Delinquent

Ok,ok...I know I missed a few weeks of posting about my AE blankie (specifically weeks 5, 6,and 7), but I have been lured by other wips. I finally finished a sweater that had been lingering around since April, and a pair of summer socks. I tried to do an overdye on some yarn I botched, and sad to say, it didn't come out dark enough. I have total respect for indie dyers who do such a great job. What else? Oh yeah...this.

A 100% wool sweater I found for $2.50 at a thrift store. I plan to unravel this and maybe dye it. This pink is a sickening shade, so dye it , I will. Of course, I didn't think this one through enough, should have spotted those machine buttonholes, so there will be some yarn lost. Live and learn. And if that isn't enough, I started another pair of stranded socks.

AE Week #4

Wow! Already a month into this, and of course, not done. No siree. Not by a long shot. Here's your Wip photo for the week.

When I last left I was still on RHSS in light fushia, and I was able to do 2 full rounds. Next is an unknown acrylic which I'll call rose-1 round

Unknown acrylic in red orange-1 round.

RHSS in Hot Red-on round 2

AE Week #3

Already I have failed to make much progress on this. I'm still on the light fushia round. I just felt like finishing something else. And finish it, I did! This is the Small Talk shawl available on Rav. The pattern is great with no errors, and I found it very enjoyable to work on. Believe it or not, I did it with $1.00 yarn from Big Lots. I call the colorway Camo.

Ok, there's something else, too. I did work on some socks , too. Hey, nobody said you have to practice project monogamy!!

AE Week #2

Yes, I'm on the pink rounds(my fave color), but haven't made as much progress as I would have liked to. As it grows, it's taking me quite a bit longer for each set of rounds.
So here we go with the colors and yarn names-
Light pink-unknown acrylic but heavier almost like LB jiffy(could only do one round)
Anothet light Pink-unknown brand and only 1 round
Darker Pink-Brunswick Windspun in Winterberry full 2 rounds
Neon Pink-RHSS Pretty N Pink(this is eye searing) 2 rounds
Mauvish pink-RHSS Light Fushia porbably will be able to do 2 full rounds

Measurement is 35" X 35" definitely baby sized. I sure have a long way to go, and my sock knitting is calling my name, but I must perservere!

Acrylic Eater (AE) Week #1

In order to motivate myself to finish this, I have decided to post my progress weekly. So far, so good. I took this to my knitting group this week, and I was pleasantly surprised at some of the reactions. While working on it, I kept thinking how loud the colors are, but I have decided to forge ahead. I think I'll use my weekly blog posts to remind myself what colors I've used, too. So far, on the last set which was rust, I had to use 1 and about a quarter of another skein. The colors in order are:

Plymouth Encore-white

Red Heart SS-pale yellow(has a slight greenish cast)

Unknown pale yellow

Unknown bright yellow

Unknown darker bright yellow

Red Heart SS-pale peach

Unknown peach

Unknown neon orange-I suspect it's Red Heart, though

Caron Orlon Dacron-rust

I've only just started the next round, it's coral, then on to pinks(yea!)

I Wanna (make a ) Wooleater

This pattern has haunted me for over a year, and now I shall give in and start crocheting it. I have a somewhat largish stash of acrylic yarns that I saved from different thrifting trips. I didn't seek these out. Normally, they were thrown in haphazardly with the "good stuff". Now I think it's time to embrace those acrylics, and see just what I can do with them. I watched some youtube videos on how to do the catherine's wheel stitch, and I think I got it. Personally, I find the instructions for the Red heart version more simple, so I will be working from that one. I made a start on it yesterday, and I think I may do a series of posts on my progress. Still ruminating on that one. One thing for sure...I have this sweater I stupidly made from some Bernat Berella, and I will be frogging it for the yarn. (I say stupid because it had previously been knit from, and the kinks never came out even after I washed the yarn, so now it will be crocheted with.)  I've got to find that...I wonder if I donated it? Anyway, stay tuned....

From shawls to afghans

If you came here for photos, you might as well move on. This is a quick update on what's been occupying my brain these days. I did manage to finsh one crocheted shawl that I started last year, and then promptly started another one. If that wasn't enough, I started going shawl pattern crazy on Rav. I secured yarn and beads. Now my brain wants to do afghans. So, I have picked up a ripple one I started earlier this year, and have made some progress. This is to replace a knitted one I did around 2002. It's looking mighty mangy(read pilled) and needs to go. Dh is sentimental over this one because I did it for him and it's in camo colors. Either way, I need to finish this because I am absolutely dying to start a Wool eater. Now to planning colors and raiding the stash!

Disaster

Finally had skeined the vintage Botany wool and was all set up for dyeing. The yarn was soaked, and the crock pot heated. First tried the rich dark brown, but the dye wasn't even. My sister suggested to overdye in black, and so we did. Ugh!! There were still spots in every hank that didn't take. What could have happened?  The whole lot of it is so ugly I can't imagine what I could use it for. I then got the bright idea to overdye Lion Brand Sock Ease in the lemondrop colorway. My first skein came out great--sort of a muted green. I picked out a pattern I wanted to use it with. Egads! I read the estimated yardage incorrctly, and was one skein shy. I ran back to Joann's and bought their last 3 skeins.
By this time my trip had ended and I had returned home. I thought I could use KA and get the same green. Ugh again! Too bright. I gave up on that, and tried purple. Yet another fail! So, I overdyed what was supposed to be purple with strawberry, and got sort of a rust color. I'll have to live with that, but I think KA is not my dyeing friend. Guess I better leave the dyeing to professionals, and knit the eleven million projects that I have started.

Destiny

Ages ago I thrifted this 100% wool and decided to make a saddle shoulder sweater from a late '90's Vogue Knitting. As you see, I never finished it, and the flesh tone color has annoyed me forever. This summer I plan to dye it a rich dark brown. First off, I'll need to rip and reskein. I've got another sweater which also needs unraveling because it's a thrift store find in a bad style. Wish me luck cause I'm gonna need it.

Antho-inspired #9(?) & 10(?)

The question marks indicate that I can't quite remember how many of these I've attempted-sorry. Anyway, when I saw these tops on their website, lace sweatshirt & emaline top, I couldn't resist doing my versions. I wanted to put the Anthro tops here, but I wasn't so sure it was cool to use their images. Here's what I did:

I needed lace, so I bought 1 lace curtain panel at the local thrift for $1.00. The t-shirt knit was leftovers from other previous projects. I used McCall's 6164 as my base since it was tnt, and just widened the sleeves since I knew the lace wasn't that stretchy.

For the second top, I used McCall's 6031 for the base. In retrospect, I wished I'd have used lace to cover the band that goes under the bustline, but no matter, They both fit and I love the fact that I used up some leftovers to create them. And for those who wanna know, their sweatshirt top retailed at $68, and the emaline at $58. I did both for $1. Ya gotta love it.

Ok, now we go back to knitting and crocheting.....carry on, people.