I'm Back

I have worked through my little crafting slump, by working through it. 

Yup, I worked on my sweater, ripped out rows, and worked on it some more.  Knit a buttonhole.  I am pleased to say I finished the piecing.  I need to seam everything together but first I needed to confirm that my work looked something like pattern pieces.

I was thrilled to see that the garter stitch trim lined up from piece to piece.  The blocking board certainly helps.

The sleeves match too!

For reasons I can't quite explain, I'm stuck.  I mean it looks like the pieces will fit together.  But what if they don't?  It's not like I can just get out the scissors and trim a little here or there, ya know?   Inertia.  Uggh.  I need to get over it and put this darn thing together.  Fall is just around the corner.

So ,I did what many people do.  When you should be working on one thing, start another! 

I began and finished (!!!) a little hat.  I have a giant bag full of scrap yarn.  A little of this, a little of that.  But not enough of anything to make a full project.  When at the yarn store earlier this summer I asked what I should do with it all.  One person said she makes a lot of striped hats.  I could do that.

I found a cute pattern (the Buggy Hat) from Morehouse Yarns Merino Knits. 

It was designed for little kids but a search through the Internet and presto I had the formula for converting a pattern into one that would work for adults.

I decided I wanted to make one in the round.  No seams. (because I have just confessed to a blockage in that area!).  I started on double pointed needles... six times.  Scrap that.  Back to the Internet.  Ta Da!  Learned how to use the Magic Loop.  Genius. 

I know how to add yarn in the same color, but I needed to learn how to add a new color.  Internet.  And presto, stripes.

Finally, the hat has a little i cord on the top tied in to a little knot so it sticks up.  Yup.  Internet.

And here it is.  Pretty cute, huh?  I used left over alpaca so it's yummy soft.

It's a little big.  I need to felt it down to a smaller size, which will tighten up the stitches and make it toasty warm.   With cool weather coming in about a month, I'd better get on that. 

...Or finish the sweater.

Froggin'

Some days in craft land things don't go as planned.  Sometimes you can resurrect them into something even better.  Sometimes, not so much.

This turned into an entire week of not so good.  If I touched it, it went poorly.  I ripped out. Not rows.  Inches.  I cast on and ripped out one project three times.  I set it aside because I found a mistake and need to rip it out again. Number four.  I just walked away.  Ugh! 

This even extends to Julia Child's recipe for french bread, which if you haven't had it, is to d.i.e. for.  I've made it several times before.  Last weekend, for example.  The first loaf was gone in 15 minutes.  Hot butter.  Gone.  The second loaf, made it through dinner, then gone.

Today, there was a request for a french bread encore from the Sweetie.  How could I refuse?

I started early as the recipe takes about 7 hours.  It never rose.  It's sitting in the bowl right, lying there, on the first of 3 risings.  Flat.  Like a pale, clammy  slug.  I think it was the yeast.  That thing should have risen like a rocket 'cause it's in the 70's today.  Nothin'.  I don't think I can even salvage it for pizza dough.

The bread story mimics the rest of the last week.  I am putting the hooks and needles down for a day or two.  I am going to enjoy the late start to summer in Seattle.  I'm certain in a couple of days, the yarn curse will have drifted away... hopefully not to your house.