It's a good thing that I finally learned to read crochet charts.  One day a chart suddenly made sense when it did not before.  The CAL I'm working on is Lisa Gentry's Hooked on Stitches which is a stitch pattern a day for the month of November.   The written directions were a bit confusing so I got clarification from the chart.  Go me!!  

Now if only I could read knit charts.  It will happen someday.

I did not sign up for Nerd Wars T9 but I just can't keep away so I will probably ninja some WIPs for the Flexible Schedule challenges and get something done at least.  Nerd Wars is a motivator.  This entire month of September had me doing very little crocheting or knitting even though I thought I would finish some socks,  Just meandered along and did a few rows at a time which for sock knitting looks like nothing.

OK,  I've checked out the ninja thread.  One of the competitors is a guy in Australia who designs men friendly items.  Score for Christmas presents for my sons and I will figure out how to scale it down for my grandson.   The pattern is Enchanted Cowl by David on Ravelry.

Chart reading success!

Chart and diagram reading usually escapes me.  I can kind of read simple knitting charts but the thing is the symbols seem to change from one designer to another.  And crochet,  (pshht),  totally could not get! Until I found a pattern that I would like to modify the width to make a prayer shawl.   It is by Annette Patavy and it is http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/echarpe-pointes-violettes-violet-points-scarf on Ravelry.    I understand the easy chart!!

State Fair Musing

It's officially the end of summer.  I went to the State Fair yesterday.  I knew the cooling was coming but was amazed at the speed.  Last week it was 90+ F every day.  Yesterday I wore a jacket to stay warm and lots were complaining because they were not dressed for the weather.

Anyroad, this is a blog about knit and crochet.  The Craft Building did not disappoint.  I was very pleased to see that two of the SWEEPSTAKES winners were crochet.  I'm not the best crocheter but I have a huge admiration for people who are really good.   Those top winners were a fine lace tablecloth in ecru color and a Tunisian crochet tapestry of dinosaurs.  Unlike many Tunisian tapestry work,  this was not done in cross stitch over TSS.   The person used colorwork in TSS to make the dinosaurs.  Unfortunately,  I used an old school camera and had run out of film by the time I found these treasures. There were some really nice lace crocheted shawls also.  The downside was one ignoramus loudly declaring "I don't like crochet" as she was pulled into the section.

None of the knitwear stood out for me sorry to say.  There was some spectacular weaving work though.

My style as an older woman is simple and practical.  I tend to wear a-lines, jumper dresses and flat Mary Jane shoes.  In fact, I have two jumpers which I wear to the karate dojo and people don't even have to see my face to know it's me.  Sadly when I did a search on Ravelry for seamless jumper dresses,  most were for children.  When I narrowed the field to adult,  I got young style short tunics.  There were only a few that caught my interest.  Unfortunately,  the one pattern that stood out as perfect for me is only in German.  Someone suggested the group "Excuse Me?" as the group in which to seek translations.  The process is afoot and I will probably have a translation soon for Vamplakleid. by Utlinde.

T8 is over and I succeeded in knitting and crocheting a total of 30 baby hits for Click for Babies as my dissertation.

I absolutely abhor that Google has taken over Blogspot!   They really mess with my password and it is so hard to sign in!   Hence my being absent for 3 months...

OK with that off my chest.  T8 R2 is on.  I dwarfed the nebula for Round 1 and that will probably be the only time this round.  So much is happening in RL.

My dissertation this round is 30 baby hats.  Right now, I'm only 10 in so I need to be at 15 by next week to be on time.  Hopefully I can get ahead of my schedule so that I have more time for the challenges.   More points are on the line.

I've completed the Rise Up Rise Up challenge and got this nifty avatar from Team Paranormal.

These are the dishcloths that I did for 4 challenges in T7.

TUP rambling T7R3

The last round has not even started of Nerdwars T7 and we have our Team Unity Project  picked.  We just have to wait until April 1st for the challenges to be announced.  Then we can pick whichever we can use for Team Unity.  Sadly, our team did not get any team unity points on Round 2 as not enough of us submitted projects.  We only needed 40% and we did not make it.  Groan..

Anyroad, we need to make something for Joss Whedon based on a team crossover with Team Browncoats.  I'm guessing we will see lots of Jayne hats.   Here is an interview with Joss by Kim Werker of CrochetMe.

http://www.crochetme.com/blogs/kim_werker/archive/2008/12/6/joss-whedon-on-crafts-and-craftiness-interview-transcript.aspx

Finally made it to halfway with my first (and hopefully not last) February Lady.

Practiced and practiced the buttonhole technique but I just could not get it to look right so I used a double YO for a medium size buttonhole.   The February Lady at 288 stitches a row is going slowly for me plus I sprained my wrist shoveling the knee high snow last week.  My mom called last night worried that I would get caught in the "blizzard" she'd heard on a forecast for today.  Fortunately when I looked outside, same old snow.  Nothing new.   The predicted snowstorm will probably go south.

This T7 of Nerdwars has some different rules.   Each successive round offers more points.  I am used to doing fewer projects in the second round so as to make more progress on my big project for the check in at the end of the month.  Better get stitching!   I have three small projects printed out and ready to go.  Our Team Unity Project is partnering with Team Impala to tie in a flashback from Supernatural.  Since Jessica burning up on the ceiling is technically a flashback as it's in the show's opening,  I want to crochet a red and orange dishcloth.  Yeah.  I think that will work.

Gah!  Knitting the February Lady Sweater which requires a more complicated buttonhole than I've done before.  So it is watch over and over this video from KnittingHelp.com.

This is my project Woven Cables Coffee Mug for Nerdwars T7 R1 Nerdology Challenge.   I really like the garter edge.  

OK,  T7 is in progress.   There are fewer challenges but the categories are new and we all have to get used to them.  It is slow going for me.   I only have 3 projects done plus I'm working on a February Lady cardigan.  Here is the hat finished yesterday.

Would you believe I lost my own blog which is why I haven't posted? !    I'll be back soon with pix.  This is a rush time at work for me.