Tree Skirt Done

I have spent the entire day sewing these hexagon snowflakes together, and I am calling it done - for now.  I think it needs some sort of border or another round of motifs.  It looks pretty good as is, just a bit small.

I will say that I should have joined the motifs together as I went, but I wasn't sure of how I wanted them all to be positioned when I started.  When doing a project like this next time, I will certainly take the time before hand to sketch out what the end result should look like and join as I go.





I used a total of 36 hexagons - 12 green and 24 red - arranged so each green was surrounded by reds.









Stuff I used:

Pattern Link:  http://www.artoftangle.com/snowflake.htm
Hook:  Susan Bates "G" or Clover "E"
Yarn:  2 skeins Caron Party Snow Sparkle
           1 skein Caron Simply Soft White
           1 skein Caron Simply Soft Dark Sage
           1-1/2 skeins Caron Simply Soft Burgundy

Crochet Hooks and Procrastination

I was getting ready to start up on the tree skirt project last night, but I couldn't find the right crochet hook.  I know I started it with a Susan Bates size "G", but it is MIA.  So, I figured I would just use a Clover Amour.  I have been trying to buy Clovers when I can because they are very comfortable for me.

Well, the Clover size "G" snowflake came out way too big.  Now I don't know if the sizes between the two brands are actually different or not, but I have suspected that the Clover makes my tension looser because the yarn really slides right into the stitches. The Susan Bates Silvalume are a bit sticky-ish, which is great when you have to crochet really tightly, like for an amigurumi. 

So I figured I would use a Clover size "F" and that would solve the problem.  Well that one is gone as well.  I don't know if my hooks are off somewhere on a winter holiday or what.  So I went all the way down to an "E".  It was either that, or try to loosen up with a Susan Bates "F", but that requires too much concentration through a whole project.  

After almost 2 hours of messing around, I think the Clover "F" works.  The hexagon came out a little small, but not too noticeably after I stretched it a bit.  And they are all getting sewn together, so it shouldn't be a problem.  

This is exactly why you don't leave a project sitting around for a year before you decide to finish it.

Tree Skirt

I started crocheting a tree skirt for my Christmas tree last year.  It is from a free pattern I found on Ravelry called "Snowflake Afghan" by Lois Olson.  (Here is the link to the pattern:  http://www.artoftangle.com/snowflake.htm ).  It's a fairly easy two-color hexagon motif that you stitch together to make a blanket, but I was going to make it into a tree skirt.

Here I am a year later, and three weeks until Christmas, and it is still not finished.  The pattern is very nice - interesting and easy to memorize, but it kept getting pushed aside for things that offered more instant gratification.  And, so, I decided this would be my first UFO that I would finally turn into a FO.

Was planning on doing this in two different colors.  I started using Caron Simply Soft in Burgundy and Dark Sage.  I did the snowflake part in white, and then decided to use Caron's Party in Snow Sparkle.  I already have 13 burgundy and 13 green completed.  There is one skein each of all three colors in my stash, so I should have enough to finish.

Now to figure out how many more hexagons to do, and then stitch them all together (not looking forward to that part).  Hope to have this done by next week so I can get moving on a couple of Christmas presents that need to get finished.

My Mission

I love yarn!!  There is something so exciting about imagining what might be created out of it.  I just can't stop myself from buying way too much of it.  Sometimes it is bought with a purpose in mind, but other times (most of the time) it is thrown in the cart with only the idea that, someday, it will become something.

I decided to organize my yarn, which was previously stored in multiple bags, because I could never find what I was looking for and would have to go buy more.  Not that I mind the buying part, but I hate having to wait to start a project.  So, I bought a cheap bookcase thinking that would be just what I needed to store all of my goodies.  Unfortunately, I realized that the thrill of creating something new and too many unbeatable sales have lead to an overabundance of yarn in my possession.

This is not even half of my inventory:

I have more yarn than I think I could realistically use in my lifetime.  Some of it is just as beautiful and inspiring as when I bought it, but others... ugh!

So, I am now on a mission to use this yarn - even the ugly/weird stuff - before buying more (unless more is needed for a project).  I will start with my UFO's that have been sitting around and move forward from there.  I am definitely going to have to get creative.  Can I do it?  I don't know, but I am excited to see what comes of it.