I also want to make a unicorn amigurumi for my daughter for Valentine’s Day without her knowing it. This is hard because I have to crochet when I’m not with her. It would be wise to just use some of my yarn stash but I so want to buy yarn she hasn’t seen before. I know I’m so bad. That is why I have too much yarn as it is. I will probably just stick with my stash yarn though even if I really want new yarn.

With my Kindle reading and other distractions, I have been doing less crocheting these past few months. Hopefully I can get back to crocheting more and maybe listening to books. I hope to finish something that is currently on a hook by the end of the month – hopefully a scarf hoodie since I want to make several of those this year.

Since my stash has gotten so large, I try to use what I have for projects although that doesn’t always work. I may need a certain color and have to buy some yarn only to use half a skein for a project. Now I have half a skein to add to the stash. So my yarn stash goes and also becomes harder to use in projects.

For amigurumi, a half skein works well since you really don’t need a lot of yarn for small toys. Still I have way more yarn than I will use this year. I plan to decide just what I will use and donate the rest. It will feel good to have a small yarn stash and just buy yarn for projects again.

Next Christmas I plan to give a lot more crochet gifts. Several people did receive handmade gifts and loved them. My biggest problem is deciding on what to make. I do plan on making some scarves and hats – with possibly some amigurumis. That is so vague but really is the only plan I have right now. I just plan to crochet and finish projects – then decide later on giving.

I have so many patterns I want to try and plan to in 2012. My goal is to crochet more and so some original patterns as well. If I can stay organized and focus, then 2012 is going to be a great year.

I started by chaining eight and then joining to make a circle for the ‘flame’ to fit though. Then I just did an increase round until the piece fit over the top and from there I did a few even rows – even to cover the base. It worked up pretty fast. I think the kids have enjoyed being able to ‘light’ the candles for the Advent wreath and also play with the tea lights. The tea lights were a bargain – 10 for $6 plus ten batteries. Each tea light already had a battery so they were sold with extras. So I can see this Advent wreath lasting for years to come.

I had wanted to make a crochet Christmas wreath since I had seen one in Crochet Today. They had taken a styrofoam wreath and placed crochet roses on it. It was cute but I could never find a styrofoam wreath. I did find a yarn wreath at the thrift store. It had some decorations on it that I took off. I made some of the crochet roses and an Irish rose for the top center. I did some simple chains for added decorations.

It turned out better than I expected. I really was pleased to find a yarn wreath since it makes a great base for this project. The yarn wreath has a wire clothes hanger as its base. You then tie looped yarn(like how you might make a pom pom) around it until you have it full. It is time consuming but does make for a pretty wreath. Glad I found mine secondhand though.

This week I am working on a few small crochet projects for Christmas. Might as well get those out of the way and then I need to decide on hat patterns. I’d like to do a few hats but really have to decide which patterns would be best for my yarn. If only there was a program that would show you the finish product – kind of like the hair style computer programs that show what a certain style would look like on you. Using the right yarn is so important to getting the right results.

It is nice to be back regularly crocheting. Now let’s hope I can finish all these projects for Christmas.

I did buy two skeins yesterday. One was for an amigurumi for my daughter. I couldn’t believe I didn’t have the color I needed. The other skein was to make apples for teacher Christmas gifts. My daughter’s teacher loved The Carrot Famiy so I hope the she will like an amigurumi apple.

Usually if I am yarn browsing, I prefer Hobby Lobby. Those rows and rows of yarn just lift my spirits. Surprisingly our Michael’s was well stocked with yarn this visit. They had plent of new Christmas yarn – much of it from Martha Stewart. Some didn’t look very yarn-like. I’m sure she has a craft book full of ideas how to use this yarn that didn’t seem it would last a few rounds. There was some pom-pom yarn for Christmas that I would love to try but not so sure about using the Christmas colors. I have so much to do already that I would never finish a Christmas throw – although maybe I will work on it in 2012 for next Christmas.

Still it was fun to look at the new yarn. I may have to sneak in a trip this weekend and marvel at it one more time.

This week the daughter is learning all about the letter V. For a family project, we could make a vegetable visitor to bring to class. Rae wanted a carrot – so I crocheted a carrot family for her. I think each carrot I crocheted a little differently. That happens when you don’t work from a pattern. She really likes them. I had to do eyelashes for the two girls – my first ever attempt at those. They didn’t turn out half bad.

Whipping up these carrots makes me want to do more food crochet. I love starting and finishing a project the same day. It’s such a sense of accomplishment.

This week I want to start work on some Special Olympics scarves. It just seems like last week that the official colors were announced for the 2012 games. My 2011 is flying by. It is hard to believe it is so close to Christmas! Good thing I am getting in the mood to crochet. Although this year I plan to do as I did last year and crochet only a few items. My grandmother would crochet Christmas gifts all year long. I just cannot do that. It is so hard to me to repeat a pattern much less three or four times, and I get lost in the details when trying to decide what to crochet somebody. First I start off with a hat and then decide to add a scarf, mittens, etc. Then I get overwhelmed by it all and drop the project all together – hence why I’m keeping it simple. To make sure I keep it simple, I wait until mid-October to make gifts.

But now I’m ready to yarn shop and start a few cold weather projects. I’ve got to find my fingerless gloves to keep my fingers warm. This morning I was crocheting on the ride to work when my fingers got cold. There is a chance of frost tomorrow morning – so the cold weather is definitely here. Right now I welcome it but I’m sure that will change – probably after Christmas. It seem after the holidays there’s just no point for the cold weather. Crocheting for the holidays will be past, and it will be way too early to think about next Christmas.

I should just enjoy the cooler temps and the good crocheting time I will have over the next few months.

I have slacked up on yarn buying in hopes that I will go through some of my stash. The problem is that I keep finding patterns of interest but I do not have sufficient yarn to do the project.

I do want to organize my yarn, so today would be a perfect day to do that. I want to display my yarn because a) it’s pretty and b) I will remember what I have. Right now I have some yarn in storage – so I completely forget about it. We have very limited space – so I keep wanting to use our walls to display and store yarn. This weekend I may work on starting that project by hanging a few shelves.

Also I Love Yarn Day will be a great day to really start planning those Christmas gifts. I am not going to do a lot of gifts this year but I do plan on making some hats, fingerless gloves, and a few amigurumi toys.

One project I want to make is a small ami wolf. I’m totally engaged in A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin and just started book three – A Storm of Swords. This has been one reason I haven’t been crocheting much lately. I can only do so many things at once. Of course I could get the audio books and listen to them while crocheting – although I’m not sure if I could listen and concentrate on crocheting at the same time – especially if it is a new pattern.

So today is a great day to love yarn. Well for us who love yarn, we would say that every day is a good day! It’s still nice to have a day devoted to yarn.