conference.

It was a hit! I may make this a tradition.

a flurry of finishing!

After a period of starting project after project after project, I seem to be in a phase of finishing. I even finished my biggest source of shame!

Check out the gallery:

Mason Dixon Potholder Loop RugAnother one of those projects just to see how it works. I happened to *finally* see some cotton potholder loops available at a craft store and bought two 10 oz bags. I took them home & looped them together [very zen-like] & rolled the ball. A couple weeks later I went back and bought three more bags & looped them. My 'ball of yarn' ended up the size of a basketball!

(here's the full ball with an 8-year-old for scale)

I used 25mm needles rather than the 35mm needles called for only because that's what I had on hand. It worked fine. This is the first project I've used such large needles and it requires totally different muscles for knitting this way - instead of the fine muscles in the hands & wrists, you're using your biceps & shoulders! I actually broke a sweat doing this. Definitely a fast project - very satisfying.

Sunflower Scrubber

Quick, quick pattern I found on Ravelry & decided to do for Mother's Day. I used my new favourite cotton - Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Stripes & a scrubbie from the dollar store. I love how fast it went, and I definitely plan to make more. Mom refuses to use it to scrub pots though, she thinks it's too pretty and figures the plastic bit will wear out long before the cotton & what would she do with the crochet cotton donut?

Tie Tank Finally!

My 'first' piece of clothing I knit starting over two years ago. I finished knitting within a few months, assembled it & promptly decided it was too frumpy, and I wasn't happy with the strap joins. I set it aside, and left it aside, and left it aside, and left it, and finally tried it on last weekend & decided to finish it up. All it needed was the ends to be sewn in. I did a crochet edging along the neckline and arms as well to make it that much neater. I'm not sure if it was just time that softened my opinion on it or if I, myself, got frumpier & fit it better! Seriously though, I really think finishing it properly and blocking it did the trick. So now I have a two-year old, new top!

Y'know what? There's more finished objects to come, just waiting for photos. It's almost time to start something again!

project serial monogamy

After my flurry of starting things I decided I needed to complete something. The constant starting was getting ridiculous so I vowed to work only on one project at a time. And look what happened...I finished something! This is the Crochet Bag pattern that is on the ballband of the new Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Stripes. I made the bag mostly because I really like the colourways in this yarn and needed an excuse to use it. I love how it turned out. I did the handles in knit i-cord mostly because the crochet handle written in the pattern seemed tedious and i-cord just flies by.

Oh! and I now have a grommet tool. It's really easy to use (as long as you don't use it on the carpet) and the effect is great. I'm trying to decide now what else I can grommet. This could become a compulsion - grommets are tres cool.
The next thing for my serial monogamy list is the crochet basket I wanted to make for Mother's Day but I'm really not sure I'll get it done in time. (it's ok...I already have another gift for her!) I may start on a knit origami crane or two for my upcoming Haiku Canada conference...or maybe I'll get back to Camisa. Whatever it is - I'll definitely want to put grommets in it!