Pineapple Wrap: Finished

I really do enjoy finishing a crochet project. I finally can see just how gorgeous all my hard work is. I must also enjoy starting new projects, since I start so many!
This started as a wrapper project.

First change: color. I made it in white.
Second change: stitches. I based it on my pineapple afghan.

Third change: size. Finished size: 96 x 19. Pattern suggested size: 80 x 14.
The afghan has 8 bottom points. The wrap has 4 bottom points.
I bought 2 14 oz skeins. I have just a little bit left of the second skein. I used worsted weight yarn and a size I hook.
The pattern says to make all the bottom points before joining and working rows. You have to mark the right side so that the first row across is always worked on the same side.
I make the first one, don't finish off so that when I've made the second one, I can join immediately.
I had made 2 1/2 pineapples on the outside strip when I started the slits. I worked over 2 strips for the outside. 23 rows made a long enough slit. So I fastened the other skein on and worked over 3 strips for 23 rows for the middle. Fastened off and worked 23 rows over the last 2 strips for the outside of the other slit.
Then I worked across all 7 strips until it was long enough to wrap nicely around me. The outside strips of pineapples are 15 pineapples long. Finally, I was able to finish the 4 points of the longer strips of pineapples.
Much as I want to start another project, and I have yarn/plarn for several, I really do need to finish some others......

Round Ripple Baby Blanket: Finished

This wasn't meant to be one of the blankets for nieces and nephews and my children. I still need 8 more of those. I need to get busy on those, there are now 5 married couples in that group who haven't yet started their families!
No, this is for our orchestra director's granddaughter, who is due in July.
www.crochetingwithval.com/2014/05/ripple-afghan-pattern.html
I'm always glad to finish another project.

I'm also glad when the recipient seems happy to have received something I've made.
Now, of course, I have fewer wip's, so I have to start something else. I've had the yarn for my February afghan for a couple of weeks. So....
Perfect pink, baby pink and soft white. In the same pattern I made for James and Diana.

With any luck, I'll finish it before next February.....

Plarn WIP Basket

It's not as if I don't have enough things to make. My daughters are always thinking up new things for me to make! This idea is thanks to my younger daughter. I have lots of bags piled up waiting to be made into plarn. Sadly, most are just a few of each color. I have a few projects which have been waiting months for more specific colored bags.

So, why not make some smaller striped baskets to hold other WIP? That will use some of those bags and hopefully make my piles of waiting yarn neater.
I've had a shopping bag of target bags in progress for almost a year. I pulled it out and put a partially finished baby blanket in it. Success! 2 projects neater!
Now, I'm going to make a round basket. Start the same as a scrubbie.
Keep going, working increases evenly until the round is big enough. 1 foot is a nice sized bottom of a basket. Then, work even until it's tall enough. If I want the basket to flare open a little more at the top, work a few increases every few rows. I can, but don't have to, add handles. Either in the style of shopping bags or in the style of the toilet top basket.

Then, a round of a contrasting color for visual interest, and I'll have a pretty solution for lots of different colored bags AND those messy WIP

Edging

An edging row sometimes looks (in the pattern) like just an extra, unnecessary step. It takes just that much longer to finish the project! Is this step really necessary? Yes!

 For example,the circle of love doily. The next to last row is small shells. Pretty, but unfinished until the row of ch 3 loops around.

 My gardening bag could have had another edging row on both sides of the handle. It would have looked more "finished" and been sturdier, but it only goes back and forth between my kitchen and garden.

 An ear warmer with contrasting colors for edging.

 See how much smoother the edges look compared to no edging?

 Again, contrasting color edging smooths the edges and adds more visual interest.

This vest has 3 rows of sc as edging/button space. One side has button holes. The buttons are sewn on the other side. There are also 3 rows of sc around each armhole. This edging smooths the sides of the squares and reinforces the joinings.

Flat pineapple angel has a row of ch 3 loops all around. It smooths out the edges.

The contrasting color edging around the afghan ties in with the leaves on the roses. It smooths the side edges and bottom (along the beginning chain).

This is a stocking to hang on my mantle. The bottom edge was smooth, but the picots add visual interest.

Final example, my pineapple capelet. The edging is being worked down, so you can see what a difference it makes.
Edgings smooth edges, add visual interest, unify colors, and reinforce joinings. They help projects look finished and professionally made....definitely worth taking the extra time and effort to do.

Shoulder Bag: Finished

Yay! I finally got enough bags to finish one of those plarn shoulder bags. I have yarn to start 3 other projects. That was going to be a difficult decision. Then, a friend asked how much I'd charge for a shoulder bag. So of course, I started a shoulder bag.
Then, my daughter brought over 2 baby blankets which the children of a friend of hers had started to unravel. So I have to try to save them. I like to think of hand made items as "future heirlooms". I doubt these will be, after the rough treatment they're receiving. They'll never be as pretty as before, but hopefully they won't continue to unravel.
I want to finish my slitted pineapple wrap before it gets too warm to use. It's not going as fast as a " mile a minute " pattern, but I am seeing progress, so I have hopes to finish it before Spring gets too warm...

Post Vacation Recovery

I had a productive vacation, visiting my son. I finished an afghan...

A beach bag...

A rectangular rug...
A pair of fingerless gloves...
And several scrubbies.
Since I got home, what have I finished?
Well, first I had to recover from my travels. I hate flying!
I have several wip's here. Sadly, none are close to finished.
I have a wrapper pattern project...

 I'm using white yarn, and I prefer this pineapple afghan as the pattern for the body.

It won't take as long as the afghan did, but about 80 inches long still takes quite some time!
My Sunday School friends have given me lots of plastic bags for plarn, so I'm able to work on a couple of shoulder bags again.

I just want to finish something, ANYthing before I start another project. Unfortunately, I bought the yarn for something that's too cute for words. This will be a real test of my willpower.....

Ergonomic aluminum crochet handle

What does one need to crochet? Until recently, I would have said yarn, a hook, a pattern, and scissors. Then my daughter in law gave me an "ergonomic aluminum crochet handle". It came with 8 little rubbery discs, color coded for ease in putting each on the proper size hook. It kind of looks like a two toned egg. It twists apart to put a hook in. Made by Boye, the company which makes crochet hooks. She found it at Michael's (the craft store).
I thought it looked weird, but I went ahead and tried it. I was amazed at how comfortable it was to hold.
Normally, I don't crochet very long with plarn at any one time. The small hooks press uncomfortably into my fingers. This handle stopped that. I was able to crochet with plarn for hours.
Now, my list of crocheting essentials includes my handle.