December Goals - How did I do?

Here it is, the last day of December. Time to check in on how well I did with December goals:

Progress Report:
1) 31 days / no yarn purchase DONE! 

2) Orders Hat  Hat  Scarf  Cup Cozy  Finished other custom orders that came in, but didn't get started on the scarf. The customer said, "Whenever", so I kept pushing it down the priority list.

3) Listing items... DONE!

4) 2 Big Ticket Items Done!

5) Stalled WIP  (still need to work on this) DONE! - Finished a scarf that I started back in July!


I set some goals for 2015, regarding sales, clearing out my yarn stash, and trying new things. Hopefully there will be at least 8 new patterns on my blog in 2015, as I develop the ideas I have on paper.


I had fun with the bucket list idea last year... so I definitely plan on doing that again!

"Snow King" Mask

On Christmas Day, I had time to just sit and work on projects.

One project that had been sitting on my to-do list for a while was a ski-mask for my husband. He wanted something "very warm" that would cover not just his face, but his neck. My daughter had given me gray yarn in a acrylic/wool blend, so I grabbed that and designed as I went along. I think I called my husband over three times to try things on and measure. I was trying to figure out what to call it, and decided that since I made so many "Snow Queen" hats this year, I would call this one "Snow King." It certainly is warm!

Here is the final product:

I couldn't talk my husband or daughter into modeling it... so I got the job.

Supplies:
Worsted weight yarn  - approximately 9 ounces (2 strands are held together throughout project)
Size N crochet hook

Gauge: 4 LDC = 2"
3 rows = 2.5"

Stitch: LDC (Linked Double Crochet)
Here is a video on how to do linked double crochet. Basically, instead of doing a yarn over, you pull up a loop through the horizontal bar of the previous double crochet. It eliminates the holes between your stitches.

At the end of each round, join to the initial LDC by drawing up a loop from the horizontal bar, and then drawing up another loop from the top of the stitch, then pull through all (like joining with a slip stitch, but you're pulling up one more loop so you don't end up with gaps at your seam)

Round 1: 7 LDC in magic ring (If you're not a fan of magic ring, you can chain 3, join with a slip stitch, and  work your LDC into that circle)
Round 2: 2 LDC in each stitch (14)
Round 3: 2 LDC in first st, LDC in next stitch, repeat around (21)
Round 4: 2 LDC in first st, LDC in next two stitches, repeat around (28)
Round 5: 2 LDC in first st, LDC in next three stitches, repeat around (35)
Round 6: 2 LDC in first st, LDC in next four stitches, repeat around (42)
Rounds 7 - 11: LDC around
Round 12: LDC in first 15 stitches. Chain 6, skip 6 stitches and make a DC in next stitch. Chain 6. Skip 6 stitches and finish row with LDC. (Eyeholes made)

Rounds 13-15: LDC around.
Round 16: LDC in first 18 stitches. Chain 7. Skip 7 stitches, LDC in remaining stitches. (mouth hole made)
Rounds 17 & 18: LDC around
Round 19: LDC in first 7 stitches, 3 LDC in next stitch (corner made), LDC in next 4 stitches, 3 LDC in next stitch, LDC in next 14 stitches,  LDC in next stitch, LDC in next 4 stitches, 3 LDC in next stitch, LDC in next 7 stitches
Rounds 20-23: LDC around, doing a corner in the center stitch of the previous row's corner

If you would like more of a "bib" around the bottom of the hood, you can work more rows. My husband just wanted enough to tuck into his coat.

I think the mouth hole could have been made one row earlier. You can try the mask on as you're working to see where the best place is for eyes and mouth.

Making progress...

Progress Report:
1) 31 days / no yarn purchase ... Still hanging in there!
2) Orders Hat  Hat  Scarf  Cup Cozy
3) Listing items... 3 down, 12 to go (No progress here - but now that craft shows are done, I hope to make more progress!)
4) 2 Big Ticket Items Done!
5) Stalled WIP  (still need to work on this)

Progress Report for Tuesday, 12/16
1) 31 days / no yarn purchase ...  Still staying away from yarn stores!
2) Orders Hat  Hat  Scarf  Cup Cozy
3) Listing items... 11 down, 4 to go (And should have this done as soon as a friend helps me with pictures)
4) 2 Big Ticket Items Done!
5) Stalled WIP  (still need to work on this)

Progress Report for Wednesday, 12/17
1) 17 days down, 14 to go with no yarn purchases!
2) Orders Hat  Hat  Scarf  Cup Cozy New orders came in... Gloves Gloves Gloves
3) Listing items...Done! I now have 60 items in my shop! (And about 60 more I hope to list in the next month. Stop in and take a look around! 
Penguin Place Storenvy Shop
4) 2 Big Ticket Items Done!
5) Stalled WIP  (still need to work on this)
6) Done! Finished off the scrap yarn bag, between Kooky Owls and a scrap yarn wrap I'm making for myself! 

Progress Report for Wednesday, 12/25
We had out-of-town company and I didn't make much progress at all! The good news is that I was so busy, it was easy to stick to my yarn diet. 
1) 24 days down, 7 to go with no yarn purchases!
2) Orders Hat  Hat  Scarf  Cup Cozy New orders came in... Gloves Gloves Gloves (stopped work on these until I get a deposit. Customer is playing hide & seek.)
3) Listing items...Done! I now have 60 items in my shop! (And about 60 more I hope to list in the next month. Stop in and take a look around! 
Penguin Place Storenvy Shop
4) 2 Big Ticket Items Done!
5) Stalled WIP  (still need to work on this)
6) Done! Finished off the scrap yarn bag, between Kooky Owls and a scrap yarn wrap I'm making for myself! 

Four down, twenty-seven to go...

Here is a sign of progress...

Last night I finished this striped giraffe. It helped with the progress of my December goals in three ways... 

1) It cut down on the yarn in my bag of scrap yarn that I want to finish off. The bag had 20 ounces when I filled it. It's down to 15 ounces. 

2) It sells for $20, so it counts as one of the "big ticket items" I wanted to finish.

3) I already have it listed for sale on Storenvy. 

Still no yarn purchases... holding strong to the yarn diet!