Yep, my 5th one is done! (Pattern here.)  This one’s for a coworker who wanted a large grey one, so I made it extra wide (11″ unstretched) and extra long (78″ unstretched), so it’ll wrap around three times.  Granted there’s not much ease, but with some mild stretching — not even blocking — it should give enough.

That’s it.  Folded in half.  The whole thing wouldn’t lay flat in a picture.  I used 5.24 skeins of Berroco Vintage in Smoke (you hold 2 strands together at the same time), so I only needed to buy 6 after all, not 8, but I won’t charge my coworker for the unused 2.  I really do love Berroco Vintage even after years of using it so I’m sure I’ll find a good use for it.

Here’s a closeup, although the color is too light — the first photo is accurate:

I also clearly really love this pattern, to make 5, and as I mentioned in my last post there’s a 6th in the works; another coworker wants one and she’s picked the yarn but I haven’t ordered it yet.

It makes me really happy that people ask me to make them things (#4 was requested, as well).  Makes me feel like I do a good job, that I make stylish things, and that it’s all worth the price I have to ask for for the yarn.  I do charge for labor, too… sometimes…  If I kinda owe someone a favor I’ll just ask for the yarn cost, like the intern who received #4.  She helped me so much during her time at my job that I wanted to thank her, and that’s how I did it.  Can’t keep doing that for everyone, though, even though I don’t necessarily mind — my wallet minds.  The coworker #5 is for reminded me that my time has value, too, and of course she’s right (although I think if I charged retail price for items nobody would ever ask me to make them anything again).  Someone also recently asked me through e-mail if she could pay me to make her an as-we-go stripes blanket, but I haven’t responded yet. I have so many things I want to make and while I don’t mind making quick projects for coworkers I’m not sure I want to start selling larger items to the general public, at least I’m not sure if I want to do that now; maybe in the future if I have more time at some point that could be an option (but if kids come along that’ll be a bazillion years).

So according to my New Year’s resolution to make 25 items this year, I’m doing really well already — this was #5 to be completed (although I haven’t shared two of them here yet because they’re for a pattern I’m releasing and I want to do that at the same time).  Hopefully I can keep this up…

Thanks so much for stopping by, see you soon!