Monday miscellany - 27Aug2018

Ugh. Nothing like coming home after a long workday and a workout to find out that it's 84 degrees in the house because the A/C wasn't running. Fortunately rebooting it seems to have it working again, and it's finally starting to cool down.

What I've been reading... I don't think I read much, if any, this week, so I'm still very early in _Kill the Farm Boy_.

What I've been crafting... I used some leftover yarn to crochet a small blanket for DD's dog, to ride along with the framed piece I made last week. I've started working on the bottom band of the round-robin I mentioned last week, and hope to finish it this week before moving on to Violet Mandala.

Fumbling toward fitness... I did well at Curves last week, making it all 5 weekdays, and my Duolingo and Lumosity streaks continue to tick ever upwards. Treadmilling, well, that's another matter. I only did 3 days due to various excuses, and that's also reflected in my lack of reading this past week. I'm going to try to better on that this week, starting with tonight....once the inside temperature is down to something reasonable!

One Little Victory The tropics have been blissfully quiet for us so far this season, and nothing is coming up in the next few days. (Now, I hope I haven't jinxed us by saying that!)

And more finishes!

Only March, and I've actually completed several more things this year!

This first, my Peace design, I actually finished a couple of weeks ago. Somehow I never got around to posting it here, though...

(Click for PDF)
This is on antique white Italian linen, with Waterlilies "Royal Jewels", PB68 "black opal", and MH40374 beads.

My other two finishes are more recent, both on 28 February.

This is Victoria Sampler's "February Bellpull", on 28ct lavender bliss Lugana. I also put a few 2mm amethyst gemstone rounds for accent. Because it's my 40th birthday piece and I felt it needed genuine examples of my birthstone.

And remember the snowflake afghan I started when I lied about setting my hook aside? I finished that too.

The yarns I used were various blues and white with silver metallic threads. The pattern is a freebie at Art of Tangle, though I chose to make more motifs (91 total) and make a hexagonal afghan. Sort of a meta-snowflake.

Four finishes already in 2010....I think that beats my total for 2009!

On the hook...

In my last post, I said I'd lay my crochet hook aside for a bit to let it cool down.

I lied.

Not only did I *not* put the hook down and step away, I started not one, but *two* afghans....

The first is a Poinsettia Afghan, a free pattern from Coats and Clark. I've only done one square so far:


The other, in somewhat more progressed state, is a Snowflake Afghan, a freebie from Art of Tangle.


(Click for larger picture)
I'm actually piecing this one slightly differently than charted - I decided to make it a hexagonal afghan instead of a somewhat rectangular one.

Because I'm weird that way.

I can't count...

Nearly 5 years ago, I decided to jump on the 63 Squares Afghan bandwagon.

When I was nearly half done, I discovered there was a sequel pattern, "63 More Crochet Stitches". Combining the two and deciding to drop several, I decided my 63 Squares afghan would be a little larger...121 squares (11x11). Time passed, life happened, and the afghan languished.

Until football season this year, when I picked it back up again. And about 9:30 last night, I can say...it's done!

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And true to form, the afghan has since been claimed:
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At least I won't have to hear "crochet faster, Mommy!" tonight. I think I'll set my hook aside for a bit to let it cool off.

Done and yet not done...

After three years, the 63 Squares crochet afghan is done!

But not really.

Over the course of working on it, I discovered the 63 More Squares crochet afghan, and decided to merge the two. Dropping a few squares from the total mix (how many designs does one really need with the popcorn stitch, anyway?) would give me a nice square 11x11.

In the meantime, however, I have 64 squares crocheted and pieced together, so technically the initial goal has been met:

(Click for larger picture)

In the process of pulling up links for this entry, I discovered yet another 63 Squares afghan. But if I ever do that one, it'll be a separate beastie. Trying to assimilate it into the current 63 Square Borg would just be too large.

The eye(let)s have it!

As is typical for the end of the year, things are busy here at Alternate Dementia. But as is also typical, there's not a whole lot that's particularly blogworthy.

I did finish the eyelet border on "Fortunate Traveler". The eyelets alone took me over 10 hours, and the border as a whole, including backstitching, took me 17.

(Click for larger picture)
I'm up to 185 hours on it, with 300 still seeming like a reasonable estimate for completion. On now to the story area.

I've also stepped up production on the 63 Squares afghan, since as a non-timed project I can work on it during TV-watching. I'm already up to 25 finished squares, when a month ago I only had 9. There's just something about cool weather that brings on the urge to crochet...

And as long as I'm sharing photos, I found this very old one of DD from about 6 years ago, when DsS first got an Xbox.

Note the maniacal expression....

148 down, ? to go...

I just realized it's been over a week since I've blogged. Life continues here at Alternate Dementia, busy but not particularly noteworthy.

I haven't stitched since the first week of January, but I have been doing a lot of crochet on DD's First Communion veil.
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The one 'missing' motif in the lower corner is there to remind me which side is 'up' - with a size 8 steel hook and size 30 crochet cotton, it's a little hard to tell by looking at the motifs themselves. I'm up to 148 motifs, and since I don't know a definite size, I'm playing it by ear. Whatever I have done by the end of March will be pretty much it - I still need to make the dress!

In designing news, I have two smalls in the works that I hope to have out by the end of the month. I will go ahead and spill that one is a St. Patrick's Day design....
I haven't forgotten about the Spring bookmark, either - it also is in the works.

In other news, Lent is just over a week away, and I'm still trying to think about what I want to do. I've decided I'm going to give up the snooze button (again) and soft drinks (a recent vice caused partly by a surplus from our Super Bowl party). I still need to decide what I'm going to take up, though. Maybe something I can do with the time gained by not pounding the snooze button!

Off the hook, so to speak...

Today was my stepdaughter's baby shower, and now that I'm back I can finally show off the baby gift I made for my impending grandson.

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The pattern is from the Leisure Arts Our Best Baby Afghans book, and the yarns I used were a generic aqua I've had for a long time, and Wintuk "Summer Breeze" Ombre. I think it turned out pretty well, and DsD seemed to really like it.

I actually finished this almost two weeks ago, but couldn't show it off yet because DsD occasionally reads my blog and I didn't want to spoil the surprise.

It also certainly kept my fingers nimble, switching between the size K crochet hook I used for this, and the #8 steel hook I'm using for DD's veil!

(Further) Proof that Belinda is Insane

So I had the bright idea of crocheting a veil for DD's First Communion, which will be in, oh, about 18 months. I couldn't find a pattern online, but I did find a nice motif in Leisure Arts "Pretty Tops in Thread" to use. And I didn't want it to be too heavy, so I'm using DMC Cebelia #30 with a size 6 steel hook.

So far the results are pretty, but this is easily the most delicate work I've ever done. Witness my work so far:

I've included a US 25c and a 1€ piece for scale comparison. This is two motifs joined together. I don't know yet how many it will take - I'm making it up as I go!