Yarn Adventures - part 3

Yes... I know I have not posted part 2 yet, but it's important that Finished Object number 2 is recognised and remembered as Started Object number 3 haha.

So, as part 2 will eventually tell, my fondness for the granny square grew. It also became a good companion piece to take on my work travels.

And as the hobby grew, so did the fondness for the accompanying YouTube tutorials. And so one variant of the Granny caught my eye, the Hexagon.  Worked using the same stitch, this uses 6 internal angles (corners to the rest of us) to produce a hexagon instead of a square, the  result when folded makes sleeve and body for one side, then another identical piece is added to the other side.

This was a great stash busting piece, with a combination of leftover and reclaimed wools, helping to thin out my chunky stash.

In contemplation for the next project now as Project Start number 2 also nears completion, I have a few more things in mind that I would like to try, and of course I am itching to be in the Starting Zone again... Such is often my way with crafts.

Yarn Adventures - part 1

Well..now for something completely different!

A couple of Christmases ago, my BFF gifted me a bag of very random, quite expensive yarns/wools, including 2 skeins of a designer yak wool, and wools from 4ply, through to double knit as well as the thicker chunky yak wool..  She'd won them in a competition along with some very complex pattern books, and wanted them to see a new home.

I'm not well up on expensive yarns, usually shopping at the budget end of things (once upon a time due to financial constraints but these days, more due to my own tendency to start a project without finishing it), so they languished for a while until a recent visit from my mother in law. 

Upon looking them up, they were all discontinued lines so not something where I could purchase additional skeins to coordinate.

Now my MIL is both a knitter and crocheter. When I showed her the strange little balls and skeins, she suggested a blanket or something made with granny squares.

So I started up with the yak wool, which was delightful to work with.  Got to the size of a large cushion before running out of wool, so I decided to search my own wool stash for a coordinated colour.  This variegated one, leftover from a knitted gilet, was just the ticket, especially as it has loads of teal which looks great with my chair.  I used up all my leftover yarn in that stash to finish a nice little lap blanket.  Here it is draped over my lovely reclining chair.

This was to be just the start of my next crochet adventure.  Keep following for more experiments and stash busting journeys.

BFF SAL 24 - many shades

Dotted around tonight with 5 different colours. A bit of pink, a couple of extra greens as well as the one I ended on last week, and a little bit of brown, so that the main subject in many shades of brown does not end up being a sole bug-bear at the end.

Check out my BFF's progress after she posts here

BFF SAL 24 - beating the flower

Yes! This week I have successfully tamed the flower

And a bit of green too.

We were very quiet and tired this week, family health issues for my BFF and "I've been on leave for nearly 2 weeks and my brain has shut down" for me (so not really a good excuse but hey menopause will do that to a body!)

Liking the way we're still very much the same but different, the things my BFF has outlined, I have innards.

Check out my BFF's update when she posts here

BFF SAL 24 - the Hokey Cokey!!

In, out, shake it all about.

You put some stitches in. You take them out as they're in the wrong place.. which you pride yourself on realising.

And then you realise there were 2 mistakes.

So after "fixing time" this is how progress looked. The pink parts all depended on each other for position. So out they all came, as I have not the same patience for workarounds as my BFF.

And som re-stitch time

There was some progress at least but a very frustrating week.

Check out my BFF's progress here

BFF SAL 24 - New Beginnings

Haha this looks so unlike what it's going to be!!

Check out my BFF's progress here

BFF SAL 23 - two FFOs!

The beauty of a 2 parter.. you get 2 finished objects at the end.

Haha the thread book first... Well thereby hangs a tale.  My BFF and I were having a more important discussion around serious subjects, and oops.. got to the end having sewed my piece to the cover upside down!!  Can I live with it? Nope. Do I want to unpick it? Oh heck nope.  So chopped around it and used the fabric intended for its innards as the outer cover.

My photos are in the wrong order for my head here.. but next to show is the scissor keep... Nope I have more than one already, this is not getting ribbon unless I decide to use it that way. For now it is a decorative piece only.

But what of the inside now??  Well - I have a serious surplus of green felt.  Here's the little one demonstrating the green felt.

Oh.. and the stuffing.. haha some thread ORTs.

And finally the pair together.

Have to admit I have enjoyed these. I would make both patterns again but perhaps try to get the size right next time!!

I'm also easily stressed out by assembly of stitched items. I think I much prefer things to be off to a friendly frame.

Check out my BFF's update here

BFF RAL - very random

Having enjoyed the chance to still keep our BFF get-together whilst away with work, I decided it was definitely something we could keep up.

I had planned to stitch an extra of the smaller snowdrops pattern.  But then a chance conversation with my lovely mother in law resulted in a resurgence of my crochet obsession.  I'm working on a large granny square blanket. But of course being a single piece, this is too big for travel.

But little granny squares, I can do those. Maybe even on the train?

Yes I could, and the first couple passed a happy while on my journey.

So next some on our session 

This square looks very random, as it's sharing wools that are self-patterning so is giving off a rather patchwork vibe. I like it anyway somehow!

This one is better, only one wool involved this time.

And finally on the train ride home next evening.

Only one this time as I was too tired to be bothered.

I used just a basic granny square for these so they were easy to create whilst nattering, especially after a long work and travel day.

But I do plan to branch out again with some more creative patterns, and hopefully use up some of my extensive wool stash along the way.

Check out my BFF's progress here

BFF SAL 23 part 2 complete

A quick fun stitch this week, and ready for completing in a couple of weeks time, as a work trip once more has my attention next week.

Its looking good here against the purple backdrop of my kit bag, a present from my BFF.

Check out my BFF's progress here

BFF SAL 23 part 1 complete

This has been a fun little stitch,  only a couple of weeks in the making.  I didn't quite get done in the session,  so some off camera work was required to finish the backstitch. 

Like my BFF. I'm happy with the variegated thread border, those are the rarely used parts of the thread stash so always nice to get a chance to use it.

Check out my BFFs update here and play spot the difference. 

Back next week for the second part, although my brain still says it's really BFF SAL 24 (or 25 due to another earlier 'split' project like this)

BFF SAL 23 - a seasonal stitch

The first of a pair of stitches, providing that we enjoy this one as a SAL.   It's going well,  even though white on white is hard to see on photos.  I even sneaked a bit of edging in, a departure from the pattern and the chance to use some thread from stash. 

Continuing the cover kit trend for now, but we have some non-cover kit ideas for later that we're both looking forward to....even though neither of us could initially remember what we'd chosen at all last night!!

Check out my BFFs update once she's posted here

BFF SAL 22 - Catching Up in Advance

A change of venue for me, as I've been away in London with work.  But as I wasn't travelling with colleagues,  well I was still going to have time to stitch,  so why not together as normal?

But as I needed to figure out my Stitching position,  lighting and camera setup etc.. I decided to preempt the catchup that I'd need to do later as my BFF stitches faster than me!

With the results that I finished first, by a single stitch!

And here for spot-the-difference side by side too.

Check out my BFFs story on progress here

BFF SAL 22 - a short fill in

A query to my Internet provider turned into a mammoth call which halved our stitch time this week.  But I did enjoy filling in parts of the cow.

I have permission for off camera catchup time do we can start backstitch together next week. 

Check out my BFFs update here 

A mini revival

Oh it's been SO long since I'd stitched outside of our joint sessions!  I feared lost Mojo!!

So here's a little mini stitch,  customised with our current car colour.

The kit was a gift from my BFF many years ago when our car was a different colour.

But it was great fun to complete in a day.

BFF SAL 22 - a mostly friendly cow

Haha I forgot about the invisible coo!!  He got feet, he got grass to sit on.. but then its like he was lost in the fog

So time to give him some friendly belly.

Even if it looks yellow instead of light brown. 

I'm enjoying this stitch so far, it reminds me of last years holidays in the beautiful Scottish Highlands, where we met the real thing.

Check out my BFFs update here

BFF SAL 22 - recollection of my holidays

Oo this one is appealing to a nostalgic part of my brain as we met one of these up close on holiday.

It's another cover kit, but will keep you guessing a while yet. Can you see what it might be?

I had a teeny bit of unpick required at the end when I realised I started the left side 4 rows lower than needed.  And no workarounds for this one.  

Check out my BFFs update here

BFF SAL 21 - Celebration of Wreaths

Yippee,  finally back to the SAL. After an early start to do some catching up, I made an executive decision around backstitch as far as the background was concerned. 

And I'm very happy with the finish. 

Still needs stitching into the supplied Christmas ornament,  bit hey I've got a few months before next Christmas, right?

Check out my BFFs update after she shares it here