The Crafting Journey (Part U)

 Hi,

This week I have been busy with lots of projects! I finished the Dazzling Daffodils shawl. It is beautiful, but it needs blocking to really make the pattern stitches pop. It turned out so well I am totally looking forward to making it in yellow, though it was quite time consuming. I also wonder if I can count... I think I can, I am sure I learned to in elementary school but somehow when it comes to knitting projects I question whether I really can count or if it is just an illusion! I didn't think I had made any errors in the shawl, but at the end, I was two stitches short, luckily, the pattern worked out anyway-on the beginning of the decrease I snuck in two stitches in the knit section and the rest worked out just fine.

Still working on that doll cradle- I am thinking of abandoning the project and just chalking it up to a lesson in what not to do or take on... It is unfortunate though, I had high hopes for that. Finishing it is not off the table quite yet. I think I will just have to take an afternoon and just work on it and see what happens. 

I started a new shawl this week and after five attempts and several counting blunders, I frogged anyway. The pattern was a little too intricate for the chunky yarn I had chosen. While frogging is never fun, I learned some new techniques and also found out where I was making mistakes, so all in all, it wasn't a bad experience. I will try again in worsted/aran weight. The shawl will be delightful (It is a paid pattern, but it is called Beekeeper Shawl- I found it on Ravelry).

So last week I mentioned that a pastor and his wife at my church are having a baby. They know it will be a girl. I had made a blanket for their son and I thought I should make a blanket for the new baby too. However, since I just found out about the baby, I do not actually have enough time to make a blanket, so I decided on a little dress. It is a pattern I have used before by Taiga Hilliard, the Helen Joyce- and it is so cute. Maybe I will make a little tam to go with it too- that would be super cute- but if no hat, that is okay too- I have another little tam to make to go along with a cape I made a few months ago for a baby. That baby was born in March, but I decided to make something a little bigger and give the gift (the cape and hat) in the fall. 

I just love yarn. With all the different kinds out there, it seems harder and harder to find machine wash/dry. My thought is that nobody has time for fussy stuff, especially if the person/family has a baby. Since so many of the things I make are given to charity, there are no care instructions given and I don't want anyone to worry about whether or not it is okay to put something in the dryer.

I decided to use up that chunky yarn anyway and started a plainer shawl- so far so good, it is garter stitch but will be nice and warm. It looks like it won't be the whole ball of yarn so I think I might make a matching hat for that too.

I am really ambitious when it comes to knitting. However, so much knitting to do, so little time. I have a lot of yarn too and lots of projects I would like to do.....

Anyway, thanks for reading and happy crafting! A few stitches a day keeps the psychiatrist away! (Knitting is really therapeutic!)

Melanie