I know what y'all are thinking.  I really do.  I'd be thinking the same thing.

I know you're thinking, "How can this girl have any more scraps?  All she ever does is de-stash and make things from leftovers."  To be honest, I'm starting to wonder the same thing.  Where does it all come from?  I know a lot of it comes from other people.  My grandma, aunts, and all their little Senior Citizen friends have donated their leftover yarn to me over the years.  Some of it came from actual projects I have done.  Some of it mated with each other and made new yarn.  Honestly.  Girl Guides honour.

Years ago, I started to make Yo-Yo's with the purpose of making an afghan out of them.  I made hundreds of them and then lost interest in the project.  I seem to remember not wanting to join them up because I didn't like the joining stitch.  They sat there for years until just after Christmas when I found a new way of joining the yo-yo's on Ravelry (Oh Ravelry, how I love thee).  Basically, instead of joining all the yo-yo's together one after the other, you make them into 4 x 4 blocks.  Like this:


I love the idea of making the yo-yo's into 4 X 4 blocks with a nice border instead of just monotonously joining them together one after the other...

I had to edit the pattern quite a bit because it calls for yo-yo's with a 15 stitch circle...but mine only have 12.  The first couple of blocks I made are a little wonky...but I've got everything under control now.

I love watching the stack of my squares grow.  I pile them up and move them around and lay them out flat all in a row and then pile them back up again. They all look so lovely.  I've played with colour combinations (like all red yo-yo's), done them in colour rows, made patterns, and enjoyed the pure randomness of the yo-yo's as well.

The only downside to this project is all the ends that need weaving in.  There is a lot of stopping and starting in each square.  I am definitely not looking forward to that.  I wonder if Andrew is old enough to learn how to weave ends in?

I made these for Christmas as well.  They took a while to get the hang of the pattern, but once you've got it it's easy peasy.  The key is to realize that you are really working 2 separate yarns and stitches...not trying to work 2 separate yarns into the same stitch.  I just used some cotton I had on hand.  The contrast is lovely (and needed in this pattern).  My first attempt was a beige with dark beige.  It was impossible to keep track of what I was doing.

Spiral Dishcloth

Around and Around We Go!

I made these two flower hot pads for my mother for Christmas.  I like how they look.  I think they look wonderful.  Bright and Cheery.

But - there are 2 big problems with them.

1.  You'll notice it's more of that awful awful awful acrylic pink that I seem to have a never ending horrible supply of.  Blech.  It's true.  There was tons of it.  Both pink and blue.  There's still more.  I'm sick of it.  Sick of the bad acrylic that is rough and thick and fake feeling.  I think I'm going to let the BAD PINK ACRYLIC CRAPPY YARN (and the blue stuff too) have a rest and just sit in my stash for now.

2.  I think I discovered what 'killing acrylic' is.  Once you attach all the pieces you're supposed to iron the hot pad so the middle petals lay flat.  Well...you can't tell from the pictures but the BAD PINK ACRYLIC CRAPPY YARN all kind of fused together and started to look almost dirty?  I was so not impressed.  NOT IMPRESSED.  Also the because it all started fuse together it now has that initial iron in it's memory (if that makes sense) -- even though some of the petals were not perfect.  I tried to fix it...but it didn't work.  What a way to end a project.  I"m glad I only made 2 of them to start.  The variegated yarn is cotton and it ironed quite well.  I was pleased with that.

Super Close Up Of Hotpad

Phew. Glad I got all that out of my system. I feel a little better now. Sort Of.


I don't even know if I want to put these on Ravelry cause they turned out so icky (see, see that one inside petal that is not LAYING NICELY FLAT?  Gah!).

• I want to move more into purchasing 'green' products.  -- The goal being to either move 1 new 'green' product into our usage (ie. shampoo, soap, clothing) or to move 1 new 'green' activity into our lives (ie. bussing, reusing something, whatever, not using something that is not green).
• I also want to begin purchasing Fair Trade Products -- The goal being to move 1 new Fair Trade Product into our usage (ie. coffee, soap, make up, whatever).

These are both easy to track with a sidebar and fairly self explanatory.

• Complete the Leadership Development Module this spring/summer and register for an appropriate number of MDIV courses for the fall/winter -- Self Explanatory and something that I am eager to start!
• Read the New Testament in 2011 - Definitely going to do this again.  Self explanatory and easily trackable with a side bar.

All that's left to talk about is the Money Matters stuff.  & I'm not sure what all I want to say about that stuff yet.  More thinking to do.

It's feeling nice to be reflecting and musing about stuff and things again.  Hah.  Stuff and Things.  I'm so descriptive.

So, lets hash these goals out some more.  Figure out what exactly I want to do in 2011. 

Let's start out with #1 on the list

1. Health And Wellness

• Read 25 books in 2011 - Pretty self explanatory and easy to track with a sidebar.
• Fling 2011 Things in 2011 - Anything that leaves the house either to the garbage, donating, selling, or giving away counts EXCEPT for paper.  I'm not sure exactly how to deal with paper.  1 piece of paper cannot count for 1 thing (or can it?).  Maybe 5 pieces of paper will equal 1 item?  Or I could just decide as I go along.  This is also easy to track with a sidebar.  I may or may not blog about all the items we get rid of (I mean, do I really want to come on here and post every time we throw out a tupperware container that we can't find a lid for? -- probably not). 
  
  We need to focus on purging toys, paperwork, kitchen related items, and my Dad's stuff (tools mostly) that has taken up space in the basement.
• I want to eat better and exercise more.  - Still not sure about this one...might just stay as a general goal.
  
  I have been playing badminton at lunch with the guys once or twice a week.  I definitely want to keep that up.  I want to go for family walks again.  I definitely want to walk the dog more.  I want to exercise at home again.  I am going to think about this more.
• Weekly Honey-Do Jar - Pretty self explanatory and easy to track with a sidebar.  1 Jar, items written on paper and in the jar, 1 Honey-Do drawn each week.  I don't want these to be stressful or all to time consuming things though.  Stuff like 'arrange cutlery drawer', 'clean fridge', 'vacuum stairs' (something we never seem to do) are good.  I am wondering if there should be 2 jars - 1 with things Husband is good at doing and 1 with things I'm good at doing?

I've been a busy busy busy busy bee these last few weeks.  So much has been going on and I've been madly crafting for Christmas.  Before I post about all the deets of the last few weeks, just a teaser post.

I finished the box stitich scrapghan for my Mom a few weeks back.  I think it looks divine.  I hope my mom likes it.  I sure like it.

In the end I could have made it a few more rows. I still have scrap yarn leftover. But it's hard to estimate how much you will need when you're in the thick of things.  Looking at it as a finished object, I wish I had had more blues and purples and not so heavy on the pinks and yellows.
I already want to make another one.  But, on the next one I make I want to play with colour and have an actual colour pattern that i follow.

It's from this patten that I found on Ravelry.

The Before

 I went through my stash and pulled out all the little & medium balls of leftover yarn and put them in my basket.  Immediately I realized 2 things:  A)  A lot of my little bits of yarn are not even from things I have made, but rather leftovers that others have given me and B)  I need to do something with all these odds n ends.

The Basket is overflowing.  I also have a75% completed Hexagon Baby Sweater Disaster to unravel and an unused Dog Sweater to unravel.  The Basket has yellows, reds, beiges, black, and white.  There's not too many blues and greens, which I am a little worried about, but I am hoping that it will resolve itself...or that I will find some more yarn in those colors.
My Mom is moving to an apartment in November, so I decided that I should make her a lap blanket for her new place using the Box Stitch (which I am in LOVE with).  I figure it will be a good way to use up all these little bits of yarn, even the ones that only wrap around my fingers a couple times.

This is the beginning...
The During

This is it today.  I've started decreasing.  I plan on doing a fairly wide border.  I think it's looking very pretty.  I love all the colours together.  I think having a rainbow in a blanket is something everyone needs.

Add caption

The basket is also looking emptier, which is nice.  I love destashing and knowing that I am making something cute and fun out of leftovers.

Super Mega Close UP!!!!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this hot pad.  I found the pattern at Ravelry and blogged about my first attempt.

I'd say my second attempt was more successful, although I cannot figure out how to make the square squiggle pattern that the pattern describes.  Instead I just do my own thing.

I made these slippers for Andrew for Christmas using this pattern. The yarn is out of my stash.  It's a thick and utilitarian yarn--perfect for slippers.  I'm sure someone gave it to me because they didn't like it.

I've used this pattern before (read about it here) and I love it.  It's full of knobbly goodness.  I wore that pair I made for myself until the soles wore out (mostly from using not sturdy enough yarn).  I also made a pair for my aunt last Christmas (or maybe the Christmas before?) using nice thick yarn like this kind and she is still wearing them and seems to like them.  So, I hope that Andrew likes them too.

Andrew loves it when I make things for him and he has been asking for slippers for years now.  Every time he sees me making  a pair he asks for his own.  & now finally, after like 3 years, he'll have his own pair.

I made this as a square to be part of a patchghan on a forum i particpate in.  It's really supposed to be a hot pad, but I thought that it would be neat to make it as a patch for the ghan.

I used super thick yarn (more of that 'bad' yarn) and it turned out...interesting.  I could not figure out the squiggle pattern for the life of me...so I just kind of did whatever.  I think it turned out neat.

I've already made another one with more appropriate thread and with a better 'squiggle' pattern and it looks smashing.

I took some pictures of my 'stash' and I think it's clear I've developed a little bit of a problem.  The sad thing is this, that's not even all of my stash.  I have a whole other 3 drawer stand full of bits of yarn and a smaller container full of yo-yo's waiting to be joined into something,

You can see below that I've got a bunch of sweaters lined up to unravel.  I've had these sweaters for almost 2 years now.  I bought about 6 or 7 when I very first learned how to unravel...and for the most part they've just been sitting in the tub...waiting....

I've also got some projects that I've started and never finished.  See that blue and pink mess, that's a round ripple that I lost interest in rather quickly.

My new mission is to DE-STASH.  & I don't mean just not buy any new stuff, but to actively use up my thread!  I'm also thinking that I shouldn't accept any 'new' yarn donations from well meaning grandma's until I've got my stash undercontrol.

I'd like for it to only be 1 tub and the bag and maybe the 3 drawer stand.

I have a problem.  I have a problem and I think I might be brave enough to finally admit it publicly.  Don't worry--it's nothing gross or upsetting.

I crochet items to be gifts and then never gift them to the intended recipient.  Sometimes finished objects sit in my stash until I sell them or use them myself.  Sometimes I give them to someone else.  Or sometimes I just seem to keep them.

That is kind of what happened with this baby blanket round ripple.  It was supposed to be for a co-workers brand new baby.  But, that baby is over 6 months already.  The yarn is not as soft and nice as I was hoping for.  My father had bought about a dozen skeins of the pink and blue from a garage sale last year for next to nothing.  I remember him being so proud of his find.  He brought them over to my house in 3 big Safeway Bags and then looked at me expectantly.  From the minute I saw it I knew it wasn't 'good' yarn.  I knew it was acryllic and would be scratchy, but I never expected it to feel like it did.  I wish that we had touchavision because then you could just touch it and see.  It feels like horse hair, rough coarse horse hair.

The bags sat there.  They sat there and sat there and sat there. I didn't know what to make with them.  The yarn sat there in bags for almost a year.  It took up so much space and yet I didn't want to throw it out.  Finally I decided to make a baby blanket.  I thought if I 'worked' the yarn it would get softer.  I can almost convince myself of anything if I really want to. :P

Now that it's finished, I don't want to give it to them.  I don't find it to be soft and cuddly and inviting.  It looks really nice in the pictures and in real life.

As I see it I have 3 options:  Unravel, make what I've made into a rug, or play it up as being an 'outside' blanket great for the park or beach?

Thinking of unraveling it makes me want to cry.  I did work on it for weeks and weeks. 

I'm not entirely too sure how I would make it into a rug?  I might be doing more internet research on this. 

I think my best bet is to play it up as an 'outdoor' blanket.  Great for picnics, the park, the beach, or the yard?  What does everyone think?

I made this blanket out of scraps from my stash. It's made using the most beautiful and ingenious crochet stitch ever. I used this pattern - the corner to corner throw which I found on my new favourite website ravelry. Whoever thought it up is brilliant. However, it is not a pattern that translates well in words. I must have started and unraveled and started and unraveled a half dozen times before I decided to see if youtube had a video. Thank goodness they did, because I was lost. It took me a few watches, but I finally understood. (I wonder what people did in the days before Google and youtube?)

Once you start and understand, it is a very fast moving stitch. It works up wonderfully. I had, unfortunately, 2 problems with this blanket. (& they are completely and totally my fault)

1. The blanket is quite small. Granted, it is a baby blanket, but it is still small. I was very worried that I was going to run out of my 'colours'. Now, looking back I don't understand what I was thinking about in regards to those 'colours'. Orange, yellow, brownish-orange, pink, and hot pink don't really go together all that well. So, it's very small. Good for an infant I suppose, which is good because we actually know a few people that have just had babies.

2. I screwed up on the edging. It doesn't lay flat. The sad thing is is that I knew it was screwing up as I was going along, but I kept trying to convince myself that it was all going to work out. Hah. I should know by know not to trust my inner crocheting voice. I think it's simply my lazy conscious. I tried to add the scalloped edging in hopes that it would help it to lay flat...but it doesn't. I know I should unravel it...but I have no desire to try and fix it. I've already moved on to my next project (which is The Hexagon Baby Sweater--I said we have many friends that have just had babies). I think to the untrained crochet eye, they will not notice the ruffles--heck, they might even think that it's supposed to be ruffly, right? :P

All in all--

Will I use this stitch again? Absolutely. It's lovely and works up fast.

Will I ever use that colour combination again? No way Jose. It is straight out of 1977--the bad parts of 1977.

Will I pay more attention to my edging? Oh you better believe I will.

cheers!

~dinah

PS. I changed the blog template...what does everyone think? Better? Worse? Blase and boring now? Or elegant and refined?

2010 is quickly becoming the year of the funeral for my family.

One of my Father's best friends died last week. He was 64 and just like my Father it was very sudden and unexpected. Although my parents were very close to Bob and his wife, Ilene, I never really knew them. They were always there, but in the background. I wanted to do something nice for Ilene outside of sending a sympathy card. When my Dad died it got kind of silly. My Mother & I got hundreds of sympathy cards and when I did an estimation of how much they all cost it came out to about $1,000. I totally understand people wanting to send something or give us something express their sympathy and sorrow, but at the same time realizing that $1,000 was a lot of money. Especially when my Mother was trying to figure out how she was going to live and survive financially now that she was on her own and without my Dad's income. There is a big stack of sympathy cards sitting on my entertainment unit and I don't know what to do with them all. I don't want to throw them out, but I don't really want to keep them either.

In the end I decided to make a prayer shawl for Ilene. It will be something that, hopefully, she will use and that will give her comfort as she mourns. Ilene is a short small woman, so even though this is barely finger to finger on me, I'm sure on her it will be oversized.

It took me a couple days, but I'm quite pleased how it turned out. I found the the pattern on Ravelry and it was not very hard. Once you learned it it was just the same all the way through. The only part I had problems with was the trim. I tried a few times, but I couldn't understand what the pattern was asking me to do. In the end I just improvised. I think it turned out okay. I used yarn that I already had in my stash. I had found it at Value Village last year for a good price (like 8 skeins for 7 bucks) and snatched it up with no project in mind.
I hope she likes it and understands why a prayer shawl.

Well, there's many pictures I have to share today because we finally took them off the camera. :P

Starting out we have Andrew's first day of school. Husband dropped him off and snapped some pictures. I can't believe how grown up he is looking!
I can't believe that I am a Mom to a school aged child! I often wonder how and when all that happened. Here he is being silly as usual. :P I wonder who he gets that from?
And here he is sitting during circle time....protesting...cause he doesn't like sitting still. I sure hope that his teacher can handle him this year. :P



Next up we have my Round Ripple Afghans. I made this green one for my friends wedding.
I love the colour combinations that I went with (kudos to Husband as he's the one that picked them out!)

It is a green blanket for some very green people. My friends are into fair trade and organics and recycling and reusing...so we thought it fit well with their green lifestyle.
The Green blanket didn't get as big as I was originally planning so I gave them my scrap Round Ripple as well. It ended up being HUGE and will fit a double bed quite well.
I am pleased that I used up quite a bit of acrylic yarn I had laying around the house. I want to make a million more round ripples. They always end up being so eye catching!

I'm thinking that if I ever get my act together and open up an Etsy shop that this picture would make an excellent banner. Have my shop name over top it. It's got so much clear detail and shows the round ripple pattern very well.

um...oops...I mean Round Ripple Progress. *Tee Hee* Naughty Dinah.

I've been working on the De-stashing Round Ripple for ages now. I'm in no hurry to finish it and right now I don't have any desire to work on anything else (I've got the Post-Christmas-Crochet-Blues). So far it's 26 rows...and each row takes longer and longer to finish. The next color I'm going to introduce is like a dusty rose. i've just got a little of the red, grey, and purple left...After the dusty rose I have a lot of black (but I'm not too sure about the black).

I really like the randomness of how I've been interchanging the colors. I don't want there to be any rhyme or reason to the color scheme.