Saturday, October 29, 2011

October at a Glance

I realize October is not over yet, but here is a quick look at what we've been up to this month so far. ...Well, semi-quick. Clearly I still take a gazillion pictures as these honestly are just a small sample; I took many more and had a very hard time choosing which ones to post here... I hope I haven't posted so many that you have trouble getting them to load!

(Click on any photo to enlarge. ...Except the first two. Blogger evidently doesn't like those... ;)

Friday, October 28, 2011

My Little Fiber World

Just when I might think my crafting cannot grow any more it seems to, and the great thing about crafting is that there is always more to explore and more to learn. Today I learned how to use iron on adhesive, and with some materials left over, I am anxious to do it again--but more on that later.

This year I've managed to make a number of things. There is a group on Ravelry called "111 in 2011." I joined some time around Easter as I was cranking out the projects right about then and thought I might have a chance. However, for several months after that I really didn't make much of anything, and now my chances of completing 111 projects before January are pretty slim. (The group's idea is that any craft can count, but I really wanted to focus on knit and crochet - and limit those still, to projects that I both started and finished this year.)

That said, I was curious, so I started making a list of all the things I had made this year, and I counted them up. I later realized that I had left a few things out and added more, so that list is now gone, but when Brian found it before and started reading it aloud, I just started laughing. I guess you had to be there. It went something like this, though the following is the updated version:

1 shoulder bag
1 seal
1 alligator
1 giraffe
1 walrus
1 monkey
3+ baby washcloths (probably several more)
3 headbands
1 clutch
1 card sock/phone thingie
1 owl
1 dragon
1 scrubbie
1 potholder (frogged; yarn re-purposed)
7+ newborn hats
1 preemie hat
3 eggs
1 bunny
1 bear
3 butterflies
3 coasters
1 ladybug
1 sheep
1 Yoda
1 Wicket
1 cupcake
3 gnome babies
2 lace dishcloths
1 pair of socks
1 pair of fingerless mitts
2 Halloween hats
____________

50ish knit/crochet projects both started and completed in 2011 so far

Not included in the above:
1 pair of slippers (started in 2010, finished in 2011)
2 shawls (one done but not blocked and another in progress)
1 baby afghan (in progress/hibernating)
1 slouchy hat (frogged after I ran out of yarn just a few yards short of finishing - but I'd rather use that yarn for something else anyway)

...I still have a long way to go. That said, I can turn into a very busy bee when I see Christmas approaching, and that time is now. On the other hand, I've chosen some much bigger projects this year than are common for me, so it probably won't happen in 2011. Still, the basket of handmade goodies is overflowing, and I love it. Of course, most of them are gifts, so I can start all over again in 2012 if I like. All of the hats and washcloths, plus some things I made earlier, are for a charity organization, but I want to make enough to fill a nice-sized box before making the trip over with donations. I'm really looking forward to that, and I will explain why on another day.

If you want to see pictures of some of the things I have made both this year and in years past (you won't find everything, but there's plenty there), you can check out my Ravelry projects page. Also, I planned to share the cupcake pattern here but have somehow misplaced my notes. If I ever find them, you'll be the first to know!