Decisions, decisions

Today I have another quiz from Karen, and this one feels particularly relevant to me at the moment (read: all the time because I’m a WIP-fiend).

Are you a one project at a time crafter or do you like a variety to suit your mood?

I feel like there have been times in the dim and distant past when I was a monogamous crafter, but generally my WIP list sits between 5 and 10 projects at any one time. Partly because I both crochet and knit, but mainly because there are too many beautiful things to make and I can’t possibly stick with just one.

It does seem to work out that I usually have one large and one small project each for knitting and crochet, and then a few others sneak in when I see something I really want to make.

Do you reward yourself along the way with a new project after reaching a certain goal?

Sometimes, but only if it’s a really big/complicated project and I need a bit of extra motivation. I’m a bit too easily distracted by the new thing so it doesn’t always work…

How do you decide which project to work on? Do you require that you work on a less loved project before you work on the one that is really firing you up?

Since lockdown started I’ve only been working on projects that I feel like making (mostly socks) – there’s too much stress involved in just existing at the moment, so craft time needs to be something I enjoy.

In the before times I did used to hold exciting projects back until I’d crossed a few things off the WIP list, so maybe I’ll get back to working that way again one day.

How do you know you have too many things going at one time?

I started keeping a WIP list for just this reason. After a year or two of using it I know that once the number of projects hits double figures I’m going to start getting overwhelmed.

If you had to chose between a project that is nearly done and a new exciting one which would you pick? Are you a process crafter or a project crafter?

Well it depends. If the nearly-done project is socks then right now I would probably go for that. I’ve still not got over the I JUST MADE A PAIR OF SOCKS feeling every time I finish. Otherwise I would probably get distracted by the shiny new thing.

And there you have it. Feel free to join in if you fancy it!

Hannah

xXx

September review 2020

Yesss Halloween month is here! Time to dig out my face paints and costumes!

But before all that, let’s have a look at my yarnery in September.

Stash used this month: 1

Total stash used this year: 42.5

Stash remaining: 325.75

Makes for myself

Just a crochet rainbow and most of a pair of Hermione’s every day socks for myself this month. I’m happy with that, as I’ve wanted to make a rainbow like this for MONTHS and I just love the neon rainbow yarn from Siobhan’s Crafts.

Makes for others

I finished off a green pair of socks for the boyfriend and made a start on a purple pair. Cuz he’s amazing and bought me flowers as soon as I found out I was losing my job.

He is good to me.

I am most definitely still in the middle of a sock phase. But I also feel the urge to make another blanket getting stronger and stronger, so that’s probably going to happen imminently.

It just popped into my head that I did a “make 9” post away back when things were normal, which I haven’t even looked at for months. It’s probably a bit late to get them all done before the end of the year, but I think I’ll have a look at it again and at least try something from the list.

But then I will also be spending a lot of time looking for a job and then hopefully working at said job. We’ll see.

How was your September?

Hannah

xXx

WIP Thursday 17.09.20

Current WIP count: 7

I thought I was over the lure of crafting magazines and their freebies, but it turns out I can still be swayed.

It’s the Peanuts amigurumi, you see. I have so many people who love Peanuts so they would make excellent presents. Plus there are both crochet and knitting patterns for each character and I’m intrigued to see the difference when making the same item.

But also, there’s a wee rainbow pattern in the back, which I’ve been meaning to make for at least 5 months so that was just the push I needed.

Turns out it’s tiny.

It was done in about half an hour, and only took that long because I was so scared of snapping the hook. I mean, look at this nonsense:

But not too much. One hard stare might be the end of it.

Of course, I’d barely finished before planning the next one and how I could improve it, so I’ll probably be making rainbows for a wee while yet. It feels good to be crocheting again!

Hannah

xXx

A gifting quiz

Ugh I knew WP wouldn’t let us keep the classic editor. I cannot work this one for toffee so my posts are going to be a mess for a while.

But the good news is hooray, it’s quiz time again! This time it’s about giving gifts.

Do you gift your handmade items?
Eventually. Unless I’m making something specifically for someone then my FOs usually sit in a box until an occasion or suitable person arises.

Do you have limits around who you gift to or what you gift?
I used to give to anyone and everyone, but now I’ll only make presents for family and very close friends. Somehow they just seem to appreciate it more.

What type of things do you like to make and gift?
I looooove giving amigurumi! Whatever someone is into there will be an ami pattern out there, and I love seeing people’s eyes light up when they see their favourite character/person/animal/snack food replicated in yarn.

Have you received handmade items?
I have a crochet blanket that I won in a raffle, and there have been many handmade cards over the years, but I can’t think of any gifts at the moment.

Have you ever asked for a gift back?
Er no. That’s not how gifts work.

Do you gift handmade items for holidays?
I have for the last few years, but I’m not sure that’s sustainable. We’ll see.

So there you have it. Feel free to join in if you want!

Hannah
xXx

August review 2020

I got in a muddle with my cotton yarn so had a shuffle around with Excel, and I’m not quite sure how but the total stash used this year went way up while the stash remaining stayed roughly the same. I guess I’ll only find out if it’s right when I get to the bottom of stash mountain (AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA).

Stash used this month: 1

Total stash used this year: 41.25

Stash remaining: 326.75

 

I’m not really sure why I didn’t get much crafting done last month. But one skein is better than no skeins so I’ll take it! It was almost entirely socks this month, with a blanket border thrown in for good measure.

 

Hopefully this month I can get a bit more of a wriggle on and bust that stash. I might yet make another blanket, this time with warmer colours, but we’ll see what happens with work.

Hannah

xXx

WIP Wednesday 12.08.20

Current WIP count: 7

The Beachcombing blanket has been languishing for a while because I wasn’t sure what to do about the border.

Of course Eleonora designed a lovely border for it, but it involves these big bobbles that look like bouys and I’m really iffy about appendages on my yarny makes. It’s far too easy for them to snag or get caught, and I had visions of one of the bobbles tearing off and unravelling the whole border.

So I didn’t want to do that, but I had no idea what to do instead. Until Monday, when I came across this video for a wavy shell border.

Waves and shells fit nicely into the seaside theme of the blanket, and it looks good – win win!  Plus it’s a bit of a yarn-muncher so that’s helping with stash mountain as well. Now I know what I’m doing it’s whizzing along and I should be able to cross this off the WIP list by the end of this week. Hooray!

Hannah

xXx

Thursday WIP-ing

Current WIP count: 9

Aside from socks I’m mainly working on my Beachcombing CAL blanket at the moment.

I frogged and redid those top and bottom wavy rows so. many. times. That’s how I got a couple of weeks behind, but I’m catching up now. The hope is that I can fly through these simpler rows and be ready to do the final week on time.

We shall see!

Hannah

xXx

May review 2020

Stash used this month: 6.25

Total stash used this year: 23.75

Stash remaining: 334.75

Woo I’m on a roll! I do love making socks, but what with my glacier-like knitting speed and the teeny tiny yarn, they really don’t use up much stash. It’s the Beachcombing CAL that’s gobbling up all those skeins, getting me closer and closer to the 300 target.

This month I’m using some chunkier yarn to make thick socks so that should really help with the count.

As for last month:

Charity makes

None this time. It’s hard to be motivated when I know I’m not going to the post office for a while so can’t send them off.

Makes for myself

I finished my socks! So proud.

And there’s been a lot of progress on the Beachcombing blanket.

This one might not end up being for me, but as it has no destination at the moment I’m making it purely for my own enjoyment.

Makes for others

I’ve almost finished the boyfriend’s socks. Just in time for the weather to turn more stereotypically Scottish, so they might actually be needed. Yay (ish)!

There was also a lot of baking, mainly sourdough crumpets, but that doesn’t help much with stash mountain, does it?

So onwards with the yarnery!

Hannah

xXx

Not really moving that WIP list along, am I?

Current WIP count: 8

I’m a bit behind with my CAL blanket, since the squares took foreverrrrr to dry. At the weekend I’d had enough and got the hairdryer out to finish them off so I could finally get on with it.

After that the boyfriend and I spent about twenty minutes shuffling the squares around until I was happy that the randomly bright-looking squares balanced each other out. It was…interesting trying to make sure the colours all worked while keeping the squares with the same pattern apart, but we got there in the end.

So now I’m joining, joining, joining and looking forward to starting the next crochet part; the border.

I’m pretty excited about it!

Hannah

xXx

Well that didn’t last long

I’m up to date with my CAL squares, ready for the last two to be released tomorrow.

Except, as you may be able to see, I did not keep up with sewing the ends in as I went.

I never learn.

Now, opinions please – I feel like the top left square doesn’t quite fit with the rest. Even though I used the same palette as the other squares, the way the colours sit together looks soooo different to me. Any thoughts? Did you notice it? Or am I just over thinking this? Please let me know!

Hannah

xXx

WIP-ing on a Thursday

Yesterday was bad, but today will be better.

The blanket CAL calls for another 2 squares this week, and it’s a bit of a challenging pattern. I’ve finished one:

And started the second, mixing up the colours again:

I can’t say I’m entirely sold on the colours for the second square, but then I wasn’t too sure about the first one and that turned out pretty in the end so I might just carry on. Orrrrr I might frog and start again. Who knows.

These squares are so fiddly that I haven’t had much chance to work on anything else. But I’m determined to finish the ribbing on Flax this week. It’s virtual knit night tomorrow, which always helps me focus, so it’s totally doable.

Hannah

xXx

Blogville Knitters Challenge: My favourite make

This challenge is from Karen at Nothingbutknit – feel free to join in!

I’m pretty certain my favourites are going to change over time, as I (hopefully) have many years of makes to come, and I’m constantly improving and developing.

But as of right this very second, I am still most proud of my first Lego blanket.

That is definitely my crowning crochet achievement. I never get tired of showing people photos of it! I made it for my Dad’s birthday, because Lego always reminds me of him, I designed the bricks, the layout, and the border all by myself, and I used up a hell of a lot of stash to make it. I’m happy every time I see it again.

Another particular favourite of mine is the needle felted bunny rabbit I made at an I Sew 2 workshop last year.

I had never needle felted before and it surprised me how well it turned out – it actually looks how I pictured it in my head!

So they’re my favourites, what are yours?

Hannah

xXx