Category: WIPs

this & that

January 4, 2024 / Deb / 0 Comments

Just now made another mistake on Grain. I dropped a yo instead of knitting it I think? In any case, everything’s secure, just odd looking in a spot. Won’t even notice in the fo.

Got some stitch markers from ChiaoGoo that are making things much easier where I’m using them. Proper tool for the proper job. You wouldn’t think a stitch marker would make much of a difference but it really eliminates a friction point.

I got my latest purchase from Knitivity today. It’s gorgeous as always. Pictures to come.

I got some Scarfie this week as well and thought I’d picked a pattern for it but changed my mind when I actually started working it up. So that can be stash for a bit while I work on other things.

I’ve been doing a lot of gaming this week. I think my hands appreciate being asked to do something else.

And there’s even more going on but that seems like a good list!

a job for the mandala thick&quick

December 30, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

I’ve been noodling around with this yarn for a day and I found what I want to do with it. It wants to be a bag. It needs to be a bag.

I’m working it up like this: with a 10 mm hook I chained until it was the right size for what I want to do with it. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch across, in last st 3 sc then sc in the other side of the chain back to the start. 2 sc in last ch. (3rd sc is what you started with). Work in a spiral with a sc in each sc around.

I haven’t decided on the strap construction yet.

Working with this yarn and hook combination is challenging my hands, but the yarn’s so bulky that it’s working up really fast. I’ve needed a smaller bag for a while so I’m excited to finish it.

hooks and tools

December 27, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

Look what else I got for Christmas!

I’m so excited! I really like working with bigger yarns. I can’t wait to get my hands on some and make lovely chunky things.

In other news, I finished the second sock of the worsted lavender pair and though I’m super stoked to have done it I’m feeling like I don’t want to be near another sock anytime soon. Maybe if I get over it I’ll try toe-up and see if they drive me any less crazy.

Grain is coming along but I’m starting to feel like I overestimated my love of endless garter stitch. It’s beautiful but I’m more and more reluctant to work on it. I’m not sure I can keep it up for another few thousand stitches.

And last but not at all least, after some swatching and playing around I decided to keep the same hook on my big brown throw. Mostly it’s nice to be working on it again.

a “big brown” dilemma

December 24, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

So I have this granny square throw underway that I refer to as Big Brown. It’s made of RHSS stripes in the colorway Latte and it looks fantastic in 1′ squares with the way it makes the colors pool. It was the first project of any size I took on after I started crocheting again.

I pulled it out last night to work on it and discovered that I have a problem. The hook I’ve been working it with is really too small for my tension and the yarn. I was having trouble hooking the yarn and my wrists were complaining that it was just too tight. The kids are encouraging me to just continue but I don’t think I’m up for the discomfort.

The problem is that I already have a substantial portion of the thing done. Not half, but enough to make me pause rather than just diving in with a bigger hook. And since I only have so much yarn to work with, there are potential problems with reworking squares if needed.

I think the best thing to do is probably to work a full square with the bigger hook and see how it looks and feels before I stress too much about how to handle this. It’s another bump in the crochet road but how boring would it be if it went smoothly?

Grain is growing

December 22, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

I haven’t worked on her in a couple of days, but it’s going quickly.

You can see in the second picture that I made a blooper, but I think continuing on has straightened it out. I can’t say as I mind too much…I like perfection as much as anyone but I know that I probably won’t get there, at least not yet. So it’s good practice taking it in stride.

WIP: the silver scarf

October 5, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

I couldn’t sleep last night so this went from a few inches to almost 2 feet long:

I’m sure there are mistakes in it but I love the overall effect. The stitch came from a book by Tracey Todhunter called The Step-by-Step Guide to 200 Crochet Stitches.

This is number 125, Garland Lace.

The yarn is Red Heart Soft in Light Grey Heather.

I’m mildly obsessed with it, so it might actually be done before the weather turns truly cold. I’m keeping this one for me. 🙂

WIP: a happy blankie

September 28, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

I’m not always the biggest fan of granny squares for baby blankets. I worry about little fingers getting caught in the spaces and their potentially being too heavy. After my earlier struggles and given their reliability though I decided to make an attempt at one for my stubborn, stubborn blanket…and it’s coming out beautifully. Gaps are fine, the colors are singing, and it works up fast. We’ve got a winner.

I’ll try to get photos soon.

In Time-Out: the sad blanket

September 26, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

So I wrote before about difficulties I had trying to manage a blanket for Project Linus…the stars just wouldn’t align. So I switched yarns and started again. This is the current state of that attempt:

There was more than twice as much fabric there before I frogged.

This time it wasn’t a problem with the yarn, though, it was a problem with me. I have no idea how I managed it but I got extra stitches at the end of several rows and the thing was just too crooked to save by easing it back in. Weirdly I only did this on one side. Even weirder that I did it at all. I have no idea where my mind must have been.

Working on it again is just too much for right now so it’s safely put away where I won’t think about it for a while. I’ll no doubt finish it eventually, once the sight of it doesn’t make me cross anymore. I’m definitely losing the race to finish a blanket, but I firmly believe in putting good vibes into your projects so definitely better late than cranky!

Current WIP: the big brown blankie

September 25, 2023 / Deb / 0 Comments

I love a good granny square blanket and I fell head over heels for this yarn (Red Heart Super Saver Stripes in Latte). My photography skills are sorely lacking but the skein runs from a lovely bone color through to a deep brown and back and the effect is quite pretty on a random square.

I was originally going to do all squares about a foot across but I felt like switching it up so I created a center with 6 squares ( 2×3) and am crocheting around them continuing the granny-ness. Right now I’ve only got one round completed so I’m not sure yet if it’s going to turn out the way I’m thinking it will. If it doesn’t turn into a massive frog-ject I’ll try to get better photos in a few more rows.

I was originally planning for a throw but I grabbed some more yarn (the dye lot doesn’t match, but I might get lucky) and we’ll see if that’s on the table when the time comes.

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