State of the crafting

I got on a string market bag kick, and crocheted one and knit another.  Grace’s Hufflepuff scarf is 90% done.  My Matilda cloche will wait until inspiration strikes, since I’ve lost interest in cold-weather gear for now.  Gifts for Tam and Sarah need to be finished this month.  Both my Jolly Rancher and my Tatami are on needles in bags, waiting for my attention to return.  I’m about to wind a skein of wool into a ball to being knitting a (late) gift for my mom’s birthday.  I just ordered 2 skeins of Grawk to make myself a Clapotis.  Drew needs a mantle to put under his armor, which will just be an oversized top-down raglan knit to the middle of his upper arm, then felted.  And there’s a Monkey for Gwen just waiting to be cast on.

Sounds about normal!

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Listening to: Sting – Shape of My Heart

A star, a star, dancing in the night

I wanted to put something cute on the top of the gifts I gave to some of my coworkers, and since this group of people knows I’m a knitter, I wanted to make a small ornament-type something cute.

I tried and failed at some trapezoidal stars (too fussy), tried and failed at some crocheted stars (bad pattern), and then said “forget this, I can do better.”

And I did.

I just crocheted five stars in 50 minutes, and they’re cute little things. I’m going to give them a quick blocking, tie on some ribbon, and hook them onto the gifts, and away we’ll go.

Here’s the wee pattern I made up:

Yarn: Red Heart Luster Sheen
Hook: “size 3 or D” (pulled from my grandmother’s stash of hooks)

Row 1: Chain 5, and join with slip stitch.
Row 2: Single crochet 10 into loop, join last to first with slip stitch.
Row 3: * Chain 5, skip one SC, single crochet into next SC. * Repeat from * 4 times, with last single crochet joining into first chain 5.
Rnd 4: * Single crochet 3 into first chain 5 loop. Chain 3, single crochet 3 more. * Move to next loop, and repeat from * through all loops.

Bind off. Block gently to open pointy picots and make star shape.

I’m so proud of myself!

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Now playing: Elvis Presley – Blue Christmas
via FoxyTunes

Christmas pressure

I decided to knit gifts for a bunch of people this year, and then slacked right the hell off on actually doing it. Since they are, without exception, all started, I feel as though finishing them is the right thing to do. No pressure, none at all, just don’t tell me the date.

What’s DONE:

• A maltese fisherman’s hat.
• A mobius scarf.

What needs finishing:

• A so-called scarf.
• A pair of felted slippers.
• A crocheted granny-square afghan.
• A felted baby cloche with fleece lining.

What needs to be knit and finished:

• One more clog of a set of felted slippers.
• One and a half clogs on another set of felted slippers.
• 80% of a pair of mitred mittens.
• 60% of a Hufflepuff scarf.
• 60% of a skully illusion scarf.
• Most of a maltese fisherman’s hat.

What needs to be strung:

• A necklace.

The fortunate thing is that only two of those not-yet-knit projects need to be done ASAP; they’re to be mailed. The others are all to be driven, and so several can be finished on the way. No matter what, my only task this weekend is to watch television and knit like a mad fool, and to sew in ends.
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Now playing: Blind Melon – Seed to a Tree
via FoxyTunes