Color Help!

 

 

 

 

 

 These squares are my "off the grid" knitting project. I knit these when I want a break from another project, when I'm at Coors Field watching the Rockies, when I'm at the lake and relaxing on the boat.  They are for this afghan which I plan to make as a smaller throw.

 

 True to form, I wandered off from the pattern and am using various designs for the squares including, of course, some from the pattern. This color of light brown-gray is truer than in the first picture, although it is still a bit too dark.

 

This is as far as I've gotten with color selections for this neutral palette--cream and beigey-ness. I'm thinking of adding one or two more colors, but can't settle on anything. Tried a couple of shades of gray--nope, nope, nope. Tried a rich burgundy--also, nope. Not sure about green. Muted? Medium? Rich? Uh...help?

 

**What colors would you add for this throw? I really am interested in any suggestions you offer!**

 



 

I am reading This Town by Mark Leibovich, which I blogged about here. I am skimming sections of the extended gossip in some parts. However, it is interesting and disconcerting to read about the many barnacles attached to the ship of state.

Reading Flowers and Yarning Country Fresh

Now that I have finished a couple of front burner projects, I have been able to get back to work on this throw for our home. I first posted about it here.

 

We don't absolutely need another throw. The others I've made for us are well-used after so many years  decades so, I want a couple of fresh, new throws to toss around willy-nilly. Yes, I do have another started but not touched for months!

 

I first posted about this Country Fresh Blanket here where I've listed my stash yarn for this project along with a link to the pattern.





 

My current read is here.     What are you reading and yarning?     

Sports Throw Finito

 My post about this throw as a WIP is here.

 This is made with Purl Essence yarn and a size J crochet hook.

The adapted Classic Baby Blanket worked perfectly for this throw. A stripe generator helped me to place the navy stripes with the cream main color.

 The pattern for the little helmet is here.

A simple, flat circle is the shape for stitching details to kinda-sorta resemble a basketball and baseball.Now, the attempts at making a soccer ball were total disaster!! My stitching left much to be desired to even approach a suggestion of a soccer. Its disappointing because little grandson loves  playing soccer. Crocheting a baseball bat is not my forte either. I do have limitations!!

 

He is such a sweet boy that I know he'll love it even without a couple of things I wanted to include. The throw will fluff a bit after a gentle laundering. Right now, it looks too "stitchy" --- know what I mean?



Country Fresh

Help! I can't stop myself!! I've been starting new projects at the blink of an eye!! I am possessed by new projects!

I've never had much of a yarn stash and have considered myself a "pattern stasher". I have printed and alphabetized patterns in assorted notebooks setting on my book shelves. I have a file drawer stuffed with patterns divided into knit and crochet, then subdivided into types of projects which are then alphabetized. Of course, there are my patterns neatly saved on Ravelry, whimsically separated into "Queue" and "Favorites" and in the pattern library. No rhyme or reason for me with my Ravelry assortment. Just click and save. I have personal pattern libraries at Lion Brand, Red Heart, and Patons web sites.
I have patterns saved to my hard drive, discs, flash drives, and on our netbook. That pretty much covers it, I think.
Now I have taken the next, crazy step. Instead of merely saving patterns, I am saving, printing, and starting to make the beguiling patterns, thus stacking up the WIPs. I am powerless to resist.

 

This is the latest WIP that's making me happy, "Country Fresh Blanket" with yarn I have on hand. The free download for this throw is at http://www.yarnspirations.com/pattern/crochet/country-fresh-blanket  My colors are tan, burgundy, moss green, black, and oatmeal. It is now in rotation with my Christmas crochet and whatever else I'm inclined to do.





Are you a pattern stasher too?

 

 My current read is How The Light Gets In by Louise Penny, another in the Inspector Gamache series.

 



Sports Blanket WIP

 

 

Youngest grandchild (age 8) loves sports, so his blanket must reflect that interest, don't you think? We're on our way with this cream and navy striped WIP. The grand plan is to crochet sports appliques---baseball, soccer ball, football and such---to scatter on this background. Some touches of red will be involved. I am doing double crochet in the back loop to add texture.

If all goes according to plan, this sports blanket will be B's Christmas present. Fingers crossed!

My current read is The Photograph by Penelope Lively. It's an interesting story, but hasn't grabbed me. A man finds a surprising photograph and is spurred to rethink his life and investigate the circumstances surrounding the photograph. While well-crafted, the story is not a page-turner at this point so I'll continue reading at my leisurely pace.



http://tamisamis.blogspot.com/

Visit Tami to see many Works In Progress and add your own!

Temair Flowers

Ginny has a beautiful blog where she invites yarnies to share their WIPs on Wednesdays along with the book they are currently reading. Do pop over to see the many lovely projects.

My back burner WIP is the Temair Throw by Nicky Epstein. These sweet pink flowers are the B motif which encircle the large center motif.

 This is my first experience with Ella Rae yarn. I am very pleased with the hand and the colors of this Ella Rae "Classic" which is 100% wool worsted weight. This gentle pink is simply gorgeous and sweet and soothing. Great yarn and a size G hook are making me very happy!

 

 

While I may occasionally stare at a blank screen, the one above is displaying my current read that I downloaded from the Denver Public Library, Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan. Since I am on page 14, I really don't have much of a sense of the story yet. I need some extended reading time to really get into it!

 

 

 



 

What is your WIP?

 

What are you reading?

 

May your day be blessed.



Lap Blanket and Baby Blanket

 

This lap blanket went to the Prayer Shawl Ministry at church. I started it as a stash buster but, of course, had to purchase more yarn to finish it. I used 'Loops and Threads" yarn and a size H hook to make block 97 from Jan Eaton's book, 200 Crochet Blocks, with the diagonal pattern as the basic block. I then made a few different patterns to break it up a bit.

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Here's my grannified baby blanket for great nephew Benjamin with a peek-a-boo owl in one corner--just for fun! Another stash buster that required a purchase or two is a collection of basic granny squares in white and shades of blue and green with some variegated here and there. Most of it is Bernat DK weight worked with a size G hook.

I'm now using more stash to crochet a shawl for our Prayer Shawl Ministry. How did I acquire so much blue yarn?

Lap Robe

I was asked to make some lap robes in colors suitable for men for our Prayer Shawl ministry at church. Since I had two balls of James Brett Marble in stash, I decided to crochet this simple "Spicy Delights" pattern. You can get pattern info here. I used a size K hook as specified, but now realize that I could have used a larger size for a more open look in the pattern.

My neighbor gave me some vintage Bucilla "Melody" 50-50 mohair/acrylic yarn that had been in her sister's stash. I used a bit of it to finish this lap robe with a scallop edge. While the pattern calls for fringe, I am not a fringe fan, so I substituted this edging. I pray that this small blanket will bless and comfort the recipient.

                                                                         

Cotton and Linen Afghan

I'm still working on this cotton/linen neutral ghan that I first mentioned here. Some of the squares are put together in strips now. I decided to use a cream color Rowan summer tweed that has been in my stash for a few years to add a final round to each square and slip stitch them together.

The horizontal strips are not stitched together. I can see more dark shades clustered on the left side, so I'm going to try to manipulate those to balance the neutral shades. I started with dusty pink and blue for the centers, but decided to add a peapod green center every here and there. You know, just for kicks! ;)

Are you working on a project?

Neutrals are Nice

Visit Tami's Amis for lots of great project ideas!

The squares in neutral colors are stacking up. Some have blue centers, some pink, all have three rounds of neutral.

 I have ordered peapod green CotLin from Knit Picks for the edging and borders. Hope it isn't too bright! I wanted a light sage, but didn't see it on the shade charts. (Fingers crossed!)

  

 This cotton/linen blend is nice to work with. I don't know how well it will hold up, but I'll find out! Thinking I might keep this one, though it could end up going to my son in Florida.

Have you used CoLin? What did you think of it?

Great Grand Blanket

 The blanket for my first great grandchild is now finished and ready to mail for the baby shower.

 I used this pattern as my guide, though I don't think either blanket appears to be plaid. The baby is a boy to be named Andrew Michael. As my friend commented, that's a good, strong name.  :)  This is made with Plymouth Encore and some mystery yarn from stash. I hope it will keep the little bundle nice and warm, wrapped in love and prayers.

Great Grandchild???!! Me?? How can that be??!

Is this stash busting?

The thing about working through stash is that one, that is I, cannot do so without finding the need to purchase more yarn to complete a project! Let's say that someone (me) decided to make a version of the beautiful "Misty Autumn Morning" seen at Little Cotton Rabbits and here. 

So someone merrily begins crocheting stash DK and works in a bit of Cotton Ease which decidedly is not DK, but--as we all know-- is WW. Someone then tries a final round with a too dark yarn that completely destroys the desired color palette thereby deciding that light gray will work beautifully! Alas, someone has a bit of gray DK cotton in the best possible shade, but it is only a bit, which would necessitate a purchase, you see?

Then again the stash DK cotton is of a small quantity, too small even for a lap ghan. In addition to the gray yarn, someone must also purchase complementary shades to complete the project.

And that is the thing about working through stash..."must purchase".

Is this stash busting?