Yarn OVERLOAD!!!
This morning, upon waking up, I knew how I would start my day.
It was 7:30. I climbed out of bed, went to the kitchen, and started a pot of coffee. Then, I went to the TV cabinet, to pull out my sweetie's Christmas Afghan-In-The-Works. I popped on my stress-relieving gloves, grabbed my trusty clay-handled crochet hook, and got myself busy. I am (as of writing this) done with the first 6 rows, of the Winter Jewels Afghan. That means that I have (only) 107 more rows to go, and I will be done! I am very happy to say that, being 6 rows in, the project is ALREADY starting to take form.
So, this morning, I was busy working away, on this afghan. (I managed to get 2 rows done, before even finishing my first cup of coffee. How is that, for speed-crocheting?) And, I noticed something. Something that annoys me, quite a bit.
What the HELL is up, with folding up the sample pieces, displayed on a pattern? I mean, seriously...Who thought it was a good idea, to FRIGGIN scrunch a blanket up, in the sample picture, so you really do not get a good view of it?
There are times where this is (while still annoying) a little bit more appropriate. For example, the Bow Knot Afghan (The pattern I am using for my sister's afghan, and my own.) Even this sample, is folded. But, you do clearly see a few rows. And, as the rows just repeat themselves, over and over again, the sample picture really doesn't matter.
Now, let us look at the other two afghan patterns, I am using. The Winter Jewels Afghan, and The Cross Stitch & Picot Afghan.
The rows on these change, quite a bit. After working a few rows, where the stitches are the same, the pattern changes on you, and you are working a brand new set of stitches. And, if you are me, you will look at the sample picture, just to make sure you are doing it correctly. But, with the afghan in the sample, being friggin twisted, folded, and God knows what, you don't really get a clear view. (This is ESPECIALLY true, of the Cross Stitch & Picot Afghan.)
My vote: If you have to twist, fold, scrunch, and just all out mess up the blanket, seen the sample (for premium photo beauty), then please...Add a little box, where we can get a clear view, of all the stitches, used. It would just make life so much easier.
So...Before I get off the topic, of the crocheted afghans, let's look at the rest, of my progress.
I am about 12 full rows, into my Bow Knot Afghan. I am half-way done with the third row, of my sister's Bow Knot Afghan. (Funny thing here. Even though I am using the SAME pattern, for both of these, they are already looking COMPLETELY different. Boy, a change of colors, can sometimes make even the stitches appear different.)
As for the Cross Stitch & Picot Afghan, for my mother. Well...
I have officially decided on the colors. I will be using Red Heart Soft Pink, Petal Pink (which is just a shade darker), and Coffee. A rather lovely color combination, if I do say so, myself. And, as I already had two of the three colors (thank you goodies, for the Year One Bash!), I figured why not. Hey...Sometimes, you just gotta be yarn savvy.
Anyway. I am (as I write this ) finished with the first 5 rows. I have already taken on the first row, of picot. Things are going good, on the Christmas Afghan front.
On a side note...Yesterday, I absolutely wanted to KILL my sweetie-pie. Well, either kill, or apply duct-tape, to the mouth. Why, you may ask. Well, THREE FRIGGIN TIMES, my sweetie came close, to BLABBING out, that I am making an afghan, for my mother. Even though I let it be known that it will be a Christmas Gift. Apparently, that doesn't matter. Apparently, it is fun, to stress me out, by coming INCREDIBLY FRIGGIN CLOSE, to spilling the beans, on what I am planning as a Christmas gift.
I really hope my sweetheart does not give away, what I am planning. It would absolutely DEVESTATE me, if the gift element, of this afghan, was ruined.
One more 'afghan oriented thing', before we move on.
I would be eternally grateful, if you all could send me some WONDERFUL afghan patterns. My niece is going to graduate from High School Next year. And, no later that January, of next year, I would like to start working on an afghan, for her. She has wanted an afghan, ever since I started working with yarn. So, I am wanting something completely OVER THE TOP! Please, be on the search, for rockin', TIMELESS afghan patterns.
Ok... Now that that is all taken care of.
Yesterday...
After writing my post, I started my day of yarn.
It started with me working yet another row, on my crocheted afghan.
Then, my mom went to take a nap, and I ceased the opportunity. As she went to her room, I went to mine. I pulled the craft bag, on to my bed. And, I got to work, on the afghan, I am making for her. I got three rows done, and the whole time, I was thinking that it is COMPLETELY awesome, to be multi-tasking, at this level. At this time, I have 5 different projects going. (4 crocheted afghans, and the Bliss Baby Blanket.) It was just past noon, and I was loving the time, I was spending with mom's afghan.
After 3 rows were done, I made my way to the blue recliner, where I decided to start working on my sister's all new birthday blanket. Since I did not, at that time, have orange yarn, I just decided to work the first 2 rows, in black. At this time, everything was still wonderful...Glorious...I considered Super Yarnie. And, not only COULD I do all of these projects. But, they would all be super fun.
After the two rows of black were done, it was Walmart time.
And, it was while at the store, that I finally came to realize that (maybe) I have bitten off more than I can chew.
I was in the yarn section, searching for all the yarn that I needed. And, as I was starting to gather my skeins, a male yarnie came back to the section, to search for his own goodies. (I must say here, that I was completely THRILLED to FINALLY meet another male yarnie, face to face. It just made my day.)
Hunter Green. Paddy Green. Cherry Red. White. Coffee. Petal Pink. Orange. One by one, the skeins were pulled out of their cubbies, and put into my cart.
"Are you planning to work a colorful granny square afghan?" The man asked, as he pulled the single skein, that would go home with him. A sage green color.
"Oh...No!" I looked at him, and smiled. "I am collecting yarn for three different afghans, I am making. And, I am also loom knitting a baby blanket."
And it was then, as the project list rolled off my tongue, that I FINALLY realized that I, Michael Leach, have OFFICIALLY reached Yarn Overload!
"Good luck," the man said, as I walked away.
Yeah, I thought. GOOD LUCK!
After Walmart, we came home, and I took a bath.
After the bath, I devoted my time to the Bliss Baby Blanket. And, I felt like screaming, as my sweetie and mother decided to open up a round, of Let's ask Michael Pointless Questions, Non-Stop. I swear, one of them asked a question, then the other would follow. And, they WERE pointless questions. Well, after about 7 or 8 times, of forgetting if I had just knitted or purled, I snapped.
I had to excuse myself, and go the my room, where I could have silence.
At about 9pm, I finished the moss stitch part, of the first panel. It was time to start knitting only. But, I decided to wait, until today, to start this.
The Bliss Baby Blanket went down. The Cross Stitch & Picot pattern came out, and I worked row 5.
Then, I went to bed.
Have I bitten off, more than I can chew? Yeah...Probably. But, somehow, I will manage. I may be reduced, to a babbling yarnie, when I am through. But, I WILL manage.
That is it, for today.
Until tomorrow...
Happy Looming!
It was 7:30. I climbed out of bed, went to the kitchen, and started a pot of coffee. Then, I went to the TV cabinet, to pull out my sweetie's Christmas Afghan-In-The-Works. I popped on my stress-relieving gloves, grabbed my trusty clay-handled crochet hook, and got myself busy. I am (as of writing this) done with the first 6 rows, of the Winter Jewels Afghan. That means that I have (only) 107 more rows to go, and I will be done! I am very happy to say that, being 6 rows in, the project is ALREADY starting to take form.
So, this morning, I was busy working away, on this afghan. (I managed to get 2 rows done, before even finishing my first cup of coffee. How is that, for speed-crocheting?) And, I noticed something. Something that annoys me, quite a bit.
What the HELL is up, with folding up the sample pieces, displayed on a pattern? I mean, seriously...Who thought it was a good idea, to FRIGGIN scrunch a blanket up, in the sample picture, so you really do not get a good view of it?
There are times where this is (while still annoying) a little bit more appropriate. For example, the Bow Knot Afghan (The pattern I am using for my sister's afghan, and my own.) Even this sample, is folded. But, you do clearly see a few rows. And, as the rows just repeat themselves, over and over again, the sample picture really doesn't matter.
Now, let us look at the other two afghan patterns, I am using. The Winter Jewels Afghan, and The Cross Stitch & Picot Afghan.
The rows on these change, quite a bit. After working a few rows, where the stitches are the same, the pattern changes on you, and you are working a brand new set of stitches. And, if you are me, you will look at the sample picture, just to make sure you are doing it correctly. But, with the afghan in the sample, being friggin twisted, folded, and God knows what, you don't really get a clear view. (This is ESPECIALLY true, of the Cross Stitch & Picot Afghan.)
My vote: If you have to twist, fold, scrunch, and just all out mess up the blanket, seen the sample (for premium photo beauty), then please...Add a little box, where we can get a clear view, of all the stitches, used. It would just make life so much easier.
So...Before I get off the topic, of the crocheted afghans, let's look at the rest, of my progress.
I am about 12 full rows, into my Bow Knot Afghan. I am half-way done with the third row, of my sister's Bow Knot Afghan. (Funny thing here. Even though I am using the SAME pattern, for both of these, they are already looking COMPLETELY different. Boy, a change of colors, can sometimes make even the stitches appear different.)
As for the Cross Stitch & Picot Afghan, for my mother. Well...
I have officially decided on the colors. I will be using Red Heart Soft Pink, Petal Pink (which is just a shade darker), and Coffee. A rather lovely color combination, if I do say so, myself. And, as I already had two of the three colors (thank you goodies, for the Year One Bash!), I figured why not. Hey...Sometimes, you just gotta be yarn savvy.
Anyway. I am (as I write this ) finished with the first 5 rows. I have already taken on the first row, of picot. Things are going good, on the Christmas Afghan front.
On a side note...Yesterday, I absolutely wanted to KILL my sweetie-pie. Well, either kill, or apply duct-tape, to the mouth. Why, you may ask. Well, THREE FRIGGIN TIMES, my sweetie came close, to BLABBING out, that I am making an afghan, for my mother. Even though I let it be known that it will be a Christmas Gift. Apparently, that doesn't matter. Apparently, it is fun, to stress me out, by coming INCREDIBLY FRIGGIN CLOSE, to spilling the beans, on what I am planning as a Christmas gift.
I really hope my sweetheart does not give away, what I am planning. It would absolutely DEVESTATE me, if the gift element, of this afghan, was ruined.
One more 'afghan oriented thing', before we move on.
I would be eternally grateful, if you all could send me some WONDERFUL afghan patterns. My niece is going to graduate from High School Next year. And, no later that January, of next year, I would like to start working on an afghan, for her. She has wanted an afghan, ever since I started working with yarn. So, I am wanting something completely OVER THE TOP! Please, be on the search, for rockin', TIMELESS afghan patterns.
Ok... Now that that is all taken care of.
Yesterday...
After writing my post, I started my day of yarn.
It started with me working yet another row, on my crocheted afghan.
Then, my mom went to take a nap, and I ceased the opportunity. As she went to her room, I went to mine. I pulled the craft bag, on to my bed. And, I got to work, on the afghan, I am making for her. I got three rows done, and the whole time, I was thinking that it is COMPLETELY awesome, to be multi-tasking, at this level. At this time, I have 5 different projects going. (4 crocheted afghans, and the Bliss Baby Blanket.) It was just past noon, and I was loving the time, I was spending with mom's afghan.
After 3 rows were done, I made my way to the blue recliner, where I decided to start working on my sister's all new birthday blanket. Since I did not, at that time, have orange yarn, I just decided to work the first 2 rows, in black. At this time, everything was still wonderful...Glorious...I considered Super Yarnie. And, not only COULD I do all of these projects. But, they would all be super fun.
After the two rows of black were done, it was Walmart time.
And, it was while at the store, that I finally came to realize that (maybe) I have bitten off more than I can chew.
I was in the yarn section, searching for all the yarn that I needed. And, as I was starting to gather my skeins, a male yarnie came back to the section, to search for his own goodies. (I must say here, that I was completely THRILLED to FINALLY meet another male yarnie, face to face. It just made my day.)
Hunter Green. Paddy Green. Cherry Red. White. Coffee. Petal Pink. Orange. One by one, the skeins were pulled out of their cubbies, and put into my cart.
"Are you planning to work a colorful granny square afghan?" The man asked, as he pulled the single skein, that would go home with him. A sage green color.
"Oh...No!" I looked at him, and smiled. "I am collecting yarn for three different afghans, I am making. And, I am also loom knitting a baby blanket."
And it was then, as the project list rolled off my tongue, that I FINALLY realized that I, Michael Leach, have OFFICIALLY reached Yarn Overload!
"Good luck," the man said, as I walked away.
Yeah, I thought. GOOD LUCK!
After Walmart, we came home, and I took a bath.
After the bath, I devoted my time to the Bliss Baby Blanket. And, I felt like screaming, as my sweetie and mother decided to open up a round, of Let's ask Michael Pointless Questions, Non-Stop. I swear, one of them asked a question, then the other would follow. And, they WERE pointless questions. Well, after about 7 or 8 times, of forgetting if I had just knitted or purled, I snapped.
I had to excuse myself, and go the my room, where I could have silence.
At about 9pm, I finished the moss stitch part, of the first panel. It was time to start knitting only. But, I decided to wait, until today, to start this.
The Bliss Baby Blanket went down. The Cross Stitch & Picot pattern came out, and I worked row 5.
Then, I went to bed.
Have I bitten off, more than I can chew? Yeah...Probably. But, somehow, I will manage. I may be reduced, to a babbling yarnie, when I am through. But, I WILL manage.
That is it, for today.
Until tomorrow...
Happy Looming!