The Ships Project

The Ships Project sends handmade slippers, hats, neck warmers, and "coolers" to troops stationed overseas and deployed on ships. The items can be sewn, crocheted, or knit. This is perfect for me, as I love to give away my stuff. By all reports, the guys and gals in uniform even love getting these "hugs from Home." It's win-win!

As you may know, however, I have OCD. This means when I embrace a project, I go a little overboard. I embrace it until I get so sick of it I can't stand it anymore. So, what started out as marginal contentment in crocheting a black or camo (oops, pardon me, "cammie!") hat or two out of leftover stash, turned into a household-wide project that consumed all of my spare time for a week or two.

Sorry, Fechak. The blanket is coming. I swear.

The final tally for The Ships Project is 26 hats (23 reversible fleece, one crochet cammie, one crochet black wool, one knit black wool) and 20 pairs of slippers. This involved multiple trips to the fabric store, and a little haggling with the counter ladies for sale prices (which I got, thank you very much Gretchen.)

While machine sewing is not my favorite activity, I am reasonably competent at it (I worked in a sweat shop, back in my "Top Ramen" youth.) What I hate doing, however, is hand stitching. Yet, because I oh-so-thoughtfully chose a pattern that the project leader said was in demand, I discovered I was stuck hand-sewing inch-long holes shut, after pulling each hat inside out. Happily, my mother "volunteered" to help, and that got me out of hand sewing about half of them. Then, like a rat off a sinking ship, she left for a vacation in Hawaii (suuuure it was planned....) which left me to hand sew the other half. I assure you, the closures are not nearly as pretty as hers. However, none of the recipients will know who I am, and this IS free shit, after all, so they can't whine too much, amirite?

By the time the last slipper was hemmed, the last hat was reversed, and the last hole sewn shut, I was pretty sick of sewing. I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking with crochet for a while. (Honest, Fechak!)

More pictures to come when uploading isn't sucking.

WIP: Fechak's Ripple

This Work in Progress is the green and blue monstrosity that has been mentioned elsewhere. It was begun in March of 2006, in this post. It is currently around 40 inches long, and about 120" wide. I began with 25 skeins of Homespun, and I think I'm right about on track with it. Recipient, like every guy I've ever heard of when defining the crochet item in his head, requests "no holes, thick, soft." I think they just mean "no granny squares," but I wasn't taking any chances. It's single crochet, though, the most boring and tedious stitch to use. Each row takes so long, that I'm sure it would interest scientists studying quantum mechanics and the space-time continuum. Every color takes an Age of Men.

I am determined he will receive this before the end of the winter.

THIS winter.

WIP: Aran

This is a photo of my half-complete Aran folded over, and a photo detail of the stitches. I like working on it; I really do. For small amounts of time. It's not boring, because each row, just about, is different. When it's finished, it will be an heirloom. Assuming it gets finished.

The pattern is from Herrschners, Inc, "Fisherman Afghan #3079," and I'm using Lion Brands "Pound of Love" worsted weight in color 99, Antique White. I pray the two pounds I have left will be enough. You see, I started with 5 pounds. Calculating I am halfway through, that would be more than slightly worrisome. However, I recall very disctinctly that I swiped some yarn from a new skein, telling mysel I had too much. What I can't rememebr is how much I used, or where the extra of that skein went.

Cross your fingers for me!

Sailor's Socks- fin

Unbelievably, these are compete. I am extremely proud of them. I am, of course, taking the recipient's word that his feet are 11 inches long. He refused to measure them for me, oddly. Perhaps because he does not have a handy ruler, and the inevitable questions as to why, exactly, he needs a ruler to measure his feet would lead his superiors to doubt the sanity of a, his "girl," and b, his own, for going along with it.

Either way, said recipient is not preceisly overwhelmingly enthused about becoming the owner of a pair of hand-knit, hand painted wool socks. But he will be.

Oh yes, he will be.

Checklist

After some marathon knitting sessions, I've completed a couple items and am going to update my "to do" list.

X Helmetliner (as shown in button on the sidebar) - knit
X One pair Olive drab socks for my sailor- knit
X One pair super soft socks for Dad's BD in November- knit
To do: Aran afghan, exactly half complete - crochet
To do: Green ripple monstrosity thing, about 1/4 complete -crochet
To do: Rainbow triple crochet baby blanket, about 6 inches -crochet
To do: Baby blanket for Amy's forethcoming boychild.
To do: Dishcloth(s) for Christmas presents.

I'm taking the other helmetliners off the list for now, and replacing them with The Ships Project hats and slippers. (Well, maybe just hats. My slipper attempts aren't working out very well, and I've tried three patterns. I just don't like the way they turn out.) The reason for the charity switch? Wool is kind of pricey for me, and The Ships Project will take acrylic stuff. Also hats don't take as long.

Sailor's Socks, updated!

First sock, done. Second sock, in progress. My sailor has fracking huge feet, so they take a lot longer than other socks I've done! He's worth it, though...of course!

More Christmas presents!

Dishcloths, bath puff and back scrubber, all crocheted! Too cute, eh? All worked with cotton yarn. They all worked up super fast, and were a welcome break from sock knitting. Though the sock knitting urge could not be put off for long!

More socks

Super soft softs for pop! These were made on size 3 dpn's, with Debbie Bliss' Baby Cashmerino in black. Cashmere, microspun, and merino wool make a super soft yarn! I'm told it will pill easily, but that's fine because the recipient is more worried about softness than anything else. He won't be wearing them with shoes.

S-N-B Fat-bottomed bags

Three Stitch N' Bitch Fat-bottomed bags, made to be Christmas gifts this year! No linings, because I didn't feel like it.