Gifted Gorgeousness, TUSAL - December Edition, Late Again!

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I've zero stitchy progress to show, isn't that awful? :( Poor Rathian, she'll get love someday.

But I do have gifts to show! It seems they're all crochet this time. I'm typing this in the wee hours of the morning before Sir Giftee removes himself from bed, and hoping the Internet will work long enough to get some photos uploaded. Sorry for some duplicates; they're a little easier for me since they're cached. :)

almost like a snowflake

Remember this? I do have some completed doilies though not as many as I'd've hoped. I thought I would show an older in-progress picture to show how the individual motifs appear.

needs a good blocking!

Isn't it lovely? I'm glad I did choose to alternate the colors. I love the delft blue. It's such a pleasure to work with. The white is a bit more ornery. I will post finished pictures after Christmas!

is it a loafer?

Next up, a house slipper! This was an amazing pattern though I do believe my first attempt was not correct. It's not possible to really tell though, thank you variegated yarn! :D But I do really like the pattern otherwise; it works up so fast! If I didn't have to sneak and do other things, these could easily be finished in a day. The flap is not attached in this picture because I wasn't 100% sure I wanted it (it is optional in the pattern). It has grown on me but I will have to tack it down.

What you can't see is the sole on these suckers.  I'll take a picture of the next one as I piece it together.  It has foam between two pieces and I made it... fluffy. :D  I can't wait to make a pair for myself after I gift these out. If you're interested, it's a free pattern found here (Ravelry link).

Not a gift, but I did finish another couple of squares for the afghan. I'd like to post pictures but the Internet just gave out trying to upload them here. I have the gingerbread man and stocking done and am currently working on the last of the main squares, Rudolph. As easy as the stocking was, Rudolph is a spaghetti mess! The pixel square afghan has been my project in the evenings when I have time to sit down and can't fish out the gift goodies.

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last "strings"

Lastly, TUSAL!  Since there was no stitching and I haven't been saving my yarn ORTs, this picture is from last month.  :/ What a sad and neglected way to end the year!

Anyway!  I am boxing up cookies to send out today.  I did not make double batches of everything this year since one of our dear giftees passed away and we had so many leftovers last year.  But there's still enough for all! :D  Oooo I hear Sir Giftee stirring, must wrap this up!  If I don't get another post up before then, MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all! 

FotM SAL ~ November Edition, Late!

First of all, thank you to those who have emailed me despite my blog silence. I am okay! While I am still a bit busy with Christmas stuffs, the silence has gone on longer than expected. Our Internet is still quite awful and I cannot always load blogs. I have been reading your posts through a bare bones reader, no backgrounds, no sidebar images, no avatars, etc. and that helps a lot, though I cannot leave comments that way. I had to give up reading some blogs (MrXStitch for example) because they do not allow the full post to show in the reader.  I would feel guilty allowing comments without leaving comments of my own.

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I must admit posting about this slipped my mind. Not that it matters much, since there was absolutely no stitching progress. On anything, really. Maybe I was subconsciously hoping that I would eventually have something to show.

before

after

This is supposed to be June's rose. Maybe that is obvious. You can totally tell it's a rose from that speck of green that hasn't changed in a month, right?

elf!

wreath!

I did finish two more squares for the pixel square afghan CAL (which has completed). I have decided I will do three extra in addition to the nine in the CAL to make a longer afghan. I don't like toes poking out when I snuggle down. The first one is the elf. I really like how he turned out. I have no idea what that dark blue yarn is, something dug up from the depths of the crafty inheritance, but it is so soft and fuzzy. The second is the wreath. It turned out about 1" smaller than the other squares. Why? I dunno! Perhaps I've somehow managed to crochet even tighter.  I am about 3/4s done with the gingerbread man who is square #7 of 12.  Slowly but surely.  With Christmas gifts being worked on, I don't think this project will be done in time for the holiday.

kitty prints

I have been working on a scarf for my next knitting project. I love the yarn (Yarn Bee Soft Secrets) but I am so disappointed with how the scarf is knitting up. It is curling something awful. One of the ladies at the knitting group said I should be able to crochet around the edge and that will help.  This project has been put on the back burner for now because there are other things that have deadlines!

I'd like to post about those things but, surprise, surprise, the 'net won't let me upload anymore. Bah humbug.  Maybe since they're gifts they're better suited for GG which I will hopefully have up in a slightly more timely manner.  Maybe I should start prepping the post now.  Until next time~!

Gifted Gorgeousness, TUSAL - November Edition!

Ahoy there, crafty peoples~ :D  It's time for the wonderful Gifted Gorgeousness update!

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At least I have something to show this time!

before

after

...o_o. Well, it's something, right? I mentioned before that the colors were pending on the Missus, and that they still are! I took a picture after the second attempt but this too has been picked out. I think it will work best for her inner swirls instead of main body color, though.  I wonder if I can convince my husband that I need every single green DMC makes to get her colors right. It's his gift and he needs it to be perfect of course! ;)  Maybe I should fish out any and all olive-y sort of colors and see what I can come up with.

But this is not the only giftedness I've been working on.  Here is a test piece I worked up to see if a) I could understand the pattern, b) liked the pattern, and c) liked the color combination.

almost like a snowflake

It's not very large, 2" (5cm) square but as a motif in something a bit bigger, I'm very happy with how it turned out!  It was crocheted with a 1mm hook and ancient threads.  I cannot make the rest of them from this thread as there will be enough and I know from past experience trying to match old threads Does. Not. Work!  The motif is from the Star Book No. 78: Television and Radio Scarfs, published in 1950 (originally called for white/green)!  I had a remarkably hard time finding small individual motifs.  This is one of the smallest I've come across (and liked).

Since it's an older pattern, there were a couple of things that I found odd.  One was the "single double crochet" -- what on earth is that?  After studying the description and some Google-fuu the answer:  American half double crochet (half treble for you aliens across the oceans).  Another was the making of the inner "picots."  They're... weird.  Weird for picots even.  I might adjust the pattern.  Otherwise, this is a really quick and enjoyable little motif!  The whole doily calls for alternating the colors (i.e. switch the white and blue) to create a checkerboard effect but I'm not sure I want that... and I can't exactly ask the giftee what they think without spoiling the gift!  I'll make a bunch of this scheme and see if I like the look and decide after (going against all the doily-making rules of joining as you go cough).  I only need 112 by Christmas... if I can squeeze in five per day assuming no weekends or other pesky days off... well... at the very least I need 48 done LOL.

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A few days behind but here's my TUSAL ORTs, looking just lovely in the jar.  Filled with ripped out stitches (again, hah) and some random bits of floss I used for some mending.  I'm pondering starting a big jar for yarn ORTs next year.  I think that pixel square afghan would produce enough to fill it in one go...

November "strings"

Thank you for reading; I know I talk a lot without actually saying anything. :)

FotM SAL - October Edition

Aloha! I am happy you're still reading despite my continued silence. :) I am no longer ill and am capable of breathing through my nose, how exciting!  Are you prepared to be wowed by my spectacular progress on the next flower?

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before

after

Yaaaaaa-- wait, that's like, eleven stitches. I won't bore you with the struggle it was just to get those few stitches in.  I haven't touched cross-stitch since then; I'll get back to it eventually but argh.  I'm a bit sad I didn't get any Halloween stitching in.  I may be able to squeeze things in eventually but right now... I dunno.  Guess I'm in a funk.  Or maybe cross-stitch isn't as warm as yarny projects because...

various stash yarns

I did finish another square for the CAL! This is number four of at least nine (I haven't fully decided I want a small afghan haha). I really liked this square though I still hate that black yarn.  The yellow trim at the bottom of the sleigh was a different weight; I should've doubled up but didn't ah well.  Next up is the elf!  He looks like he'll have a couple of fiddly rows where I have skeins of yarn draped everywhere with all the color changes, bah.  I think I've finally learned my lesson about carrying yarn.  As long as it's touching the same color, it's okay to carry it.  If not, snip snip!

I'm still being bad with the ends.  I'll get them in eventually, with much complaining. :D

lemon and rosemary P&C yarn

I also managed to finish another dishcloth (using the same pattern). This time, I tried really hard to control my tension and it shows! However if I knit any tighter it will be a waterproof dishcloth hahaha. I crocheted around the edge out of curiosity. I was expecting to cover the edge but apparently that doesn't happen! At the knitting group, it was suggested that I knit around the edge to achieve what I was going for.

Next up is a simple scarf (yarn bought but not cast on yet)!  I am all gungho about socks and lace but it was strongly suggested that I increase my skills carefully hah. I see the logic but but but......  :)

I'm glad everyone else has been keeping busy with their stitchy goodness~  I'll return sometime.

Gifted Gorgeousness, TUSAL - October Edition

Aloha! A bit late this time.  I am still busy... and sick. I spent all of Wednesday and half of Thursday in bed. I feel a bit more human today, although I'm sure if you'd poke a hole in me, I'd explode like that cockroach scene at the end of Men in Black. I am appalled at how much snot a body can produce!

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colors pending

Gifted Gorgeousness - bit of a flop this month. I have Rathian kitted up but there has been zero work on her otherwise. Her colors are much more drab than Rathalos and are still pending approval.

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October "strings"

TUSAL - a smidgen of green in there from the next flower of the month, all frogged because I cannot count to three, several times. This is what I get when trying to relax with stitching after working myself to exhaustion apparently!

No new updates on the Christmas afghan CAL; haven't crocheted a thing. I've put in a few repeats on my next dishcloth for knitting and I'm trying to have better control of my tension. It's going okay, I guess. Sorry for the less-than-exciting post. It's hard to be excitable when all you want to do is curl up in a little ball and breathe through your nose!