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!

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.

It's Just a Triangle - Shawl

FINALLY - I took the time to take pictures of my It's Just a Triangle - Shawl which I actually finished a little over a week ago. Of course I had to wait until the temp was 93 F (33.89C) so .... Yeah. Check out one very warm gal trying to look like she wasn't feeling like a pork roast out in the sun.

I am very happy with how it turned out. The top of the triangle is almost exactly my height and the spine covers my torso nicely.

This was yarn that I originally had designated for a dog sweater for Emma. It did NOT work out and it went for a nice long swim in the frog pond. Now it is resurrected as a shawl for me!

I foresee myself wearing this in the morning's when I have to go outside with Emma and I am still pajama clad. Like this morning when we got up at 3:30 in the morning and the sirens were going off and a storm was rolling in. Miss Emma was shaking and didn't want to go out - but she needed to go out! So out I went in my pj's, robe and crocks. The bummer about robes is they collect grass and water on the bottom edge - NOT so with shawls! So I am pretty excited about this.

AND it's acrylic so I can throw it in the washer and dryer with no issues! WIN!

The pattern is really easy and you can use pretty much any yarn. Wonderful stash buster! The pattern is called "It's just a triangle - Shawl" and it's free on Ravelry or you can go to Laughing Purple Goldfish Blog and find the pattern there. I love the multi colored ones!

Now I am off to make myself another Flatout Pizza and a nice Salty Dog! :)