Sunday, April 27, 2008

Project Spotlight

Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl
Schaefer Miss Priss in Harriet Tubman Colorway
Size 8 Addi Turbos
I did 14 or 15 repeats instead of the 10 called for so it measures nearly 80" across the top.

It turned out really nice and only took me 4 days from Cast On to Blocking. Really fast knit.
Forest Canopy Close-Up

Forest Canopy Blocking

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Where I've Been

The past weeks or so is making or finishing the following:

Lately

Now I've only got a little bit of seaming left to do on the Lacey Shrug for a friend and then I'll have NO UFOs!!! Some of these I dug WAY out of the UFO bin and some are new; I'm glad I finally have them off my list.

I finally gave up on Michael's Time-Out Socks. Those socks just didn't want to get made so I ripped the needles out and tossed them - It was time! Phew! What a relief.

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

"...Just Like Flies."

Watch Out! Here come the Spider Mitts:

Spider Mitts Activated!

Toby wanted "handwarmers" just like Anna's, so he could be Spiderman of course. In about an hour I made some for him and now he's a happy boy. It's not always going to be that easy is it?

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Sunday, April 13, 2008

It's Finished!!! WooHoo!

Well it took me 2 weeks and 2 days (ends are almost all woven in and will be finished tonight) instead of the 8 days I hoped for, but... It looks FABULOUS (shameless)! I would have finished more quickly if I hadn't picked up Kiss The Girls mid-weeks and had a reading frenzy - it's hard to read and crochet at the same time.
Afghan Full-on
See.

Here are a few more views:
Afghan Close Up

and one with a kitty:
Afghan Kitty
(That's P.C. - our "Poofy Cat")

Out of 28 skeins of Cotton Classic used from my stash
THIS:
All That's Left
Is all that's left.

I also finally got around to taking a picture of the Jitterbug Ankle Socks I made - I love them - even if they did turn my feet blue (should have washed them first huh?).
Jitterbug Ankle Socks

Next I'm going to knit the Forest Canopy Shawl out of Schaefer's "Miss Priss." I can't wait to have it finished - I've heard it's a really quick knit.

Check out Lolly's page and view her "Stanley Cup Knitting." We don't have decent Hockey in Atlanta (really - we don't), but Law and Order is on about 16 times a day - so...

I'll keep you posted.

AmyDe

Friday, April 11, 2008

Welcome

pollen car a

That's my car last evening. See here - I'll prove it.

pollen car b

I do LOVE spring. It really is my favorite time of year. This year is one of the worst I remember for sheer quantity of pollen. In the breeze you can see the green stuff swirling in the air like smoke. We need a good rain - I mean come on and give us a break from all the tree pollens already - my kids and I want to breathe!

From WSB TV (our local ABC) here is the "official pollen chart"

POLLEN COUNT

0-30 Low

31-60 Moderate

61-120 High

Over 120 Extremely High

So wanna know what TODAY'S count is? Can you guess?

3243

There's not enough Claritin on the planet to combat numbers like those.

For those of you just now enjoying the onset of spring, with it's flowers budding, grass greening, and days warming...

YOU SUCK!

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

The Trick

To Destashing:

2 Big-ass garbage bags (not counting the 4 or 5 I've gotten rid of over the past couple of years)
Plus several yarn-rabid friends
and things are pretty much taken care of.

I still have too many projects waiting in the wings and I'm contemplating all of them based on many criteria. At least most of the projects-in-wait are crochet projects (read: uses more yarn and works-up more quickly).

Yes - for my "knowing friends" right now it's just yarn (smart-ass!).

I'm off to update Ravelry because my shoulder hurts from over-crocheting.

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Monday, April 07, 2008

Your New Best Friend

Whilst Toby was getting his last haircut he told Andrea "You look like a teenager." As if they weren't already - they are now definitely best friends for life!

Haircut

The afghan is almost finished. If I hadn't fallen asleep on the couch Saturday afternoon (damn those snuggly kitty cats) I might have finished. I only have 5 more skeins to work through and then a photo shoot. It's been so much fun to work on and I'm looking forward to the next project - though I'm not sure what it will be yet. Oh BTW has anyone seen my 200 Ripple Stitch book or is it just lost in the house somewhere?

I have a new goal (don't faint) it's NO STASH. Well no significant stash anyway - a little sock yarn and dishcloth cotton are always good to have on hand, but other than that I am aiming for one project at a time and only yarn for that project. Sometimes it feels like giving up a long-time best friend, but the stash is dragging me down and holding me back.

No Stash is so unlike me (see here); I'm willing to try something new for more peaceful, more productive results. I've got a long way to go before the stash is distributed and/or depleted so I'm only working on projects that I truly love and KNOW I will complete - everything else is going. Much of what is in the photo is already gone - in fact I'd say MOST is already gone, even though the remaining stash is still HUGE. It's a process right? Maybe I'll post a current stash photo this weekend. It might be interesting to see the contrast and mid-point of my new "Stash-Free" journey.

I'd better go work on that afghan so I can get moving to the next project and bust up that stash!

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Please Pray

I have a friend in need. Please pray for strength, grace, perseverance, and much needed support. Thank You.

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

You'll Be Relieved to Know

That I remembered the book I had forgotten. Phew - a big collective sigh of relief right?

The book I forgot to list was The Florabama Ladies Auxilary and Sewing Circle.

I finished the Quiltmaker's Daughter and The Bishop's Daughter - those two along with The Storekeeper's Daughter are a trilogy called The Daughters of Lancaster County. Amish folk were a welcome relief after the two serial rapist/murderer books I had just finished.

I am crocheting an afghan finally! I'm calling it my 'Waste-not Want-not' blanket. I gathered all of the cotton classic I have in the house and I'm making a giant random granny-square afghan for my family. I started last Friday and so far I've worked through 12 skeins of yarn (only 16 more to go). How you may ask does one end up with 28 skeins of cotton classic? Well I didn't - I actually had 42 but I pulled the pastels and tweedy colors for another project. Please, if you know me at all NO ONE was shocked at 42 after all it is the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

I really love the way it's coming along and I hope to be finished with it by the weekend. Andrea is making one as well out of her Sierra - She learned to crochet in about 5-seconds and off she goes - it's going to be gorgeous!

I'll take pictures of mine as soon as it's finished. Here's to using what you have!

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe