Revisiting the handspun squares

If I had little samples or leftovers of handspun yarn, I put them in a bag that I have the pattern for the Barn Raising Quilt along with the US 0 needles waiting to go. I've also found that if I can't knit anything else, these always seem to work. They're terrible straightforward in design, so difficult for them not to work I guess.

I had a square that I had started and then put away. Nothing wrong with the color, just wasn't knitting at all. Well along with the spinning, I thought it might be something to work on. I took it with me to the beach and did get more of it accomplished. I finished it the other day and then rushed the soaking and blocking as I was worried it might be our last sunny day for awhile.

Its a little bit of merino that was in Cindy's SOAR 2009 bag that she gave me last year I think. I had tried doing that black bean natural dye on it and wasn't happy about the way the color came out. So over dyed it with some Kool-aid and Wilton cake dyes.

I had been thinking about the squares that I had done and how I was having a hard time thinking how to put them all together in a finished project. Then I remembered that I could do something simple and since the pattern was based off of a quilt idea, why not do a nine patch?

Again, since it was still kind of sunny, though the clouds were moving in, I pulled out all the finished blocks and tried to come up with some nine patch sets. The final quilt may not come out as they are below, but it gives me a working point as well as a stopping point - 81 blocks. A 3x3 set of them. I currently am working on block 32. The leftover browns from my Sheep Heid hat. I still have some leftover of the above block, I may combine it with the yarn leftover from block 30 and stripe it. The solids are nice, but I like the stripey ones.

All laid out and shadows and cloud coverage making it difficult

Upper left nine patch

Center needing at least one, if not two more neutral blocks (I think the orangey one will go down ). Working on one and think I'll have enough to do another block  to complete the square.

Upper right, I'm not happy with the dark row with this set and I have at least one if not two more blocks with lighter colors, so this set will probably change

Kind of the orangey blocks. That one above will come down here for sure.

I have some leftovers and sample in greens. Not enough to make up a nine patch, but enough to jumble things around again. Its a nice portable mindless project, so while I have some bits left to play with, might be doing more blocks.

Ryan's wife, Whitney is pregnant and due in February. I've found a baby blanket I'd like to do for them. The pattern is on Knit Picks, and the yarn actually works out to be less expensive than going for something from JoAnn's. So I'll order it all and you might see another blanket. I'm going to try out their new acrylic yarn. Yes, I could do a superwash wool, but with babies its sometimes easier to just go with the acrylic, because as some point, superwash will felt.

I'm also thinking ahead and have the pattern and half the yarn for a hostess gift for Kristen for Thanksgiving. Need to get started on that!  I'm going to do the BFF cowl in Oregon State Beaver colors - black and orange. I have plenty of black Wool-Ease, just need to pick up a skein of orange.

Here's hoping that the cowl works, my knitting mojo has taken a HUGE hit this year.