Have you ever finished a Christmas present in May? I suppose that’s what happens when you start the largest and most complicated crochet project you’ve ever attempted in November.

Yes, this is a christmas present for my mother (and birthday present and now mother’s day present). Yes, she has seen it, unfinished and unblocked. Yes, that is kind of mean: “Here is this thing I’m making you that’s half done and kind of crappy looking! Aren’t you excited? No, you can’t have it! And I have no idea when I’ll be done! Merry Christmas!”

Oh well. It is actually done done now. I finished the crocheting in February I think, then I had a little project fatigue. I did not want to see it or touch it or do anything else with it. Has that ever happened to you?

I was super nervous about blocking the shawl, because blocking could make or break this project. This project I had devoted a crazy amount of hours to already.  Finally, I borrowed some blocking wires from a friend (thanks, Debbie!), bought 200 pins, cleared off the guest bed, and blocked that sucker. It turned out nicely, seeing I had no idea what I was doing! The before and after blocking pictures are pretty striking. Block your work, people!

You can find the link to the pattern on Ravelry. Sorry there isn’t any information about the yarn I used. I will try to hunt it down, because I’ve completely forgotten what it was called. It was a lovely lace weight, mohair blend just slightly variegated. It was the absolute perfect yarn for this project. I guess I’ll just have to go back to the yarn store to see if they still stock it.

Maybe this would be a good time to start working on her present for this christmas…

I have a rather large backlog of projects I want to share with you guys. The deadly cough/fever/will this go on forever? flu visited our house last week. We are all–finally!–crawling out from the sickness wreckage.

There has been much cozy making because of all the illness and I have rediscovered these wrist warmers I made in the fall. I never have been fully on the wrist warmer bandwagon.  When not done right, they tend to resemble arm support braces from walgreens–not really the look I’m going for.

There is no mistaking these colorful guys for medical supply (I hope).  Last summer, a friend of mine was clearing out her yarn stash and I was the lucky recipient of some gorgeous variegated Noro sock yarn. There was only a bit left, so I needed a small project to showcase such awesome yarn.  There are only about a million patterns for fingerless gloves out there, so it took me a while to find something just right. I wanted simple, but not super boring, something that would show off the yarn, and be functional as well.

I’m happy to say these check all the boxes. There are more details about my Noro wrist warmers on Ravelry if you are interested. Sometimes I forget how satisfying it can be to make something for yourself. Have you made anything for yourself recently?

I have been on a bit of a crocheting kick recently. After all the sewing for kcwc I got rather sick of looking at my sewing machine. And I got sick of certain little people poo-pooing things I made for them. So I went to the yarn store and bought some beautiful, soft, and squishy yarn to make something just for me.

I’m not usually a fan of things trying desperately to be something they are not–think tofu dogs. Crochet is not knitting, even though they both use yarn. Crochet is its own art and has its own strengths that I try to showcase. But I wanted so badly to make the bandana cowl pattern by Purl Bee.  Looking at it was painful, because it is so perfect, but I can’t knit to save my life.

Thankfully someone made an equally awesome crochet bandana cowl–no tofu dogs in sight. The cowl is the same shape as the knitted version, but I think the stitches were chosen by someone who loves crochet and knows how to show of its strengths.  It worked up super fast in the gorgeous wool/silk blend yarn I bought. All the cowl details are on ravelry if you are interested.

ooo! looks like there’s a little crochet on crochet action going on in this last picture.

I’m nursing a pretty brutal cold that seems to be going around (and around and around), so I’m doing some quiet crocheting while the baby naps. I started this project for Erin’s pillow week, but even though I was (and still am) very excited about the idea I got bored with the actual making of it.  I may be getting ahead of myself–seeing as I’m not even done yet–but I’d like to make up a pattern for the pillow. But again, I have to finish first and then felt it and then see if it even turns out and probably test it again. So don’t hold your breath.

1. linen snowflake (ravelry link) 2. acorn shrug (login required, here’s a finished project) 3. jam jar cozies 4. granny basket

These patterns, on the other hand, are finished and free for the taking. They are all crochet and all dead easy. It seems I only start crocheting in earnest when the weather turns cold (last year I went crochet crazy) and today it feels a little like winter outside. Anyway I think all these projects would make pretty gifts (to yourself even) and would quickly satisfy the need to work with yarn. It becomes strangely addictive that yarn.

I know I talked up my advent calendar the other day–which I have to dig out of the basement this weekend–but I rediscovered Sarah’s very simple and infinitely adaptable blank advent calendar she so posted a few years ago. I think I may make a photo version for the grandmas.  Not that I don’t have a thousand other things to do! I’m working on some handmade ornament tutorials and patterns for next week. There will be 4 for sure and maybe if I kick this cold 5! So stay tuned and have a happy thanksgiving!