I've never been happier

...To finish a project. Jesus. This thing took way too long. The main part was quick and easy enough, but the lace border I decided to use...that's another story. Took about an hour per section, there were four sections to the border and then I had to sew the stupid thing on. Then, there were gaps between the border sections, so I had to fanagle it so it didn't look fugly when finished. I think it turned out ok, but you be the judge...



Here is a close up of the Pineapple Lace Border:



Yeah, it's pretty, but it is also tedious and tremendously taxing. My fingers hurt, same with the wrists and forearms. Arrrrgh.

Funny story...last week when I started to work on the border, I nearly impaled my finger with the crochet hook. I had NO IDEA it was possible to get cut by one of these buggers, but yep. Thankfully blood did not get all over the piece because then I would have lost my mind. I had (and still do) a neat little slice on my finger....The finger I use to hold and stabilize the work. It's all good though. My lace calluses are back and the piece is finally finished! Wooooo! There will be more because I'm making not one but TWO baby blankets coming up soon. Two pregnant sisters. What are the chances of that? Until next time...

Completing Projects

I've actually become rather proficient with finishing things! Wooo! Go me. I finished the dog jacket blanket thingy I was making for my mom's dog, Patrick. He's the cutest big little dog ever. He's an Irish Setter. Anyway, I will be presenting the finished project tomorrow. I'm going to fit it to him with the last two pieces. They just need to be whipstitched on, so it will only take a second or two. :) Another project completely created by moi.

I finished the chart for a gift I'm making for my mom's employer's mom. Haha. It's more lace, and I gotta say...it is pretty damn cool looking. I can't wait to make it. My mom cracks me up. She keeps calling me from Walmart to see if I need any yarn or cotton thread. I gotta come up with something else cool to make for her. :) Pictures to come tomorrow. I have some now, but I wanted to show the jacket blanket thingy on his glorious red coat.

Itsy Bitsy

No, not that damn spider. Itsy bitsy cotton thread. There is smaller, but this is the smallest I've gone so far. Size 10 cotton thread. Small thread calls for a small hook. This is also the smallest hook I've ever used. Ever.



It is a 1.9 mm, 5 steel hook. Yeah, millimeters.

Anyway, once I got used to the extra tight gauge, it all went pretty smoothly. However, to get used to the extra tight gauge, I actually completed this project once. Then, I looked at it and said, "Oh, hell no!". Then, I proceded (to my husband's astonishment) to unravel the whole thing and start over. Really made them tight.

As it turns out, I ended up using half the thread from the original project to make the new and improved, gift-worthy one. It looks awesome. And the lace edging! Oh, I really like doing it. It looks awesome and becomes kinda hypnotic after awhile. Teeny tiny thread with a teeny tiny needle requires concentration, which leaves no room for anything else. I guess you could say it has become a form of meditation for me. :P

Here is an under construction picture:

Before the panel and edging became one. Haha. Funny story about that...I had to rip off the edging because I totally forgot to flip the panel over before sewing it on. Boo. But, it came off easily so I did it right the second time. I swear, I'm such an idiot sometimes.

Here is the finished project!

It is for my mom, for her birthday. Yay! She's going to love it. I made this pattern myself, and put it in chart form. It was easy really to read, and if I hadn't screwed up the gauge so badly the first time, this would have taken me about 3 hours or so, with an hour for the lace edging. What can I say? It's so small...



Teensy weensy. The lace edging, by the way, is called the Shell Path Edging. I found it on about.com by Sandi Marshall. The pattern is easy to follow, except for the transition from Row 9 back to Row 5 for the repeat. Do NOT turn your work. It will make you angry. That's the only place you shouldn't turn your work. Everywhere else Sandi says...do it.

What I find to be so cool about using such tiny thread is that it doesn't split or unravel. It's pretty awesome. The thread itself is also fairly inexpensive. You could probably make 3 very large doilies, or a whole bunch of smaller ones with one roll. A roll cost me 2.99. Can't beat that.

Look for more lace soon! I really like it. Also, I'm starting to write my pattern for a large dog jacket blanket. You'll understand when you see it. It is like a horse blanket, just for dogs. I am also working on a pair of convertible fingerless gloves. Booyah.