It's Crochet, Knit & Natter 9: So Many Projects, So Little Time. (Oh well - I almost made it rhyme!)

[Fairislefandango]

A thread for woolly crafters of all types and levels.
Previous thread here

You are being very conscientious @Fairislefandango my main work prep has been checking my wardrobe for what I’m going to wear!

Well I'm a bit rusty in some areas... And I'm going to be teaching clever girls! But yes, I did a bit of clothes shopping too (spending my salary before I see a penny of it ).

Meant to say - I popped into my local town with dd today (not the one where Northern Yarn is, which is down the road from my new school) and the craft shop there has moved to new, bigger premises and has a whole yarn room!

@StillNiceCardigan congratulations on the new job, it’s sounds really great.

@Fairislefandango I’ve also spent my salary on new clothes before I’ve even got it 😳well, that and nursery fees!

Congratulations @StillNiceCardigan! It sounds brilliant!

Glad to have you back @QuantumWeatherButterfly, I’m sorry your DH wasn’t well and for your bereavement Your square looks great though, I like the colours.

Spunds like your preparation is going really well @Fairislefandango

Lovely colours
@QuantumWeatherButterflysorry for your bereavement.

Congrats @StillNiceCardigan

I'm hoping to go back to work in September. I'm hoping I'm allowed to work part time and it not affect my UC. Just while I build up up full time.

I finally finished my small project. It really shouldn't have taken as long as it did, but I was being super cautious. I don't really have my crojo back, but i didn't get any weird MH side effects either.

That's lovely @CrochetBug ! I keep meaning to make one of those - a good small project which would actually be useful!

One of my current WIPs is a baby blanket for my friend who is due in October with a little boy. I don’t know if I’m just at that point that happens in most projects where you just lose your crojo for it or if it really isn’t suitable.

It’s going to be a 4x3 granny square blanket. I think it needs another textured square so I’m thinking a solid colour in either waffle stitch or a textured wave pattern. Although part of me wants to find a textured square that will work out from the middle like the other three squares. So the teal ball will be the other textured square and each type of square will go out diagonally. The small light blue square will be light blue in the centre and green on the outside. The top row will be green and teal and green. I’ve got a silvery green or silver to join and do the border. I think it can work… but it doesn’t feel like a baby blanket. It feels like it might be a nice lap blanket (I can do a 4x4 blanket to make it a bit more adult size).

I’ve found a lovely pattern that is definitely a baby blanket and I think will be really well received. Advantages of starting again would be giving a clear baby blanket (that now I’ve seen I want to make anyway). Disadvantages - I need to buy more yarn, I could do this tomorrow but I should probably be sensible both because my yarn stash is big enough and because I’m still on SMP. I’d have two months to make the blanket (ideally), I’m about 3/4 of the way through another blanket that I want to finish in two weeks (although I need another ball for this one anyway), then I’m starting my new job. I probably wouldn’t be the first crafter to give a baby a gift a little bit late though 😂 as long as the baby gets it before they are 18!

@InTheNightWeWillWish I think the benefit of making a baby blanket that isn't necessarily 'baby blanket' is that they won't outgrow it. Except maybe in size!

Just popping in to say hello. I've been in London with the kids for a week while DH strips wallpaper from half the house ready for repapering. We're all shattered.

Congratulations on the job @StillNiceCardigan

Thanks @CrochetBug thats something I’d forgotten in just trying to get something super cute. I could make the blanket 4x4 and it should be a nice enough size for playing on over the coming years.

Hello all from sunny Dorset! Beautiful sunny weather forecast for the whole week, but not supposed to get above about 24°, which suits me fine! I was up at 6:15 because the blooming dog was whining to be let out, so I'm on the sofa with my knitting and my crochet squares.

Quite excited by how my handspun purple/white is looking when knitted up. Not sure a photo will show it well, as I've only done a couple of rows, but I'll have a go... It's funny how the unevennes of my yarn thickness doesn't seem to matter so much once it's knitted! I've never used 'art yarns', so I've never knitted with anything that wasn't perfectly uniform.

The little flowers are lovely @CrochetBug

I’ve up early today too @Fairislefandango its a bit chaotic here as we have been making make extra visits to the North West to see PILs as they are getting a bit frail and are struggling a bit. I’m happy to do it but they are four hours away. I needed some quiet time before anyone else got up! I like fancy art yarns and your hand spun yarn is knitting up really well.

I have just made a quick jellyfish and I made up a skirt from some fat quarters that DD2 gave me, I can’t concentrate on anything too challenging.

Oh, I love the skirt, @StillNiceCardigan!

8 of 13 squares for the bag done. They're.... okay. I'm not really enjoying working with the cotton. It's hard to get the tension consistent and it won't glide through my (summer sweaty!) fingers. That said, they look better finished than while I'm mid way through them, so I'm hoping the bag will work out okay. And even though the yarn isn't my favourite, I'm really enjoying getting my hook out again!

Up early with the dog again, so time for more knitting!

Oof it's hot here! Dh and the dh went off kayaking this afternoon, so I stayed behind and chilled out with ddog and did some crocheting.

Popping in to say hi from Fontainebleau! It’s really hot here too, but we’ve mostly been in the forest so have been sheltered from the worst of the heat.

I’ve been knitting a bit here and there but I forgot to pack my last two mini skeins so I’m either going to have to wait until I’m home to finish my shawl or make a shawlette..

Hmmm... Such nice granny squares on here at the moment I might have to give it a whirl today ..

A forest sounds great @SpinMeRightRoundBabyRightRound

Had a bit of a push last night and finished the squares for the bag. Now they need edging with a linen-coloured border and joining together. I like this project, it's a good mix of basic skills refresher and some new stuff. The joining technique is Join As You Go, which is one of the new for me.

This is what the squares look like, laid out in their joining positions. A bit wonky, but hopefully will come good!

Its so hot here at the moment although we do have some rain forecasted for next week which hopefully will arrive. The idea of a forest sounds very nice @SpinMeRightRoundBabyRightRound

@QuantumWeatherButterfly that bags going to look great!!

It's very hot here too! We have a whole week of rain forecast next week so I'm really hoping we get it! I don't feel like doing anything in this heat!

Lovely granny squares everyone. 15th August is Granny Square Day!

I found a crochet-a-long that I'm having a go at. It's a series of hats which you then donate to charities/hospitals/ whatever.

crochet along for a cause here's the first pattern, I've done 16 rows but my hands are playing up so it's slow progress!

Thanks, @sophs29 - I've started with the border and JAYGO joining now. It went really well to start with, then I got cocky and pressed ahead, and made a mistake I've just spent the last hour fixing

But its sorted now, and the first 5 squares are in! Not sure how much I'd trust my joints with actually putting anything in the finished bag though

This hats look good @CrochetBug - though I don't have the patience for wrong US terms.

@CrochetBug I was only looking yesterday at crochet charities, I think I'd have more motivation to make something if it was going to a good cause! I found one which makes personalised dolls for ill children which looked good! But hats etc would be a quicker project, well done you!

@QuantumWeatherButterfly oh it looks lovely, and sturdy enough! I love the colours!

That looks like a great cause @CrochetBug . Hope your hands hold up!

Last day of holiday here. I'm on my 3rd crochet square, and my cushion cover is nearly ready to sew up. I think I'm going to put a zip in it, which I've never done before (I'm dreadful at sewing!).

I've been looking at next projects and really want to make this sleeve wrap thing. I keep getting adverts for similar ones to buy on Instagram and always fancy one. It's not going to help use up any of my stash though, which is all one or two balls of this and that! I guess I could see if I have enough dk and make a multicoloured one, but I doubt it!