• Crochet - Mystery balls - Scrap yarns - stashbusting

    Double the fun

    April 25, 2020 - By 

    Last Saturday, after exercising and showering before my busy Saturday of reading on the couch, I went shopping in my yarn stash. I found some yarn for hat and scarf sets and other small projects…

    AND…

    I found some pound skeins of black yarn. Along with the bag of odd balls that my friend’s family gave me and the ones I already have, I could make the multicolor afghan I’ve been thinking about. Although, instead of measuring the lengths of black, I will start the afghan with two rows of black and then continue working with one of the balls which all start with a color and end in black. An open shell stitch would show off the colors and make it interesting.

    Black ties all the colors together nicely. Many yarn companies make color changing yarns and some of the combinations are striking. Why not make my own? Wool yarns or fancy yarns aren’t included, but ombre, color changing, are all included. This is a fun and different way of using up yarn. I plucked a ball of yarn out of the yarn bowl to start the ball rolling (bad yarn pun intended) and I wrapped black around it until I felt like changing colors, then kept alternating between a color and black. I use all of the color, then wind some black around.

    This is a work in progress because I need some additional colors to add to the mystery ball with black. Two full pound skeins of black with the colors interspersed should be enough or at least a good start. For the mystery ball that’s just yarn joined together, no amount is too short. If it can be joined (using the Russian join so it’s somewhat seamless) and it coordinates with the color it’s being added so – it’s included. Unlike the black and color balls, the mystery ball is solely color and colors are matched together as they are joined. In a run of three colors, the one in the middle coordinates with the ones on either end of it. When I’m ready to use that ball, I will use it two stranded with a lighter weight black for as large of a square I can make and then complete the rest of the rounds in black.

    I’m enjoying making the mystery balls, though I need to finish a few more projects so I will have yarn to add! Double the fun of creating them and working with them! Stay tuned…

    Happy crocheting!

  • Crochet - crochet motivation

    Being creative while sheltering in place

    April 18, 2020 - By 

    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!

  • afghans - Crochet - Odd balls - Scrap yarns

    An artistic proposition

    March 29, 2020 - By 

    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.

    It will be either a failure or a great artistic work. Light blue isn’t necessarily the neutral that I was thinking of when I first envisioned this project but this will be interesting and colorful. What I need to figure out is how long the stretches of light blue will be, the odd balls all vary in length and I will try to use mainly worsted weight yarn for this project. I’m going to have to crochet a row of in the stitch I want to use, then measure it and cut some lengths of that.

    I’m liking this plan. I did like this plan…

    After more thought, I have some longer lengths of yarn and enough to make more than one scrapghan – or planned colorful afghans, as some of the yarn that I’m using isn’t scraps. Instead of using the same amount of yarn for the solid color, I might make a large granny square afghan in varying shades of blue with the light blue being the main color and another with rows of a coordinating color with black as the main color. For the black with rows of color, it may be the same color in two rows or it might be a different yet complementary color.

    When I first had this idea the sky was sunny and bright and I took that as a sign to work it out, but as I sketched things out and started with a few rows to get the idea some shape in my head, I think the two afghans will definitely use up more yarn. I have enough blue that it could be an afghan by itself, but I wanted to give it a little more pizzazz.

    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.

    Crocheting keeps me calm and now that I’m sheltering in place like many people in other parts of the world, I’m just doing more of it.

    Happy crocheting!

  • afghans - Crochet - hats - red scarves

    Staying warm

    February 18, 2020 - By 

    On Friday, a pile of warm winter gear rested in a chair because it was so heavy that it pulled my magnetized hook down when they were draped on the hanger with my coat. As I waited for the bus on Valentine’s Day, I wore a hat, a scarf inside my coat, and one outside wrapped around my face. Only my eyes could be seen. I was comfortable on the bus I had to take the outer scarf off, unzip my coat and take off my gloves.

    There were several people who didn’t wear hats or even pull up their hoods as a choice. Five degrees with a negative wind chill is not the time to look cute. I saw a couple in a car looking at me as I was in my blue standing mummy glory. Whatever! I looked back at them, didn’t care. I was warm. Then I thought about the people who don’t have the option of being in a car or don’t want to wear a hat.

    Extremely cold days make me want to continue my efforts to make hats and scarves. A scarf can serve a lot of purposes and contribute to body heat. I’m still enjoying crocheting and steadily working on the 2020 goals both the quantifiable ones and the underlying one of using up yarn in my stash. My love of crochet and seeking out new color combinations and techniques hasn’t waned. While I’m not a fan of hot weather, I do like people to be warm and like to share my handiwork with others. Share – not sell, for me crocheting is a vocation and a form of meditation.

    Completed as of Presidents’ Day 2020: Five scarves, one afghan and one hat
    In progress: Three afghans and one scarf

  • Crochet - Mystery balls - Odd balls - stashbusting

    Ode to a mystery chunky yarn

    January 14, 2020 - By 

    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. Enter the simple, functional and humble scarf.

    I started another scarf because I needed a portable project and the other scarf I’m working on is in my desk at work. When I was sorting through my working yarn stash, I found a chunky marled gray yarn. Someone obviously didn’t like it. There was a bit of it, unbanded wound into cakes in a torn plastic bag. One bit was double stranded, likely because the previous crafter had an idea that just didn’t work out. I can definitely relate to that.

    How it came to be in my stash is probably through a thrift store, as the yarn was still in a torn plastic bag. I like it and I like working with it – a lot. Generally, bulky yarns aren’t my favorite, but there’s something about this yarn that drew me in. An N/9.00 mm hook, a simple shell stitch and the scarf was almost halfway done in about 75 minutes. What I don’t like about this yarn is that there’s no band, so I can’t buy more or even find an equivalent to an older, discontinued yarn.

    My hope is that the future recipient enjoys wearing it as much as I am enjoying working with the yarn.

    Happy crocheting!

  • afghans - crafting - Crochet - crochet motivation - Donations

    New year, new goals

    January 9, 2020 - By 

    Yes, it’s the second week of January, well, the first FULL week of January and I’ve finally set my 2020 crochet goals.

    This year, I am committing to making 15 afghans, 15 hat and scarf sets and 40 scarves.

    I really missed making afghans.

    What I missed most about working on afghans is that when you work on them in the winter and they are large enough to cover your lap, your legs are warm. In the summer you can put and afghan off to the side or use it to block the breeze from the fan or ac, but in the winter it is a definite bonus. Without a goal in mind, I already started 3 afghans and a scarf.

    Though an outlier in the year’s goals is baby items: I might make some baby items, I might not. Another goal that I can’t measure is to use up yarn that I have or get rid of yarn that I don’t want from my working stash. Last night, I was looking for yarn to combine with some skeins that I was using to work on an afghan. I found some yarn to use, but in my search, I rediscovered yarn to make a couple of scarves. Surprise yarn is always great to find. As I was finishing my last scarf of 2019, I found some yarn that I didn’t like using, it was too bulky and I put it in the donation bag right away. I plan to do more of that this year. Someone else may like using it.

    There will be some colorful afghans made this year, because I am committed to using up what I have and not buying more. Not quite crazy quilt type, think neutral with pops of color. Getting rid of yarn that is taking up space is definitely on the agenda. I have purchased some yarns that I’ve liked from thrift stores probably from people like myself who didn’t like working with a project and just threw the whole thing into a bag to be donated or maybe a family was donating a deceased crafter’s unfinished projects. If you have the option, work with what you like and can afford. Life is too short to work with materials that you don’t like. I’m still going to experiment, try new yarns and also try to get to a non-big box, local yarn shop. I will definitely crochet (almost) daily in 2020, crocheting is like breathing and not even a goal.

  • Crochet - Donations - New Year Crocheting

    Happy New Year’s Eve

    December 31, 2019 - By 

     

    New Year’s Eve and I’ve finished all my crocheting goals: 75 baby hats, 15 hat and scarf sets, and 75 scarves. The original goals had to be adjusted from 60 baby hats and 50 scarves. I work faster than I thought.

    I restarted a few of the items, because I didn’t like them. In 2019, I intended to do less post work, but I discovered that I really like it. Using different colors makes the basket weave stitch and other variations of it really stand out.

    The new year begins soon. I haven’t set goals for 2020 other than I want to make a couple of things for myself. I got yarn for Christmas for items for projects for me. Tomorrow, January 1, 2020, I’ll start making afghans again and some small portable projects.

    This past year was a sabbatical and I didn’t make any afghans. I miss working on them and have already planned the first couple that I want to make. I’ll still make hats and scarves but likely only 50 scarves and 50 baby hats. They are portable, unlike afghans, so I’ll need some small projects to carry along with me. In this past year, I learned a lot about technique and personal preferences. I also learned that I prefer to only make things to give away, not to sell. If I don’t finish an item or choose to work on six things at a time, it’s my choice. There are many deadlines in other areas of my life. I don’t need a deadline in my pastime.

    There’s a lot of yarn that I plan to use up in 2020 or just donate. Superbly yarn isn’t my favorite. I thought I wasn’t a fan of light worsted (#3 weight) yarn. It’s not bad. Doubling it, or using it two strands together isn’t difficult to use. For the last scarf of 2019, I planned to use some random balls of super bulky for a quick and simple scarf. Even on an S hook, I didn’t like working with it, so I put it in the donate bag. Another lesson learned this sabbatical year: not all yarns are what you want to use. Work with what you like, there’s enough yarn to go around.

    A new year is upon us, may crocheting, knitting and other crafts keep you sane, and give you joy and peace.

     

     

  • crafting - Crochet

    Handmade gifts are not cheap!

    December 23, 2019 - By 

    Not everyone is worthy of your gifts.

    I ran into a neighbor as I was getting some packages that I’d ordered for Christmas. She commented – presents for Christmas? Yeah. “I’m making mine this year she said” I’m a senior at [a local university] and college is expensive. She shook her bag and said I’m just making everyone hats this year, they’re easy and quick.

    “Wow! That’s great, this is the first year that I haven’t made anything for anyone, “ I said. She was saying she wanted to pay her tuition and we got to her floor.

    As the elevator door opened, I said “Hats – that’s a great gift, you’ve bought the yarn, but you also have your time that you spend making each gift, that’s not cheap. Think about how much your time costs. That’s so cool!” Then she offered a big smile and said good evening.

    Don’t let anyone belittle your gift or effort. Crafting is not cheap, few people consider the time that it takes to make something and only think of the cost of the materials. Value your effort. Whether you are just starting out or are a seasoned crafter your time is valuable.

    We all have those projects that we made when we were first starting out. My mother still has a project I made as an 8 year old. My family members still have the first scarves and hats that I made. I have held on to things that students made me when I taught for a short while and my mother has dozens of keepsakes that her students made/gave her.

    Your time and talent are valuable. I am guilty of the line of thinking that I can just buy the materials and make something that won’t cost a lot [for the materials]. Since I like making things so if I decide to crochet a scarf, or hat or make a piece of jewelry, I don’t think of the time that it takes to make something. The thought and the effort count! Two days until the Christmas deadline – forza, friends – you can do it! And remember, your gifts are not cheap!

  • crafting - Crochet

    Enjoying the holidays – one stitch at a time

    December 14, 2019 - By 

    My 2019 crochet goals have changed a few times. I met the baby hat goal, original scarf goal, then added a hat and scarf set goal, then met and exceeded that goal. Now everything that I’ve made has been donated. This leaves only 8 scarves to finish for the modified scarf goal. Four are in progress and no holiday gifts are on the horizon, so I’m ready to keep plugging away!

    The holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day can be stressful. Since my counting of completed projects is inaccurate until I’m ready to send them, I chose to make more hat and scarf sets to donate. Ambitiously, I was going to make a nice round number of five, but decided to not impose added stress on myself and donate the four completed ones.

    Pressure to create is real for many people especially those making Christmas gifts. I’m not making anything for anyone – yet. But, I’ve been in that position before, so I chose not to put any additional pressure on myself and concentrate on meeting my revised goals. The four scarves in progress means that I and a few stitches closer to the goal of 75 scarves. How do you meet your crafting goals – one stitch at a time.

    Crocheting or any crafting should be fun. The holiday gift making pressure can take the joy out of the season. Don’t let self-imposed goals steal your joy this season (or any other time). If you can’t make everything you would like before Christmas, so be it. If it happens, it happens.

    Happy crocheting!

  • crafting - Crochet - Hat and scarf goals

    Losing track of finished pieces

    November 20, 2019 - By 

    I definitely cheer myself on when I get the math right or plan the correct number of stitches for a new project. [Thanks to the practical use of algebra.] When it comes to finished projects counting is where the difficulty comes in. I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets excited when the math works out for a pattern repeat. I get more than a little excited especially when I have decided to combine a couple of different things and don’t have to restart a project after the first try. I know I can count and in other aspects of my life, other than my own personal budget, I have to make sure I can count.

    When it comes to finished crochet projects though, my counting is off. I finished 75 baby hats and have them in three bags of 20 and a bag of 15. A few weeks ago I sent 20 scarves to an organization and was planning out how many I am sending to other organizations. The finished adult scarves were also in larger containers of 20 (each individual scarf in a plastic zipper bag).

    While working on my original goal of 10 hat and scarf sets, I lost track of what was finished and greatly underestimated what was done, because I hadn’t counted in a while. The temperature dropped in Chicago and was been below freezing just after Halloween, so I figured out a time to take some things to a local organization. I thought I had only completed eight sets and I like to give away round numbers when I make donations – weird quirk, but whatever. Thinking I had 8 sets I was going to drop off five. Well, I had eight completed in one part of the house, another two in my work room; plus four partial sets (hat or scarf complete, but not both). Including the partial sets, that’s 14 sets.

    I can do many things, but obviously I can’t take a good account of what I’ve made. As I finish items, I stash them away. I thought I still needed to complete more to meet my goal. On a recent road trip, I finished a set and hat for another. Eight plus two equals ten; plus four sets in progress is more than ten. I have gotten better in determining how much yarn to take on a trip, it is the speed of completion that I lose track of. When I finish a project, I just start something new, or if something is too large to transport, I start a new project. The same way I treat a book, if I only have a few pages left, I don’t’ want to carry two books, I start a new one.

    My new response when asked how I complete so many projects, I will say one stitch at a time. The same way that I lose track of completed objects – one stitch at a time.

    Happy crocheting!