UFA (Unfinished Afghan)

This afghan was started a few years ago, or maybe more than a few, but I injured my thumb and it was hard to crochet for awhile.  As a word of advice, remember that it is not a good idea to poke a stick into a ground bee nest to see if the bees are still in there, because this may result in panic, running, falling, and an injured and stung thumb.  Now I am able to crochet again, and need to finish this large UFO.  The design idea was for a Mexicana look reminiscent of chili peppers with an acid green center and hot red/yellow/orange tones.  The border will be black in a fancy stitch that makes you think of Latin wrought iron work.  But first I have to finish it.  It will be 8 blocks wide and 12 blocks long for a nice lap robe size.  So far, there are seven complete rows sewn together.  The sad fact is that I hate sewing the squares together, especially since the edges are black and hard to see.

After I finish this afghan, if I ever crochet another one, I'm going to try another, easier method of joining the squares.  I ran across this site that has lots of info about crochet, and has instructions (in the second group down called 'Afghan Edgings and Joinings') for the Flat Braid Joining Method.  This looks much easier and could result in an afghan project being finished in less than 10 years.

http://priscillascrochet.net/freepatterns.html

A New Year

I'm finally starting to feel like knitting again after that loser of a year, 2011.  This winter I have been wearing the cardigans I knit for myself in past years, and I love the burst of color in my otherwise somewhat drab existence.  It seems like a good idea to finish up a lot of my languishing projects, and I am also interested in making some baby and child sweaters to set aside for future gifts.  I was cleaning out the sewing room a few weeks ago and ran across a Wallaby sweater I had forgotten which is all finished and ready to go.  My niece is expecting her first child soon, so this was a great find.  Now I don't have to rush to make something for her.  This was so convenient that I would like to have a nice stockpile of gifts so no more rushed knitting need ever happen.  I know I have said this before, but this time I might actually do it.

Look what I found this morning :  the first violet of spring.

This little booklet was purchased in the local JoAnn store using my 50% off coupon.  That makes it really inexpensive and it is just full of great designs.  For starters, that hat is a real winner, and I plan to make several of them.  I have two skeins each of an acid green and a good purple, and a girl can't have two many winter hats for bad hair days or rainy days.

The pink cardigan has possibilities, though I don't like a really narrow crocheted band, but that's an easy fix.

This purple cardigan is great, and I would make it as is.

This would be cute for the daughters.

 My daughter, M, never buys a knitting book or publication unless it passes her test, which is that there must at least be three designs in it that she would actually make.  By those standards, this little booklet passes the test, and I've shown less than half of the designs.