There are no dorks here!

Like I said in my last post, I am working on cleaning my craft room.  I would love to be able to really move around in there and have my desk space back!  I am almost done.  I got the desk wiped down at least now....  It is really sad, there are some basics that I really miss about having a normal room.  Don't get me wrong, I love my craft room, it is just that it is hard to work around not having vertical space to use for my storage solutions.

I have an idea of where I want to go with my space once I have worked my stash down.  I just will have to go through some growing pains until I get my stash worked that far down...  I am just glad to be able to work in there again right now!  I am taking the victory!

While I was organizing the top of my "personal use" yarn space, I found three random balls of bulky yarn.  I have no idea where the blue one came from.  The pink was actually a ball I had gotten my grandmother when she said she wanted to try and crochet again.  The purple has been hanging around for about 10 years now.  I had some turquoise that I bought at the same time but that has all been used for different projects.

Of course, I am a dork...I couldn't just have random balls hanging around... So I brought them down to the study and found patterns for them!  I am sure that is what any rational adult would do...  Right?  No, just me then...

First I found, Rainbow Twist by Thao Nguyen.  This was an interesting scarf to knit.  It went super fast, but the addition of the large scale cable was a lot of fun!  The first twist gave me fits because I was so sleepy- I was knitting to stay awake at that point Monday night- I wasn't paying attention to where my working yarn was laying.  Once I got a good night sleep though, the next two cable pattern rows were a breeze.  If you are looking for a simple gift, accessory or have a random ball of super bulk yarn...  Make this scarf!  I used Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in Blossom.

Second I found She's a Betty Bonnet by Gretchen Tracy.  Holy Mackerel!  I am in love with this pattern!  I love the texture of this pattern.  I really wish that the pictures of my hat showed off the texture or the yarn showed off the texture.  When I started, it didn't look that bad, but by the time I was decreasing the crown, I realized that the texture popped on the back but not the front.  That is okay, I will remake the hat I am sure!  This hat was knit in Premier Serenity Chunky in Stormy.  I got Nilla Wafer to stop for 5 seconds to show off the split neck detail.

I know many of you guys don't know me at all, I also haven't been blogging for years, so you would have never had a chance to learn this Carrie fact...  I adore split neck hats!  I really wish there were more designs out there for these!  The bun hats took over the last two winters, but I will be honest, the split neck is better!  You can wear a low pony tail, scarf and collar at the same time you head stays warm and dry!  There isn't bulk on this style of hat, no fixing your hair to wear this style hat and it stays put on your head!  I know, I am still a dork...  This isn't helping my bid out of dorkdom...  I have made a few over the years, but She's a Betty and Lomond Hat by Littletheorem may be my favorites!  Go get some bulky yarn and needles!  RUN!  KNIT!

So for the third yarn I went with Zombie Killer Slouch by Luciana Young.  The name was eye catching enough!  I couldn't resist this hat after that!  My biggest issue with this hat is that this style doesn't look great on me.  I think I have made one that looked okay on me...years ago...super thin yarn... extra long slouch...AKA, too much work!  This hat however was simple, fun and easy.  It was great for a lone ball and not wanting to over think while working!  This took no time to work up!  I am sure I can find it a good home!


I then took the pink left overs and made a heart applique...  I have no idea what I am going to do with that!  It will hang out until I have a use for it.  <shrug>  Who knows, I might just throw it on a blanket or hat down the road.  I don't make a whole lot of yarn embellishments normally, but I like having them to use when I want one.  It is one of those odd things, you just don't think to make them until you need them normally-well, me at least...

I still had some scraps of all three left over.  Guess who has two thumbs and started another scrapghan!?  Yep, this time a C2C blanket.  It will take me years to finish this blanket!  I haven't worked that much with bulky yarns for the last year or two or 5...  But, I have no random bits going back into the craftroom! I actually pulled 4 random bits balls and added them to this blanket!

One of the things I have been working on is using my scraps as I go.  I know you have seen my hexies and the gray/blue blocks, but it has gone deeper than that.  The Dr. Who Scarf was mostly made from the Harry Potter scraps.  A lot of the donation hats from Lent were made with scraps that were going to just clutter up or were already cluttering up my craft space.  It is perfectly good yarn that I love to work with, but because it isn't a whole ball, I don't think to go and work with it!  Until I have my yarn stash more under control, I won't see these balls in my room.  So, I am trying to work through them now while I see them!

I had this post mostly ready to go up Friday, but I couldn't find time to finish...  In my pictures of my mostly sorted craftroom, you will notice a blue bin on the top of the big yarn wall.  The one on the left hand side...  Yeah, so I didn't go through it while cleaning.  I thought it just had my leftover cakes from a crocheted cocoon sweater, some old straight knitting needles, bits and bobs that were yarn related but not sorted...  NAH!  I found a whole group of Vanna's Choice (stray balls are in the blue bin on the right) including GRAY, 1.5 balls of GRAY!  I was over the moon!  I can go back to my 12 inch granny square blanket!

I also found 2 more balls of Bernat Softee Chunky (vintage) that will become a crochet cable "book bag", another ancient WIP- lace fingerless gloves and some bits that have homes!  So even as I am posting this post, my craftroom is already changing for the cleaner!

I have some plans for the extra large One Pound skeins, so as those get used, I will pull another extra large bin in and sort my large group things into that on top and use my cubbies for smaller quantities and some of my paper supplies that need help in staying organized (boxes only go so far...).

On to paper crafting.  I had to move my paper crafting back upstairs (that is what is on my desk under the window) because Nilla Wafer is older and wants to play with Grandma's stuff A LOT more!  Tater Tot likes to watch, Nilla Wafer wants to take supplies and do her own thing...  So, not a lot got done aside from moving things up to my craftroom.

I did get my second page mostly done for my first scrapbook ever...  I am having a problem making the second page's pictures pop and lift off the page more.  I wish the picture did them more justice, but I haven't stuck them down yet.  I have embellishments planned, but I need to get the pictures fixed.  I am in search through my stash of a navy blue floral...  That should get finished tonight though.  Then onto scrapping our morning at the Jean-Talon Market.  I already have produce papers pulled for those!

Last week was super productive and some how I did manage to actually make things to show you!  This week is packed full already.  I don't know how much time I will end up having, but I am excited to see!

Take care you guys!

PHEW!

So, for the last week, I have spent every free moment trying to get my craftroom cleaned.  It has been destroyed over the last few months of not working in there.  Tater Tot has been here 4-5 days a week and I can't just leave him downstairs on his own, so I have been working down stairs.  For the Summer Tater Tot and his big sister, Nilla Wafer, will only be here two days a week.  This will buy me the ability to work upstairs again, but I still won't get too much done during the week with paper. 

I won't take pictures until I am ready to move my stuff back up from the card project.  Just know that there are a lot of pictures of my craft room coming later this month.  It doesn't look that different, but it is at least CLEAN.  Guys, let's be real, there has been so much on the floor it had been months since I could vacuum in there.  I am also trying to get the desk cleared enough to sew on the near side desk.  Pray for me please!

I am not sure what I showed you in my last update of "The Great Craftdown of 2018", but I have started a new Summer shawl in Paton's Venus.  I can't wait to start wearing this shawl to cover my shoulders at mass!  It has some AMAZING drape!  I am not really using a pattern for this, it is a basic bias knit pattern.  I am a little over half way done at this point. 

I am very broad (yes, fat as well) so I am enjoying the fact that this might actually work as a full on wrap for me!  I am easily excited...I know!  I know I will need it about 5.5 feet if not a bit bigger.  For me with pashminas/stoles, the larger the better.  I really like to be able to throw the end over my shoulder and keep it out of my way.

I did finish my Caron Cake "over an hour" shawl/scarf.  I might come back to this pattern with leftover Venus.  I think the step pattern would be very pretty and effective with the drape of the Venus!  Curzon decided that he needed to be a part of this moment.  I really like the pattern especially for a one skein pattern.  My leftover ball was smaller than a bouncy ball.  I just kept  going until I was out of yarn.

I haven't given anyone an update on my bias baby blanket (AKA the travel project) in a long while.  I told you guys that it takes me forever on those projects.  I only work on them when I am in car or waiting in an office or something.  Just as a reminder, this is being worked with a Lion Brand One Pound in Pastel Green.  I am just glad to be working through some of those larger balls from the top of the cubes.  Those are all over the place.  I swear they are multiplying in my craftroom.  Every so often I walk in and find an new ball has shown up...

It is about 1.5 feet up the side now.  I am going to take it to between 35 and 40 inches before I start working my way back down.  So I have a VERY long way to go before I can even get excited about finishing this blanket.

Oh guys!  So I haven't really mentioned it here as of yet, but I have been playing around with the idea of scrapbooking.  I have enough paper to be getting on with!  Let's be real!  I am taking the plunge.  I am going to try both pocket journaling and old school 12x12 scrapbooking.  I want to do pocket journaling for my craft things and standard fancy pants scrapbooking for our "real life".

I am starting the fancy pants journaling with our trip to Montreal a few years ago.  Page one is actually done.  Page two is giving me fits.  I want it to be a two page layout called "Saturday in the Park".  The second picture is just where I was playing with things on the page...  That isn't anywhere near done at this point nothing is stuck down.  I really like where I have the coordinating washi tape, but I can't seem to figure out the mats or the arrangement... 

I spent a sick day last week chopping some card down for pocket cards.  I don't have any pictures, but I got some 3x4s and 4x6s cut up and ready for journaling my crafts tangibly and keeping pattern notes as I go.  It will be different than my blog and have more personal information about the year of crafting.  I am pretty excited.  It will help me to use more and more of my supplies!

I hope that you guys had a great weekend!  I look forward to getting back with you guys at the end of the week hopefully.


PS: Sorry for the scattered nature of this post.  Tater Tot and Nilla Wafer are here today and I have had to stop every 15 seconds because they are talking to me non stop...  For a frame of reference, I have been watching the same 15 minute video for the last hour...  Yep...  Kinder in the house!