FO Friday: Calm Cowl + Sock Monkey Monkey!

I finished two long-term projects this week - all the better to make way for my Malabrigo March projects! My crocheted Calm Cowl seemed as thought it would never end, and that's partially because I didn't want it to! It was the perfect type of project to take on the CTA, so I ended up making it considerably larger than the pattern specifies. The yarn was perfect for this project, a nice subtle gradation of emerald green and occasional turquoise hues. You may recall that I ordered this last fall from Craftsy's Thanksgiving sale - I'm not sure if I mentioned it at the time, but they accidentally sent me an extra ball of yarn, something that ended up coming in handy after all!

The other project I finished this week is my Sock Monkey Monkey! I had been wanting to try the hand-dyed yarns from Haldecraft and fell in love with the Sock Monkey Colorway. When my SIL bought a skein of worsted-weight yarn in my color of choice, I knew I had to make myself a stuffed monkey. Using Rebecca Dangers's Jerry the Musical Monkey pattern and a few odds and ends from my stash to round everything out, the Sock Monkey Monkey project was on! I don't recall when I started this project, and for some reason I never entered the date in my Ravelry notebook, but I can guesstimate that I've been knitting in this for about a month.

I also repaired two more pairs of socks in my Darn-a-thon efforts: the Mineshaft Socks were originally knit in 2009; the lace section near the back of the heel was starting to get threadbare, so I thought it would be better to reinforce everything now instead of trying to put back the pieces once a hole cropped up. The other pair of socks I repaired last weekend were begun at the tail end of 2009 and finished in January of 2010 using some really cool yarn I bought at a yarn store in Kansas City that is no longer in business. They're just simple stockinette, but I love these socks and am happy to have them back in the rotation!

By the way, there are some really awesome Craftsy Deals that I am trying not to be tempted by: Brown Sheep, Manos del Uruguay, Spud & Chloe, and yes, even Malabrigo awaits you if you are brave enough to take a peek at the latest yarn deals from Craftsy!

Celebrate FO Friday by checking out more posts over on the Tami's Amis blog!

Have a crafty weekend!

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b...

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a...

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n...

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