Reboot!

Holy cow! It's been almost 2 years since I have posted anything here! That's got to change.

Lots has happened since March 5, 2013. My sweet baby boy graduated high school and sang at the graduation! Baby Girl became a teenager last summer and is just like me. My first born moved in with some friends but that didn't work out (the move or the friends). He also lost a job and found another he really loves.We moved in with Dad for economic reasons as well as just because Steve and I decided we would feel better if we were around more often and Dad has gotten where he needs someone with him more, emotionally more than physically, but still.

I have worked some unofficially as a receptionist/office manager/bookkeeper. It really just reinforced to me that I have too long been out of practice. I also worked seasonally at AC Moore and am currently still the crochet instructor. I am also now a certified crochet instructor level 1! I completed the Level 1 Crochet Instructor course through the Craft Yarn Council. I just got the email today that my certificate and pin are being shipped tomorrow!!!!

Steve has lost the last 20-ish pounds he needed to lose. It's funny how much he and the kids are so different since moving to Dad's and out of the moldy house: Dorinda and Stephen are no longer having as many problems with allergy flare-ups. Gideon and Dorinda are both having an easier time keeping their eczema under control and Dorinda doesn't breakout in a rash of fever blisters after being sick that included a fever above 100. Stevie has actually put on weight! He's been a size 28 waist since the 7th grade. He is actually having to get bigger pants, not just longer.

My differences have been more subtle. I haven't lost weight or otherwise gotten healthier. I have had less trouble with depression at least as far as frequency goes. I sleep better. And I am able to do baking much more often! I also have had fewer colds/allergy problems since the move.

Dad has been through 4 funerals in the time since my last post. He's lost 3 brothers and a nephew. He is the last surviving brother now. It has been very hard on him, but with the last 3 happening all within 4 months, I think he appreciated us being here even more.

There has been adjusting and big time. Dad is a heavy smoker and started out using a kerosene heater as supplement heat. The smoke is bad, but we're somewhat used to that. The heater though was awful! It stank and even smoked one time and it didn't really save any money on fuel. So, we finally got him talked around to stop using it. It's better now. And the sound of the furnace coming on and running is a very comforting sound to me. I like it better than the little tick-tick-tick sound that I lived with for almost 20 years. Dad goes to bed super early and gets up accordingly. That took some getting used to as well. However, we all feel better about being able to keep a better eye on Dad and Dad is tickled to have the house full of people again. I didn't truly realize how lonely he was until we moved in. I could use less of Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and Walker, Texas Ranger. I feel like I should have saddle sores sometimes. Oh, and The Rifleman for 3 hours on Saturday mornings! Holy moly there's a lot of cowboys.

My childhood home (where I spent a big chunk of my childhood living on and off) is now gone. The state finally bought the property for the highway and the house is now officially gone. There's nothing left but the maple tree. At least as of the week of Christmas the tree was still there. I hope that it will still be there this spring so I can get Mama to collect me some seeds so I can try to get one started. I would love to have a child of that ancient tree at my house.


Steve is continually evolving display space for his armor & weapons. Between him and the boys we have a little bit of an arsenal :) Swords and axes and maces, oh my! Love it! Dorinda finally has her own room and loves being able to close the door any time she wants to. I'm still working on getting a way to store yarn and still have it accessible. My yarn stash is no where near what it once was. When we were moving I found that the mold had gotten into a huge amount of it so there was a lot that was thrown away. Another big chunk of it was donated to various Girl Scout events. I now have a tote box with some in it in the storage building, but it's not very accessible and it's mostly scraps of various weights/types of yarn from other projects. Both the boys are working now. They are well on their way to independence :)

So, that's been my last year or so. I'm looking forward to this year. It's my last time preparing for high school. Dorinda is getting ready to start on her Girl Scout Silver Award and the boys are preparing to get me one step closer to being an empty-nester.

One of my goals this year is to document more. Whether it's here or in a paper journal, there needs to be a record of my crochet projects and adventures if nothing else :) I've also got to take more pictures. I have always been a terrible picture taker. I have very few Christmas morning pictures and as the kids got older, even the birthday photos got scarce. Snapshots just don't happen with me like I remember Mama doing with us :(  I feel like my time is very limited with having all 3 kids together so I want to make the most of it.

Hook Free Day

No stitching today. And boy is my stress level showing it!

It has been a very long and frustrating day. I am looking forward to a blissful non-busy day tomorrow to get caught up on some household bookkeeping & some make up stitching :)

No Dice Today

But I am over halfway through a new bottle holder! I found some yarn at Wal Mart that had red and blue and purple! Bud didn't like it, but I bought it anyway since it is so groovy! I'll get a picture of it as soon as I get it finished.

Happy National Crochet Month!

New Earrings!

In honor of the third day of National Crochet Month, I crocheted another pair of earrings! Baby Girl wanted to wear them since they're so AWESOME!!! So I let her :)

Actually, I must confess, I had hoped to do the earrings as a make up for not doing a project on Friday. I had planned on making the 6-sided die today to add to the 4-sided one I made yesterday. However, I didn't make it :(    Hopefully I'll be able to get 2 done tomorrow night. Maybe I'll even remember to put the numbers on the sides before I put them together this time.

New size 10 crochet thread is also on my to-do list for tomorrow. Either finding it or buying it. The stuff I got with the earring kit is kelly green and is very pretty, but I would like to make some of the earrings in other colors. So I may go shopping for the thread & get some more beads while I'm at it.

Since in addition to being National Crochet Month it is also National Craft Month, I am going to see if I can find a tatting shuttle. I have a book to learn from & it even came with a DVD, but I don't have a tatting shuttle. Learning to tat is something I've wanted to do for a long time. I think now may be the time to try it.

Happy National Crochet Month!!!

I am so happy it is March! Do I have some projects ready! I am sooooo ready for some quality time with my hooks. Cookie season for Baby Girl's troop is officially over and boy, am I glad!

So for the first day of National Crochet Month I visited the blogs of the day. Great designers' blogs for each day in the month! How exciting!! I found a fun seaming technique new to me on one of them.

On the second day of National Crochet Month I crocheted the first in a set of gaming dice. I was so excited to get one done that I didn't put the numbers on the sides before I put it together. I'll be adding numbers tomorrow. That first is a four-sided die, aka "d4" for those not hip to the gaming vernacular. My plan is to have a whole set of gaming dice by the end of March.

Another project (also a set) is earrings from a kit I got from Mary Maxim . The ones in the picture show earrings made with cream colored thread. I got kelly green! I've made one pair already and they are so pretty I can't wait to get the rest of them made. It came with enough stuff to make a total of 6 pairs of earrings. Most of them have little tiny crystal beads on them and are sparkly as well as being a eyeful of crochet grooviness!

Voting & Stitches

So the voting here is officially over. I don't have it in me anymore to stay up until the wee hours to find out who won. I'll find out in the morning.

On a funner note (is that a word?), I found green thread!!! I have been waiting until after Halloween to find size 10 crochet thread for a doily and the trim on my sweet troop angels. I figured it would be easy to find with the whole approaching Christmas thing and all. I was wrong. I've been looking for a week and just now found it! I'm very excited :D  I also picked up some thread with sparkly gold in it for the halos :)

I am soooo looking forward to making the doily. I've been wanting to make something for my father-in-law's coffee table and this is perfect. It's a Christmas tree doily that is part of an online crochet-along class as hassdesign.com. The class is called 12 Weeks of Christmas. I finally was able to get this class. It was an early birthday present from me to me, hehe ;)  I can't wait until I get it done. I'm starting on it Friday.

The rest of the week is pretty much planned as far as crochet goes: tomorrow is my tree skirt which really is cross stitch since the crochet part is done, Thursday is going to be angels, and the weekend is going to be split between angels and the Christmas tree doily. I'll be working on angels for the next couple of weeks. I need 20 all together, I think. I'll probably do 2 or 3 extra just in case.

Angels in the Works

I have two sizes of angels right now.

The one on the left is with worsted weight acrylic yarn using a G (4.25mm) aluminum hook and is 4 1/4 inches long. The one on the right is made with size 10 cotton thread using a size 7 (1.65mm) steel hook and is only 2 inches long. The larger ones are going in the mail today to Maggie's Crochet for a festival of trees fundraiser they are helping with. It's to benefit a children's hospital and I am so tickled that it is somewhat local (well, same state anyway). And thanks to the 2008 Girl Scout council merger I even know where Kernersville is!

 

My darling little 2-inch angels are destined for my troop angels at Christmas :)  My girls are all angels and I hope to show each and every one of them how special and precious they are.

 

I'm taking a break from a lot of stitching today to make sure everything is ready for tonight. When there are anywhere from 350-500 kids that come by trick-or-treating, it's best to be prepared as early in the day as possible ;)

 

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Another Trainfest Done

I spent the weekend at our local (somewhat) Girl Scout volunteer training event. I had a good time as usual and being out in the woods did it's work, for the most part, helping me to relax. I didn't get fully recharged, but I did unload a heap of stress and am better for it.

My crocheting consisted of teaching 2 classes on crochet: 1 finger crocheting which didn't go all that well and 1 that was just a drop-in kind of stitch and talk session. I don't think I'll be teaching again next year, at least not crocheting. There just isn't any real interest or passion in that kind of setting. I hope to teach where there is a true love of the art.

Three, Four, Shut The Door

I discovered a skein of yarn left over from my contest afghan. It was the border color. It's a lovely dark teal color and I decided to use it to make scarves with for the scarf challenge I mentioned a few posts ago :)  I am happy to report I got 2 scarves and even a hat out of that skein of yarn! Both are stitch patterns I made up as I went. The hat is made of five 4-round granny squares. I love that pattern! I don't particularly care for the sewing together of the squares, but it is so easy to remember that I almost always make hats that way now. I'm still working on the sewing together part of the hat, but the scarves are ready to go! See:

 

The first one is alternating rows of hdc and hdc, ch 1 combo. the second one is a row of granny stitch patterns and dc clusters. It made the neatest diamond pattern. I think I'm going to be revising my goal for the scarf challenge. I think I'm going to halve it. 30 is just not going to happen. 10 though I think I can more reasonably do by the end of November. Especially since I have 4 already done!

 

 

 

 

 





Next Project Please!

Wow! I've gotten a lot done in the last few months :D Let's recap: 1) contest afghan, 2) family reunion afghan, 3) Ninja Guy10 doll, 4) gift afghan. Neat! I am sort of proud of that. I must say though that the gift afghan turned out way smaller than I thought. The picture seems to be a much bigger afghan. I crochet a little tight, but I've never had gauge problems before. I'm still stumped about that one.

My next item on the list is my tree skirt. It's the 12 Days of Christmas- 6 panels with 2 cross-stitched pictures on each pattern to represent the gifts given on each of the 12 days of Christmas. I've got the panels done and 2 of them are cross-stitched and joined. I've got 4 to go. I'll be starting on it after all the birthday bruhaha is over.

Along with the tree skirt are the tiny, sweet angel ornaments I'm doing for my Girl Scout troop for Christmas. I did a couple of test pieces with sport weight yarn and size 10 thread. I really love the wee little angel I that was the product of the size 10 thread! One of my wonderful neighbors is going to let me use her groovy card making equipment (as well as help me work out a custom design!) for a card to present the angels on.

Oh, and I actually knitted a shawl a couple of years ago and, boy did learn that knitting is not my thing. Anyhoo, it has been languishing in my house ever since completion waiting for the correct home. I happy to announce that the shawl has found a home! As soon as I get a confirmation on the address I'll be shipping it off :)

Happy hooking!

Scarf of two now is through!

Finally! The second scarf is done! I remember now why I dislike doing scraves from end-to-end. I much prefer the side-to-side method. Baby Girl took some pictures for me. The first one I did side-to-side.

This one was about 7 rows and done! Once around for the border and I was finished. Took no time at all. This one however

was only 23 stitches, but man did it linger! I didn't think I was ever going to get that thing done! Hallelujah!!

Both scarves are in Red Heart Baby Sport. It's got that little iridescent thread wrapped around the strand of yarn and looks so pretty. I've started a hat in the same yarn. We'll see if I've got enough yarn left to even make the whole hat :)

Ninja Guy10 Is Done!!!!!!!

It is done! I finally have Ninja Guy10 complete! See:

Ninja Guy10 was actually the first of a set of characters designed and drawn by my oldest (and super talented) son. Ninja Guy10 has an arch nemesis Marvin the Pirate which I made a couple or 3 years ago:

There will be a very cool comic before too much longer, I hope!

I Stink at Gardening :(

So this year, due to Baby Girl's interest in playing in the dirt and dawning interest on my part, I decided to try growin tomatoes this year. I had a couple of big pots that I thought would be the right size. I had been reading how easy tomatoes are for container gardening you see.

Well, that was such a bust! Maybe it was that my first tomato plant was a Cherokee Black (purple?) that maybe is a little more sensitive. Maybe my research was inadequate (as usual for this kind of stuff). Maybe my suspicions have been confirmed that I have a black thumb. Well, okay not that last one since the tomatoes were over at Dad's and he looked after them. I also had a cherry tomato plant (free) from a Girl Scout badge workshop Baby Girl went to. I figured I'd be sick of tomatoes before too much longer. Boy was I wrong. I got 3 tiny, tiny Cherokee Black tomatoes and only 2 cherry tomatoes and the cherry tomatoes just within the past couple of weeks!

Upon pulling up the sad, wilted Cherokee Black plant, Dad discovered that it was severely root bound! "Nuthin' but a big ball of roots! Not a bit of dirt." were the words from Dad. That explains that one. The cherry tomato plant that eventually started growing at an amazing rate, finally has only 2 or 3 tomatoes on it. I think it is suffering from a similar lack of dirt. It has been very disappointing. Unlike previous unsuccessful tries at growing though, I am determined this is a skill I can learn. Hubby knows bunches about gardening (though he won't admit it) so I am determined to pick his brain and make him help me next year!

Baby Girl also planted some pumpkin seeds in little newspaper pots at a day camp program she went to this year. I put them in the ginormous pot I had here at the house and they too started out amazingly. I was so excited! Unfortunately, I found out at the first really long rain that there was no drainage in that pot. So they got waterlogged. Hubby drilled some drainage holes (plastic pot) but it was a couple of days later and I think that was too late. There are still leaves that are a healthy color of green and are not wilted or anything, but the vine has not grown anymore since the waterlogging. No pumpkins either :( 

I am so going to spend the winter months (you know that time that's after Christmas but before Valentine's Day?) reading everything I can get my hands on and aggravating the crap out of my mom (who grew up gardening) and Hubby (ditto) and anyone else I can get to stand still long enough as well as haunting the library (like I need to do more of that). Next year will be different!

As Bob as my witless, I will be a gardner! (I just love the Rugrats!)

Scarf of one, it has begun!

I made my first scarf for the 60 Scarves in 60 Days challenge! It's on Ravelry now, but I remember when it was 30 scarves in 30 days and it was on Dee's blog. This is the ninth year! I can't believe it! I've only been able to participate a couple of years but it is so much fun! The first year I did it, I only got 1 or 2 scarves done and the other year I got 8. I'm going for at least 30 this year! It's the perfect way for me to practice a new stitch pattern or technique or even play with some new yarn :D

Anyhoo, I grabbed a skein of Red Heart Baby that has been hanging out in my stash forever and decided to try a scarf with it. I made a little bitty scarf, maybe toddler sized, but it is very pretty. It's a shell/dc pattern that was pictured on the label fo the Lionbrand Pound of Love that I used for the reunion afghan. I started a filet/sc one last night, but since I'm working from top-to-bottom instead of sid-to-side it's taking longer. I plan on making it longer than the shell one.

I hope to use up a slew of my stash in the process of this challenge. That way I'll be able to cut down on the amount of yarn crawling all over my house and, if I use up enought, maybe be able to shop for some more!

Tarheel Pineapple!

This is it! The family reunion afghan is done! I am very happy with the way it turned out.

I had a little trouble getting going on this one, but it really helped me get back into stitching after the contest afghan rush :)

I'm on to the action figure (no doll) for another one of Gideon's characters. I have one done from a few years ago and I'm looking forward to seeing them together.

Oh Those Lovely Chains & Loops!

The family reunion afghan is almost done! I only have one more round :D I'll get a pic up tomorrow.

I had stalled with the stitching after the contest rush. I just couldn't get going. I had the family reunion afghan that just wasn't clicking with me and I just couldn't get the level of energy going. I'm glad it was a "have-to" project. It has really gotten me going.

After the family reunion afghan is finished I'll be moving on to Ninja Guy10 for Gideon. I need to get a remake of Marvin, but that will have to wait until Spring. Ninja Guy10 will be followed by a Christmas present, then finishing my tree skirt. There will be a sprinkling of bookmarks, scarves and maybe even a hat or two during the stitching of my official projects. I've got a lot of yarn left over yarn from the family reunion ghan so I may even be able to squeeze in a baby set or two!

Scarves!!!

I just found out via Ravelry that this year is the 9th year for 60 Scarves in 60 Days!! (I remember when it was just 30 in 30).

So that means that as a break in between crocheting sessions for the projects that are scheduled for this fall, I'll be thinning down my yarn stash and making scarves (and maybe matching hats if I have the yarn for it). I don't have a place for the scarves to go yet, but I'm going to start locally and expand beyond city limits if I need to. It's a lot of fun. It would be great if I can get 1 a day done, but most likely I'll be doing good to get 1 a week :)

Scarves are a great way to try out new stitch patterns and play with new yarns. The fun begins on September 1st. Join in if you can!

Enchanted Tarheel

So I got started on the gift afghan. I now have 3 squares done. I'm putting them together as I go along. I'm going rows of 4 and when I get 3 rows, I'll put them together and I'll be ready to do the border. I am so happy with the way it's looking already!

Tarheel Pineapples

Thanks to Hubby, I was able to reclaim possession of my pattern leaflet for the family reunion door prize afghan! I now have the pattern to hand, all the yarn needed and I am ready to go. I using a leaflet from Leisure Arts called Absolutely Gorgeous Pineapple Afghans. The pattern "Enchanted" was the one from this leaflet that was chosen for the gift certificate that was given as a door prize at last year's family reunion.

This year I'll have a ticket stub or something for me to get contact info from the winner. I didn't find out colors until May or June this year (right in the middle of my contest afghan). Of course, it didn't help that I wasn't able to be there last year.

I'm starting with a couple of practice squares to get the color changes worked out the way I want it. I've got one finished and the second halfway (finishing tonight). Once I get the colors in the order I want, I'll able to knock this puppy out in a couple of weeks.

The colors are Tarheel blue & white with black accents. It looks great so far. I'm very excited to see it completed!

Snipes & Pineapples

Baby Girl had her first snipe hunt last night! She went to a sleepover birthday party and the birthday parents decided to take the kids snipe hunting! Baby Girl has been so excited all week about this weekend. She was told that it would be a hunting party. I had told her that I couldn't think of what they would hunt unless it was snipes and the second she saw the birthday mom, she asked about what snipes were :D  I got a phone call last night from the birthday mom telling me about right after it happened. I can't wait until Baby Girl get home so I can here it first hand!

The family reunion afghan is still not started. AHHHHH! I am completely unloading every single box and stack of booklets and books to find my pattern book. I am almost certain it's in the closet, but you never know. I do know that I'll be starting on it no later than Friday. With 12-inch squares it'll only take me a couple or 3 weeks to get it done and ready to go. I'm using the pattern called "Enchanted" from the Leisure Arts leaflet Absolutely Gorgeous Pineapple Afghans. I have only made the square once in red and gold and it turned out lovely. This one will be Tarheel blue and white. I can't wait to see it finished! The only thing I haven't decided yet is whether or not to alternate the main colors on the squares. It's a little tough to decide.