2014: A year in review and a New Year to ponder...

2014 was definitely a year of mandalas for me. As I created the collage, I was pleasantly surprised how much I really did accomplish. I tackled several projects I had never done before - mandalas, fingerless mittens and coasters. But most of all, the afghan is by far my favorite.

As I review the last year in crochet, I look back and think what the year was like. I spent a good deal of time crocheting on my Blankets for Barracks Soldiers afghan, and it's almost done. We're nearing the time to ship the blankets off. It looks like we'll have 4 from our group of three crocheters and one that was just donated today. I've picked up a few WIPs and work on them off and on - I've found I like to have a couple on the hook at the same time to keep from getting bored. I've spent a good deal of time looking at patterns in 2014, and not just ordinary patterns. These are ones that will challenge my abilities and skills, learning new techniques and stitches.

Before I get into that, just a quick peek at my Christmas this year...

This was a special Christmas for me and my family. My mother and I cooked three Christmas dinners for family. We love cooking side by side, and each of these meals had nearly completely all new recipes - another love for both of us. This Christmas was spent celebrating with family and sharing laughs. Shortly after one family dinner, a cousin accepted a marriage proposal.

In my own home, each Christmas decoration has a special meaning. Most were made by my father, mother or myself. Some were passed down from my grandparents. Some were given as gifts. Growing up, my family would always give gifts we made and a good number were Christmas decorations. My father's skill in the wood shop were phenomenal. My mother continues her talents with paper crafting, sewing, crocheting, crafting, quilting and more. I so strive to be like her.

Dad's woodwork is shown above - the reindeer, the tree and the gingerbread family in front of the clock. Below is a combination of both parents - the cloth angel is mom's and the wooden one is dad's. Mom created the nativity scene. Underneath the tree are packages created on Cricut, a paper laser cutting machine.

My tree is the most precious this year. I haven't put up a tree larger than the one you see in the above photo since I've been in this house, mostly because of the fur monsters. This year I decided to try it and see.

The tree is in the same place as my grandparents had it when they lived in this house. As I was decorating it, I was filled with memories of Christmas Day with them as a child and I could feel their spirits fill the house. Some of the ornaments are hiding in this photo, but they are the old painted glass ornaments. I also have some ornaments my grandparents hung on their tree as well.

It was this tree that got me to making crocheted snowflakes this year, by the way....

Now back to new patterns and WIPs. Of course, as I was looking through massive amounts of patterns this year there are those normal afghan, doily, scarf and shawl patterns. But I have found some with unique stitches and uses of colors that I am anxious to get started on. I am hesitant to dig out a new pattern, however, looking at this:

You guessed it -  WIPs! From the top left: Mood blanket, temperature blanket, Blankets for Barracks Soldiers, baby blanket, Stitch-Cation and lap robe. I have kept current on tracking my mood and temperatures for 2014, so I can pick that project up at any time - really! The Blankets for Barracks Soldiers is almost done. The baby blanket, well, I don't like the pattern so I'm not sure what to do there. The Stitch-Cation came at a bad time when I was horribly busy, and I didn't want to fight squares that weren't the same size. The lap robe is meant to pick up when I just want to relax, and it's nearly done. So all in all, not too bad.

Good thing I'm okay with that list, because I am starting a new project - the 2015 Moogly Afghan Crochet-Along (CAL)! I have chosen my colors using I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby:

Sagey Tweed, Cranberry, Cream and Dark Olive.

A new pattern will be released every two weeks on Thursday, for a total of 24 12-inch blocks by the end of the year.

The month of December is for joining and borders.

The best part is the author of the Moogly blog has recruited 24 crochet bloggers to design the 24 blocks for the year, which will guarantee that the blocks will always be free and available for the CAL.

The schedule is as follows:
January 8 & 22
February 5 & 19
March 5 & 19
April 2 & 16 & 30
May 14 & 28
June 11 & 25
July 9 & 23
August 6 & 20
September 3 & 17
October 1 & 15 & 29
November 12 & 25

More information is available at mooglyblog.com/2015-moogly-afghan-crochet-along with additional information at mooglyblog.com/2015-cal-block-1.  

Here's to ringing in a New Year, full of hope and yarn!

Happy on the Hook!
Gwenhywfar

Monday ramblings

I actually had a productive weekend, even though it was a busy one. I'm caught up on my temperature blanket, pictured above, and I'm very happy with the minor adjustments I made to the Riley Flower Square Motif. The colors are working together quite well, although once again I've adjusted the color scheme for that as well.

The idea of a temperature blanket came from a group on Facebook. It's really been a lot of fun tracking the highs and lows each day. The nuances of temperature changes each day is fascinating, how the temperature can jump around within a day and how in the summer it stays hot well into the evening (in our part of the United States anyway) is all intriguing. I am a bit frustrated though, that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service's website where I obtain my temperatures stopped posting information on Aug. 1 at 7:40 p.m.

Since I am at a stopping point on the temperature blanket and will have to wait for the local newspaper to come out on Thursday for the temperatures, I turned my attention to my mood blanket. I had initially began working on the centers with the intent of 'catching up' from January 1. Well, we're in August, and I'm just starting, so that's not going to work. So I decided to start in July like I did with the Temperature Blanket.

I came across the mention of a mood blanket in someone else's blog at the beginning of the year. I did some research and found a group on Facebook dedicated to those who were committed to the Crochet Mood Blanket 2014 Crochet Along. 

First, select your moods. Then select the colors that best represent the moods. For my blanket, the inside of the block is the mood.

My moods are content, relaxed, happy, blessed, productive, busy, tired, stressed, bleh, overwhelmed, migraine, energetic, excited, confident, frustrated and bad day.

Then, you can either do a block every day or choose a block pattern that has multiple rows and do a row a day for a block a week. I am doing a block a week.

Some crocheters/knitters are doing rows per day/week. The choices are infinite!

This has been a good exercise for me. It's helped me to see how my moods change, and how long my moods stay the same. As with the temperature blanket, I've been tracking my moods since the beginning of 2014. 

I am using the same pattern Zelna Olivier at Zooty Owls' Crafty Blog used for her Mood Blanket. I am using I Love This Yarn by Hobby Lobby for the entire afghan. So far, the colors I've selected are going together nicely, even the not-so-good moods!

Both daily afghans are very similar in design, it turns out. I will have to be very careful and not get the patterns mixed up! I am enjoying how both are working up, and knowing each is specific to me - one the temperatures of my hometown and the other my interpretation of my moods each day - will make these very special indeed. They may look somewhat haphazard, but they will be perfect!

Until next time...

Happy on the Hook!
Gwenhywfar

More Mandalas!

Although it's been a little bit longer than normal for a post from my little corner of the world, it's not for a lack of crochet action! I've made steady progress on my temperature afghan, and I've finished the remaining mandala as a gift for a very special woman. The one above is using Zooty Owl's Dahlia Mandala.

The first seven rows are by the pattern, except the fifth row (light pink). I made the same modification on the fifth and sixth row as I did before. The next row is from the pattern, and the next row is 1dc in the top of each dc in the previous row, not making any stitch in the ch1 space. The next round is 5ch and a sc that lines up with the ch1 space two rows before. The final round is a hdc, 6dc, hdc into each 5ch space.

I actually caught myself yesterday wanting a travel crochet project that I didn't have to read the pattern after every row. I had a road trip and wanted something to keep my hands busy, but didn't want to concentrate on a pattern. As if I need another project in the works! But it's still in my mind, so I may have to relinquish and search for a nice and easy pattern for those road trips.

What really started the thought process was one of the gals at our crochet group is making a beautiful baby blanket using Caron Light in white. Very delicate with a gorgeous pattern. So, of course, my mind started wandering into the realms of lacy afghan patterns that I could start.

This will be a debate, I believe, of whether or not I shall start another afghan. And if I cave, what kind of afghan will it be... until my next foray!


Happy on the Hook!
Gwenhywfar

Hooky progress!

I love it when a plan comes together! I started working on my temperature blanket earlier this month and I'm almost caught up. I wasn't happy with how the blocks were going together (as I noted in this post), so I tweaked the pattern. The flowers are laying flatter and the corners are much better. I added a TC and a ch1 to each corner, using the ch1 space to join.

So round 4 of the Riley Flower Square Motif would be: Ch1 and sc in the same st. [Hdc in the next ch sp, then dc, trc, ch 1, trc, dc all in the next st. Hdc in the next ch sp. Ch1, sc in each of the next 3 std and ch sps, ch1] 3 times. Repeat for 4th side, but end with ch1 in the last 4 sts and ch sps.

My latest project on the hook is another mandala. Once again, I'm using Alice's pattern at Crochet with Raymond (available here). I should note that I made the same slight changes as last time because I wanted the mandala a bit bigger. The pattern notes are listed in detail here. 

This one is for a friend. I really like how the tones work together in this one. I especially like the bits of yellow and how well they are placed. It's a variegated cotton from Sugar 'n Cream by Lily. I also used I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby.

Two more mandalas to go for friends, plus the Stitch-cation, temperature blanket, mood blanket. I do have a few WIPs right now!

Happy on the Hook!
Gwenhywfar

The challenging challenges of a challenge

I haven't been able to work on the Stitch-cation Summer Challenge as much as I want to, but I've made two blocks so far - the popcorn stitch block:

which I love the texture and feel of. And, the popcorns are kind of fun to make once you get the hang of them.

The second block is a granny square, but it's not like any granny I've ever made!

It's not made in the round. You turn the work after each row like an afghan, giving the block a different appearance. It's a Red Heart pattern (LW4132-11), and I really like it.

I thought I was going great guns, excited to move onto the next block... Until my mother, who is doing the same challenge but has more time, discovered a couple of things. First of all, the border should be done in the same color on all the blocks. Second, the blocks need to be the same size...

Notice a size problem? My mother has found that a few of the blocks require adjusting by changing hook sizes up or down. For the popcorn block, it's two sizes down. So, I will remake the block with a smaller hook and put the right border on!

Another project in the crochet basket is my temperature blanket. I found a pattern at Moogly called Riley Flower Square Motif. Once again, I'm using I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby. I made up two squares to see how it worked up with the join-as-you-go-method I use, and to be honest I think I have to do some tweaking. I don't like the corners and it seems to be a bit 'scrunched,' as if it doesn't have enough yarn to go around the flower.

And, for clarification, my year is July-June :). The inside color is the low temperature and the outside is the high. I'm collecting my data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service website. It's been fun to watch the temperatures through the winter and slowly get warmer into summer. I've definitely enjoyed this part of the project.

More WIPs to keep me busy. But, that keeps me interested and motivated I guess!

Happy on the Hook!
Gwenhywfar