OMG: UFOooooooossss!

Did you ever decide to organize your yarn closet, and in the process discover an overwhelming number of Unfinished Objects: I have!

I have clearly been in denial about the quantitiy of UFOs piling up on my watch. To be honest, I knew about a few of them. Some are over five years old. They were slumbering quite peacefully until disturbed today in my zeal to clear out the yarn cabinet. They are the dirty dozen, plus one. Here is a brief run down.

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From the top, left to right:

• Cabled gloves in dark green yarn. Pattern by Brooklyn Tweed, from Vogue Knitting magazine Winter 2009. I started with great enthusiasm, but lost steam when I fully understood the complexity of making cables up Each Finger. Tossed the pattern about six months ago.
• Sparkly and beaded water bottle purse. I was making it for a former boss as a gift about six years ago. I couldn’t decide how to make the closure and strap.
• Granny Square whimsical bird house. This was an experiment to see what Else could be done with granny squares.
• Ladies’ woolen slacks. Frustrated with my inability to buy wool trousers that fit I decided to re-fashion a pair of men’s wool trousers. Purchased the pants at Goodwill, the pattern for $1.00 at Hobby Lobby.
• Made the mistake of buying extra fine alpaca lace weight yarn. Tried to knit it held two strands together into a shawl. It’s not going well.
• This is almost done. It is a serape-style poncho knit in a Northern Woods colorway yarn. Today I blocked it and expect to finish it soon.
• This collection of yarn is set aside to make fingerless gloves. Still working on a design.
• This is the pattern and fabric for making quilted baskets. I’ve made two so far. Eventually I will have enough little baskets to organize and store all my fabric.
• This is a piece that I knit from Icelandic wool received from my daughter. I intend to felt it into a little purse – at some point in the future.
• This shawl kit, designed by Laura Nelkins, includes beads. Someday it will be done.
• Here is the 8 by 10 inch weaving that I made as an example for my fiber arts students. It’s nearly finished. But I ask – what do I do with it when it is?
• And finally, I recently started a triangular cardi-vest designed by Melody Johnson. I thought it would be a good way to use up the odd balls of yarn.

Oh yes, I did say a dozen plus one. The last UFO is a felt coat.

It needs to be altered. I removed the first sleeve and then hid it in the back of my closet. It will likely stay there until next winter.

So, my fellow fiber artist – which UFO looks the most appealing to you?

A New Addiction

Alright. Almost no fiber objects were created this week. I will share the one thing I did make with yarn for my crochet in the round workshop. It is a teaching aid.

The six stages of starting a round crochet object

Instead I spent multiple hours on sketching from the Inktober prompts.

Day 7: Enchanted

Day 8: Frail

Day 9: Swing

Day 10: Pattern

Day 11: Snow

Day 12: Dragon (fly)

You may have noticed a few insects have shown up. I find them fun to draw.

And finally, this: why is the act of sketching on ink and paper so addictive?

Goofy Grinning Ghost

Tomorrow is the first session of my Crochet in the Round workshop for children. I have eleven students registered, which is a lot to teach. Fortunately I recruited two of last year’s students to be teacher aides. Yesterday I met with my team so we could practice our stitches. I feel pretty ready.

I’ve been having lots of fun crocheting assorted objects in the round that might be appealing to children. Mr. Ghost is awfully cute, and seasonally correct! It is begun like all circular crochet projects, with a group of stitches worked into one chain stitch or magic ring. Subsequent rounds are increased, and then decreased as the shaping requires. While I found this pattern not difficult, I am uncertain whether an eight-year old can manage it. The arms were the trickiest part, because they were so small to hold. The eyes are made of white felt, marked with a sharpie and sewn on with black embroidery floss. The mouth is also black floss.

If you want to try a ghost, the pattern is available free at Lion Brand yarn.

http://www.lionbrand.com/crochet-pattern-genie-the-ghost-1.html

Crochet in the Round Workshop

The first fiber arts workshop I will teach this year takes place in October. I selected crochet in the round because minimal skills are needed to make basic shapes. There are no long chains to work into, no need to turn the work and it is easy to keep track of the number of stitches in each round by using one marker. I am so excited about the patterns I have found in researching for this workshop!

May I present Princess Pigtail and Knight Greyling of Corkshire?

This adorable characters can be crocheted in less than an hour and require only a small amount of yarn. For the princess, I used a wine cork as the filler. The knight is filled with a tall thread spool.

Both patterns are available free. The knight is by LucyRavenscar http://lucyravenscar.blogspot.com/2010/02/cork-and-crochet-knights-ninjas-and.html

The princess is by Tarkheena Crafts: http://tarkheenacrafts.blogspot.com/2014/04/crochet-pattern-princess-fleurette-of.html

Have fun making these little figures!

Playing with Dolls: The Purple Yogi

Like many women in my demographic, I get my exercise by practicing yoga. I don’t remember when I got the idea to make a purple yogi, but I know where. It was during a yoga session. While searching for a drishti (otherwise know as a focal point) in the middle of forming tree pose, my eyes glanced at a ceramic yogi in seated position. Breaking my concentration, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be fun to make a posable figure from yarn and wire?”

Thus was conceived the Purple Yogi. He is constructed of yarn, florist’s wire, a little fiber fill and some white glue. The gestation period was about three months, and the birth itself took two half days of work. I started with a sketch, and proceeded in single crochet to make his torso and head.

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Next I crocheted down from the waist to make a pair of manly hips. The arms were knit in I-cord. One wire was inserted through the body at shoulder height and slipped inside both the arms.

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The legs came next. I inserted a wire through the hips, with loops where the ball sockets would be. A wire was inserted into each loops and stretched down for the legs. The I-cord legs had two increase rows, to make them a more tapered shape. Then the knitted legs were slipped over the wires, sewn to the body, and a little glue added to shape his feet. Here is the completed doll.

Yogi is sitting still while his gluey feet dry.

Here he is in seated pose, ready to start his first yoga session.

I discovered very quickly that he could not sustain a pose without a sticky mat. I cut one out of a rug grip pad. Okay, Yogi, let’s strike a pose or two!

FORWARD FOLD

PLANK

COBRA

DOWN DOG

This project really made me smile. It’s good to play, even if one is a bit old for dolls.