Year of the blankie

2011 is quickly becoming the year of the blankie. I have so many started and so many more in my queue, it's not funny. All of them are made in pieces which seems to be giving me a bit of "finished object" satisfaction. This may be why they are all calling my name, and why I'm enjoying them so much.

I finished the last of the 2010 Block a Month squares and have added a border to all the 6" squares. It will take another week or so to get the borders added to the 12" blocks, and then the seaming can commence.















Amanda and I got together again this weekend. This time with the hubsters. We had a great time. Lunch at an italian restaurant, then crafting at the bookstore. While there I spied Crochet on the Edge and I think I'm going to pick it up and find nice borders to add to my finished afghans.

Even though I didn't keep up with the 2010 group and made most of my blocks this month, I enjoyed making them so much I joined the 2008 and 2009 groups so I can make those afghans too. What is wrong with me?

Finished up a couple more squares for the Chain Reaction afghan this weekend too. I need to spend some time on this one in February. I have 9 more squares to finish up ... hopefully before the next Interweave Crochet hits the newstands.






I finally caved. Amanda mentioned the Babette Blanket one too many times and I couldn't resist anymore. I decided to try out Vanna's Choice yarn for this one, instead of the Simply Soft I usually use for afghans. It's not horrible, but I really do prefer the Simply Soft.

I made several of the 2 round squares before my better sense got hold of me, so I'll have to figure out which is which when it comes time to add them to the afghan. I wasn't thinking about the construction of this project when I started. Now I'm doing it the logical way. Make section 1 first (duh!). I now plan to seam the pieces together for each section and seam the sections together as they are complete. Will save lots of frustration later when I'm faced with a gazillion pieces to be sewn together.



Worked on Paul's gloves a bit this afternoon too. The pinkie finger is just about ready to be closed up. I need to put all these blankies aside and finish these up before it gets too warm to wear them.

So Close

So close to being finished with the 2010 Block A Month Afghan. Only four more squares to finish up, so I should be ready to start bordering them this weekend!





















Might have to rethink the new backdrop for photos of smaller projects. Got my new livingroom furniture last weekend and the ottoman's are just too handy. A bit on the wild side though don't you think?

While digging around in the craft room, I ran across a project I had started some time ago and had never entered into Ravelry. It was originally going to be a log cabin block sock yarn blanket, but I found another pattern I liked better to use up all those leftover bits from making socks. This is fairly mindless knitting for those times when you can't or just plain don't want to pay attention.



Made some progress on Paul's sweater this weekend. I really need to spend some more time on this and his gloves. Poor guy has worn big holes in his other gloves but is still wearing them. I didn't get an in progress photo of the gloves this week, but I am working on the fingers of the first glove.



Amanda is still trying to tempt me into starting another blanket, but so far I have been able to resist the temptation. I really want to have something else from my 2010 WIP list finished before starting another big project like the Babette Blanket.

Busy Week

It has been a super busy week! Working late, starting back to the gym, snowstorms .... all things that are getting in the way of my knitting/crocheting. I wonder if I can get coordinated enough to knit while running on the treadmill ... hmmmmmm.

Even with all this stuff going on, I did manage to get a few more squares done for last year's afghan. Twelve more to go. Changed my mind on adding a 4th color to the mix, and decided to use the dark brown to add a 2 round border on each block, then add several rounds to border the entire afghan once the blocks are sewn together.









Met Amanda last night for some craft time and worked up a few strips for a Chain Reaction afghan block. Still have 7 more strips to make then a border to add to get this one finished up. I'm hoping to have all 15 of the already published blocks complete before the next issue of Interweave Crochet hits the stands.



This weekend I'll be getting back to knitting and setting the crochet aside for a bit. I really want to get Paul's gloves and sweater finished so he can use them before it gets warm this year.

Amanda has me really itching to start yet another project. Another afghan to be exact. I spied the Babette Blanket in an old issue of Interweave Crochet and showed it to her last night. Hopefully I can have enough discipline not to order the yarn and start that until I get some of these other projects completed. Making good progress of several of them, but don't have any more finished yet.

A Definite Theme

I'm noticing a definite theme to my crafting lately. I've got the crochet bug but good. Finished up 5 more 2010 Block a Month squares this weekend. Still have 15 more to get done, but at the rate I've been going, I should have this project complete in another couple of weeks!















Next on the list of projects I want to complete are Paul's sweater and the Chain Reaction afghan. Crossing my fingers that this renewed interest in my WIPs continues and I don't get bitten by the startitis bug anytime soon.

I'm a crochet demon

There has been quite a bit of progress on crochet blocks the past couple of days. I finished 3 for the Chain Reaction afghan. Really liking the color choices on this one.









Also finished a couple more for the 2010 Block A Month afghan. Still in a crochet mood, so I plan to work up several more of these this weekend. I really want to get this finished during February so I can concentrate on the other 2 I have in the works. Started thinking about if I want to use another color to border all the squares and the finished afghan. Considering perhaps a burnt orange color.






Got a photo finally of the fair isle sock I started earlier this month. I'm going to start it over though, as it is obvious now that it will be too big for me using the size 2s called for in the pattern. I love the yarn I'm using for these. Trying out some of the Cascade sock yarn. It is so soft and squishy.



Quite a bit of progress on Paul's sweater. I'm just about ready to start the armhole shaping. At the rate I'm knitting this, he'll be able to wear it this year yet!



No significant progress on the cross stitch, although I have worked on it.

Stitch Off?

So today I read an interesting post over at A Little Yarn On The Side and it sent me scurrying around in my craft room in search of a long neglected project. Toni blogged about her never ending cross stitch project. I have one of those too! Back in 2005 when I wasn't working, I got this cross stitch wild hair you know where and thought it would be a great idea to get back into the craft. Now, anyone who knows me already knows that I didn't choose to ease my way back into the world of cross stitch. No way! Delana went out and purchased a Mirabilia chart that calls for no less than 70 bazillion colors of floss, eleventy million packages of seed beads, and a metric buttload of charms. Wheeeeeeeee!!

Here's how much of the project I have completed in the past 6 years.



Here's what the finished project will look like.



I asked Toni if she might be interested in a stitch off LOL. I'm actually going to try to complete a bit of this several times a week. Maybe I'll have it done before another 6 years passes.

Last night I finished the first square of the Chain Reaction afghan I started. Have plans to meet with Amanda tomorrow night for dinner and crocheting time. Can't wait to see the colors she's chosen for her afghan.



Also last night I finished up another square for the 2010 Block A Month afghan. Really been on a roll with the crochet blocks lately.



The UPS man visited yesterday afternoon and I did something so unlike me I've shocked the entire household. I started another project! Gasp!

The yarn for Paul's sweater arrived and I couldn't resist starting his cardigan. I am using Rowan Cocoon and I am in love with it. This yarn is so yummy and the sweater is knitting up so quickly on size 10 1/2 needles. Of course this means I now have 24 projects OTN now. Sigh, I was hoping to not go over 23.

What a Cutie!

Well, you can't see the pattern on the hat so well, but you can sure see this cutie pie's little face. Isn't he adorable? I see a whole bunch more baby boy knits in my future!



Finished a couple more squares for the 2010 afghan. I hope I stay this motivated since I have 3 crocheted afghans in the works right now, and the very last thing I need is all of them 1/2 finished and cluttering up my craft room.






It may not appear so, but I have made some progress on the Leaf Lace Tee. It's the mind numbing stockinette stitch that causes the problems with this. I get bored with it too easily so it feels like I've been knitting on it for hours when in fact it's actually only been 15 minutes. Oh well, it's a short sleeved sweater and we are in the middle of winter here. It's too cold to wear it and if I keep knitting on it (even if it is only 15 minutes at a time) it will be done in time to wear it this spring.



Haven't done as much work on Paul's gloves as I'd like, but I have gotten something done on them. I'm not liking working on this pattern as much as I thought I would. Sigh, the hazards of having knitting ADD.

Don't be a square!

Spent some time concentrating on some of those projects that were OTN at the end of the year and finished up 2 of them (21 projects left OTN).

First up is the slippers I made for Paul. He finally wore out the last pair I made him - they lasted 5 years! Hopefully these will have that long a life. It always cracks me up to see these before they are felted. Will get a comparison photo in a few days when they have been magically transformed to fit his feet.






The second project I finished is one of those 3 pair of socks that were left over from my 2010 goal. I really like the way this yarn knits up (Regia Hand-dye Effect). Have several more skeins left in the stash that will hopefully become socks this year.



Next I pulled out the bag of yarn and finished squares for the 2010 Block A Month Afghan (sad that I haven't finished that one and started the 2011 one already). I finished a couple of squares this weekend and took photos of all the ones I've completed so far. I am making a fairly large afghan so chose to make both 12" squares for each month and 2 of the 6" squares. I still have 25 (yikes!) patterns to make.

































As mentioned above, I started the 2011 Block A Month Afghan even though I'm not finished with the 2010 one yet. I'm hoping not to get behind like I did last year. Again this year, I am making both of the 12" blocks for each month and 2 of the 6" blocks. (22 projects OTN)









Met my friend Amanda Friday night for dinner and knitting time. While we were out, I showed her another crochet block afghan that I wanted to make. It's the Chain Reaction afghan that has been featured in the past several Interweave Crochet issues. We have decided to make it together. I bought my yarn and started the first square. (23 projects OTN)

Somehow my WIP list always seems to be stuck at 23!