Sixth Year of Projects - Week 4

Another week has come and gone.  This week I managed to spend a bit of time on each of my WIPs (the yarn related ones I mean!)  I also started another two WIPs...  I had all my yarn goodies in a box and I forgot it at church on Sunday...  We were able to pick it up on Monday evening but in the meantime I was having some serious withdrawal symptoms!!  So the cure was to start another project!!  LOL

New WIP - Celtic Myths Shawl - I started this and so far am enjoying it!!  Right now it is almost completely mindless - lots of stockinette!!  The more challenging part will come when it is time to add the cable edging.

This should not be sideways... I don't know why it changed...

New WIP - Tour de Sock Stage 6 socks - Entanglements - I cast on these on Friday and am almost ready to start the heels on both now.  They are a fun knit now that I figured out how to use the cable charts!

Bubbles - this one saw several more rows added. It is now about 13 inches along (up from about 9 last week)

Diamondback Socks - I spent a little bit of time on these this week.  The problem was that I had completely lost my place on the second sock (NEVER put aside a tricky design in the middle of a row...)  I ended up frogging the second sock and started it again.  So actually I have less done on this one than I had before...

Sock Madness Round 6 Socks - Coffee Cantata - I also spent a little bit of time on these too!!

Soon I need to haul all my yarn from the attic and inventory all my stash!!  And I need to haul out my sewing machine and see if it needs a bit of a tune up or if it is good to go!  Time to get going on the quilted communion table runner soon!

Sixth Year of Projects - Week 3

Week 3!!  I made some decent progress this past week.  I spent some time working on several projects and got some things accomplished.

Baby Blanket #2 (Bubbles Baby Blanket) - I frogged this one and restarted with a shorter foundation chain.

Before - I frogged my first attempt after deciding it was too wide.

I managed to get a fair bit done!

After - I am at about 9 or 10 inches now!

Baby Blanket #1 (Bouncy Ball Baby Blanket) - I made great progress on this one!!  I initially thought I would make 25 squares but once the 25 were done I thought I would increase the size to 36 squares - I thought I would have enough of the cream yarn...  BOOO I lost at yarn chicken while finishing the last round of the last square!!

So I started scrounging around to see if I had more yarn and thankfully I did!!  I got that last square done, got all the squares sewn together (I like to join squares like this using a simple whipstitch.  I like the way the fabric lays nice and flat and I like how there are no ridges at the joins.  I also find it quick and easy to do!), and then added a small border on the whole thing!  My first finish!!

Scrap-ghan - I added eight little mitered squares.

Tune in next week and see how much I get done!!  I doubt I will be as productive as this past week but who knows!!

Sixth Year of Projects - Week 2

Back again after a few days to post my progress during week one of my Year of Projects!!

I broke down and started a crochet baby afghan to help use up some of my stash and I made some serious progress.  I am making the Bouncy Ball Baby Blanket (try saying that three times fast!!) I am surprised how quick and easy this design is and how cute it is!  I hope to have a finish within another week or two.  I also think I will make more of these squares and use up some stash.

As of Monday morning I have 18 squares complete plus 7 center dots complete.  My initial plan is to make the baby afghan 5x5 squares.  Once I have the 25 squares complete I will have a better idea of how much of the white yarn I have left - if I have enough I will likely increase the size of the blanket to 5x6 or 6x6.  You will find out over the upcoming weeks how my skein of white is holding up!

I also started another baby blanket - Bubbles Baby Blanket - but I am not sure about it.  I am afraid that I will run out of yarn part way through.  I am still contemplating this one.  Maybe I will frog it and make it a bit smaller or maybe I will change my mind and make another Bouncy Ball blanket using this yarn!

Not much to see here but my ugly carpet!

And here is my list:

My Designs and dying:
1) Herding Cats Double Knit Headband
2) Herding Cats Double Knit Socks
3) Herding Cats Stranded Socks 
4) More design ideas!!  
5) And hand dying yarns!

Charity Stuff:  (I want to use up my excess acrylic worsted weight yarn and plan to do so making some items for charity.)
1) Comfort blankets for my local pet shelter
2) Baby afghans for our local pregnancy resource center or Project Linus - Week 2 started two blankets!!

Other WIPs to finish:

1) Sock scrap-ghan
2) Coffee Cantata (Sock Madness 10 Round 6 socks)

3) Diamondback Socks (Tour-de-Sock Stage 3 socks)

Other craft projects:
1) My first attempt at quilting!  I have the fabric cut (thanks Mom!) for a table runner for the communion table at our church and will be getting going on this project soon (I hope!)
2) Counted Cross Stitch horse design that I started over ten years ago and have not worked on for about two years now... Time to dust it off and get some work done on it!

And I need to get some organizing done...
1) Drag out ALL my yarn tubs.  This requires sending hubby up to the attic to send the tubs down to me.  The tubs need to be emptied and inventoried on Ravelry.  I have not done this in a couple years so it is a bit willy-nilly right now...
2) Organize all my designing notes into a binder instead of it being here and there and all over the place...
3) Go through all the print outs I have generated over time and save the patterns on my computer instead of taking up space in binders and piles all over the place (well, mostly on the bookshelf and in a few piles here and there.

Come check out everyone else's updates over here!!

July Finished Objects

July Finished Objects:

17) Bouncy Ball Baby Blanket - finished July 15th 2016

June 2016 Finished Objects

June 2016 Finished Objects:

16) TdS 2016 Stage 1 - Twists & Turns - finished knitting June 23rd 2016

It was a slow month for me!!

Sixth Year of Projects - Week 1

I have decided to join the Sixth Year of Projects blogging adventure!  I joined up in the very First Year and managed to get a few projects done.  I again joined the Third Year and suspect I accomplished even less.  And I joined up for the Fourth Year and Fifth Year too and was not so successful.  Now I am joining up for Year 6 and we shall see how I do!  I am convinced that I overestimated my ability to finish up all the projects I chose!  I want to focus mostly on my own designs and I also have a couple other WIPs that I will work towards completion!  My projects are mostly knit, but also some crochet, counted cross stitch and quilting (plus more maybe!!)  I am posting my "before" pictures of what I have in progress (with a few exceptions...)  I also plan to post these updates earlier in the week in the future (I just got back home last night after being away for two weeks).

So, without further ado, here is my list/plan:

My Designs and dying:
1) Herding Cats Double Knit Headband

2) Herding Cats Double Knit Socks
3) Herding Cats Stranded Socks 
4) More design ideas!!  
5) And hand dying yarns!

Charity Stuff:
I want to use up my excess acrylic worsted weight yarn and plan to do so making some items for charity.
1) Comfort blankets for my local pet shelter
2) Baby afghans for our local pregnancy resource center or Project Linus

Other WIPs to finish:

1) Sock scrap-ghan

Seriously why did this turn on it's side??

2) Coffee Cantata (Sock Madness 10 Round 6 socks)

3) Diamondback Socks (Tour-de-Sock Stage 3 socks)

Other craft projects:
1) My first attempt at quilting!  I have the fabric cut (thanks Mom!) for a table runner for the communion table at our church and will be getting going on this project soon (I hope!)
2) Counted Cross Stitch horse design that I started over ten years ago and have not worked on for about two years now... Time to dust it off and get some work done on it!

And I need to get some organizing done...
1) Drag out ALL my yarn tubs.  This requires sending hubby up to the attic to send the tubs down to me.  The tubs need to be emptied and inventoried on Ravelry.  I have not done this in a couple years so it is a bit willy-nilly right now...
2) Organize all my designing notes into a binder instead of it being here and there and all over the place...
3) Go through all the print outs I have generated over time and save the patterns on my computer instead of taking up space in binders and piles all over the place (well, mostly on the bookshelf and in a few piles here and there.

We shall see just what I manage to accomplish over the year.  I hope to get at least a few things crossed off this list!  I know I will certainly add things to the list and will make all sorts of things that are not listed, but here's hoping that a few things are crossed off!  Oh well, all in good fun!

Come check everyone else out over here!!