Shirking Responsibilities...

I was going to take care of some banking which really needs tending to, but I've decided to blog instead, despite the fact that I don't have a heck of a lot to talk about.

To be quite honest, the notion of calling it quits with regards to the blog has crossed my mind more than once in the last few months. I think it's just symptomatic of some grander malaise though, and until I figure that out, I think I'll just leave well enough alone for now. Besides, I'd miss the friendly folks out there who continue to stop by once in a while and who I pop in on from time to time. It's strange to consider anyone who I only know through the written word as a 'friend' of sorts, but I suppose that it's true.

Maybe it's time for a change, a little renovating. Cuz one simply cannot have enough renovation in one's life apparently. And by renovate I mean start projects and then promptly forget about them...for years. Let them fester, drive you crazy until you become a very cranky person who blames everyone else, yes even the baby for why nothing gets done around here while you yourself go have a nap. That's my style of renovation anyway.

But we're wandering here. Here's a couple of finished projects for you.



Little A's Duffle Coat is finished and HUGE on her. I knit the largest size, 12-18 month I think and it's gigantic. Which is a good thing. I was picturing this being a great springtime jacket anyway. I'm just hoping that by the time it fits in the mile-long sleeves and around the middle, it won't be too short. All of this girls growth is in length. There isn't an ounce of baby fat on her. She's mostly composed of leg, like her father. I know once she gets older I'm going to be green with envy of her legs...they're so pretty. Yes, pretty legs. She's going to look lovely in shorts, just like I never did. *sigh* It's true what they say about having baby girls...they steal all your pretty.



The only modifications I made to the coat were to omit the pockets and add this little scalloped crochet edging. I had a hard time deciding between the purple and the teal when I bought the yarn for this project, so this seemed like a decent compromise. I'm not 100% in love with it, but the coat just seemed to need a bit of a finishing touch, so I'm happy enough with it. And I love the buttons. Sparkly :)

In other FO news, I crocheted this little guy for a special little guy who will be celebrating his very first birthday in about a weeks time. I had a minor brain cramp before I sent him off though, and totally forgot to take a picture. But really, the two of them together makes a way better photo opp anyway. It's a little hard to make out, but it's a crocheted robot from this really cute book I ordered a few months ago called Amigurumi Two; Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too. If you follow the link, you can see the robot on the cover. Such cute stuff in that book. I'm going to make a few things for Little A for her birthday too. There is a turtle that can actually lay eggs. A little weird, but cute.

Umm...where was I? Oh, I've also signed myself up at this site called Meet Me at Mikes where she is doing a Granny A Day challenge/KAL/tutorial thingy. I joined in an effort to motivate me to finish up my daughter's Babette blanket which I started in September...of 2008.



I was so gung-ho the night I added my link to the list (I'm number 41...not that that means anything, just thought I'd point out where I am) that I crocheted four squares right there and then, which lead me to count up all the squares I had left to crochet and wouldn't you know it, I only have 11 left to do before I can start seaming all of my squares together. Now had I finished this sometime back in 2008 I think I would be quite thrilled with the size of the finished product, seeing as miss Bean was still in-utero. Considering the fact that she's now nearly a year old, I'm pretty sure that baby blankets are sort of moot now, and anything that is less than say, twin sized is perhaps a little useless. But, we shall see what we get once it's all put together. I think I still have four full balls of yarn left to work with, which goes a really long way, so I might just make a really wiiiiiiiide edging.

I'm also thinking of doing some sort of Olympic knitting challenge. I bought yarn to knit up a Starsky sweater last spring and never got around to it, after having some problems with setting up the cable initially. I'm attempting to finish up lingering projects since there are only a few of them hanging around. I don't think I'll be joining any Ravelympics groups or the like though...too many rules. I find it confusing. Maybe I'll just do my own thing, keep track of my own progress. We'll see. My goal this year was actually to knit less and move more...setting a marathon knitting challenge only appeals to my obsessive side and seems counter to the 'move more' goal. Although in my Yarn Harlot page-a-day calendar it does state that knitting burns 80 calories an hour. So ya know...there's that.

Lastly, I'd like your opinion on what I should do with this...



This is twelve-ish skeins of Bernat Blarney Spun, apparently Irish wool. I bought it at Value Village about...hmm, three or four years ago? It was partially a sweater then, a very scratchy, not terribly attractive, all the way 70's style man's cardigan, complete with middle-aged male model smoking a pipe in the pattern picture, looking every bit Leonard Nimoy/Spock hanging out on a Sunday afternoon. In my last yarn stash cull, I just couldn't seem to bring myself to part with it, even though I had done nothing with it other than move it with me a couple of provinces.

So I frogged what was already knit up and washed and skeined all the balls. They were 50 gram balls and I think pretty much all of it is there. I don't know the total yardage. I should've measure my skeining thingy...which I suppose I could still do and get a rough estimate of just how much there is. Oh wait, here we go...I just found a little bit about it online here ...had never been able to find any info before. So 65 yrds. per ball. Times 12 = 780 yrds. Not a whole lot, but enough for a sweater probably, though not one likely to fit myself. After the washing it softened up considerably, so it would probably make an alright cardi or jacket of some kind. I did use a bit of it for a felted bag way back when, for Carrie, and while it didn't felt into a really tight fabric, it did shrink some and got very fuzzy, which worked for the project I used it for. So there's that option too I suppose. Anyhow, what's your take on it? It's an aran colour, worsted weight, fairly heavy duty. Thoughts?

Alright, I've had my fun for now. There's plenty of shirking left in the day, so I'm going to get cracking. Until later...