Friday, December 29, 2006

Musical interlude

I want the Love CD. Mmmm.... Beatles and trippiness. What more could a hippy-wanna-be want?

Sunday, December 24, 2006

A Yule surprise

My holiday season became a gazillion times brighter last night. I was at church getting ready for the ritual when I glanced to see who had just walked in the door. I saw a very recognizable back of a certain someone's head and let out a squeal of delight (or so I was told!). My dear, dear friends Deb and Suzanne had come from Maryland for the holidays! What a wonderful surprise. I'm not even mad at a certain someone who knew and didn't say anything (although I sense she wanted to based on our last YIM conversation!).

I should have guessed something was up. Not only from Ms. Gemini's most recent post, but also from the conversation we had Friday evening. I had called to ask her opinion on buttons for a hat I was making for Deb. She said I just caught them, they were on their way out to grab a bite to eat, then they were going for a ride. I asked where they were going, but Suz wouldn't give me any answer. I didn't think to much of it, because driving around the countryside is a favorite passtime of theirs. After I got off the phone, I did think for a moment that it was a little late to be going out for a drive, but maybe they were looking at Christmas lights or something. :-D I'm just very happy right now.

In other news, I have a pair of socks. My loving hubby made me a pair of socks for Yule. They are very patriotic. I will try to get a pic of them this week. Along with all the other pics that I have promised. LOL I haven't had a chance to make his gift yet. I make make him a felted tote for his yarn supplies.

And in still other news... the second pregnancy didn't take either. I'm doing ok, I'm in pretty good spirits. Glad that the issue is finally resolved one way or the other. It's disappointing, but I hadn't really gotten my hopes up anyway. This is when being a pessimist makes life easier. :-)

Well, I have cookies to bake (not really homemade, break and bake because I am having a lazy holiday!) and slippers to crochet. We have vespers service at church tonight and I am really looking forward to it. I have missed so much church and socializing because of the pregnancy stuff, and I really miss it.

Take care, all. Have a wonderful holiday, whichever one you celebrate!

Friday, December 15, 2006

Still getting stuff done...

I'm not going to go into all the gory details here, but.... I'm pregnant. Not quite still pregnant. Pregnant again. It's tough to explain, but it has to do with some peculiarities of my anatomy. I did go into details at my other blog, and I will answer those who ask in private. But, I'm a bit tired of describing the incident for now. It's all I've talked about for days, and I'm kinda bored of hearing it.

I'm not allowed on the ambulance still. I'm almost finished with my nephews sweater, but I took a break because I was getting tired of it. So I am now working on some slipper socks for my secret pal. My gauge is atrocious, and I think these socks will be knee-highs when I'm done. Hopefully they will shrink a little when I wash them. My pal did say that she had largish feet.

I will try to get some pics up some time this weekend. I volunteered to teach a CPR class so that I won't be short too many hours on this paycheck. I started light duty today, and I will continue doing office stuff until my doctor releases me. I'm trying to convince the company that it would be more cost-effective to put another person on the rig with me to do the lifting.

I hope everyone's holiday crafts are going well. Take care!

Sunday, December 10, 2006

So much done

Well, I have found a way to get lots of crocheting done. Spend a weekend on bedrest. So far, I have finished 2 hats and a scarf and I am almost done with another scarf.

I went into the hospital on Friday night with bleeding again. This time it was much heavier. They checked me out, did lab work and another ultrasound. Not a good prognosis. I'm not going to be able to carry the baby. They sent me home because I wasn't bleeding enough to warrant an emergency D&C. I am supposed to spend this weekend on essential bed rest, drink lots of fluids and take it very easy. I'm calling my doctor tomorrow morning to see what he wants to do.

Thanks to everyone who sent prayers and energy my way. I appreciate all the friends I have, both in online and IRL. I'm doing okay right now. A little down, but not extremely depressed.

For now, I'm returning to my spot on the couch to finish that second scarf. I'll get pictures of everything as soon as I can. I would type more right now, but I have a 20 pound cat laying across my arms as I type. He's purring, so I'm pretty sure he's comfortable. I, however, am not.

Take care, everyone!

Monday, December 04, 2006

Preggers

Well, I'm still pregnant. I had to go to the hospital on Saturday because I had some bleeding. They checked me out, did an ultrasound, said everything's fine right now. THere is a small chance that my previous gynecologist might have exaggerated a bit. I might be able to carry the baby without extreme difficulty. It will still be a high-risk pregnancy, but maybe not as severe as was once thought.

I am actively looking for patterns for Blessing/Christening gowns that I can crochet. Something that's not too girly and frilly. I am creating a ritual that involves chanting/praying for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. I figure a little magic never hurts.

I've also got an idea involving an afghan made of granny squares from the people who love me and Greg, and by default will love the baby, too. I'm still working on the specifics of that.

I have my doctor's appointment on Friday. I'm counting down the minutes. I'm still scared, nervous, anxious, you-name-it. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Friday, December 01, 2006

Men with balls (of yarn!)

This rocks!



My hubby knits... not much or well (the latter I believe is directly related to the former!), but knits nonetheless. Nothing sexier than a man knitting you some toasty socks!

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Memes

A certain Scattered Gemini informed me of this. She knows how much I love memes. So, I am helping this kid out and posting his little project to all my blogs. I think you should to. I mean, really, what's the harm in it? I would really like to see how addictive these things are anyway.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

I <3 my Secret Pal

OK, here are the pics I promised! What a wonderful Secret Pal I have! What great goodies! I hope she's having fun on her vacation!

The pictures aren't that great. Lighting inside my house is terrible, and I could really use a new camera. Here ya go anyhow!

Here you have a some delicious cookies and some very yummy candies. I'm supposed to be dieting, but calories ingested from gifts from secret pals don't count, right? She also included a postcard book of Perth. Beautiful pictures. I want to visit!


I also got some smelly soap that smells wonderful, along with a bath mitt and a butterfly-shaped bath "pouf". And pumpkin candles! Aren't they cute?

And finally.... YARN! Glorious yarn! Lots of yarn. In many shapes and sizes. The ginormous balls are soft and fluffy alpaca. I have no idea what on earth I'm going to make with them. The pastel variegated is microfiber. I think I might have enough for another sweater for my niece! And the black and white is a soft, fluffy acrylic. I think I might make slippers or mittens with those. Greg was wanting some mittens.

In other news.... I'm pregnant. We are still waiting until we find out if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I have blogged about this extensively on my non-crocheting blog. Some of you might not be able to access it though, because the post is friends-only. To make a long story short (for those who do not know that story), I might not be able to carry a child to term due to some circumstances regarding my anatomy. I have a doctor's appointment on the 11th to find out what's going to happen. I'm scared and anxious and impatient and practically every other emotion that I can muster. I hate waiting. I hate suspense. I hate drama. Grrr....

OK... off to watch TV and work on a version of my felted purse just for me. I should be making gifts for others, but I'm feeling awfully selfish today! :-)

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Pictures galore!

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I got to spend time with my favoritest people under 4 feet... my niece and my nephews. I sat at the kids' table because I seem to get along much better with them than I do most of the adults. The conversations are far more interesting.

I have been a hat-making fool lately. I think I have finished about 6 hats in the last 3 weeks. That is a FO record for me, I believe. I have pics of most of them, but before we get to those, I have another kitty photo!



This is Zorro, the beastly kitty. It was early in the morning and he wasn't quite awake yet. He was sleeping on top of me, all 20 pounds of him! He is the sweetest cat, loves everyone and everything.

For some reason, I can never get photos to appear on here in the order that I want them to. I was going to put this next photo last, but forgot to add it first. Now it is too much of a hassle to change it around. There's a bit of a story, though. I crocheted a lovely sweater for my niece. First attempt at a sweater with actual sleaves and all. She loved it (you can see it farther along in theis post!) but was upset because she didn't get a hat. Papa Larry and both her brothers got hats, she wanted one, too. In purple. Since they were only going to be up here for the weekend, and I didn't have time to go to the store and get more yarn, she ended up with purplish blue and green. She seems to like it anyway.

Isn't she cute? She looks like a little angel, but she is a demon child. I have nicknamed her Lupa because I am convinced she is being raised by wolves. When I commented on this at Thanksgiving dinner, she started howling. :-)

This is another hat I recently finished:


This is one of my coworkers, Karla. She saw me working on the cammo baby hat with ear flaps and asked if I could make one for her. Of course I can! She was kind enough to model it in payment for my efforts.

And here is my father's new hat and scarf:


He, on the other hand, was not so happy to model it for me. :-P

This is the true love of my life... right after Greg. My nephew Alexzander. When he was 3, he told me that he was going to marry me. Every time he sees me, he runs full tilt and collides into me with the biggest bear hug a 5-year-old can manage.


He loved his hat, but says he wants a sweater. In red and blue. These kids are very demanding.

And now.... what you've all (three) been waiting for:


Lupa's sweater! She didn't want to take it off. I wouldn't let her wear it during dinner, but she wore it the rest of the night. She loved it and loved the daisy buttons and everything else about it. She is too adorable.

And last but not least:

My littlest nephew Brendan. He has a hat just like his big brother. He looks a bit shocked by all the attention. His mom's a tad camera shy.

I got my package from my secret pal! She's in Australia! I was wondering why it took so long getting here! It was filled with all sorts of cool goodies. I will try to take pics on Tuesday and get them on here. I still need to think of some cool stuff to get my pal in Germany. I'm going to make her some kitty toys, and I think I'm going to get her an ornament from the Art Institute. They sell little replicas of their lions as ornaments. They are cute and very "Chicagoan".

That's all for now. It's late, but I am not tired at all. I work tomorrow, but I think I'm going to go and crochet and watch some TV.

Later!

Friday, November 17, 2006

Lion Yarn

I knew there was a reason I subscribe to the Lion Yarn newsletter. Normally I hate having "spam" flood my inbox, but today's newsletter might have made it worth it!

Because of this and this. ::giggles::

Found the camera cable

I still need Greg to take a pic of me wearing my skirt. We've been busy lately, and it tends to slip my mind. I do have a couple of photos, though.



This is the package that I sent to my secret pal. The pics of it that she posted on her blog are much better. Maybe I'll link to it when this is over.



And this is my eldest kitty, Morganna. AKA Ms. Prissy Butt. She was posing and trying her darnedest to look cute last night. So I grabbed the camera and she decided that she would look evil instead.

OK... that's all for now. I have to grab a bite to eat, then I need to go grocery shopping. I should have pics of the sweater I am making my niece soon. I just have a sleave and a half left, then the finishing.

Later!

Monday, November 13, 2006

No pics

I wanted to post pics of stuff that I am up to, but I can't find the cable to upload the pics to the computer. Grrrr....

My first package reached my secret pal in Germany. She seems to like everything. I took pictures of all of it but...well... you know. I sent her some chunky alpaca like my one skein pal Mel sent to me. And some vanilla-scented smelly soap and lotion from Bath and Body Works. I wanted to send her some pumpkin and spice body butter, but I didn't know if she would like how it smelled. I don't know if she had ever smelled pumpkin, living in Germany and all. And pumpkin seems to be one of those scents you either love or hate.

I also sent her some Fanny May candy... Meltaways and Pixies. Mmmmmm.... And a cute little card with a kitty on it.

As for my own stuff, I finished a hat and my dad thought it was too small. So, I gave it to my mom and bought some more chunky yarn and made a bigger hat and a matching scarf. I'm going to give it to him tomorrow. I'm still working on a few differet lap blankets, and I have started a sweater for my dinky niece. Greg wants me to make him a hat like the one Jayne gets from his mother in Firefly. It's a knit pattern, but there is a pattern out there to crochet it. Or I might just teach myself to knit once and for all so I can make this hat! Maybe not.

Oh well, I need to make dinner and think about getting to bed early. Maybe I'll work on the sweater a bit more. Later!

Monday, October 30, 2006

I'm lame

I haven't been doing too much. Still working on some lap blankets, trying to find a decent, easy pattern for a hat for my dad that will only use one skein of chunky alpaca. And I've been working a bunch of OT. So, I have nothing to share right now. I really need to go out tomorrow and get some gifts for my secret pal. I haven't sent her anything this month except a cheesy ecard. Well, it was a cute ecard.

I think I might go to the LYS and pick up a skein of fluffy yarn for her. And maybe stop by Kilwin's and get some of their candy. I'm trying to think of something that is absolutely great, yet distinctively American. Any ideas from the peanut gallery?

I really should have bought her a postcard from the Art Institute when I went last week!

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

WOOT!

I am posting this damned near everywhere. I am very proud of me! I sewed! Yup, you read it right. I sewed! AND... it involved a pattern! This is the first pattern involving thing I have sewn since junior high. I made a shark pillow then. This time... a skirt! Whoohoo! And it's not hideous!! You can even tell that it's a skirt without me trying it on!

It's not perfect. But it is sewn together, and since I'm planning on wearing it to a ritual, the mistakes don't matter too much. You can barely see them in the dim light. :-)

I have a little hand sewing to do in a few spots. And I am trying to convince my hubby to do the hemming me for me. He's a very good hemmer... always even, you can't even see the stitches. I'm not that good. OK... I'm awful and I never hem anything. That's why I married Greg!

As soon as it is done, I will post pics. I will be wearing it as I lead the Samhain ritual on Saturday, for those of you who will be there. OK... Only one person who reads this blog (out of the whopping two people... not counting secret pals!) is planning on being there. Lesa will have to vouch for me that it is indeed a skirt and even looks like I made it myself! :-)

Alright. I feel like crap. This cold is kicking my ass. I am going to bed soon. Happy crafting!

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Yippeee!!!

I am so proud of myself! I finally figured out how to add buttons! Look to the right and scroll down past the archives and such. See! There are only three of them now, but I'm on a roll. Now that I know how to add buttons, tere will be no stopping me. Look out bloggers, here I come.

OK... now I am really tired. G'nite, again. For real this time!

SP9 and other stuff

Yeah! Secret Pal 9 has begun! I have been contacted by my spoiler and I have contacted my spoilee! My spoilee is German and my spoiler is from the southern hemisphere. It's rather exciting.

The friend that I have been assigned to has Big Girl Knits listed on her Amazon wishlist. I have been told by some very good friends that this is a good book, so I might get it for her. I wonder if it comes in a German edition. Her English is pretty good, but I know I wouldn't want to follow a pattern book in a foreign language, no matter how fluent I was. I crochet to relax, not give myself a headache (although that happens from time to time as well!).

I'm also thinking of making her a sash/belt/scarf-thingie out of the recycled sari yarn that I have. It would be something cute and quick. But I'm not sure that she would wear something like that. I should ask her what kind of clothes she normally wears.

She also mentioned she likes chocolate, and I would love to send her some. But I feel kind of stupid sending American chocolate to GERMANY. I mean, they are the chocolate gods! Regardless of where chocolate originally came from, the Europeans really know what to do with the stuff. But then, I'm a chocolate snob.

I have the yarn chain letters written, I'm just waiting to get all my addresses together and get them mailed off. The first round of people just has to add their names, make copies, and send it along. They don't have to do any buying! Just receiving! I still need one more address... that is unless a certain kitchen witch doesn't want to play. You know who I'm talking about! :-)

I'm getting caught up on my lap blanket project. I've been a slacker this year, made one. So, I splurged on some Homespun and made 3 blankets this week. I'm also going through some leftovers and crocheting up small granny quares that I might join eventually. I'm great at making the granny squares. Not so great at sewing them together. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate weaving in my ends as well. It's the most tedious part of the whole process and I just hate it. But it must be done! :-)

OK... need to get to sleep. I'm starting the week from hell tomorrow. By next Sunday, I will have worked a total of 96 hours in one week. Yippee!!! I am definitely buying a dishwasher next paycheck! A nice one with lots of options!

G'nite everyone!

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

SP9 Questions

I enjoyed the One Skein Secret Pal Exchange so much, I decided to join the Secret Pal 9 exchange. The questions (like all yarn groups!) is geared towards knitters. I'll answer to the best of my abilities:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
After years of using acrylics, I am really starting to enjoy natural fibers. I love alpaca (who doesn't) and some wool blends. I like stuff that is soft... not scratchy. As much as I like the look of them, I hate to work with novelty yarns. Maybe for trims, but that's about it.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a small, vinyl hook case I bought a few years back. I also have a new tote I recently bought on sale at Joann's recently. It's perfect for taking my WIPs to work.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I've been crocheting for about 6 years or so. I taught myself from a how-to book. I consider myself an intermediate. I've finished some pretty complicated items, but I haven't really tried lace, and I keep learning new techniques.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Not yet. I keep telling myself I need one.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)

I love sandalwood, citrus-y scents, and very light floral scents. Nothing heavy.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

I love sweets. I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate. I'm not sure I have an absolute favorite candy. I do love Ghiradelli squares. Mint and caramel.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I've owned a drop spindle for a little over a year. I still haven't figured out how to use it. I don't really do many other crafts. Crocheting is all for me. Unless you count gardening.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I like all sorts of music. Rock, indie, alternative, emo, blues.... you name it. Not much country, but there are a few. My play list is long and varied. Currently, I have an obsession with a few indie English bands and with some club music.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

My favorite colors are green and pink. I also really like blue. There really aren't any colors that I don't like. I rarely wear orange or yellow because they don't look good on me.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I have been married for a bit over 9 years. My husband knits. We have three furdren (cats).

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes. I have made all of the above as well (except the mittens. I have trouble with the shaping)

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

My favorite items to crochet are those that don't take very long. I'm an instant gratification sort of gal. I make a lot of lap blankets (which a group of us donate to local nursing homes), and since I am at "that age" I find myself making a lot of baby items.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Currently I am crocheting some baby booties. Then I need to get to work on some lap blankets. I also have some patterns for a shawl and some fingerless gloves that I want to make.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Of course!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I prefer aluminum hooks over plastic. I haven't tried bamboo yet.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I wish.... I roll the most lopsided balls of yarn. It's pitiful. At least I finally learned how to wind a center-pull ball of yarn!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Let's see.... I've been crocheting for about 6 years, so.... um... 6 years old. :-)

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Halloween (aka Samhain for us Pagans)

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Books. Mirrors. Apparently yarn, although I'm going to use it all someday. Really.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I can't think of any books that I want at this time. Unless there is a really good book on spinning that I can follow. I would like to try using bamboo hooks. I have one that claims to bamboo, but it feels like regular wood and isn't properly sanded. There is a pattern for a shawl that I saw online that has a Goddess symbol crocheted into it that I love.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Maybe one day I'll learn to knit. I really want to learn filet crochet and lace-making.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I don't even crochet socks. I'm planning on it someday, though. I wear a women's size 9 shoe. I don't know how many inches that would be, though.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

May 11, 1975

Chain Mail

I forgot to mention it in my last post, but I am thinking of starting a yarn chain letter. I was inspired by a sock letter I received earlier this year. The way it works is that I send out 6 chain letters to 6 friends. They add their name to the letter, and forward it on. The next group sends one skein of yarn to the first name on the list. They then move the second name on the list to the first spot, and add their names to the second spot and forward the letter. If it works out well, each person should receive 36 skeins of yarn. I might even make a blog or LJ community so that people can see the yarns and post the who, what, where, etc of their chain letter.

Anyone interested?

Lots and lots of pics (in no particular order)

I tried to post some of this last week. But there was some error with Blogger, and everything was lost. So, I gave up and decided to try again later. This is now later. :-)

The first pic is of the skirt I was working on this summer. I got the pattern from the SnB: Happy Hooker book. I don't think it turned out too badly. I would definitely recommend using cotton. Lion's Microspun is a PITA to work with. I don't know what I'm going to wear with it. I might have to make a tank top. :-)


Here is the felted purse I made for my Secret Pal. I'm so proud of myself. It's an easy pattern, but I designed it myself. And I am so glad the felting thing worked! I've had quite a few compliments on it from coworkers. I just hope that my Secret Pal liked it, too!


And these are some dishcloths I have finished. I started carrying small balls of cotton yarn in my purse to work on these while waiting or riding as a passenger anywhere.



Morganna didn't want to pass up a photo opportunity. Cats and crocheting just seem to go together!


I made this hat and the following blanket for my cousin. She is having a baby girl in November, and I saw this patten in the Happy Hooker book (it's the bestest book ever!) and thought it would suit her tastes perfectly. It reminds me of Neopolitan ice cream. Cat is not included.



And since I never got around to posting it: Here are the goodies from my One Skein Secret Pal! I love the blank book. The little flowers and the butterfly aren't actually on the cover. Those are little extras she sent with. I think I might use it as a scrapbok for the Sabbat rituals I perform at church.


Morganna loves the little purse as much as I do. You would think there was catnip or something it it. The truth is that she just loves to rub against yarn... when she's not busy squishing it.


And I love this card. I think I am going to frame it and hang it in my meditation room, as soon as it's finished. In front of it is a lovely little sculpture. It looks like a group of people helping each other up. It's going on my altar. It makes me think of a well-run coven. :-)


I almost forgot. Here's a little hat I made for some friends who are expecting a baby any day now. They are having a little boy, and Dad used to be in the Marines. I'm working on a pair of matching booties, using the easiest booties in the world pattern.


Well, I hope I have made all two of my readers happy! I now need to go and do some laundry and then maybe pop in a video and work on my current WIPs. Later!

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

So I lied a bit...

I was going to put up pics of the stuff that I have been working on and/or finished. I took the pictures. But... somehow the USB connector got squished. And I don't know how to use Greg's universal one (it involves attachments and switching things and adding others... I'm not hardware inclined). So... no pics, yet. Will try to get them posted tomorrow.

I got my final gifts from my oh-so-very-cool yarn fairy Mel! A big shout out to the west coast! I so very much wish I was there! She knitted me this very cute little drawstring purse. It actually will go quite well with a number of my hippy outfits. Unfortunately, the geeky side of my brain is telling the hippy side that it would also make an awesome dice bag. It's just the right size, and everyone would know it was mine. My current dice collection has fills far too many Bertie Bott's Bags. Oh, the dilemma! :-)

OK, pics tomorrow. I promise. Well, maybe I won't go that far! 'Nite

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Grrrr...

I'm not sure that I like blogger. I keep trying to reset my links and it never shows up. It shows up in the preview, but for some reason, not on the blog itself. Bastards.
Alright. I'm going to hunt down that danged camera and get some picture posts up here. I need to post a pic of the yarn that my secret pal got me, and the finished skirt. I also have the lap-blanket in progress and a baby blanket in progress. I'm also going to put a pic up of the purse that I made my downstream secret pal. It tunred out really cute. I can't believe I was able to create my own design AND felt it! Go me!

I'll try to get the pics up by tomorrow night. I need to find the button for the purse that I made, and attach flowers to the drawstring of the skirt. I played hooky from work today, so maybe I'll get all this last minute stuff done tonight while watching Eureka on SciFi. I'll make Greg take the picture of me in the skirt, so you can see what it looks like. I'm thinking of making a tank top to go with it. But I really need to get this other stuff finished first! Greg had the audacity to ask me if I wanted to make a baby gift for some friends of ours. I'm currently making the baby blanket and hat for my cousin, the lap blanket, and I have another baby blanket to make for his niece. I might give in and make a teddy bear, though. If I can find the time in between other stuff.

OK... Gotta finish some stuff and get ready for a night of croceting and TV watching.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Does Ritalin work for crochet ADD?

Eek! I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted. It's been a busy month and I've lost track of time. The other half spent a couple of days in the hospital. He's better now. Diagnosed with hypoglycemia, has to lose weight. We're both dieting, but he's doing a better job of it. I'm exercising more, but not losig any real weight. Of course, I'm retaining water this week, so that may be part of the problem.

I also went camping a couple of weekends ago. Not as much fun as I normally have. Didn't get any crocheting done at all. But, I posted all this on my other blog, and don't feel like reliving the memories yet again.

I've been a busy crocheter with a touch of ADD. I'm working on a lap blanket for my lap blanket project. I've been a bad girl with that. It was completely my idea, but I haven't produced as many as I like in the last year. Everyone I know having babies takes too much crocheting time away from that.

I finished the skirt... ok, it's mostly finished. I have to weave in my ends and sew on the flowers to the drawstring.

I'm almost finished with the gift for my One Skein Secret Pal. I made a little purse with a long strap... you know, the kind that you can fit some money, your car keys, and your ID in. I was worried that it would be kind of silly, especially since I came up with the EXTREMELY simple design myself. But it got quite a few compliments on it from some of my coworkers. My station manager said that she needed a purse exactly like it when she was in Vegas recently. She hated lugging a purse filled with a bunch of stuff she didn't need all over the place, when all she needed to carry was money, key card and her ID. I have to sew on a button, possibly resew the strap, and then I'm going to felt it. Wish me luck. I've never tried anything that ambitious.

I'm also working on a bunch of dishcloths. I wanted something small that fits in my purse. It's nice to have something that I can work on while wating at doctor's offices with my dad, or something mindless to keep my hands out of the snacks while gaming or watching TV.

And I receive my new yarn from my secret pal! It's this lovely lightweight tweed. It's soft and beautiful. I'm thinking it deserves to become socks. I have a pretty pattern for lacy-topped socks and I like the idea of girly-looking socks made out of non-girly-looking yarn.

She also sent some wonderful smelly soap and lotion. It smells so great that I'm almost afraid to use it. What will I do when it's all gone?

I will post pictures of all of this as soon as I feel ambitious enough to bring in the camera from the van. For now, I really need to get to bed. I have to work in the morning, and I should try sleeping before then. It works better that way.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Yarn-love

What's this? A post? Actually related to crocheting and yarn? Who took over this blog????

I thought I would let you all see how the skirt is progressing. It's not fantastic, but this is the first time I have made something like this. Moving out of the baby blankets and scarves routine. I'm actually thinking of entering it into the county fair. I don't think I have a chance in hell of actually winning, but I will get free tickets to the fair.


I have maybe 10 more rows of the shell pattern to finish, then the draw string. My biggest fear is that it's going to look like utter crap on me. But, it was an experience.

And looky here:


This is the yarn I got from my One Skein Secret Pal. It's a thick, chunky, green alpaca and it is so very soft. I have no idea what I'm going to make with it. I keep thinking of making a hat for my dad for this coming winter. I doubt his hair will grow back for quite a while. He's starting to lose his facial hair as well. This is warm and would make a wonderfully cozy hat for a bald head.

I had a picture of the yarn I bought for my assigned pal, but it got deleted and I'm not really great with the blogger format, so I'm not going to try to repost. I will tell you about it. It's a very soft, light-weight cotton/merino blend (by Sierra) in white. My pal said she was looking for a soft cotton for summer-weight items, and she likes to dye yarns. The ladies at the LYS say this yarn dyes very well.

OK, I have to go finish laundry, and then watch TV and work on my skirt. Later everyone!

Friday, June 02, 2006

I know, I know... I'm a bad blogger. And a bad hooker. We've actually had some nice weather recently, between thunderstorms, so I've been outside. We have so much work to do on our house, oth in and out, and I've been trying to chip away at it little by little in between my dad's doctor's appointments and my work schedule. Here is what I've been doing:

This is the firepit I bought for my backyard:



I love how it looks like a cauldron and has stars and moons cut-outs. It's perfect! I can't wait to get my Pagan friends over for a bit of drumming and conversation.

Here is my veggie garden. It doesn't look like much in the picture, but I have 6 tomato plants (three varieties), 3 summer squash, 3 green beans, 3 brussel sprouts, 3 broccoli, 1 zucchini (because you can't have a garden without zucchini), 1 regular eggplant, 1 Japanese eggplant, some bell peppers, some watermelon, and either strawberry or rasberry or both. I got the berries from a friend and couldn't remember which was which and they both look the same to me, and of the three plants, one died before I could plant it.

Ignore the weeds surrounding the garden. :-)

I also have a massive blackberry bramble that I covered in netting. The berries were great last year, but I ended up with about 1/2 cup after the birds got to them all. I lest some of it uncovered for the birds this year, but I covered up a huge area of it to keep the buggers out.

Wish me luck. I have never had a garden before, and I really don't know what the heck I'm doing. I'm not using any chemicals on it, because I don't feel comfortable eating stuff I can't pronounce. I have a landscaping mat down over the garden to keep the weeds down. I cut out holes for the plants, hopefully giving them room to grow. I can always make the holes bigger.

On the crochet front, I need to find a skein of yarn for my one skein pal. She likes natural yarns, in neutral colors. No novelty or itchy yarns, and nothing bright or gaudy. She hasn't found a cotton yarn that she really likes, and I was thinking of sending her a skein of Tahki cotton. It's soft and lightweight. Anyone have any other ideas or suggestions?

Later!

Friday, May 12, 2006

Secret Pal Exchange

WOOT! I got my first email from my One Skein pal. I also sent a secret email to someone as well! I am so very excited!

So, I have to answer a bunch of questions. They are the same ones that I asked of my "yarn-to" pal. Funny, though... my "yarn-to" pal had different questions. Hmmmm...

I thought that I would post them here, since my secret pal has seen my blog. Here they are:



1. Which yarn is most like your personality (you can be specific or general with your answer- brand, type, color, fiber, whatever)?

Egads! What a question! I have an eclectic personality, bordering on multiple personality disorder. I would like to say all-natural, and/or recycled yarns, since I have the whole hippy-Pagan thing going. But I also can relate to fun and funky novelty yarns (although they are a pain-in-the-ass to work with (also, kinda like me, at times!)

2. What is your favorite color yarn to knit/crochet with?

I have to pick ONE?? I like blues and greens. Lots of jewel tones.

3. Have you ever used variegated, or magic, yarns?

I have used some variegated yarns. I really want to try and make something with magic stripe yarn. I have an idea for a handbag (a pattern I'm coming up with myself!!!)

4. Do you tend to favor certain fibers when choosing yarns?

I like yarn that is soft or textured. I'm a very tactile person, and I love to touch things.

5. Do you prefer to work with center-pull or traditionally wound balls of yarn?

Center pull. Or else the ball rolls around and my cats start to chase it. And we really don't want cats chasing yarn. They sometimes eat it and cost their meowmie lots and lots of money.

6. Have you ever worked with organic yarns or are you interested in trying them?

No, but of course I would. Refer to the answer to question one and my hippy-Pagan-ness

7. How many and what projects have you made in the last year?

Oooh... tough one. I made a few lap blankets, although not as many as planned. I made a really pretty layette set for a couple from church. I have recently completed two ponchos. A couple of cotton grocery bags. A few head scarves. A fluffy mohair shawl. A pair of slippers. I think that's it.

8. Will you be knitting any gifts this year?

Nope... because I can't knit. I will probably be crocheting a few gifts.

9. What is your favorite one skein project?

So far, the only things I have completed with a single skein are a pair of slippers and a really cool scarf that looks like a pink boa. I would go for the scarf as my favorite.

10. How much yarn do you have in your stash and how do you store it?

I have lots and lots of yarn. But, not all of it is mine. My hubby knits (occasionally) and some of it is stuff he bought. Right now, most of it is in various boxes in stored in our unfinished meditation room. Someday, we might finish our house and maybe organize our stash.

11. Do you have a yarn in your stash that you love so much you can never use it or part with it?

Nope. I do have stuff that I can't figure out what to make with it though. I have a bunch of pretty blue alpaca that I thought my hubby would use to make a baby blanket for his youngest nephew. His nephew is now almost a year old, and none of the yarn has been used.

12. Do you knit less or differently in the summer?

I crochet about the same. Most of my work is done at work. But I also drag my stuff along to campouts and such. I tend to work more on stuff that will clean easily when I'm crocheting outdoors.

13. Do you belong to any knitting groups (online or offline)?

No.. because I still do not knit. I also do not belong to any formal crocheting groups, although a bunch of us at church bring our projects on Sunday or to other meetings to keep our hands busy.

14. Pal, please confirm for me your mailing address (some East Coast zip codes may have lost the beginning Zero value and appear as four digits, and some pals were in the process of moving when they registered).

I'll email this one.


Additional Questions from my Secret Pal:

What color are your cats?

I tend to stick to monchrome colors for kitties.. :-). The oldest of my furdren is blue-grey with a touch of white on her chest. Next in line is my cow-kitty Zorro, who is white with black spots (and a black "hood", hence the name). Finally, my youngest and most annoying kitty is dark grey with white socks, chest, and chin.
What size shoe do you wear?

What is your favorite children's book? (On a side note to that one, I think other than # 3 I could claim the same on all 6 of the "weird things about yourself" you have posted on yer blog...weird, huh? Not only can I name all 50 states in alphabetical order in under 1 minute, I can sing them :D )

I can sing them, too!!! My favorite children's book, as well as all-around favorite book, is Where the Wild Things Are. I own two copies of it (one hardcover and one paperback) and I have gifted it to all children I know born since 1995. I almost know it by heart.

What is the skirt like that you're making from the Happy Hooker book?

It's a simple skirt with a drawstring waist, worked in rounds of double crochet with multi-colored scallops starting about 2/3 of the way down. It looks fairly easy, which is why I am trying it.

OK... that's all for now. I need to start thinking about cooking something for dinner. And I think I'm going to spend the evening watching TV and crocheting. TTFN!

Thursday, May 11, 2006

New yarn! Yippee!!

What a very happy birthday to me! I was heading out the door, on my way to my massage, when I saw the mailman had come. And he brought me this:




This is 10 skeins of silk yarn handspun from remnants of saris in Nepal. I bought them on Ebay for under $30, after you add in shipping and handling. Go me!

This picture sucks terribly. The stuff is absolutely beautiful, each made up from a gazillion colors. I can't wait to make something from it. I'm thinking maybe a sash or a shawl. I have to finish the skirt first, though.

OK... I'm off to bed. G'nite!

news and such

OK, I finished a poncho for me! Yay! And here it is:



The color looks like crap, but it's black with red/hot pink fun fur trim. It's the same pattern I used for a friend's daughter, just a bit more embellished.

In other news, I found a LYS. Unfortunately, I do not have the money to shop at those kinds of places. The yarn really isn't expensive for the yarn they sell. I just can never afford to buy that kind of yarn. I wanted to get some cotton yarn for a skirt I like from my Happy Hooker's book, but it was $5.75/skein, and I need about 17.

So, I ended up substituting Lion Brand's Microspun. It's the same weight, so it should work. This is what I have accomplished so far:






LOL, I know... it's not much.

And finally... I got the name of my secret pal for the One Skein Secret Pal Exchange!! Yippee!! I can't wait to start finding yarns and getting yarns. WOOT!

OK, I have to skedaddle. I have a massage appointment to get to. It's my birthday, and I am going all out. But, I'll post all that to my other blog!

Friday, May 05, 2006

Now for something completely different

OK... so the diet blog wasn't working out. I have too many other things in my life to worry about. So I revamped the whole set up and created my own crochet blog to compete with all those knitting blogs out there. Take that, Molly and Scattered Gemini! So, other than jealousy, what prompted me to start this? Well, for one, I joined the One Skein Secret Pal yarn exchange. Next, I bought these:











So I now have enough crochet projects to keep me busy into the next decade. I also have to crochet some lap blankets, which a group of mine distributes to nursing home residents in the winter. I think I will be staying busy. I'll try to post some more and get some buttons on here as soon as I can!