So far this year....

  We are on our way with 2015 and I thought I would talk about my first finished objects of the new year. Spoiler alert - there is NO knitting!

  My biggest Finished object this year would be the 6 scarves I double crocheted for the Pine Ridge Reservation. It was fun to work with the bright colors and crochet just goes so much faster than knitting for me. I started these in December and had hoped to get them finished and in the mail by Christmas, but it was just too hectic and I didn't get enough time to get them done, so they went out in the mail yesterday.

  I didn't put much detail into my Ravelry page about these scarves, (they are all double crochet and I mostly winged it) but if you are dying to know what yarn I used for one of them or want more information, feel free to pop over HERE and have a look.

  The other finished object I have to share is a scarf I made for myself. We went to Michaels Craft Store on New Years Day and I spotted fleece yarn in a cheetah pattern and I had to have it! And yes - that means the first day of 2015 I purchased yarn! No yarn diet for me!

  The scarf is Double crochet with a size L (8.0 mm) Hook. I used two skeins of the Premier Yarns Cuddle Fleece in the Cheetah colorway. (You can see my Ravelry project page HERE.)

 

  It wasn't too bad to work with, but the end product was a bit stiff. I am hoping a run through the washer and  dryer will help soften it up a bit. I wore it to work the day after I finished it as we had a -35ºF wind chill and I wanted to be warm! It worked - but turning my head with this around my neck while driving to work was a bit of a challenge. 

  Part of the joy of Ravelry is that I can keep track of all my statistics. I tag my projects as I go, and so far for 2015 I have used  1,259 yards of yarn. Neat! 

  And that is all I have so far. My hope is to finish some socks that I started in the fall of 2014, and do some WIP (works in progress) busting over the winter, but we shall see. The need for scarves and mittens For the Children of Pine Ridge is great, so I will probably be working toward that rather than focusing on WIPs. 

Happy knitting everyone and Stay Warm!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (turn and face the strain)

HELLO!

So I have been having a whirlwind of changes happen in my life over the last couple of months! You can always tell when life is overwhelming me, as my Blog becomes neglected! So here is the quick and dirty version of what has happened over the last few months.

I don't think I have mentioned much about this in my Blog, but I was laid off from my job this summer. I won't go into a ton of detail, but I had been in my last company for over 12 years, and it was quite a surprise. They gave us about two months notice at the job and then I was out of work about two months before I started my new job. So that was all very stressful on about 14 levels. My new job is fabulous and I am REALLY happy there, but it's a huge change for me. I went from retail to a hardcore business environment. Change to how I dress (no more jeans!), and my commute (half the distance!) and my parking (what do you mean I have to PAY to park?!?!), and I could go on and on here. But now here I am, in my new job, in a company that I REALLY love, with wonderful wonderful people. Very happy on that front and so pleased to be finishing out 2014 in a job that I  love and with potential for me to grow in.

I also decided to take a break from school. I was actually in classes up until a couple weeks ago, and I finally decided I was just to overwhelmed and I wanted to take a break, focus on getting up to speed in my new job, and then reevaluate what I want to do with my education. So I withdrew from my HTML class a couple of weeks back, and am just focusing on my job at this time. It is strange to not be focused on my studies! I had been in some form of school for the last 2 years - so it's just like hearing the silence after a storm. Strange!

So! In terms of crafty stuff, I have been getting some knitting done. Most of what I have completed since I last wrote has been for Pine Ridge. I found a group on Ravelry called "For the Children of Pine Ridge" and I have been working on hats, scarves and mittens for a school on the reservation.

Here is what I sent over the last month or so:

My First box included 7 knit hats and 4 crocheted scarves.I am not overly skilled at the crochet yet, so this was a good way to practice and do some good as well. The hats I made using 3 different patterns I found on Ravelry.

1. Erich's A&F Knockoff Hat by Eboni A. Johnson

These knit quick on size 15 needles and the yarn was Lion Brand Hometown USA that I had floating around. My notes on these can be found HERE if you want more detail. They were fast and fun - and this pattern is a staple for me. Works on almost everyone and it's fast and easy.

2. Basic Hat / Radiant Hat by Lion Brand Yarn

 An easy pattern and free from Lion Brand. Used Hometown USA again and size 15 needles again. My notes on this hat can be found HERE if you want more detail.

3.The Vermonter by Abi Gregorio

Same yarn as the other hats, but we switched it up and went with size 11 needles on these babies and I opted to skip the pompom's. My more detailed notes can once again be found HERE if you need more info.

The next box I sent out had three scarves, a pair of mittens, and a bunch of stuff my mom contributed.

The scarves I made were crochet stash busting once again:

 And the mittens were made following one of my favorite patterns:

Warmest Mittens by Kris Percival.  

 

 

These were knit with Farmhouse Yarns Andy's Merino that I had had in my stash for years. If you want more details on how I made these, head HERE once again. (I always try and take good notes for my Ravelry Project pages!)

So that is what I have been getting done on the knitting front. I am going to work on getting blogging back into my life as I really missed it! Hope this finds any and all readers out there in good health. 

 

Happy crafting people!

This crazy life

Oh blog. I neglect you so! It's been a little over a month since my last blog post and I have had a lot going on in my life. Lets start with the yarn!

So I have been pecking away at night on my Nemo's Comfort blanket. I am up to about 47 inches across and it is about 80 inches in length. This thing is a beast! I have been working on it off and on for over a year. Each color is three rows - and each row is around 240 double crochets on a size H hook. This is in cotton yarn so it will be machine washable and dry-able. But I seriously need to decide where it is going to go so I know what size it will be!

Other things in my life includes be taking a nice tumble down the steps to my basement. THAT was unpleasant! Let me start this story by saying this has been an insanely cold and snowy winter. The day I took my tumble was another really cold day and we had some good snow out. We came back from the grocery store and I was wearing thick winter boots and my thick winter coat and my boots were covered in snow. I was carrying two 12 packs of soda in one arm and one 12 pack in the other. My wet boot hit the painted step and next thing I know I was laying half way down the steps in some serious pain! I had bruises on my butt and back like you would not believe and motion in my neck was limited for about two weeks. I knew where each stair hit! So that was pretty awful. It took me a bit to get back to human after that, and I still had my full time job and four classes at school to contend with while trying to recover. Needless to say I was pretty tired, and a little cranky to boot!

Here is a picture of our backyard the weekend I took my tumble. We had a pretty good snowstorm the night before and my Husband has been blowing paths in our yard so the dog can access her zone in the back where she takes care of her doggy needs. We have several feet of snow pack right now and it's just been a challenge this year to function!

This past week I had my final exam for my PowerPoint class. I am so happy to have that off my plate! I actually found the classwork fairly simple - I like PowerPoint and don't think it's all that challenging to use so I enjoyed the class for the most part. But now that it is over I feel like I will have better balance in my life. That's one less class to attend every week, one less weekly quiz to study for, one less text I have to read and turn in an assignment for every week.... So I am pretty excited to have just a touch more free time.

School overall has been going very well and I am pleased with my progress in my classes and the roads I am forging into my next career path.

And that is about it for my world right now. School. Job. Homework. A little bit of yarn. A little bit of sleep. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

A gift for a Neighbor

Here we are at December 22nd and I have done pretty close to nothing for Christmas this year. I have not a single decoration up. I have baked nothing. I have purchased nothing. BUT I have knit/crocheted a couple of things. 

One of those things is a scarf for the daughter of a neighbor. I actually worked on this at school while waiting for class to start for the most part. Crochet goes really fast so I had it done in no time. Since it was for a toddler, I made it with one skein of yarn - Bernat Pipsqueak in the color Neapolitan on a size K (6.5mm) hook.  I don't have many notes on this, but my Ravelry page for this project can be found here. I think this was double crochet? Uffda. Can't remember!

Then when I was at the store I found the perfect gift box to tuck it in. It's all set to take over to them as soon as I buy something for the adults to go with it. I suspect I will be out shopping with everyone else today!

Is there anybody out there?

I am still here! I know I have been quiet the last two months, but I am still here! I am currently working full time and I headed back to school this fall. The schedule has been hard to handle and I pretty much just work, study and attend class. So even when I think I have a little time to do an update here, I tend to stutter to a stop as I don't have a clue what I would talk about. I think everyone hits that point with a blog from time time. It seems like the only way to get your mojo back is to jump in and start babbling!

So I am actually making pretty good progress on my class-load for this semester. I finished my Excel 1 class, my Access class, and my Computer Careers course. I am hoping to be done with my Introduction to computers class tomorrow, and that will just leave me with my online Word class, and my Excel 2 class. So far I am doing really well, but boy am I missing just hanging out and knitting while watching some crappy tv! I know it will all be worth it in the long run. I really need to get out of my job, and this is a great direction to head if I want a new career. Maybe one day I won't dread going into work everyday.

I have been picking up a little knitting the last week or so. I knit up a pair of mittens for my niece and I kind of wanted to keep them, so I immediately cast on a pair for myself! I am making mine out of a ball of chunky Malabrigo that came from deep in my stash. I will have to take pics and post details this week. I know I will regret knitting mittens in Malabrigo as they will be a pilled nightmare in no time, but boy are they soft and warm. Sometimes you just have to do it even though you know better.

I have also whipped out a couple of crochet items. They go so fast! I have a scarf I made for my neighbor's child, and a cowl I knit from stash. So hopefully I will get some pictures taken this week and will be able to give a proper show and tell.

So that is pretty much what my world has been revolving on lately. I am looking forward to getting back into the blogging groove!

Number 15 in Mulberry

Project Name: Number 15 in Mulberry
Pattern Name: This is pattern #15 from The Complete Book of Crochet Stitch Designs by Linda P. Schapper
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Mulberry Merino 2 skeins = 198.0 yards (181.1m) in color 8783
Hook: 6.0 mm (J)
Size: 6" x 64"
Love: ♥♥♥♥♥

You can find my Ravelry Project Notes HERE.

More stash busting. More experimenting with stitches from my crochet stitch dictionary.

I had never worked with this yarn before, and although it's SUPER EVIL to rip out, I love how it worked up in this stitch. It's really soft and squishy.

The pattern was addictive to work. I found myself working on it all the time. You can go miles in no time. Very happy with the results!

Number 3 in Pomaire

Project Name:  Number 3 in Pomaire
Pattern Name: This is pattern #3 from The Complete Book of Crochet Stitch Designs by Linda P. Schapper
Yarn: Araucania Pomaire Multy,1 skeins = 183.0 yards (167.3m) in colorway 4
Hook:  5.0 mm (H)
Size:  5.5" x 60"
Love: ♥♥♥♥♥
 
You can find my Ravelry Project Notes HERE.

This was a really fun crochet stitch and I had a hard time setting it down. It looks really nice and once you get going it's just go go go! Great stash buster of a single skein I had rolling around. I had never worked with this yarn before and I have to say I am a fan! I will use it again. I think a throw in this yarn in this pattern would be quite awesome. One of those nice summer throws for the couch when you just need a little warmth. I wore this all day at work and am still wearing it right now while I type this up. It's really soft and non scratchy - feels nice after months of wool against my skin.

Really enjoying learning new crochet stitches and busting stash!

Number 2 in Rosewood

Project Name: Number 2 in Rosewood
Pattern Name: This is pattern #2 from The Complete Book of Crochet Stitch Designs by Linda P. Schapper
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino in the color Rosewood, 1 skeins = 223.0 yards (203.9m)
Hook: 5.0 mm (H)
Size: 5 inches by 48 inches
Love: ♥♥♥♥

You can find my Ravelry Project Notes HERE.

I finally have a finished project and thought this would be a good chance to get back into blogging! I took a bit of a break there while I finished studying for, taking and PASSING my A+ certification exams. Yup. I am now officially A+ certified! Yay me!

So I have been starting a ton of projects, and finally finished SOMETHING. I picked up this book...

and have been slowly teaching myself some new crochet stitches. I have to admit, as a knitter I find the language and the pattern writing of crochet books (patterns, etc...) a little baffling. So I started on pattern 2, which is really simple. You pretty much just cast on an even amount of stitches and then you single crochet twice in every other stitch. Easy peasy. I grabbed a ball of yarn out of my stash and went to town.

The scarf worked up quickly, was portable and I like how the yarn worked up in this pattern. Bonus that this was a loan ball of yarn that was just hanging out in my stash for years and is now GONE. Yay!

I really like the idea of working all the odd balls of yarn out of my stash while learning some new crochet skills. Win win!

And the photo with Emma on the deck modeling the scarf was taken just minutes ago. We really have that much snow left. It's just disgusting. Winter will not go away.

Another Sheep(ish) Hooker

Project Name: Another Sheep(ish) Hooker
Pattern Name: n/a (Just Double Crochet)
Yarn: Caron Vickie Howell Sheep(ish) 2 skeins = 334.0 yards (305.4m) in Magenta(ish)
Hook: 10.0 (N) hook
Size: 72 inches x 5.5 inches
Love: ♥♥♥♥

You can find my Ravelry Project Notes HERE.

More stash busting and lunchtime crocheting. I held two strands of this yarn together and chained 12 stitches, then worked double crochet until I ran out of yarn. The last one I made was really warm and I found myself wearing it all the time. (January in Minnesota = Lots of knitwear!) Very pleased with this. It worked up fast and even though it's a holey stitch the scarf is still very warm. Can't wait to wear this!

Sort of Afghan

Project Name: Sort Of Afghan
Pattern Name: Stratford Circle Afghan by Lion Brand Yarn
Yarn: Patons Rumor 5 skeins = 420.0 yards (384.0m) in Colorway Hibiscus Heather

Hook: 8.0 mm (L)
Size: About three feet across - Lap blanket size
Love: ♥♥♥ - Medium Love. I like the pattern - but I needed A LOT more size for this to be useful for humans

You can find my Ravelry Project Notes HERE.

This was a stash buster for me. I had these 5 skeins of Rumor yarn in my stash and I wanted something different to work on at lunch - and this is what that turned into.

They no longer make this yarn so I couldn't order more to add to the size of this. It was a bit splitty and shed A LOT, but it also hid my oops well because is was a furry yarn. (Part Alpaca!) It also kept my lap very warm while I worked on it. Nice since it has been bitter cold here for the last week.

I intend for this to be used for my Cat Izzi in her cat bed. She has bad knee's so we have a pet heating pad in the top bed of her Kitty Tower, and she loves it when we put a blanket over her and she can curl up in the warmth. This will be a better size than a human afghan and will look a little better too!

I really liked this pattern. It was free from Lion Brand.com and it was a great beginner pattern for a crochet blanket.

The Sheep(ish) Hooker

Project Name: Sheep(ish) Hooker
Pattern Name: N/A (An improvised Crochet Scarf)
Yarn: Caron Vickie Howell Sheep(ish), 2 skeins = 334.0 yards (305.4m)
Hook: 10.00mm (N)
Size:6.5" x 54"
Love: ♥♥♥♥♥ - Full of Love and had to keep it for myself!

You can find my Ravelry Project Notes HERE.

I am in love with the Extended Single Crochet stitch and can't seem to stop using it in crochet projects. I chained 12 stitches and worked this scarf in (what else?) extended single crochet with two strands of yarn held together on a N (10.00 mm) hook. Fast, furry and fabulous! I thought it might be a charity scarf when I started it, my hesitation being the wool content. I try to donate machine washable and dryable items. When I finished I tried it on and did NOT want to take it off! It's super warm and just a snuggler of a scarf. LOVE IT!

You will notice my dog is doing a lot of modeling this week. I still look a bit like warmed over death so I am employing her talents for modeling my knitwear until I can get my self put back together. And since it is January and Minnesota - we have pretty much no daylight at this point. One day I will make a lightbox for taking knitwear photos, but until that day it's too much flash and a dog model! ;)

Where I force my brother to be matchy matchy

Project Name: Soldier, Brother, Packer Fan - The Scarf (Crochet)
Pattern Name: N/A
Yarn: Red Heart Team Spirit, 0.98 skeins = 239.1 yards (218.7m)
Hook: 5.5mm ( I )
Size: 6.5 inches x 50 inches
Love: ♥♥♥♥

You can find my Ravelry Project Notes HERE.

After I made The Packer Hat I still had over a skein of this yarn left. Obvious solution was to hook up a scarf. I made a chain of 20 and then worked the entire thing in extended single crochet until the length was just about right for my brother. He loved the length of the last scarf and I wanted this to be about the same. I finished this in 2012, but we had the flu hit my hubby and then me, so it's been tough to take the time to take pictures. Today was my first full day of work in a week, and I feel less Zombie than I have in some time, so I thought I would snap a quick pic and get this posted.

Hope everyone else is avoiding the flu and feeling fit and fine!

The Halloween/Autumn Cowl - FINISHED!

 I finally got a few pictures of my finished Halloween/Autumn Cowl. I started this in October and had a false start, ripped it out, and then went a completely different direction with it.

Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in Limeaid (137 yards or .72 of a skein) AND Gnomeacres 100% Superwash Merino Wool Worsted in colorway "Smell My Feet" (198 yards or .90 of the skein)
Needle:  US 8
Pattern: Barbara G. Walker's Hexagon Pattern from the book A Treasury of Knitting Patterns.
Size: 7.5 inches by 23 inches
Love: ♥♥♥♥ I rate this 4 hearts out of 5 - only because I would have done a few things different if I made it again.
My Ravelry Project notes can be found HERE.

It sits nicely on my neck and I can fold it down or where it tented up for added wind protection. (I am picturing gassing up the car in a nasty winter wind when I say that.) It actually goes around my shoulders under my jacket and I can zip up so that I get no wind on my neck. (Which means no snow down my neck too!)

What Would I change? I think it would have looked better with a picot edge on both sides.When I started this version of the cowl I didn't know I was going to do a picot edge - I just got toward the end and thought it would look good. In hind site I would have done it on both sides.

I also would have liked it better with the inside liner being the multi-colored yarn all the way through. I didn't think I had enough, so I decided it would be better to have a center stripe of the green rather than a row or two at the very end when I ran out of yarn. I am fine with it like this - but I think it would have been just a notch better if it were all the way across. The liner is single crochet which probably ate up more yarn than if I had knit the liner as well. Didn't think of that until just now.

Overall I call it a win. I am happy with the way it wears and think it's interesting and different. My hubby said it would generate a lot of comments when I wear it out. I am anxious to wear it out and see if it's true! ☺

BROaden

 

I recently finished a quick crochet scarf. I was working on it the night before my Birthday, and my brother called me to wish me a Happy B-day. The rest of the time I was working on it I thought of him, so it was only natural that I mail it off to him as a surprise hug from his little sister. 

(FYI - That is my cat in the lower corner of the photo by my hand. Can't take a picture without a critter getting into it one way or another!)

YARN: Lion Brand Hometown USA Tweeds - 2 Skeins.

HOOK: 10.00mm Size N hook

PATTERN: Improvised. I chained 13 and then did Extended Single Crochet until I used up both skeins. 

SIZE: 7" x 44"

LOVE: ♥♥♥♥ Pretty High. This is like wearing a teddy bear around your neck! 

Check out my snazzy new boots in the background. Love wearing boots! Especially when the snow isn't flying yet. I am pretty sure they are more about cute than warmth or keeping the feet dry. Had to have them though!

Hooking Away!

We have a guest dog in the house this weekend. We are pet sitting my MIL's dog Minnie. She is just a ball of energy and she has been wearing us all out, but in a good way. Above you will see I was trying to crochet a little blanket for my cat while Minnie climbed all over me trying to see what was going on outside. Emma of course was calm and just hanging out.

 

Once the blanket was finished I placed it in Izzi's cat bed and she immediately curled up and went to sleep on it! She loves it and I was so happy. So often with pet knitwear (crochet wear?) I feel like you knit it for yourself - since he animal tends to not care one way or another. So to have Miss Izzi claim an item I knit for her was pretty wonderful.

Since her cat house has two beds I quickly made another one for her other bed as well. This is not the bed she spends as much time in, but I had the yarn and thought "Why not?".

 

I suspect she will love snuggling into both of these once Winter rolls in. As it is now still summer temperatures, she isn't getting the full affect I think.



Butter Beret

 

 I am not sure what made me do it, but I had a burning need to cast on a simple crochet beret. I call it Butter Beret as the color is the palest yellow. It's a free pattern on Ravelry called Crochet Hat by Corrine Leigh of Threadbanger Fame.

 

I wanted to stash bust so I used a thinner yarn than they used for the pattern. They used Lion Brand Organic Cotton, and I used Debbie Bliss Cotton. Reading through other projects I decided I better add a single row of crochet after each increase row to give the hat some extra poof.

Here is a view from the top. I think the center area got a little wonky when I closed up the starting hole, but I am fairly happy with my stitch consistency.

 

A view from the inside. The pattern calls for just two decrease rows and no additional rows, but I thought it needed a little more, so I added two single crochet rows after the decreasing to clean it up a little and just give it more of a band sort of look.

 

I am fairly happy with it for a first crochet hat, but I think I might agree with my hubby that the color is just a little too light and baby-ish for me. I don't do pastel colors very well. We will see. It might look better with my wool pea coat this fall.

Hello! I am still here!

I have been rather quite lately but I am still poking around here. My Grandma died last week and we had to travel a little for the funeral. My energy level has been rather low and blogging just didn't appeal much over the last two weeks. Am trying to get myself back into normal though, so I thought I would talk about the shawl I started at the end of the Olympic games.

 

 

The Shawl is called "Just Knit It" by Susan Ashcroft of Stitchnerd Designs on Ravelry. It was offered free during the Olympics, but is now a pay pattern on Ravelry. I am really enjoying the shawl! I am knitting it out of Sheep(ish) I had left over in my stash in the color Gun Metal(ish) and some Mochi Plus I had in my stash and another ball I hunted down at a LYS. I love the colors and find this a very relaxing knit. I had about 5 hours of knitting time in the car the day of the funeral, and then I also brought this with to work on at my Brothers house when we went "Up North" for a visit last weekend.

 

I hit the point in the shawl where I am thinking about the edging. This is going to be more of a shawlette for me - I want to wear it wrapped around my neck this winter with my coats, so I don't want it to get too much larger. I really want to do a crochet edge, so I thought I would practice first. I went through my scrap projects in my craft room and found a shawl that I had abandoned years ago. Perfect for practice!

 

I did a single crochet around the entire shawl and then I practiced a shell stitch on either side. I did a 5 stitch shell on one side and a 7 stitch shell on the other. I like the 7 stitch shell better than the 5 - but am not in love with either. I am going to rip out all the shell stitching and try a few other things.

 

I have been chewing on this a lot this week, and this morning I decided to stop forcing stitch design and asked myself what I really wanted for an edge? Changing my focus from "Will this stitch work? Ok , how about this one?" to "what do I want my shawl to look like?" really  excited me and gave me all kinds of ideas. My crochet ability is not huge, but I think I found something that will work! I will be giving it a go on the practice shawl first to see if I can execute it, but I am excited. Hopefully I will have some happy finished shots to show off soon.

It's Fugly and it's Finished!

I HAVE FINISHED MY FUGLY BLANKET AND I LOVE IT!

This took me four months to hook up and it was a real learning experience. It was really fun to just grab a ball out of my scrap bin and add it onto the growing blanket. I methodically weighed each scrap and ball on my handy scale and recorded that on note cards to enter onto my project page on Ravelry. My yardage ended up being 2620.1 yards although that is a bit of a guestimate since most of my scraps did not have ball bands, but I think most cotton yarns have similar weights and yardage per gram - so I am pretty comfy with my guestimate. (You can read the list with all the weights and stuff on my project page on Ravelry.)

Sometimes I would try and place colors next to each other - and sometimes I would "need to work with pink" and would just add pink yarn where ever it landed. I started out thinking I would just use up my scrap bin, but I ended up running out pretty quick, so I found myself crocheting wash cloths on my lunch hour and then going home that night and hooking the rest of the ball onto the blanket!

Emma enjoyed me placing a blanket out on the grass for her and she had some nice rolling around on it. Any time I lay out a knitting/crochet project she has to come over and lay down on it. It's funny. I appreciate her being so kind to my knitwear though. She only ran off with one hat and no damage was done. And she's just the cutest little model!

I did a test run for possible future picnic's and the size is really good. I can sit here and have a nosh with Emma no problem. I think my hubby could even squeeze in! Nice! :)

Here's a shot of the denim blue border in single crochet. I think I did 6 rounds but it might just be five. I have a hard time counting rows still and I didn't track this as I went. I just added rows until it told me it was done. The corners have three single crochet into the corner stitch for the turns. I think a darker border would probably look better (in hindsight) but this color is more pet hair forgiving - so I call it a win.

There is also a little bit of pucker from my border - but not enough to really bug me. I suspect going from Extended Single Crochet to Single Crochet may have been part of the problem here - but I like the slightly denser fabric around the edge of the blanket.

I did crochet blocks of color together in areas which left ridges all over the back. I decided they bothered me too much and went back and sewed them all down. Not very pretty - but like I said. LEARNING EXPERIENCE. Also - It's called a fugly blanket - so yeah. No pressure to look pretty.

The size is perfect. I can wrap it around my shoulders and it just reaches my feet. Since it's all scrap cotton I can wash and dry the crap out of it. If I stain it I can bleach it. And it sleeps like a dream. I finished sewing in my last stray end last night and within 30 minutes after I did that I was sound asleep under it in bed. Just love it.