A week with only one project? Practically unheard of!

This past week I only worked on the playmat for my nieces. Mostly because my motivation was still running high on it (new project and all) and also partly because my brain didn't want to focus on any complicated patterns due to having a cold/flu/horrific-alien-plague.

 

Flashback to my post last week - here was the playmat with the areas drawn out and a few borders stitched

 

And here we are a week later -

 

I think I've made a good amount of progress. All the outer and main borders are done, and even started filling in the road and part of the grass by the fields. The lower row has been widened and had curves added since last week. I've decided to shrink the fields a little to leave more room for the barn and animals I want in that section. The roads and water will all be outlined in the brown (think dirt on the shore and shoulders on the road) and I've already done over half of that.

The bit of progress I'm happiest about is the latchhook grass.

On my first playmat I used one main color for that section with just a couple clumps of different colors. It looks okay, but it is a little too dark and not ... Fun

 

This time around, to make it look more interesting, I am using three sets of three colors - middle greens for the main grass, lighter greens for small bushy areas, and then a dark green with red and pink for a flower look.

 

Some of the colors are from a latch hook set I picked up cheap at the thrift store, but most came from the giant bag of odds and ends scrap yarn given to me by a couple of the ladies in my knitting group. Those pieces I cut to size myself using a template made from plastic canvas. I wind the yarn around it and then cut along one of the long sides. It isn't perfect, but the small variation there is in sizes makes the grass look more natural.

And here is how it looks when the colors are all put together. It might be less realistic, but it is much more interesting to look at.

 

I really like how it's shaping up. Almost enough to make me want to redo that section on the first mat. Almost. I will definitely do something similar if I ever get around the making the castle set.

 

So, that was my week. I still plan on working on the playmat some more this next week, but don't expect quite as much progress next time. I have some neglected WIPs that are calling out for attention.

Plus there's this blanket kit I got for my birthday practically demanding to be cast on ...

 

 

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Knit a fantasy story - take two

I haven't finished my own playmat yet, but I've made a start on the one for my nieces anyway.

Now I know that nobody is ever going to accuse me of being tall, but you do have to admit that a playmat nearly my height is BIG.

For a little bit more reference - here is a picture of my (now seemingly small, and still unfinished after 8 months!) playmat sitting on top of the new one while I drew some of the placement lines on -

 

... I'm thinking it's good thing I've already started the new one, because it's taken a week just to get the layout planned and this little bit of edging/outlining done! It might not be a technically difficult project, but it is very time consuming.

My original plan had been get the mat done this spring (between their birthdays) and send them extra pieces at Christmas time. But then I started thinking how that would be months of waiting for the animals, people, houses etc that would actually be what made the playmat fun. I talked to my sister and ran a change of plans past her - Saving the mat till Christmas and dividing the animals and whatnot up advent-calendar style. She agreed it would be a good idea.

Now that I realize exactly how much bigger this mat is (I'm terrible at judging size based on measurements. Terrible!) I'm glad I've bought myself those few extra months. I'll need them!

I really really want to get this done by the end of the year, and so hopefully motivation will keep me moving along on it.

 

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Everything is so Hush Hush lately!

The problem with having a crafting blog and having friends with a better than average working knowledge of how to google you is this - you can't really feel comfortable posting about any of your gift projects before the holidays for fear the surprise will be ruined.

Even now, there are a few things I can't post about because they're secret and it is killing me. Seriously. You have no idea.

What I can post about are the projects that have safely made it to their new homes, and are already being enjoyed.

Another Knit a Fantasy Story Update

My project is starting to look more and more like the little scene I had pictured. I still have a ways to go, but the basic framework is there.

 

The road is done, along with the pastures and the yard area in the lower left where I plan to make the gnome home. The river is finished, but I still need the lake and camping area in the lower right. The yard for the house will be in the upper right, but is only outlined right now. I have finished one of the three fields, still have the other two to go.

One friend asked me what the finished field was. I have no idea. Hay? Straw? Wheat? ...Whatever it is that turns yellow before harvest? (golden waves of grain is ringing a bell)

 

She is pretty sure that not having a clue makes me a terrible farmer, but since I'm also planning for lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, watermelons, squash, pumpkins and who only knows what else to be ready in the other fields at the same time I'm pretty sure this farm is not going to be accurate. Of course, once you have a gnome fishing off a pipe cleaner and yarn bridge with a bead bobber I think the claims to realism have all been shot to hell.

 

So anyway, that's how far the basic mat has gotten. I've also made progress on some of the 'extra bits' -

There are two trees and one shrub. The trees have knitted trunks (mainly garter stitch) that have been stretched over different sized/shaped frames of plastic canvas.

I made the bases larger for stability, and stitched loops of yarn to look like grass around the trunk area.

The treetops are pompoms I made and then hot glued to the tops of the trunks. The shrub is also just a pompom with a little glue shot through the center to make it more durable.

 

The house is going to be made with a frame of plastic canvas with a knit cover. The house siding look is from rows of stockinette separated by purl rows. The bottom will be open, the door will be a cut out section, and the windows are just going to be square or rectangular knit sections that I stitch onto the siding.

 

On my first attempt I overestimated how many stitches I would need to cast on for the cover. Guess I'm nit used to knitting so loosely and on larger needles. Instead of ripping back and restarting, I decided to make a new house frame for the larger playmat I'm going to make my nieces. Even though I still need to knit a smaller one to fit the original frame, I want to finish the decorating on this larger house first.

I've secured the knit cover to most of the frame after cutting out the door section. The climbing roses have been stitched on the one side, I'm considering the look of a chimney on the other side which is why the bottom of that is still loose. I still need to make a roof and the windows.

 

That's it for this update. While I have gotten a lot done, I'm starting to doubt whether I can get it finished in time for the mochimochi photo contest without abandoning all my other projects. Just in case I do run out of time, I've tried to take extra nice pictures of the tinies I knit last week.

From her Fall collection I made the tiny pumpkin. Cute and perfect timing, because I had wanted a pumpkin patch for the playmat. This one I tried to make look carved so it can sit outside the gnome home or the house when I'm finished.

 

and the tiny bat (just because it was cute)


 

 

The pumpkin made it onto the Mochimochi blog, so that has to be a good sign...right?

 

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Finish Two, Start Three

And this is while I'll never run out of WIPs

My most recent finished project is my cardi -

I just finished it last night, and I was so excited. My first big person cardi, all done and it fit. Even better, it was actually kind of cool out today, so I was able to wear it to work.

The pattern is abalone by Beata Jezek, and is available as a free Ravelry download. Mine was done with Lion Brand Amazing yarn, a superwash wool/acrylic blend. Not bad to work with, but I don't think it would hold up to frogging well. Luckily I didn't have to worry about that. The one thing I did have to worry about was running out of yarn. All the local stores were out of it in the Olympia colorway too. I was able to find more than I needed to finish though, bought out of another Rav users stash. It was even the same dye lot, but honestly with the variegation in this yarn I don't think it would have mattered.

My only other FO since my last update was the teddy bear I knit as my younger niece's Christmas gift.

It's texture bite by Nancy Anderson, from the (free!) online mag Petite Purls. I used Loops and Threads Earth Ombre. I had an impossibly bright ribbon which I tied in a bow, and now the cute floppy guy is ready to gift. I just need to find the books I want to give her along with the toy.

Now even though I've finished a couple things, I'm still at 8 WIPs.
That's because I started a new pair of socks (those Blue Day socks, but in the green), another Christmas gift (a monster my friend's daughter 'designed' from the mix and match section of the latest Mochimochi book)
aaaaaaaand I signed up for another mystery toy KAL - I know I shouldn't have, but I just can't help it! They're fun :D
So that's me, still sitting at 8 projects, with plans to cast on even more. Still under a dozen though! And I've made a bunch more progress on the KaFS playmat. I really need to do an update on that!

Another project complete!

Which puts me down to 7 WIPs ... For now.


Hovering around 8 works in progress is better than a dozen though, right?

 

My latest finish is third pair of socks.



The pattern is Cyranea by Patti Waters (available on Rav here but I received the whole ebook from Hot Pink Socks reviews) The pattern is great. Easy enough to memorize after a couple of repeats but with enough going on to keep it interesting. The perfect combination in my book. The fit is perfect. That was something I worried about with only one size being given, but the lace and cables give it a lot of stretch. These socks would fit a whole range of sizes.

The yarn? Less of a joy. As in terrible to work with, but too pretty to just give up on. Not a good combination! It shows of the pattern well, but was splitty as hell. Even worse the core in the middle that's supposed to give it strength and stretch is not dyed so you really don't want it peeking through. The yarn was Walk Away sock yarn. Yarn Bee (from Hobby Lobby) makes some great yarns, but this just is not one of them.

 

My next pair of socks (which I already started planning half way through this pair!) is going to use some of my 'nice yarn' squirreled away in my stash. I think I've earned it, and I'm confident enough with sock knitting now that I'm not worried I'll "ruin" it



This is the skein of Cascade Heritage Paints that BF bought me last year. It hopes to become a lovely pair of Blue Day socks by Moonfire Handknits when I'm done.

 

Sooooo I guess that'll put me back at 8 WIPs (oops?)

 

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So much for WIP only...

So I had the best of intentions when it came to my plans on going WIP only for my knitting until the end of August...No really! I did! Unfortunately I didn't quite make it. While I made some progress on them (even finished a couple) I couldn't stick with it. The procrastination bug has bit me, and HARD. More evidence is the fact I'm making this post well I to September instead of the first.

The first little hiccup was my tiny gnome. Just one little project, done almost as quickly as it was started. Cute too (if I do say so myself, and this being my blog why shouldn't I?)

 

I'm not sure if he really counts as cheating, because he is part of my KaFS scene. That is a WIP, and a major one. He was a gateway project to more cheating though.

 

Before I knew it I was thinking about all the Christmas knitting I hadn't started yet. With the nieces' big present being for their birthdays instead, that does cut down on what I'm making but I still have a list. In theory it will be a quickish list with most of the projects being smaller BUT ... Well look how good I am at plans! Even small projects take time when you have a bunch of them. The thought of putting them off longer started to stress me out, so...

First present up - the bear for Rochelle. It's her current favorite animal, and so she's getting this toy along with a bear themed book or two.

I've finished knitting the main body/head piece, finished the face, stuffed it and added the ears all within a few days.

 

The legs are knit, but not stuffed and attached. I just started knitting the arms. Once I've finished I'll take a better picture to post.

 

Next will either be a Tangram puzzle (two people are getting those) or maybe doll clothes for Sharee (she's getting doll things - a knit outfit along with some sneakers I bought)

I know I should have stuck with my WIPs a little longer, but I have to admit just making the list did make me feel a little better. I figure if I stick to one present at a time, and still plug away at the the other projects I'll eventually catch up.

---

I have managed to resist the biggest temptation of all - pretty shiny new lace yarn. Courtesy of one of the awesome members of the Sherlocked Team on Rav who sponsored the prize and picked me. THIS I'm dying to use. I really want a floaty bright lace scarf.

I'm holding strong for now, but I can't promise how long I'll be able to hold out!

 

 

Now for a few things I did get done-

Two more squares on the Sherlock Blanket

First up was the Black Lotus Square. Really fun lace square, looks much better in person

With its inspiration

Inspiration pic = gratuitous reposting of series images

 

Inspiration pic = gratuitous reporting of series images

And then the square for (yet another, because I love them so) John Watson jumper. This pattern was actually from the very first month, but at the time I was missing black yarn. It's nice to have finally taken the time to catch up and knit it. I still need to weave in the ends for all those stripes, but I'm saving that for when I need something mindless to work on (like when at peewee football games for BF's nephew)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've done a couple other things, but since they are mostly small (and this post has waited long enough!) I figure I can always update on them later.

 

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