Not Bad For a Failure

Despite my monumental pile of WIPs to finish,  I decided to make something new today.

I started with the pattern from Annoo's Crochet World. I immediately ran into a problem trying to crochet DK weight yarn with 2.25 mm hook. After several attempts, I switched to a 3.25 mm. The stitches were still very tiny, so I moved into the dining room where the light was better.

All went well with the pen sleeve. Then another problem; despite several attempts, I couldn't make the curlicues. They just looked awful. I was frustrated at that point (it's a simple pattern) and was ready to chuck the whole thing. 

After a five minute breather, I put the pattern aside and created a different top. It's just lengths of chains slip stitched to the last row, but I was ready to be done with it. I also left the top open (the pattern calls for it to be closed) because I wanted to be able to change the pen when it ran out of ink.
All in all, not bad for a failure.
Thanks for reading!
Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

Crochet Class

We spent the morning doing school and chores. We've also been helping a neighbor bottle feed a litter of abandoned kittens; maybe I'll remember to take a picture one day we're over there.

I had a crochet class this afternoon at the scrapbook store; it's the only class I still make time to teach. I had to stop teaching the other classes when school and 4-H started.

P and T are making basic granny squares. They've conquered making basic stitches, now they're getting lots of practice with them.

Thanks for reading!

Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

WIP Wednesday

With horseback riding on Monday and 4-H on Tuesday, add school to each day, and we go from Sunday to Wednesday in the blink of an eye! I hope everyone's having a nice week so far.

I've made a little progress this last week.

I finished crocheting and attaching the squares for the baby blanket. Now all I have to do is the border. It's 6 rounds, but they're very simple.

I finally made it over to Joann's to pick up some safety eyes for Funny Bunny. I discovered they're a lot cheaper from Amazon, but, having never worked with them before, I wanted to get a small package to experiment with before committing to the big bag.

I also made another baby cocoon, preemie hat and full term hat; I'll post some pictures of those tomorrow or Friday.

Thanks for reading!

Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

Two on Tuesday (Just Under the Wire!)

It's been a very busy, fruitful day, so I'm squeezing in my regular Tuesday post 3 minutes before Wednesday.

Two Things I'm Grateful For:

1. Quick and easy dinners. Chicken breasts + sour cream + crushed cheese crackers =

Cheese-Its Chicken!

A little over-cooked, but it still tasted delicious. It's one of our favorite meals.

2. Family game night. This is something we enjoy but don't get to have very often because of Tim's work schedule. We were able to sit down and play 3 games tonight as a family. (Tim doesn't look very happy in this picture because the cat is getting into trouble off camera.)

Two Patterns I Think Are Neat:

 I've been making a lot of things for babies lately and came across these two "sweet" patterns.
1. Watermelon Hat
This is good for a 3-6 month old but could easily be modified.
2.Berry Sweet Cocoon With Hat
This one's perfect for a newborn. And very cute! The stem on the hat is the perfect touch.

Inspiration for Today

Thanks for reading!
Blessings :-)

To Donate Locally or to Ship? That is the Question

I've encountered some interesting discussions the last few days regarding my crochet donations. I've discovered people can get very heated about donating locally vs shipping the donations out of state. At a yarn store I went to yesterday, the store owners and customers were complaining about someone who had left just before I arrived. The woman was asking for crocheted donations to be shipped out of state. They were upset that someone would send items through the mail when we have so many people here in Florida in need.

Here are my thoughts on the matter: people everywhere are in need. In our own towns, in other states, and in other countries. The fact that you want to help in any way and are able to should be commended. It shouldn't matter if you drive them down the street or put them in a box and ship them to another state or another country. It is a wonderful thing you are doing.

Yes, I send items to other states, but I'm also in contact with local charities about donating items in my town and in neighboring towns.

You may feel differently about the situation, and that's fine. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. 

What do you think?

Thanks for reading my rant :-)

Blessings :-)

Finished Friday

No discernible progress on the WIPs yet, but I made a few small items this week for The Guardian Grandmas.

I'm not sure why the orange and white set is so much smaller; I think maybe the orange yarn is more of a 3 weight instead of a 4. Good thing babies come in all sizes!
The pattern for the blue preemie cocoon can be found here.
The pattern for the orange/white preemie cocoon can be found here.
The pattern for the preemie hats can be found here.

These look so big next to the preemie hats! The pattern can be found here.
Thanks to Debi Y. of Dly's Hooks and Yarns and Betsy of  The Dainty Daisy for such great patterns :-)

Today's Inspiration

Thanks for reading!
Blessings :-)

Organizing my WIPs

Most of my WIPs are trying to become UFOs. I blame some of that on my CADD (Crochet Attention Deficit Disorder); I can't focus on one project long enough to finish it in a timely manner. And I blame some of it on the weather; most of my WIPs are blankets, and even in the house with the A/C and fan on, it's too hot to work on them for long periods of time. I look at them, grab my hooks, and crochet something quick and small instead.

But I need to get them done because I'm tired of looking at them. Plus I have many more I want to start :-) I know, I have problems. So I joined the Ravelry group, My Sister's Knitter KAL/CAL. Details can be found on the link, but, in a nutshell, I'm made a goal to finish as many WIPs as possible before September 30. 

These include:

Polka Dot Blanket

The Wool Eater (blanket)

Granny Square Placemats

Yo Yo Blanket #3

Scrap Granny Squares Blanket

Granny Square Sampler Afghan

Stripey Blanket CAL

Baby Blanket

Mile a Minute Afghan

Maureen Scarf

Peace Sign Blanket

I also have two WIPs that won't count because they were started after August 1:

Funny Bunny

Garden Sweater

Now, I'm realistic; I know I won't finish them all. But I'm hoping this will give me the boost I need to put a dent in the pile.

I'll be posting pics of progress as I go.

Thanks for reading!

Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

Two on Tuesday

Two Things I'm Grateful For:

1. School starting yesterday.

2. 4-H starting today.

As a homeschooling mom, both of these events mean a lot more work and a lot less free time, but they are both such a joy in our lives.  I thank God daily for giving me the ability to homeschool Hope.

Two Patterns I Think Are Neat:

1. Funny Bunny

I'm making one of these right now but don't want to post the pictures yet; I still have to assemble the pieces so right now it looks like a terrible accident happened. Parts everywhere!

2. Wiggles Baby Hat

Debi at Dly's Hooks and Yarns is starting a charity group called The Guardian Grandmas (details here). This is the first item on my to-make list.

Today's Inspiration

Thanks for reading!

Blessings :-)

Gratitude Stones

Aren't they cute? I made them sometime in the last month and have kept them on the dining room table. I should carry them with me and hand them out to people, or just make more. They always make me smile. That's their purpose; you carry one with you (or in my case, keep one in sight), and it reminds you to be grateful for all the good things in your life.

The pattern can be found here on Crochet Dynamite.

Thanks for reading!

Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

Two on Tuesday

Two Things I'm Grateful For:

1. A clean office. It was driving me crazy, so I buckled down yesterday and today and cleaned out my disaster of an office. It's so nice and clean and organized now :-)

2. Cats. They're just funny. While emptying the dryer, Oreo decided it looked like an interesting place to explore.

Two Patterns I Think Are Neat:

1. Artfully Simple Infinity Scarf
I made this last week on a couple of my better days. It took about 3 hours total and took one skein of yarn. I used Universal Yarn.

2. Tiny Little Crochet Flowers
I've been making these a lot lately. They're great for scrapbooking and card making as well as adding a little something to another crocheted item.

Thanks for reading!
Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

 

Finally Well and Had a Great Day

I'm finally done being sick!! At least, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've had too good days without any symptoms; after a month of being sick, I seem to have finally shaken off the Crud. 

We had a very enjoyable day today. Tim fixed two cars for people but was done by 6. Hope chilled out at the house all day. And I went to the Four Purls yarn store in Winter Haven and bought a couple skeins of Cascade Sport yarn.

It looks gray in the picture, but it's more of a sage green. It's a mix of Merino wool and silk; I'll have to find a nice project to make with it.

I went to the scrapbook store next and cropped with the ladies for a couple hours. I managed to get two pages almost done.

 Sorry about the glare from the photos. The top page needs a little crochet swatch added to the tiny hanger made from have the yarn I purchased from this store (these photos are from the Orange Blossom Yarn Crawl in March). The bottom page needs a description of the store written in the empty frame. 

After I got home, Tim, Hope and I went to dinner and then to good old Walmart for some food shopping.  With the exception of the irritation of the last errand, it was a great day :-)

Thanks for reading!

Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

Two on Tuesday on Wednesday

I slept most of yesterday so I'm counting today as Tuesday. Besides, I haven't had the energy to crochet much lately so I don't have anything to show you for WIP Wednesday.

I still feel lousy but managed to get dressed today and drag myself off the couch for brief periods of time so I must be on the mend. Either that or I'm just tired of being sick! Thanks for all the kind words :-)

Two things I'm grateful for:

1. My new jewelry came in yesterday. I ordered some pieces from our new fall line and it cheered me up to play with them a little. I'm a magpie at heart; I like shiny things :-)

2. Netflix is a beautiful thing when you're sick. I've watched a lot of TV the last 4 days, but at least it's been shows I like and I don't have to deal with commercials.

Two Patterns I Think Are Neat:
1. Eva's Shawl
I enjoyed making my flower lattice shawl so much, I've had my eye out for more pretty shawl patterns. This one caught my eye because it's so light. I have some baby alpaca I'd like to use for this.
2. Wrap Around Crochet Bracelet
Wrap around bracelets are very popular right now; we have several in our jewelry catalog. I love the idea of crocheting my own, although I've never used beads before when I crochet.

I might have to think about using Tim's laptop for my next post. I don't like using it (the screen's too small and it doesn't have a mouse), but it takes less energy than coming into the office.
Thanks for reading!
Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

Home and Still on the Mend

We've been home from our Texas trip for 2 weeks, but I've been suffering from an on again/off again sinus infection. Being the family that shares, I got it first, then gave it to my hubby. He kicked it around for awhile and gave it back to me stronger. So not much going on around here but sneezing and sniffling. Of course, the kid managed to avoid it completely.

Our trip was wonderful, as always.There are some changes in the works for the company, but all for everyone's benefit.

 Our group visiting the home office: L to R: Judi, John, Sarah, Shirley, me, Tim

I managed to finish a couple of things this month. The 36 hour car ride allowed me to make a project for a friend's husband's birthday. He's a big Dr Who fan and wanted the famous scarf.

It turned out nice, about 10 feet long. It's done entirely in single crochet; I used Vanna's Choice and Red Heart Soft yarns.

And I finally finished my Flower Lattice Shawl. It's not nearly as big as it should be (my gauge was way off; should have used an F hook instead of an E), but I really like it. 

 

Thanks for reading!

Blessings :-)

Photo a Day July 1 & 2

I've missed taking my daily photos! I have a lot of fun with this challenge :-)

Yesterday's prompt was Happiness is...

 

My happiness was playing a game with Hope and her friend while working on one of my WIPs. At 11, Hope's at that age where she doesn't want me around much. So I love anytime she wants to spend with me.

Today's prompt is Shoes. And because it's one of my favorite things, I have 2 photos to share.

 First is my shoe collection. Yup, they're all mine. 24 pairs (and I think I forgot a couple!). Mostly heels and wedges because at 5'3", I am always trying to appear taller. And reach things on the top shelves of my kitchen cabinets! 

 Second is my pretty purple flip flops. I had my first pedicure of the summer today (a little late!) and wanted to show off my feet. I need to wear open toed shoes more often; the tan on my feet doesn't match my toes and ankles!

If you want to join in on the fun, the prompt list is here. It's a great way to find the extraordinary in the everyday.

Thanks for reading!

Blessings :-)

I'm Back (Again!) and Two on Tuesday

No reason for my disappearance this time; I've just been in the slumps the last few weeks. Haven't felt like doing much of anything. But I've crawled out of that pit and am excited to be back. Still plugging along on the same WIPs. I'm hoping to have some progress to show you in a couple weeks.

Which brings me to Two Tuesday!

Two Things I'm Grateful For:

1. Our annual trip to Texas! Yes, it's that time again. I LOVE our trip to the national convention for my jewelry company. It's so nice to get away for awhile. And I have 36 hours of crochet time to look forward to!

2. My sweet hubby who fixed my car. Mechanic's cars never get attention, so I'm grateful when Tim takes time to fix anything that's wrong with it. 

Bonus Grateful Item!

3. After 2 years of asking, Hope finally agreed to let me teach her to crochet! 

We're starting small; she's making a basic granny square blanket. But she really enjoys it, and is a fast learner. She's looking forward to trying different projects when she's done.

Her first 5 rounds! I'm so proud :-)

 

Two Patterns I Think Are Cool:

1. Sashay Yarn Purse. I made this a couple of months ago and was surprised how easy it was. It's hanging up at the scrapbook store and always gets a lot of comments.

2. Pennant Bunting. I made this last year and have it ready to hang for our barbecue on Thursday.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday. I'm off to do laundry and start packing for our trip. We're leaving in 5 days!!

Thanks for reading!

Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

A Long Overdue Thank You and Still Stashbusting

A few months ago, I entered a giveaway over at From the Hearth Room the lovely Christina was hosting. She has a very sweet blog; if you haven't been there, you should check it out :-) Well, I didn't win the giveaway, but she contacted me and asked for my address anyway. I was so thrilled to receive a lovely surprise from her in the mail soon after:

Wasn't that so sweet? She sent me three skeins of cotton yarn, a packet of pretty wildflower seeds, some lovely cards, and a chocolate hazelnut teabag. I can't tell you how absolutely ecstatic this package made me. It's very long overdue, but thank you so much, Christina!

I took a couple pics of my newest WIPs:

A flower lattice shawl (pattern here) made with Malabrigo sock yarn. I picked this yarn up during the yarn crawl and it's probably the nicest yarn I've ever used. But at $19 for 3.5 ounces, I'll only be getting it as a special treat.

Here's a closeup of the flowers. The color's called Dewberry.

 I'm halfway through the Maureen Scarf, using another of my Yarn Crawl purchases.

I just started this today for a friend's baby shower. I guess this qualifies as a Stashbuster; I've had a lot of pink baby yarn for awhile and glad to have a reason to use it. The pattern is from a Leisure Arts booklet, #2509 Grannies for Baby. I like that it's join as you go. 

Here's a Stashbuster project I finished today. This was a really quick blanket to make. It's the Pretty Clusters pattern from Bernat, and it took 2 skeins of green yarn and 1 1/2 skeins of white, all Lion Brand Impeccable.

Well, that's all for now. I hope everyone is doing great, and I hope to be catching up on your blogs soon.

Thanks for reading!

Blessings :-)