Another FO SLIPPERS!

Last June my SIL asked me to make her live-in BF slippers. I thought it a good opportunity to use some LOPI that I bought years ago at a sale. Stitches From the Heart, a charity LYS gets yarn donations that can't always be used for baby garments so they sell them at CHEAP rates. My yarn was a dollar a skein.

I originally bought it to play around with Kool-Aid dyeing. These slippers were a great opportunity to get rid of all my failed experiments.

I dyed the yarn in red with parts over dyed in a darker crimson.



Then I forgot about it. But completing the afghan inspired me to picked them back up and finish them.

Have you ever felted LOPI? It is the fuzziest of the wools! Also, it took forever to shrink all the way down. I cranked up the water temp, but I couldn't bring it down its last 2 inches until instead of normal detergent I added Borax and the last bit of shrinkage happened in the dryer. I know people talk about the easy-peasyness of felting, but I ALWAYS struggle with it. I have yet to have a pleasant experience doing it. I am happy with the results, but the over dyeing was too subtle and loss in the felting. But at least it is done and out of my life.


And I am getting stuff too! Another great package from Sibille!


She sent me delectable Euro candy, including what I am assuming are vegetarian gummy bears. She knows that I can't read German, so it could be extra meaty meat gummy bears and only she would know. She also sent a gingerbread Santa (I love Gingerbread!) Also included is this pretty yarn I can't wait to use. I haven't seen yarn with gold color flecks in it. How are those flecks done?? But the true treasures of the box...


Aren't these socks wonderful?? If I remember correctly the patterns are from Favorite Socks. Am I glad I got her that book! She says she doesnt want Cat Bordhi's new book, but I think might have to send that one to her too... ;) Thank you Sibille! My feet have never felt so stylish and happy!

DONE! DONE! DONE!

Yesterday, at 12:16pm pst, I FINISHED the blanket that I started when I was 7 years old. I am in shock. I have this sense of freedom.

I started with 69 squares from my childhood. Some of the color combos came from my Grandmother. I made 71 more, some of the combos from you! I think that is a nice full circle moment.

1. Sibille, 2. Morkirlan, 3. Rachael, 4. Claudia, 5. Shelby, 6. Jinann, 7. Abbeykins, 8. Javajem, 9. Telmah

Yes, I was thrilled when this happened:


And this:


And this:


Fred has never sat on this chair before. It took him 3 minutes between setting the afghan on it and his stupid self discovering it. Earlier I had joked that I wanted to turn the guest room completely white with all white furniture and put my blanket in there. He was not in the plan.

The granny square monkey is off my back.

Squares done!

I finally finished all the squares for this afghan. I originally did not mean to make so many, but I decided I rather make more squares than have to make a super never ending border to get to a decent size. I also knocked back the pastelness of the squares of 7 year old me. I'm not sure if I was into pastels, but I think my grandmother made a lot of baby afghans and I got her left over yarn. 7 year old me will be thrilled that her squares were put together finally. Though I am thinking about blowing off that kid, because assembling squares is TEDIOUS.

It felt good to make that final square. Everyone was excited about seeing it.


The ferrets offered their help in laying out the squares.




Toonsters felt that the square design was fine as is, and felt we should move onto other things.


But I got her to focus and we finally got done. Now if I can just teach them to use a crochet hook and put them together for me.

Prudence was here

I was at Wooly Wonders for a knit night, 1 of 2 (and I think possibly soon to be 3) LYSs in Vegas. While sitting among the lively crowd, I notice a woman named Prudence wearing a free form vest sitting across from me. Put these two facts together and sure enough Prudence Mapstone! She is visiting Vegas on her way to TNNA. I was so excited to have the queen of free form knitting and crocheting in front of me. I thought about playing it cool, but I decided to fawn and pepper her with questions. She patiently answered them all. I loved spending time with one of the knitting luminaries in such a relaxed atmosphere. She let us preview a book by one of her former students books, Myra Wood who combines free form knitting and lace. Myra Wood bridges the gap for some that see the scrumbles as too frenetic by adding the elegance of lace. Prudence also brought some finished garments, that are amazing. Check out here site if you havent done so already. At the end of the night, Prudence gave me a signed copy of her latest book, Coat of Many Scrumbles, a collection of scrumbles from scrumblists throughout the world. I love looking at it for ideas. Scrumbling is the ultimate portable knitting/crocheting project. Just a little baggy of smatterings of yarns and a hook and needles. No thought or pattern or anything required!

I have 2 spots left for squares... so if you haven't picked some colors for me do so now. If you have, go ahead do it again! 2 squares!! I will love and admire and be grateful to you forever!

Granny Square HELL!

I am working diligently on my 30 year old granny square afghan, and I have to say, it was as monotonous as I remember. And I am officially spent on coming up with color combos. WHN as been doing a few lately and I have to admit he is coming up with things I wouldn't have thought of. He calls some of his ugly creations able to fit in quite nicely with kid Polly's... Ug. So now I am calling to the smattering of you that read this, to pick colors for me:
- 4 colors let me know in what order. I numbered them so you wont have to describe the color. If you can't read the number, upper left (1) to upper right (7) and so on to 31.
-email, leave a comment, or send me a message via ravelry



Just a couple notes:
6- cranberry (and 21 crimson so you figure that out)
7- primary color green
11- Vanna White's acid green
14- not that dark brown
27- bright neon pink
Thanks! I have been picking the same square colors over and over again. I will make the square and post the end results (with your name, so don't try to screw me with your color choice ;)

We have a new hotel in Vegas- The Palazzo, the tallest hotel in Vegas. It's connected to the Venetian. The Palazzo was scheduled to open on Dec 28, but I guess they were behind so it opened, but the rooms arent ready as well as most of the shops. But their atrium is lovely. For people that are familiar with the Vegas resorts, this hotel is lovely, but it does have the WOW of the Bellagio or Wynn.

Happy New Year! And don't forget to pick for colors for me!

EDIT: Thank you so much! I am thrilled. You guys are picking things I wouldn't have thought of! I LOVE LOVE just mindlessly crocheting. Keep on picking! I'm keeping up with you and will post everyone's squares next week.

Hopefully this is only a so far preview...
Telmah


Javajem


Abbeykins


THANK YOU!