Knit, Knit, Knit, Frog, Knit, Crochet, Knit, De-Stash, Knit, Finish, Repeat!

Before I left on vacation I spent a lot of time looking at my stash and pattern possibilities on Ravelry. I'm still on a mission to de-stash and that's just what I'm doing. I've been starting and finishing projects, finishing up loose ends on others, frogging a few, and still starting new ones. I've been inspired and excited about knitting again (even a little crochet) and I think I've got my knitting mojo again...maybe it's the sheep shoes!

The first thing I did on my trip was to finish my Sangria Shawl. I don't have any new pictures of it yet but you can click on the name and see it's beginnings. I love this shawl! The colors, textures, and overall effect of the yarn is delicious!

The next thing I did on my trip was to start a simple scarf. I found the pattern on Ravelry...it's called "Scrunchable Scarf". The stitch pattern is done in threes plus one stitch on each side. I used some Bernat Denim Style yarn in blue. I tried it with a few needle sizes, decided on 10 1/2's and quickly got started. The only thing was...it was making a ridge down one side and a dip down the other...hmmmm? I frogged it and started again, adding another set of three, thinking it would add a ridge down the other side and make it symetrical. It didn't work! Hmmmm? Oh well...I knitted it anyway and it turned out nice. I finished it shortly after we got home from our trip. It's super soft and "scrunchable"...just like the pattern name says...


Another project I started on our vacation was this...some stripey socks with Knitcol yarn I had bought last year. I finished the first sock last weekend but had so much yarn left over in that ball (it'll take two balls of yarn) that it bugged me enough to frog the sock back to the leg and add more to the length of that, in hopes that I'll use up more or most of the yarn...keeping my fingers crossed that I have enough now to reach the end of the toe (I really need to learn the toe up method!)...


I had taken some left over Sugar n Cream yarn to make a little project bag but didn't get to it until I got home. I ended up crocheting it. It's loosely inspired by the "Work Your Way Up String Bag" pattern (also found on Ravelry) but I did it in the round so I would only have the bottom to sew up...


I added lining...


And, an I-cord drawstring...


I still need to get some thread to match the "Cupcake" color of the yarn so I can sew the lining to it. Otherwise, it's done!

I also finished up a lot of loose ends after I got home by tucking the ends into several projects that I had previously finished but neglected to do that final task to truly finish them. That felt good!

I worked on my "Flower Basket Shawl" this weekend. However, since this project has done little more than frustrate me, I'm planning to frog it completely and use the yarn for something more enjoyable.

I'm also about to cast on my first tank top! After months of having trouble deciding on projects and lacking my usual knitting enthusiasm, it's extra nice to have that excitement back again! I just hope I don't burn myself out! lol

Well, I'm off for a day at the beach...fresh, cool air, beautiful scenery, and...of course...knitting!!! :-D