The Old-Fashioned (crochet) Sampler is on hold-- not for too, too long, I hope. It's already well beyond "afghan weather" around here, for one thing. For another, I just wanted a break from it.
I had been making slow progress on the Billowy Delight (knitted) scarf, but now that's mostly set aside, too. It's better than it was, but still not the most fun thing I've ever knitted. I can see this one taking me a loooooong time to complete! I probably need to get a good audio-book going so that I feel more motivated to work on it-- because I still want to make the scarf. Not remotely ready for frogging.
To improve matters (ha ha), I decided to start a couple of new fiber-craft projects. (This will certainly help with that mile-long to-do/finish list.)
First New Project: Crochet Cacti
I've had this trio of teeny-tiny terra-cotta pots for years. I can't even remember for sure if I bought them myself or was given them. Anyway, they're far too small to be much use as real pots. I suppose you might be able to use them for a very small succulent or cactus, but they're only 2 inches tall and about 1.5 inches wide at the top. I've been meaning (again, for years) to crochet some miniscule cacti to go in them. They'll go on the windowsill over the kitchen sink, maybe, alongside the actual living houseplants already there.
I kinda-sorta thought of this as an instant-gratification project, when I started it, but I'm using (mostly) scraps of size 10 thread, so it takes a while to make any progress-- not to mention that making amigurumi-type things in size 10 thread isn't always easy on your hands, so you (or well, I, at least) need frequent rest periods. It also takes a while because I'm not following any one pattern, but am kind ofwinging it masterfully creating the pattern as I go along, drawing on inspiration from a variety of sources, but ultimately guided by the whimsical whisperings of my own magnificent muse. ;o) I've got a few cacti made, but I need to make more, I think. I'm a bit burned out on tiny cacti, though, so this weekend I started the second new project...
Second New Project: Chickadee Cowl the Third
I've made the Chickadee Cowl (free knitting pattern, btw) a couple of times before and really enjoyed it. I'm turning to it again, because linen stitch is so good with variegated yarn.
I've had this single skein of Yarn Bee Snowflake Wool for (again) years, bought on impulse because I had a coupon to use and liked the colors. It's the "Apple Blossom" colorway-- a variety of reds and pinks with the occasional shot of apple green. I love pinks and greens together, but I'm also pretty picky about how variegated yarns look crocheted or knitted up, so repeatedly I've picked it up to admire it, only to eventually put it away again, because it just wasn't right for a particular project.
This time, I was determined to use that ball of yarn! Linen stitch seems like a safe bet-- and one skein should be enough to make a reasonably sized cowl.
The only thing I wasn't sure about was the needle size. The pattern's written for bulky yarn, but there are quite a few Ravelers who've adapted it for dk yarn, so I looked at a few of those projects to get an idea (and also a rough estimate of how many stitches to cast on). I settled on size 8 needles. We'll see how it turns out. Frogging is always an option, but I'd rather not, of course.
So that's what I'll be working on for a while-- these four projects. Because surely I won't be foolish enough to start anything else until something's finished... Right...?
I had been making slow progress on the Billowy Delight (knitted) scarf, but now that's mostly set aside, too. It's better than it was, but still not the most fun thing I've ever knitted. I can see this one taking me a loooooong time to complete! I probably need to get a good audio-book going so that I feel more motivated to work on it-- because I still want to make the scarf. Not remotely ready for frogging.
To improve matters (ha ha), I decided to start a couple of new fiber-craft projects. (This will certainly help with that mile-long to-do/finish list.)
First New Project: Crochet Cacti
I've had this trio of teeny-tiny terra-cotta pots for years. I can't even remember for sure if I bought them myself or was given them. Anyway, they're far too small to be much use as real pots. I suppose you might be able to use them for a very small succulent or cactus, but they're only 2 inches tall and about 1.5 inches wide at the top. I've been meaning (again, for years) to crochet some miniscule cacti to go in them. They'll go on the windowsill over the kitchen sink, maybe, alongside the actual living houseplants already there.
I kinda-sorta thought of this as an instant-gratification project, when I started it, but I'm using (mostly) scraps of size 10 thread, so it takes a while to make any progress-- not to mention that making amigurumi-type things in size 10 thread isn't always easy on your hands, so you (or well, I, at least) need frequent rest periods. It also takes a while because I'm not following any one pattern, but am kind of
Second New Project: Chickadee Cowl the Third
I've made the Chickadee Cowl (free knitting pattern, btw) a couple of times before and really enjoyed it. I'm turning to it again, because linen stitch is so good with variegated yarn.
I've had this single skein of Yarn Bee Snowflake Wool for (again) years, bought on impulse because I had a coupon to use and liked the colors. It's the "Apple Blossom" colorway-- a variety of reds and pinks with the occasional shot of apple green. I love pinks and greens together, but I'm also pretty picky about how variegated yarns look crocheted or knitted up, so repeatedly I've picked it up to admire it, only to eventually put it away again, because it just wasn't right for a particular project.
This time, I was determined to use that ball of yarn! Linen stitch seems like a safe bet-- and one skein should be enough to make a reasonably sized cowl.
The only thing I wasn't sure about was the needle size. The pattern's written for bulky yarn, but there are quite a few Ravelers who've adapted it for dk yarn, so I looked at a few of those projects to get an idea (and also a rough estimate of how many stitches to cast on). I settled on size 8 needles. We'll see how it turns out. Frogging is always an option, but I'd rather not, of course.
So that's what I'll be working on for a while-- these four projects. Because surely I won't be foolish enough to start anything else until something's finished... Right...?