Pandemic Crochet Project #3 - Montana - It is Done!!!

 Errors and all!

Not much more to be said.   I pushed through to the end despite the mistakes.   I fixed what I could but decided to accept that it needed to be finished . . . so I can move to other projects.  It looks good to me and is warm.  Finished size is approx. 7ft x 32".

There is fringe on the ends and I did reinforce the sides with the fringe.

Pandemic Crochet Project #3 - Montana Wrap - Backing up a bit

 I put this project down for maybe 10 months ago . . .  or could it be a year??  Oh, my!! 

I got a wee bit frustrated when I started to struggle due to my counts being off and my efforts to correct as I went along weren't working.  So into the project bin it went where it was pushed to the bottom. 

I have other WIP projects too and maybe I should keep more going as I get bored easily with the same pattern.  Love the final results but sometimes it isn't enough to drive me to finish.  Squares can be difficult with the same thing over and over even with the different colors.  My current one is black and white squares, lol.  It will be beautiful when I finish.  That is my previous post.

I pulled out Montana on Friday and started counting stitches at the beginning of the last row.  I put in some stitch markers every 12 stitches . . I just picked that out of my hat but it was very helpful to stay on target for the section where I think I really screwed up.  I worked my way down several rows.  It turns out it is going to mean pulling out several rows, sigh, about 12 rows!

This mosaic crochet pattern is done in rows with the yarn cut at the end of the row.  I have a color scheme that I am following and I want an easier way to organize the yarn.  So I didn't remove the whole row but took it back as far as I needed.   I rolled into a small ball which I then put into a plastic bag.

After a few hours of pulling and rolling I was ready to start again.

Yesterday I did a few rows and I marked the pattern with the remaining missing stitches or extra stitches.  I would have to pull the whole thing apart to get rid of all mistakes , , at least the last ones are consistent.

Pandemic Crochet Project #3 - Montana Wrap or is it a throw??

 My results so far . . . 6 feet wide but only about 9 inches long after the first part is done . . .  1/3 of the way to the end.  I might need to add some more stripes at the beginning and end.

Pandemic Crochet Project #3 - Montana Scarf/Wrap More Planning and the start!

These two yarns look so good together.  A mix of Aran and Bulky is doable but I am trying to make the stitches with the Aran looser  so Bulky doesn't get pulled too much.   It is noticeably puffier as the yarn is a bit squiggly . . .  not sure that is a proper yarn term . . . maybe I should say it is curlier.  It is a bit trickier to work with due to the curly fuzziness.  I was missing stitches but it is better now.  I did use the Homespun to make some scarves last year so it was not totally unfamiliar.

I am having some challenges in other areas.  Like how much yarn I will really need.   My start had me using the length as designated by the wrap dimensions.  That was 311 stitches which seem like a lot but using only DK or fingerling yarn would make it a good length.  I ended up with a length of NINE feet!!!  oh, my!!  A yarn eater too!!  I was half way through the first pattern row when I had to make a decision.  After counting triangles and stitches, I decided to skip the 2 repeats of the stars.  That caused much tearing out of yarn back to almost the point where I had stopped the first pattern row.  The end is a bit of a mess which means I have more cleanup when I do the border work.

I am also having to recalculate what color Homespun yarn I am using.  One skein is 185 yards.  It doesn't go very far.   I wanted to use the Montana Sky shade but only have 2 skeins.  I managed to get 9 rows from 1 skein.  I have a total of 90 rows of which 45 will be from the Homespun yarn.   I need a plan, right?  And more yarn.  Luckily, my stash does have more of the Homespun which can be used.  I just need to figure out what to use where.

I started a spreadsheet!!  First time I am actually doing this.

I have to make a decision about what colors to use now.   I have 2 skeins of the Montana Sky.  I have used one skein so far  and the second one needs to be used at the end.

My candidates for other colors are Painted Desert, Celestial Stripes, Tourmaline, Colonial . . . all rather matching but with a bit of different color.

One of my helpers, Ozzy