I should also note that at my workplace, I have started a crafting class for my students on a "As-You-Want" basis. Those who want to learn to knit or crochet can come to a set room over Friday's lunch with whatever supplies they have or just their curiosity. If they have projects they want to share, they can. If they need lessons, I and other students instruct. Regardless, they are met with openness and joy for crafting. Many of my students were asking for stress relievers, so I'm hoping this proves to be an enjoyable one for them. If they hate crafting, they can opt out; they can also come and go as they need/want.
After blasting out the minion, I decided to switch to a simple blanket project, one I need done by Christmas for one of my sweet, little nieces. All I'm going to say about the colors is this: they were directly requested by a 5-year-old girl. Enough said.
THE CRAFT: This week's craft is a Moroccan Tile Afghan for my oldest niece, AB. When I saw this pattern, it screamed AB. I filed it away in my Ravely queue for her, sure she'd want one eventually. I was right, and she had a few very specific requests, which I will quote directly as, honestly, it was too darn cute to paraphrase:
AB: Aunt Cherish! If E is getting her own blankie, I should get one too! That's fair, right?
Cherish: I didn't know you wanted a blankie, but if you want one, I'll totally make you one for Christmas. What colors do you want?
AB: It has to be pink and purple and blue and shiny and squishy and soft and mine, Cherish! You can make that, right?
Cherish: *winks* I'm pretty sure that doable, sweetie.
Using that delightful conversation and what I know of her tastes, I picked 6 colors that would fit her bill in Caron's Simply Soft yarn, which was deemed by my mother-in-law and aunt-in-law as "Absolutely, 100% AB." Hence the insanely bright blanket you're seeing up there. I've yet to add in much of the pale pink and any of the lavender/lilac shades that I picked, though the lilac should happen sometime tonight if I keep making good progress. The pattern called for 30 rows of each color, but I elected to do two sets of 16. If I have enough yarn and want to, I may extend it out to three sets of 16. The picture above is of about 51-52 rows of the pattern out of ~193 total rows. Since that picture was taken, I'm up to about 55-56 rows.
The pattern is very easy. You work across color B (making v-stitches: DC CH DC) in the Vs of the color A's previous row. Securing the active loop of B with a stitch marker (...or a paperclip...), you pick up the active loop of A (still on the right of the project) and work across, going between the Color A Vs and securing both the previous row's space between V stitches and the space between the Color B Vs in your next V-stitch cluster. When both colors' active loops are secured on the left side, you flip the blanket and repeat. There are some unique (and optional) stitches to start rows and change colors, but the pattern's original website has links to some great videos that make it very easy to understand and master these stitches.
THE BOOK: I finished Dreams of Joy this past week, the sequel to Shanghai Girls. I enjoyed it more than the previous book in some ways, yet disliked it more in others. Not really sure what I thought. My dislike may have come from one protagonist, Joy, who I often wanted to just slap upside the head a few times over. Girlfriend's naivety drove me BANANAS. Seriously, who steals her mother's money, flees to China, then marries a guy she's known like 3 months, all to not understand at first why it all went so totally sour during the famine. I just: gah! My teachers in elementary school often told me I had "little tolerance for the perceived stupidity of others"; though I am way better at that nowadays, that little trait of mine came flying out during many of Joy's parts. I just wanted to slap her and drag her stubborn butt onto the first boat back to LA.
I'm now working through Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison by Piper Kerman. I'm enjoying the story, though I do have to agree with some critiques stating that the author paints herself with a whitewash-coated-brush through a fair deal of the memoir. I dunno: I guess I just assume that anyone chronicling a story of their life will instinctively try to paint themselves in a believable-yet-positive light, so I don't notice it as strongly as others. Still a good read, though!
The pattern is very easy. You work across color B (making v-stitches: DC CH DC) in the Vs of the color A's previous row. Securing the active loop of B with a stitch marker (...or a paperclip...), you pick up the active loop of A (still on the right of the project) and work across, going between the Color A Vs and securing both the previous row's space between V stitches and the space between the Color B Vs in your next V-stitch cluster. When both colors' active loops are secured on the left side, you flip the blanket and repeat. There are some unique (and optional) stitches to start rows and change colors, but the pattern's original website has links to some great videos that make it very easy to understand and master these stitches.
THE BOOK: I finished Dreams of Joy this past week, the sequel to Shanghai Girls. I enjoyed it more than the previous book in some ways, yet disliked it more in others. Not really sure what I thought. My dislike may have come from one protagonist, Joy, who I often wanted to just slap upside the head a few times over. Girlfriend's naivety drove me BANANAS. Seriously, who steals her mother's money, flees to China, then marries a guy she's known like 3 months, all to not understand at first why it all went so totally sour during the famine. I just: gah! My teachers in elementary school often told me I had "little tolerance for the perceived stupidity of others"; though I am way better at that nowadays, that little trait of mine came flying out during many of Joy's parts. I just wanted to slap her and drag her stubborn butt onto the first boat back to LA.
I'm now working through Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison by Piper Kerman. I'm enjoying the story, though I do have to agree with some critiques stating that the author paints herself with a whitewash-coated-brush through a fair deal of the memoir. I dunno: I guess I just assume that anyone chronicling a story of their life will instinctively try to paint themselves in a believable-yet-positive light, so I don't notice it as strongly as others. Still a good read, though!
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