Turning Remiss into Reminisce

It has been hard to get back into my quilting groove since the holidays. My sewing room needed to be unearthed and I have been crocheting or knitting instead of quilting. Yesterday, I thinned out the surfaces in my sewing room by putting away yarn, instructions, crochet hooks, and knitting needles from the following needlecraft projects. I have had yarn as far back as a project from 2012 languishing in mounds on the counter or in bags on the floor. Yes, I have been remiss in final cleanup after project completion. But rather than beat myself up over it, I chose to reminisce instead. Here are some of those projects. Completed? Yes. But remainders and associated paraphernalia put away? Not so much.

Here are those projects followed by dated links to more detail about them.

• Stockings for Autumn (12/10/2014), Vivian (12/17/2014), Isaiah (12/28/2015)
  (maybe it is a good thing I did not put the yarn away between stockings)
• Circular Blankie (12/26/2013)
• Tree Sweater (10/02/2014)  
• Reindeer Olympic Hat (02/03/2012)
• Baby Surprise Jacket (12/8/2014) (actually only directions and no scraps on this; sent remaining yarn with the sweater to the baby's mom, a knitter herself)
• Crocheted Sweater/Hat Set (10/21/2015)
• Crocheted Cardigan (01/15/2016),

The leftover yarn from a knitting or crocheting project is the equivalent of scraps from a quilt. The amount of remaining yarn from the preceding projects, shown in the next photo, sure seems like a lot. Often I need another skein and then just use a small portion of it. On the left in the upper row is the yarn from the vintage Christmas Stockings, Cascade 220. I think I will need more red for the next one. On the left in the bottom row is the leftover from the circular Christmas Blankie. I bought three 10.5 ounces skeins and only needed a small part of the third one. Bottom row middle is the Bernat Satin from the crocheted sweater set. I have more of this yarn in other colors from an afghan I knitted so there is hope for its use. On the right bottom is the leftover from the crocheted cardigan. Above it is more of the same Jojoland Tonic yarn. I originally intended it for a blanket of patchwork squares in different knit patterns. After a few squares I realized the yarn had enough of a heather quality to it that the effort of the fancy stitches did not show up so it is being dispersed and repurposed. The cardigan was one item as least in the Tonic lilac and pink. I have more of those colors plus a lovely coral to use up. In the middle of the top row is the yarn I first used for that cardigan that worked up too stiff so I ripped it out.

Here are the leftovers from the tree sweater. Ah, fabric scraps are so much easier to manage. They do not have the weight and the gauge to contend with, just the color. I say that now, but I have yet to attack my 2016 goal of fabric scrap management and organization.

I organized and put away the tools from those projects as well, gathering up the circular and the doubled pointed knitting needles and the crochet hooks, sorting them by size, and combining the like items in Ziploc™ bags. I now have all those implements stored in one location. I gathered the yarn remnant bags together, stripped out the instructions which I filed in a three ring binder on a shelf, and combined the individual Ziploc™ bags into one large tote bag. Another reminiscence here... I got the black and white swirly and polka dotted tote bag in Atascadero, CA as a gift from the shop owner of a Quilter's Cupboard where I bought my Simple Gifts kit in November 2011. (See post for January 14, 2015.) This generously-sized tote bag used for storage is tidy and compact. My leftovers are all in one place now instead of being scattered.

I dug out and reminded myself about knit items I want to do in the near future and I separated those into an organza covered, circular hat box. I'd like to do a Baby Surprise jacket out of the variegated yarn, a scarf out of the ribbon yarn to the left, and two hats from the Top This kits with the elephant head and the lion head. I picked the animal caps up on clearance in North Carolina. These items are all pretty small and so I hope each will give me a morale boost after its speedy completion.

I have fond memories of this round box. My daughter bought me a plush red velour robe many Christmases ago. Presentation is everything. The robe came prettily packaged in that round elegant sheer container. So I am putting my want-to-do-soon projects in it and leaving it visible in my sewing room.

I am reminded of that special mother-daughter bond when I touch that simple cylinder and use it - and when I wear that robe - which I still do today, at least a decade later. My daughter was spot-on with her selection of that gift. Red is my favorite color, the texture is awesome, and the skirt is a very full A-line so it covers my ample hips quite generously without tugging. Here am I wearing that robe Christmas morning of 2005 so it dates back to that year or maybe even earlier. Hmm. I think I may have been prepped for church underneath that robe. Why else would I be wearing a ruby crystal necklace? Aha, here comes another reminiscence. The necklace was my mother's.

Cleaning up may be a distraction but it also is a relief - and can be a pleasure. I have a yarn stash that needs to be whittled down and that, too, is a 2016 goal; but I was not going to get into that. It may be too much yarn but it is organized and accessible, so why tempt fate right now? I have enough cleared away to tackle my sewing. I've resurrected enough memories to keep me content. I have enough found and defined to do a bit of knitting in the evenings. Perhaps I may even have a work in progress to show by Wednesday.

Today, I'll Crochet

I just re-read my 2016 quilting goals. Whew! Whatever was I thinking? Instead of starting on them I decided to revolt and started a crocheting project. Why not! My daughter had seen this 2014 pattern by Sylvie Damey on Etsy and had requested I make it for her daughter.

The pattern reads well. Rather than just typing out a rote set of directions, the designer explains in general what is happening at each certain stage. I like this approach of giving an overview. It helps to orient me. The yarn I am using is Jojoland™ TONIC a 85% acrylic 15% wool blend in a lovely lilac color. The hand of the yarn is very soft. I am working with a U.S. size H crochet hook.

Sunday, January 10th
I started crocheting this Roseline cardigan and was surprised how quickly it worked up – or worked down rather since it starts at the neckline. The rows of double crochet have the increases spaced so evenly the piece forms a smooth semi-circle and lies flat.

These double crochets are worked in the front loop only of each stitch and I found out this variation really gives a softness and nice drape to the yoke of the sweater, better than when crocheting within both loops of the stitch. I'd learned more from the designer's Chez Plum blog post for February 21, 2014, a link provided within the pdf pattern.

Below the waist are alternating rows of a shell pattern and a mesh pattern. I completed the top, minus the sleeves, and three row pairs of the follow on shell portion below the waist. It went smoothly and was very engaging. Here is a closeup of that pretty shell and mesh sequence.

Monday, January 11th
I finished the final two pair of the shell and mesh sequence rows below the waistline. I like the spark of interest that the one row of single crochet in a contrasting color  gives at the waistline. I was quite pleased that I'd knitted this whole torso and skirt without a break in yarn. All that I had left from the 3.5 ounce (100g) skein is pictured at the left.

Before I crocheted the contrast trim border I needed to pick my button size, because loop closures for the buttons on the bodice are integral to the trim and need to be sized accordingly by adjusting the number of chain stitches in the loop. I had some buttons in my personal stock that I thought would go quite well but just wanted to check out if there was a better option at my local JoAnn's Fabric and Craft Store. There was not. I must admit that this is not rare. I think I have a collection of buttons that rivals the stores. When my mother passed away in 1979, my sister and I inherited all her sewing notions, fabric, and yarn.

When I buy fabric or notions now, I buy what appeals at the moment and often do not use them right away. Since colors change with the seasons, I can usually do better relying on my personal supply since I have several years' range of featured colors. The lilac in the stores now is much more of a pinkish orchid than in the yarn I am using. The lilac center and pink stripe of the button that I already had were spot on color-wise. The store had nothing even close to the hue of the yarn. My husband questioned if I was going to add aqua to the sweater because of the stripe in the button. I said no. There is yellow in the button also, but that just means there will be a wider range of outfits that will be able to be worn with this sweater. The conically shaped buttons feel very smooth and streamlined. Things have to have tactile appeal to me, too. I think these buttons were just waiting for this sweater. The scale may be a bit large but they make a statement!

I found the sales slip in with these buttons There were purchased in 2009 at a small yarn shop in Lake Forest, CA – a shop approximately 4 miles away I'd googled and sought out while visiting my son in Aliso Viejo. Sometimes nowadays I cannot remember what I went into the next room for; but, oddly enough I knew I had these buttons somewhere and I recall pawing through a bin of loose (and very unique) buttons seven years ago in that yarn store. Apparently I paid $1.00 for a "handful" of buttons. I'd saved the receipt in case I ever wanted to find the shop again when I was in the area. Coincidentally, my son just moved to Lake Forest in January 2015. Sadly, when I checked for the Yarn Lady, I learned this particular store had gone online in 2010 and is now out of business. It had been the premiere yarn source in Orange County. I'd only been there once but it had made an impression on me.

Here are some other buttons I bought that day. Those are little red cars that are zipping along the circular roadway on those blue buttons.

I also bought a clever collapsing yarn/knitting basket.

I use it to this day and it is one of my favorites. It is very flexible and with being as smooth as it is on the inside, nothing snags.

Dashing out to the store and reminiscing about buttons broke a bit of my crocheting momentum. I finished the contrasting trim border and broke into a second ball of lilac yarn to begin one sleeve. I think I could have completed the project that day but I have learned that pursuing late evening needle crafts, especially with a distraction of TV viewing, can lead to mistakes. There is always the following day to start afresh.

Tuesday January12th
I finished the sleeves and added the picot border edge to them, too. I sewed in the stray yarn ends. The way this garment was constructed there were no side or sleeve seams to slow me down and there were few yarn ends to weave in. And miracle of miracles! I did not procrastinate on the blocking. I was able to spread the body out flat to block it, but the sleeve shells were a bit tricker since they were double layered. I steamed one side of each sleeve, then flipped the two sleeves and steamed the other side of each. That seemed to work. After blocking, I sewed on those three buttons and here is the completed cardigan. I sure hope it fits!

Wednesday January13th
After adding a few photos and editing this blog post a bit I am linking up to this week's Freshly Pieced Works in Progress to explore other bloggers' efforts.