New Mail Box

Last night we were out walking our dogs on an open lot beside our house (we own it), and all of the sudden heard an awful screeching sound as a car came around the curve of the road and smashed into our mailbox and one of our trees. As we ran to see if they needed any help, the person took off, leaving behind mailbox and concrete wreckage strewn across our driveway, along with pieces of one of their headlights AND an entire tail light! If we had been a few feet closer, probably us or one of our dogs would have been hurt or killed by the flying debris. DH and I put the dogs up and tried to follow the car, but we were too late to see which way they went. I think they must have been drinking and were scared to stop. We have a National Aeronatics plant at the other end of our street and workers drive through here all day long at shift change, drinking and throwing out their beer bottles and cans all along the road. The speed limit is supposed to be 30, but most cars come through doing about 50. I want speed bumps put in before someone gets killed, but since there are only about 7 or so houses that actually face the road, no one at the City seems to care about the homeowners. Poor DH is having to put in another mailbox. This is the 3rd one in the 5 years we have lived here. I'm just grateful that is all that got damaged (as far as our property goes).

Endeavor

The photo above is of the Space shuttle, Endeavor, that landed here (about a mile from my house) overnight.

This is the newest item I am working on, a Bearghan. Yes, I know I should finish up all the other projects I currently have going, but I couldn't resist starting it. What can I say? I have "crochet ADD". :)

Weekend fun

I talked to "Spiderman X", and told him I had an "almost finished" crochet present for him, and asked if he wanted to see it now, or wait until Christmas (but we probably won't get to see him at Christmas). He said now, so I got to take some photos of him using it. I will finish the "web" lines, then send it to him. He really liked it! He asked if I could crochet some sort of "spiderman" type of decal to put on it. I will have to think about how I could do that. One that I have seen in Ravelry had a spider crocheted in the middle, but he didn't want one like that, so like I said I will have to think about what I can do.

In the mean time, he and his Granddaddy got to ride a small dirt bike that we have.

This morning, he and I put together this gingerbread house from a pre-made kit we purchased at Wal-mart.

He and my ds had to go home today, so now it is too quiet around here. Can't wait till Christmas, to see the next crew: dd and the twins!

Thanksgiving

My ds and #1 gs, X, got to come for Thanksgiving. We had the lunch over at my house this year, and everyone chipped in to bring food. It was wonderful, as always! After the guests left, ds got a fire going in the fire ring, while X fished off the dock. He didn't catch much, but he is a very dedicated fisherman, and he had a good time trying. Yesterday morning ds and I went to Wal-Mart for the early morning, after-Thanksgiving sales. It was both of our first times to do that, and probably MY last. I will really have to want something VERY badly to do that again! :) Talk about taking your life in your own hands! Those shoppers will mow you down with their carts to get a good deal! :)

The spiderman-ghan is almost done, except for the few final "web" lines, but I can't work on it because X (um......I mean Spiderman) is here, and it will be one of his Christmas gifts! I did get a chance to show it off to ds before we went on our "shopping" spree yesterday morning. His only comment was "its not big enough to cover ME"....... uh, son, I hate to disappoint you, but its for a smaller superhero this time! :)

Our weekend

We had some friends over Sunday evening, and look what they brought with them (below)! YUM-O!

And this is the LEFTOVERS!! I also made a buttermilk pie (not pictured).

This is our dog after the guests had left. We were all tired from playing! :)

This is our Kitty giving her seal of approval to the Spiderman-ghan! Only THREE rows left to finish, along with the spider web detailing! :)

The pumpkin below has been sitting on my porch for a couple of weeks. A few days ago, I noticed a few nibbles taken out of it. Last night this is what it was looking like. We now have a very large, fat squirrell running around! When we finally caught him eating on it, he looked enormous!

Wednesday

No updates on crochet for today (yet).

Dh had his radiator blow out last night on his way home from Dallas. Lucky for both of us, he made it as far as Euless, TX (about halfway home) before the radiator blew. He was able to pull off the highway into the back of a gas station parking lot, in a parking space with a well lighted Church parking lot behind that. Ahhhhhh, now you know where I'm going with this post....... poor dh spent the rest of the night fixing the radiator on his car! All I can say is that the man is a pure genius with car repairs, plumbing, electrical work, remodeling, you name it, and he can do his work anywhere, as long as he has his tools and a few hours of time! He is a true artist, just with a different medium than most! :)

Update & Tiramisu

Here is another photo update on Spiderman-ghan, it's getting HUGE (also nice and warm)! I still need to finish the row I am currently working on, then have about 7 more rows to make it the size of the pattern. I am very pleased so far with the results!

Here is a photo of the next project I have started:

As if I don't already have enough projects started to work on, I started this "Tiramisu Baby Blanket" (free pattern by Alicia Paulson) in a yellow baby sport yarn from Bernat. So far, the stitch is very boring, but I know it makes a lovely blanket! A co-worker who doesn't crochet, but who likes receiving crocheted gifts, (yes, I have been "burned" a couple of times by giving handmade gifts to those who didn't appear to appreciate my handiwork) is supposed to have her baby girl in February sometime. She has picked the "Sadie" pattern from Pottery Barn Kids as her baby room theme. The room's colors are yellow, white and black, with sheep. My plan is to make the main body of the afghan in yellow, the shell border in white, then thread a black ribbon with white dots through the shell border. For my own selfish reason, I really wish she had gone with traditional pink, though. :) There is one finished pink "Tiramisu" that I saw out on Ravelry that is sooooooooo pretty! I may have to make one like it eventually, just to have on hand!! :)

It's back to work for me today! I sure enjoyed the extra two days off!

More progress

Here is a little more progress on the "red rows" to show on the Spiderman-ghan. I am hoping to be working on to the final blue rounds today, since I am off work for Veteran's Day.

Yesterday, on our way over to the Dallas Museum of Art, a car on the highway in front of us careened off of the road, and landed upside down. Luckily, all 4 people inside (2 adults and 2 kids) didn't appear to be hurt. We waited with them till the Fire Truck and Ambulance arrived. Once we continued on, we stopped and ate at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant, called "My Lan", then afterward went on to Dallas. I hate to say it, but we were both very greatly disappointed by the King Tut exhibit. It was not what we were expecting at all. Not much in the way of display items, and I really feel that we were "mislead" by all the "hype". The only sarcophagus was that of one of King Tut's obscure "possible" great-grandmothers that I had never even heard of. It was mainly a video exhibit and I wasn't impressed, especially for the amount of money we spent. Then we were stuck in the 5:00 rush hour traffic coming home. ARGGGGH! Now I remember why I like living in Fort Worth, instead! :)

Last, but certainly not least, today is Veteran's Day. I would like to remember, and thank, all the Vets, past and present, who have risked their lives or died, so that my family and I could be free!

30th Anniversary!

Tomorrow is our 30th wedding anniversary, and I dated him 4 years before we married! We both took the day off and are going to let the day lead us where it will. I have been dying to see the King Tut exhibit that is at a museum over in Dallas, so I'm hoping that is one place we will get to go! Dh came home and surprised me with these roses above, and a very sweet card! I have really been blessed to have him as a husband. Here's to another 30! :)

Spiderman ghan Update:

Spiderman-ghan

This is Spiderman....

and he needs a Spiderman-ghan!

I got absolutely obsessed the other day when I saw all the completed Spiderman Round Ripple Afghans that had been completed on Ravelry. I had bought all the yarn well over a year ago to make one of these for my #1 Grandson, X. I finally got started on it last night, and plan to work on it every night and during my lunch breaks every day till done. I am hoping to have it done long before Christmas! The free pattern can be found here, I think its such a cute idea! I already have two more rows added to it since this photo was taken this morning!


Beginning of the Spiderman-ghan!

Happy Halloween!

Edited to add: She cast her spell over the customers! Our Witch won!

Instead of Crochet or Knitting, here's what I worked on last night, instead. (Kinda looks like Popeye!)

Finished product:

We're having a pumpkin decorating contest at work:

Here's our "stiffest" competition, a "Biker chick".

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Sponge Bob Square Pants

Dd saw my "Frankie" potholder pattern, and the first thing out of her mouth was: "Who gets this one? Hint, hint!" Then: "Can you make me a Sponge Bob Square Pants potholder, too?" How could I say no to trying a Sponge Bob pattern? :) Basically, I am just following my standby "basic" sc square potholder pattern (ch 31, turn, sc in 2nd ch fm hook, sc across, ch 1, turn (30), then sc 30, ch 1, turn for each row, for 30 rows, just changing colors to match Sponge Bob. So far I have his front made, along with the belt and red tie. All that remains is to come up with facial features for the front, and to crochet his backside, then I will come up with his dangling arms and legs. Watch for the final development.......

Free "Frankie" Potholder Pattern

"Frankie" Potholder

by Cindy Cave

Supplies:

1 skein "Apple" green cotton yarn

1 skein "black" cotton yarn

scraps red cotton yarn

scraps white cotton yarn

scraps of grey or grey brown cotton yarn

1 "G" crochet hook

1 yarn needle

Face:

With Apple green, ch 31

Row 1: sc in the 2nd chain from hook, sc across remaining chains, ch 1, turn.

Row 2: sc across each stitch, ch 1, turn (30)

Row 3 to 24: repeat row 2 (30).

Change to black:

Row 25: sc 4, do dc front post into stitch below, sc 4, 1 dcfp, continue this sequence across row, ch 1 turn. (Front posts don't really have to be spaced this exact, I was trying to make it look like hair)

Row 26 to 30: repeat row 2. On row 30, instead of ch 1, turn, just finish off. (30)

Features: (I will try to recall as closely as possible what I did, but I was just kind of freeforming as I went)

Eyebrows:

With black, chain 23.

Row 1: dc in 4th ch from hook, dc each ch across, turn.

Eyes:

Attach white yarn, crochet 9 sc, ch 1 turn, leaving rest of black unworked.

Row 2: do sc decrease in first 2 stitches, sc 5, sc decrease in last 2 stitches, ch 1, turn (7).

Row 3 on: continue to do sc decrease on each end and sc in each stitch in between, until you can get it rounded down to look like an eye.

To make other white of eye, holding your work with front facing you, black stitches to the bottom and one finished white of eye on the right side of your work, skip two black stitches and attach white yarn, crochet 9 sc to end of black row. Work back and forth as above to finish out white of eye.

Nose:

To add nose, holding your work front facing you, and basically upside down with black stitches on bottom, attach green in beteen eyes,

Row 1: sc 2, ch 1, turn,

Row 2: sc 2 in each stitch, ch 1, turn

Row 3: sc 2 in each end stitch, sc 1 in each stitch in between.

Continue this way until you have as many rows for a nose as you wish. As you did with the eyes, use sc decreases on the last couple of rows to round out the nose as you wish it to look.

With black, sc all around features to outline. My features were kind of "puckering", but it worked out great when I stitched them down to the "face". With a yarn needle and black, embroider center of eye onto each white section at bottom of each "eye white". I also embroidered red "crackle" lines on the eye white to make it look like bloodshot eyes. Sorry this part of the pattern isn't more exactly detailed, but I didn't write any of this down when I was making it. To attach the "features" piece to the "face", center top of "eyebrows" on about row 23, about 4 stitches in on each side of "face". With yarn needle and black, stich "features" to "face". With yarn needle and black, in between about row 6 to 8 under the "nose" and about 10 stitches in from the edge, embroider a "zig-zag" mouth, again just messing with it till you have it how you want it to look. For "stitches" in Frankie's face, I just used red and embroidered random lines, then made a "t"at intervals, so it would resemble crude stitches.

2nd side of Potholder (back of head):

With Apple Green, ch 31, turn.

Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc across remaining chains, ch 1, turn.

Row 2: sc each stitch across, ch 1, turn (30)

Row 3 to 6: repeat row 2.

Change to black:

Row 7: sc 4, do dc front post into stitch below, sc 4, 1 dcfp, continue this sequence across row, ch 1, turn. (dcfp don't have to be exact, I was trying to make it resemble hair).

Row 8 to 30: repeat row 2. On row 30, instead of ch 1, turn, just finish off.(30)

On "neck" under hair, with yarn needle and red, I "freeform" emroidered another line, crossed with "t's" to look like a crude stitch.

With right sides facing out, and "face" facing you, through both thicknesses on the edge, attach black to row 25, (right side of face) sc through both thicknesses on remaining edge of potholder to corner (about 5 or 6 sc), sc in corner, ch 10, sc in same corner, sc across top to next corner, sc 2 times in corner, sc about 6 to "edge" of hair, change colors to green, continue to sc through both thicknesses to about the bottom of the nose, ch 1 turn, sc about 7 across, 2 sc in next stitch, ch 1, turn, sc to last 2, sc decrease in last 2. (Again, I think this is how I did it, I was trying to make it look like a regular ear) at this point you should be back where the 2 sides of the potholder need to be sc together, sc through both thicknesses 4 times, switch to grey, sc 4 through both thicknesses, ch 1, turn sc in four stitches, ch 1 turn, sc 4, finish off. In bottom corner attach green again, sc through both thicknesses 2ce in same stitch, sc across bottom, in corner sc 2ce, switch to grey, sc 4 times through both thicknesses, ch 1, turn, sc 4, ch 1, turn sc 4, finish off. Attach green, sc about 12 through both thicknesses till you are at the "mid-point" of the next eye, ch 1, turn sc 6, do a sc decrease in next 2 stitches, ch 1 turn slip st in next st, sc across to end, sc 2ce across top "edge" of ear (I know, I think I did this part wrong, but it looked close enough to the other ear, and remember this is "Frankie" so he doesn't have to be exactly perfect!! :) continue to sc (about 4 or 5 to edge of black. Finish off.

I know this pattern is sort of "slap dash", but this is how he was "born", sort of like the REAL Frankenstein.......(mwhahahahahahahahahahahahaha) HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Halloween crochet fun!

On Friday I was searching online for some crochet Halloween potholders to make. I wanted something that was cute, but would also be usable. I didn't find any patterns I wanted to make, so I decided to see if I could come up with my own design. After looking through my cotton stash, I found a large cone of "Apple" by Peaches n Cream. I also had odds and ends of both black, white and red. I settled on a basic square pattern in single crochet and came up with "Frankie".

Front of face and hair:

Eyes and nose:

Eyes and nose attached to face:

finished face:

2nd side of potholder: the backside of Frankie's head:

The finished potholder:

Frankie was quick and a lot of fun to make! I plan on experimenting with a couple more patterns and hope to get them done by Halloween, too!

Textured Heart Potholder, finished

Here is my finished Textured Heart Potholder by Priscilla Hewitt. AOL.Hometown is


going away (which was where her patterns have been located in the past, but I have since located another URL where her patterns are now being saved: here at
http://home.earthlink.net/~jandkthornton/everythinghewitt/index.html). Priscilla's patterns have been a great inspiration to a lot of crocheters, so I am happy to see someone saving her work so that others can continue to enjoy it.

Weekend crochet

We went to Brownwood, Texas, to meet up with both my son and my daughter and their families for the weekend. While DH drove, I managed to crochet the two sides to the Textured Heart Potholder pattern by Priscilla Hewitt. I didn't get it joined together yet, but that shouldn't take long, and I'll show off the finished product, probably tomorrow. I used some Sugar n Cream cotton yarn I found on sale somewhere a while back. If you want the pattern, be sure to get it printed or saved soon while you still can, I have read that aol. hometown is closing down the website with Priscilla Hewitt's patterns by October 31 this year.

Below is a photo of my immediate family, minus my daughter's twin sons.

Here is a "generation" photo which includes the twins. It was the first time my oldest grandson "X" got to see the twins.
We enjoyed getting to see everyone!

Fall

We went to a pumpkin patch over at Flower Mound, Texas today. There were bounce houses, hay rides, carved trees, popcorn, and rows and rows of pumpkins for sale. I took the photos with my cell phone, so they aren't as large as normal.

Afterwards we stopped and had wonderful Mexican food at Christina's which is close to Trophy Club. Fall is finally in the air! I worked a little more on my mystery baby crochet project. I am hoping I can finally finish it this weekend, since I will be off on Monday for Columbus day.

Being stalked

Ignore the messy house! The top photo is my husband being stalked for food. And before you say anything.....we NEVER feed the cats human food, unless it is a small bite of meat once in a while. But this time, DH was being stalked over a piece of pie!!!!! It was just too funny and I had to take the photo. The bottom photo is my new refrigerator. Other than that excitement, our weekend was quiet. :) And yes, I did clean the house!

More Progress

More fish progress. I have also been working along on the mystery crochet project, trying to get it finished up. Just a little work left now on that one, and after it is sent to my friend, I can show it off.

We just got back from meeting my brother and sister-in-law over in Dallas for lunch. We all share birthdays in September, so we decided to meet for lunch to celebrate. Today is my brother's actual 44th birthday. My SIL's birthday will be on Tuesday. We ended up having to fight a little Dallas Cowboy game traffic, but it wasn't TOO bad. Go Cowboys! :)

Progress

Just a quick update, here's two more motifs that I got done last night: I like 'em!!!!

Crochet Fish

Just a quick post to show you what I worked on last night while DH was working.

The pattern is by Eboni. I saw it on Ravelry when she completed her first one, and I fell in love with it. Then, after Eboni had the pattern written up, Christy over at My Best Friend calls me Martha made a few for a blanket, and after I saw hers, that clinched it, and made me want to do some, too! The pattern calls for an H hook, but I used an F hook and Vanna's Choice Baby yarn. I tried the H hook that was called for on my first try, which in my opinion, made the fish look gigantic. So I frogged what I had done, and tried again with the F hook. However, I feel like my fish still turned out HUGE. I usually crochet spot-on with gage, but I'm not too sure this time. Also, it was hurting my hands to work the bobbles (but remember I haven't been crocheting much, lately). I will try a few more and see what I think about making a larger project out of it. If my hands keep hurting, I might end up with a potholder instead. :) I Love the pattern, and Eboni's instructions are easy to follow!

Happy Birthday to me!

It was my 49th birthday yesterday! I got a lot of nice gifts and many phone calls and cards.

Beautiful birthday roses from DH, along with some perfume.

Aren't they beautiful? I just love the color! My co-workers gifted me with a fruit arrangement at work on Friday! Isn't it the coolest? And it was so good!

We went to our niece's house today to celebrate three family member birthdays. DH discovered the zip line they had installed for their kids, and had to give it a try. Lots of fun and fellowship! It was a good birthday!