Chronicles of Yarnia

2011-07-16T13:45:00.005-05:00

Here is a new (to me) potholder pattern that I have worked up recently. It is crocheted all in one piece, so there is no need to add a back. It is very quick to work up, and thick enough not to burn yourself on hot pans or dishes. I made the "Americana" one after July 4. I'm still reading a whole lot, especially now that I have an i-phone, I can upload e-books from the library for free and read any time I have some free time. "Real" books currently checked out: Secret of the White Rose, Devil Colony, The Queen's Governess, Crown of Dust, The Daughter of Siena, The Lion of Cairo, Fatal Error, The Beginners, The Bone Yard, & The Illusion of Murder. In the car on audio I currently have "A Discovery of Witches" and "Smokin' Seventeen". I have requested several more from the library that I am still waiting on to upload to my i-phone e-reader.

The Unveiling

2011-05-27T16:57:00.004-05:00

What have I been doing lately? I started on Weight Watchers back in September of 2010 and was going to try to get my weight off before I saw my siblings, so I could surprise them. Sadly, my younger brother's Father-in-Law passed away recently, and at that time, two out of three of my siblings saw me then. I have "officially" lost 41 lbs so far (as of today) on WW, and I had already lost 8 lbs on my own before starting with them. I would like to get another 22 or so off. I have added walking on the treadmill into my daily routines to help get me to my goal. I also walk the stairs with one of my co-workers at break time. No crafting, sewing or crocheting, I have been watching Grandkids and reading a bunch. However I saw all the lovely potholders everyone on Ravelry has been doing and am getting interested again in crochet. Now that my weight is down a bunch, I am also becoming interested in sewing for myself again.

Happenings

2011-03-21T15:53:00.000-05:00

February arrived with an ice storm, snow, and freezing temperatures! March has brought better weather and a trip to South Padre Island and Seaworld. Sadly, I haven't been crocheting, knitting OR sewing much since October. My oldest GS wants a beanie and a neck scarf made with camouflage colored yarn, so if anything, that will be next on my to-do list. I never finished even one Christmas stocking. The 2011 Potholder Swap is on, so I might get some done to send. I have mostly been absorbed in listening to audio books and reading books lately. I have two stacks of books from the library and just randomly choose the one that looks best to me at the moment. Currently my favorites are "Indiana Jones" type thrillers to Medieval Murder Mysteries, American Indian Murder Mysteries and Ancient Egyptian Murder Mysteries. Not much else is happening around here beyond the regular day to day living.

Short update

2010-11-24T06:24:00.003-06:00

It's almost Thanksgiving, and I don't have much to show for crochet content. I think I have almost burned myself out on making potholders for now. I found a cute Hexagon Christmas stocking pattern I want to make, and have one hex block made so far. I've gone back to reading a lot for now.

My grandsons are all growing and getting to be more fun daily!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

This weekend

2010-09-13T07:02:00.005-05:00

The above are potholders finished this weekend. Still didn't finish the other magic square (ran out of that color of yarn) or the Hot/Cold Potholder (uh, oh, the loss of interest). The floral potholder is the Rose Ripple pattern by my friend, Claudia Lowman.

These were completed in between going to an all day family birthday party yesterday, and all of our normal errands that we usually run on Saturday.

2010-09-07T06:33:00.002-05:00

No photos today. Just a quick update. We didn't travel this weekend, but kept oldest GS and got to keep newest GS ( 2 months old) overnight on Sunday. He still wakes up alot in the night, so the challenge was to get some sleep! :) I have decided that Dh is a "baby whisperer"along with already being an "animal whisperer". He was great with the baby, who actually slept a lot of the night due to his Grandaddy's intuitive attention. The little guy has colic and doesn't sleep well at night. I got to Crochet a little bit, started 2 "magic" potholders for me, but didn't finish either. Almost finished a "Hot/Cold" Potholder, but need to finish the edges up. Probably won't make that one again, as it is kind of plain looking, but somewhat "fussy" to make. I'll add a photo when I finish them.

2010-08-24T06:32:00.003-05:00

Another Gehaekelte Topflappen. Sorry for the poor quality photo, but this was the best I could get at night on a dark background before I sent it out to the recipient. I made this one to send to a swapper for September. I thought I would really like the colors on this one, but now that it is finished, I'm just sort of "meh" about it. I now feel I should have added more color, and have decided I'm not all that fond of the ombre's anymore. Oh well, live and learn, I guess. At least someone can use it. LOL! I am feeling the same way about my Sugar n Cream yarn. I don't like it anymore! However, I will still use it to make myself dishcloths because it is perfect for that!!!

Ripple Potholder

2010-08-20T06:22:00.005-05:00

Ripple Potholder by Claudia Lowman. This has been my latest potholder project. I really enjoyed the pattern, and as with the other ones I have made lately, there are endless color variations you can use. Claudia likes to make additional embellishments for the middle of hers, but I am not going to add anything to this one. Claudia hosted a "crochet-along" for her pattern on Ravelry recently and had a good response.

My current audio book is "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley. Very entertaining so far!

More stained glass

2010-07-31T16:54:00.004-05:00

I am making this one with J. P. Coats thread #3. I like the colors, but compared with the other two I have made, it appears not to be as bright. Maybe if I frogged it and added yellow instead of purple? The thread is a little bit too thin for my liking also. I can add another row since it is smaller thread, thus getting more color on it and it still works up to my favorite size, 7".

Yesterday was DH's birthday, and we celebrated quietly with our son and his family. For his gift, I bought him a set of boat seats to replace the old torn up ones in his boat. My grandson X, came back from Lubbock where he had been visiting his mother for the summer. My boss at work quit!!, and so I have had a busy week at home and at work. ;)

I am between audio books right now. I would like to continue the series I have been listening to, but our Library doesn't have the last two books on CD yet. My son has an Ipod that he might let me borrow, and I can possibly find them and download them from the Library on Overdrive or NetLibrary. I have been proud of myself, as I am trying to get a little more technically savvy this year. :)

2010-07-24T11:30:00.000-05:00

Dh’s mother got to see her newest great-grandson the other night. She is recovering from a recent fall, but still hosted the family at her house, so that everyone could come at once to meet the newest family member.

DD's birthday was yesterday! (Happy birthday, Grim!!)

Gothic Stained-glass Potholder

2010-07-24T05:27:00.015-05:00

Here is my most recent potholder, a variation inspired by the Gehaekelte Topflappen pattern. I have been admiring some similar "kaleidoscope" potholders made by a Ravelry friend, Claudia, and decided to make this one. I wrote out my varied version here:

Gothic Stained-Glass Potholder
(inspired by the Gaehaekelte Topflappen by Creadoo)

Yarns: Elann Sonata, Omega Sinfonia, Red Heart Crème de la Crème, Tahki Stacy Charles Classic Cotton or a similar weight yarn (various colors and Black)

Hook size: B

Finished Potholder size: 7 – 7.5”

Stitches used: magic ring, fpdc, fptrc (only used when there are two rows of same color), ch, sc, dc, picot - if you need instructions, there are many tutorials on the web

Row 1: With first color, make a magic ring, ch 3 for beginning dc, dc 11 into ring, join. (12) (Ch 3 will count as beginning dc in every round).

Row 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around. join. (24).

Row 3: Change to black, Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around. join. (48)

Row 4: Change to next color, ch 5, dc in same st, sk 2, *dc, 2 sc, dc in same st, sk 2*follow * to *around. join. (should have 16 ch 2 spaces).

Row 5: with same color, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 1, 2 dc in same sp, 2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc in each ch 2 sp around. join.

Row 6. Using black, sc in each dc and ch 1 sp, making a fptrc in valley, around. join.

Row 7: With next color, ch 3, 2 dc, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp, 3 dc ch1 3 dc in each “point” around. join.

Row 8: Using black, make same as row 6, only using fpdc instead of fptrc, around. join.

Row 9: With next color, ch 3, 3 dc, ch 1, 4 dc in same sp, 4 dc ch 1, 4 dc in each “point” around. join.

Row 10: Using black, make same as row 8. join.

Make 2 sides for potholder.

Joining: Using black, sc in each st around, making picots at each "point", join. Add a bone ring, sc around it. Finish off.

July happenings

2010-07-17T13:03:00.003-05:00

The photo above is of some of the books I have either been reading or listening to on Audio in the car lately. They are Shoot to Thrill by P. J. Tracey and The Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin. I also just got done listening to the third book of the Eragon "Inheritance" Young Adult series.

The photo above is of all the potholders I got yesterday in the latest swap for July.

And saving the very best photo for last, here is my newest Grandson, E. He was born last week, and was healthy. Now my oldest Grandson, X, finally has a baby brother! DD and DH both have birthdays coming soon. I am still crocheting some on potholders, but have slowed way down. I have already sent the one for August and just need to send out two more for September and October, respectively. I think when this swap is finished in October, I will take a break from swapping for a while.

Old Fashioned Potholder

2010-06-28T14:45:00.003-05:00

Love. This. Pattern! This pattern is called "Old Fashioned Potholder" by Cathy Irish, and can be found on Ravelry. I am in a couple of potholder swaps and wanted to find an easy pattern that was quick to make. This is the winner! I can make about 1 a day just crocheting in between the other things I do all day long. The pattern is simple, but the colors make the potholders fun to make! I used Elann Sonata, with Paton's Grace and Takhi Stacy Charles Cotton Classic thrown in sometimes, also. One potholder is made entirely with Red Heart Creme de la Creme yarn, because it is a rougher yarn than the Elann, Grace, and Takhi. Love the colors of the Creme de la Creme, but the potholder isn't quite the quality that I was looking for.

Swappin

2010-06-21T20:53:00.003-05:00

The top two potholders are a couple that I sent to my friend Claudia in Houston as part of our 3 potholder swap. The top pattern is Potholders by Bea Aarebrot and the second one is the Gehaekelte Topflappen by Creadoo. I also sent a fish potholder from a pattern I made up a couple of years ago. Below are two more she sent my way as a "thank you" for helping her a little bit with getting started on her blog. The pattern is one she created and the pattern can be found on her blog, Delights-Gems.

Grape Cluster Potholder

2010-06-06T11:07:00.006-05:00

Here is a potholder pattern I am currently experimenting with. It is the free Grape Cluster Potholder by Maggie Weldon. I improvised and added the last couple of rows around the edge. The yarn I am using here is Hobby Lobby "I Love this Yarn". Actually, I don't really "love this yarn" too much. It's a little "soft" for potholders in my opinion, even when doubled. I might have to insert potholder insulation from JoAnn Fabric to stiffen it up. I do like the yarn size and the colors. I am in another Crochet Potholder Swap and we are supposed to swap 4 times a year. I need to have my first 4 potholders made by July 5. I have already made two and another front side of this pattern with different sized hooks, trying to get it down to a size I like. I think the general rule of thumb for a good sized potholder is between 6 to 9 inches wide. My personal preference is about 7 to 8" wide. The G hook produced a 9", the F hook produced 8 1/2", and the front side I am still working on was made with an E hook. I am hoping the E hook will produce the "magic size" that I like! I'm not really sure why my bottom photo turned out so dark, but it is the back side to the potholder. I almost like it better than the "grape" side! I will try to post better photos of all the potholders later.

More Potholder Goodness!

2010-05-28T05:55:00.003-05:00

Look what my friend Claudia from Houston sent me yesterday! Woo hoo! Am I scoring lately, or what?!!! This lady is absolutely very talented and creative!! The "Green Eggs and Ham" and the "Tropical Sunset" are both her own creations. I personally think one day soon we will be seeing her patterns in books and magazines!

Sock Monkeys

2010-05-20T06:48:00.003-05:00

As one of my friends mentioned, these remind her of the car commercial featuring a sock monkey who gets a "Mom" tattoo sewn on while having fun out on the town. :) I found this cute version of the Origami Hot Pad over at Violet VanderVool's project page and decided I "had" to make a couple for the twins. (AND yes, I'm going to say it) I had more fun than a barrell full of Monkeys making them!

2010-05-16T08:40:00.002-05:00

The top photo is of all the potholders I have received so far in our swap. I am supposed to get two more soon. The next two photos are of my Mother's day "gifts" from my two children and 3 grandchildren. I got taken to lunch at my favorite Italian restaurant in North Richland Hills, TX called "Nicki's". LOVE that place! DD had decided my "old" digital camera was a dinosaur and gifted me with the new one (photo in middle). I still haven't sat down and played with it (as you can see I used "old dinosaur" to take these photos, LOL)!! I am still "potholder" obsessed and glad I am in a swap so I can crochet as many as I want and won't have them flowing out of every drawer in my kitchen! LOL!

Back to the 70's!

2010-04-30T16:17:00.004-05:00

I got my first potholder from Dani in California for the Dazzling Dozen 2010 Potholder Swap! LOL! Boy does Dani have my number! I was in junior high school in the early 70's and very much into the Smiley Faces, Peace symbols, etc. I told her I love color and kitsch and she gave me both! She also added extra goodies and sent some chocolate and a bookmark showing a photo of the Redwoods! This is why swapping is so fun!

Scalloped Potholders

2010-04-24T16:42:00.002-05:00

I re-discovered Priscilla Hewett's Scalloped Pot Holder pattern and made two more this week. I am on a serious pot holder making binge! Good thing, because I have joined another Swap in Ravelry called Dazzling Dozen Potholder Swap and we are put in groups and then one member a month gets either 5 or 11 potholders, depending on how many months you sign up for! I got picked for the first month, so I am eagerly anticipating the potholders I will get! I think this swap is more up my alley, as it isn't just one time a year. I have been having a bunch of fun cruising Ravelry and the internet for new potholder patterns to try.

Seeing Double!

2010-04-13T18:52:00.003-05:00

Got to see my sweet twin grandsons this past weekend. I miss them already! They are at the very fun stage!

My DH got to ride a Harley Davidson with my DD, they made a trip to South Padre Island and had some father/daughter bonding time.

While there, I finished up this "Stir me up" potholder pattern by MintyFresh on Ravelry. DD grabbed it for herself, and told me the only potholders and dishcloths she has are the ones I make for her. Awwwwww! Isn't that sweet? :)

2010 Potholder Swap!!

2010-04-07T22:44:00.006-05:00

My five potholders arrived today from the 2010 Potholder swap I participated in on Ravelry! What a lot of fun! Two of my potholders came from overseas, Germany and the UK! They are all gorgeous and I love them!

The top photo is from Lucia Rook, who also participated in the swap, but isn't a member of Ravelry or Flickr. She e-mailed to show me all the lovely potholders she received and I am sharing her photo here. The one I made is the chicken.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T16:10:00.004-05:00

X came this afternoon to color and hunt eggs. He picked me a bunch of wild iris growing around our property. Isn't it beautiful?

Gehaekelte Tawashi

2010-03-26T20:49:00.014-05:00

I was cruising through Ravelry this morning, and some cute Tawashi's caught my eye because they were made so similar (on a smaller scale) to the Gehaekelte Topflappen I just made. This one was a Japanese pattern so I just decided to try to figure it out and think I came fairly close!!

My version, using a G crochet hook and some old Red Heart Acrylic yarn (Ombre color of your choice and white): To begin, using the Ombre color, I just made a magic ring, ch 3, 11 dc into ring, sl st in top of beginning chain, tighten magic ring. Changing to white, ch 3, 1 dc in same st, ch 1, 2 dc in same st, skip one space, *2dc, ch 1, 2dc in next st, skip 1 sp*, follow * to * around. sl st into top of beginning ch. (24 sts) Sl st in next st, sl st into ch 1 sp, ch 3, 7 dc into same ch 1 sp, 8 dc into each remaining ch 1 sp around. (48 sts) Sl st into top of beginning ch 3. Finish off.

Make another side, then matching wrong sides together, with Ombre color, join with sc and go around the tawashi (as in photo), making "petals". Finish by making ch 10, join in beginning ch for loop.

Another potholder!

2010-03-20T23:13:00.005-05:00

Finished today, another Gehaekelte Topflappen by Creadoo. It is written in German and I translated it a few months ago with a lot of help from many different sources! I am still not sure it is the EXACT pattern, but I even got a translation from someone who reads German, and my translation below which is basically:

"Ch 6, join to make a circle, then Row 1: ch 3, 11 dc into the ring (12), Row 2: ch 3, 1dc in same space, 2 dc in each dc around (24). Row 3: ch 3, 1dc in same space, 2dc in ea dc around, (48). Row 4: ch4, 1dc in same space, *sk 2 dc, 1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc in next sp*, follow from * to * around. Row 5:ch 3, 1 dc, ch 1, 2 dc in same space, *sk 2 dc, 2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc in same space*, follow from * to * around. Row 6: same as row 5. Row 7: ch 3, 2 dc, ch 1, three dc in each ch 1 sp around Row 8: same as row 7. Row 8: dc 8 in each ch 1 sp around. Row 9: sc through both sides in each stitch across top of flower, sc, ch 1, sc, ch1 all the way down then back up and continue this around each petal. "

was pretty accurate from what I can see. However, I have seen several other different "modified" translations lately that I think I like better. This time I used a magic ring instead of the ch 6, join. This one is a little larger than I like to use, even though I used an F hook to make it this time. I will most likely make more, but I really like the look of the ones that Kudepihha made and the ones made for the potholder 2010 swap, by bluej (both in Ravelry).

Dishcloth frenzy

2010-03-15T19:26:00.012-05:00

A view of our SUPERHERO, Sonny, facing down his ARCH ENEMY, the vacuum cleaner!!!

To those of you who have been wondering, I really am still alive over here, just haven't blogged lately! I have been knitting and crocheting a lot, just small items, dishcloths, potholders and dishtowels. I have just been obsessed with it this past month! I am planning on joining the potholder swap for 2010 in Ravelry. I have 5 potholders made, now to ship them off before the deadline of March 27. In return, I will receive 5 back from other participants. I have seen some really lovely one's out there that people are working on! Can't wait to see them all when the swap is over with! I had to include the photo of Sonny above, because he is so fierce and funny about defending us from the VACUUM cleaner! He also has to keep an eye out for any radio controlled robotic toys that might be sneaking up on us!

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T16:47:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentines Day!

Snow Day!

2010-02-12T16:10:00.004-06:00

The snow was really beautiful falling all day long yesterday. We ended up with about 9" here at the lake. Some cities to the North around the Metro area received as much as 12 to 13". According to the news channel yesterday, this is the largest snowfall recorded in one day for the Dallas/Ft. Worth area since they have been keeping recorded data (over 111 years worth). A lot of people were without electricity by the end of the day, but we were lucky and didn't lose power. I also managed to get an extra day off since the power was out today at the building where I work. As you can see above, my grandson enjoyed his day out of school building a snowman with a heart! I made it to a Michael's store and bought some Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick and plan to try to make another "Fourteen" neck warmer (a little longer this time).

More generalities

2010-02-08T05:55:00.006-06:00

It's been rainy and chilly here off and on, and everyone at my house is sick with colds. Other than that, everything is going ok. I have chugged through another 2 books on CD and have read several more. We just vegged out yesterday and watched a lot of kids Movies on the FX channel with my oldest GS. My daughter's FIL has been in Haiti helping with the earthquake efforts. He is a surgeon and I am sure his skills were sorely needed. I hope to hear from her soon how his trip went.

The photo above is of another neck warmer I completed about a month ago. This one is knitted and the free pattern on Ravelry is called "Fourteen". It is being modeled here by "Sonny". I wore it to work one day, and realized it is still a bit too short for my taste. I think I would prefer it to cover my chest as well, since my leather jacket doesn't button all the way up to the throat. I plan to try knitting another one sometime and adding a few more inches and see how that works for me. It was a very easy pattern and it did keep my neck cozy and warm the day I wore it!

Generalities

2010-01-29T04:28:00.003-06:00

Weather predictions were wrong.....no snow for us!! Haven't been doing much lately except listening to books on tape. DD got to come up here last week with her job to a buying fair, and we got to visit with her some. It's never long enough! Been searching Ravelry for some new knit/crochet inspiration, but not finding much to interest me lately. Wore my neck warmer yesterday and figured out it was a little too short for my taste. Guess I might make another one a little longer and see if I like it better.

Books on CD

2010-01-15T05:01:00.004-06:00

My newest obsession is listening to books on CD when I'm in my car. I'm currently listening to "Gravity" by Tess Gerritsen. It's really a good story! The first two I listened to were "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein, and "U is for Undertow" by Sue Grafton, and I was hooked! I haven't had a lot of time to crochet in the last week or so, but I am itching to make a couple more neckwarmers and maybe some fingerless gloves. I'm already trying to figure out some of this year's Christmas gifts and have some good ideas in mind! I'm meeting a couple of friends for lunch today, and since I get Monday off, I am looking forward to having a nice, long weekend to start a project.

The fisherman's wife....

2010-01-13T06:34:00.003-06:00

This neck warmer is a little jewel called "the Fisherman's wife". I found the pattern on Ravelry, here. I made it last week when the Arctic freeze hit us down here in Texas, and it saved me from freezing on the long walk across the parking lot to the building where I work. Hubby has been eyeballing it for himself, I just might have a fight on my hands if I don't make one for him soon!

Beanie just in time for cold weather!

2010-01-06T05:43:00.004-06:00

I completed this hat the other day. It is the "Divine" hat by Rheatheylia. Using Caron Simply Soft Shadows in "Moss", I went down two hook sizes, but it was still a little too big for X. I suppose it will still keep him warm, anyhow. I enjoyed making this one, and look forward to making a couple more of her other free hat patterns!

In other news, my little dog drank a small amount of anti-freeze on Saturday and had to be taken to the pet hospital. She ended up staying there for two nights taking antidote and having to be on an i.v. So far, she appears to have come through it just fine. I am so happy my little friend is ok!!

Fun on Christmas day!

2009-12-25T17:50:00.001-06:00

Christmas day goodies!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

2009-12-24T17:26:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas from Fort Worth, Texas!

Adorable Apple Cozy

2009-12-17T07:09:00.003-06:00

I whipped up this apple "cozy" in just a few minutes. It is another pattern by Theresa Grant from Ravelry. X really liked it and decided it was the perfect "teacher gift"!

Cup cozy

2009-12-13T22:45:00.008-06:00

I crocheted myself this "cup cozy" from some Sugar n' Cream Natural cotton I had in my stash. It was fast and easy to whip up, and I made it in about an hour crocheting off and on. The pattern was modified from a coffee cozy pattern I found on Ravelry, by Theresa Grant. I modified the pattern to: ch 30, then the first row was all dc like Theresa's pattern, then each row after that I chained three, then did a *1 fpdc, then a dc next st, 1 fpdc*, around. I also went 14 rows instead of the 12 for Theresa's pattern and I edged it with slip sts on row 15. I was getting tired of my drink cup at work always sweating. I tried it out today at work and it was awesome! No sweating glass, and the fit was just right! Next time I might chain 26 to get a tighter fit at the bottom, but 30 worked fine.

Dh helped his brother cut some tree limbs yesterday over at his house, then went and installed a gas heater for our son and GS at their house. GS and I made some peanut patties today and also cleaned house. We still need to make some Cracker Jacks, and I still need to get some more Christmas shopping done, too!! Where has all the time gone?

Here comes Santa Claus!

2009-12-10T06:46:00.000-06:00

New Stovetop

2009-11-24T06:15:00.004-06:00

Last night GS#1 wanted to make bacon bites (above). One word of advice, DON'T seed the peppers without gloves on (I speak from experience!!) The only thing that eases the sting fast is MILK! :) The recipe can be found at http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/cooking on her sidebar under "appetizers".

The photo above is my "new" stove-top. We located this beauty at a garage sale for $20.00, and DH installed it post haste! My old one was probably from the late 1960's and was harvest gold! When we first moved here and didn't have a lot of time to remodel anything, DH had spray painted over it with appliance spray paint in a cream color, but over the last couple of years the paint had begun to peel and the harvest gold shone through. It was a sorry sight and I wasn't sad to see it go!! UGH! Of course, this has now sparked a whole wave of me wanting to start "remodeling". I have located new counter tops at Home Depot that I plan to purchase soon, and I have shopped for a new color of paint (for the cabinets) to match. What fun!! We also located a "new" stand alone bathroom sink for $10.00, but that will be a photo for another time after DH has time to install it. I love finding great deals at garage sales!!!

2009-10-29T05:56:00.005-05:00

I finally figured out after all this time what I was doing wrong in uploading my photos to Blogger, by sitting down and really looking through it! The photos above are of a pumpkin patch we took our oldest grandson, X, to go see a couple of weekends ago in Flower Mound, TX. The bottom photo is a shot of X on his 9th birthday yesterday. We had a quick cake and candles ceremony, opening of presents, then X, his Dad and his Dad's gf were off to "The Cutting Edge" haunted house here in Ft. Worth. They told me they had a great "scary" time!

Freebie

2009-10-04T20:55:00.002-05:00

Dh and I went to Garage sales on Saturday morning and found a wonderful deal! Our son has recently moved and has been needing a stove. We stopped at one sale and right next door in the driveway was a nice new looking electric stove that had a sign on it reading "free, works fine!" We went to look at it and the man who lived in the house came out and told us they had simply gotten a new stove and if we would carry it off it was ours! We took it to our son's house, plugged it in and it works GREAT! I love finding deals like that! I know I have been bad about not putting photos up lately, but I will try to get a photo of the stove up soon, along with my ball band knitting. My knitting has stalled out, but I really do hope to get going on it again this week. Last week was very stressful at work, but I am hoping the coming week will smooth back out for me.

Miscellaneous - Life

2009-09-23T05:01:00.005-05:00

I had my 50th birthday last weekend, it was a quiet and peaceful day at home. I don't seem to get many of those anymore, so I really enjoyed it! My 8 yr old Grandson stays with us a few nights each week and he is a little fireball, always into something! :) I have been reading a lot again lately, and watching old movies. Last night my Grandson picked "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad". It was really fun to see it again!! Of course, first I made sure I watched the season premier of "NCIS". I also watched the premier of "NCIS Los Angeles", but don't feel this show will make it. The acting and plot was mediocre at best. Not even a patch on the original "NCIS", and I couldn't even make myself watch "The Good Wife". I'm not interested much in that kind of show. I'm looking forward to seeing the premiers of "CSI" and the "Mentalist" on Thursday.

This morning I decided to get some knitting mojo back, and started a new ballband dishcloth!! I am using some warm brown Sugar n Cream yarn, my contrast color is Chocolate Ombre Sugar n Cream Naturals. Photos soon!

Sew-a-long

2009-08-09T10:57:00.012-05:00

I was looking at Stardustshoe's blog, and she is hosting a "pants-a-long" to make some shorts/pants. I'm interested in sewing along with her, as I haven't sewn anything in quite awhile. I have boxes of material from my days of working at JoAnn fabrics that DH would love for me to use up and "de-stash"!! :) I finally got a new memory card for my camera, but am still having trouble with uploading the photos to Blogger. Now I have to put them on Flickr first and it is irritating me to have to do it "the long, hard way". Waaaaaaaah! :)

On the crochet front, I have been working on a "Hello Kitty" purse for my friend's daughter. I have both sides done, just need to put together and finish up.

Cin/Cyn Summer Cloth Crawl

2009-08-06T20:45:00.005-05:00

I have been participating in a cloth crawl with my "Cindy Knitters" group on Ravelry. One box is reused and travels from location to location with gifts for each Cindy participant. After much anticipation on my part, the box arrived in Texas today with all the goodies in the photo. The cloths are knitted with 100% linen yarn, I was also spoiled with a skein of Berroco Cotton Twist, Skittles, and a packet of seeds from Jefferson's "Monticello"! Many thanks to my gifting "Angel"- Cindy, aka CPL Rockfish! Also travelling to each location with the box is a map to mark our locations on, and a small notebook to write a note in. Thanks for all the fun so far, Cindy's!

Chickenbetty's Disc-Disc Potholder

2009-07-20T08:27:00.005-05:00

I am still having problems loading my photos and even TAKING photos, but managed to take a picture of my newest potholder with my cell phone camera this morning! These pictures aren't good quality, but at least you can see what I have worked on. I found this pattern on Ravelry the other night. I ordered it from ChickenBetty, but it didn't get e-mailed to me till the next day, so I looked at photos and copied it as best I could. By the time the pattern came, I already had the flower side done, so I just followed the pattern for the second side. One person on Ravelry mentioned that she nearly burned herself using it as a potholder, so I inserted hot pad material from the fabric store in between the crocheted discs. It is a little thick, but at least no one should get burned using it. I have also crocheted a couple of other things, but I'm not quite done with them yet. Two are potholders also, and one is a washcloth. Hope to have my camera up and running soon so the photo quality will be better!

July 4, ribbons and bows

2009-07-10T12:14:00.003-05:00

I am still having problems with my uploading of photos to blogger from my home computer, and now my digital camera seems to be on the fritz, too. July 4 weekend we went out on the lake in the boat, it was very quiet for a holiday! I think the public ramps haven't been open much this year, so only lake residents have been out and a lot of the residents are older in age (I guess this may be due to the lake being here for a long time). After going out on the lake for a couple of hours, we went to our niece's house and my oldest gs got to pop firecrackers with her children. I have been crocheting small items such as dishcloths, & potholders, but can't seem to get the photos to my blog. Oldest gs and son will be gone this weekend, so I might have more time to concentrate on figuring out the problem. I also have some beautiful hair bows I wanted to take photos of and show. My co-worker makes them to sell, and I bought some for my oldest gs' baby sister and also for my sister's granddaughter who is 3.

Short Vacation

2009-06-29T05:16:00.007-05:00

Dolphin watch photo

My 50th birthday is in September, and my brothers & sister and our respective spouses always try to get together for a mini-reunion to celebrate a 50th. I have one brother & his wife who will turn 50 in a couple of years, then we will have to make another excuse to meet for the occasional mini-vacations. This year I chose Rockport, Tx., which is a small town outside of Corpus Christi, Tx. We had a good time seeing everyone and getting to play tourist. Dh and I lived close to Rockport early in our marriage, and it was fun to get to go back. We toured the Corpus Christi Aquarium, went on a Dolphin watch boat tour, rode the ferry over to Mustang Island and had a big day at the beach. Some of us went to see the Lexington, a ship that is now a museum, some went to Fulton Mansion, (another museum), some went to visit Goose Island State Park and some got to fish. We also had time to visit in the evenings, and see folks we hadn't seen in a while. We tried several restaurants and now have a couple of favorites for the next time we visit. I really enjoyed it!! :) I even got to crochet a couple of small things during the trip there and back. It appears I am still having problems getting pictures to download to blogger, so I will be ng on adding a couple of vacation/crochet photos.

Movie Marathon

2009-06-14T10:25:00.003-05:00

Oldest GS and I had a Movie Marathon last night after he had a big day playing on the lake with friends and family. We watched "The Witches", "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken", and "Never-ending Story". I had to go to bed at about 12:30 this morning in the middle of "Never-Ending Story", I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore!

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I am having problems with blogger not wanting to upload my photos for the last couple of days and all I can seem to get on here are thumbnail photos. Sorry! The topflappen (small photo just above this paragraph) was finally finished this morning.

Gehaekelte Topflappen

2009-06-12T23:30:00.006-05:00

!!!Happy Dance!!!! I finally broke my crochet drought! It actually started as a puzzle..... I found this pattern on Ravelry, written only in GERMAN! It appeared that NO English translation was available.....so I did what any detective would do, and set to work trying to solve the problem. First I cut and pasted the text into a free translation website, then copied the very oddly resulting translation to a word document. Then I modified it with this translation of German crochet terms. After that, I found some information on various people's projects that filled in the rest of the gaps. Once I had a semblence of a pattern, I rewrote it for my own ease of "understanding". As a backup, I have a friend at work who's Mother is from Germany, so if my translation failed, I asked if she might mind translating for me. Happily, it appears that I did fairly well on my own! I plan to finish the final "flower outline" row tomorrow. After this I plan to try to "tweek" my pattern to resemble this lovely version of the topflappen. Unfortunately this person lives in Estonia and HER blog appears to be written in..........RUSSIAN! :)

Ideas for 50th birthday

2009-06-07T19:54:00.003-05:00

In September, I will be turning the big five oh! My brothers and sister started a tradition when my oldest brother turned 50, in that we would all meet somewhere for a mini vacation to celebrate. Of course we went to a couple and then my husband pooped out on his 50th birthday last year and didn't want to do anything. This year mine is in September, but we will probably try to go during the summer months instead, since I don't know if our oldest gs will still be living with us or not, and I might be having to deal with helping him go to school. I can't really decide where I would like to go, although I have been really thinking about going to the Corpus Christi area, as I would like to take my gs fishing at Rockport, see the Aquarium, take the Battleship tour, and go to Port Aransas on the Ferry. However, I don't know if all siblings could make that trip. I don't want to do anything that would break the bank, either, since we all have various ranges in income. Hmmm. I need to put on my thinking cap!

New Vehicle!

2009-05-30T20:21:00.006-05:00

Dh went looking for a new (to us) vehicle today. He works all week in Dallas, so in order to look for a car he had to do it on Saturdays. He had decided he wanted another Toyota, so here is what we got today:
A Toyota 4 Runner Limited Edition! It is 4 wheel drive and has a sunroof! Woo hoo! It is in great shape and guess who gets to drive it most of the time, now? ME! Dh has decided to drive the pickup back and forth to Dallas as it will probably have the better gas mileage of the two. I LOVE me a Toyota!

Photo update

2009-05-27T06:22:00.004-05:00

I promised some photos of my grandson X at the recent air show held here, but haven't been on my desktop computer for awhile. I have been busy enjoying the laptop I purchased at a garage sale, but haven't yet gotten all my little "things" added to it yet (such as the capability to download photos).

Yesterday was the first full day of work at the new/old place. Why did I ever hate this job?! I enjoyed myself for the first time in MONTHS! I am even contemplating knitting or crocheting again! To help jump start myself, I signed up for a dishcloth swap. It should be a fun one!

Blue skys and Rainbows!

2009-05-23T06:31:00.002-05:00

My job swap was made yesterday and I think I'm gonna come out on the better end of the swap after all. My old job and old boss looked like heaven after having to continue to endure the guy I had been working with for this last week. I moved all my work belongings over to the new building, and had a meeting with my new/old boss. It was very pleasant and exactly the ending I needed yesterday to start my Memorial Day holiday. My new/old boss is currently undergoing chemo for breast cancer, which I have already been through, and is handling it very well. They think they might get the tumor to totally disappear without even having to operate on her! She was very pleasant and welcoming, it was so nice to have someone who appreciates the good work I had done for her in the past! The guy I just ended working for was glad for me to do all his work, but never once acknowledged me for any of it. I have discovered I don't like people like that, as the"knife in my back" shows!

Dh and I are getting ready to go to garage sales this morning. Last weekend I got some great deals. All at one sale, I bought a laptop for $40.00, which I am currently typing away on, a Blackberry cell phone for $5.00 that was only a couple of years old, and a Sony Playstation with about 50 games for $25.00 for my grandson. I also picked up 5 0r 6 DVD's for about 50 cents each. Everything was working and in good shape! Who knows what today will bring!

You are cordially invited to my pity party......

2009-05-18T20:48:00.004-05:00

I was justified in my weekend worries over my job. Today I was told I was being put back into my old job because another person's job was in jeopardy, so she wins, I guess. I really would rather not go back to the old job they offered me, but with the current job market, I can't afford to take the severance package they offered as the alternative. I am really upset, mainly because I did nothing wrong to deserve being pushed out of my current job, yet I feel I'm the one being punished. I'm letting myself have a little pity party tonight, and tomorrow I'm going to face everything with a smile firmly in place.

I am a closet "Survivor" fan. I was happy to see J.T. win the million dollars. At least someone had a good weekend!

Rainy Day Blues

2009-05-16T03:20:00.007-05:00

It's 3:51 a.m. and I can't sleep. A late-night thunderstorm is rolling through right now, and it is raining cats and dogs out there. My Wienerdor-Retriever is afraid of thunder, so she is softly whining in the background. I am having some problems at work and am very bothered by some things going on. To try to take my mind off of my troubles, I have been browsing around on Ravelry but am not finding much to inspire me right now. I found a pattern for a purse that I would like to try sometime on Lionbrand.com. Whether I will ever make it or not is the real question. I haven't picked up a crochet hook or knitting needle for about 5 months, now. I have also been getting (sort of) interested in sewing again, but haven't done anything with that interest yet, either. All I seem to do anymore is clean house and work. Tomorrow, there is supposed to be an air show at the neighboring Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base located about a half mile from our house. DH has worked to get our boat in running order this week, so we can go out on the Lake tomorrow and enjoy the show from there. Unfortunately, I think I might also have lost my digital camera somewhere. It has been a challenge keeping up with some of my things, since I now have a VERY inquisitive 8 year old boy living at my house!! He is always making paper airplanes and exploring his environment! Last night, in an effort to try to cheer me up, he crafted me a paper purse! He is a very sweet and special person! This is one of DS's dogs, Sonny, who is currently greatly enjoying a snooze on the couch!

Late on Mother's Day

2009-05-10T20:14:00.002-05:00

Dh is sanding a bench I bought at a yard sale awhile back. I have wanted it painted black for a long time, and my gs talked Dh into working on the bench today. Of course, before they got started, he took out time to drop a line and catch this fish! :)

Car replacement and Mother's Day

2009-05-05T19:32:00.006-05:00

After several years of being accident free, Dh was rear-ended last Monday evening on his way home from work in Dallas. He was driving our 1994 Toyota Camry Wagon (left in photo), no finer car to be found anywhere! The boy driving the car that hit Dh flew over the hill and hit him from behind while he was stopped at the light. Dh was behind another person and our car was slammed into her car also, wrecking the front end, too. We had babied that car for several years and had over 350,000 miles on the original engine. I was hoping to make it to at least 400,000 miles, but I guess I won't ever know now. Dh will have the hard chore of finding a comparable car to replace it, probably another Toyota if I have any say so!

After a wonderful lunch at T.G.I. Friday's today, my son and gs presented me with this beautiful bouquet of wildflowers that they picked for me along the road to our house. DD called and said she had also sent a gift by mail, which hasn't arrived yet. Her Dh and the grandtwins are going to take her to the beach to help her celebrate the day.

Decoration

2009-04-27T15:02:00.008-05:00

Last weekend we went to what my husband's family calls "Decoration". It is an old "East" Texas custom where families get together on a designated day, and go "decorate" tombstones with flowers and flags at the graveyard where their loved ones are buried. My husband's family maintains a cemetery in Collin County where his great- grandfather had donated the land for the cemetery. We all go to church there, then we go back to my husband's cousin's house for a "family reunion" lunch, we eat 'til we feel like we're going to pop, and have lots of good fellowship with family! Then we go down the road about a mile to the cemetery, have "Decoration" and the annual business meeting for the upkeep of the cemetery, and reminisce a lot about the loved ones who passed away before us. We enjoy getting to see a lot of family at least one time a year!

HOW CUTE IS THIS?????

2009-04-23T15:05:00.005-05:00

I recently got a comment on my free fish potholder pattern from a lady named Doria. Doria made this baby blanket for her niece using my fish pattern as an applique! AND She included a photo! Wow the different uses people come up with for it never cease to amaze me! GREAT job Doria, and thanks for sharing your photo! Now I want to make one!

Also, have you seen the great purse pattern by Christy? Christy is always coming up with new patterns even though she is fairly new to crochet! I bought one as soon as I saw it!

New Truck

2009-04-07T06:37:00.004-05:00

Dh decided that I needed a new (to me) vehicle, so he recently purchased me a cute little 2000 Ford Ranger Super Cab to drive! I know it probably sounds weird, but I have always wanted a little pickup, and now I finally have it! After all, I AM a Texan! :)

We got the truck just in time to go visit my dd and the grandtwins down at South Padre Island for the grandtwins 1st birthday. We had a fun, action packed time while we were there! We got to go out to the Island one day, another day we visited the Brownsville, TX Zoo. The third day was an all day long outdoor birthday party for the boys.

Still no crafting content for the blog right now. With my ds and oldest gs still living with us, I don't seem to have any free time anymore. My sister and her hubby stopped by last Sunday (unfortunately I was not home, but my dh was). They dropped off a news article about my Mother's family, who have been continuously farming land in Crosby County, Texas for over 100 years! It was really interesting and informative!

My computer finally got to where I couldn't even get on it, so rather than buy a new one, and in order to save money, dh wiped the hard drive clean (gulp!) and had to re-load all the software. He saved a lot of my photos and patterns awhile back, so I hope I can find everything again sometime. For now, I have no photos to add to this post, but hope to be back with pics of the new truck and some of the pics of visiting the grandtwins.

Fishing

2009-03-10T20:28:00.002-05:00

This is my oldest GS with one of his good fishing buddies, Sonny.

This is the fish he caught all by himself today, with no assistance or coaching from anyone (even Sonny)!

2009-03-09T09:29:00.004-05:00

Still no new crochet content to report....but I've been reading as much as possible. I am currently interested in Michal Connally's books, and also books by Jan Burke. Each author has a series going, so I am enjoying getting to follow the characters. I got new photos of my dd and the grandtwins recently.

I am still not giving up hope about being able to get back to my crocheting soon.

Computer issues

2009-02-19T14:53:00.007-06:00

I can't believe I have been away from posting so long! I'm still having a few computer issues, but hope to have them cleared up by this coming weekend. Also, coincidentally, at the same time, my crocheting has come to a screeching halt. I had started a Diamond Ridges crochet hat for my oldest Grandson, am still in the middle of working on Zero the Ghost Dog, need to finish the spider web lines on the Spiderman-ghan, and am now wanting to make a pair of houseshoes I saw made up on Ravelry. My Valentine's Day was very nice, I got beautiful peach colored roses from dh. Notice the heart shape of this one below:

Last weekend we took our son and oldest GS to Fossil Rim at Glenrose, TX. It is a wildlife preserve that you can pay to drive through and see the animals roaming around. They sell a small bag of animal feed for each car, and we had a profusion of Zebras, various kinds of deer, and Ostriches sticking their heads in the car windows wanting food! We had a lot of fun and hope to go again soon.

What I have been doing lately.....

2009-01-30T09:58:00.005-06:00

I finally added the band to the the Swirls cap. It is kind of hard to see, but the button is visible. I haven't done any more crochet at all since then, it has been very busy at my house. The only free time I have had lately is right at bedtime, and I have been reading a lot instead of crocheting. I have been reading a series of casino/gambling mysteries featuring Tony Valentine by author James Swain. They have been enjoyable reading so far. I am currently on the fifth book of the series, called "Mr. Lucky" and am waiting on the library to notify me about a couple of others by him.

Swirls Cap

2009-01-17T21:32:00.004-06:00

This is the Newsboy cap I mentioned in my last post, finally finished and modeled here by my gs, X. It is a free pattern that I made for my dd, but she isn't here to model it, so X was kind enough to humor his Grandmother. My hat doesn't seem to sit on the head like others of the same pattern that I have seen on Ravelry, so I don't know if I did something wrong, or what. I used a smaller hook than called for (G), but otherwise made the pattern exactly as written. To me this looks more like a Train Engineer's cap (at least on him)! :) I am hoping when dd receives it, it will look more like it is supposed to when she tries it on. (Hopefully, she will send me a photo). I think I just had it set on his head wrong. I also feel like the brim is too wide from side to side. I think if I make another, I will try a smaller brim. Overall, I liked the pattern, and if I had time to sit down very long to work on anything, think it could be made in a day. I used one skein of Red Heart "Lipstick" yarn from my stash. I want to go ahead and make the band that goes across the front also, I think that might help it look more like a newsboy cap, too.

Updates

2009-01-12T09:34:00.004-06:00

I haven't updated in way too long! Christmas was fun, and we had lots of company. All my grandchildren got to come, after all. I didn't finish the Spiderman-ghan totally, but it is still high up on my to do list! My grandson, X (who it was made for) and my son moved to Fort Worth recently, so now I will get to see him all the time, and he has already been reminding me to finish it! :) I have also started a "Zero" the Ghost Dog, and a Newsboy Cap, both for DD, (no photos yet) that are both nearly completed, as well. I'm haven't been doing so great on working on the baby afghans that I have started, though. Hope to have photos later this week.

New Mail Box

2008-12-14T13:45:00.002-06:00

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

2008-12-11T14:52:00.005-06:00

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

2008-11-30T16:26:00.002-06:00

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

2008-11-28T16:25:00.010-06:00

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

2008-11-17T06:11:00.005-06:00

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

2008-11-13T06:51:00.004-06:00

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

2008-11-11T08:05:00.020-06:00

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

2008-11-11T07:01:00.003-06:00

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!

2008-11-09T16:57:00.003-06:00

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:

2008-11-05T22:13:00.000-06:00

Spiderman-ghan

2008-11-04T14:15:00.005-06:00

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!

2008-10-31T10:11:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-29T05:55:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-26T09:51:00.006-05:00

"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!

2008-10-25T21:44:00.009-05:00

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

2008-10-23T06:36:00.007-05:00

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

2008-10-19T18:19:00.007-05:00

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

2008-10-11T21:41:00.005-05:00

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

2008-10-07T06:48:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-28T15:07:00.003-05:00

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

2008-09-23T08:03:00.001-05:00

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

Crochet Fish

2008-09-22T05:49:00.005-05:00

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!

2008-09-21T16:33:00.003-05:00

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!

Friday Blues

2008-09-12T07:09:00.002-05:00

Yes, you read it right. I have Friday blues. My little slice of Paradise has been invaded. I came home from work last evening to find our house had been broken into for the second time in so many years. Not much missing (that I have found anyway) except a box of cheap costume jewelry, but its the feeling of my home being invaded that has me blue today. Thank goodness they didn't harm our dog, just locked her in a bedroom.

Cranberry Pecan Bars

2008-08-21T07:17:00.003-05:00

Last night I decided to cook supper, because we seem to be eating out way too much, lately! We had broiled Pork chops with Barbeque sauce, a quick tossed salad, pan fried red potatos and onions, and Cranberry Pecan bars (pictured) for dessert. I got my recipe for the Pork Chops and the Cranberry bars out of Taste of Home magazine, which I have subscribed to since they began. I have one whole kitchen drawer dedicated to just hold these magazines! I can look through these any time, and be inspired with something to cook!

GrandTwin photo update!

2008-08-18T06:59:00.021-05:00

"Ohhhhhh, pretty"! (GrandTwin #1)
"Hey mom....are you sure this thing doesn't bite"? (GrandTwin #1)

"These bubbles tickle!" (Grandtwin #2)

"Me and my rubber Ducky" (Grandtwin #2)

DD took these photos for a baby photo contest.

Whether or not they win, they are the cutest in Grandmommy's book! :)

Christy over at My Best Friend calls me Martha has really been inspiring me (crochetwise) lately. She has two different projects that I want to try. The crochet purse Halle is carrying in today's post (pattern for a similar one is in Ravelry, here), and a Lion toy she crocheted a while back, here. Michelle at Mik Knits, Crochets & Quilts, too has also been a sewing inspiration lately. Look at the cute curlers she found to make in her post today! Oiyi is also finding new things to sew, go check it out!

Tag you're it!

2008-08-13T18:04:00.014-05:00

I've been tagged for a meme by Maizee.

Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking to them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

Six unspectacular quirks of mine:

1. I like organization!
2. I like to hear from my (grown) kids once a day (I have been known to become obsessive about it, just ask my daughter!)
3. I love fantasy movies and reading (A LOT).
4. I hate Spiders & Snakes (A LOT)!
5. I like driving my cars till the wheels fall off (seriously! My current vehicle, a 1994 Toyota Camry, has 330,000 miles on the only engine it has ever had! I'm hoping to reach at least 400,000!)
6. I like garage sale shopping!

I am going to tag:

1. Fiona, at Inkberryblue
2. Oiyi of Oiyi's Crafts
3. Christy at My best Friend calls me Martha
4. Christina at Little Wilds
5. Karen at Karen's Knitting and Crochet Parlor
6. Susan at Zenknit

That was then, this is now

2008-08-10T11:57:00.005-05:00

Look closely. Does this look like the same kitchen to you? The top photo was taken in 2003, when we were considering whether or not to buy the house. The bottom photo was taken just a few minutes ago, 2008. I like to think that our constant hard work in remodeling is showing, I think these photos prove me right!

A Tale of Two Sinks.....

2008-08-10T09:24:00.005-05:00

or better known as my weekends of treasure hunting.

The sink shown above has been in my kitchen for exactly 40 years! (Note the "retro" harvest gold color!) How do I know it has been here for 40 years? My SIL's father built the house himself, plus, on the bottom of the sink last night when DH took it out to replace it, he saw a date of 02/68 on the bottom. I found the sink in the photo below at a Garage sale yesterday, faucet and all, for $20.00. DH (being the absolutely fabulous handy-man that he is), put it in for me last night. The lady at the sale told us the sink was about a year old, and that she just wanted a different one.
The bench above was purchased a couple of weekend's ago for $20.00. It has storage under the seat, and it is my plan to paint the bench, make a seat cushion and some pillows, then place it in our mud room. The T.V. is a purchase we happened upon yesterday for my SIL. SIL's t.v. had gone out on her, and we purchased it for a mere $10.00. It has a great picture and works just fine!

TGI Friday!

2008-08-08T04:47:00.041-05:00

This has seemed like the longest week for some reason! I am glad to see the weekend!

The photo above is Thai tea and Thai Coffee with Boba. Yum! We get this at our local Vietnamese restaurant (named "My Lan" over in Haltom City) where we love to go at least once a week. I've been on some kind of coffee kick this past week (I don't normally go anywhere near coffee). Another good recipe can be found here on Michelle's blog that tastes a lot like the iced coffee from McDonalds. Fast, easy and soooooo good! DH can drink a whole pan full in a day by himself, if I let him!

Here is a sneak peek at the "mystery crochet" baby project. I'm still not finished with it, but am still working to get 'er done!

In work related news, my other co-worker finally arrived yesterday. I have been waiting for her to transfer for six weeks! We worked together at the other branch, and when she applied for the second job that was open where we are now, the boss at the old branch REFUSED to let her transfer for six weeks, out of spite! You see now one of the reasons that we both wanted out so badly......

Over the Hill

2008-08-02T06:35:00.003-05:00

DH had a birthday this week, and now he's officially "over the hill". We had a "surprise" family party the night before his birthday, with the obligatory black balloons and "over the hill" cake.

The next night (his real birthday), we ate at a quiet restaurant nearby, then he got to open his birthday goodies from Cabela's.

Still not any crafting going on around here lately. The heat in Texas this year has been intense, and doesn't make me want to pick up yarn, but I'm beginning to WANT to pick up yarn, and that is a step in the right direction! I still need to finish up the "mystery baby project" and the fat bottom purse I started at the end of June.

Hello Dolly!

2008-07-23T17:53:00.004-05:00

The photo above was sent to me by my DD on her cellphone, who was right in the path of Hurricane Dolly that made landfall at South Padre Island this morning. This photo was taken about 2:00 this afternoon. So far, DD and family are doing fine and still have electricity, etc. Officials are now also saying they think the levees at the Rio Grande River will hold, so that is a huge relief!

This is a photo of the cake that DD's hubby made her for her birthday today! :)

Birthday, Hurricane

2008-07-22T06:11:00.005-05:00

DD will be celebrating her 25th birthday tomorrow and maybe going through her first Hurricane, too. She lives close to South Padre Island, by the border of Mexico. Tropical Storm Dolly will probably upgrade into a Hurricane today and may make landfall by tomorrow. Hopefully the storm itself won't be too bad, (they are predicting a category 1 or 2), but flooding is currently the main concern.

Lazy Summer Days

2008-07-20T11:46:00.007-05:00

Since Granddaddy's (my FIL's) death on July 5, I haven't done anything in the way of needlework. My new job, combined with his recent death, has taken most of my focus this month. The high temps here in DFW this summer haven't helped me want to do much, either. I have been reading ALOT, instead.

For some reason, James Patterson has been an author that I have always avoided reading in the past (don't ask me why, I can't explain it!) However, when I finally picked up the 4th, 5th and 6th books in the Women's Murder Club series at a garage sale one day, I decided to read him, and SURPRISE! I actually like them. I also picked up one called "Big Bad Wolf" and "Four Blind Mice" in the Alex Cross Series that I finally read and liked, also a stand alone called "Lifeguard". I finally broke down and went to Half Price Books yesterday and got the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd books of the Women's Murder Club to read, and I have put the 7th book on hold at my local library. I am a major bookworm and read voraciously, so most of the time, I don't like to spend a lot of money on books unless it is at a garage sale, because we would be talking MAJOR bucks if I did. I have library cards to most of the smaller cities around FW, and also three in other cities across the state. I don't EVER want to be unable to read, where-ever I may go! :)

I am including what I think is a funny photo of the twins that DD sent me yesterday. She had just fed them and they are "passed out".

I was looking around on Ravelry awhile ago, and saw a knitted dishcloth pattern I would like to try. It is called Lizard Ridge and is a dishcloth version of the Lizard Ridge afghan pattern found on http://www.knitty.com/issuefall06/PATTlizardridge.html.

Finally, a photo of the festive gifts I will be mailing to DD to celebrate her birthday later this month.