Tag Archives: parasol

December 18, 2015 · 3:42 pm

2015 – A Dud for Crocheting

I got nowhere near to what I wanted to accomplish this year with my crocheting.  My work came to an abrupt halt in June when I got sick because I became pregnant with our third child. Three months later I was finally feeling a little better, but by then we were really trying to get our new house renovated and moved in.  We are moved in now, though not even close to being unpacked and settled. And of course, now we are preparing for the holidays and the arrival of little #3.

Obviously with a third on the way, living in a house that still needs a lot of work, and trying to get our old house ready to rent out, there is probably not going to be a lot of time to crochet in 2016 either.  BUT I will be pumping 2-3 times a day again after returning to work, which is when I was able to get a lot of of crocheting done last year and early this year. So I do still have some things planned.

Here is a rundown of things I am working on immediately, and where I ended up with the goals I had for 2015.  I’ll post again later with what I want to accomplish for 2016.  I did get a few custom orders completed through my Etsy shop along the way but not a whole lot else.

Current/Immediate Projects

  1. Christmas Stockings – Two done for the kids, working on Husband’s now.  Baby #3 and I may have to wait until next year.
  2. Christmas Gifts – Working on a few small/quick gifts for family.  Will post on this after all the family get-togethers are done for the holidays.
  3. Sweet 16 Afghan – This needs to be started as soon as the stocking and Christmas gifts are done because it will need to be mailed out very soon after the first of the year.
  4. Buddy’s Afghan – I have designed an afghan pattern in honor of each one of my new babies.  As soon as the Sweet 16 Afghan is done, I need to get working on Baby #3’s.  I’ve already done quite a bit of R&D (i.e. Pinteresting) and I’m pretty sure I know what I want to do.  I even have the yarn. Now I just need to sit down and start work/writing the pattern.

2015 Run-Down

  1. ADDED (Custom Order) – Baby Afghan Success! See June 6th 30 Days of Blog Post for this one.
  2. ADDED (Custom Order) – Second Baby Afghan Success! I’m sad about this one because I do not think that I took a picture before I delivered it.
  3. ADDED: Baby Gift #1 – This was the Strawberry Cocoon and Beanie Success!
  4. ADDED (Custom Order) – Baby Gift.  Surprise gift to be posted at a later time. Success! I’m sad about this one because I do not think that I took a picture before I delivered it.
  5. ADDED: Baby Gift #2 – Was in progress in May, but I don’t even remember what this was right now!
  6. Finish writing Cuffs and Monkey Patterns –  Cuffs done. Monkey on hold till Fall. I never did get back to the Monkey pattern.  But the boot Cuffs pattern did get finished and posted in my Ravelry store.  I even had a lady contact me about it because she is doing a class on cable stitches at a retreat and wanted to use my pattern for it.  So I have seen multiple pattern sales as a result of that.
  7. Christmas Stockings for Family (4) – On the immediate list.
  8. Baby Gift #2 – I’ve had this done for awhile and I’m sad to say I keep forgetting to mail the darn thing!
  9. Baby Gift #3 – This one has also been done, but never got delivered. (Facepalm.)
  10. Top for myself – (Laughing.) Not a chance. It wouldn’t fit me right now anyway.  Maybe this Spring or Summer.
  11. Christmas Tree Skirt – Sadly this one did not get done yet either.
  12. Afghan Christmas Present #1 – Nope.
  13. Afghan Christmas Present #2 – Nope.
  14. Afghan Christmas Present #3 – Nope. (Sorry family. Maybe next year.)
  15. Happypotamusses for Sephy and Greyson – This is another one I’m really sad about.  I really wanted to get these done for them.  Maybe I’ll make it a trilogy and give one to each of the three kids for Christmas next year.
  16. Sweet 16 Afghan – On the immediate list.
  17. Mitten Ornaments – Replaced with another quick project for Christmas gifts on the Immediate list.  I would still like to do these for next year.

So there we are. Here’s hoping that 2016 will leave me feeling more accomplished with the projects I want to do!

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April 6, 2015 · 3:13 pm

THE MONTHLY GOALS LINK-UP: April 2015 Goals

So far I am really appreciating my goals list.  I always feel a sense of accomplishment when I finish a crochet project, but checking off items on my list is adding to that.

I did really well for the month of March.  I finished The Granny Square Project as planned and made my daughter a simple sweater to go with her Easter dress. But then I ran into a problem.

When I finished the sweater and went searching for my thread to start my parasol, I realized that I had packed it away in my cedar chest, which we have moved into the garage of the new house.  Not only that, but it has boxes and boxes of other stuff stacked on top of it.  I thought seriously about just going and buying new thread, but I’ve got a lot of thread and I’m just not willing to buy more.  So the parasol is just going to have to wait.  Until when, I’m not exactly sure.  In the mean time I’m just going to have to move forward with my list and come back later.

So, I jumped ahead to my April Goals. I finished writing my boot cuff pattern and started writing the Boots the Monkey Pattern, however I am out of the yarn that I used to make that so I need go get some of that before I can continue.

I feel like I am doing very well so far in my goals even though I haven’t been able to get the Parasol started. I should be able to get most of May’s goals done in April.

I have also added a few other projects and had a few custom orders to complete that I will write another post for.

April Goals

March

  1. Finish The Granny Square Project 
  2. Sephy’s Easter Sweater 
  3. BONUS: Start Parasol – ON HOLD

April

  1. Parasol – ON HOLD
  2. BONUS: Write Boot Cuffs Pattern
  3. BONUS: Write Boots the Monkey Hat Pattern
  4. UNPLANNED (Custom Order) – Very Hungry Caterpillar Cocoon
  5. UNPLANNED (Custom Order) – Puppy Dog beanie and Diaper Cover
  6. UNPLANNED (Custom Order) – Baby Blanket
  7. ADDED – Bumblebee  Cocoon & Pattern
  8. ADDED: Mermaid Cocoon
  9. ADDED: Ladybug Cocoon & Pattern

May

  1. Finish writing Cuffs and Monkey Patterns
  2. Christmas Stockings for Family (4)

June

  1. Finish Christmas Stockings
  2. Christmas Tree Skirt

July – Finish Christmas Tree Skirt

August – Afghan Christmas Present #1

September – Afghan Christmas Present #2

October – Afghan Christmas Present #3

November

  1. Happypotamusses for Sephy and Greyson
  2. BONUS: Start Sweet 16 Afghan

December

  1. Sweet 16 Afghan
  2. Mitten Ornaments

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March 4, 2015 · 2:51 pm

THE MONTHLY GOALS LINK-UP: March 2015 Goals

I currently have 16 projects on my Evernote Crochet To-Do list.  Sixteen!  That doesn’t include all the things on my Crochet Ideas Pinterest Board that I would like to make.

Many of the projects on my actual To-Do list are Christmas Presents for next year.  Well, I guess I mean this year.  I have several afghans that I want to make and several projects for my family, including finally making Christmas stockings and a tree skirt for us.  I think I may also end up adding a few projects to my list once we get moved into our new house because with all the hardwood floors we have we are going to need some spectacular area rugs.  Of course, I want to crochet them.  I totally wish I could quit my job and just crochet full-time.  I also have a few patterns that I would like to write up that I want to fit in there somewhere.

But with working full-time and two kids, and trying to do all the remodeling on the new house, my crochet time is limited.  I had a little more time when I was still pumping milk for my son at work and could multitask by using that time to crochet.  But that’s done and for the most part now I only get to crochet over lunch.  Once the kids are in bed at night all I want to do is to fall into bed myself!

So I’m going to join this link-up for goals and accountability. I’m going to go a step further though and tentatively plan out my projects for the rest of the year.  The only thing is, I have no idea when I might receive an order for a finished product on Etsy so I’m going to have to go easy on myself. I think this plan is pretty ambitious.  I’ve never really planned out what I intend to make for the year. I’ve always just had an idea in my head of the next few projects that I plan to do.  I always feel like I’m trying to catch up with what I want to make!

Monthly Goals

March

  1. Finish The Granny Square Project
  2. Sephy’s Easter Sweater
  3. BONUS: Start Parasol

April

  1. Parasol
  2. BONUS: Write Boot Cuffs Pattern
  3. BONUS: Write Boots the Monkey Hat Pattern

May

  1. Finish writing Cuffs and Monkey Patterns
  2. Christmas Stockings for Family (4)

June

  1. Finish Christmas Stockings
  2. Christmas Tree Skirt

July – Finish Christmas Tree Skirt

August – Afghan Christmas Present #1

September – Afghan Christmas Present #2

October – Afghan Christmas Present #3

November

  1. Happypotamusses for Sephy and Greyson
  2. BONUS: Start Sweet 16 Afghan

December

  1. Finish Sweet 16 Afghan
  2. Mitten Ornaments

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July 30, 2014 · 1:31 pm

Inspiration

After yesterday’s post, Intimidated I was going through my yarn to find colors for the June and July squares I have planned for the Granny Square Project.  I really have got to get caught up on that. (Now that it’s almost August.)

As I was searching through skeins I found one of many unfinished projects in my stash.  This Ripple Baby Afghan was one of my early favorites when I first started crocheting as I have mentioned in a previous post; and it gave me a great idea.  I can use this pattern for my first parasol! (With thread instead of yarn of course.)

parasolThis is an eight-pointed ripple afghan and I think would be perfect  to use as a very simple first attempt.  I can add a slight modification with rows of open stitches (dc, chain 2, skip 2 sts, dc)  in place of the white rows shown here to open the pattern up and highlight the ripple effect.

Once I get this one done, I think I’ll have more confidence to try something like this beauty.

But first I have got to get caught up on The Granny Square Project!  Once I finish the total of 4 squares for June and July I will start right up on this lovely.  I really hope it works as I’m expecting it to.  Very excited!

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July 29, 2014 · 4:17 pm

Intimidated

parasol

There aren’t very many things that intimidate me in crochet, but two of them seem to go together.

I want to crochet a lace parasol.  That in and of itself doesn’t intimidate me.  I think what makes me shy away is the time.  You see, what does intimidate me is crochet instructions that come in the form of a diagram rather than written instructions.  diagram

I have never attempted to make anything from a diagram before.  I know a lot of people can only crochet from a diagram, and not from written instructions.  I am not one of them.  This just looks very scary to me.  I feel like I would get lost so quickly here.

And for some reason most of the patterns I’ve been able to find for crocheted parasols come in the form of diagrams.  Of course.  As I understand it, a written pattern for an eight sided doily can be used for a parasol, but there is also some modification that will likely have to be done, including continuing after the doily pattern has finished to fill the whole umbrella frame.  This leaves some designing work to be done.  And I’m not really afraid of that so much as I previously mentioned, as the time.  I’m concerned that I’ll have a hard time making sure I have enough (or not too many) stitches so that they parasol will open and be sufficiently stretched out to be flat but not too loose or too tight because you have to increase with each round as the diameter gets bigger.  This could require a lot of frogging and reworking, taking up precious time.

I’ll figure something out and get one made eventually.

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