Chain Stitch scarves

Swift and quick... and feasible (ish) with one wrist in a splint. Though, my left wrist is a little sore again today. So, I might end up wearing both splints for a couple of days.

I probably have enough of the net yarn left to make one more, but will probably save it for another sore-wrist day. These plus one I worked on a bit ago will get mailed off to an agency that donates them to women's shelters that focus on helping the abused and/or women who have been rescued from the sex trade.  I'm personally not the kind to wear a frilly/ruffly scarf, but it is pretty and hopefully it'll help make a woman feel a little special when shes had too little of that in her life.

May plans - abbreviated

So, my wrist is still in a splint. For at least two more weeks.

So, I'm planning on a lot of simplified/abbreviated crafting work for this month.

First, I have two scarves I plan to make with the Netted yarn that is about four inches wide. It'll take about 80 single crochet stitches and suddenly, you have a scarf. Even with a wrist brace, I think I can manage that.  The first will get turned into Charms - to craft something I would not normally make - I am not into curly, ruffly things - at all. Definitely outside my comfort zome. The second will fit into History of Magic - Craft something using your not-favorite materials. That net yarn? I will NEVER buy again. I have enough left over from my first scarf to make two more (all three will then find their way to a charity) and I will NEVER work with it again. I think it qualifies.

I've been dying to make a second Crocheted necklace like the one I learned how to make in January at the Knitting Retreat. It takes ladder yarn, which means I need to make a trip to get some. But, it's super simple and once again, single crochet (and not much else) for the win!  I'm hoping to give it to my niece as a gift when I go down to see her this summer. Though it's debatable. I migth keep it for myself. This one is going to get turned in for DADA - craft something you can hang on a hook. I'm picturing a turn in photo with my necklace hanging on a hook, seems pretty straight-foward.

A macrame bracelet, similar to friendship bracelets, but made with two tones (or three if I can find the third one) of suede cord. I bought it ages ago at a going out of business LYS sale... thinking that for $1 a ball, I ought to be able to figure out something to make with it. It makes great bracelets. I hadn't originally planned this one  - but Herbology prompt to get to do macrame (a passion I had when I was a teenager) called to me.

Dyeing a skein of ugly-to-me pink cotton yarn. I really hate bright pink and have NO IDEA why I bought a big skein of it. But it's 100% cotton, so it should take an acid dye - I'd love to make it dark purple (my go-to-love-this-color) and a good fit for the Potions class. They prompted folks to make something that reminded them of an ingrediant in the Drawht of the Living Death potion - and I'm thinking the juice from a sophophorus bean ought to do the trick!

I'm thinking I can try to complete these small, fast projects during the next two weeks while wearing a brace without too much difficulty (and well, if they are too hard - I can always set them aside for post-splint finishing).

For one more class that I can knit in - I want to make a dead fish hat. I've wanted to make one for FOREVER. But all of my hat-wearing peep's would refuse to wear something that 'out there'. I got to chatting last fall about thinking it was too outrageous for a charity hat and got convinced that a homeless teenager just might fall in love with something like a dead fish hat. So, dead fish hat for the win!  Transfiguarion is asking us to make flowers or fishes with bonus points if it's REALLY a flower or a fish and I'm pretty sure the dead fish hat will get those bonus points. Plus I've been told they are super fast and easy and are great for using up leftover yarn. Triple win.

Since I can't knit for at least two weeks - I've decided against proposing an OWL this term. Even when I do get to start knitting, I probably need to take it a little easy on myself. So, I'm looking at doing an Order Mission. Brooms (proposals) can be started next week, but the actual knitting doesn't start until a good week after my splint comes off. I promised my son a Mario blanket - the Know Your Mushrooms pattern on Ravelry. That was before I realized that BIG crocheted blankets are probably not something I'm going to be able to do with my wrist troubles. So, I'm planning on converting it to knit. And knit? This whole blanket will probably take me about 9 months. I'm thinking that what I'll do is a small section of it - say lap-blanket sized with about nine squares (with 8 weeks/ two months to complete). That will be my Order Mission. Then next fall, I will probably propose an OWL for an afghan which will be about 12 squares (with three months to do them). Then the following winter term, I will probably do three more squares in some form or another to finish the 'bulk' of the blanket. Seam them together between terms and I've got a finished blanket in the end. We'll see. Hopefully they will agree that nine squares of intarsia pattern converting a crocheted pattern to knit pattern is Mission worthy.

ETA: ooh, can't forget. Given enough time between the fish hat and the start of my order mission? I'm hoping to wrap up that little dragon for littlest grandson... it can be my WIP the first for June if I can get him 'almost done'.

Almost a Dragon

This guy is going to be cuuu-te (well, that is, if you're allowed to call dragons cute).

He's missing all his limbs and his tail and his fire breath....

But this isn't too bad for having started on the first and stopping on the sixth.

April - so much good intentions

So... I thought I was going to make a dragon stuffie this month. I thought about making a few things this month.

But. Then I fell. Again. Like last year.

Luckily the arm is NOT broken. But I definitely tweaked my right wrist badly enough that I'm out of the crafting game this month.

It might be a good six weeks before I get to do my crafting. I might have to try to fix up a few stitch markers instead to feel like I'm still being productive.

I might try to clean my crafting space... well, my house could probably use a ton of cleaning time, but lets not go crazy.

March end of month progress post

OWL - not big enough to count... but after cutting it in half, I think it will make an awesome baby blanket:

It's definitely bright and colorful even with all that black. It's almost luminescent.  I had planned on making 25 squares to do a full-sized afghan.. but there was no way I was going to manage to make 25 squares with my sore wrists and I was definitely tired of the pattern by square 10. Since this isn't made to OWL requirements, this got turned in as my second detention project.

 This is finished blanket #4 out of 13.

MISSION/Dissertation - Mission was turned in as a partial. Disseration is still in progress.  Here's my current in-progress photo.

DETENTION

Woops... I need another picture of my sweater...

Potions  - Discovery Challenge:

Baby blanket turned big (guess it's Karma for the OWL that got made small)

Divination (missed deadline for Nerdwars, ended up using something else)

DADA & Nerdology:

Charms & Encyclopedia: (2 of the squares for the Stained Glass Window afghan)

Herbology & Giving Geeks:

This little guy is Arthur the Alien, made with scraps of acrylic... I was worried he wouldn't look 'alien' enough... but my 9 yr old knew immediately that it was an alien and had weird ears. So, that works. He's been mailed off to the 600 Monsters project and I hope he brings a little comfort to someone.

Quidditch 1 & 2 & Flexible Scheduling:

And then an impromptu little project for CoMC made with scraps, a little Dust Bunny:

Not as much as I had hoped, but more than I thought was possible. So, that's all good, right? I'm still sad that I missed out on finishing yet another OWL and yet another Mission. I'm definitely going to try to shoot for ONLY an OWL next term. And probably won't do a Dissertation for NerdWars so that I can focus on finishing my OWL.

Now to start planning April!!!! Woooohooooo!

March mid-month Progress (albeit a little late)

OWL - still down and out
MISSION - rough going. The pattern is REALLY HARD TO FOLLOW. I've frogged several sections more than a couple of times because I didn't understand the directions and have just figured out I made another mistake on a piece that I'll have to rip back and rework.  We's running into trouble here... pretty sure this will be a partial turn in for HPKCHC, but am hoping to still finish it by the end of April for NerdWars.

Potions - was supposed to be a baby blanket. Turned in for NerdWars as based on properties of water.

I used a little over Four balls of Bernat Baby Blanket - which is a chenille like super bulky acrylic. The dark blue was leftover from the bunny baby blanket buddy from last month. And the other three balls were on sale at JoAnn's last month. I cast-on toooooo many stitches considering I was shooting for a baby blanket. I added an extra set of five stripes, but it's still a lot wider than long. So, we're turning it on it's side and pretending it was vertically striped.   This will go over well at the homeless shelter, I'm sure. It's incredibly warm and squishy and lovely.

I really enjoyed the mindless knitting and would often pick it up when I got frustrated with my Order Mission. This is blanket #3 finished of 13 for 2013.

DADA / Nerdology (inspired by a Dr Who shirt with a rainbow) - Rainbow child's hat.

My typical 2-color brioche hat knit in the round... I used up almost all of the rainbow variegated Red Heart yarn and some Navy scraps donated by a good friend of mine. I shipped her the leftover Wool Ease Thick and Quick and Easy and she shipped me a TON of acrylic. Since these hats whip up so fast and can use bits and pieces of lots of different yarns (and I have fun pairing different yarns together, so that works) if I can't think of anything else, but want another hat... this is what I usually grab. Especially when I want to work with something other than bulky.

 Quidditch Challenge 3 / Flexible Scheduling (flashback inspired) - I made two Blue Butterfly squares, seamed them... and added a crown to make a hat.

Quidditch Game 3 - A purple Bulky brioche hat for a child

I used the new Hometown USA from Lion Brand yarn that I bought at Walmart. Absolutely perfect (well, except for the Walmart part). It's affordable at almost half the price of the Wool Ease Thick and Quick. It's a good spun super-bulky yarn tht shows off the stitch well and works great for these hats. I'll be making more. I also found that Michael's is starting to carry this yarn... so I'll probably pick it up there instead.

This hat gets me to 10 Charity hats out of 50 for 2013.

Divination / Flexible Scheduling - Afghan Square - about 1/3 done
Charms / Encyclopedia (architecture inspired) - 2 Stained Glass Window squares for the failed OWL blanket - not started yet -- If I can finish these two, I'll seam them with the other 10 and turn them into detention (no points)... but then I can count the yardage towards my goal. And it'll become a baby blanket instead of a full sized afghan (but that would be blanket #4 of 13 for 2013.
Herbology / Giving Geeks - Alien - not started yet

Previously unplanned - but too cute not to do them (hope they are fast)...  Dust bunnies. I'll make them for Care of Magical Creatures (to earn a badge in the Great Hall as well as the last badge I'm missing from Diagon Alley trip.  They might land themselves in some Easter Baskets if they turn out half as cute as I hope they do. Plus, I'm hoping to use some stash - which will earn a third badge... yep. But, of course, time will tell.  I'm trying to focus on the NerdWars projects I need to finish first so I can get those turned in before (or on) the 28th. The bunnies can be finished after the 28th.

For more undone than done. But, I'm working through my list as best as I can. I keep setting aside the mission and/or NOT actually knitting because it's just so frustrating. I'm going to focus on getting my other projects done instead and see what I can't whip out before the end of the month.

March Planning

I know. I know. It's already the sixth of March.  I'm not very on top of things right now.  And I REALLY, REALLY struggled to figure out what I wanted to make and how to fit it into the various prompts.

OWL - bombed. Dropped out. sigh. sad.

MISSION/Dissertation - in progress. Will keep tackling it. But, it's currently in time out as I'm frustrated with it. I mis-crossed a cable. Dropped just the cable stitches down about six rows. But then I ended up with a little bit of a mess. Dropped down about ten more rows. Ended up with a bigger mess. Ended up setting it aside. Pretty sure I just need to take the  needles out and completely frog back to a good row and start over at this point. But it was bugging me and I was mad. So, it's in time out. I'm hoping to make a big dent in it this weekend.

DETENTION:

Turned in my finished Brown pullover -but the pic is AWEFUL. Am planning on getting a better picture this weekend! Will post it then.

CLASSES:

Potions - (craft something soothing) Baby Blanket #3 - using pattern Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Baby Blanket -- I really, really like the colors of the pattern picture and wanted to do those colors. BUT. I also wanted to use Bernat Baby Blanket yarn which didn't have enough of the color options I wanted. It's also a bit super-bulky. I was going to cast on fewer stitches. Then I ended up casting on just as many as called for. Had about 8 hours into the project before I realized just HOW SUPER BIG it was becoming. But it's super fast. It's garter stitch. And it's coming out lovely. I'm using a solid blue, a solid tan, a tan & white variegated, and a tan, white, blue variegated yarns. I'll add extra rows to get it semi-roughly-square-ish shaped as opposed to being 2 1/2 times as long as it is wide.

NW: I'm also turning this blanket into Discovery - physical property of water (well, I hope). I just have to figure out a way to tie it to beach foam; which it does remind me a little of. Then I can also tie it to Bad Wolf Bay (being all beachy looking) for Dr Who tie-in.

Divination - (craft something that blocks cold from your skin) another 12 1/2" Aran Square - Woollen Collectibles March Square - again in Blue, probably in newer Red Heart, With Love yarn.

NW: I'm using this for Flexible Scheduling - there were flashbacks in Harry Potter movies where Snape would remember his time growing up with Lily Evans. Lily has blue eyes. For team tie-in - I'm back to Dr. Who... tying to how he would talk about time being all timey-wimey in the episode Don't Blink.... and I think this square is all timey-wimey wonky.

DADA (craft something with at least two colors of the rainbow) - I'm creating a charity hat with half blue yarn and the other half all rainbow-ish.

NW: I found an awesome Dr Who shirt to use for Nerdology. It features a rainbow, a tardis, on a Navy background. I'll tie it to an episode in Dr Who where one of the gents is singing "Over the Rainbow".

Charms (practice a charm - practicing Gemini) - I'm going to try to fit in two more of the Stained Glass Afghan squares in here.

NW: Encyclopedia - represent Architecture... stained glass windows should work fine. Tie-in to the Dr Who episode where they find a Tardis in a Stained Glass window.

Herbology (craft something to overcome shyness) - Creating an Alien stuffie that I can send to 600 Monsters.

NW: Giving Geeks - is for Victim Aid groups, so this is a great opportunity to give another stuffie to 600 Monsters.  For team tie-in I'll use Dr. Who's non-Aliens the Silurian's. They look very alien-like, but were the first hominids on earth. Some of them have three eyes... as does my little alien.

QUIDDITCH
 - Convert stitch pattern into something else... I'd like to find a lace stitch pattern I can use to base a hat off of.

NW: Flexible Scheduling - I'll use Tardis blue and I'll tie it to the flashback on the television series Castle - The Blue Butterfly based on color. The right color choice, and I get a team tie-in and tie to the flashback and it'll fly well.

QUIDDITCH TWO
 - Hat - a hat, any kind of hat. Will have to see what prompts are left for the Hat Study Hall and fit this in there.