Tag: xmas

Categories
Shopping

Panicking

Every year at our company’s Winter Celebration, we have a silent auction for charity, for which people donate handmade items, particularly knitted items and ceramics. Every year I spend way too much time worrying about what I’ll donate, what yarn to use, what pattern, etc.  This year is of course a knitted handbag.  My boss adores the fuzzy blue one, so that’s what I’ll donate.

But this year, I couldn’t find anything on our intranet about the deadline for donations.  I finally gave up today and emailed the charity committee–a mere six days before the party, because I’m a procrastinating idiot.  They’re setting up the preview tables tomorrow morning, so I have to hand over my donation first thing.

Gah! Start the panic! It still needs a clasp! (Which I don’t have!) And a shiny button! (Which I may or may not have!) And worse, the Aura, while awesome and shiny and super-cool on the outside, makes the inside equally fuzzy, so really, it *should* be lined. But I’ve never lined anything in my life, and I don’t think tonight, after I’ve (hopefully) survived the holiday crowds at Jo-Ann’s, is the perfect time to learn.

I have until 8:30 tomorrow morning to figure this all out.  Holy crap, what was I thinking?!

Categories
Knitting and Crochet

A finished project, suede-bashing, and more bags

knitting needles in a yarn
Photo by Eva Elijas on Pexels.com

Today I started another bag–I forget what number I’m on, and I’m too lazy to check my own posts. It’s a Balloon Bag with double-stranded, variegated Lion wool–no base color this time to ground it, so the color explosion is pretty crazy, which means no beads on this one. I may try to felt some of the others tonight–I have enough quarters and zippered pillowcases to run three bags together for three cycles, which should be enough to felt them. I have to pick one to donate for the company’s charity auction at the holiday party, which is coming up really fast, so it’s time to risk the sub-par machines in my building’s laundry room. Fortunately I have enough purses stockpiled that if something goes horribly wrong, it won’t be the end of the world. Damned annoying and frustrating, but not the end of the world.

Last night I finished the Lion Suede project. I don’t think I’d ever get this yarn again, unless it was for the exact purpose of another one of these projects (which I can’t go into, since I think the intended recipient reads this blog). Suffice to say, if your project is small, and you crochet instead of knit, and you want something soft, then the suede will work–but use it for anything else at your own risk (of frustration, of anger, of banging your head against a wall, etc.). On the other hand, it was a nice break for my hands to crochet something after so many knitted bags. I feel guilty for saying this, but I think I like crocheting more than knitting. :-{

Categories
Knitting and Crochet

Only three more days of NaBloPoMo!

bunch of green beads
Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

Three more posts after today, and I’ll have posted every day for the month of November–woot!  My visitor stats have been very healthy during this time, so hopefully I’ll be able to maintain my momentum, and not fall back on the once-a-week style of posting I had before November.

I don’t have much in the way of yarn news today.  I’m still working with the Lion Suede, which, as I mentioned last night, works much better crocheted than knitted. Omigod yes. I’m even starting to like the yarn, although I still fully expect it to worm at some point. Sadly, I didn’t have the second ball with me yesterday, otherwise the project would be finished by now. Phooey.

I’ve been holding firm on the no-new-yarn-purchases, but it’s hard with that beaded Booga Bag sitting in a corner, pining for one more ball of mustard Patons wool. I try not to look at it.  I think my next bag will be a beaded Balloon, since I already know I have enough yarn for that, and I want to see a finished project with beads, already.

I’ve added a few more projects to Ravelry, including some of the yet-to-be-felted purses.  Yay! I have so many projects still to add, I’ll probably still be adding six months from now. 

Hmm. I need more tea.  Guess that means I’m done!

Categories
Miscellaneous

Yarn torture, brought to you by Lion

crop woman crocheting soft pink scarf
Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels.com

Ok, who thought Lion Brand Suede was a good idea?  Omigod, is that a pain in the ass to work with!  The lack of give combined with the “stickiness” makes it one of the worst yarns I’ve ever worked with.  Plus, despite the name, I can’t help thinking it’s gonna worm just like chenille.  Joy.

Sadly, it’s the only yarn I have in my stash that is the color I need for a requested project, and I’m trying really hard not to buy more yarn this year, so I’m stuck with it.  I spent three hours knitting it up yesterday before deciding the stitch count wasn’t working, so I frogged it.  It’s sitting there on the table, daring me to try again.  Stupid yarn. At least it’s soft.

Gratuitous baby pic!

I got no knitting done since my last post.  I suck.  But, look at the cutiehead baby!

Cutiehead

What have I been doing instead of knitting? Well, some cleaning (I can see my desk! Woot!). Some uprighting of the tree (damn cats!). Some writing of holiday cards. And some sorting of knitting projects into neat, organized little project bags. I also picked out buttons to decorate the white and turquoise clutch. (I need cooler buttons.) That’s been about it. But I’m tired of writing cards, so I may do some knitting right now. Yes, I believe that’s exactly what I’ll do! Yay, knitting!