Boxing Day CAL 2014

[Gardener]

Hi y'all

Just got through making my dad a hat last night. That's really all I've crocheted in a while. Kinda out of ideas as to what to crochet!! I lost some of my yarn paper that tells what some of my yarn is. Also I don't even have a full skein of yarn or many of the same kinds of yarn. Any patterns or ideas please? HELP!!!

I forgot to mention that Darski suggested making round ripple afghans as stash busters earlier in this thread. The first few rounds take very little yarn. I am making one with yarn from my stash, mostly yarn that one of my daughters bought at a yard sale. Mine has a fairly organized color scheme because I have a lot of yarn, but I've seen pictures of them made out of many different colors. Take a look at them on Ravelry.

 

Baby booties and hats require very little yarn so they are also good for using up odds and ends of yarn. Fingerless gloves, boot cuffs, and coasters don't use much yarn either. A multicolored afghan made of squares would work with odds and ends of yarn too. If you have cotton yarn you can make dishcloths. Acrylic yarn works well for these scrubbies. (They work well for dishes)

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spiral-scrubbie

[ddc]

Those are all good suggestions for using up bits of yarn. Another good pattern for a lapghan/afghan is Lucy's granny stripe (from her attic24 blog). 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/granny-stripes-2

 

You can also do flowers and small motifs. She has some stunning wreathes on her blog. Here are some:

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2013/11/autumn-wreath-ta-dah.html

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2013/03/easter-wreath-ta-dah.html

 

And a simpler one:

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2012/05/may-rose-wreath-ta-dah.html

 

I really want to make of these one day. They look like an awfully lot of work, but fun.

[ddc]

I accomplished a lot on my days off.

 

First, I finished the boucle lapghan. Sorry, I had to send it off before I got pics. The friend who transports them for me came yesterday afternoon, and I just stuffed it in one of the  bags and sent it off with the others.

 

Babypoohsmom - you inspired me! I had so much left I couldn't bring myself to throw it all away - what to do? I thought of your cat mats and decided I could make a Donna mat. I go barefooted all winter, which is fine, except when I'm sitting at a table on tile, the set up with my computer. I keep a thick folded up bath towel on the floor during the winter to keep my feet off the tile, so I thought I could use it up in a mat. I used three strands with an M hook, and got two out of it, with a little left over that I tossed this afternoon without a single twinge of conscience. 

 

I think I'll do the same with the dark purple-ish bulky I haven't known what to do with. I can probably double strand that and get one, maybe two from it. If the plan for the new house doesn't fall through, I'll have three tables, all used often, all on vinyl, so I'll appreciate having them. 

 

So another lapghan for donation, a couple of mats for me. The rest of the bullky yarn will be for me, but I've started a baby blanket in RHSS baby print for donation.. The pattern would look better in a solid color, I think, but this will be ok. 

[Gardener]

Here is my finished round ripple. It will go to the local pregnancy resource center.

[Bailey4]

Very pretty.

[ddc]

Gardener, that's really nice. I like the color. Do you like the pattern more now that you have finished it?

[Gardener]

Thanks ladies. I like how it turned out and I and I am thinking about making another one in girly colors. Once the ripples became more distinct, I liked the pattern a lot better. All those double crochet scare boring though!

[ddc]

And of the outer rows they can go on apparently forever!

[babypoohsmom]

Donna, what a great idea, a Donna Mat! I am glad that you didn't throw the yarn away and now you have a practical gift to yourself. I live in the metro Phoenix area and can't go through the winter without my warm socks and slippers. I don't know how you do it.

And Gardner, I love your star ghan. Right now I have one almost finished slipper, one hand warmer and half of a neck warmer wrap that I started after watching a tutorial on you tube so I guess I better finish a few things before I start something else.

I also have a hat pattern that Darski suggested that I want to try. Sigh...

 

Oh, by the way, I tried that swirl scrubbie pattern, but my gauge is so tight that mine came out the size of a silver dollar and just did not work for me. I thought it was going to be a good stocking stuffer.

 

But for scraps, there is a swirl coaster that I have been wanting to try. My friend made me a black and orange one last October. I think she should make me 11 more, don't you?

[darski]

Here is my finished round ripple. It will go to the local pregnancy resource center.

 

love those colours.

[krazycrocheter]

Here is my finished round ripple. It will go to the local pregnancy resource center.

Love the colors!! Great for fall, without be traditional fall colored. Also gender neutral. So modern!!

[krazycrocheter]

I think I figured out what kind of yarn my yarn is...Loops and Thread Impeccable. I have it in all these spring colors. Still dont really have any ideas. Want to make a scarf out of it. I have a pattern, but not sure what size hook or if I have enough yarn. Not sure if thats what I'll do or not. Might make a round ripple or make a multi colored scarf. Or might just make some small grannys. Wishing you all many many happy crocheting hours!!

[ddc]

Babypoohsmom - the trick to barefoot bliss is being a couch potato. When I'm moving around cooking or something, it's not for a long time and I prefer cold feet to shoes any day. If I'm staying put, unless I'm at the computer table I'm in my recliner with a lap quilt that keeps me toasty warm. Last winter was a bit of a challenge though since we had colder, and colder for longer, weather - like just about everyone else. That was why I asked some time back for a slipper pattern. I'll probably make some this fall. Also, while I had the birds I kept the apartment somewhat warmer than I probably will this winter. I wear sandals all winter too. The only time that's really bad is when we have the occasional snow. It's one thing to have to walk  through a cold puddle, but something else completely if it's show slush. That's pretty rare though. 

 

Tonight I'm working on the next baby blanket while I'm at the library.

[Bailey4]

Barefoot until it gets cold.  Then I have fuzzy socks that are soooo warm.  I only wear shoes when I have too.

[babypoohsmom]

We don't wear shoes in our house, so I am used to going without shoes. Last summer we removed all of our carpet and put in wood laminate. My ankle (the one with 8 surgeries) hurt like heck for the first few months. It's like walking on concrete. So I got some memory foam slippers for walking around. They helped with the pain but were hot for summer. So I buy fuzzy slipper-socks a lot!

 

Anyway, I made another orange and yellow hat. Then I realized I had two yellow cones so I decided to make a solid yellow one. I *swear* I counted the rows, but when I took the hat off of the machine it was really long! I did have a white Pom Pom on it which made it look more fun, but it was on crooked and it bugged me so I took it off. I will put a new one on later.

[Gardener]

Denise, I am amazed at how fast you turn out those lovely hats.

 

No going barefoot for me. I had plantar fasciitis a year or two ago and one of the first things the doctor said was "no going barefoot, ever again". I so, I even used keep a pair of slip on shoes next to the bed at night, just in case I have to get up. I rarely do that anymore, but other than that I always wear shoes with good arch support.

[ddc]

Gardener, now that's an affliction in my book. My doctor wants me to wear shoes in the house too since I'm diabetic, but this is probably pretty non-negotiable, at least for the present. Of course, since I cut my foot on some broken glass in July, when I see her again in October she's probably going to say "I told you so!" LOL. Seriously, plantar fascitis is painful. I hope you haven't had any recurrences. 

 

I frogged the green/white afghan I was making for myself. I don't have enough yarn left to make it the size I want and it's discontinued, so that's that. Anyway, though I love the shade of green, it doesn't go with any of the new sheets I just bought. I hit a sale and splurged and bought sheets for the rest of my life. I will never have to buy a sheet again. When I get to the One Pound, I'll make something for myself out of better colors. Or maybe the new (relatively) RRSS Macaw. I love the deep rich blues in that. Anyway, I've restarted it for about a 36-38" width, and will donate it. 

 

So I have two projects, both moving along nicely now, past the calculating and into brainless mode. The green and white at home and a baby blanket at work in RRSS baby print. I don't normally wash them before I send them off, but I will this one and hope it softens a little. It's one of the unfortunately wiry, scratchy super savers. 

[babypoohsmom]

Aw Donna, sorry that the project for yourself didn't work out.

I made that neck warmer project that I saw on you tube. I am not sure what I am going to do with it so I don't know if I should post it here, but it sure felt great to try a new project.

But back to the hat factory... I found some thin green I already had and matched it up with some of that free yellow yarn to make a Green Bay Packers inspired hat.

 

[ddc]

babypoohsmom - I'm past regret for the green/white. I think the macaw would be nice, paired with RH Classic parakeet and many a touch of Classic mist green. Unfortunately, for the size I want to make, I'm not going to have enough of the macaw. I was so proud - I have not bought any yarn this year. Of course, that's mostly because I wasn't crocheting and was spending a king's random on cross stitch, but that's another story. Anyway, I see that RHSS has some new colors, and I would like some of the new reds and the new teal. So I guess there's some yarn buying in the near future. Sifting through my color swatches of RH last night I really, really wanted to start working with that again, but I will be strong and go with plan A and tackle the One Pound again, except for the one for me.

 

I only got a few rows done on the green/white this morning. Sunday mornings are always very rushed since I have to be at work so much earlier than usual. I hope to make more progress while I'm off the next two days. 

[ddc]

Darski, I haven't looked at show and tell in months since I haven't been on the forum. I just saw your blacklight round ripple. That turned out great. I bought a couple of skeins of that when it came out, and rather wondered why, but now I'm glad I have it in the stash. I can imagine some good possibilities for it.

 

By the way, how did you do the border on that one? I couldn't really tell from the photo, but I like the sort of ruffled look it gave it without being really fancy-dancy. As it loops of chains? 

[darski]

By the way, how did you do the border on that one? I couldn't really tell from the photo, but I like the sort of ruffled look it gave it without being really fancy-dancy. As it loops of chains? 

 for that one I did sc/ch3 in every loop and for your kind words - that yarn takes some getting used to.

[babypoohsmom]

Hi ya, I decided to try out this pretty pastel variegated yarn.

I decided to run it through with the blue. The off-white didn't look good with it. But unfortunately the blue dominated the hat...

I am not thrilled with the results. I am going to keep a close eye on my stash to see if I have any white baby yarn. Maybe the colors in the variegated yarn would show up better against white.

[darski]

I like that one but I am fond of anything blue and yellow

[Gardener]

Denise, I like that hat with the blue too.

[ddc]

Well, it's ok, but not my favorite of the hats you've made. The other colors will show up better with white, I think. You're really getting some mileage out of all that free yarn. Way to go!

 

Darski, thanks for the info. I'll try that on one of my baby blankets. There are going to be several coming up.

 

I stopped working on the green/white lapghan when it was about 20" long. I think I would have way too much left over. However, I can maybe get two baby blankets out of it. So I started a round ripple. When I finish that, I'll just put whatever if left onto the other one, and hope that works out. I'm pretty sure there will be enough of the yarn.