Stash Busting Spree

Thought I'd share some of the items I've recently completed. After playing with the new yarns and rifling through patterns on the internet and in my pattern stash I've been hit with inspiration and gotten a few more things completed for the craft fair box.

Starting with the Fuzhio yarn I purchased recently at Hancock's Fabrics, I hit upon a triangular scarf pattern I liked a lot and created this with the Russet colored yarn. It's very simple, but then that was what this soft, luxurious yarn called for.

Next thing is a simple chenille and flag yarn scarf. I had one ball of some NoBo black/white flag yarn that has been sitting around forever. I carried it along with some black chenille and worked it in a very simple dc/filet stitch pattern. I think it came out lovely. This picture is very small so it doesn't give really good detail but the scarf is very open and so soft. I imagine it will be one of the first things to go at the craft booth this year.

For this next piece I just grabbed a Q hook and some balls of Eyelash yarn I had laying around. It's totally off the top of my head, I made a chain, then started crocheting and ended up with this cute little shawl. What I like most about it is that the way I made the piece (hdc's with chains in between) gives the yarn enough room to drape slightly.

My next FO is the Hipster Scarf, a pattern made by Sandy Scoville, found in the book 24 Hour Crochet Projects. I made this using some leftover IRoss trellis yarn I had laying around rather than the Choo Choo called for in the project. After all, the whole idea here is for me to be using up my huge yarn stash. I'm talking really huge too; so huge I'm embarrassed to talk about it in actual quantities with anyone outside of my inner crochet circle (aka, my crochet buddy). But, I digress; this project didn't take nearly as much of the trellis yarn as I thought it would and so I've still got two balls of it in the same color to contemplate over for another project. That's two balls of THAT particular color mind you, I've got some of it in other colors too. Yup, stash!

So, it appears I've been busy, which is a good thing. I prefer to call it being hit with inspiration even though I know it's just the perfect excuse to keep from doing housework. But, like writing, when inspiration hits you gotta run with it. And who wants to do housework anyway, right?

In between creating combinations and following directions to complete some projects and reduce some stash I also have spent time surfing the net, keeping up with the emails from various groups I'm in and adding links to my HQ page. In one of those mails this link got posted and I thought it was so interesting and darned cute too!

There is an actual competition going on so I urge you all to place your votes!

Late Report

Today's Completed Projects
Tonight I put two more scarves in the craft fair box. One is a mile a minute style I worked up in a bouclé yarn and the other an attempt at the Peek-a-Boo Skinny Scarf pattern from the 2007 Crochet-A-Day calendar.


Thrift Stores; Creative Financing for all your AS needs.
Not many of the thrift stores around town carry yarn. There's one that is pretty close to me that carries a little yarn and sometimes has patterns. At the one closest to my home I've been told they carry yarn sometimes, but they keep it behind the counter and you have to get there the minute they open up and I'm just not into fighting little old ladies to get in the door at nine o'clock sharp. There is one store though, for some reason they seem to get ALL the yarn in town and they carry 95% of it at one particular store in an older neighborhood. I went there Monday because I was in that area of the city and being Monday, their stuff was 25% off. Whenever I get downtown I try to stop in there if I feel up for the jaunt and though I was hurting I was not totally worn out and it was still early in the day and it was Monday after all and 25% off, who can argue with that? Sure enough, they had yarn. They had more pattern books there than they normally carry but most of them were mixed crafting books and I didn't want to take the time to thumb through them all to see what crochet patterns were there so I focused on yarn. I picked up almost all the rug yarn they carry for my crochet buddy who has been amassing it to make a rug for her mother. I also found a roll of poly cord in a pretty gold color that she was excited about. Something about trying a purse with it.


For myself, I found a skein of red worsted weight to add to a scrap granny project I'm saving yarns for. I'm planning on doing a red/white/pink themed granny. I found the bouclé that I used for the mile-a-minute scarf above. I picked up a country rose and a winter white worsted weight because the price was too good (especially with 25% off) to pass it by. I also found 3 pearl 1 1/2" buttons to add to my rapidly growing pile. Guess we'll need to add BAS (button acquisition syndrome) to the growing list of acronyms because I'm always scouting the thrift stores for buttons for projects. After paying $5.00 for one button in the size I needed at a fabric store I decided to start looking for buttons on the cheap as well.

That's all the current from this crochet addict's life. Tomorrow my friend is stopping by and we'll be doing some listing of items on EBay (yes, there will be some yarn listed there; specifically a bunch of Bernat Galaxy and some Phentex boa yarn so if you're interested email me and I'll let you know where to go look). I hope all is well in your little corner of the net tonight. We've just had thunderstorms move through and so this girl is ready to go sleep in the rain.

Stash Designs

I think life has finally settled down enough to be able to actually devote time to a post today (here's hoping anyway). I wanted to show you all pictures of the recently completed Skipping Stones Afghan. I finally tucked the ends in Sunday night and got out this morning to get pictures. This afghan was both easy and difficult. The pattern, the stitches used and the sequence of the pattern were not particularly difficult; the part that got me was that it wasn't something I could work on with my mind off on other things. I had to use markers to keep my stitch count correct and found it too easy to mess up the count even with them while trying to watch television as I crocheted. I frogged this poor piece many many times before I finally got it finished. I am grateful that I decided to use good old R.H. yarn because I'm positive most other yarns wouldn't have been so forgiving of the frogging. This particular pattern is one I've had in my WIM's folder for as long as I've been back crocheting. I just hadn't found the yarn I wanted; was looking for a nice bulky weight in vibrant red which is actually what the pattern itself calls for and more importantly (since I tend to make patterns in whatever colors I actually want to use) my absolute favorite color. I am just tickled with the outcome of this endeavor.

I've been reading a lot lately about how crocheters' design. It's fascinating to see inside the minds of people whose works I am creating for myself now. I am, as you know, a budding designer but so newly into the venture that I am in awe of some of the creations I'm seeing published these days and quite certain I'll never be able to come up with such delightful and intricate items like this crocheted halter dress http://www.medidit.com/free/sleezy.html or this crocheted lace dress http://www.interweavecrochet.com/projects/crochet_LaceDress.pdf.
As with all thinking processes, people approach the idea of crochet designing from many angles. Some people are visual, some are textual. I like that not everyone does it the same way. Would be a boring crochet world then for sure! It also assures me that if I keep learning and working very hard at it I will eventually begin some of this type of processing myself. Maybe then I will get bold and begin designing skirts, dresses, shrugs, jackets and other intricate items. Makes me a bit impatient with the scarves and scrunchies that I'm currently drumming up, but then I've always been the sort of person who wanted to run before walking. I love how some people just play with different yarns, or pick up a particular yarn and ponder on it, or pick up hooks and ruminate over them and how yet others sketch something out in their minds or on paper. The results are exploding attitudes about crochet within the general population who sometimes tend to want to impose the cliché umbrella image of little old ladies crocheting shawls and air freshener covers. I'm sure many of you remember the air freshener commercial that did such an injustice to crochet as an art and a craft insulting crocheters everywhere! How awful to think that the masses have such attitudes about our incredible craft.

I have been a bad bad crocheter again! I suppose if I actually HAD any of that jelly yarn http://www.3dimillus.com/ around someone would have to give me twenty lashes with it. I imagine it might actually hurt . My best crochet buddy and I went to Hancock's Fabrics the other day and there were two bins of yarn marked down from $5.99 to $1.20. Needless to say that resolution on no yarn buying until I cleared out my stash went out the window yet again. I ended up with such yummy yarns that I've just got to share the pictures.

Stormy Thursday

Sleeping in the rain is a favorite pastime, have I mentioned this already to you all? I love to lay snuggled in the warmth of covers and listen to the rain hit glass and shingle, the impact making a variety of sounds contingent upon the direction and strength of wind, the type of raindrops (some are fatter and some sleeker you know. Some are refreshing and some pellet the exposed landscape), and the type of storm going on outside. There are light showers that seem to replenish; the worms come up from underground, the birds dart and flit in the puddles as drops plop; fat, happy drops warm with summer's season. I like the sound of wind in a dangerous storm, how it crashes against the window; a madness frustrated with impenetrable force. Each storm is unique and so taking time to experience them all is important you know.

I upgraded to Firefox 2 last night and added some perks to the upload. I am really enjoying one called Stumble Upon. It brings up various items, scraps, snippets, and puzzles based upon your preferences and continues to hone what it offers based upon your response to what you're shown. Interesting concept and sure hold my attention for a while. I've already brought up some magnificent (and I mean stunningly, awesomely, take your breath away magnificent) pictures of tornadoes forming and dispersing. I've been sent a site that allows you to make kaleidoscopes. If you upgrade to Firefox 2 I highly recommend Stumble Upon as an add-on to your browser.

Picked up the Skipping Stones Afghan once again. Yet another project that I have three or four rows left to finish off.

Lacy Crochet Shawl

Finished the body of the shawl late last night. Tucked in the tails this morning and took pictures for everyone to see. Here is the long view with the shawl thrown up over the shoulder on the other side of the dress form. I think it turned out exceptionally well and intend to make another one really soon. My intention is to use different colors of the ribbon yarn but I may just switch the type of yarn altogether to see if I an produce something that looks entirely different.




Here is a view of the back of the shawl:





Another view, this time a close up so you can see the lovely ribbon yarn I used. The wrapper on the yarn said IROSS and it's a 100% nylon yarn made in Italy. I think it's gorgeous and this particular combination is vibrant. Here's hoping someone loves it as much as I do since I'm trying to sell it (although I could as easily keep it for myself, lol)!


As I stated already I am not a very prolific or fast crocheter. Seems like it takes me forever to get things made and I wanted to start another of these shawls immediately but with the back pain I've got going on I've learned to pace myself. Hoping to get another going here in the next day or so. Like I said I may go through my yarns and pick something other than ribbon yarn to make the next shawl with. Since I'll be using the same pattern I don't want to end up with two products that are too similar. I think the idea of selling items at a booth is to offer the patron something no one else has. Even in a different color.

The other day I was perusing someone's flicker page and admiring their completed items when I discovered they also had some things for sale. I went looking and sure enough, bought. I got two broomstick lace needles, one really fat one and one that's a bit smaller. I blogged earlier about being interested in trying broomstick lace and then ran across these needles so cheap that I couldn't resist 'em. I also picked up a few pattern books, a couple were rug making booklets and I am going to love going through them as well. I have been saving material so I can try my hand at rag rug making and am hoping the leaflets will have some tempting patterns for me to try.

Rainy Monday

I believe rainy days are meant for sleeping and crocheting. Today I've picked up a shawl and am working on it, as well as updating pages and generally goofing on the internet. The shawl is done in a beautiful ribbon yarn (picked up cheap at Big Lots of course), the pattern is called Crochet Lacy Shawl and can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/ysd9fm
This is another item I'm putting in the lot for the craft fair. I'm hoping it will go over well because I think it's lovely. I plan on making one more in a different color. My aim for this fair is to have a variety of items and if I make duplicates only making one or two in different colors or yarns. Original fashion items are sure to appeal to the crowd of high school kids that are bound to be at this craft fair. The fair is held at a local high school and has been in place for more than twenty years. In addition to the teens there are a lot of older folks who come to this event every year. I am going to try and appeal to them with the afghans I make and some other items like potholders and placemats as well as Christmas items. Since this is our first year my friend and I thought we'd try a variety and see which items sell the best and put our focus there for next years' fair.

The Wearin' O' the Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day! For all those who are Irish I know it is a hugely significant day. For all who aren't, this is your day to BE Irish! Now we all know it's the day you wear green, drink green beer and party like crazy, but what truths actually lie behind the celebration of this day? What is it's significance?

St. Patrick was a real living man, born in the latter part of the 4th Century. It is believed that he brought religion to Ireland, thus ending eons of paganism on the Fair Isle. St. Patrick's Day began as a day of both spiritual renewal for the person and prayer for missionaries worldwide. For those who would like more information you can find some here: http://www.st-patricks-day.com/index.asp
here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day
here: http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm
and here: http://www.history.com/minisites/stpatricksday/

For those interested in the celebration of the day, including crafts, food and festivities you can find a lot of information here: http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/patrick/
and here: http://www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/stpatty/fun.htm

Now onto us crocheters who also have specific traditions, celebrations and items that we like to make and/or receive on this greatest of all Irish holidays. I'm providing several links to crochet patterns that are particularly Irish. Now first we will look at various squares for afghans, beginning here: http://www.karpstyles.com/crochet/shamrock1.html where we find a traditional granny square turned Irish. This link takes you to an afghan stitch square done with the shamrock: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Shores/4536/crochet.htm
and another square: http://web.archive.org/web/20021201122029/http://www.crochetpartners.org/Patterns/CPpat200.html
Here we have a pattern for a Shamrock Quilt Afghan: http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Projects/TV%20Projects/Shamrock%20Quilt%20Afghan.htm

As for pins there are so many it's hard to choose just a few. I will post a few here but if you'd like to see more of them you can find them on my HQ page under Holidays: St. Patrick's Day. http://www.myhq.com/public/c/r/crochetpoet/
Pins:
http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/shamrockpin.html
http://crochet.about.com/library/blshamrock.htm
http://www.jpfun.com/patterns/free/107/f107003fourleafclover.shtml

We also have those miscellaneous Irish related patterns as well. http://www.crochetmemories.com/archive/march4.html
http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa031503.htm
http://www.cm-crafts.com/cloverbookmarker.htm

Last, but certainly not least is a pattern I've had in my WIM's collection for a very long time. I keep putting it aside as I cannot at this point afford to purchase all that wool to make this lovely item. Go to this link: http://www.freepatterns.com/list.html?cat_id=340
scroll down to the Irish Cape and Scarf Pattern, click on download pattern and then you will be prompted to log in or join. Joining is free; if you're already a memeber you just log in and download the pattern. The downloaded pattern gives a full front view of the cape. It's absolutely awesome.

This is by no means all the Irish/St. Patrick's Day related patterns out there. I have quite a few more on my HQ page and I'm sure there are even more that I haven't gotten posted on my page. Do a google search if you don't find what you're looking for. Most of all, enjoy the day and don't drink too much green beer!

Sneak Peek: One Complete, One Progressing

Today I finished off the messed up shrug that was an experiment gone bad a few weeks back. Since I had frogged this shrug so much it caused the yarn I was using (Jewel Box) to separate and the resulting piece wasn't all that pretty and didn't match the skirt very well. I had decided to scrap the shrug as a go-along with the skirt but was going to keep it and finish it off to use as my personal shrug for around the house. My old one is getting pretty ratty. I'm wearing it now, it is very comfy even if it isn't elegant looking, lol. Here is a view of the shrug completed and below, a view up close of the edging.
I am also posting a few shots of the draped bed jacket I am working on to replace the one I made for my mother at Christmas (it didn't fit her). I had intended to have the project a little further along before posting for you all but something came up at the beginning of the week that made crocheting almost impossible for me until today. So I got to start the other side of the main piece on the shrug today. Once that is finished I'll sew up the sides and start on the cuffs and collar. Even though I'm doing this project for a second time exactly as I did the first one (outside of just making the overall project a little bigger). I really don't mind because this is such a wonderful pattern to work.
Normally, once I work a pattern I move on to something else, so making this one more than once is unusual for me. I also plan on making another for myself, but that will be later this year.

NuMei and Others

For some folks purchasing crochet materials isn't a financial challenge though I can't say I know many who have enough disposable income to let go of 20 or 30 dollars for a skein of yarn. At least not in person. LOL I have been told they are out there though. Out there sort of like pixies or fairies or trolls under bridges if you ask me.

For the rest of us NuMei (http://www.numei.com/index.htm) is a wonderful and reasonably priced alternative to some of those higher end yarns. I was looking for a reasonable ribbon yarn to use for a project from Doris Chan's new book, Amazing Crochet Lace when I stumbled upon this on sale at NuMei. It's called Fluid ribbon yarn and the color I chose is Italian Plum. You can find samples of the colors here: http://www.numei.com/fluid.htm
I fell for it right off and the price is so reasonable ($13.90 for 10 balls) I was able to purchase enough to make the project I had in mind at about a third (or better) of what it would have cost me at any of the other sites I had looked at and even in the stores I'd been searching in. They have a variety of yarns with prices beginning in the $8 to $10 dollar range and going up from there. Mind you, this is for packs of ten balls per pack. It's definitely making it hard for me to curb my YAS this season!

A friend of mine and her girlfriend raided the local thrift store today and she came by to show me her loot. She is picking up odds and ends for a scrap yarn afghan and today she found exactly what she needed. LOL! Bear in mind this is a friend that I hooked on crochet. I actually think it was the combination of her other friend exposing her to it (and nagging at her for years to try doing it) and me exposing her to the possibilities and endless projects she can do if she just learned to crochet. After watching her friend for years and me for a couple she succumbed. Guess they should post signs up not only at stores but at crocheters homes as well warning of the possibility of addiction by osmosis!

Another site I frequent is Smiley's yarns. They have a $40.00 minimum which isn't hard to do because the prices are so great you can't stop yourself from filling up. I cannot count the number of times I've gone there and just blown my yarn budget in a couple hours of browsing. http://www.pagelinx.com/cgi-shopper/loadpage.cgi/smileysyarns/ezshopper?user_id=8600-20070215&file=index.htm
I love this place! I've never had a problem with any of their products and their shipping is lightening fast.

For yarns, those are my two usual suspects although there are other places that I keep an eye out for great sales so I can splurge when they occur.

Playing Catch (up)

It's been a pretty busy week so I've not gotten to the blog to post things. Playing catch up now, if I can manage to get it all into one blog posting and if not, I'll simply split and make several postings till I get it all caught back up!

I've been busy trying to complete projects that I promised myself I'd get finished this spring. So far I've managed to knock off a few of them but had problems with that Cluster Stitch Doily I started two years ago. Kept having to frog the darned thing because it just wasn't working up right. Misread the pattern and had to have help with that (thanks yet again Nana Carol because you were so right about what I was doing wrong). Then ran out of the thread I was using and had to find another ball. I finally have it completed and have yet another problem with it. I am trying to view this as an opportunity rather than a problem. When I had to use new thread it of course didn't match up with the old thread. Of course! I don't know if you can see it in the picture, it's barely visible but it sticks out like a sore thumb to me. Rather than fret over the whole thing I'm going to use this as an opportunity to try something else I've wanted to try with crochet- dying. I'm going to turn the white/off white doily into a different color. Just haven't determined as of yet what I'm going to use to dye with. I have always wanted to play around with Kool Aid dying but not so sure I want to use it with this doily. I am leaning more toward using onion skin or tea or coffee and altering the color by shades rather than a dramatic color switch. Since the doily is just slightly off in color I feel that turning it into a subtle coffee color would be just the thing for it. I'll definitely let you all know what I decide and of course will post pictures once I've completed the project.

I have also picked up a Draped Bed Jacket project that is in my stash of PIGS. http://tinyurl.com/2wbnjy I made one for my mom at Christmas and it didn't fit. I took measurements and am making another in the same color and material (she just loved it) that I used for the original. I'm half finished with the main portion, which would be about 1/3 finished with the complete project.

Yesterday was my nephew's birthday. We had a party at a local pizzaria that caters to kids. You know, the type with the game rooms, separate party rooms and buffet. Well, they have the best pizza (in my opinion) in town and although we didn't book a private party room, we had a great time. My nephew just turned 11 and is into all that wrestling stuff. I think it's hokey, but hey, I'm not an 11 year old boy! We had a great time. Every gift he got was wrestling related too so that made him extremely happy.
Wrestling cake with Harley Davidson candle. When you twist it, the candle makes the sound of a Harley starting up.
Presents are great!


Cake is good too!

I've been working on projects for the craft fair that my friend and I are entering into this fall. I've completed a few more scarves. I started working on this beautiful shawl but had to frog that because of tension problems. We are trying a few different things for the craft booth. Scarves and hats, scrunchies and barrettes and shawls will be the staple items. My friend does beadwork and will be making some jewelry as well. I also intend to add various projects as I work on them through the year. Already have a shrug, a couple afghans and a top and jacket to put in. I'm also thinking some Christmas-sy things might go over well. We've talked with a couple people who have shopped this craft fair regularly over the years and from what they've told us most anything we make will go over. I'm sure hoping so because our game plan is to have a few of this and that and a bit more of staple items.

We also plan on having available two albums for people to look through. One will contain her works and the other mine. I am hoping this will prompt some orders for items, either items people see in the albums and like, or orders for items they have in mind that they feel we could make. We will also have business cards on hand as well.

Sweet Sixteen?

I tried yet again yesterday to work on the dratted doily. Finished up row 24, then onto row 25. I was almost done with row 25 when I found again, I'd missed stitches! Had to frog again! Today I managed to actually get all the way around row 24 again. I'm on row 25 now, will let you all know how that turns out.

Today my friend's daughter turned 16. Man I remember being 16, and what a difficult age it was. I remember my daughter turning 16 as well but of course she was so out of control by then that it wasn't a very memorable experience. I mean, how memorable could it be compared with court dates, juvenile facilities and locks inside my house? Seemed more like I spent her 16th year just trying to keep my belongings inside my home and her shuffled from juvenile facility to court to juvenile facility to court, etc. Awful! Now my friend doesn't have quite as much going on with her daughter as I did but, as with any 16 year old, she does have attitude, mouth and defiance to deal with. God bless all us single mothers because we surely need it. I feel for my friend, but at the same time I can see that the problems going on with her daughter are a lot more in the range of normal than what I experienced with mine. I guess we both can only wish they grow up and have one just like them as payback! Awful!

On a different note I would like to delve into another technique in crochet that I've never tried. Not that I have time to try it yet, but it's something that interests me and something I am definitely marking on my list of things to do. There are a lot of different types of crochet, filet, Tunisian, hairpin lace and while the only one I've any experience with is hairpin lace there is another that intrigues me - Broomstick Lace (also known as Jiffy Lace or Peacock's Eye). I've seen some beautiful examples of it and I'm intending to try it one day soon. Here is just one example: http://www.crochetcabana.com/specialty/broomstick_lace_jiffy_lace_.htm
This particular example is an afghan square but you can use the technique to make an entire afghan: http://web.archive.org/web/19990421030629/www.ioweb.com/creative_corner/878508109.html

To look at it you would think it's very difficult but I've been told it's really not that hard. I will let you know when I do try it whether that is the case or not. Meantime, here are a few links with tutorials on how to make it: http://members.aol.com/sbaycgoa/techbrom.htm
http://www.crochetcabana.com/specialty/broomstick_lace_jiffy_lace_.htm
http://www.keyway.net/crafts/bslace.htm

Now that you have seen the finished product and have access to learning how to do it, perhaps you'd like to try out some patterns other than the afghan and afghan square:
http://www.medidit.com/free/scarf.html
http://millemakes.wordpress.com/tag/work-in-progress/scarf-in-broomstick-lace/
http://www.crochetkim.com/patterns/babydress.html

I hope if any of you try it out you'll post to let me know how it goes.

Various and a Sunday

Gotta love those lazy Sunday's. I know I do. At least I do when the dogs aren't getting me up at the crack of dawn to take them outside. This morning they did get me up, but afterwards I went back to bed. Too tired to stay up. I honestly tried, I just couldn't seem to keep awake so I conceded defeat and got a couple more hours of rest. I must have needed it because I don't remember a thing.

My crochet cohort and partner in craft booth adventuring was over the other night. She'd managed to pick up some barrette backs for crafting at a really good price and decided to make barrettes to add to our line-up of craft items. She's only just started working with crochet threads and had some but not many odds and ends and I have oodles so we rooted through and found the ones with just a bit of thread left on them for her to take to make the flowers and such for the barrette backs. I knew I had a lot of thread but sure didn't realize I had amassed so much of it! I sent her off with all the odd balls and partial balls of it I had in various colors and some size 20 and 30 threads that I had as well. I'm curious now to see what she comes up with in the way of decoratives for those backs.

I seem to be cursed with the doily project I've been working on. Each time I get that accursed row completed I end up having to frog the dratted thing because there's a mistake in it. I'm talking four times now, I've reworked the same row. I understand now why I put the thing down for two years. I have a plan for finishing it though which goes something like this. Each day when I start my crocheting I am going to pick that doily up and work on it first thing. I feel this will enable me to work on it when I'm fresh and can pay attention and am hoping this will allow me to finally complete the row properly, and hopefully complete the last three rows left on it after that. Yes that's right, I'm on row 24 of 28 rows on this doily. Have been stuck on row 24 since I put the thing down two years ago. Have frogged row 24 four times now. I know the poor thing is going to need a thorough washing once I do have it complete.


It's been almost enough to make me want to donate ALL my thread to my friend! Almost! I do have a project in that stack of PIGS that is thread and there are balls of it earmarked for the project. The very same balls that came with the project to begin with. You see, that particular PIG is a project started by my mother a long time back and one she never completed. I have a total of 53 squares in the bag and a bunch of the thread she originally bought for the project left. Unfortunately I don't have the pattern for the squares. I will either have to find something to turn those 53 squares into, or else go on a hunt for the pattern so I can make more of the squares. The thing with it is though, I don't know what she was intending to make with it so I am not sure I'll ever actually complete the intended aim of it. I do know I'm going to make something with them all. Don't know what yet, haven't given it more thought than to just count the squares and see how much of the thread is there, and there are a BUNCH of balls of it there so if I do end up making more squares I'll have all the thread I need. Luckily the project is white so there isn't going to be an issue of color fading (maybe an issue of yellowing due to the age of the thread). I am confident that I can always bleach the completed project back into conformity if I find that necessary. From this picture of one of the squares though, I don't think any bleaching will be necessary.

One final picture that I just couldn't resist posting is of my dog Honey. I caught her the other day sleeping in this position. She looked so comfy and I just couldn't figure out how the heck she could be. I snuck off to get my camera and by the time I had it ready to snap the photo she was aware I was there and watching me. She just couldn't move, sort of like that sleep state where you're aware of everything around you but you are paralyzed and unable to do anything about it. I just laughed and laughed. Gives new meaning to my nickname for her - Honeybutt!

Thunder over Louisville (and rain, and lightening and maybe tornadoes too)

Finished the curly scarf. I think it turned out great. Used Caron Jewel Box in Garnet color. The picture doesn't really show the richness of the yarn, but this closeup does give a good idea of the color mix in it. I have more Jewel Box in different colors so I'll definitely be making more scarves like this one in those colors.

Rain came through last night, bringing a change in temperatures, a warming. Temperature wise, it's just wonderful outside today. Balmy, fresh smelling, like the whole world got washed clean overnight. There is a price for this warmth though, unfortunately. We are under a tornado watch for the entire day. We also are supposed to have thunderstorms off and on all day. I'm trying to focus on the gorgeous warm weather though and not think about the threat it also poses.

After finishing off the scarf last night I picked my doily back up and began working on it again. The problem I was having with it was resolved thanks to some sage advice from Nana Carol. It seems to be working out exactly like it's supposed to and I'm hoping I can finish it up today and get it blocked soon. I just wanted to say a public thank you to Nana Carol for her help. I am usually able to figure out problems with patterns on my own but this one had me stumped big time and so her explanation of what I was doing wrong came just in time for me.

Since I have amassed a large quantity of threads I'm keenly interested in doing some doily projects in different colors. Leaning toward some of those lovely colored flower doilies I've seen. I've never attempted one, heck, I don't even attempt doilies often but I have so much thread I just wanted to see what I could do.

I've also been looking at painted doilies with an eye towards trying one of those soon. For those who aren't familiar with this technique I'm posting a link for you all to see what it is: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/dennymare/multicoloreddoily.jpg
Here is another site with images of them: http://new.photos.yahoo.com/lighthouselady517/album/576460762324131962
They are so stunning. It's a pretty simple technique, using thread or embroidery floss (separate the strands). You start in one color and as you go around the rounds you replace threads individually with either a new color or a different shade thus gradually changing the color/shade as you go through the rounds of the doily. Ferosa Harold has put out a book on this technique with her own doily designs. You will find a copy of it here if you are interested in learning more about it: http://www.anniesattic.com/crochet/detail.html?prod_id=19131
There is also a lady who has taken the time to find doilies that will work well with this technique. You can find her list of doilies here: http://www.crochetville.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-7764.html