Royal Romance - Both Blocks Done!

I finished up the second block this morning.  I would have finished it up last night, but was too tired.  I am almost completely caught up with this club.  I have to make the second block in the last Sushi Socks set, and then do the March 2013 set that came this past week.  I must confess that as much as I have enjoyed these projects I am looking forward to working on something different, getting back to some knitting.  I have two shawls that have been languishing, and several other projects waiting in the wings, plus all my unfinished objects to deal with.  These blocks have been a nice break, though, because once I laid out the path I didn't have to think about what to do next.  They also work up quickly so you can see your steady progress.  Finishing a project is always a boost.

When I first joined the club I wasn't smart enough to write the yarn colors and the month on the patterns, so when I decided to organize the blocks I had to do some sleuthing to get them all straightened out.  I sorted them by yarn type, wrote the colors and months on the patterns, and put them in zip lock bags.  Once I had gotten them organized it was easy to maintain it when the next shipment arrived.  When I started working them up I just grabbed a bag and worked through all the sets in that bag, chronologically, of course.  Except for this one, which I had mislabeled July 2012 instead of July 2011.  I figured it out when I went to file the pattern away.  Did I mention that I am an engineer?

Here is a solo shot of the second block.  A really lovely design.

Pattern:  Royal Romance by Melinda Miller, July 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block
Yarn:  Sushi Socks in Kate and Irish Lace
Hook:  2.75 mm

Royal Romance - One Block Done!

And after I finished the second Winter Laurel block I immediately worked up the first block in the next set in my queue.  This is Royal Romance by Melinda Miller, the July 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block, also in Sushi Socks in Kate and Irish Lace.  Just to show you how little I follow certain things, it actually took me a little while to realize that this was for a certain Royal Wedding that happened last year.  That central motif was really a lot of fun to work up, and it worked up very quickly.  My block was coming out a bit on the large side, so instead of doing a second round of triple crochet I did the last round in double crochet.

Pattern:  Royal Romance by Melinda Miller, July 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block
Yarn:  Sushi Socks in Kate and Irish Lace
Hook:  2.75 mm

First Frost - Both Blocks Done!

I actually finished the second block on Monday, but I couldn't get decent photos until Wednesday and I didn't feel like blogging until today.  I've been tired all week.  I think it is mostly because of Monday.  I had to drive down to Richmond to report for Jury Duty, and even thought I didn't get selected, I was exhausted when I got home, and I think it has taken me a while to recover.  The older I get the more I need my down time, and being around people just wears me out.

Here is a shot of the second block.

I've already completed the first block of the next set that I am doing, hopefully I will have pictures tomorrow.  I am cranking through them now.  Once I get all caught up on the blocks I will get back to my Little Mermaid shawl.  These blocks have been a nice change of pace.  Once I get caught up I am going to try and stay caught up.

Pattern:  First Frost by Melinda Miller, November 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Verve in Pale Wintergreen and Eggplant
Hook:  2.75 mm

First Frost - One Block Done!

I was on a roll yesterday.  After finishing up the second block of the Roses and Lace set, I wound the yarn for the next set.  This is the November 2011 block from the Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month Club, First Frost by Melinda Miller.  This block worked up very quickly.  I had fun doing the pie wedges.  Once I get this set done, I will have 5 more sets to do and then I will be all caught up.  The March 2013 set should be arriving in a week or two.

Pattern:  First Frost, November 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Verve in Pale Wintergreen and Eggplant
Hook:  2.75 mm

Roses and Lace - Both Blocks Done!

I finished up the second block yesterday and managed to be home early enough today to get a picture while there was still light.

Here is a shot of just the second block.

Pattern:  Roses and Lace by Melinda Miller, October 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Verve in Mulch and Compost
Hook:  2.75 mm

Roses and Lace - One Block Done!

After finishing up the second Patriot Star block I started on the next set of blocks in my Verve collection.  This is the October 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month set.  The central flower motif is very cool, a little bit of a pain to do, but very cool.  I can see using this motif again.  The colors are Mulch and Compost.  Definitely aptly named, but I kind of wondered about the color combination with the pattern name.  The final round calls for a long double crochet stitch, but I replaced that with a long single crochet.

Pattern:  Roses and Lace by Melinda Miller, October 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Verve in Mulch and Compost
Hook:  2.75 mm

Patriot Star - Both Blocks Done!

These blocks worked up quickly - rows of triple crochet will do that.  I really like the center motif, which looks more like a snowflake than a star.  I wasn't sure if I would like the long single crochet in the last row, but it provides a neat edge effect.

Pattern:  Patriot Star by Melinda Miller, June 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Verve in Red, White and Blue
Hook:  2.75 mm
 

Patriot Star - One Block Done!

This is the June 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month and was the oldest block in my unfinished pile. The oldest block now is from July 2011.  The yarn is Verve, a superwash Merino wool.  That is another advantage of this club, you get to work with different yarn bases that you might not otherwise work with.  I really like the color saturation of the Verve, and it is a firm yarn, with nice twist.  It should wear well.  Both blocks are done, but the other one is still blocking.

Pattern:  Patriot Star by Melinda Miller, June 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Verve in Red, White and Blue
Hook:  2.75 mm

But the really big news is that I bought a new computer.  You may recall that my Dell Mini died around the beginning of the year and I was using my Fujitsu Stylistic (a tablet PC) to do my blogging on, and while the handwriting recognition rocks, it was a little tiresome blogging on that computer, mostly because of the random spaces that would get put in to the text.  You see, I am old school, learned to type properly, and always like two spaces after a period and one space between words, so I would always have to go back and check my spacing.  It was just an annoyance.  The random corrections that would sneak in were annoying too, and having worked as a proof reader I am really sensitive to those kinds of mistakes.  Last weekend Fujitsu was having a sale, so I picked up a Fujitsu Lifebook, which is convertible.  It can be a laptop, complete with keyboard (yeah!) or you can rotate the screen around and turn it in to a tablet.  And, they now have touch capability, so I can use either a stylus or my fingers for navigation and basic functionality.  This new computer will also replace my creaky Dell desktop, which I have only been using to do my accounting on.  It will be nice to have all of my stuff on a single computer again, although I will still use my Stylistic, it is a really great computer.

Luxe Mini Blocks

I was going so make 2 and 2, but somehow I made 3 and 1.  I blame it on the migraine that I had last Saturday.  This is the leftover yarn from the very first set of crochet blocks that I made.  Those blocks were called Cameo Flower by Melinda Miller and the colors are Pewter and Cornflower.  This motif is the small block from Mosaic Four-Patch also by Melinda Miller.  I used a 2.75 mm crochet hook.

Mosaic Four-Patch - Done!

Yesterday morning I finished up the other four little blocks and blocked them and then had to wait for them to dry.  You know how it is when you want to finish a project and you just have to wait for something to dry, whether is is paint or yarn.  This morning I woke up at 6:30 with the beginnings of a migraine so I got up, took half an Excedrin Migraine and started assembling the little blocks, which was harder than it should have been.  I tried the single crochet technique, the invisible join and finally settled on whip stitch through the back loop only, but getting everything to line up correctly proved to be challenging.

For joining the two blocks together I held them with the right sides together and started just inside the corner, leaving a tail for finishing.  For joining the two sets of two together I held them right sides together and worked from the center outwards.  Where the four blocks meet a stitched and X through both loops of the central triple crochet, following the maxim that if you can't hide it don't try, make it part of the design.  As I was doing the double crochet edging I would work just past where two blocks met and then go back and do a little bar stitch joining the central triple crochets through both loops.

Project:   Mosaic Four-Patch by Melinda Miller,  September 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Pashmi in Blueberry and Mint
Hook: C -2.75 mm

Mosaic Four-Patch - 4 down, 4 to go

Last night I blocked the first four little blocks.  I figure they will be easier to assemble after blocking.   I made two more little blocks and almost finished a third last night as well. I should finish the little blocks today and tomorrow do the assemble and finish them up.  The little blocks floating in the wool wash reminded me of lily pads.

Project:   Mosaic Four-Patch by Melinda Miller,  September 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Pashmi in Blueberry and Mint
Hook: C -2.75 mm

Mosaic Four-Patch - 2 down, 6 to go

Getting back into the work mind-set after two weeks off has been intense and exhausting.  I did manage to knit a few rows on my Color Study shawl during telecons, but haven't had much energy for knitting once I got home.  For several months, however, there has been a small project bag sitting on the bolster of my day bed with the yarn and pattern and crochet hook for a crochet block set from The Unique Sheep.  It was so close, so easy to pick up, and I have been thinking about crochet.  And here we are, 3 days later with two little blocks done and a third almost complete.  As you can see, there are two colors and I am alternating which one I start with.  I am currently working on the second little block with a green center.  The reason for this is pure laziness, the last color I used on the just completed little block is the first one I use on the next little block.

I really am enjoying the pattern, which is good because I have to make 8 of these little blocks. I especially love the petals in the center motif.  After I get done with that part I always sit and fondle it a bit before moving on.  I am fascinated by crochet.  I love how easy is is to weave in the ends and I love the quantized nature of crochet.  Each stitch is its own entity, complete in its existence.  It makes it so easy to rip back to fix mistakes.  So is crochet like particles and knitting like waves?  Unlike a crochet stitch, a single stitch of knitting cannot exist on its own, it must exist in a continuum or a field.

Project:   Mosaic Four-Patch by Melinda Miller,  September 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Pashmi in Blueberry and Mint
Hook: C -2.75 mm

Suspended Squares - Block 1 Done

Well, it seems that I couldn't stay away from the crochet for very long. After I got started on the front upper section of my Gedifra project I decided to take a little break from that and whip up another crochet block.  This is the May 2012 block from The Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month Club (have you joined yet?).  It was a pretty quick project.  I've never done one this lacy.  Makes me think I can go back and do the Unique Sheep Mystery Crochet Along that I signed up for last year and then didn't tackle because the instructions intimidated me.  Plus I got Marici for the project, which is pure silk.  Silly me.  I should know better than to tackle something new with an unforgiving yarn.  Maybe I'll order some different yarn for the project.  After all, you can never have too much Unique Sheep yarn in your stash.

Project:  Suspended Squares by Donna Kay Lacey, May 2012 Crochet Block from The Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month Club
Yarn:  Tinsel Toes in Sundown and Sunup
Hook:  2.75 mm

And here are some beauty shots of the other blocks that I have made recently:

Project:  December Rose by Melinda Miller, December 2011 Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Tinsel Toes in Conifer and December Berry
Hook:  2.75 mm

Project:  Mother's Corsage by Melinda Miller, May 2011 Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Tinsel Toes in Coral Tulip and Tulip Leaf
Hook:  2.75 mm

December Rose - Block 2 Done

I almost finished the second block last night and then this morning I woke up early with nausea and hot flashes and crocheting kept my mind off of my stomach.  My blocks came out a little small so I added an extra row of double crochet.  After the last set of blocks I was so worried about running out of yarn, but not only did I do an extra row, I ended up with 2 grams of yarn left over.  Go figure.  If I ever do these blocks again I think I will add extra stitches to rounds 6 and 7.  When I was blocking the rose felt crowded and the block just didn't seem to want lay flat and square.

Pattern:  December Rose by Melinda Miller.  December 2011 Block from The Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month Club
Yarn:  Tinsel Toes in December Berry and Conifer
Hook:  2.75 mm

December Rose - Block 1 Done

I did another block this afternoon while watching Ginger Rogers, the star of the day on Turner Classic Movies today.  This is the December 2011 Block from The Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month Club.  This time I remembered to weigh the skeins before I started the block.  I have a full ounce of the red, and 7/8 of an ounce of the blue.  After making this block, I have 1/2 an ounce of the red and 5/8 of an ounce of the blue.  Definitely enough to complete the second block, but not much extra.  I also weighed the first Mother's Corsage block and it weighs exactly 1 ounce.

Pattern:  December Rose by Melinda Miller, December 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month
Yarn:  Tinsel Toes in December Berry and Conifer
Hook:  2.75 mm

Mother's Corsage - Block 2 Done

So last night I was working away on this block when I ran out of the Tulip Leaf on the last side of the last row.  I have a fair bit of left over Tinsel Toes yarn in my stash so I grabbed the silver from the last Unique Sheep Christmas Shawl and finished out the row.  In this picture the silver is pretty obvious, but when the yarn is dry it blends in better.  I also almost ran out of the Coral Tulip.  I did not weight the yarn before I started, but I will weigh the blocks after they are dry.  This is the first time that I have run out of yarn on one of these blocks.  The colors in this picture are actually pretty garish, the real blocks aren't but I couldn't fix the colors with the software that I currently have.  I even took the pictures in natural light, but I don't think my little camera handles the contrasting colors very well.  I noticed this with the Prairie Posey blocks as well.  Maybe it is time for an upgrade.

Pattern:  Mother's Corsage by Melinda Miller - May 2011 Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month Club
Yarn:  Tinsel Toes in Tulip Leaf and Coral Tulip
Hook:  2.75 mm

Mother's Corsage - Block 1 Done

Well, I couldn't wait for the August block to arrive, so today I did this.  This is the May 2011 Block from The Unique Sheep Crochet Block of the Month.  It is annoying that my August block has not arrived, if it isn't here by Monday I will have to drop The Unique Sheep a note.  I did, however, get a new Namaste bag, the Harlowe.  More about that later.  And I also worked on my sock.

Pattern:  Mother's Corsage by Melinda Miller
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Tinsel Toes in Tulip Leaf and Coral Tulip
Hook:  2.75 mm

Luxe Crochet Block Throw

And here is the second Blooming Beauty block sewn into place.  This is a quick shot taken on the floor of the living room with the flash.  I started the last of the Luxe block kits that I have and have pulled out the Tinsel Toes blocks and matched yarn to patterns.

Blocks:
January 2011: Cameo Flower
August 2011: Tangled Threads
April 2011: Blooming Beauty
All designs by Melinda Miller
Yarn:  Luxe by The Unique Sheep
Hook:  2.75mm (C)

Blooming Beauty - Block 2

After finishing up the other block I decided to go ahead and crochet this one.  Being so close to catching up on the Luxe blocks has inspired me to do more.  I even pulled out my zip-lock bag of the Tinsel Toes blocks.  Of course I was so excited to get the other Blooming Beauty block sewn into my throw that I forgot that I usually take a photo of the two blocks together.  Oh well.

The second clue to the 4th Knitterati Mystery finally came out yesterday afternoon with no word on why it didn't come out on Friday.  In fact the boards have been rather quiet.  Maybe everyone is watching the Olympics.  I'm not a sports fan, so I don't usually watch the games.

Pattern:  Blooming Beauty by Melinda Miller
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Luxe in Spring Pink and Light Bark
Hook:  2.75mm (C)

Luxe Crochet Block Throw

And here is the Blooming Beauty Block sewn into place.  I have already started the second block for this set and I have one more set of blocks in Luxe and then I will be caught up with this throw and can start on one of the other fibers.

The blocks are:
January 2011: Cameo Flower
August 2011: Tangled Threads
April 2011: Blooming Beauty
All designed by Melinda Miller
Yarn:  Luxe by The Unique Sheep
Hook:  2.75mm (C)