Color Spin Crochet

So yesterday I stormed the yarn store for Cascade 220.  To my glee everything in the store was 25% off.  Seriously.  So, naturally, I amassed a huge pile of yarn.  The ladies started asking me if I needed any help.  I wondered what kind...  I'm sure they wondered what I would do with all these random colors. 

my colors in Cascade 220

Random, yes?  I hope not too much so, but I think a bit of a color spin with lights, darks, complimentary squares and contrasting squares will be much of what gives the blanket it's charm.  But, to be honest, I am nervous about this.  It's funny because I always feel confident about combining fabrics.  The yarn is a stretch for me, it seems.  I'll definitely want to add a pumpkin orange, light yellow and many more skeins of Natural, but it's a very good start!

Unfortunately the store was NOT winding any balls because of space constraints caused by the sale.  "Just bring them back another day."  And you know that is SO easy to do with working part-time, keeping house and mothering 2 little ones.  I'll just spend an extra hour in the car to run my balls in for winding.  That's great.

DIY winding in action!

My very kind and patient husband saved me!  I pointed him to an Instructables (a DIY blog that he enjoys) for making a yarn swift and ball winder.  As I had hoped, he improved upon the design and got rather involved in the process.  As in, I actually wound all of one ball. Score! 

homemade ball winder

homemade yarn swift

There was a drill involved and a clamp for attaching our wire hanger "swift" to the table.  A broken tinker toy stick seemed practically made for holding yarn, what with the slit at the end of the stick and all.  But, I won't bore you with the details.  He did it and I rejoiced!  My balls may not be pretty, but they are so functional - just pull from the center!

we're ready!

A very happy mama stitched up two sunburst squares last night.  I switched to a G hook.  I like the slightly smaller stitches from the G hook over the H hook I had been using.  See the difference in size from my test sunburst (on the right - it never received it's last round) and my new one?  I like.

testing 1,2,3

Now I hearbye promise to continue sewing (there is patchwork strewn across the table as we speak).  I will crochet only exactly as much as desired.  I have permission to set aside this project for a time (perhaps a long time), but do swear never to abandon it.  And that is my statement.