Switching Gears Part 2

And now for the exciting conclusion.

The fifth project on my list is the You Are My Sunshine CAL which I began in May 2018. In a way it's the opposite of the Solar System, since it's sunny and bright. I haven't really picked colors that are in my usual comfort zone, so I don't know how this is going to go. My task was to finish part two.

The sixth past project is one I'm going to abbreviate as GCG. I began it in September 2018. It's possibly the first project that I've felt like I could really put a title on it and label it like a work of fiber art. But I'm going to hold on to that title until I've finished and given it to the intended recipient. It is equal parts HILARIOUS and thoughtful. I finished up a part that I had been stuck on and un-crocheted a part that wasn't working.


Seventh on my list is the Hooked and Locked CAL that I began in October 2018. It's a really different technique that I wanted to try, but I couldn't work on it because I need to buy some yarn. So I made a rude gesture at Perfectionism and skipped right on.


The 8th project is called Reyna which I also started in October 2018. This is a knit shawl which uses sock yarn. I'm getting closer to the end but there isn't really a set section I could break it down into like many of the other projects. So I just knit 3 rows and moved on.

Oh the ninth project on my list. It's pretty silly. I had come across a pattern for a knit Sampler Scarf. It uses 6 different beginner stitch patterns. This project and Reyna were both things that I came across and thought "this would be a good way to level up my knitting skillz" But I thought while I was at it, I might as well go ahead and double down. There is a sort of fad in scarves lately called "super scarves" where everything is just obnoxiously sized. So I decided to make it twice as wide and each section 10 inches instead of the 6 inches recommended. This is a good way to go insane. I'm calling it my Super Sampler Scarf, I began it in December 2018. My task was to finish the first stitch pattern which is the most boring one, garter stitch, I had to knit a little under 4" to meet the 10 inch plan.

The last past project that I've finished work on this week is called the Hygge, it's a shawl, but rectangular. I fell in love with this pattern in October of 2017. At first I was going to get my standard cheap-ish readily available yarn, but I just couldn't find colors that would do justice to the pattern. So I asked Tim to buy me the yarn kit for Christmas. The more expensive European yarn is just necessary for this project. But then I was overcome with anxiety about getting the gauge right because if I'm off, I might not have enough yarn and that would be a mess. Finally in December 2018, I figured I better start working on it before a full year had passed with it in my possession. I didn't get very far because holidays and I wasn't in love with the colors. It turns out I don't like the red, orange, yellow, side of the rainbow but once I get the green on I start liking it again. I finished the first part of the CAL in January.

The last time I packed it away, I was really pretty close to finishing part 2 as well, so that was my recent task.

I'm pretty excited about this project, if you can't tell by the word count alone. After that day, I focused on a sewing project as a bit of relief from yarn projects and also just because I've been too stressed out. I needed a more mindless project. I don't know if it's working in terms of increasing the good chemicals in my brain, but it beats doing nothing.

Moving On

I ended 2018 by taking a photo of all the unfinished knit or crochet projects I could remember and find at the time. There are 14 in this picture. There were two more in my backpack that got stolen and two more that I remembered after the picture.

So far I've finished that rainbow-y piece on the right. It's a temperature scarf for 2018. But then I promptly started a temperature project for 2019 so it feels like it's an ongoing project. I'm knitting both the high and the low held together as one strand of yarn. Some days I knit the previous day's two rows and some days I play catch up.

2018 Scarf

2019. January - June

 In March I finished the peacock feather project, which is a lap blanket. I'm pretty sure this project began in the fall of 2017. I have also sworn to never ever try that one again. It was so frustrating. I may be willing to make something with peacock feathers on it, but not one like this. It's one of a kind.

One of the projects that I had left out of the photo was a giant elephant project. I make all kinds of little stuffed animals but when I wanted to make a special project for my own children, I asked them what size they wanted and of course they wanted giant sized. I believe I began the project in May of 2018. I wanted to make the elephants give the impression of each girls' favorite Girl Scout cookie. I also finished these in March along with making two giant stuffies for my nieces so I felt like I was on a roll of getting caught up on past projects

I got a little busy with other projects. The next past project I finished was at the beginning of July. I had started it as a Christmas gift for a group of my friends but didn't get it done, so I finished in time for a special event we had together.

I would feel like I've been slacking on this project list, except in March, I had this brilliant idea to start keeping track of all the projects so I wouldn't feel like that. In 2019 so far I've started and finished 31 sewing projects and 29 yarn projects. I've also started 4 more yarn projects. And then the whole reason for this post is to talk about the 5th past project that I've finished. Unless I count each part of the project separately, in which case I've finished my 12th past project.

So in December 2017, I started a baby blanket. And it's finally done.