Crackers

When I was up in office sometime last week trying to sort through yarn - something akin to trying sort trees in Yosemite - I came across an afghan that had two completed strips and some granny squares waiting for their next step. I couldn't figure out why I abandoned the project - not that it would matter; sometimes there are no explanations that would make sense - call it knitter's (or crocheter's) prerogative. Or I can call on that explanation my mother used to give me when I asked why something happened the way it did:

"Cuz"
There you go.

In any case, I could not figure out what a throw that was 1/3 done should not be completed especially since I was looking for exactly such items to be sold in the shop and at the craft show. So, I pulled it out, went stash shopping and found there was still yarn to do with it (though I did have to go and get one skein more of a certain color) and completed the throw. I could have added one more row of seven squares and it would graduate from 'throw-dom' to 'afghan-hood' but I really didn't want to deal with it anymore. Which may be the reason it waited around so long to be completed.

The other bit of knitting goodness - I guess the throw would really be crochet goodness, wouldn't it? Anyhow, I said I would show the lacy shawl I had been working on that has been on the blocking board for the past week to ten days or something. I finally took it off the board and here it is. I am admitting to loving it. Not only is it soft as buh-ta but it's lush looking. I think this would make a great jacket - for someone else to do. It would also make a really lovely afghan or throw - which I can consider.

So with 35 days to go before the Guerin show, I don't have an afghan on the needles or hook. I do have a scarf that's in the last stages - Mr. Honey says I should do hats and scarves because they are quick for me to make and the date of the show comes at a time folks will start looking for those things for themselves and stocking stuffer gifts. (That actually made sense to me.) So, I would work on an afghan for part of the day and then start to hat/scarf thing. So, I am frogging an afghan gone bad into a scarf and hat before I start a new afghan.

An ugly afghan.

Melissa, April and Cheree convinced me I should at least give it a shot and I am thinking the pattern can be redeemed if I use just black and white instead of the dated color scheme. This is one of those times when someone will be wrong and someone will learn something.
Stay tuned.

In The Mood

Susie says she wasn't that fond of granny square afghans until she saw mine. Awwww. But I know what you mean, Sus. I wasn't a great fan of them either until I was surrounded by some made by my mother-in-law and when the fabulous Vickie showed me how to make a granny square I found them addictive. I have a couple more in the works and they have a relaxing quality that's hard to explain. (By the way, you all should read Susie's blog - it's a hoot!!)

The good news is we were confirmed for two craft shows; one at the end of October and one the first week of December. The bad news, though not so bad, is that we were confirmed for two craft shows.

The practical side of my brain (known in some circles as the Minority) is beginning to pick at the other side of my brain (can't give it a name, maybe, creative, fun, irresponsible - something like that.)

It is saying perhaps I should leave afghan mode and get into hat and scarf mode and that will accomplish a few things:

One - hats and scarves are faster to produce than afghans so the inventory will increase to cover two shows that are six weeks apart.

Two - it will clear away the stash and after being in the office and trying to sort through the yarn and having come up with even more yarn that was hiding behind other yarn and finding completed items we forgot we had clearing the stash wouldn't be a bad idea.

Three - can't believe you're still in the afghan making mood. You don't usually focus for this long so I'm just trying to maintain the status quo.

Well, hats and scarves would be easier to produce but the thought of having to do something as opposed to wanting to do something has always been problematic for me - maturity issues aside. But it does make sense to start making things people may actually buy. Scarves and hats are decidedly less expensive than afghans and in the search of inventory, a lot of my hats sold last year so I don't have that many. I probably need to make some as a good business decision.

As far as the office is concerned, every once in a while I go in there to do some work. My blocking boards are in there and I got it in my head to do another homespun afghan and that's when I found all the yarn and items I forgot about. I told Joe I thought I would have to give away some yarn and he actually stop his fork half way to his mouth and looked at me as if in that very instance some alien force had come down and taken away his wife and replaced her with a sensible being.

I started separating the stash into whole skeins and partial skeins so I would know what I have. If I thought that would do something other than tell me I had a lot of both then the experiment has failed. I do have a lot of both. Hats and scarves are a more practical solution as it doesn't require as much of one kind of yarn to do a hat or scarf while an afghan takes up a lot more.

So, of course, I am working on an afghan and it is clear I do not have enough of this color to complete it. But I will only need one more skein to finish it off so I will get it and finish it off. I'm just not in the mood to do hats and scarves right now. I like doing what I'm doing and that's going to win the day because I know I will lose interest and want to start on something else so I will ride whatever project waves rolls in. It's one of the perks of being able to make decisions for oneself. I am certain between the 38 days to the first craft show and the 50 some days to the next one that I will hit a hat cycle such as I did last year and create hats out the wazoo but until then, I'm going to stick with the afghan run.

The only downside is that I was surrounded by so much fiber (just in my office not what's in the basement) that it was a little depressing but all that means is more granny and square afghans which are also popular and sell every year. I've already told Joe that in the event of my untimely demise he should call the wonderful April and the marvelous Melissa to organize the massive yarn sale that should take place. Someone is gonna get a really good haul.
He agreed a little too fast but can't really blame him. The garage is the only place where yarn isn't - and I can't say that for certain. I should throw a ball in there just to make the invasion complete.

Jumbo Shrimp

The days in July and August were so hot and thick sitting outside was really uncomfortable but the last few days in this fast moving month of September have been quite pleasant and Duke and I have spending them outside. He's been lying in the sun occasionally barking at passersby and other creatures and I have been working on different projects.

I put a bunch of different yarns in one of my tote bags and decided to work on the granny square afghan. I took it over to my sister-in-law's house over the weekend and it was half way done - I decided to work on that the first day out. That afghan is now done. Turned out pretty nice. It is so soft, I cannot tell you. Hopefully someone will come along and want to love it. The background color is brown instead of black - do you see what I mean about how black would flatten it out but other colors warm it up? I think it's because black has every color in it so it absorbs a little of something from every color around it. But brown doesn't so colors reflect and bounce. Try it for yourself in a couple of small swatches and you'll see what I mean.

The second day I worked on the lace shawl (it turned out beautifully, I'll show you the final product once I take it off the blocking board.) For a moment, I was tempted to get some thinner yarn and try some real lace knitting. For a moment. I sat down until it went away. One, I don't possess that kind of patience. Two, I don't need to become obsessed with another fiber. So I will keep myself to this kind of lace knitting that holds smaller chances of frustration. As it is, I measured the shawl/scarf and thought I had enough inches before adding on the bottom trim but when I measured it after it was done, somehow I lost inches and won't get them back after blocking - though I will recover some. I don't know how it happened except I can probably blame the lateness of the hour. Yeah, that sounds good.

It looks really nice on the blocking board and I look forward to taking it off and wrapping it around one of the torsos and taking the photos. Then you'll see. it was worth the swear words I yelled uttered when the lace count wouldn't cooperate.

Yesterday, I worked on what may be the most stunning afghan I've ever made. Looking at the photo it reminds me of those little paints that come with the paint by numbers. In real dimensions, it is really pretty and the center of each square is done in a popcorn stitch so they stand out. some fibers puff up more than others and some of the colors of the same brand have more pop than others. They are crocheted together as i go so when I'm done with the very last square, the whole afghan will be done. All that will be left is the trim and I am thinking I will trim it in a dark color other than black because black will flatten it out. Perhaps a dark green or violet to make everything else pop.

I am set to start a new afghan today and it has hexagons instead of squares. A little intimidating but I'm not in the mood to be defeated. There was rain this morning but it has stopped and though it isn't exactly sunny outside, it is pleasant and Duke is already outside probably thinking what funny creatures humans are to want to stay indoors when there's a chance to be in nature.

Pooch has a point.