The Line Jumper

So this blog post is about a line jumper - a crochet project that jumped the line - a line of perfectly wonderful knitting projects.  

The things I do for a “pretty face!”

But a bit about the line first.

I recently did a mini reorg of the pending knitting projects.  For the last few years, whenever possible I looked at new patterns that match my current yarn inventory rather than purchasing new yarn.  It just seemed the older I got, the more I worried I would never get to knit with some of my wonderful stash.  I am far from perfect at resisting purchases as yarn fairs are always pitfalls for my wallet.  But they have become small pitfalls as I am pretty successful at keeping limits on yarn purchases overall.

The ‘line up’ in question was created when I buddied up a yarn with a pattern and put them in a project bag. I have many such buddied pairs. And that was the problem.   I forgot what projects I have in those  very cute bags.  Many many forgotten projects because I couldn’t see them in the bag.  So I purchased a box of 2 1/2 gallon clear plastic bags at the grocery store, transferred waiting projects into them, and they are now on a shelf where they are totally visible as I enter the room ... all 20+ of them! (Geez, that is crazy.) When they get picked to start,  they then get assigned to one of my many project bags. The project(s) I am working on gets the attention first because it waited its turn in line.

Along comes a pretty face! A line jumper. A granny square design that I thought I would never see except in a blanket.  Granny squares I planned never to make again after the 1970s.  Seriously, how did that happen?

In November my cousin and sister visited.  My cousin was excited about a new project she wanted to do and wear next summer. At first I thought, “cute.”  Then I noticed, oh cotton!!  I have about 40 skeins of wonderful Pima Cotton in vibrant colors - without a buddy.  Could this pattern be the buddy for some of that yarn?  The pattern is call OMA Goodness Top. 

I looked it up on Ravelry.  A cotton lacy looking top over a white shell in summer.  I checked out the tops made by many others. Before you knew it, I pulled out that box of pima cotton hidden in my closet where all the unassigned yarn lives, and we were happily picking colors, mixing and matching, making decisions, etc. etc. etc. And some of that cotton went home with my cousin.  It was fun. It was also a “win-win.” I reduced the stash some and another yarn got a buddy.

I purchased the pattern, and it would have been fine if I stopped there. The cotton and the pattern would have been dropped in a clear plastic bag and taken its place on the shelf with the other “chosen.”  But no!!  Out came the crochet hooks as well, and I was off and running ... or rather crocheting.

Plans rapidly began to form in my mind as I crocheted.  I would bring the neck in some. (My neck is not my best feature.). I’d make the hem fall below my waist. (At 78 showing a little midriff is just not a good look.)  I will limit my color selections to a few:  2 shades of green and maybe 3 other colors - all on a white background.  Green is the theme that will tie the squares together taming the overall busy look a little bit.  Of the finished projects on Ravelry, the ones I liked best had limited colors or a theme.

Here are some the squares that I have completed.

In the flurry of activity caused by this pattern I ignored the little voices of caution.  Do you now have too many WIPS (works in progress)?  More WIPS than five - and little moves forward to completion for me.  No matter.  I will work out it out later to find out.  Of course, if another pretty face passes my way - I may need to re-think that number.

It's a slippery slope.

( Recently another line jumper - or two *sigh* - is making a push for my attention! Geez.  Six or seven WIPS isn’t too many, is it?)

More on that later.

A pretty face!