slow to do anything

Sorry it’s been over a week since I’ve posted anything!  And I have more to apologize for when I tell you I haven’t done much at all since then as far as fiber arts are concerned.

One reason I haven’t crocheted/knitted much this week is because of one of my nervous habits: picking at hangnails/cuticles/extra skin on my fingers.  It’s one of those things I can just barely control, and sometimes I go overboard.  Not only is it kinda gross, it impedes me from working with my hands because my fingers get so sore and torn up.  I feel vulnerable sharing this with you because it’s like a big weakness for me, and I know a lot of anxiety is all in my head, so I feel like this should never be a problem, but there it is.

Here’s what I have done though:  I’ve taken pictures of a knitted scarf that’s been in the works for a bit.

The yarn for this scarf is a gift from a friend, who bought it at a local yarn shop.  It’s by Dark Horse Yarn, it’s 50% nylon and 50% acrylic.  It is so soft, it’s almost unbelievable.  Such a pleasure to work with!  And I love the lovely colors!

Here are some more pics of my granny blanket yarn and my blanket circles, which are coming along nicely, albeit slowly:

So that’s it for today, sorry it wasn’t more exciting.  I’ll try to hurry, I promise.

slowly but surely

My flower sunburst granny square afghan is coming along very slowly, less because of my lack of time to crochet and more because of my lack of yarn funds.  I swear I will never use Berroco Vintage Chunky for a blanket again!  It’s my favorite chunky yarn, and I love everything about it except the price!  It’s $8.50 a hank at the local yarn store, hence the need to pause before restocking.  My previous wavy afghan was made with the it but used a lot less (due both to the pattern and size).  My current afghan should amply cover a double bed, but even so, I feel the desperate need for a cheaper yet similarly soft and washable yarn!  Dear reader, please suggest brands to me!

Here are some [slightly blurry] pics of my progress (thanks, point-and-click camera).  This first pic is of one of my yarn storage bins containing 60 squares and the favored Brittany J hook.  So far I’ve finished 76 out of 120 squares; 120 squares will make a 10 square by 12 square afghan and I plan to add some edging rounds as well.

So that is my progress, what do you think?  Hopefully I will be finishing the squares soon and can lay them all out to piece them together.  I plan on just slip stitching them all together — it seems easier, faster, and almost neater than sewing them.  I will share my progress with you again as soon as it has reached this desired point.  Hopefully you won’t be sick of reading about this afghan by then!

I’ve been busy!

So the semester is coming to a close, and I have one more paper to finish up before I’m done with my second semester of grad school!  I’m so excited for Christmas break, during which I plan to both knit and crochet like mad.  Hopefully that means more posts coming your way!

I’m hoping it actually gets cold here — today it was around 45 but I’d like it to be colder so that I can model more of my creations in public!  I love showing off what I’ve made not because they’re exceptionally good (because they’re really not), but because I made them and they make me happy.  I’ve already given a bunch of simple crocheted hats to my school friends for Christmas — it’s really gratifying to see others wearing things I made!

I’ve actually got some new things to share today.  First off, my sweet baby pitbull, Zero, models her scarf/bow and her granny square sweater.  The sweater was a spur-of-the-moment creation, and it’s meant more to keep her warm than to be stylish, but I figured I’d share anyway.

I was making her sweater instead of doing the homework on the floor beside her:

And finally, I’ve been working on knitting the HBP Hermione hat (pattern available in the ‘knitting corner’ section), so this is where I am, with the real pic to compare: