February Finishing Frenzy

Episode III: Attack of the Feline

Capricha downright insisted on taking part in the photos for my latest project. What a beautiful grand dame!

I started this blanket way back in May in the midst of preparations for our big move. Crochet is downright soothing to my senses, so it was just the ticket. The crochet part didn't take too long -- that was done in July.  Weaving in the ends, however... Let's just say this blanket hibernated in a cozy corner of the rec room, waiting for hints of spring.

pattern: stripy dog blanket, by Nikki Trench

source: The Cool Girl's Guide to Crochet (terrible title, but some really cute patterns)

yarn: Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton

dusty sage, dusty blue, strawberry, blueberry, almond, walnut, & pistachio

hook: Clover Soft Touch ~ "J"

on ravelry

notes:

Clearly this is no dog blanket! The foundation chain had 166 sts, and I should have used a larger hook for this, as it's a little tight. The pattern's essentially just half double crochet, changing colors every row. It’s super soft and cozy. The yarn is so fluffy that it’s almost like working with cotton balls, and curling up with the blanket is like snuggling with a cloud.

I kept running out of yarn and buying more. In the end it took something like 42 skeins (or maybe 49, but let's not go there). Just thinking about the quantity of yarn makes me shudder. It does, however, fit our queen-size bed. And I love it.

Capricha clearly loves it, too. 

>^..^<

P.S. Think Charlie Sheen seems nuts lately?  Me too! See cats quote Charlie Sheen.

February Finishing Frenzy

Episode II: Revenge of the Crochet Hook

Not one, but two long-term crochet projects are done and dusted! I've been weaving in ends like a crazy person for the past couple of weeks (yep, I save the "best" for last). I'll just share one today:

pattern: basic granny square afghan

yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky

hook: Clover Soft Touch J Hook

on ravelry

I started this large-ish baby blanket to use up scraps from my beloved giant granny (best. project. ever.). As is the case with essentially all of my stashbusting endeavors, I soon ran out of yarn. Oddly enough, Cashmerino Chunky isn't that easy to find anymore, so I ended up buying bits and bobs from kind Ravelers to finish up this project. Gotta love the interwebs!

The blog Attic 24 features the loveliest and most colorful crochet projects and patterns. I followed her instructions for joining granny squares -- crochet them together using slip stitch.  Fabulous and not at all difficult!  Certainly far superior to sewing the squares together, imho. 

I wanted to work a granny square border around the whole darn thing, and the areas by the joins were giving me headaches. The border was crinkly and floppy and looked terrible. After ripping it out, I did some "research" (AKA googling) and found this mini-tutorial. Worked like a charm, plus I learned something new to boot -- dc2tog (crochet double decrease). I'd love to add a contrasting scalloped edging, but alas, I'm out of yarn again, so I'm deeming this one good to go.

snow day

My wish for a snow day was most certainly granted! We saw about 20" of fluffy white stuff overnight on Tuesday, plus gale-force winds. 

Home was delightfully warm and cozy. Paul and I braved the snow yesterday to dig out our Jeeps and go for a walk.  I even made a snow angel! We also managed to find a pizzeria that was open (Frasca) and met up with a friend for a yummy dinner.

Being snowed in has made for plenty of knitting time. On the February Finishing Frenzy front, here's a little Tomten jacket that I started back in May 2010. I had run out of yarn (par for the course chez Caffeinated Yarn) and hadn't bothered to pick it back up after more Knit Picks Swish DK arrived.  One sleeve to go!

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In addition to my virtuous work on the Tomten jacket, I also knit a wee little baby cap:

pattern: Baby Sheep Hat, by Melissa Burt of Indigo Mouse

yarn: Elann Peruvian Luxury Merino Superwash (DK)

needles: Clover US 5 bamboo 16" circs

my ravelry project page

notes:

Easy, cute little pattern!  This was my first time actually completing a colorwork project (don't remind me about the two or three forlorn mitten projects languishing in a knitting basket somewhere), and my first time doing duplicate stitch. Surprisingly the colorwork wasn't bad at all (perhaps because I wasn't knitting at a tight gauge on DPNs as with the mittens?); the duplicate stitch was more of a challenge.  Now to decide whether or not to add a fluffy white pompom!  Note to self: use size 6 needles next time, as it truly is a tiny little hat. I most definitely want to knit a coordinating sheep yoke baby cardigan.

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in other news...

- The spring issue of Knitcircus is up! I was especially impressed by the book reviews.

- Use the force, Luke:

February Finishing Frenzy, part I

The Chicago forecast calls for some serious snow!  I'm hoping for a snow day tomorrow -- sipping hot cocoa, snuggling with kitties, and going for a walk across the Chicago River sound like just the ticket.

I hereby declare this month February Finishing Frenzy -- time to finish up languishing projects, weave in ends, sew on buttons, and clear out the knitting basket. I'm in the mood to be productive and revel in small victories.

February Finishing Frenzy, project #1

pattern: High Tide Baby Blanket (free!), by Heather Dixon

yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Worsted

needles: US 9 Knit Picks Harmony interchangeable circular

my ravelry project page

notes:

The pattern was very fun to knit, as the chevron pattern is a great way to play with colors. It went quickly due to lots of knitting time in the car and while "watching" football. Weaving in all the ends was a huge pain and took a lot of time, so I'm not sure I'd knit it again.

The yarn was fine -- it's fairly soft and it's not as fragile as the organic cotton from Blue Sky Alpacas or Lion Brand. Simply Cotton falls on the thin side of worsted, unlike the other two. I used maybe 2/3 of each skein of yarn. Here are the colors:

• marshmallow
• dogwood heather
• green tea heather
• wave heather
• golden heather
• haze heather