Monday, February 06, 2006

We’re from the Federal Stash Organization Department…

and we’re here to help...

Note:  My apologies to those of you on dial-up; this post is rather picture-heavy.

Well, the great stash organization finally got under way yesterday afternoon.  My goodness, I’ve got a lot of crap!

This is just about everything - all the stuff from under the coffee table, and all the stuff from the closet and the cabinets.  The only stuff that isn’t there is the current work.  I piled everything on the bed and, let me tell you, that layer is about 2 feet deep.  As you can see, I tend to group things in bags because it keeps the yarn from getting dusty and snaggy.

At the end of about 4 hours, I was beginning to approach some kind of order :)

Starting at the lower left and moving clockwise, we have the Woolease (worsted and sport weight), crochet cotton, acrylic chenille (anybody know what this stuff’s good for besides making you tear your hair out?), a bit of lace weight, a bunch of novelty stuff and some sock yarn.  These were all assigned their own little bags.

Then came the cottons:

They consist of a great deal of Classic Elite Spotlight, some assorted stuff, a fair amount of both Sirdar Primavera and Paradiso, a bunch of craft cotton and some assorted odds and ends.  Those got split by weight/type.  I also found a bag full of sport weight cotton that I’d entirely forgotten about - that’s it, in front of the bin.  Very nice stuff and, now that I know it’s there, something to think about.





These are the wools.  Except for the White Buffalo (the pink wheels there), I don’t have much of any one thing and, like the cottons, I tend to accumulate a fair amount of Classic Elite stuff because the mill is right here and closeouts are irresistible :) I was pleased to find that I have more Dulaan wool than I had imagined and am, even now, thinking about trying to find interesting ways to use it.





These are the synthetics and this is only about a fifth of the pile as it spreads out in every direction from here :) This also doesn’t count the huge bag of Simply Soft off to the side, or the Woolease on the bed.  This pile is 90% Red Heart with a few Bernat items here and there.  This got sorted by color: blacks, pinks, greens, whites and creams, reds and purples/blues.  There is one solitary skein of mustard yellow and there are no oranges at all.

I finally got everything put away by about 8 PM, having started at about 3 PM and having taken an hour for supper (wonderful supper - swordfish and asparagus!).  Of course, going through this largesse made me think about all the things I’d like to do with it :) And I did take a brief break at one point to look something up.  Remember I was blithering about socks last week?  Have you seen these?  Or these?  Yowza!!!

I finished up the little hat and I think it’s cute as the dickens :) It should fit anyone from a toddler to an eight-year old and it’s called Blossom.  She is modelled here on the bottom of an empty 2-liter Fresca bottle :)

Blossom

Materials

About 4 oz. light worsted – in two balls, Color A
About 2 oz. light worsted – in two balls, Color B

Crochet hooks size G and K
Double pointed needle or circular, size 10.5
Tapestry needle

Note: Yarn is used double for hat.  The flower is worked with a single strand.

To start, wrap your yarn around your fingers a couple of times.  Working with the K hook, draw the yarn through from behind the loop and sl st to loop. 

Round 1: Ch3 three (counts as first dc) and then make 11 more dcs in loop being careful not to catch the loop yarn as you work.  Carefully, take the hanging end of the loop yarn and pull gently until all your stitches are arranged around the center point and the hole has been closed up (thanks Barb – that’s an invaluable tip!).  Join with sl st, ch3.  12 stitches.

Round 2: Dc in same st as ch3, 2 dc in next st and in each st around, join, ch3.  24 stitches.

Round 3: Dc in same st as ch3, (1 dc in next st, 2 dcs in following st) around, join, ch3.  36 stitches.

Round 4: Dc in same st as ch3, (1 dc in each of next two sts, 2 dc in following st) around, join, ch3.  48 stitches.

Remove crochet hook from work and insert your 10.5 knitting needle into the loop.  Pick up and knit 47 more stitches around the circumference of the hat - in other words, one stitch for each dc.

Knit one round.

Switch to K2, P2 ribbing until ribbing measures about 4.5 inches.  Switch to color B and continue in ribbing for another 2 inches.  Bind off in pattern.

Flower

Round 1: With a single strand of A and the G hook, repeat the beginning procedure to create a ring of 12 dcs, pulling yarn through gently, as above, to close up the hole.  Join last dc to ch3 with sl st.  Switch to color B.

Round 2: Ch3.  Work 3 dc in same st, ch3 and sl st in same st as dcs.  One petal made.  Sc in next st.  Sl st into next st and work ch3, 3dc, ch3 in this stitch.  Continue around until you have 6 petals.  Break off color B.  Attach flower to center top of hat.  That bump in the middle of the flower in the picture is a French knot - add or not as you please.  Or a little button might be cute.

Of course, if you’re making this hat for a little boy, you could attach a pom-pom or a tassel instead of the flower.  Just don’t tell him the hat is called Blossom :)

Using color B, embroider a chain stitch around the circumference where you picked up the stitches to knit.  Weave in the ends, fold up the brim and you’re good to go :)

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1. Ha! You’re an amateur! Hardly any stash at all.  (hee)

   Posted by  on  02/06  at  11:43 AM
   Location :



2. Norma - Well, I’ve only been at it a few years, give me time…

   Posted by Robbyn  on  02/06  at  12:18 PM
   Location :



3. i *should* be following your good example, but i’ve gotten rather fond of the state of chaos my stash now resembles-

   i’m a firm believer that (almost) every yarn has its merit- i actually buy the cones of acrylic chenille for making lapghans for a nursing home around here- no matter how hard you try, those places have a bad habit of misplacing possessions so extras are always needed- that yarn held double and knitted or crocheted makes the perfect weight for our not-so-cold climate when just a light covering over the knees is comfy-if they tear up or wander away, there is no great loss- well, time maybe, but since we’re talking a hobby here, i don’t think that’s a real factor-

   am i not just an annoying pollyanna today?

   from the pics, i see you’re right when you say you are a ‘jewel tone’ lady! some pretty things there- and cheerful ‘blossom’ is nice-

   stay happy-

   Posted by  on  02/06  at  02:49 PM
   Location : seeing daffodils already...



4. Barb - You may have more space than I do.  Believe me, when I have some more room than I have right now, I plan on making my stash a design element in the living room :) Myria lives in fear - MWAHAHAHA!

   As for the acrylic chenille, I suppose it’s good to know it isn’t a complete waste of time and that some folks even like it :)
   

   Posted by Robbyn  on  02/06  at  04:32 PM
   Location : ...following the yellow brick road.



5. That flower is just beautiful. Rich colors.  I like that.  As for the rest, we all buy things that seemed like a good idea at the time.  Unfortunately, I always forget what the good idea was.
   I made SuperBowl omelettes this weekend and as always I thank Robbyn for ‘learnin’ me how. LOL The omelettes are quick and taste so good people don’t even realize they are eating leftovers.
   

   Posted by  on  02/07  at  12:55 AM
   Location : Louisiana



6. Aarlene - LOL!  Well then you should have me over some day; I love leftovers.  If it was good the first time, it’s even better one or two days down the road.

   Yeah, I can’t imagine what I wanted all that acrylic for, but I guess I’m honor bound to find something to do with it.  Want an afghan? Heheh....

   Posted by Robbyn  on  02/07  at  10:28 AM
   Location : ...following the yellow brick road.

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