The Year in Review - 2011

My hope, by this point, is that I have less projects ongoing then I did at this time last year. This may be difficult, as I don't have a clear view of what I had going at this time last year, though I will try.

(Italics means it has been finished)

Ongoing Projects At the Beginning of the Year
The Cats Latch Hook Rug
The Wolf Latch Hook Wall Hanging
The Latch Hook Kitty
The Latch Hook Pillow
The Blue Scarf
The Wren Building Cross Stitch

Projects I Started this Year
The Victorian Dress
Necklace
Painting
The Ohio State Fleece Fringed Blanket
The South Carolina Fleece Fringed Blanket
The Chargers Fleece Fringed Blanket
The White Scarf 
The Blue and White Fleece Fringed Blanket
The Gettysburg College Fleece Fringed Blanket
The JMU Fleece Fringed Blanket

So I started this year with 6 ongoing projects, and finished 5 of them. Of all the projects I started in 2011, 4 remain yet undone. That leaves 5 ongoing projects heading into 2012, down one from last year.


Good. It is my goal to finish these things, and of all the projects from last year, only one remains.

I do notice that most of my finished projects are blankets, which are easy to make in one day. I hope to diversify more next year.

I did learn to sew this year and nearly completed a giant project (more on that in a few weeks). With any luck, I will continue to develop new skills and refine the ones I already have.

Still, I have finished a lot for having started this blog so late in November.

Keep reading, Faithful Viewers. Next year will be even better.

The White Scarf - Release 3.0

Progress on the White Scarf has been coming along well - which is more than can be said for another of my projects.

I joined the new ball of yarn and made several inches worth of progress over Christmas.

You can't really see here, but I think it's a third of the way completed. I still need to weave in the old ends, but that can wait til later.

Rug Binding on the Wolf Rug

I finished the Wolf rug sometime in the spring of my senior year in high school - sometime after the Snowmageddon rug.

Rug Binding on the Snowmageddon rug

I have been a fan of latch hook rug making ever since I made my first one at age 8.

My first rug is not in good shape

This cat-patterned rug was started about three years ago for my sister's birthday. However, real life interfered and it was sent aside until the winter of 2009/2010.

The completed rug

The Reverse Side

The rug side

When Snowmageddon hit, it seemed the perfect time to finish this rug. I worked on it that entire weekend, starting on Friday night as the snow began falling, on into Saturday and Sunday. It was done before the second blizzard hit.

At least the latch hook part was. I still needed to trim the edges. So sometime later I went to Michaels to get rug binding - a canvas like bias tape that holds the edges in places. The instructions say it gives the rug a more finished look.

I then promptly set it aside and forgot about it. But I have decided that it will get done this year.

The instructions say to cut the extra mesh to an inch of the rug.

Done

Then I was to fold back the edges and stitch in place, or I could use rug binding for a more professional look. That was it.

This is rug binding. It goes for about $5 for 5 yards at Michael's.

Keep in mind that I have never done this before. The instructions are very vague.

Anyway, this is how it happened:

At the beginning

 

Halfway done

Getting closer

Almost there

The back of the finished project

And that was that. I have no idea if this is what should have happened, but it seems to work. 

The finished project

I have another rug to bind, but given that it is a circle, I think I'll skip the canvas and just sew the canvas to the back of the rug. I can't say the canvas made it 'more professional'.

And why is it that as soon as I finish one project, three new ideas pop into my head?

Fringe on the Blue Scarf

At long last, The Blue Scarf is finally finished!

 This:

became this:

The Latch Hook Pillow

In the end of the year in sight, it's time to look at something I finished this year: the Dog Latch Hook Pillow.

JMU Fringed Fleece Blanket

Time to use up the last of my Black Friday fleece.

If you don't remember how this is done, check back here.

This one was in purple and yellow, the colors of James Madison University. The yellow is technically tie-dyed, as that was what color they had in stock.

The White Scarf - Release 2.0

I haven't been able to work on the scarf as much as I would have liked, with finals taking up the next week. The scarf is up to 15 inches by now and the ball of yarn is running out.

I have managed to get new yarn for it - White in The Original Sugar 'n Cream. Technically I should be knitting this on size 7 needles instead of size 3. Oh well. I hadn't planned on making a scarf when I first got the yarn. I think it was to make dish towels - which I did.

It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Gettysburg College Fringed Fleece Blanket

With today being a reading day before final exams, I don't have to worry much about schoolwork yet. So I decided to make the second of three fringed fleece blankets.

If you don't remember how this is done, check back here.

Making a Fringed Fleece Blanket

For Christmas I am making a few fleece blankets for friends and family. This is a simple, no sew project that can be done in an hour if you take no breaks or a few hours if you like stopping every few steps (like me).

The first one I will time to give you a rough estimate for how long it takes with no breaks (with pictures).