Art, Craft and Needlework, December 2014

[FelineFriend]

Harriet , You ARE AMAZING! Wow! You blow me away with your talents, your creativity, information, and tips! Big WTG, Gal!

I've been stalling on:
1- crocheting my Ugly but Warm Hat & matching shell-stitch scarf. I don't know why!
2- a vest for DGD-turning-2-in-Jan.'s vest,
3- DGS-turning 6 soon, his hat,
4- DGS-turning 4 in 2015, his hat,

I don't know if I'm stalling because:
1- I feel so guilty, when I crochet for myself, because I rarely do, so I feel selfish!
2- I enjoy planning ahead on b-day gifts (3), due by Jan., Feb. and April, for grandchildrens' b-days,
3- I get "sidetracked" doing other things.....

It will only take about 1 - 2 hours, to do my hat, DGD's vest, and my scarf can be done over a 4 - 5-day period.
The DGS's hats, are a rib-knit stitch, in crochet, so they'll go quickly, I can baby-step the process, and after all, they're not due until Feb. AND April 2015. I have time. I wanted to wear the hat this week, when I go get blood drawn, for my thyroid test- again. It'll be stormy on three days, during the time I need to run in to get the test done. Today's Sunday, so I think I'm going to just buckle down, and DO this for myself, during the Seahawks game! If I'm on a roll, I just may get DGD's vest done, too! It's a very easy-to-crochet pattern, the pattern says, so it should go quickly. It's small, too, and not like I'm crocheting a cardigan for a size 18 woman! It's an itty-bitty 24-months size. It's adorable, too. I ♥ to crochet for little girls. It's so much fun, after so many boys.

[FelineFriend]

My "Ugly but Warm Hat," by Dot Matheuws is very nice-looking in grey heather. It's a 2-strand hat, crocheted with a size "M" hook. It's very fast, to crochet, because there are only 11 rows of DC and 1 row of SC edging. I'm currently on row 8, of a matching heather grey scarf, using the same "M" hook. It's a long chain, then DC rows. After row 8, I'll SC around the edges and ends. Then, I'll take a "H" size hook, to add a chain-loopy fringe, which adds a modern touch of style and pizazz. I've also seen the same stitch used on afghans and shawls. It's very quirky-looking. It really adds a wonderful finishing touch. ♥

[FelineFriend]

I've procrastinated on finishing my scarf ALL DAY! I DID wear my hat today, was so pleased how it matches my off-white and heather grey cardigan, which I wore, because it was a dry day, when I went to get lab work done.

I'll report to you, with cartwheels, when this scarf is finished, too. It'll be so very pretty. I'm getting a good "dew" on it!

[Nancy]

I used a quilt block to put an additional pocket on a tote to cover up the words on the front of it. Love it that ther is actucally some thing you can do with only one block. A faster project good for this the of year.

[FelineFriend]

I'm crocheting a loopy-fringe, in 31-chains, then SC in next stitch, across 1 end of the 2-strand "M" hook Double Crochet scarf now. I finished the Single Crochet edging all around the 4 sides. I was only able to complete 3 loopy-fringes, because although I'm right-handed, I need to secure the scarf with my left-hand. My left thumb got really sore, so I put the scarf away, to work on it tomorrow. I'm using 2-strands held together with an "H" hook. It looks very modern, quirky, and stylish, too.

I'm so impressed with it now, I kind of want to make myself a red hat/scarf set, in the New Year, to wear around Valentine's Day. I thought it'd be fun to edge the red hat in 1 row of white Single Crochet, and make the scarf in red and white alternating stripes, too. When I do the fringe, I'll use 1-strand white; 1-strand red, so it ties the red/white colors all together. It will be fun to go out on Valentine's Day, wearing my red turtleneck, red/white hat and scarf set. ♥

[Nancy]

Working on a star throw only mine has 6 points not 5.
Working on some new yarn touq. And ice blue fun colored ombre.

[FelineFriend]

I crocheted a Spiderman star afghan for a grandson AND I crocheted a red-white-blue star afghan for a Gettysburg baby AND I crocheted a pink/white star afghan for a Sunnyside, WA baby, East of the Cascade Mountain Range, too. Stars are so much fun to make!

I'm wondering if I should whip up some quick hats for the 7 grandsons for Christmas or not. If I ask, DH will say, "Why DO YOU WANT TO PUT THAT PRESSURE on yourself????" Also, he would say, "They never wear them! WHY do you want to make them! NO!"

So I guess I'll focus on DGS's Feb. b-day hat and DGS's April b-day hat instead.

[FelineFriend]

At http://www.bernat.com

there is a "Flutter Sleeve Vest," pattern for a little girl. I couldn't figure out (after 4 tries!) how to do the side cluster stitch! So I did the yoke, 1 row of the pattern, the sleeves chaining, and I added rows of shell stitch, which looked prettier to me. I did 3 DC - ch-2 - 3 DC, skip cluster, did the shell in the next stitch. It turned out so fantastically ADORABLE! Next, I want to make DGD a ribbed hat with a pom-pom on it, in the same off-white yarn. This is for her Jan. b-day; she turns 2!

Then, I've decided to make the boys each a hat = 5 hats, after all, so they'll have something extra for Christmas.

[FelineFriend]

My left shoulder was "acting up." But when I understood, how I had been crocheting without the elbow supported, I tried to support my elbow and it goes quite nicely now. I know the exercises to do, to help it, since I had rotator cuff surgery in 2010, and 11.5 months of P. T., and with 20-minutes of icing it, I'm doing just fine.

When I finish crocheting the hats, I'll take the rest of the holidays off, will resume in January, to get DGS-5.5, turning 6 in February, his hat done. After that, I'll get a gift made for a friend's March b-day, and a hat for DGS-3.5's April b-day, he'll be 4.

After those are done, I'll crochet a small gift for a Dfriend for her May 6 b-day and another gift, for my BFF, for her end-of-June b-day. I'm going to make red-white theme hanging dishtowels for each of them, along with some dishcloths, to match their Christmas red-white potholders/hot pad.

In there, somewhere, I'll add DC around the last round of my black Main Color Grannie squares, to assemble my FIRST EVER black main color Granny afghan. I've seen them on TV, in magazines, on the Internet, etc.., but wanted one so badly, I finally caved in, 2 - 3 years ago, making the Grannies, but rarely having time to crochet FOR MYSELF, to complete my "just because" gift for myself. In 2015, I'll finally get my wish! ♥

The other 2015 projects I'll have are:
3 Granny ripple afghans for the 3 youngest grandchildren,
kitchen origami potholders, dishcloths,
And I need to think on the other small gifts for the 3 youngest grands, at another time, much later in 2015. I'm thinking about puppets, hats, or pillows or stuffed dolls. I've crocheted so much I PRACTICALLY AM GROWING CROCHET HOOKS OUT OF MY EARS!!!! So I want to put the rest of their crochet, on the back burner, to "think about" after the Granny Ripples are done. After my Granny and their 3 ripples are done, if I continue to have shoulder difficulty, I'll back off crochet for awhile and do PT exercises, to get stronger again.

[Nancy]

We skipped w-mart and went to grocery only store yesterday. I was delighted to fing a crochet mag I want but was out of stock elsewhere! Yea so I am trying to learn the spider web stitch. This has got written and symbol directions! Yippie!

Have 8 short rows on the last gift for a dish cloth Christmas. X done!!!
Jan bday project tba.