Saturday Shenanigans - 08.03.2014

The last few weeks have been quite different. It has been busy and some of the things that have happened have eaten into the time I need to use for study, so I think I'm a little behind.

A couple of weeks ago, Sue and I traveled to Canberra for a weekend away. There were several things we wanted to do including getting Sue a new pair of glasses (the glasses she likes to wear can only be found at an optical store in Canberra), getting Sue a new desktop computer (she doesn't like the screen  size on the laptops that she has and decided on a desktop rather than plugging in an external monitor) and we wanted to go to the show and meet up with friends.

On the Sunday morning we attended church and met up with a few more friends and then went across to the Hyperdome for lunch. When we finally got back to the car, Sue decided it was time she checked her phone and found a message from a cousin. Is it strange that our first thought was to wonder who had died this time? Maybe the fact that it was about this time last year that we received a message from the same person telling us that one of Sue's family had passed away that made us think this. It turned out that Sue's father's mother's cousin (I think that makes her a first cousin twice removed but I don't know for sure) had indeed passed away.

Of course, this news meant another trip away and we found our way to the cemetery at Bundanoon and then on to  the Uniting church.

So, after all these interruptions to my study I still had to get my first assignment done and submitted. I made it with a few days to spare. Now I'm going to have to work on at least one assignment every week for the next 7 weeks.

To finish this three week period off, today was market day in Myrtleford (I missed Mt Beauty last week due to an issue with the weather) and it was supposed to be a big day. There seemed to be quite a few people around but not many were spending their money, at least not at my stall. I only managed two sales but they were enough to push me past my break even target so I suppose it wasn't too bad, and I gave out one of my business card to a lady that was interested in buying one of my blankets. If that sale comes through it will make up for last month when I didn't sell anything.

Well, that's a summary of the last three weeks here in Rose Manor. I do hope you all had a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 07.03.2014

Things have been getting back to some semblance of normal (still haven't quite figured out what normal is yet) and production has continued. Here are my finished objects for this week.

Knooked Beanie

While some aspects of this beanie may not have worked as well as I would have hoped I still think it's quite successful. I managed to twist the purl stitches in the ribbing and my special extended knit stitches don't look particularly spectacular but it seems to work as a beanie so I'm reasonably happy with it. I wonder what the judges at the show will think of it later this year.

Trauma Teddy #25

This is the one I started last week but it was never going to be finished in time to take photos of, especially since I took the photos on Wednesday afternoon last week.

Trauma Teddy #26

And this is this weeks teddy.

That's it for my FO's this week. I'm sure I'll manage to start a couple more projects this week to make up for all the finishes of late. Remember to check out the links in the sidebar to see what everyone else has been doing.

Richard.

Wednesday WIPs - 05.03.2014

This week has been another where production has been interrupted, but, since I have been finishing items of late and not getting much of a chance to start new ones, I have managed to work on all expect a couple of projects. I haven't worked on the blanket that I started in crochet class because I'm reserving that for crochet class and I haven't been back, and I have worked on my hanging towels. I have finished another item that was a WIP last week so I am definitely making progress.

Here are the items that a still WIPs today.

Tunisian Lace Wrap

This is my go-to project at the moment. It's the one I take with me if I'm expecting to have to wait.

Toddler's Jacket - Zoom by Ellen Gormley

Almost finished the first sleeve again and you can hardly notice that I'm using a yarn with a different dye-lot.

Cheval Set

Every time I pick this up I find a mistake in a previous row. I'm starting to wonder if I will ever get this finished.

AustralianaV2 - designed by me

I'm making good progress on this one. A few more weeks and it will be ready for washing to see if I can get rid of the stains.

Baby's Jacket Pants and Hat Set

 The crocheting is finished on the pants, just a little sewing to be done. Time to start on the hat.

Clara the Robot

I decided to do a second robot as I have had complaints that some people need to buy two of an item as they have two children to keep happy. If anyone tells me they need three then they're going to have to make it a special order.

That's it for my WIPs this week. Come back on Friday to see the finished items. In the meantime check out the links in the sidebar to see what everyone else has been doing.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 28.02.2014

The last official day of Summer here in Australia and it was quite cool and miserable. The weather kinda added to the occasion as we were at a funeral this morning, but that's a story for another day. What you really want from me today is to see all my finished objects from the last couple of weeks, and here they are.

Box Stitch Baby Blanket

This was a joint project between Sue and myself. Sue started it and I finished it. Now I need to go through Sue's WIPs to see which one I am going to take over next.

Frida the Fish

I made a small mistake with the tail but I think she still looks OK. I was supposed to change to the dark orange but I didn't read the instructions properly. I plan on making another straight away and I will try to get it right.

Clara the Robot

For some reason this one seems to twist around more than the ones I've made previously. It makes it look a bit odd but I suppose I can sell is as unique.

Trauma Teddy #24

This is the 8th Trauma Teddy I have finished this year. I do have another that I started but I wasn't going to be able to get a photo so I didn't bother finishing it. It will be finished for next week though.

That's all my finished items for the last two weeks. To see what everyone else has been making just click on one of the links in the sidebar.

Richard.

Wednesday WIPs - 26.02.2014

There wasn't as much crochet done this week as I only worked on one of the projects that I took with me for our weekend away and had trouble with another that had a mistake in it that I didn't find until I had added a few rows to it. I have managed to work on 5 WIPs this week, one of which is finished. Next week I may start on a few more to make up for the finished objects that I have managed to accumulate.

Here are the WIPs that I have worked on since last Wednesday.

Knooked Beanie

I have started decreases for the top of the beanie. It won't be long before this one can be added to the finished pile.

Cheval Set

This is the one that gave me trouble this week. I made a mistake in round 8 that meant that round 12 didn't work out, so I had to frog back to the mistake, then I forgot for a little while whether I was working with a European or US pattern and made more mistakes which had to be frogged. In the end, two rows were add to what I had done last week but it took all of my crochet time yesterday to get there. At this rate it will take months to get this set done.

AustralianaV2 - designed by me

This has to be the easiest section of this table runner as I don't need to consult the pattern to see what comes next. The part of the flag pole that I'm working on is 14 rows of the same thing.

Tunisian Lace Wrap

A couple of stints in waiting rooms today meant that I managed to add a couple more rows to this one.

We're going away for a couple of day again this week as we have a funeral to attend on Friday morning but I should be back Friday evening. Since we expect to be getting back too late to take photos I took the photos this afternoon at the same time as I photographed the WIPs so, unless I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open long enough to post, there should be a FO Friday post this week.

In the meantime, checkout the links in the sidebar to see what everyone else has been making.

Richard.

Wednesday WIPs - 19.02.2014

Wednesday is here again and it's time to show you all what I have been working on this week. Well, at least those things that are still WIPs anyway. Her they are.

A Cheval Set

Since I found the vintage pattern book I was looking for earlier I decided to start on the Cheval Set. This is the larger of the three doilies that make up the set.

Woollen Baby Blanket

This is going to be my go-to project during the Friday morning crochet class, at least until someone comes along and actually wants me to teach them something.

Tunisian Lace Wrap

I think I'm making good progress on this one and it's looking quite good.

Baby's Jacket, Pants and Hat Set

I making visible progress on this now. The legs are working up quite quickly.

Box Stitch Baby Blanket

This looks like it will be my next finished object. Only a little to go now then sew in all the ends.

AustralianaV2

This seems to be one of those projects where progress is quite visible. Every few rows something new is revealed, until now. The next dozen rows are all the same as I work my way down the flagpole.

Knooked Beanie

I'm still not sure if the special stitches have actually worked the way I wanted them to, and they were quite a problem to do as it took three attempts to get them right. I will reserve my opinion until it's blocked.

Toddler's Jacket - Zoom by Ellen Gormley (GoCrochet)

Since I managed to find the yarn I wanted I have dug this one out of hibernation and started work on it again. There was a small problem with a difference in the dye lots but I think I've managed to overcome that by alternating the two dye lots. It did mean frogging the sleeve I had finished and working it flat but I think that's better than have one whole sleeve looking different to the rest of the article.

There are a couple of other items that I have worked on this week but, since they are finished, you will have to wait a little longer to see them, especially since Sue and I are going away this weekend and I won't be around to post this Friday. In the meantime, check out the links in the sidebar to see what everyone else has been doing.

Richard.

Saturday Shenanigans - 15.02.2014

This week has been quite busy on the crafting front, especially with crochet classes starting back yesterday. I've managed to get quite a bit done and even finished a few pieces. Of course I've started more to make up for the finishes.

Sue went away for the weekend to a Women's Bible Camp so I'm by myself for a few days. That doesn't necessarily mean that I can get away with anything it just means that I have to make sure there isn't any evidence when she returns. I told her that I might go for a little drive today and her response was to put in an order for some lollies. I didn't even mention that I would be going near Beechworth. Does this mean she knows me too well?

So, today I drove out to Beechworth. My primary reason was to check the yarns in Nelly's Niche but I did go to the sweets shop first. I actually found the yarn that I had run out of in making a toddler's jacket but it's a different dye lot. There isn't a lot of difference and I can hide it by alternating rows so hopefully it will come out OK.

That's all for this week. I hope you all had a good one.

Richard.