HOT, HOT, HOT...

That is how these past couple weeks have been. Hot, and busy.
On the homefront, D3 has had band camp for color guard, D1 and D2 are finishing up summer assignments and trying to get in as much BF time as possible. I have been working and lots of homework for this quarter. Personal Finance is the MOST boring class ever! The squirrels have managed to eat every single pear on the tree, and there were literally 100+. And the kittens are almost ready for their new homes, yeah!


Craftwise, I finished Jenny's shawl in time for the wedding, but forgot to get a pic of the FO. I also finished the Woodland Shawl with the same pattern but I did a heavier edging on that one. No pic yet.
Also did a cute little flower coaster for the monthly CAL/KAL. And my knitting is coming along. I won't be making sweaters any time soon, but I can garter and stockinette :<) .

I also finished Sierra's handwarmers. I felt she needed a matching scarf so worked one up in the same stitch pattern. Love it! Very simple pattern. Only took one skein for both the handwarmers and the scarf!

Sierra's Scarf

Caron Simply Soft in Dark Sage

approx. 1/2 Skein

Size G hook

Chain 31

Row 1: Dc in 4th ch from hook (counts as first dc), dc in next ch, skip next 2 ch, **dc in next 3 ch, skip 2 ch**(repeat 3 times) dc in last 3ch, turn

Row 2: ch 5, **3dc in next ch 2 spot, ch 2**, repeat 4 times, dc in third chain of ch3 of last row, turn

Row 3: ch 3, 2 dc in next ch space, **ch 2, 3 dc in next ch space** to end, turn

Row 4-91(or until desired length): Repeat rows 2 and 3, finish off and weave in ends.

Independence Weekend

So, it is the 4th of July weekend and I have feel I have done very little in the way of yarncraft projects this week. Of course, it is the first week of another quarter at school. I am so ready for school to be over! I just want to work on my projects and enjoy the beautiful outdoors, not deal with homework, housework or dayjob :/. Anyway, we had a great time last night with the "family" and some fireworks, steaks on the grill at home tonight and the girls will be off to watch the fireworks on the river with their boys and I will enjoy a little peace and quiet.

Back to the stitching...I did start two new shawls. The first I started for a crochet along and realized I like the love knot so much I am making Jenni a shawl for her wedding next weekend with the same pattern. I found some nice soft bamboo/acrylic blend yarn and will be sewing some crystal beads in the wedding colors onto it.

I also have been working on my learning to knit. I actually am not doing too bad, I think. I can't tell enough of a difference between the stitches yet, but I hope I am knitting and purling.  I suppose I need to go to the LYS and have them grade my progress :D lol.

No finished projects this week, but I guess it has been a productive and busy one.
Happy 4th...I am off to play with some yarn and eat steak.

This Past Weeks Finished Projects

I actually did quite well in getting a lot of things done this week. I made up my Christmas 2011 List and started working on this years gifts. So far this week I finished Olyvia and Scottie's stocking caps and three of the five Homespun Scarfs for the girls at work.

I also joined the Block a Month Crochet Along 2011 on Ravelry.com and managed to complete the January, February and March squares. So I am on my way to catching up :)

The big accomplishment for the week, though, has been my attempt to once again try my hand at knitting. I have tried time and time again over the years only to become so frustrated I couldn't "get it". I am bound and determined not to let it get the best of me. I think this time I may be getting the hang of it, finally. I took a tip and purchased some bamboo needles...way easier to hold onto the thread with these. I also tried a number of different yarns. I can only do the basic knit stitch, and its not yet beautiful, but after 30 years of failed attempts I am happy with it. I will keep practicing and maybe go take those lessons at the LYS. I will prevail!

Just the Pears

I need to catch up on this last weeks projects update. But for now just sharing the baby pears on our tree. I hope the squirrels leave enough to ripen and  be canned :)

Rituals of the Evening

I really love my house. The very best part is the peaceful time after dinner. I take my stitching and a cup of coffee to the front porch and sit back to experience the evening ritual. I listen to the wind rustle through the trees, the birds singing and chattering away, while the squirrels scurry around and steal the little pears off of my tree. Occasionally the breeze kicks up enough to get my wind chimes to play their tune over some one's mower humming in the distance. Today Mr. Owl came to hoot perched up in the big oak tree. So there I sit stitching on the night's project and sipping on my coffee as the dusk settles in. When the walk lights start to glow it is the warning sign to finish that row or round, put my project back in the bag, and sit back as the squirrels take their last treasures home and the lightnin' bugs come out to play. When it's over and night has fallen, I may have dishes to finish and homework waiting...but for a little while I get to just enjoy the peace of home and the blessings God has given me.

The Unfinished Projects come out.

I have been crochet for some 20-25+ years. I don't actually remember just when I started. I know I did a lot of crocheting when my son was little and I was a stay-at-home mom. I made all the Christmas and Birthday presents for everyone in my family. I used to even make homemade goodie baskets of treats for our friends and neighbors.
Back then I had more time to work on some more intricate projects. I even did a number of thread projects. As time went on and another 3 children came with it, my crafting time was more limited. So even though I have been at it a long time, I still consider myself a mere intermediate crocheter. I like nice, quick and easy things that I can finish...maybe :). I don't seem to have the attention span for long tedious projects, or I set them aside and forget what I was doing.
I have quite a good collection of patterns and books. That is exactly what it is, a collection. I poor through them imagining making all these beautiful things but never actually get around to most of them. I am also in the habit of just picking up a hook and yarn and seeing what I come up with. That is actually what most of my finished projects are. At one point, I considered trying to be an actual designer. After all, that is what I am doing, designing my own stuff. But alas, I am not quite structured enough to write down what I do. Admittedly I am not sure they are that good anyway. But I enjoy it.

I decided to drag out the old unfinished projects baskets and see what I could do. I need to finish something before I start too many more right? (BTW a recent forum question was how many projects do you have going at once. Most answered 2-3, I found I have 9 going! Ugh) Well, I found these green grannies and figured I should come up with a way to use them up. So here is Maddie's Blanket, which will be a Christmas present for a friends baby girl. I plan to make a matching stuffed kitty.

Well, I figured it out...I think

It has taken me forever to get back to this blog thing :). We have been busy moving into a new home. My very first time as a homeowner! Exciting. I love the house and feel that I can finally start relaxing and just enjoying it.
My daughters like to tease me about having no life. I just tell them I am way too busy for a life! But it got me thinking about what I want to do with my time now that they are off doing there own things. I probably should find something constructive to fill my time once they are off to college in a few years. I decided that I want to use this blog space to help support and rekindle my passion for crafting. Especially crochet.
I will probably stick in a few other tidbits of various sewing, painting, and gardening projects, along with life as the average middle age mom I am.
I don't know if anyone but me will ever read this, but it should be fun keeping track of what I am working on and just what catches my fancy for the day.

My first ever blog post!

Of course, I had to jump in head first when the class assignment was to find blogging sites and their features. Here I am writing my first rambling blog post.
So what does a person blog about?
What they know?
What they learn?
What they want to learn?
All of the above? That sounds good to me.

I guess I will just have to see where this takes me on this fun adventure we call life in the computer age...