A new hope (YOP update)

No, not the Star Wars movie.... I'm talking about my crochet project (of course) - The Freakin' Frilly Dress.

You can't tell by looking at the dress that I've made much progress so I took a picture of the left over yarn.  I started that skein last week!  

This week I got really REALLY frustrated and almost gave up completely. I saw a post on facebook about the baby I'm making this dress for and it mentioned the month she was due to be born. I freaked out because she was older than I thought. I chose to make the 6-9 month size to give myself extra time and she is 8 1/2 months now. I was feeling so frustrated thinking I'd never get the dress finished before she out-grew it. Each day this week I would try to work on it while the puppy was sleeping and I couldn't even tell how much progress I'd made because of all the ruffles. I like to see how far I've gone and how much there is left till the end of the row, round or next change etc.  I realized part of the problem was that this feels like a small project but it is more like an afghan - a round one. So I rearranged the dress on my lap just now to look like a round afghan and then I noticed the center. Oh yes, that will definitely fit her unless she is a giant baby and she does not look like a giant baby from the pictures.  It is NOT too late (insert mental cartwheel here).  I totally forgot that I decided to go up a size hook too.

So I have a new prospective and a renewed hope in this project! I put on some music and turned it up and just started working away, determined to quit watching for the end.  That is like watching the tracks for the next train to come - extremely boring.  I'd rather just plow straight ahead and run right into it.  That's what I'm going to do.

Maybe Sunday I'll be able to get some ribbon for the straps.  What is it about V stitches that makes me hate them?

I just realized I didn't quite follow the round correctly for the previous row.  I misread the instructions but I did it uniformly around so I'm leaving it.  It doesn't look like a mistake.  It would have been faster if I'd followed the instructions, but oh well, I guess I redesigned it lol

To be updated......

YOP Update

My main focus right now is on finishing the Frilly Dress and it is taking forever.  When I first started it I was trying to plow right through it fast to get it to the baby it is for but as the the bottom of the dress expanded each round I lost steam, (not to mention the frustration of figuring out the mistakes in the pattern).  I am keeping my notes for fixes to errors row by row in Ravelry if anyone else wants to make this dress. Anyway, I actually took a long break from the dress to make some cotton washcloths since I was really burned out.  Now I really need to finish it because baby girl is getting big!

I'm following all the directions for the size 6-9 months, including for yarn weight but when I put it on the hanger the weight of the dress really pulls on the straps.  I'm a little concerned about the straps being too long and her little baby boobies will be spilling all out and stuff.  I'm sure she's not that kinda girl. I may have to adjust them after I'm finished with the rest.  I was hoping for this dress to be a surprise but I may have to ask them to measure her.  I currently have about 1.5 rounds to go and then some trim of some sort.  I think I will have to reprint the last page of the pattern since Buddy the beagle baby grabbed it and it is in really bad shape now.  My main concern was keeping him away from the dress!  I think I would have cried if he got it and snagged it. The yarn is a thinner size 3 weight and his sharp little teeth would probably cut right through it.  That is why I haven't made as much progress on it as I would have otherwise.  I am too nervous to take it out unless he is in his crate.  My fibromyalgia has been flaring up too and so all told I didn't make much progress this week.

I did get Buddy the Beagle Baby a new squeaky ball which he loves though. I'm hoping that will keep him busy so I can crochet more!

I hope everyone is having fun working on their projects.  The most important thing to remember is to have fun with your hobbies and not let it become "work."  

Year of Projects (YOP) Goals

Edit: I am in the process of adding my goal list for this to a new page - see link above.

Yikes, where did June go so fast?  I really need to write down my goals for this next year (going from July 1st to next June 30th).

I have quite a few projects already in Ravelry that I really need to finish.  I also have some I added but never started.  I went through and deleted some so the only ones left are projects I really want to get finished in the next year.....or so.  So they should show up on the left side of the blog with percentage bars.  I know how the Fibro likes to take over though and I also have craft ADHD so anything I don't get finished will get moved to the next year.  I also reserve the right to sneak in a few totally new projects just in case (because of course I will).  

My to do list

• The never-ending Frilly Dress of Doom is my #1 priority because babies grow fast!
• The Nordic Afghan (which I started and frogged) is a knitting project that involves 2 colors so this is a learning item for me and I haven't knit very much for quite a while.
• I have several other projects, like the Meandering Rib Scarf that are MIA.  I need to figure out where they are and either finish them or frog them or call them a loss.  
• I've started the Marcelle Afghan Kit and angrily frogged it a few times now.  I really want to get through that one because I love it (pattern errors and all).
• Then there is the Doily that I wanted to make for my round glass table in fall colors but then I misplaced the magazine with the pattern in it while waiting for the thread to come in the mail. I really hope I can find that magazine!!!!!  Oh and now the thread again too!
• A few more toys for my favorite beagle -Buddy Boy.  I want to make him a big whale and a snake and probably a new other things.  I even bought some squeakers to put in them.
• And then I need some Christmas presents which include a bunch of dishcloths and other household type items which people seem to love and some scarves and maybe a shawl etc. 

Argh!  I just noticed a bunch more "projects" down below the pictures of finished projects.  I'll have to look through those now and see if some need to be deleted or moved back to my bulging Q.  

Stitcher's Block

Have you ever started a pattern that seemed like the best idea ever and then after what feels like a million years later you find yourself thinking you need to track down Dr. Who and go back in time and stop yourself from starting that thing?  Yeah...... that's where I'm at right now.

I've made big projects before and this isn't even big.  It is just fluffy.  I'm making a pattern called "Frilly Dress" and it really shouldn't be that big of a deal.  I think I'm just not into it and want to do anything else... like housework.  I'm really close to the end too but I just don't want to work on it anymore.  The only problem is the baby it is for is going to grow up.  I need to get it finished for her before her wedding day.

This is kinda like writers block... only I guess it's Stitcher's Block.

I have had this happen before but usually it is a color problem or I hate the yarn etc.  I have learned that I don't like mint green and every time I have ever started a pattern with yarn that color I ended up never finishing it or I start over with another color yarn.  This is lavender though and I love lavender!

So hopefully I can make it to the end of this thing.  I only have 2 and a half rounds left on the bottom of the skirt (which is like a lap around Texas) and the trim to do.

So close but soooooooo freakin' far away

This is a post! Don't freak out!

Yes, my last post was over a year ago!  What was I thinking?  Well, for one, I started keeping an actual journal so I guess writing in that made me forget about the blogs I have.  I was also busy taking care of my elderly dog Blue who had bladder cancer among other problems.  She became incontinent so I was having to change diapers on her and also had to give her medications which she hated.  She starting having some dementia too and it was so hard to watch her decline.  I was determined to be there for her as long as possible (and not complain about cleaning up after her) but I knew the time was coming when I'd have to let her go.  It was early May this year when one night she was crying in pain and I doubled up on her meds and she still wasn't comfortable.  I had already got her another round of antibiotics but it wasn't helping this time.  I went in to tell my husband and just sobbed.  I'm so thankful for him because he took care of everything for me.  He called and set up the appointment. He told his brother who came over to spend some time with Blue and then he drove everyone to the Vet.  I just couldn't do it so I stayed home. My youngest son skipped school to go with her though and he carried her in.  My oldest son stayed home with me and tried anticipate everything I might need.  I just cried and cried.  That was the Friday before mother's day - May 6th, 2016.  Early that morning I made a stepping stone with a kit my husband got me and put Blue's paw print in it and stamped in her name and birth/death etc.  I still haven't put it outside yet but my husband and boys are going to help clear the spot I have in mind and bury her ashes and then put that stone there.  I miss her so much every day.

This was taken on Valentine's Day.

It was hard getting used to being so completely alone with everyone was gone.  I'm so used to Blue following me everywhere I went.  I kept stepping over shadows thinking it was her laying there. I made it two or three weeks maybe before I started thinking about getting another dog.  I started sending my husband emails with pictures of Beagle puppies.  I didn't think he would ever agree to get another dog though since he was always complaining about the carpet being ruined.  One day I sent him an email with a website showing a litter of puppies listed for sale.  I had sent him the link to a certain pup and I was surprised when he replied that a different one was cuter.  I went back and looked and then asked both of my boys.  Everyone agreed that that one was cutest.  So we got him and I just love my new little Buddy!  I have been very busy keeping him out of trouble and teaching him that human flesh isn't for chewing on.  

Buddy

So right now I am trying to finish up one project called "Frilly Dress" for a baby.  I decided to make the 6-9 month size to give me enough time to work on it.  I ended up getting burnt out on it big time so I took a long break from it but now I need to finish it before the baby gets too big.  This is a main goal right now.  I have to work on it while Buddy is sleeping because he could quickly ruin it. 

In the next week or so I'll put together a list of the projects to work on during the next year.  I've decided to join a Ravelry group called YOP (year of projects) and they go from July to June 30th. I'm so glad I learned about it in time and can start with the group!  

Let me know what you think!  I love getting comments but rarely do.  

Donna