Plan the Week - Week 6

This week is week 33 with the dates being 12 August -  18 August 2012

7 Day Forecast

Monday          -1°C - 15°C

Tuesday         2°C - 18°C

Wednesday    5°C - 21°C

Thursday        5°C - 20°C

Friday             5°C - 20°C

Saturday         8°C - 20°C

Sunday           7°C - 21°C

This week is Pudding's 8th Birthday and I am going to be hectic organising everything.   We give our kids the option of having a big present or having a party, Pudding being who he is choose to have a big present and he really wants a Ninento DS 3D.  So that will be his main present and then I have to get some small things for him.

Today Monster starts his therapy and although he is nervous I know he will do great.  He is very comfortable talking to me about his feelings and what not but doesn't like opening up to strangers so hopefully after awhile he will get comfortable and get the full benefit.

We also decided that it's time he meets people who have the same interests as he does, so he will be joining the Scrabble club on Wednesday, Speedstacking club on Thursday and then Chess on Friday. 

Pudding will be doing Craft club on Wednesday, Speedstacking club on Thursday and Chess on Friday.  He loves Craft club and has already attended 3 sessions.  He is really a crafty boy, I wonder where he gets it from? (LOL).  He has taken to Chess so naturally maybe it's his Maths brain that loves a good puzzle.  He used to attend but when he had to go back to OT he had to stop.  I am thrilled that he wants to attend again.

I am going to be knitting Pudding's Zig and Zag blanket this week and maybe another End of Year Teacher Present.  I really want to get the blanket finished.  I am starting to get bored with it and need to finish or I just might leave it in the WIP basket and never get back to it.  I have knitted 342 rows so far and have 158 to go.  I would like to be able to knit 28 rows a day but I am not phased if this doesn't happen.

Right I am off to go and start the Birthday week shopping.  Have a wonderful week.

Get Rid of WIP's - Daisy Cowl (Finale)

I made these Daisies last year but I can't remember what size hook I used.  I do remember that I played around with different hook sizes until I was happy.  I like the square but don't like how small it is.  It would take alot of these squares to make a blanket and I'm not that much in love with it to carry on.

I hate having 20 squares sitting in a box with no project in mind.  I got them out and tried to make a scarf with them but I would have to make more as it was too short. 

I grabbed my 4mm hook and some left over white and joined 5 groups of 4 together.  Went around the group once in double crochet and then sewed those 5 groups together.  Then finally I went around the top and the bottom once in double crochet.  I didn't twist it as I'm not a fan of the wrong side of crochet.  But looking at it, I should have.  Oh well next time!

Get Rid of WIP's - Sky Shawl (Finale)

This one I started as an attempt to see if I enjoyed making shawls and to get rid of almost 200g of a variegated blue left over from a pullover I had made Pudding.

Hooray I got rid of the yarn.  Boo Hoo not enough to make the shawl big enough for me!  But that's alright one end of year present made!

On my insane trip to get all my WIP's finished this month, I remembered that I have two more sitting at the back of my cupboard.  I hauled them out last night.  One I will convert into a cowl and the other is going to be frogged and turned into something else as I really don't like it.

Get Rid of WIP's - Twirl Scarf

This is the second scarf I am making with this Elle Twirl Yarn.  The first one was a learning curve, the yarn needs to be untwisted and then straightened as you go.  The first one I was naive and it was a quick and easy present.

This one, well I looked in Ravelry that I cast on 29th of December.  I finished it last night.  Yes it was irritating.  The twisting of the yarn no matter what I did to try and avoid it or reduce it, drove me NUTS!  You can't take your eyes off it for a second as you have to straighten the yarn with your right hand before finding the right loop to put the left hand needle into! 

All in all!  One scarf out of this would have been bliss.  Beautiful presents made. But will never do it again!!!

BUT WOW I got another WIP done!  I have one more for this month and then onto new adventures. 

I love reading all your blog posts, they really make me smile and I look forward to my morning coffee and blog reading.

Get Rid if WIP's - Earth Granny Finale

The weather was miserable! Overcast and windy. Bonus there was a ODI (one day international) on as well! South Africa vs Sri Lanka (Cricket). The two of these combined made it possible for me to finish the blanket!  South Africa won which means 2 wins out of 5!!  3 more wins!

Get Rid of WIP's - Earth Granny

I started this as a quick present for my sister in Cape Town however I never managed to finish it before my niece and nephew went back!!!  I wanted to make her a lap blanket for in the lounge.  She loves natural colours. 

I went through my stash and found 6 balls each of StyleCraft Life that I don't enjoy knitting or crocheting with as it is very thin double knit.

I doubled it and am using a size 8mm hook and chained 150. 

Each colour is 13 rows.  I have since done more that the photos show.  I have completed 2 brown and 2 green so 2 more of each to go!!!  This WIP should be finished at least by Monday!!  Fingers crossed.  I am planning on going around the blanket and that's what Monday is going to be dedicated to.

Get Rid of WIP's - Scarlet Marble (Finale)

I did it! It's Friday and I finished it!  So happy and so are my fingers.  I love my KnitPicks needles but they always poke a hole in my finger which splits and then I have a nasty cut on it.  I am sure it's the way I knit (English) and on my list of new things to learn this year is the Continental way of knitting (Picking instead of Throwing)

Get Rid of WIP's - Scarlet Marble (Part 2)

I normally write my blog entries first thing in the morning when the boys have gone to school.  However last night I posted.  So I will get the Scarlet Marble completed today but sorry you will have to wait until tomorrow for the completed pictures.

Sleeve One Completed

60 Rounds

17 Increase rounds

4 Purl rounds

Cast Off

Get Rid of WIP's - Scarlet Marble

One of the projects I started in 2011 for a birthday present in the first week of January is the Scarlet Marble.  It is a top down cardi based on the Butler Pattern by Kerri Allman.  This is the third time I am making this cardigan and I am convinced that's why I didn't finish on time.  I started it on the 28th of December so that would have normally given me plenty of time.  Everytime I picked this up I got miffed.  It never seamed to grow. 

I pulled myself towards myself and am determined to get it finished by tomorrow so I can give it on Friday and therefore only be a week late!

I have finished the body and am almost finished the first sleeve, so fingers crossed tomorrow's post will reveal a completed cardigan.

The start

A few more increases rows to go

Even took it to school to fetch Pudding today!

 Tuesday's Progress I finished the body!

Not so much today!  That's all I've done on the sleeve

Not going to let that get me down and going to stick it out and plod on to get it finished for Friday.  See you tomorrow to show you one finished sleeve and the last one in progress

2012 and Blogging

I have been thinking about my blogging in 2011 and decided that all I was doing was participating in other people's along's.  While that is not a bad thing I have decided that this year I am going my own way.  With that in mind I am also going to look at my Ravelry groups and do some house cleaning!

In 2012 I want to be more organised with my crafting and get rid of my stash.  I love my stash but I really want to reduce it. 

January I am dedicating to finishing 4 out of my 5 WIPS

• Ruffle Scarf
• Icelandic Shawl
• Granny Stripe Blanket
• Red Marble Cardigan

Starting February Iam going to be working one row of the gigantic ripple blanket.  I need this finished by mother's day (May 19th).  Also I want to make a birthday present, a christmas present and two end of year thank you presents.  That makes 4 projects a month.  I can so do that, can't I?

During the week I will be dedicating one day to updates

• Gigantic Ripple
• Christmas Present
• Birthday Present
• End of Year Present
• 12 new skills
• New Ideas
• Goals for the month and week ahead

So that's the plan.

Bored

As much as I love the IRB RWC Ripple, Iam longing to do my other projects as well. It takes me a full day to add six rows to it. At the moment I need more variety in my crochet life.

My plan add one colour a day, be it a two row or a four row. Weave in the ends of the previous colour! Eliminating mass weave in at the end.

Do one colour of the AF blanket a day which has been neglected for a long time.

And cause I didn't have enough to do, I signed up for the Instangram Granny Square along! Which is to make five granny squares a week! They are already on week three, so I'm behind by fifteen!

Oh and just to make sure I'm not slacking! Frog at least two rows of Take My Time (it's too narrow)

Goal Monday - Week 2

This is the second time I am typing this, blogger is not being nice to me at all.

I achieved my first ever public goal from last week.  I finished Ice Cream and I did the 26 rows of Take My Time.  I actually did 30 rows!!!

This week in order to get more done on Take My Time I am going to do 24 rows.  I know not as ambitious as last week but I have some more wips that need taking care of.

Ribby, is going to be frogged.  Pudding said he doesn't like it and would like a cardi.  Well he actually said "The one with buttons at the front".  That will have to wait as I have to start the RWC blanket on Friday.

This week I have to swatch the 4 squares I like and then let Granny Shake Shake choose the one she likes.  I know I said I would do that yesterday but the day ran away with me.

I want to finish Red Butler.  I have sewed the ribbon onto one side, and although it's not 100% flat it really finishes it off nicely. 

And Friday the IRB RWC starts so will the blanket and the One a Day challenge for me.

There you have it, my goals for this week.

What if any are your goals for the week?

Goal Monday

I miss knitting but have too much crocheting on the go to actually justify a knitting project.  So my plan is to list how much of each of the crochet projects I either have to do to get it finished or to reach a certain point in a week.

Ice Cream - Baby Granny Stripe Blanket
26  rows of the pattern
1    row of single crochet
2    rounds of single crochet

Take My Time - Neat Ripple Stripe Blanket
26  rows of the pattern

I am putting this out there so that now I can be held to it next week Monday.  I want and need Ice Cream to be finished tomorrow in order for this to work.  Also I NEED to have it finished so that I will have a FO for Friday and it can be given as a present.

Take My Time, well I'm actually bad at letting projects fester, I have a NEED to get them done and out of the way and move on to something else.  I said that I have going to do one repeat of the 9 colours every week but I am already two weeks behind on that due to the Baby Bundles needing to be done to a deadline. 

So actually this week I should be doing 44 rows of the repeat, I just don't see that happening and don't want an epic fail on my first public goal announcement.