One Row Handspun Scarf

I'm so glad that I finally finished this scarf for my daughter.  It seems like it took forever, but in all honesty I started several patters then frogged them because I ended up not liking them with the yarn she chose.

I ended up using the One Row Handspun Scarf pattern from The Yarn Harlot, and loved it.  I added a hole for easy wear by a kindergartener.

Items used: 3 skeins Bernat Baby yarn (pink, yellow, purple)

Items already owned: knitting needles, tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Verdict:  This is a super easy, very pretty pattern.  If I'd do it again, I'd make the wrap hole smaller, and make the wide pink stripe thinner.  The scarf is a little long for her, but needed to be that long to make my stripe pattern symmetrical.

The Husband Scarf

This scarf comes from a free Ravelry pattern. I was having a hard time finding a good pattern that was, well, manly. It seems like all of the nice patterns are a tad feminine. This pattern was kind of difficult to start, but once I got used to the pattern of counting everything just fell into place.

I used Sublime Yarn, Organic Merino Wool DK in a light gray, purchased at the Yarn Barn in Burke, VA. I cannot tell you how divinely soft this scarf is. But expensive. At $13 each ball, this is the most I have ever spent on yarn. But at $40, I'd have spent a lot more buying a merino scarf, so there is that.

Modeled by me. Even after blocking, this pattern gives a short scarf. I used 3 balls of yarn for this guy, if I ever make it again in the future I'll use 4.

5 (uh, 11) Hour (ahem, week) Boy (er, girl) Sweater (cough, cardigan)

On or around the middle of December, I started on the Baby Boy Five Hour Sweater. And I just finished it. I chose the boy sweater instead of the girl sweater because I didn't like the filligrie holes and whatnot in the girl sweater. But I used a nice lavender yarn with bunny rabbit buttons, so nobody's mistaking my baby girl for a boy. The yarn I bought as part of my Black Friday haul from Michael's, but I threw away the label and I can't find the extra ball I purchased right now. I'll update when it turns up. The buttons are from JoAnn's.

The verdict? This really was an easy sweater. I just didn't have a whole lot of motivation, and kept starting other projects and not finishing anything. Twice I came to points where I put the needles down for extended periods of time, once when I reached a stitch I didn't know and once when I had to look up how to seam the arms closed using a crochet slip stitch.
And because I slacked off, the sweater is just a tad too small. It won't close. Oh well. I think I'll give this one to my toddler for one of her baby dolls.

Crochet Mini-Pumpkins

I finally finished my crochet mini-pumpkin project! I used three different free patterns from Ravelry, with 2 shades of orange, brown and green. The pumpkins all have knit i-cord stems, and a couple even have curls of leaf. This was my first attempt at crochet, and it's not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be!

This one's my favorite.

Items purchased:
Kit of varying sized of crochet hooks (JoAnn's Fabrics)
Yarn (Vanna's Choice in Terracotta, Red Heart Soft Yarn Solids in Tangerine, Lion Brand Fun in Brown and Caron Simply Soft Eco in Forest Floor, all purchased at JoAnn's)
Stuffing (Michael's)
Items owned:
Tapestry needles (Michael's)
Double pointed needles (Michael's)
Time Spent: An average of 2 days per pumpkin.
Difficulty: Easy, basic crochet skills needed.