And The Winner Is....

I guess I overestimated the readership of this blog as I received only 2 votes on what my one-hundreth project on Ravelry should be.

The two votes were both for socks though for different patterns (one for the crocodile rock pattern and one for the twisted Celtic cable pattern).

Since one of the voters was Sean and the twisted Celtic cable socks are for him, that is the pattern that won. (I hope you understand, Mistress.)

I'm hoping to cast on for his socks in the next few weeks.

New Project: Summit Wrap

This project was started with gusto in July but thanks to the aforementioned time warp, the progress did not continue as planned. I had high hopes of completing it by August 24. I didn't even come close to being half done by that deadline.



It's a lovely and free pattern from Knitty called Summit. I happened upon it when I wanted to use some fabulous ivory silk yarn I bought at last year's Knit and Crochet show in Manchester for some kind of wrap for a friend getting married. Her dress is was a simple, ivory silk dress, perfect for the bride and the beautiful beach setting. When I saw this wrap on Ravelry, I thought it would be perfect - simple yet elegant, and the instructions seemed to be something I could handle.

A really fun new skill I've acquired with this pattern is now I can knit backwards! No, really. I'm knitting backwards. As in, not turning my work in order to do stockinette stitch. It's awesome! The pattern has small, repetitive bits of stockinette over 6 or 11 stitches. The knitting backwards makes it just a little bit faster than turning the work back and forth over and over again as the shawl gets bigger.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll have enough yarn for a slightly-smaller wrap. I (accidentally) left off one column of waves making it a bit narrower. As it gets longer I'll hopefully be able to guess when to start ending it so that I have enough yarn left to finish it. I'm also hoping that the finished wrap is long enough that it doesn't look silly.

Because I wasn't sure if it would actually get finished in time, I did not tell the bride in advance I was making it. I did let her know about it on her wedding day...but gifts were the furthest thing from her mind. Hurricane Irene had her sights set on the Outer Banks, the very beach where her wedding was to take place. So the wedding was moved up by a day and while tons of people were evacuating, Sean and I were driving towards the storm to make it to the wedding. It was a lovely ceremony with fewer guests than planned but they were happily married in the end. And everyone made it safely home before the storm arrived. Here are a couple of photos from Friday morning before we hightailed it out of town.





I believe that technically I have a year after the wedding to send a gift. Given the speed at which the first part was completed, I can't procrastinate. I'll need to fit this in as a project I work on at least once a week. Here's hoping I keep to that plan.

New Project: Ocean Waves Blanket for Lucia

This is the second blanket using the Ocean Waves pattern from Lion Brand. I started it the day after I finished the blanket for Caitlin (who loves it). The only change from Caitlin's to Lucia's blanket is the substitution of green for pale pink. Lucia's Momma picked out the colors to match her nursery.





Now that I'm entering day six of being snowed in, I've gotten a lot of work done on it and should have it completed in plenty of time for the baby shower on February 24. Which is a good thing because blanket number 3 needs to be done by March 5.

New Project: Seamus! ... and a Completed Project: Irish Flag Blanket

He arrived safe and sound (though mildly dirty and a bit discombobulated) on Friday afternoon. Sean and I had a wonderful time with him all day yesterday as he learned about his new home. He did a great job - with a few accidents here and there - but a lot of times he did his business on the wee-wee pads like a good boy. He is an affectionate little guy with a lot of spunk. Want to see him in action? I've set up a YouTube channel, The Crocheting Commuter, to show the videos. The channel has my blog name and my blog is about knitting and crocheting but the videos are about Seamus. Oh well. It works.

Here's his first video (you can check out the channel for more):



I thought I'd also share this Washington Post article which talks about getting a new dog and how it can affect the family. It's true - because I got up at 7:30 this morning (instead of sleeping in like so many Saturdays before) and I don't feel like I missed out on the sleep. I got to enjoy the morning sunshine with Seamus and play with him afterward. Now I'm enjoying his company as he sleeps by my feet and I'm typing away on the computer. All before 10 am - and I'm loving it. What did I ever do without this little guy?

I'm also happy to report that he loves his little Irish flag blanket, made to celebrate his Irish ancestry (from the human side, not the Yorkie or Maltese sides). Here are a couple of photos of him with it - one awake and one passed out.





I've got all the details on Ravelry, except the finished size. I haven't had a chance to pull it away from him to measure it.

So far, the craft room has been off limits to him so he doesn't attack the yarn. I'm hoping in the next few days to let him check it out. Keep your fingers crossed that he's a lover of yarn and not a destroyer of yarn. :)

New Project: Shades of Irish Green Baby Blanket

Here's the blanket I started in Ireland. It's for either Decklin or Saoirse who is due to make his or her appearance in May.



Not your average colors for a baby blanket, I know. But Mom and Dad, who love their Irish roots (as you can tell with the baby names), have requested a green blanket. Hence, I'm calling this project Shades of Irish Green. I'm using Vanna's Choice yarn in Olive, Fern, Kelly Green and Linen and the shaded blanket pattern (just like the baby ripple I made). I'm just using a different number of rows per color. More details on Ravelry.

New Project: Knitted (::gasp!::) Homespun Baby Blanket

Here's blanket #2 for KMP's bun in the oven. Detail on blanket #1 can be found here.



Can you believe I'm knitting this blanket??? Me neither. I've never knitted a blanket before and given the time crunch I'm under, I'll be lucky if my slow knitting skills get the job done.

I'm using size 11 circular needles and Lion Brand Homespun yarn in Corinthian. The color isn't your typical choice for a baby blanket but it was the request of the Mom-to-be. I, myself, love it as it is colorful, soft and warm. Plus it's washer/dryer safe so Mom can throw it in the wash without worry. I've gotten a number of compliments from people during my commute and trips about how lovely the color is.

I'm knitting and purling good vibes into every stitch and row. Can't wait to meet the little guy in person!

New Project: Afghan for the Sandman - Blue Edition

KMP's bun in the oven is due mid-December. I'm happy to report that both blankets have been started. Here's the first one...





I'm using the Afghan of the Sandman pattern from Crochet Garden again. The first time I made this blanket in pink for little Brodie. As I loved they way the blanket turned out, I thought it would be a great blanket to make for all the new nieces and nephews.

All the details are available on Ravelry. Details about the second blanket coming soon!

New Project: Baby Ripple Blanket

This blanket is for Richard or Corrie Jr. who is slated to make his/her arrival in August. I've included some photos with natural lighting and with the flash since the colors look different with both.









I'm using the Shaded Blanket pattern by Vanna White. I'm using Lion Brand Cotton-Ease instead of Vanna's Choice because I had the cotton-ease in my stash. The cotton blend should be cool enough for DC summer temperatures and the colors are fun for a baby blanket. I'm not sure if I'll only need 1 or 2 skeins per color to finish it. I've got 2 of each just in case.

A very good pattern for anyone looking for a quick and easy baby blanket to make. You can really use any yarn you want and you can adjust the size. I wanted the blanket to be slightly larger than the dimensions for the baby blanket in the pattern, so my foundation chain was 118 (adding 17 stitches to the baby blanket size). If you want a size larger, just keep adding multiples of 17 to your foundation chain. Each chain of 17 equals one chevron/ripple. (My blanket has 7 ripples while the original pattern has 6.)

I'm hoping to have this blanket done by the end of June so that when I see Mom and Dad-to-be, I've got the gift ready for giving.

PS: In the last photo above, you can see a sneak preview of what KMP's baby blanket is going to look like.

New Project: BUBBLES bubbles Wrap

This project has been alluded to in a previous post, but here are the details (though also available on Ravelry)...

This is a pattern called "BUBBLES bubbles" by Carol H. Rhoades. It can be made into a scarf or a wrap, requiring 1 or 2 skeins of Brooks Farm Acero, respectively. The pattern was purchased at Brooks Farm during this year's MS&W, as well as two skeins of Acero for the wrap. The pattern calls for size 6 needles but I'm using size 7 because that's what I have right now. Bad me - I didn't bother to gauge my stitches. I hope that doesn't affect the final project.

My progress so far - I'm on the third repeat of the bubbles pattern:



And here is a close-up showing what the pattern looks like knitted. You can see why the pattern is called "BUBBLES bubbles". I hope this photo is helpful to other people making the wrap as there is not a photo included with the pattern.



The Mistress and I are both making the wrap so we're knitting together long-distance. I've been a bit distracted lately with another project so my progress overall is slow. I'm hoping to have it completed by the end of July - but that depends on whether or not I get bored with it and/or other projects get in the way.

I'm off on another business trip today. Sadly, no yarn stores are nearby. But do I really need more yarn???

New Project: Pineapple Petals Doily

I've jumped into yet another new project and this time it's a new brand of project, too - DOILIES. And not just your grandma's doilies.

That's what people think when they hear "doilies", right? These random, frilly, lacy things laying around on every available flat surface of your grandma's house, under crystal vases and candy dishes filled with salt water taffy (YUCK!).

Well, I happen to have found doilies to be a new challenge in broadening my crochet repertoire. Using thread instead of yarn and wielding a tiny little hook to create beautiful lace designs seems like fun. And for my first ever doily project, it's going well.



The pattern is Pineapple Petals Doily and I'm using J.P. Coats Classic Crochet Thread size 10 in Victory Red with a size 6 hook. I don't think this is the right yarn or hook size but that's what I had in my stash and this project is really just to try out the technique and pattern reading. So far, so good. I think it will be better once I block and iron it. Stay tuned...

New Project: Colorwaves Blanket

Well, it's not exactly new. I've posted before about working on it but this is the first post with some more details and some photos.



Yarn:
Planning on 12 skeins of Lion Brand Colorwaves in Caribbean

Close ups: Don't you LOVE the colors? :)


Hook: I (5.5 mm)

Pattern: Just double crochet back and forth. The yarn makes the textures of other stitches hard to see and, for some of them - like dc in the back loop - near impossible. The border is still up in the air.

Progress: The photo above is 8 skeins worth of yarn and it measures approximately 43" length and somewhere between 44"-47" wide. Why the huge discrepancy? Beats me. I just couldn't get a consistent measurement this morning. I'm hoping this was due to the lack of caffeine and not a wonky blanket.

Now that I've got enough yarn to finish this one and make another one, I need to decide if I'll give both away as Christmas gifts - or keep one for myself...which is very likely to happen.

New Project: Fat Bottom Bag

As noted before, it was just a matter of time before I started one of these. With the latest yarn order's arrival and the completion of the pieces for the tote bag, it was a great time to start one.

This is the Fat Bottom Bag pattern from "The Happy Hooker" by Debbie Stoller. I started this on Sunday while Sean was umpiring and finished the main part last night.

Folded in half


Opened


I had a real problem figuring out my gauge (shocker!). Instead of using the I (5.5mm) hook called for in the pattern, I found that using an H hook was still close to the gauge and I thought the stitches looked better with the smaller hook. The piece above is 6" tall and 16" wide, which I believe is a bit off from the dimensions of the pattern. Maybe the Lily Elite yarn I'm using is significantly thinner than the Lion Brand Cotton? Oh well. So this purse may be a bit smaller than expected. It's just the first so it's bound to be improved upon.

I tried to start the next part of the pattern but I was tired and couldn't concentrate. I still need to go to the store and get purse handles. As for the possible lining - I'm not sure yet if I'll line it or not. I'm going to wait until I have it put together. Hopefully that won't make lining it too much of a chore. But if I do decide to line it, I may have to put it aside to wait with the tote bag until after Christmas.

New Project: Eight Pocket Two-Tone Carryall Tote

That's a looooong name for a project, eh?

This is a free pattern from Lion Brand. I've opted for colors of a more subtle nature (ecru and poppy red). Thanks to the sale at Joann's, I substituted Lion Brand Cotton for Lily's Sugar 'n Cream as it was $1.49 per skein and Lion Brand Cotton was $4.99 a skein. I did buy the one skein of Lion Brand because it was the better color for the straps and borders of the bag. With a 40% off coupon, it was only $2.99. Worth the splurge.



As you can see, I have the front and back completed and most of one of the large pockets. Given my propensity to have a bigger gauge with the recommended hooks of a pattern, I'm using an H for the large hook instead of the I. Still, the front and back are about a half inch longer than they should be. Oh well - just more room to tote stuff.

There's a CAL over at Crochetville where I found a post of FAQs and helpful tips and a wonderful tutorial on how to line the bag . I was wondering about lining it but given that I am not an avid sewer and I don't have a sewing machine, I was leaning against it. Now that I've seen how wonderful the totes looked lined and since I have some easy to follow directions, I guess I'll have to line it.

I'm not participating in the CAL because I don't have time to read and post on a regular basis. Three posts a week on the blog is about all I can handle (plus the continual updating of my Ravelry notebook).

For now, I must be off to start the work day. I :heart: working from home!

New Project: Pentagram Spiral Motif Shawl

I finally got my nose out of Harry Potter book #5 long enough to start a new project. This project accomplishes a number of goals. One, I've been wanting to make a lightweight shawl to wear at the Maryland Renaissance Festival for the last 3 years. Two, I wanted the shawl to have a pagan or Celtic design to it. Three, I've been looking for a suitable pattern for boucle yarn I bought at MS&W two years ago.

Voila!



I'm using:

• a J hook,


• boucle yarn by Tregelly's Fiber Farm,


• and the spiral pentagram motif from 300 Crochet Stitches (The Harmony Guides V. 6).

This first motif measures about 12" from top to bottom (as pictured). I'm not sure how I'm going to join all the motifs or how many I'll need. This is really a pattern in progress, too.

New Project: Ohio Star Variant Quilt

Oh, what have I gotten myself into....

My major Christmas project has begun - and I'm going to need every bit of time I have between now and December to finish it.

The Ohio Star Variant Quilt is a crocheted quilt. It consists of many, many, many little crocheted squares that are joined together like pieces of a fabric quilt would be. The squares measure approximately 2 1/2" - aren't they cute?



Very cute, indeed. But how cute are 1200 of these little squares going to be?


Yes - I said 1200.


Here's the design:


Here are the colors I'm using:

Lion Brand's Wool-Ease in

• Fisherman (instead of white)
  
• Cranberry (instead of red)
  
• Avocado (instead of blue)

I'm going to keep track of my progress on the side bar. As the photo shows above, I have 20 red squares and 5 green squares made - but I'm not counting a square as finished until I weave in the ends. I don't want to leave all the weaving until last - that would be wholly depressing to sit down and have to weave the ends of 1200 squares. So it's a bit of motivation to weave as I go so I can mark a square as being complete.

A bonus of this project is that the squares work up quickly and at this stage, it is very easy to work on this during my commute. Once I get to joining squares and finishing up the entire thing, then it will be a home based project. But right now - it's perfect for commuting.

If you're interested in making your own crocheted quilt, the Happy Yellow House has many other designs from which to choose.

New Project: My First Socks

I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to ball up my STR (Socks That Rock) yarn and start the Cabled Crochet Socks.

I'm using the STR yarn I bought at MS&W from The Fold in "Fire On The Mountain". This yarn is soooo incredibly beautiful!!!



Here's a close up of what I believe will be the toe of the sock.



These will be my first pair of socks ever (that I've made, not that I've owned). It's also the first time I've ever used such a small hook (size 00). So far, it's going well - but I'm only on round 3. Keep your fingers crossed that my progress continues with only minimal, if any, frogging.

New Project: Basket Weave Scarf

I started this project in a fury - but that fury has subsided and I haven't done much with this for a few weeks. Oh well - it deserves a post anyway.



I'm using yarn I bought at MS&W at the Brooks Farm Yarn booth. Not sure of the exact color name, but the fiber is 60% Super Wash Wool / 20% Silk / 20% Viscose. The pattern is my own - just row upon row of basket weave stitch using a size F crochet hook.

Here are a couple of close up photos:





I'm pretty proud of myself with this project, not because it's complex or difficult. It's because I'm using the yarn I bought at this year's MS&W and I designed the scarf using the crochet books I got for my birthday and graduation.

What about the yarn I bought at last year's MS&W?

Well - I'm working on that. :)