For my own sanity, I need to keep track!

After testing and making a bazillion errors and getting Selina and Kim to help, finally took out 200 Crochet Tips, Techniques and Trade Secrets so I had a reference on how to read the pattern and do the stitches properly.

I’m very much a new crocheter, this is a first, I think, for me, to start from scratch and follow a written crochet pattern.

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20130913

Border completed.

Set up row completed.

Two repeats of patterning completed! 10g yarn used.

20130915

I’m able to read the crochet now, which is amazing to me. Finished three repeats so far, which isn’t much but I was busy the last couple of days. Loving what are essentially the “return rows” or set up rows, so much faster than the pattern rows!

12g yarn used, so a repeat is 2g, approximately.

20130916

Four repeats, 14g. Only 39 more repeats, lol.

39x2 = 78g, which isn’t enough. It’ll definitely be more than 39 more repeats. Or I’ll be returning couple balls of yarn! 78g + 12g is 90g, which is only two balls. I have five.

About 18” across, 2.5” unblocked at the moment, it really stretches out when I open it up, to about 4.5”. Each repeat appears to be 1” “blocked”, which is 43” + 2” 45” which is not very long for a shawl/scarf thing.

I suspect my gauge is off, which isn’t a surprise given this is my first project! :D

Well, onward, this isn’t going to crochet itself.

I had better improve my repeats/day ratio, lol, or I’ll be crocheting this in 2014. Or worse.

20130918

Six repeats completed. Yeah. Not getting any faster, lol!

20130919

Seven! Wait, it may get faster! Maybe. We’ll see if I get any more done today, lol. 24g used.

20130920

21g left. So 29g used. Whoa. Got into a rhythm, lost track of my repeats.

Now I guess I learn how to count repeats! Looks like 9.5 repeats so far. Okay, that’s not bad.

20130922

I have memorized what I need to do, or can read previous rows that are hopefully correct, and no longer need the pattern. Completed 11.5 repeats at this writing. Still not going fast but at least moving consistently forward!

17g left in the first ball, trucking along. Soon I’ll get to the point where I’ll have to actually figure out attaching the next ball of yarn.

20130924

15 repeats completed! Whee! Actually getting there. Haven’t followed the pattern for awhile. Sort of screwed up the edge stitches a couple of rows, but I think I have it straight now again. 9g left in the first ball.

20130925

16 repeats done. 6g left. So three repeats, 12 rows until I have to work out how to change yarns.

later

18.5 repeats done, finished the skein for all intents and purposes. Probably will get to 19 when I’m done, and I’ve wound off a bit of the next skein so it’ll be starting at the right spot.

20130926

Finished 19 repeats exactly. Now on to the new yarn!

20130927

Did 2 repeats last night at book club. Whoa. So 21!

later

Up to 23 repeats completed. Really easy to do while talking.

20130929

So sick. Argh. Head stuffed up, can’t brain, can’t breathe. Joy.

24 repeats completed. Slowly.

20130930

I think I crocheted while out of it with the sickness.

25 repeats completed.

20131001

It’s mindless now. From halting first efforts to this fluid action. Quite nice. I still have to count chains but otherwise all good.

20131002

28 repeats going, going, going!

20131003

29 repeats and counting. 5 repeats of the colour sequence.

The bottom is floopy but the rest of it is consistent, which is not bad for a first effort.

20131004

Still so sick. Ugh.

30.5 repeats and counting. ;)

20131005

Not sure when I’m crocheting, but I’m at 32 repeats now. Maybe I really am doing it in my sleep.

43 is really not going to cut it, so I’ll have to go back to the designer for tips on how to proceed.

20131006

33 repeats. Not a good day for crocheting!

20131008

34 repeats. Need to break for a knitting project, then back to it.

Feh, screwed up the repeat, back to 33.

20131012

I have to start over entirely! Entirely! However, I think it will go faster this time, with me doing the stitches properly… :D

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20131013

Okay, starting over. Cast on 191 stitches so it’ll be a little wider, but I’m concerned now about length. I may end up pulling the swatch apart at the end. sigh

Starting the shawl again I’m reminded of how tedious the first chain and crocheting into it is. Aiyee. Can’t wait to get going on the actual pattern!

20131014

Border started, but I think it’s wrong. sigh Edges and double crochet are right, finally.

20131015

Border + 1 repeat is 13g, 1.5” high unblocked.

20131016

Border + 2 repeats is 17g. 2” unblocked. A repeat is about .5” and 4g now. 1.25” blockedish.

So that puts a different spin on things.

Border: 9g
Repeat: 4g
Skein: 50g

Skein One: border + 10 repeats will be about 14” blocked (roughly).

Skeins Two-Four: 12 repeats, about 15” each

Skein Five: same as skein one: 14”

Total estimated length when blocked: 73” which is plenty long enough without tearing apart my first attempt for more yarn (about 17” blocked, so my estimates may be totally wonky).

Total estimated repeats: 56, which is close to the 43 suggested.

I guess we’ll see!

20131019

4 repeats is 25g (just under) so a repeat is just under 4g. The math will do enough for now.

3.5” long now. Feels so sad to be this small again, lol! But it’s consistent and moving forward, so yay for that! :)

20131020

5 repeats, 28g. 4”

20131021

7.5 repeats… lolwhut? 5.5”, 12g left. On track for 10 repeats + border out of the first skein.

20131022

8 repeats. 39g, 9g left. Little over 6”.

20131023

10 repeats, not quite. Skein wasn’t complete, only 47g.

On to the next one! Just over 7” tall at this point, unblocked.

20131024

11.5 repeats, 52g, I was crocheting around while waiting for teacher interviews. The good news is that Sheridan’s doing reasonably well, and what skills we need to work on are very clear. And I got 1.5 repeats done while standing in line. :D

20131028

Had to take a few days off for seaming and obligations, however back to it today. 13.5 repeats at the moment. None of us have cavities, so yay!

59.4g used so far. I also got a new scale that’s accurate to a tenth of a gram, which makes me quite a bit happier. Will do a more accurate count on the yarn usage shortly.

20131030

61.4g, one row short of 14 repeats. Apparently I’ve been busy!

later

62.3g completed 14 repeats, which puts the “crochet back” row at .9g of yarn use. And 25% completed if I use 5 skeins.

20131101

70.3g and 16 full repeats are finished. A lot of listening this week is helping make up a bit for being so slow in this.

About 11.5” tall unblocked. 27.8g in the skein left.

First right side row of 17th repeat: 71.7g, so 1.4g per right side row, .9 per return row, that’s 4.6g per repeat, which is more than I thought. Hunh.

20131102

17 repeats. 74.2g so far. 23.7g left in the skein.

later

18 repeats, 78g even. So 3.8 per repeat this time? WTF? sigh I’ll see how 19 works out. 19.9g left in the skein. So that’s right.

20131103

19 repeats completed! 81.9g (I have started the 20th a little). 16.1 g left in this skein. So that’s another 4 repeats, which is 1 more than I thought I’d get to. (I estimated 12, will get 13). This is fine as I have probably underestimated how much give I’ll get when I block it.

20131104

Almost 21 repeats completed, 8.8g left so it’ll be close to get 23 repeats out of these two skeins.

I think I’ll need the first attempt’s yarn to make this long enough.

20131105

89.8g for 21 repeats and a safety pin marking, 8g left in the skein, so I should be okay for 2 more repeats.

Then on to skein #3!

20131108

Got a bit busy. 23 repeats completed, just a hair left (.3g) to start the 24th.

97.0g total so far. Pretty much dead on for about 4g per repeat.

Now to start skein three and the third section of the work. Oof, this is taking a bit of time.

20131109

101.1g 24 repeats completed.

20131114

Um, got busy.

38.1g left in the third skein.

108.2g for the shawl so far, and 26 repeats in. Still not sure it’ll be long enough, lol, but I guess we’ll see.

20131115

33.7g left, 27 repeats completed, 112.3g shawl so far. It’s about 20” unblocked, still worried about the length.

20131117

116.9g shawl so far. 29.8g left in the ball, 28 repeats completed.

20131118

26.0g left, 29 repeats, 120.7g in the shawl.

20131124

Been very busy.

32 repeats
16.4g left in the skein
130.2 in the shawl!

20131126

34.5 repeats, will weigh it at 35. :)

20131127

35 repeats:

4.5g left
140.8g in the shawl

Not sure how that’s happened. Seems I’m screwing with my gauge? Uh oh.

Onward!

Recounted: oh, I had my counting off. 34.5 done, lol, not 35, which is much better. Gauge is fine. Brain is not.

20131203

38.3g left in the skein, 38 repeats completed, shawl weighs 154.4g. Oof! STILL TRUCKING, just very very slowly.

20131204

34.4g left in skein
157.8g in the shawl
39 repeats

20131206

31g left in the skein
160.8g in the shawl
40 repeats

20131208

23.8g left in the skein
169.3 ish in the shawl (getting hard to weigh)
42 repeats, apparently talking and crocheting means fast work!

20131211

44 repeats, overshot the 43 in the pattern, lol.
16.2g left in the skein
174.0 in the shawl

My gauge is still a bit too tight, so I’ll just have to continue on with the rest of the 4th skein and the 5th and we’ll see where I’m at then.

I really hope I can add photos soon! Probably not for a bit, though.

20131216

5.3g in the skein
47 repeats
185.2g in the shawl? That’s about right.

Almost finished this skein, then the 5th. Hopefully it’ll be enough.

20131221

So, wow. Interviewed and got a job this week. And a new range and fridge. Feeling very fortunate. And I have a renewed dedication to my work, which is a really nice feeling. I start the new job January 20th and have SO MUCH TO FINISH BEFORE THEN, but we’ll get through it. Still a little stunned.

Meanwhile, switched over to the new skein, 37.7g left in it, but I had to yank out 5.8g to get to the right spot for colour. Ish.

198.2g in the shawl, which is pretty close with the small missing bit from a previous skein.

50 repeats completed.

20140102

Somewhere over the holidays finished another 4 repeats, it’s coming along nicely. Not done yet. :)

20140112

57 repeats completed. I think I’ll crochet from the first attempt and finish it off this way so it’ll be a bit longer, even though this will then take more than forever to finish!

Near the end of the 5th skein.

58th repeat completed:

6.4g left
228.8g in the shawl, which doesn’t make sense. about 15g shy?

20140406

62 repeats completed. Having touched it in months with the new job and the old job smashing up together and stealing every last ounce of brain I have.

34.5g left in the 6th skein.

Onward!

20140416

In training this week, which is a bit of time for working on this. Completed 64 repeats.

27.5g left in the 6th skein.

So that’s 5? more repeats before the end rows? Roughly! Almost done!

20140429

66 repeats down, 20.7g left. 2 more repeats, I think, then the final bit.

20140503

67 repeats down, 14.7g left. I think one more repeat then the last bit! Eeeee!

20140505

Guess what? Whee! I managed 69 repeats, even though I was supposed to stop at a .5 repeat, I kept going for both the symbolism and the finishing of the yarn.

Almost finished the end of the end, even. :)

I’ll be finished it tonight.

Now what to do…?

20140506

Whoo! Finished!

Still need to weave in ends and fix that one break, but this is done enough to call it done.

I can’t wait until I can provide photographs, lol.

Finished weight: 279.3g according to the little scale, but that seems exactly one skein light, as I know I used 6 skeins (300g)!

I have 7 grams of yarn left, some of which will be used for the repair. I can’t imagine I misplaced 15g of yarn. Oh well.

Dimensions unblocked: 56cm (22”) x 128cm (50.5”)

20140920

Picked it up after a long time and immediately fixed the break. Instead of trying to redo the crochet, I instead made a tiny knot and repaired it by sewing. Without a careful look (very careful), you cannot see where it is.

So I wove in all the bazillion ends and am happily going to wash and block it now. Whee!

20150820

Beth released the pattern! Whoo!