Crafty Rantings

I'm Crafty. I Rant. These are Crafty Rantings!

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Disappointment

I went to the website for Annie's Attic this morning (as I usually do) to take a look at their free pattern of the day. It wasn't there. I got a lot of great patterns and ideas there! I wonder what happened. I'm disappointed.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Danielle, Kelly and Isabelle


Oh I don't know if you can see the colors or not. The scarf on the left was made with the same kind of "fun fur" (not the brand but that fuzzy fun stuff of some other brand) and the one in the center was supposedly the same but really isn't.
Each scarf was knit in garter stitch, size 13 needles, 10 stitches. Each scarf is black fuzzy with another color fuzzy. Scarf of the left is purple with the black and I apologize again for these being hard to see even when you enlarge the picture. The center is green and the dogs in the house were always going after it when I was working on it in the livingroom because it looked like grass so eventually I only worked on it in my room or at work. The scarf on the right is pink with the black.
Danielle gets the purple/black
Isabelle gets the green/black (she requested this and the darling just turned 6 on Monday)
Kelly gets the pink/black
I know Kelly loves pink, like me. Dani will look beautiful in the purple. All the scarves are the same length and I wanted to make sure that they were enough alike that there was no fighting over who got preferential treatment. Dani and Kelly are sisters and Isabelle is their cousin. They are Susan's granddaughters who I love dearly. Every time I see them they run up and hug and kiss me and who couldn't love being treated that way?
The girls do not know they are getting these and I have not told Susan. I know Isabelle asked me to make her one but she's probably forgotten all about it.
I will have to post up what they thought of them. Even if they hate them (which I'm sure they won't) it wouldn't matter. I enjoyed making these for them. And every stitch was knit with love. They'll know that and THAT is what counts.
I love that God blessed me with talent to be able to make such fun and pretty and versatile things for the people I love. And for the friends I meet along the way.

Finally, Pictures!

OK, here are the long-promised pictures. First the two round washcloths I made and kept for myself or swapping because I just couldn't bear to part with them yet.





As you can see from not just these two but the next pictures I'll put in here that once I found the pamphlet with the patterns for the round ones I got on a kick and made a bunch. One of the ones I sent to my mother which was round and of the same color as the other two whose pictures WILL be here, well, I truly didn't care much for the pattern so I didn't take a picture but I did feel it was still good enough for the charity sale. Here are the two I sent mom:

So as you can see all four were different patterns. I like all of these. I admit one of the reasons I am posting the pictures is so I will have a reference next time I want to make one.
So I set a goal for myself to finish the last scarf and work on the triangle one. I have done both and am hoping to finish the triangle one before next week so I can give it to Susan when I see her again on Thursday. I have not picked up the capelet or the hat. I need to devote time to those, I know, especially since I am close to done on the capelet. I am going to force myself to finish that after I finish Susan's scarf.
Here's a list of my projects, begun or planned:
1. Susan's triangle accent scarf (started) - knit, pattern from my Knitting Daily calendar, size 5 bamboo needles, cream alpaca.
2. Capelet for me (started) - crochet, adapted pattern same as the lilac one I made mom, size J hook, metal (only kind I can seem to crochet with - old habits die hard!), denim colored baby yarn, "pound of love" skein - yeah, I know, it's not "better" yarn but it's soft and just what I want for ME.
3. Child's hat (started) - crochet, pattern from a website which I believe was Bev's child's cap but not sure, size I hook, metal, dark brown acrylic - color matches my great nephew's eyes perfectly, just like his dad and his grampy (who he seems to like to call "The Man" or just "Man").
4. Freakishly odd looking scarf for me (started) - knit, 15 stitches, garter stitch only, size 13 needles which are acrylic and totally cool looking and to use, light pink and raspberry fun fur. Yes, you heard me - fun fur. Fuzzy and really odd looking but strangely compelling.
5. Scarflet for my mom's cousin Priscilla (planned) - knit, same pattern as the one I made Mom and her friend Cil and me. I think it's size 11 neeles and it's a different color inside the acrylic needle like the ones above in #3 (should take a picture to show these cool needles - bought on sale in Hemet during my first visit after Matt was born and each size has a different twisting color inside the clear acrylic and it makes it incredibly easy to find which size you want!). I just purchased yarn for this tonight because the alpaca I purchased to make this is way, way, way too thin to use. I will either gift those two black skeins or use for something smaller and more delicate. I purchased some Angel Hair Boucle. Never worked with it but the texture seems right.
6. Two more washcloths for mom to give away in that bright variegated color, probably crochet and unsure of the pattern (planned). I need to get moving on these as she needs them by the middle of the month. Might not make that deadline.
I will have busy fingers this long weekend!
HAPPY JULY 4TH EVERYONE! CELEBRATE OUR INDEPENDENCE! IT WAS A LONG, HARD STRUGGLE TO GET HERE. LET'S REMEMBER AND STRIVE TO STAY SAFE AND FREE.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Yeah, I Know

I know... no pictures yet. I haven't taken them out of the camera. Probably because I finally finished the 3 scarves for Susan's granddaughters and I want to take pictures of those to post. I just couldn't bring myself to blog over the weekend. I have Friday off so maybe by then I can post pictures and do an update. And maybe by then if I discipline myself I won't start anything new and can finish Susan's birthday triangle accent scarf and post a picture of that, too. I need to set some goals for myself. Here's what I MUST work on and finish:

1. Susan's triangle accent scarf for her birthday on the 20th of next month
2. The last few rows of the capelet
3. Seriously work on the cap I'm doing as an experiment for the grandchildren.

I also have a washcloth started to send to my mom for her charity thing next month so I'd like to finish that and another and get those off in the mail to her next week. I got a little burned out after making 5 of them in a row so not working on them for a week helps. And I did manage to finish one project this weekend which is good.

I think the key to getting things done is to set an agenda and STICK WITH IT!