New Crochet Sweater

I  couldn’t help myself! I couldn’t wait until I was done plugging up all the holes on my old sweater. I haven’t even finished it and it’s already ‘my old sweater’. Sheesh! I did manage to plug up the granny squares on the outer rim of the sweater.

24 finished squares is good for now.

I just couldn’t do one more square. Images of a new crochet sweater just wouldn’t leave me alone. I kept asking myself why I had become obsessed with making a new sweater when I had a perfectly lovely sweater that just needed finishing. What would be so great about starting a new sweater? I asked the universe (my yarn stash) and the universe answered. It was because I wasn’t crocheting, I was sewing and no matter how I sliced it, sewing just isn’t as much fun as crocheting. I needed a break from the sewing and needed to be creative for a bit. That’s why I needed, NEEDED, to start a new project. That’s all the excuse I needed to start rummaging through my stash to see if I had enough yarn to start a new sweater. The answer was yes, if I used different colors and didn’t bother trying to make sure the yarn was all the same type. What was the worst that could happen? If I didn’t like it, no harm no foul. I could always go back to plugging holes.

But I’m liking the look of the new sweater. I’m using the star stitch and so far I like the colors. This is going to be the bottom panel. I’m going to repeat the color pattern one more time and then start on the vertical rows (as mentioned in the previous post).

 

I feel better now. I think I can alternate between  crocheting this sweater and plugging up the other one without getting all twitchy. I’ll probably finish them up at the same time and then I’ll have two sweaters. 🙂

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Sweater Progress

I have a whole week off from work for Thanksgiving and I was ruminating about my granny square sweater and its million and one plugs hanging around in my craft bag. With all this time off, I thought I should really get cracking on that and try to fill in some holes. But then…I had a new thought. Perhaps I could just start a new sweater. I would probably finish it sooner than plugging away at my old sweater.

Visions of stitches I could use and color patterns I could configure danced in my head. Enticing pictures from the web flitted across my screen screaming that they wouldn’t take long at all to make. I was tempted, I still am, but no, I couldn’t abandon my granny square sweater. I needed to tend to that first. So, I finished 10 squares in one day! Unfortunately that meant I spent most of my day sitting but I felt very accomplished even though my bones were very creaky with atrophy.

Don’t know if I will convince myself to pick it up again today. Starting a new sweater still sounds tempting. This photo keeps calling to me.

Pattern

I’m looking at it as a template. The star stitch and colors are buzzing in my head. I like the idea of the horizontal section at the bottom  with the vertical stripes at the top. I’m thinking the start stitch would look really nice with alternating colors. The star stitch would make a very thick and warm coat. No holes to plug! Might be too thick though. I would need a yarn that wasn’t too thick. And that is what’s stopping me from starting a new sweater. I would need to buy more yarn. I have so much yarn in my craft room but not enough of any one kind to finish a sweater.

Then again, I could challenge myself to come up with something that could incorporate what I have into a pleasant design. Hmmm…this needs some more thought…

Meanwhile, back to plugging.

Freebie Friday – Elf on the Shelf

I love my hubby. I get some great freebies from him (no, that’s not the only reason I love him). He’s an amazing graphic designer and has collected various samples of items he’s worked on. For a particular packaging project, he needed to acquire an Elf on a Shelf for reference. When done with his project, he let me take possession of it. He correctly figured I could take it to work (I work with kids).

Not knowing much about the lore, I took it to work recently and thought I would incorporate it into story time in December. I was going to take the elf out of the box and display it while I was reading. The best laid plans and all that, I wasn’t prepared for the students’ reactions when I pulled the box out from behind the white board.

Plugging Gaps

Been working on plugging up those holes in my sweater. I dread doing it. I get home so tired from work that I  look at my bag with the sweater peaking out of it and all I can think is that I’ll do it tomorrow. Tomorrow is so elusive. It never comes. Then one day I feel inspired. I grab and start plugging away. Yay! I finished a square. Now just 74 more to go! Yeah, then I ignore it again but at least now I have six squares finished. There are moments I think of undoing the plugs I already did and just leaving the sweater as is or finding a different way of lining it. But, alas, I like the purple splash of color. It’s taking so long to complete but I’m actually loving the result. Sooooo, I will plug away until it’s done, even if I won’t be wearing it until next winter.

In case anyone was wondering why I’m being such a whiner, here are some of the plugs I’ve made so far.

 

 

Does it look like a massive blob of yarn? Yeah, to me too. That’s why I keep ignoring it.

 

I’ve bundled them in groups of 8 to convince myself to grab a bundle and finish one square. It works sometimes. 🙂

I give myself credit for making and bundling all those plugs. I take that same credit away since now I have an overwhelming pile that’s being ignored (mostly :-)). And that’s not even all of them! I need to make more.

But here’s how it’s turning out. I am insane for doing this but it will be well worth it in the end.

Yes, those cascading squares on the side haven’t been plugged yet. There are so many!

Freebie Friday – Joining Cirlce

Joining a long chain and trying not to get it tangled when joining is such a hassle and nearly impossible. I came across this video on this site that shows how to do it in a better way. The site also has some free patterns so that you can try out the technique.

 

I love finding tutorials that are so simple but solve a real problem. Hopefully you’ll find it just as useful.

It started as a joke…

The idea has been thrown around before, never with much expectation that it will truly happen. I mean, it’s preposterous. It would be a huge undertaking that might never see the light of day. Alas, the idea came up again as a joke but this time, that little worm made it’s way to the part of my brain that accepts ridiculous crochet projects.

I am now in the process of creating a life size crochet doll modeled after me that will stand sentry at work (where I run an after school program). We have giggled that it will take my place at work and no one will be the wiser. Most likely it will scare unsuspecting night custodians who clean up our room when we are all gone. My fellow teachers who are in the