Squares on Sunday! Vol II

Here's week one of my squares! There's 8 in the picture because I included last Sunday's. I'm surprised that I've actually done one every single day. Go me! Go motivation! And I've gotten my mom on the "I want to match fabrics!" bandwagon. She had the great idea to cut squares and pin them, so it will cut down on time and I can sew two or three a day, if need be. (I'll be out of town for 10 days, and I'm already behind.) I think we have 40 cut so far, and she even allowed me to buy some remnants from Wal-Mart so we could match some more! I'm very excited. When I have 70 (or however many I want. 70 is an odd number...) I'm going to add sashing (that's what it is, right?) like THIS, and a white border. I have no idea what to do for the back or binding, but I'm definitely using white so the blocks POP. I'm really excited about what the finished project will look like. I love finding all these odd combinations for blocks. I've also discovered I completely fail at cutting. Even with a template.

I also really think I have a case of startitis. I really want to start the Weekend Retreat Cardi in my Sugar and Creme Confectionary Colors, and $5 in Paris which is going to be pink. (Thank you Murphy's Mart.) :] Today I've cut fabric for another Purl Frog, gifts for my cousins' new baby, the patchwork pieces for the place mat and coaster set for my uncle and aunt's Christmas presents, and linings for two Singlet Shopping totes, which I just happened to find. Along with all that, as if that's not enough, I bought some twine to crochet an Exchange Bag, and I have a dishcloth pattern that's floating through my head. And there's a ton of projects I need to do for other people, which I need to get cracking on. Thank God for Shark Week on Discovery. I usually just plunk down in front of the TV with crafts, and by the end I've seen every program. Twice.

I soaked the yarn from my unraveled sweater again, because the first time it really wasn't as straight as I liked. I soaked it for a few hours and it's still kinky. Damn. I think it's because it's cotton and acrylic and those materials don't have the magical properties animal fur comes with. Oh well, it's not like it's going on Etsy or anything fancy. I also learned, from re-soaking it, that whatever dye they used it bleeds a lot. When I first got it I washed it, and it's still bleeding pink. I have to remember that when I decide what I'm going to knit it into.

Even though I said in THIS post that I didn't want to make it into a sweater, I'm thinking a stockinette cardigan to show off the yarn. 3/4 length sleeves, ribbing at the cuffs and border, buttonholes, the whole shebang. I went looking on Ravelry for some patterns because I haven't gotten that advanced to create my own pattern. First I found THIS which is perfect, but the pattern calls for 1,790 yards and I only have around 1,300. Even if I don't knit the sleeves all the way, I don't think it will work. Then I found THIS pattern, from DROPS. It's everything I wanted, and I like the shape, it calls for US 4s, which would probably work great with the DK weight of the yarn, and it only calls for 985 yards for the smallest size, which is me. I think I'm sold on this one. But I want to hold off on it and try an easier sweater for my first so I get used to sweater construction, at least a little.