Crocheting is something I do everyday. Now that I am sheltering in place, I do more of it especially since I have more time to watch movies. My commute time has dramatically decreased and during long webinars and meetings crocheting makes me focus on what the speakers are saying and not zone out (plus, it makes the time pass faster). Not everyone can work from home. Find something to keep yourself calm. Some people bake, sew, do puzzles or write. It’s not a contest, everyone can go at their own pace. Use crochet or other craft as therapy to help cope with the boredom, isolation and loneliness.
I have a lot of different shades of red and black. I decided to put them together. My grandmother had some towels that she used to hang in her bathroom for special occasions that were red and black. Her favorite color was red and so I figured why not use up what I have, which was part of the plan this year anyway to use up yarn that I have. No better time than to be creative in the combinations. I didn’t have enough of the same manufacturer of yarn, a couple were darker with a crisp black and another giant skein was a softer black. No matter, I decided to just make it so that there are three rows of black after each section of red. A section is complete rounds of red from the same shade. It may be one, it may be five, just complete rounds. I’m making a giant Granny Square and changing colors as I go, so that there are no ends to weave in. It’s another one of my plan as you go afghans. The reds are leftovers or smaller skeins of red that I wouldn’t use for a hat or scarf because there’s not enough for set. If the reds are close enough to match, then they may be combined to extend a section. I like it so far, because the colors are bolder than I probably would have put together otherwise. While sheltering in place, I’ve been creative with recipes, why not with crocheting as well?
Much of the yarn that I use, also known as working stash, is in plastic totes by color. A quick stroll through the red bin yielded more to add to the afghan. The shades are different but fun. This is definitely a stash buster project.
Solo hats were not on the agenda but as I’ve been going through the yarn I have, I’ve been finding leftovers from previous projects that aren’t enough for an afghan or a scarf. That’s how a hat came to be, I had almost enough yarn for a hat. Then I found a similar yarn in a different color way for a contrast and just decided to put them together. It’s very warm because of the chunky yarn. The hat looks better on than just laying flat on the table. I found some other yarns to use for a hats because when there’s a little of one color and a little of another in a similar yarn but not enough for an accent in a scarf, and the colors coordinate – a bold hat. I found a skein of yarn that I really like and I can make a hat. Baby hats may be on the horizon as well. Though the little red hat projects has ended, other groups seek donations of baby items and I found enough yarn to make a baby hat or two from previous baby gifts.
This year my goal was to use up the yarn that I have or give it away if I don’t like working with it. I’ve acquired some interesting ones from thrift stores and clearance sales that others may not have liked but that I’ve enjoyed working with.
I miss eating and laughing with my knitting and crocheting group while sharing a meal, but we still share photos of projects online. Use this time to focus on your craft, continue on the projects that have been languishing, or be bold, unravel them and start something new. Use your craft to keep yourself from unraveling.
This is a stressful time. I am working from home, and some don’t have that luxury. While I can’t sew masks, I can crochet. Cold weather is a part of life in Chicago and warm accessories and blanket are always needed. So, I’m taking time to continue doing what I do – making things for others in the way that I can.
Happy crocheting!
There must have been a sale on Caron one pound skeins. That’s the only reason I can think of as to why I have four of these pound behemoths, in light blue, in my house. I have been thinking of the project where I could use black and a color and all the odd balls that I have. Why not put the light blue to good use? As part of my “inheritance,” a friend’s family gave me a couple of large bags of yarn and craft supplies. There were full skeins but also lots of small balls of yarn that added to the stash that I already have. I think this would be an interesting at home project, at least to try to get things together to make something since we are sheltering in place. It takes a while to find everything up. The light blue could be interesting. I was thinking of cream or a tan, but why not use what I have on hand – lots of light blue.
I made the plan, then I didn’t like that plan. As I was working on an afghan already in progress, I decided to just take small amounts of yarn from my oddballs bowl starting with the smallest amount first making a round, then working a couple of rows of the light blue, then as many complete rounds of the next color, three rows of light blue and so on. The yarn was tempting me, because the bowl is near where I sit and crochet in the living room. I found a few colors to use and plan to use this method until I run out of coordinating colors (that’s a loose interpretation). Then I will finish it off with a few rows of navy. Some balls of the yarn are too small, maybe only a yard or so, but I am not going to throw those away. I joined a couple of the leftover bits of yarn that I used together in a ball. As I looked through the remainder bowl, I found some other small bits that I will add to this mystery ball of yarn. The result of this will be a colorful mystery ball. Adding lots of colors to this mystery ball will take time to some match up. The colors that that I’m selecting for the scrapghan in progress coordinate with the light blue main color. the small odds and ends are ones that I can’t bare to part with, due to my “frugal” nature. I can just keep adding to the mystery ball until I have enough for an afghan, which might take a while.
A few days ago I was on a Zoom meeting and since other people were showing their dogs and cats, I showed off the project I was working on. Someone asked me if I had enough yarn to keep me occupied. I laughed and said, “yes, and I already have a few projects planned.” The afghans are only the tip of the iceberg, I have yarn ready to make a couple of hats which likely will be finished by the end of the week or at least one set and more progress made on the other things I’m working on.
One of the benefits of working on multiple projects at a time is that I don’t get bored with crocheting. Also, since I’m working on afghans, after a short time, they are too large to be portable. 
Yes, it’s the second week of January, well, the first FULL week of January and I’ve finally set my 2020 crochet goals.
