Sew I See!

Yarn made from possum fur... I've seen it mentioned once or twice before, but somehow I manage to forget, so each time feels like the first... That sensation of disbelief.  It's not uncommon to see opossums (which we call just "possums") around here, foraging for food in the woods or as roadkill.  Are the Australian or Kiwi possums this yarn is coming from much different from the ones we have in North America?  I really don't know.  Our "possums" are wild, scary-looking creatures with beady eyes, claws, and needle-like teeth.  I have a very hard time thinking of them as a cuddly source of yarn.  Now, maybe possum yarn is wonderfully soft.  I wouldn't know.  Certainly it could be fun to tell people, when they comment on an article of clothing, that it's made from possum fur.  (And then to watch as they struggle to cover an expression of horror or disgust with one of polite interest.)  All that said, when I first learned that people m...

Thread Crochet-- Well, I finished the doily that I thought might end up rippling, then started another (smaller) one that I thought would behave better.  And wouldn't you know it, that one gave me more trouble than the first one!  It was fine until one of the last few rounds, at which point I began to have serious doubts.  I managed to get them both blocked, but I won't be making those patterns again! No Progress-- There's no progress to report on the Cheerful Afghan, the Isis shawl, the cotton basket, or any of my hibernating projects.  I need to gear myself up for a "finishing spree".  Scratching a few off things off my hibernating/in-progress list would feel awfully nice... Mysteryghan-- I mentioned the Mysteryghan CAL Julie Yeager is hosting in my last post.  I've been working on the first clue, ("Little Bitties", released earlier this week), and I'm about halfway done.  It's fun, and I really like the looks of the pieces, so fa...

Progress reports, anyone?  ;o) Cheerful Afghan -- It's in a rut.  I did put in a few more rounds on the Crocodile Flower block, but I've yet to finish it.  I only need one more block, I believe, and then it will be time to think about joining.  The fact that it's starting to feel summery outside probably has something to do with the stall-out. Cotton Basket-- Put into "Time Out", a.k.a. out of sight, out of mind.  That thing was hurting my hand(s) to crochet, so to tell the truth, I'm not eager to pick it back up.  But I will, one of these days, because I want to see it finished. Gifts for my Niece-- The secret projects I mentioned last time were gifts for my niece's 2nd birthday.  I made her a little amigurumi bunny and a duck .  She seemed to really like them, which made it worth the discomfort of making them.  (g)  I don't enjoy making amigurumi, but they're just so darn cute that I can't resist the occasional temptation....

100/365 - Crochet Project , a photo by MossyOwls on Flickr. A bunny in the making...

The Stack Grows , a photo by MossyOwls on Flickr. At a stand-still...

86/365 - Thread Crochet , a photo by MossyOwls on Flickr.

Time to pop in for a brief update post! Cheerful Afghan-- No real progress since last time.  I've started a block-- the Crocodile Flower square-- but I set it aside "for a moment" and just haven't been able to work up the enthusiasm to pick it back up, again.  In fact, I've gone so far as the carry the basket of yarn and WIP out of the living room and into the craft room.  This is a Big Deal. (g)  If a WIP is no longer in the living room, it is officially in hibernation mode.  Someday I'll get the urge to finish the afghan, but for now, it's not even on the back burner; it's cooled off, packed up, and in the back of the fridge, hidden behind the pickles and baking soda.  Fortunately, yarny works-in-progress don't spoil and turn into moldy science experiments.  ;o) Unraveling Sweaters-- After unraveling those wool sweaters (see last entry), I thought I was taking a break from sweater deconstruction.  However, the unraveling bug bit again, a...

It's been a while! Since my last entry, I've worked a few more squares for the "Be of Good Cheer" Samplerghan. Sunflower Square . (from 75 Floral Blocks to Crochet ) I enjoyed crocheting this one (another square from one of the new books on my shelves), but I actually prefer it in the colors shown the book.  It needed several more rounds to bring it up to 12 inches.  Simple "granny rounds" did the trick. Veronica's Rose . (freebie online) This one was quick, easy, and fun to crochet.  That said, I'm not 100% sure I love the results of my first round of petals.  Not sure if I did something wrong... or what... but it's only just "ok". Happy Hearts (freebie online) This will be the last "heart"-themed block for this afghan.  Of the heart blocks I made, I think I'm least satisfied with this one.  The hearts seem to get lost in the pattern, somehow.  Outlining each one in a contrasting color yarn (slip sti...

I've been plugging away more or less steadily at the "Be of Good Cheer" Samplerghan.  The "one block a day" average has relaxed to "one every two or three days", but that's ok.  Here are the blocks added to the pile since the last entry: Cheerful Blossoms . (#62 from Connect the Shapes Crochet Motifs ) This was another "four-patch" block made up of four of a smaller square motif.  I don't remember much about this motif, but I think I enjoyed crocheting it.  The flowers look a little like daisies to me.  Well, what they really make me think of are those typical "cartoon doodle flowers" that everyone draws. Grandma's Heart . (freebie online) Honestly, I found this pattern somewhat confusing, at times.  But it's a freebie, and the designer went to the trouble of not only writing and sharing the pattern, but also taking photos and drawing charts, which was very considerate!  If you can read charts and...

I've been thinking about what my next afghan would be for a while-- long before the last one was anywhere near done.  (This is how you know you're addicted, by the way.) Since I happen to have accumulated a fair amount of red yarn (and have no wish to make a Christmas-themed blanket), it seemed like a good time to try that "Cath Kidston-inspired" look so many people have been using, over the past couple of years.  Never mind that until I saw one of those afghans, I had no idea who Cath Kidston even was.  (g)  The color scheme (if you're unfamiliar with it) varies slightly from project to project-- but it's always very bright and cheerful.  Generally, there's a lot of tomato red mixed with baby blue, candy pink, white and/or cream, sunny/lemony yellow, and fresh, springtime greens. I went through my acrylic worsted weight and set aside the colors I would use.  I may have purchased one or two skeins to complete my palette.  Well, it was perfectly jus...