Facing the Truth

Ooohhh.  Scary title!

Facing the truth about just how much yarn has come into the house this year already, despite saying I'm only buying for confirmed projects!  I've got so many ideas running around, and so little time, but I've just got to buckle down and get this tally updated!
I was scrolling through my blog last night, and was having trouble figuring out what yarns I've already included, so I'm going to itemize things a bit better today.  I can use my tablet to look back at my blog, while using the desktop to do the writing!  But it appears I need to take some pictures first!  And upload them!  And my uploading program is not co-operating.  And now Blogger rotated one of the photos...
Let's back up and look back and what's come in earlier this year:
Jan 14:  Elann.com order; $21.17; 200gr
Jan 25:  Value Village; yarn 461gr (sweaters not included); Michaels' Vanna's Choice; 200gr; $23.96
Jan 26:  Grey and Peach sweaters, 581gr; $13.54

And yarn out:
Jan 31:  266 gr mini blankets
Feb 20:  40gr Hershey set

So, yeah.  I'm a bit behind.  I'm sure you're assuming I've made more than just 3 mini blankets (on a knitting machine), a ruffle scarf, and a newborn hat/diaper cover set!  I've got more to show--some I've been hoping for "real" photos before posting.  What else is there?
Fisherman's Outfit:  174 gr
Green and Pink textured stocking caps:  151gr for pink one (green one in last year)
Striped crochet earflap hat:  40gr
4 pairs tiny "ballet slippers":  18gr
Beehive Slouch hat:  100gr

All that adds up to only 483gr.  I've got other projects I'm currently working on (such as those Baby Surprise Jackets that needed sewing up and buttons...).  But at least now I can update my Confessions, and blog later about the actual projects.

Now....for the yarn that has come IN the house....eeeekk!

 A trip to Value Village resulted in all these bags of Paton's Classic Wool (in boring colours, $1.99 a ball!) (775gr) and two balls of Lopi (165gr), and one ball of a glittery, white fuzzy yarn called "Madonna" by "Laines Pierber" (50gr); the ball of beige Vanna's Choice was from Michaels' (100gr), and the balled yarn on the right was a sweater I unravelled (610gr).  $37.17

The sweater also had 3 or so nice large buttons.

Another trip to Value Village and I found this cute, Eastery scarf that I'm unravelling (158gr), a bag with unlabelled yarn (233gr) in white and grey that might be more of the Sear's "Giselle" that I used for a lot of blankets last year.  I want to do twin girls "opposite" hats (one in pink with a grey bow, and one in grey with a pink bow).  I found another ball of raspberry Giselle when I was cleaning up, and know that I can get two to three hats out of one ball.  The grey yarn at the bottom of the middle bag is really nice, a crimpy yarn with bits of pastel colours in it.  I don't recognize it at all.  The bag on the right (354gr) is filled with a pretty light turquoise (not blue like this picture, there is definitely more turquoise to it), fine weight yarn.  I can't tell if it's dirty, faded, or a "kettle" dye (although I do see a few yellow spots that look like dirt).  A quick burn test reveals a burning hair smell that didn't flame up much, burnt out quickly, and left ash....wool!  Can't wait to knit this up!  Just, please don't ask when :)  $11.27

And last, but not least--6 balls of Bernat Mosaic (600gr).  A quick run-in to my mom's little "V&S Stedmans" (more than a dollar store, less than Wal-Mart, LOL) and I found these in their decent yarn section.  They've been selling bagged yarns from the Spinrite tent sales, but these were the only colours of Mosaic left.  But for $10 a bag, how could I turn them down?!  $22.60

Oh, yeah, that wasn't "last".  Here we have a little boy's sweater that I unravelled for the yarn (220gr) --I needed light blue, soft orange, white, and light bright green (which is Vanna's Choice (100gr). It was darker than I wanted, and an hour after giving the hat to the buyer, I found the perfect light green at Wal-Mart). $8.51

Total weight from this update:  3365gr.
Total costs from this update:  $79.55
Yarn out from this update:  483gr

Let's combine this with the previous totals:
Yarn In:  3365gr + 1442gr = 4807gr
Yarn Out:  483gr + 398gr = 881gr
Balance:  4807gr-881gr = 3926gr more brought IN than out
Costs:  $79.55 + $58.61 = $138.16/56 days = $2.47/day

And I have to go to Michaels' tomorrow for at least one more ball of yarn...
As much as this seems, last year on Feb 27, I had 10 466gr in, due to a donation, and had spent $2.62/day!  Wow.  I thought for sure I was way above last year!  The big difference is that this year, I'm making a bit of money :)

Updates

I've updated previous posts with some new pictures!

http://tracykm.blogspot.ca/2013/01/itty-bitty-blankets.html

http://tracykm.blogspot.ca/2012/12/sharp-dressed-man.html

http://tracykm.blogspot.ca/2012/11/christmas-is-coming.html

You really need adorable babies to bring these little items to life!

Quiet

I was reading someone's blog on the weekend (which here, included Monday) and saw in their links list that it had been two weeks since I posted.  And, that last post was a total "I don't have time/energy to post what I really want to post so here's a little brainless filler" post.  I have been so busy and scattered lately that finding time to take, download, edit pictures, weigh yarn, etc, and actually write a post is a little daunting.  I don't know how some women do it---you know the ones....running a successful home business, looking after young children/homeschooling, blogging every day, reading other's blogs, Pinterest addiction, conquering cancer....and they still have time to be creative.  Do they ever sleep?!  I can not give that up, LOL.

But I am behind in blogging (though I've been waiting for the "real" photos from my photographer clients)...and I just turned my head a little and saw a big dust bunny under the computer.  Sigh.  I feel overwhelmed with trying to keep my website and FB pages up to date with photos, and of course, as soon as I go on FB, I get sucked into some weird time-warp.  Two weeks without blogging is just way too long though--especially after having had a 2-3 times a WEEK routine.  Onwards.

And then one morning I heard this guy out back.  Spent too long trying to get a good photo!
And then I think I have everything under control, and a client sends a request for a custom order, ASAP due to the baby arriving 3 weeks early.  But it was so cute, how could I say no?  The mom's name is Hershi, and wanted a Hershey kiss outfit.  After having a hard time finding light gray for the mini blankets, I didn't even bother trying to search out new yarn, and just used what was left from unravelling the Old Navy sweater.  I was able to use many of the small balls/butterflies of yarn since in such a tiny item they could actually do a few rows.  I'd link to the pattern, but I'm not totally happy with it.  The hat starts at the top, and there's no stitch counts in the pattern, so I never know if I'm doing it "right".  My first attempt was a little off, so I tried again and got more of a point.  However, the pattern has you increase for only 7 rows, ending with what appeared to be 28 double crochet, using a 5mm (H) hook, for a 15" hat.  Now, when I made the striped elf hat, I started with 40 or 42 DC, for a smaller hat.  There's no gauge listed, but how is 28dc going to be 15"?  That's like, just under 2dc per inch.  And, some of the increase rows did not work out evenly, meaning that although it seemed to say dc in two sts, 2 dc in next st....you ended the row with a single dc at the end.  So, I just went with my gauge and kept increasing until I got to around 40dc....then ripped it back because the shape wasn't right...

I didn't want to fuss around for buttons to make an adjustable diaper cover, (and there were some issues with the cover from the fedora set), so I just did a simple pull on with a drawstring waist.  Basically the same pattern I had used for the machine knitted ones, but her crochet version (Dandelion Dreamer, I think).
The photographer was making a ribbon for the top of the kiss.

Isn't that adorable!! Click on it to get the larger version!  The blanket is the mini-blanket I showed last month.  I saw that glass when I delivered the outfit, and I have to say...it's not all that big!  Babe was about 4lb at birth (so even if she brewed another 3 weeks, would still have only been a tiny peanut at 5 1/2lb).  Go visit Jennifer's website too, or her Facebook page!

And look at that....I now have 9 minutes before I have to leave to pick up kids for lunch, and I still wanted to do all my yarn totals--because even though I haven't been blogging, I have still been buying LOL.  Perhaps this afternoon?

Yarn In:  1442gr
Yarn Out:  40gr (Hershey Set) + 358 gr = 398gr
Balance:  1044 gr more brought IN than out
Costs:  $58.61/51 days = $1.15 per day

Ohhhh...those totals are so way off.  Bought 600gr ($22.60) during this past weekend, and a huge bag of Classic Wool at Value Village a few weeks ago...and another sweater that I ripped apart....Definitely, this afternoon I have to update all that!!  And there's my alarm saying to wrap up and go get the kids!

Something Old but not Blue

Way back in September, my entire extended family was going to have a photo shoot done.  The colours chosen was red, navy and cream.  The weather in September can be very unpredictable, and I had one navy shawl, so I thought a red shawl might be a good thing to take along.

 

 

I wasn't too happy with it, I really rushed and there were some issues.  It's the standard tuck pattern, card 3 or 7 I don't know, with needles out of work...I've used it before.  I didn't weigh it cause I thought I might just rip it apart after the pictures.  I still might.  I know I can do a much better job, and a red stole is not something I'd need very often anyway.

 I couldn't decide how to treat the end needles.  I liked the little scallops that were forming, but I had problems with stitches dropping, etc.

I don't know.  Keep or rip?  I do like red, but it feels a little too strong.....