CHARITY SO FAR

1. 3 - 4 Year Olds: started striped watch cap/mitten combo, banana berry, lime and bright yellow.
2. 5 - 7 Year Olds: 4 crocheted watch cap/mitten combo's (tan, kelly green, banana berry and lime stripes, bright yellow and banana berry accented cap and reverse mitten set).
3. Older Teen: 1 wrocheted watch cap/fingerless glove combo (black 0f course).
4. Small Adult/Teen: 1 knit red hat mitten combo (won in a raffle), knit light blue mittens.
5. 3 scarves, 2 knit, 1 crochet.

After I finish up the striped combo I'm going to pull out the square EZ's baby ghan and get going on the border. This will be a home project, so I'll probably start another 3 - 4 year old combo as a portable project.

CROCHETED FINGERLESS GLOVES

These gloves are similar in style to Clara Putzke's "WARM CROCHETED MITTENS For the Whole Family". The pattern is in Workbasket Magazine and I believe it is in Volume 60, issue #1, October/November, 1994. I've made these mittens for years. I changed the pattern a bit because I felt the cuff was too wide. I add in some sl st rows in the cuff as I'm doing it. I'll add that info here later after I make another pair. I've never written down exactly what I do, I just do it. I also make crocheted hats, doing a crocheted rib (sc in blo) which I'll write down and add to the blog another time. If you find any mistakes in this pattern, please let me know. You'll have to adjust to fit yourself, or the person you are making them for. Measure the width of the hand, the wrist and arm below the wrist as well as the height of the hand from the wrist to the bottom of the index finger and the height from the wrist to the top of the thumb where it joins the hand. Then you can add or subtract sts as needed for a proper fit. I'll add my measurements soon.

CROCHETED FINGERLESS GLOVES

Make 2. Chain 33

Row 1: Sc in 2nd chain from hook and in next 31 chains. Chain 1 turn.(there will be a total of 32 stitches (sts) in every row except the thumb rows which will have 26 sts).

Row 2: Sl st in next 10 stitches, sc in next 22 sts. Chain 1 turn.
Row 3: Sc in next 16 sts, sl st in next 6 sts, sc in next 10 sts. Chain 1 turn.
Row 4: Sl st in next 16 sts, sc in next 16 sts. Chain 1 turn.
Rows 5 & 7: Repeat Rows 3 and 4 once.
Rows 6,10, 12, and 14: Repeat Row 4.
Row 8: Repeat Row 2.
Row 9: Repeat Row 1:
Rows 11, 13, 15: Repeat Row 3. On Row 13, sl st on first 6 sts and then follow Row 3's instructions (26 total sts). Row 15 will end with 6 less sts then Row 3, but is the same otherwise(26 total sts).
Rows 12 & 14: Repeat Row 4. Row 12 is the last row before the thumb portion. Row 14 will have 6 less sts than row 4 but is the same as Row 4 otherwise(26 total sts).
Rows 16 & 18: Repeat Row 2. At the end of Row 16, top of the thumb hole portion, chain 7.
Row 17: Repeat Row 1, beginning with sc in 2nd chain from the hook and the next 5 sc and THEN following Row 1's instructions. (back to 32 sts).
Rows 19, 21, 23: Repeat Row 3.
Rows 20, 22, 24: Repeat Row 4.
Row 25: Repeat Row 1
Row 26: Repeat Row 2.
Rows 27, 29, 31: Repeat Row 3.
Rows 28, 30, 32: Repeat Row 4.
Leaving a long tail to sew up seam, cut. Sew up seam on opposite side of glove from thumb hole. With another length of yarn, sew up short seam above thumb hole. Weave in all ends.

prioritized UFO list

1. Men's gloves (wool alpaca blend)
2. babyghan for Luke (not sure of which pattern yet - I did the baby tree of life from the Lion Brand website for the first baby).
3. Reversible 12 x 12 cable scarf in Autumn Red Simply Soft (charity project)
4. Lavender Red Heart and ladder yarn (ribbon??) knit cowl (charity project)
5. Ladder yarn (ribbon??) scarf (charity project)
6. Hexagon baby sweaters (crocheted). Blue and white needs to be seamed and have buttons sewn on. Lilac needs to be finished, seamed and have the buttons sewn on. (charity project)
7. EZ's square babyghan - needs border (tulip bud forder from the tree of life afghan at the Lion Brand website ) (charity project)
8. Baby Tuxedo (knit) (charity project)
9. EZ's Dickey (I'm not sure which one I started, but I'll know when I look at the book) (just because project that will probably be a charity project)
10. French country babyghan (charity project)
11. Block the Queen's Crown Motif and make one more motif to experiment with (I'd like to make a bedspread for Joe, my son, out of the Queen's Crown tablecloth, but I don't know whether I want to change it up somehow, or make it and attach it to a backing of some kind).
12. Spa wash cloths (make several - for moi!)
13. Block Berka Shell Doily
14. Knit a bsj out of the wool I originally bought to make it with (just because project)
15. knit after hours shawl (for moi or??)
16. Washer/dryer covers (I have two of three strips done for the dryer and I need to make 3 more strips for the washer)
17. Finish the Ballo Baby Onesie
18. Crochet the Magical Trapezoid Wrap (Knit and Crochet Show class I took with Joan Davis summer 2010) (for moi!)

11 in 11

I have to give credit where credit is due. Sarah London
gave me the brilliant idea of making an 11 in 11 list. Here's my list in no particular order:

1. Keep crochet and knitting supplies organized.
   
2. Learn a new technique or strengthen one in knitting and crocheting.
3. Finish 1 not so interesting UFO and 1 charity project before any new of interesting project.
   
4. Charity - do at least 24 hat/mitten combos for children, and 12 scarves or scarf/hat combos for adult women and 12 hats (or hat/scarf combos) for teens. (use up all RH and make accessories to use up luxury skeins). If anything is made from wool, label it and find a charity that accepts wool.
5. Work from my stash whenever possible.
6. Lose 10 lbs
7. Walk 10,000 steps 3 days a week, 6,000 two days a week and 3,000 - 4,000 two days a week.
8. Eat appropriate meals and snacks 4 times per week.
9. Use dumbbells and resistance bands 4 times per week.
10. Keep house company ready 5 days per week, including me (showered and dressed before 6:30am).
11. Spend 1 hour 3 times per week learning Hindi.

I think I'll get my list of UFO's out and put it here prioritized. I'm going to update once a week with my progress.
So far:

1. As I've been picking up and sorting through projects, I've been collecting all the various knitting and crocheting stuff and putting them in a plastic bag in my Jumbo Deluxe worm binder (very nice with lots of pockets).


2. Nothing yet, although Linda has hinted at something that I might get from her that will help in this area.
3. I've finished and felted the Ella Rae classic wool yarn crocheted bags I had started. They match the knitted bucket bag I'd already done (my first felted project). One is a little neck purse with fold-over-flap for "in and out shopping trips so you don't have to drag a two ton purse around", and one is a small handbag made from a big old granny square folded into a triangle and then pinched at the sides. I really need to find two "perfect" buttons for the extra "pop" for the triangular pieces that are folded over at the opening of the purse. I'll try and get pics and put them up here. I love the way the granny felted. It looks very textural, almost quilted. There goes one UFO crossed off and into the FO pile! For my charity knitting, I made one hat/mitten combo for 5 - 7 age range, started a second, and finished up a scarf.
   
4. See above comment
5. So far all I've worked with IS stash!! Hopefully I won't have to buy more yarn for a while. If I do it will ONLY be yarn needed to pair with stash yarn.
6. I've weighed in January 5th, so I have a baseline. It will take me time to work up to 10,000 steps, but so far: 1/1/2011 3000, 1/2 3200, 1/3 3000, 1/4 4600, 1/5 7500(a tad ouchy), 1/6 5200, 1/7 4300, 1/8 4500, 1/9 5700, 1/10 6400 and the night is NOT over yet!
7. I've been doing this all week except for three of the before bed snacks.
8. Need to get going on this.
9. Showering and dressing has been a breeze this week, and I'm working on getting the house company ready. Mobility is an issue, and with trying to up my steps AND clean the house (alone... the menfolk are NO help in this area), it's a slow process.
10. I have the cds Linda's husband David gave me AND I have some Rosetta Stone too, so I have NO excuse!!

I'm sort of leaving the language and dumbell work until my house is a bit more company ready and I get my walking up. I'm using the UFO and charity work as rewards for getting my other listed items rolling.
Enough...time for bed...past time really! Good night!