It's Done!?

My first finished afghan!

Yep, it's done! I finished the last border for the 2012 Bernat Mystery Afghan yesterday. 
It's very soft, and comfortable, and I'm sure it's quite warm too. I wrapped it around my shoulders long enough for a picture, but that was it in this >90°F weather!
Once the squares had all been put together, I was actually pretty happy with the colours. When I had the left and right borders on, I wasn't so sure about the border colour. But now with the top and bottom borders done as well, I think it fits in really well, and I'm quite pleased!
I have noticed that the "light" blocking I'd done on the left and right borders didn't really stick, but I think I'll prefer the somewhat creased/folding borders to flat ones if I'd really flattened them out to get rid of the crease. 
And somehow, on the last border I did in seed stitch, I managed to get one less stitch, and ended up with an even number. You can't tell, I just had to write down which rows had to start with a purl instead of a knit. 

Here it is again <3

So, now that that one's done, I've picked back up my clue 1 squares for the 2009 KAL. As I'd posted before, the blue clue 1 square is done, I finished off the yellow one today, and I've started on the pink one. 
I'm excited that there aren't any more clues that have "knit the knits and purl the purls", as that can be a little annoying to figure out every other row. I'm not so excited that clues 2 and 3 only involve more knit and purl stitches. At least clue 4 adds in Sl3, which I haven't done before. 


I've got a bit of a shopping list to take care of for knitting supplies. I've got to get a 32" circular needle for the borders of this afghan, for which all 4 sides are pick up and knit (ughhh). They want a 4.5mm one, and I think I'd like a 5.5mm as well. And then there's 5.5mm needles for normal knitting, as I think with my gauge, that will be in the place of 5mm. The circular needles I think will be metal or plastic. I don't plan to use them too much, and I'm cheap! The straights will be Clover bamboo again though. And, I'd like some dpns (double pointed needles). I think they'd be good to learn about now, and there's a thread about knitting socks on the Bernat forums that I can use to learn, as well as a cute Ravelry pattern that says it's good for learning and practicing with the dpns. Hmm, maybe I should call my grandmother up and see if she's got any supplies I can borrow. If I buy the dpns, they'll probably be bamboo as well. I can just imagine how easily stitches would slip off of those!


On the crocheting front, I haven't made anything new, but I may make a cup cozy from a CAL on the Bernat forums. The only thing is it says to hold two strands of yarn at once, and not only have I never done that before, but I only have one ball of each yarn... not sure how that'd work!
The cat made my decision for me about that sun kissed flower coaster I made. I wasn't awake for it, but my mom told me about how hard the cat worked at getting that coaster this morning. It was between my mom's larger pink flower coaster below, and a large container of hand lotion on top. He worked it though, all the while sneaking sly glances at my mom, knowing he was doing something bad, and eventually got it out! She saved it, but we decided to give it to him, since he loves it so much... maybe the colours catch his eye! Now I just need to figure out where she put it for safe keeping!


Finally, I just remembered that I learned something new for use in knitting and crochet. It's how to use skeins of yarn without unraveling them and then rolling them into balls. In the past (years ago), I'd tried to pull yarn from the middle of a skein, but it ended up getting horribly knotted, which led to me drawing the conclusion that you weren't supposed to be able to use them like that. But in looking online I found videos and posts about doing just that! So when I went to roll my last ball of Bernat Waverly Aqua Frost for the top and bottom borders of my afghan, I stopped and tried to pull the yarn from the inside. It worked great! I just read that you have to pull the outer strand out as well or it will knot. I've done the same thing with 3 more skeins of yarn since. I did try for one other, the sun kissed Lily Sugar'n Cream actually, but for that one, I pulled all the yarn guts out of the middle, and still couldn't find the end. Eventually I stuffed it back into the skein and just used the yarn from the outside. I quite enjoy using the yarn from the inside now though, and I plan to do this for all future skeins of yarn I use... when it works! ;)


Things I learned:

• how to pull yarn from the center of skeins without specially unraveling and re-rolling it
• how awesome my new afghan is
• the sense of accomplishment from finishing my first big knitting project

New Crochet Skills

Sun Kissed small flower coaster

I decided to tackle a few new concepts in crochet yesterday, as well as some of my yet untouched new colours of cotton yarn. I tried a pretty flower coaster that used treble/triple crochet (tr) and half double crochet (hdc), both new to me. To figure out the stitches, I watched some YouTube videos from KnitWitch. It turned out very nicely, but much smaller than I was thinking. I used my Lily Sugar'n Cream Sun Kissed for it, and love the colours!


But since that coaster pattern, which I'd intended to use for myself in the living room, wouldn't be big enough for most of our glasses, I went on to knit another pattern I'd been looking at. It involves crocheting in a chain space (a little), but otherwise no new skills. For that one I used my Lily Sugar'n Cream Crown Jewels. I like the colours, but for the pattern, I think a less intense ombre would be more suited. 


I'd thought of giving the smaller flower coaster to Junior to play with, but I like the colours so much, I decided to leave it in the living room as a spare coaster. I'll make him one of his own though, since this morning he knocked the nail polish bottle I'd had on the coaster to deter him over, grabbed the little sun kissed coaster, and ran! Little bugger, but my mom got it back and gave him the toy I'd made for him. I think he's got it under the TV cabinet right now though. I'll go fetch it out for him....

Crown Jewels larger flower coaster

Things I learned:

• how to half double crochet (hdc)
• how to triple/treble crochet (tr)
• how to crochet in a chain space

Last Clue, Number 7

Since I posted last, all of the squares have been blocked and seamed together, the left and right borders have been lightly blocked (they folded down the middle), and seamed onto the main blanket, and I picked up and knit along the bottom and knitted the first of six rows of seed stitch on the bottom.

My afghan all sewed up!

Knitting the right border was pretty good, and once I remembered the pattern, went pretty quickly. I had to repeat it 25 times to make it long enough. The left border was a little different, as it was the opposite of the right one, although it took me less time to remember the pattern. However, instead of k2tog for the lacy part, it used ssk so that the lacy pattern would slant in the opposite direction. That was new for me, but once I saw a YouTube video of it, I was fine. I did have to tink a row or two while knitting the left side though, because if I let my attention slip I might lapse back into the right side pattern. I did notice about 28 rows too late that I'd mixed up my seed stitch on one row somehow, although the lacy part of that row was fine. It's not really noticeable on the right side though, so I don't mind... not enough to have tinked those 28 rows!


Picking up and knitting was also a new concept for me. I watched some videos, and searched around the 'net, but I really couldn't find anything about picking up and knitting from either rib patterns like the shaker rib, or things knit on the bias... which is what I was picking up from. 189 stitches total, picked up along about 45" of blanket onto a 29" circular needle... hmm. That wasn't very fun, nor is knitting on that! But 29" is what they suggested, and that's the only one I have. So while I knit on it, it's very squished up, and the blanket makes a circle on the needle, pushed as close together as possible so I can have some room to work. The picking up and knit row and the first pattern row took me about 1.5 hours. We'll see how long the rest takes me, and then casting off in pattern, another new thing for me. Maybe I can have it all finished up today!

Blocked dishcloth

And a little update on one of my old dishcloths. I blocked it when my board and pins were freed up, using the same method I'd used for the squares of my afghan. It worked out wonderfully and is now square rather than diamond shaped! Take a look.


Things I learned:

• how to ssk (slip slip knit)
• how to pick up and knit
• how to knit a large project on circular needles

Working On Clue 5

I'm super happy to say I've finally figured out a method for blocking!
I pin out my squares on my foam blocks (only two squares at a time... not enough pins!), and then spray them both with some water from a spray bottle. Then, with the iron set on 7 (it's highest setting) and steam at it's highest, I steam the squares holding the iron about 1-2 inches above the fabric, patting them down when I switch back and forth between the two. Once I'm satisfied that they've been steamed enough, I cover each square with a dishcloth, pat it down, and leave it to dry for about 2 hours. This method has worked very well so far for the 6 squares that I've blocked, the only (slight) exception being the one clue 2 square I did. It's so stretchy that even though it did get larger, I'll have to stretch it a bit width-wise before sewing that part in the afghan. 

Layout 1

Layout 2

Speaking of sewing the afghan together, even though I've been happy with the blocking so far, I'm still a little afraid that the squares will all snap back to how they were over night. So while some of my squares were still blocking, I laid out two half afghans, took some pictures, and worked some Photoshop magic. 
At first I was leaning towards layout 1, but after I saw layout 2 in better lighting and both of my parents concurred that 2 was better, that's what I went with!


Once the layout was decided on, I was able to sew together the squares that I'd blocked, hopefully so that they will stay the proper size, just in case. ;)
I did run into one issue while seaming though. It was suggested in the clues that you leave 12" yarn tails to use for seaming, and I did, even though my squares are about .75" smaller than the expected size. And yet, when I was seaming, I ran out of yarn tail for seaming about halfway down the squares! Each seam uses one yarn tail from one end, and another yarn tail from the other end for seaming. Even given that unforseen difficulty, seaming has been going incredibly quickly! I hope to finish blocking on Thursday, and seaming hopefully that same day (I'll be seaming as the squares are blocked). Therefore I need to finish up the first square for my second afghan to free up my 5mm straight needles so I can knit the long borders for this afghan! I am so excited for it to be competed... the finish line is in sight! :D

Two 3/4 strips sewn together

Things I learned:

• seaming squares with the overcast stitch
• weaving in ends in knitting (especially in rib and garter stitches)
• a method of blocking that works for me!

Some More Crochet

Grandma's small coaster

This past weekend I made more coasters! Using new patterns too. My grandma got one for her bedroom and one for the living room, and my mom got one for work. I still have to make another for myself for our living room, which I plan to use a new pattern for; one that includes treble crochets and half double crochets, two techniques that are new to me. 

Mom and Grandma's coasters

I started out with a different, small flower coaster for my grandmother's bedroom. It was the first time I've switched colours in crocheting. I didn't realize how small it was going to be, but luckily she uses only small glasses in her room. 
Next I used the same colours (Bernat Handicrafter Potpourri Ombre for the middle and Lion Cotton Orchid Solid for the petals) for a larger, different flower coaster for my mom's work. 
I liked that pattern so much that I used it again for my grandmother's second coaster, this time using Lily's Sugar'n Cream Mod Green for the middle and Bernat Handicrafter Meadow Ombre for the petals. 


When I gave my mom her coaster this morning, she put it on a table before she left for work... but it didn't stay there for long. I watched as our cat, Junior, jumped up, grabbed the coaster in his mouth, and ran off all proud before my mom caught him and took it back. I guess while I was gone this weekend he also stole my step dad's coaster to play with. 

Junior's new toy

Figuring he liked my crocheting so much, and knowing the wealth of patterns on Ravelry, I searched for crochet cat toy patterns and then fish and mouse applique patterns. Most of the cat toy patterns were for stuffed mice or other stuffed toys, but I don't have any stuffing. What I did find though, was a neat ruffle cat toy. I used some Lion Cotton Espresso yarn, and crocheted it up for him... it was an instant hit!

Junior and his new toy

I think I'll also make him one of the little flower coasters like the first one I'd made for my grandma, since he likes the big ones like that; even after I made his toy, he still stole my mom's living room coaster and ran off with it! Little bugger <3




Things I learned:

• how to change colours in crochet
• how to make a ruffled cat toy

Starting the 2009 KAL

After my discouraging foray into blocking, once I'd packed up and gone back into my bedroom, I had a decision to make. I could start knitting the left and right borders for my afghan, or I could start on the squares for the 2009 KAL afghan. 
You see, the yarn I'd ordered from Bernat finally came in last Thursday. There were the ten skeins of Bernat Satin for the 2009 KAL (sooo soft!), as well as two small skeins of Lily Sugar'n Cream, in Mod Green solid and Sun Kissed ombre. I also picked up a set of metal cabling needles at Zellers on Saturday in preparation for some of the squares in the 2009 afghan. 

Bernat Satin Yarn
(L to R: Lagoon, Banana, Maitai)

Since witnessing the small squares of my 2012 KAL afghan, I decided to be a good girl and make a gauge swatch. This afghan also calls for 5mm needles, so I started with my 6mm pair... and ended up with 16 stitches in 4 inches, rather than the 18 called for. After frogging that, I went back to the 5mm pair, and ended up with 20 stitches in 4 inches, gah! But, seeing as I lack a pair of 5.5mm needles, and didn't feel like spending the money on a pair of them right now, and doing yet another gauge swatch (which, on hindsight, would probably have been perfect looking at these numbers), I opted for a slightly smaller afghan made with 5mm needles. 


After frogging my second gauge swatch, I started working on clue 1 in my contrast A, Lagoon. I followed the pattern for the first row, and then came across "2nd and alt rows: K2. Knit all the knit sts and purl all purl sts as they appear to the last 2 sts. K2." I assumed this meant doing the same pattern in reverse; if the last 5 had been P3, K2, I would then K2, P3, etc. Thinking this, I completed up to row 4 and decided to double check that assumption... I was wrong. It was the opposite. So I frogged my work again, cast on the 44 stitches again, (which I hate!), and have just finished my first 20 rows of the square (it's a 20 row repeat). There is no exact spot to stop, only when it reaches 8" long, and end with a wrong side row. I think what I have done now is about 2", so 3 more repeats to go! 


Things I learned:

• what "knit all knit sts and purl all purl sts" means and how to do it
• how to make and measure a gauge swatch

Clues 4 and 5

Clue 4

Well, I finished up clue 3 in perfect timing last Thursday, and whipped off the four squares of clue 4 in three days, to finish all of my squares on Saturday! 
Clue 4 was nice to do; the first half was in my B contrast, Classic Navy, and done in the shaker rib stitch, but on the bias this time! The second half was in my A contrast, Aqua Frost (so pretty!), and done in the garter stitch, much like the whole of clue 1. 

Photoshop layouts

And, being the impatient person that I am, when I was done on Saturday, I spread the squares out on the dining room table, and tried a few layouts. I started with Bernat's suggested layout, which I didn't bother taking a picture of (I like symmetry!), and then went on to my favourite layout from the forums, which didn't thrill me in my colours at all, and then on to another forum one. I don't think I'll be using any of those I tried out on Saturday, as I've decided to try some layouts in Photoshop first. The top two are from the forums again, and the bottom two I made up on my own. My favourites are the top right and bottom left, but I'm definitely leaning towards the top right one (as is all of my family I've asked opinions of). 

First layout

I'm getting ahead of myself though. Before the Photoshop fun, I went ahead and attempted blocking some of my squares... yikes.

Second layout

First, I blocked the four squares from clue 4. They were close to my goal size of 8.75"x8.75", so there wasn't too much stretching happening, and I made sure to pin the one curved corner into a more 90° angle. I pinned them out wrong-side up on the ironing board, set the iron to 5 (the lowest steam setting), and steamed them. I think they turned out pretty well; they were the proper size, the curved corner was now more squared, and they laid flatter. Next I decided to do one of my first clue 1 squares (a Classic Navy/Brick Brown one). These being my first squares, they were also my smallest squares (although the clue 2 ones are about the same width-wise). Working on just one, I painstakingly pinned it out. It was slow, annoying work, as I'd just discovered that ironing boards are mostly a sheet of metal- not very conducive to sticking pins in it, and I also had no masking tape to 'draw out' my size on the board. I had to keep measuring the darn thing to make sure I stretched it enough. And the stretching! Stretch it one way, it shrinks up the other! Finally though, it was pinned out and ready for steaming. I steamed it more than the previous four, and let it dry, which only took about 3-5 minutes. I unpinned it, measured it, and discovered I had a flat, square the same size as it have been before blocking. ARGGH!
After that discouraging episode, I packed up and went back to my room, deciding on three factors I needed to change. First, I had to get some of those kids foam mat blocks for the proper sticking of knitted square to flat surface. Second, I had to put some masking tape on the blocks as an indicator of where to pin said squares. And third, I should turn the iron to the hottest setting as well as possibly spray the squares with some distilled water before steaming. 
So yesterday, I found a set of four 24"x24" foam blocks for blocking on sale for $10 at Canadian Tire. Then my dad drew four squares on each block in pencil, measuring 8.75"x8.75", which I then put the masking tape on. 

Foam Blocking Mats

Tomorrow, the blocking will commence! I can only cross all of my fingers and hope that it works! D:


Things I learned:

• how to knit the shaker rib stitch on the bias
• that ironing boards are mostly a metal sheet below a thin fabric layer- not good for sticking pins into it
• Canadian Tire sells the foam blocks I need for blocking
• right-angle rulers rule
• blocking takes a long time, mostly in the setup stage

Crochet Update

My step dad's coaster

In addition to working on my knitted KAL afghan, I've also been practicing my crocheting skills! I did end up frogging that dishcloth I was working on, but I've completed a few projects to make up for it. 
I started with my step dad's requested coaster. The first pattern I tried used single crochets, and it ended up taking a long time and being too small- frogged that! I found a different pattern (here) that used double crochet stitches, and it worked out perfectly! I also learned how to make and use the magic adjustable ring, which is aesthetically pleasing (since you can adjust it to close the first hole), and very useful, as it's used in many circular crochet patterns. I found this video very helpful in explaining how the ring is made. 
My mom was my next coaster requester, but I really wanted to make her a flower-shaped coaster. I looked at a few different patterns, but my favourite involved treble crochet stitches, which I tried but have thus far failed at, so I favourited it on Ravelry to attempt again later, and moved back to the circular coasters. 

My coaster

I really meant to let her have the next one I made, but I put my glass of water on it on my desk, and it's stayed there since! (My poor desk is all bubbly and water-marked in the corner I put my drinks in).


Looking a the two coasters now, I can already see that my crocheting skills have improved! :) The second coaster is more uniform in it's tension, and more circular.


Anyways, my mom decided that she wanted her coaster made out of black yarn, so while I was at Jo-Ann's yesterday in the USA (we don't have that store in Canada), I looked for some black, cotton yarn. I didn't actually find any, but my mom picked out a clearance ball of yarn (the colour caught her eye). It was a ball of Lion Brand, Lion Cotton yarn in Orchid. 
With the new yarn in hand, I went onto Ravelry and found a flower-shaped coaster that starts out in much the same way as the two above, and whose petals don't involve anything more complex than double crochets (pattern can be found here). 
She really likes the coaster, and I've offered to make her one for work as well, but I think I'll try my hand at another pattern for it. I found two other flower coaster patterns that are within my skill set but that use two different colours of yarn. I figure I'll use some scrap potpourri ombre yarn for the middle, which is what the circular coasters are made out of, and then use the orchid yarn for the petals!

My mom's coaster

Things I learned:

• how to make and use the magic adjustable ring
• how to recognize double crochet stitches (to count how many are in one stitch)
• how to weave in the ends
• how to finish a circular crochet project without a slip stitch so that it lies flatter
• how to crochet a circular coaster
• how to crochet a flower-shaped coaster

Working On Clue #3

Second part of Clue 1 is done!

Just on time last Thursday, I finished up clue 1 and started clue 3. That puts me right on schedule, having finished the first two clues in two weeks. 


Clue 3 is the first and only clue to use my contrast E, Butter, which is paired up with Greek Sea. Each side of the square is in a different pattern as well, which puts me in mind of corn every time I see one of my completed squares, especially thanks to my colours! The clue 3 pattern requires a bit more attention than previous patterns did, especially the second half where I need to count knit stitches between k1belows. Despite needing to keep track of my rows on a piece of paper, I actually find that these squares get finished pretty quickly; a small mercy considering there are 8 to do! As it stands, I'm halfway done square 4, and I started a few rows of square 5 on my circular needles. (I wanted to knit more while watching TV last night, and with the first half of the squares, there's no counting stitches as I go to distract me, so I started square 5!)

Clue 3 Square

I'm excited as I near the completion of clue 3... four squares for clue 4, and then my squares are all done! :o
After that there will be blocking. I'm waiting to complete all of my squares before blocking because their sizes have fluctuated somewhat unexpectedly. Clue 1's first four are smaller than the second four. Clue 2 is a bit narrow, but it's stretchy width-wise. I'm not sure how clue 3's squares measure up to the others (it's about the same, none are more than 0.5" different within the other squares too), but the yellow corners like to curl up. By waiting until all of the square are done, I'll know what the biggest size is that I'll need to accommodate. 


Also, I finally got some more, good supplies/accessories! I got a case to carry my projects around with me in, which has a small clip-on bag with it that my crochet hooks, measuring tape, small scissors, darning needles, tip protectors, scrap pieces of yarn, stitch markers, blocking pins, and buttons can all go in. It also has a few holes and slits on the top so I can work on projects with my balls of yarn rolling around safely inside the bag. 
And as I listed above, I got some real stitch markers, and some buttons. The buttons are for a few little crochet projects I have in mind for when my tension gets a little more consistent and I get some polyester stuffing for inside of it.... Enough of that for now though!


I've also ordered my Bernat Satin yarn for the 2010 Bernat Mystery Afghan KAL. I'll have to get a cabling needle for that KAL, but I'm excited for it, as the Bernat Satin is soooo soft, and the patterns on the blocks will have some new techniques for me (like cabling!). I'll document my progress on that afghan on this blog too, but I'm not going to start it until the 2012 one is done. 


Things I learned:

• two new stitch patterns I don't know the names of  >.<