WIP Wednesday: Crochet-a-Palooza

Is it Wednesday ALREADY?  Yesterday I went through the whole day thinking it was Monday.  That was really fun.

So, I debated calling this post "I AM CRAZY."  Because I'm pretty sure I am.  I got the itch to make a nice cozy (yarn) blanket.  Probably because temperatures have been in the single digits!  So I started to join all those crocheted African Flowers together that I have been working on for an eternity.  I joined about 6 of them.  It took me the entire length of a movie.  I then realized that I cannot stand joining African flowers together.  I have never been so disheartened!  6 down, 114 to go?  The agony!!!  I'm debating what to do with them all, now.  I have no idea.

Meanwhile, I started an easier one - I don't know why, when I have such a mile-long queue of WIP's already.  I just got the itch!  I'm doing the Granny Stripes Blanket, by Lucy of Attic 24.  Her blog is such eye candy, I love it.  It always makes me want to go crochet something.  This one goes really fast, and it involves virtually no counting or concentration, which is awesome.  I'm using Caron Simply Soft that I've had in my stash forever; it feels good to use it up.  Aren't these colors great?

So my 9yo DD got inspired, and asked me to teach her to knit again.  I tried to teach her about a year or two ago, but I think she may have been a little young.  She has a knitting loom, which is fun, but she wanted to learn "the real way."  I suggested that she try crocheting instead, because it goes faster and might be a little easier.  She has totally blown me away!  Look what she has done so far!  It's going to be a blanket for her 18" dolls:

She's 9 years old.  Are you amazed???  I am!

And then in the MIDST of all this blanket-making, she asked me if I'd whip her up a pair of fingerless mitts.  I had to laugh because she thinks more highly of my "just whip something up" skills than she probably should.  But how could I say no?  Here's one out of two so far:

That is my hand.  But it fits her too!  Just a wee bit loose...

This pattern looked really easy, but it was a gigantic pain the butt! It called for some kind of "post stitch" something or other, and I was pulling my hair out trying to do it.  So I modified it to be easy and THUS, not as cute as it probably could be.  But I'm not torturing myself over it, either, which is always a welcome relief.   And I think it's plenty cute - just in time for Valentines Day, too!  Again, just using acrylic from my stash.  Gotta remember to do the other one now.  :)

Still working on the Scrappy Tripalong Quilt; I finished the last block, last night.  Yay!  Now to lay it out and complete the top.  Not sure when/how I'll quilt it, but I feel no rush to get to that part right now.

It's been a lot of "use what you have" around here lately.  DH has been off work for months, on short term disability (which seems to be turning into "medium term"?)...so no fun fabric shopping trips for me just now.  Too bad, too, because I just found out about a second quilt shop in our town that I haven't been to yet!  Soon...I hope!

WIP Wednesday: Do-Re-Mi

Cold, yucky day + newly cleaned sewing room (and I use the word "room" loosely) = great day for sewing!

I was asked to help with costumes for a local high school production of the Sound of Music this year.  I LOVE that musical.  For obvious reasons, I mean, what's not to love?  Especially the Captain.  Rrroooowww.    But I also love it because I was in it in high school.  That musical was a big turning point in my life, when I went from shy and mousy and afraid of my own shadow, to the outgoing good-time gal I am today!  A teacher encouraged me to try out, and while I didn't get the part I wanted (Leisl...16 going on 17...), I did get to be one of the children (Lousia, the blonde one who can make it up the tree with a whole jar of spiders, anyone?)  What FUN that was!  I met all sorts of people and just had the best time. 

So anyway, I am super excited to be making costumes for other kids to put this on.  I'll be working on the "curtain playclothes" and some nun habits.  Today I decided to do the younger 3 girls' play dresses.  Behold:

Not too exciting, but that's why it's called "WIP" and not "DONE" ;)

In one short afternoon, I realized what a control freak I can be!  The person in charge of ALL the costumes took the liberty of cutting all the pattern pieces for me.  At first I thought, what luxury!  But then I laid out the pieces and there wasn't a straight line to be found.  I spent an hour just "fixing" them to get them ready for sewing.  After that it was pretty smooth sailing...I was very thankful for my ruffling foot - it turns a 30 minute job into a 5-minute one.  LOVE IT!

I made some more progress on my Downton Abbey Knitalong...

Check out that thumb gusset!  Are you impressed?  :)  You shouldn't be; it's not hard.  It just looks cool.  And may I say, I LOVE this yarn.  It's Knitpicks Felici, which is part merino wool and part nylon.  It is so soft and smooth and I love the stripes - definitely my new favorite yarn right now!  I got this blue/brown colorway, and also one that has more pastels - pink/yellow/aqua.  I wonder what I will knit with that...?

No progress at ALL on my scrappy tripalong quilt, but I hope to get some work done on that this weekend.  I did finish the clutch I was working on last week; more on that soon!

WIP Wednesday

(WIP = work in progress)

Good morning everyone!  I have SO many irons in the fire right now...but it doesn't feel overwhelming yet, so that's a good thing!

1. I've been slowly working on a "Scrappy Trip Around the World" quilt.  PRAY TELL, what is that, you ask?  Well...it all started with Instagram.  (Are you confused yet?  I'm sure my mom can follow along; our minds work the same way. Right mom? :)  Long story short, there's a big huge unofficial "quiltalong" going on the blog/flickr/instagram world.  Here's where it started, and I thought I'd try it!

I will make 20 blocks; I have 7 done so far.  That seems humongous to me, but there are many who are making 36, 42, and even more blocks. 

This is going to be a(nother) cozy "tv blanket" for our family.  The blocks come together pretty quickly, actually, and I've learned new things here and there.  I have a quilter friend "in real life" and she gave me the tip to sew the strips together NOT all in a row, but on every other side.  I'm sure that makes no sense.  But some of mine were coming out like parallelograms instead of squares, and apparently I was sewing them together wrong!  I'm definitely trying this on the next few squares!

Want to keep up with my progress?  (Oh, who wouldn't want to do that???  You've got nothing better to do, right?)  I'm RACHELHAV on Instagram.  :)

2. Downton Abbey Mystery Knitalong
OK, more proof that I spend a leeeeetle maybe too much time online.  On Ravelry (I'm applecake33, don't ask me why), Jimmy Beans Wool is hosting a Downton Abbey knitalong.  It's supposed to be a mystery KAL, but with the first clue they told us what we were making.  So...not such a mystery.  But they only give us one clue per week, on Sundays, and the idea is that we all knit while watching DA.  I personally have to have eyes on the screen at all times during that show, so unless the pattern is to just knit all the way around, I'm pretty much sipping wine and intently watching and not really knitting.  But here is what I have so far, I'm loving it! (Oh - the project is "Dowager Countess Dinner Gauntlets" - basically fingerless mitts of some kind.)  Instead of the (gorgeous) suggested yarn, I'm using Knitpicks Felici - the same weight & fiber content, but more "Rachel-budget-friendly." 

I really hope that's right.  It doesn't seem right...

3. I just started this yesterday, and stopped when it came time to sew in the lining.  I'm making the Fabiola Clutch from I Think Sew - if it all goes well, I will put some in my shop (which is "on vacation" at the moment). 

So that's pretty much it, not that it's not MORE than enough for now!

What are you working on?  I'd love to hear!