Off the Hook: Left-over Yarn Granny Square Blanket

I started this project last year to use up scraps of acrylic yarn left over from charity knitting projects. Amazingly, I had enough to make 20 big squares before I ran out of most colors. I forgot how many loose ends you have with granny squares so it's been tedious sewing them all in. I took this photo before I'd finished the back. Can't decide whether to donate or keep as it came out much better than I'd thought it would. I've had some projects that ended up at Goodwill in the hope that someone could use the yarn in them.

Off the Needles: Kitty Scarf

I knitted this little scarf using a pattern from Morehouse Farm's Critters collection using an acrylic black/grey yarn from Universal Yarn and some leftover grey yarn from an unknown source. I'm hoping to donate the scarf to a cat charity auction.

Off the Needles a Lonnnng Time Ago: Shawl of Squares

I was digging through unfinished projects with the plan to either finish them or wind the unfinished pieces back into balls of yarn for future projects or for donating to other knitters. A lot of what I found fell into the "what was I thinking" category of projects...projects so old that fashions or my tastes or my body had changed enough to make me wonder why I even started them. Out came my ball winder and back went the yarn into my stash.

While all this digging was going on, I came across this shawl which was completely finished but never worn. I think the yarn is Lion Brand's Jiffy in cerise. (I also found an afghan in the same yarn that was not quite finished. I'll post a photo of that later) I can't remember where I got the pattern, but I'm sure it's from some book in my library.

Apparently, at one time I was quite taken with this yarn and color. Not sure I'll keep the shawl, but it might come in handy for snuggling in during the winter months since it is so long.

Off the Needles: Summer Petals Stole

The pattern is from A Needle Pulling Thread, Summer 2007 issue. I bought the yarn this month from Warm n' Fuzzy, a yarn shop in Cary, NC, at their 1st Anniversary Party sale. The yarn is Blue Moon's "Socks that Rock", a 100% superwash merino lightweight wool; the colorway is "Queen Rock." The stole is knitted lengthwise using a picot cast on and a picot cast off--two techniques I'd never used before, but will definitely add to my knitting repertoire.

Off the Needles: Color Affection Shawl

The pattern is Color Affection, a shawl in all garter stitch using short rows. The 3 yarns are lace-weight wools from Knit Picks and Webs. The project knits up very fast with an interesting final effect.

Off the Hook: Cactus Pincushion

My sister saw a photo of this little guy somewhere on the Web, posted it on my Facebook page, and said if she had one, she would be inspired to take up sewing again. I couldn't resist the challenge and set out to make her one. The pattern is from Ana Paula Rimoli's November 10, 2007,  post in her blog "Amigurumi Patterns & Random Cuteness."

I used odds and ends of acrylic yarns from my stash. The pattern works up pretty fast; I think I spent barely a couple of hours on the whole project, except for the trip to Joann's for the pearl head pins. The only change I made was to the filling of the planter. Ana used poly-pellets, which I didn't have. I stiffened the bottom with a round piece of heavy card. Then I thought I'd substitute dried beans for the pellets, but didn't have any on hand. Instead, I used white rice wrapped in a scrap of fabric, which gave enough weight to keep the pincushion upright.

I think my sister will be pleased with the results. Can't wait to take it to her.

Off the Needles: Shizuku Scarf

Now that the big doubleknit project is finished, I'm going through my bags of unfinished projects. Just finished knitting and washing this scarf which I started sometime last year. The pattern is Shizuku by Angela Tong. It's all garter stitch except for the short-row dangles that create the fringe.

The yarn is a ball of Schoppel Wolle Zauberball that I bought a while back at a knitting show in Greensboro, NC. It's fingering weight 75% wool/25% nylon singles. The yarn felt pretty scratchy while I was knitting it so I've washed it with a fabric softener. I've lost the label, but a Web search indicates that the wool is superwash. If that's the case and if the scarf dries still scratchy, I'll try machine-washing it.