Charity Squares

I am sick of doing African Flowers and I have realised that I need more wool, which will have to wait until pay day, so really not any motivation to carry on.

Every year the boys bring home newsletters with requests from the Mini Counsellors at school to knit or crochet 20cm x 20cm squares for charity and I never pay them any notice.  Yes I am not proud of it seeing as I am capable of doing both those amazing crafts.

This year I have decided to rid my ever growing stash of wool that I have in my cupboard, lounge and any other part of the house I can put it.  So with this in mind I am knitting up a storm of squares.  To be honest I started later than when they asked this year.  So to date I have 16 squares and one granny square that is in progress with the odd bits left over from the knitted squares.

My aim is to make at least 30 of these squares.  Some of them I am not proud of but I am refining the basic square pattern as go.

I started searching the internet and of course ravelry for a quick and easy square pattern to follow and found on that you cast on 3 stitches and then increase into the first stitch on each row.  However this creates what I call a beginner's square and I am not happy with that so my pattern is. 

Cast on 3 stitches
Knit first stitch and increase into 2nd stitch, knit to end
When you have reached 20cm then start decreasing
Knit first stitch and knit 2 together, knit to end

I love the simplicity of this pattern and plan to use the left over yarn that I have from other projects from previous years that I have 2 or more skeins to make larger squares for my girls who are really feeling the absolutely freezing weather we are having.

Finally I know that my blog needs some pictures of my projects that I am busy with or doing.  I will add all completed projects so far onto my blog in mass and then will promise to add pictures when I update daily.

Sunday Madness

I have a plan.  The plan is to divide the African Flowers into 5 parts.  Then complete each part in each colour.  So one round equals one part.  So today my aim is to finish all the insides of the flowers.  The very middle.  I have completed 5 colours doing 21 of each which is 105 centres.  Wow when you work it out that's alot of centres.  But not all today.  I did two before I started this new plan.  I did two colours last night, had too much coffee and couldn't sleep!  And today I have only managed to do 1 colour.  I am working on the second one.

Now this plan came about as I can't bring myself to cart around 22 different balls of yarn.  So to make it portable I have stuck each ball into a zip loc baggie and am putting the centres inside with one colour.  That way I only have to take maximum 2 zip loc baggies with me everywhere to make this project portable.  Genius!

I have come to the realisation that my plan to learn two items from my new Mother's Day books will have to be put on hold while I finish these flowers and make the bags.  I am determined to get back to that so watch this space for more details.

African Flowers

So many people have commented on my African Flower Mamy bag that me and my big mouth said I would make them all one!

I have 22 100g balls of colours.  My plan is to make as many African Flower Motifs as possible out of the yarn I have.  I am hoping that each ball will yield 21 motifs. 

Today while watching Super Rugby, I sat down and with determination and madness made 21 African Flower Motifs!  These all had the navy blue centre.  I have already made 21 with grey centres, so I have made 42. 

If my maths is right, I will have 462 African Flower Motifs that will make 11 bags.  Each bag requires 42 motifs.

I am still unsure if I am going to make Mamy Bags, I can't find handles that I like to put onto those, I might just make tote bages with the African Flower Motifs.

Oh and my aim is to finish them all by the end of May, and seeing as it's the 14th of the month, I have to really motor!

Inspiration

For Mother's Day this year I received two books that I have been asking for.  Two Harmony Guides, Basic Crochet Stitches and Crochet Stitch Motifs.  These are truly inspiration books. 

Now in saying that it is not like my list of to-do knitting and crochet items is short or in need of adding to but at the moment nothing on them is really inspiring me to pick up my needles or hook and begin or even carry on. 

How ever my stash and increasing mass of left overs is seriously haunting me.  So I have decided that every month I will take two stitches and two motifs and master them and turn them into something fantastic.  I will start at the begining of the book and work my way through.  Depending on the month this could mean 4 items made or could be more.

So for May and yes I know we are already on the 10th of the month I will start with the Basic Double Crochet (or Single Crochet in UK) and the Basic Half Treble Crochet (or Half Double Crochet in UK) and Traditional Square I and the Traditional Square II.

My thoughts for the Basic Double Crochet stitch is that I have already made 7 beanies using it this month, so I am going to cheat and say I have that one in the bag!

For the Basic Half Treble Crochet I am thinking maybe a blanket for my father when he comes and snoozes on my couch.  I think I have enough of the left over yarn that I used for the African Flower Swap to make a decent sized blanket that will cover him.

The Traditional Square I and the Traditional Square II is what I would call a Granny Square, BUT further on in the book there is a square called the Granny Square so this one I am making the Waterborn Baby another blanket.  I have already started using my trusted method but am planning on changing to the method in the book.  Very similar apart from the corner where you join and chain for next round.

Alright I have to fly or I will be late for pick up.

Beanie Mania

Beanies, beanies, beanies.  I have been obsessed with beanies since last weekend.  I made a deep pink one as an experiment and Granny Shake Shake declared it as hers. 

OMG once you get the hang of the increasing it is so easy!  Seriously easy.  I love, love this pattern.  On the Bernat website, called the Chemo Cap.  I love it expecially as it's single crochet so no "holes". 

Then Pudding asked if I could make him a Minion one!  So here is the the adapted one from Sticks and Stones. 

So Mother's day is on Sunday and Granny Shake Shake, well I owe her so much.  She never asks me to make her anything.  She loves the beanie that she liberated from me.  So I have spent this entire week making her beanies.  Now the boys went back to school this week so I have had my normal manic afternoons mainly spent in the car driving from one place to another. BUT I have still managed to complete 6 beanies.