The Great Granny Ghan Race of 2007!

So John and I are engaged in a race..... he's a relative newbie to crochet altogether, and I'm a newbie to granny squares. We started about a week apart on a granny ghan - an afghan made of one large granny square. Neither of us are doing any color changes. I think John's doing a babyghan, meaning his end size is going to be about 36"x36", whereas mine's going to be a couch throw..... so I'm thinking about 50"x50".

Here's a pic of progress thus far, side by side. John's is blue, mine gray. We'll do another progress check this weekend!

Hey, John!

Game on! Get Tra to take and post some pics of your grannyghan progress!

Pictures

Okay, yet again my pictures are a couple of days after my initial post. So enjoy!





Baby Granny Ghan:









Gray Granny Ghan:

Fit To Be Tied purse:

I'm a Simple (wo)Man!

It takes so very, very, VERY little to amuse and excite me! I just got an email saying that my Venus Breeze is on its way. I had signed up, through Vocalpoint, to test the new Venus Breeze, but not everyone that signs up is chosen - as in all marketing, you have to meet various demographic criteria. When I read the email saying that I had, in fact, met the aforementioned criteria, I literally (and yes, this is pathetic - I have no life!) said WooHoo! out loud!

So I had extra kids today, as I mentioned either in this blog or in KA&TN, so I had an excuse to be a little lazier than normal. It was wonderful for me because it meant I got to work on my crochet projects a bit more. As Tracie has pointed out, though, I have CADD (crochet attention deficit disorder), so I worked some on the gray granny ghan, some on the baby granny ghan, and then I started on a bobble baby ghan. Purse is sitting waiting. So is the bag. The purse is wool, and the bag is cotton, and my hands are swollen, so worsted acrylic working into spaces is just so much easier on me right now. Of course, Hans thinks that all I do is sit here at home crocheting as it is - having 3 4 projects on the hooks really doesn't help my case any!

Now, since I'm a s l o w blogger, it's St. Patty's Day! Ahhh! Top o' the mornin' to ya! I baked my leprechaun cakes last night they're just plain yellow cupcakes that I mixed green food coloring with and am cleaning the kitchen so I can go ahead and bake my herbed Irish Soda Bread. we're having a few friends over for some Guinness, corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots and, of course, leprechaun cakes. Damned leprechauns forgot to leave me my pot of gold this morning, though.

Well, the family is waking, so I'd better start looking busy! Adieu!

Yarnapy....

Okay, so I had this looooong, informative, witty and link filled post 9/10ths of the way complete when Netscape decided to crap out on me and shut down, so I lost it. I know, I know - I'm an irresponsible blogger to count on Blogger to hold on to my post, and that I should have been (should be?) doing it in Word, since it has that handy dandy recovery option thingy. Here's the thing, though - it's 12:39am, I can't sleep becaue my husband is snoring like the world is about to end, and the only time I have had to get online without two children climbng on me this week is, oh, um, now. Yeah, so screw off, Blogger! And while you're at it, since you're connected to Google, why don't we have that handy little autosave action that we have in Gmail? Seriously - it would be the cat's meow if we did, no joke.


Okay, so here's the deal. Yarnapy. The act of using yarn, in one form or another, as therapy. Indugled in a little more than usual on Tuesday. Went to lunch with a friend, then hit AC Moore to pet the yarns and marvel at all the yarn paraphernalia. Seriously, my eyes were glazing over - I looked like a junkie who had scored a major hit when we left. And since it's spring break, I had to take both kids with me. Now, they're grounded from yarn. Yep, you heard me right. Grounded from yarn. Haven't decided how long yet, but it's in response to the dress destruction that I last blogged. So anyway, my daughters, who love yarn and are grounded from it, were forced to walk with hands in pockets while mommy petted, rubbed and otherwise molested the yarn. For well over an hour. I have to say, though, that they were perfect angels through it all, and for their wonderful behavior, they earned bubbles and a piece of candy each. See, I'm not all evil as a mommy!

Anyway, I spent that time in AC Moore wishing that I had more money in the bank. I think it was as hard for me not to buy as it was for the girls not to touch. All yarn was 25% off, and their prices on many yarns is great to begin with. Still, I for the most part got out scot free. I was very proud of myself, very proud indeed.

So anyway, shopping. Great. Therapeutic, and I was in need of therapy. Then to continue the yarnapy, it was home to play with stash. I got it out, untangled, sorted and organized it all most of it. Then it was time to work on projects. I started on my first ever granny square, which will become a lovely gray ghan for my couch, and a messenger bag (I know this isn't a crocheted bag - it's just the style, plus, I love the bag - maybe for John, Tra??) to sling across my body and carry my project du jour to, from and at the bus stop (or any other place I deem hook-worthy.) Hooking and talking carried on late into the evening, interrupted by the need for food, which necessitated a trip to Winter Garden Pizza for stromboli, garlic knots and salad. I also decided, finally, on a use for the Patons SWS in natural pink that Dani gave me for Christmas. I'm going to make the Fit To Be Tied purse out of Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker. Of course, I started on that yesterday, despite being told not to start another project until either the ghan or the bag were completed. We all know, though, that that wouldn't happen. I won't even mention that fact that tonight I made a flower and started on another granny ghan. Hey, it's for Project Linus, so don't give me too hard of a time!!

Okay, I know there was more I wanted to blog about on here, but I think I am finally tired enough that I can pass out despite the log sawing coming from the other side of my bed. I'll leave you with this link, though - turn on your speakers :D

Skein

Dress Disaster

Remember that lovely little dress I was posting about? The one for Heather? The one that was half way done? Yeah, well, it no longer exists.


Yesterday, while I was in bed nursing the mother of all hangovers, my loving, darling daughters snuck the dress out of my room. Then they frogged it. All the way to the bodice. And tangled the yarn.



Yeah. One of those moments when you send your kids to their room so that you don't end up doing something rash that you will later regret.

More of the dress!

So it's not done yet, but I think I'm about half way now. I'm on the round-n-round bit of the skirt right now, and I think that after this is just the plackets, sleeves and trim. Oh, and I have to figure out a flower. Neither Heather nor I like the one with the pattern, so we're going to come up with something different...

Here's a few shots I got of the dress thus far. Tomorrow I'll have Heather model the WIP.




Front




Back



Close-up of stitches




Front hanging (to better show shape and drape)




Back of dress hanging

Pictures

Okay, here are the pics to go with yesterday's blog! I *JUST* found my camera cord!



The bodice to Heather's dress:



The bookmark I designed and made for a friend:

Playing catch up

Okay, so I haven't been crocheting very much lately, mostly because I haven't been physically able to. I did finish the funeral scarf on the plane to Connecticut, and everyone really liked the set. It's at my mom's house now so that my sister can pick it up when she visits them next. I'll have to get them to take a pic when she gets it.

I did create a bookmark pattern last week, and gave my prototype to a good friend. I took pictures, but for some reason I can't find my cord to my camera, so I'll have to amend my entry when I find it to include a picture. She really seemed to like it, though.

Last Thursday, Heather and I had to go to Wal-Mart to get my oil changed, and while there we (of course) walked through the fabric department to look at yarn. Amazingly, at 3 years old, she went through the yarns and picked a favorite. At first, she picked a crochet thread, then, when we got to the Simply Soft, she decided that a light blue was more to her liking. Now, I didn't know then what I was going to make, but she wanted me to maker her something with that yarn. Last weekend, Brandee loaned me a pattern that, when she used it with a beautiful, soft pink angora, won her a blue ribbon at the Florida State Fair. Even though the pattern is written for 3-6 month size, it's written using fingering weight yarn and a D hook. Being me, and not wanting to work a pattern as written, I decided to see how it would work with the Simply Soft, which is worsted weight, and an I hook. Well, so far, the pattern as written for the 3 month size, with the change in yarn and hook, seems to be working up to a nice 3T for Heather.


We went to the Plant City Strawberry Festival on Saturday, where I (literally) ran into Dani from my crochet group. I hadn't seen her since the beginning of December, when we worked the Safety Harbor Craft Show. I also got to see some beautiful angora rabbits in the rabbit and poultry exhibit. I had never seen an English Angora rabbit before, but I'm in love now. One of these days, I will have a few of them. I'll just have to make sure Tracie has her wheel by then, though, so she can spin the yarn for us!

So that's all for now... I need to get back to the dress - I would love to have it ready for Easter! We'll see, though - this is my first fitted project :D

Excited!

So I recently started trying my hand at Tunisian crochet. I was cruising the Annie's Attic site when I came across these great hooks for the steal price of .99! I promptly ordered, but, of course, I was too late and they were sold out.... Not to be deterred, though, I started searching on eBay and found an identical set for $4. Still a great deal, though, as a) normal retail is usually closer to $13, and b) they're not exactly the easiest to find....

So the hooks arrived on Monday, and what did I do?? Immediately grab some yarn and give them a whirl! I have to tell you, they're so much less cumbersome than the cro-hooks I've been using..... they're larger hooks, though, so I still have to use the cro-hooks for smaller gauge items....

I also am almost completely finished with the funeral scarf..... I have to do one edging and then the ribbon, but I was getting bored with it, so I haven't done anything with it since Saturday morning. I'll finish it at the rheumie's office this evening, though.

I had a request for the Funeral Hat, so I'm going to make that up as soon as we get all of our details for it ironed out. The friend that wants it is thinking she wants a chocolate brown hat with a darker brown satin ribbon..... It's a tedious stitch, but it turns out such a great looking hat.

I've also been playing around with my Patons SWS that I got from Dani for Christmas. Right now I'm just gauging with different hooks to see how it works up until I decide what to actually do with it.... there's a cool pattern on the Patons site, but I'm just not sure.... There's really not anything my house it would match, and I don't know if I know anyone else I could gift it to....

Also, I revamped the blog a bit..... let me know what you think!

Hats and Scarves and Gifts, Oh My!

So now that the hat is done, I;ve been working on the scarf..... I wasn't able to get exactly what I wanted as far as texture goes, but it's going to have to do. Now my sister has decided that when we leave CT, she would like to take my hat and scarf as her own..... fine with me, as I have been having one helluva time coming up with something for her..... So I guess I'll finish my/her scarf and thent ake her boyfriend;s with me to work on in the airport and on the plane. Hans is going to hate it, as yarn and hooks makes him angry, but oh well.....

the Funeral Hat

I finished the funeral hat a couple of days ago. I just got my camera back this morning, though, so this is the first chance I've had to photograph it..... I think I really like it!

Hmmmmm??

I'm working on this hat, and I'm finding that there are some problems with the pattern. Now, I realize that my head is slightly larger than the average woman's head, but the written circumference is too small for Aliceon even! So I had to frog about 6 rows and add in a few more rows of increases. Now I'm having to calculate how this impacts the pattern overall, and math burns. Anyone who knows me knows that numbers and I are NOT friends at all! Still, I think I'm getting it. And this cloche stitch pattern is really nice. It's my first go at front loop/back loop stitches, but they have a really nice pattern effect. Gives teture without a lot of extra bulk...

Next thing I want to learn, though, is the way to do a hat in Tunisian..... That and the reverse sc. I tried the reverse last night and just am not sure if I'm doing it right..... I have a crochet group meeting this weekend, so I may be able to get someone to tell me there. Maybe.

Monday night insomnia

I started - again - on my hat to wear in CT when we go up. I've actually started this hat a few times already, but didn't really know what direction I wanted to take with it, so I always ended up frogging it. I found a pattern today, though, that I'm actually going onward with. It's a brimmed cloche with a crocheted ribbon that I think will work out nicely for what I need it for - it's long enough to cover my ears so they will be protected without impairing my hearing, and should be classy enough for a somber family gathering.

I've also been working on my sister and her boyfriend's scarves. Still getting the hang of the whole Tunisian thing, but I'm really enjoying it. I'm afraid that it may create too heavy a fabric for Meghan's scarf, though.

Hmmm..... What else am I actually working on? I think that's really about it right now. I've got a couple of other things that I'm holding in reserve for my trip so I have something to keep my hands busy, and, hopefully, my mind as well.....

Yes, I suck!

I know I suck! I'm sorry! I've just been kind of blah, and after all the Christmas crochet, I needed a break. My hands were no longer cooperating, and I couldn't force myself into pain. Now, though, I'm on good drugs, so we can get back to crocheting!

So right now, I'm working on the scarves for my sister and her boyfriend. I had wnated to do them for Christmas, but time just didn't allow. Neither did swelling. Instead of doing them the way I had originally planned to, though, I'm now doing, at least Dave's, in tunisian. Crack? Crack, you say? I think not, my friend! This is actually easier and requires less counting! Can you believe it? And so far, looking pretty frigging sweet, if I do say so myself. My only concern is that, upon closer inspection, I wonder if the yarn I had chosen for it is a little too feminine..... It's Lion Bran Homespun in Romanesque.......
This is the part that worries me - the purpley/mauvey color..... it's a shading yarn, so there are sections that are teal-ish, and that's where I was looking and basing my idea that this would work so well for Dave - for some reason it just made me think of him - but now I'm not so sure....


So I'm also working on the one for my sister... I wonder if it will ever be finished, though, because I keep changing my mind....... I've played around with four different yarns, in different textures and colors, and I'm just not feeling any of them..... we'll see, though.....

Other than that, not much more...... I think I need to do my laundry now, though.....

Post Christmas Rundown

So Christmas is over now, all the excitement and stress behind us. I'm a slacker, though, and my relatives in the midwest haven't received their gifts yet because I haven't mailed them yet! I know, I know, they're already a week late! I promise they will go out tomorrow morning, if not this afternoon. I PROMISE. Love you, Kris, Paul, Sean and Derek! Don't hate me!!

The girls did really well in the gift department, and yet I don't think any of us went overboard this year. It was actually really nice not having quite so many useless toys around. In the past, Hans and I, and other relatives, have gone a little nuts, getting just random this and that. Granted, in past years, the girls were younger and it was more about opening volume than receiving quantity. Santa brought all of us fishing poles this year, which was really neat, and we're making plans to go to the pond in the neighborhood to try them out, maybe on Monday. Heather got this really neat vaccum so that now I may be able to do MY vaccuming without her hanging onto the appliance trying to "help" me. Unfortunately, though, my vaccum died Tuesday night. I'm hoping Hans can resurrect it with a new plug, but we'll see.....


I got two spa gift certificates from Hans so that I can either be generous and invite a friend along with me, or selfish and go twice alone. Still working on which it's going to be.

Hans got two MacGyver books. All he has to do now is grow the power mullet again and he'll be just like his life-long hero!

We all got many other wonderful gifts, but this is a crochet blog, so onto the crochet.

Speaking of crochet and gifts, Aliceon got her crochet kit from me, but was decidedly un-excited about it. I was disappointed, since she had talked about wanting to learn to crochet since I started. Maybe in a week or two when the glitter wears off of some of her other things.....

I got her hook case mostly made - crocheted and felted yesterday, just blocking and waiting for it to dry now....


It's actually black and lavendar, not white. I still need to take the post-felting pics, maybe today. Maybe not, though. Lots going on today.

I'm also working on a scarf for the Red Scarf Project. It's a deal where you make a red or other gender neutral scarf, send it in, and then it's given to college kids that were in foster care for Valentine's day. It sounded like a really great project, and I know from past experience that giving to others tends to bring me out of a slump.

Let's see - what else is going on? Finally starting to feel better! I'm going to head over to Kicking in just a few to blog that, though.

I also started a new weightloss thingy last night, at the advice of someone on the about.com thyroid board. It's free so we'll see how it works. It has a community and seems like it's basically the same thing as eDiets - they even tell you what you need to be eating, make a shopping list for you and everything.

So, yeah, guess that's it for now :D

Merry Christmas!

I'm off of here, for the most part, to do the Holiday things that are to be done. I hope that everyone has a happy and healthy holiday!

Random Crafting Thoughts

So every year at Christmas for the last 4 years, I have embarked on some crafting adventure with the kids. The first year it was just Aliceon, and we made picture frames as gifts for everyone -


The next year, I don't remember what we did, exactly. Could have something to do with losing my Papa that year, having Heather in October, and just the fact that I was mom with 2 kids trying to manage the holidays...

2004, we made wrapping paper and sugar cookies -

Last year, we made sugar cookies, reindeer ornaments and reindeer magnets -




This year, albeit rather late, we're embarking upon homemade craft clay ornaments. I thought I was being smart, so I made up the recipe for sparkling salt dough. Yeah. Suddenly, I had flashbacks of last year, when I attempted the same recipe and failed miserably. I really don't think this year's any different. The recipe just makes for a dough that is entirely too sticky and difficult to work with for a 3 year old (for whom the texture is also, evidently, sheer torture!) and a 5 year old. So I thought I would give the old cinnamon dough recipe a try. I didn't have any applesauce, though, so I decided to use one of the 7 bazillion cans of pumpkin puree I have. So far, so good. It's easy for the kids to work with, and the smell is enticing for them. They're in a 250 oven right now. I haven't taken any pics yet, but they have another batch of dough cooling in the fridge for when they've calmed down some (that salt dough made all three of us a little nuts, so we went our separate ways for a cool down.), so I'll photgraph them doing the ornaments then. If I were to critique my own recipe, though, I would have to say that instead of 3/4 C. cinnamon to one small can pumpkin puree, I would probably do 1 1/4 C. cinnamon. The only reason I didn't this time is that, well, I ran out of cinnamon!

So, I will soon post with pics. I realize that this isn't crochet, or even yarn related, but I have made crochet ornaments, and I plan on using yarn instead of ribbon for these ornaments!

Thoughts and observations....

Okay, so yeah, I'm a blogging fool these days. So shoot me! You all have figured out by now that, with me, it's either all or nothing! And all is good, because it means I'm having good days, days when I don't feel like I died a week ago. Increasingly rare occurance that I have good days, I'm afraid. But anyway.

So Brandee posted her pics from the craft fair.... I neglected (I think?) to mention Jesus and Mary Magdalene Sr in the mirror booth across the way from us. (note worth mentioning: See all the pink things hanging? Yeah, that's angora. It's yummy. Like, if we were comparing yarns to desserts, plain acrylic would be like cheap vanilla ice cream and angora would be the most heavenly cheesecake ever created. Just wanted to point that out. Oh, and I didn't make those - Brandee and Dani did.) Made for, um, interesting people watching, to say the least. Then, of course, there was hippie dude in the booth next to us. Nice enough and a very trusting fellow - lent us a weight to help keep our tent from blasting into space - but there was something about him that bothered me...... He was peddling his wares, just like all of us. Seems he's a written of children's books. About Kokopelli. A fertility god. Known for his giant phallus. That he leaves in rivers so it can have sex with young girls as they bathe. Yeah. So his books weren't about that, but more about Kokopelli as some sort of ancient Superman or something. Still, there was just something I couldn't quite accept about the subject matter.....

Also, if you haven't noticed, Brandee has a pic of Dani and I in our handy dandy knit berry hats! Mine was a gift from Bran for my thyca induced hair loss, and Dani's, well, just read about it!!

Felting coasters, stage 3

Okay, good thing this was the prototype! It's not bad, but there are some bugs I still need to work out, one of the biggest being size, no pun intended. I think that, as a coaster, the OSU CPT is too big. THe CPT will not, however, go to waste - I think it will be great as a hotpad!

Also, I think I may have to make the gray between the red and the white a bit wider so as to help prevent the red felting to the white, making it appear pink.....

The only other thing I can think of that needs to be tweaked is, I wasn't mindful enough of the stitching pre-felting, expecting a little more self correction. So the shaping isn't great. I'm hoping, though, once I get it blocked well, that that will take care of it. Now I just need to create a blocking board for it :D


**Noteworthy thought - this project felted down by 3 inches with 45 minutes in a super hot wash.