Christmas Gifts

I have been hard at work making Christmas presents--I was feeling pretty good until I realized that we are half way through November. Today, I finished this hat for my Daughter's stocking-it is made out of Red Heart Zoomy--a yarn new to me. The hat was very easy and due to the super bulkey classification went really fast.


I am really in to making purses--it seems like everyone is making this one--it is also an easy fast and easy. I am giving both sisters, daughter and niece bags--but not sure who gets this one.


Saw this afghan on ravelry and it is also a very popular pattern--also an easy fast crochet. This one is for my daughter-colors match her bedspread --I hope it is modern enough for her. I ordered the yarn called for in the pattern but then found this yarn in my stash--I liked these colors much better and wished I could return the other yarn


I am going to put potholders in stockings-just getting started on those.

I am also giving more shopping bags to my sisters and daughter--

This shawl was made from moda dea Tweedle dee yarn--it is a shaded yarn and very soft. I orderd this yarn on line and the color was not what I was expecting for the purse that I planned on making--so--this pattern was on the yarn label and it was an easy knit but not necessarily a fast knit--had to make myself do some every day.

Well, must get back to more Christmas gifts--Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

Lost IT

After writing a lengthy post thanking Monica for awarding me the I love Your Blog award and nominating Ria and Sandy for the award (that was as far as I had got)--I LOST it all. So I will just say that my knitting goal in life is to be half as good as my friend Monica--her projects and patterns are wonderful! I love reading Ria' s blog for all the lovely pictures of her work and the fun quizes she has on her blog and for her excitement over the car races! Sandy is an expert crocheter and also shares wonderful patterns that she has developed and found. Check these three out! (I am challenged--I couldn't figure out how to get the picture of the award on my blog ;) so I think I will stop here.)

I have made one more counterpane bag and lined both of them today--I am always proud of myself when I finally finish the lining--I have been known to put them in the closet for years before lining them .

I forgot to say that Sandy is having a crochet contest on her blog--I couldn't choose between the granule stitch and the open fan--so I submitted both. Check out her contest.

Counterpane Bag

After taking so long with the knit afghan, these purse projects are a welcome relief. This took me two days for knitting and sewing together the bag, but I do still have to line it. It is a big, big purse and will really need to be lined. I saw this bag made on Ravelry and it looked so beautiful I had to purchase the book--I got the book second hand and I have ordered some Noro to make a second bag.

It's DONE!

I wonder how many heard my happy yell when I finished weaving in the last thread?? I have never been so happy to be finished with a project. I feel like I am free now-ha-free to finish all those things I started when I couldn't stand to work on the afghan. I have two scarves and three purses that are going to be my first priority--all those other afghans (four) will have to wait until I decide I can stand to work on another afghan.

Missing Months

How time does fly--my last post said I had missed April--now I have missed a whole summer season and the start of fall. Many reasons for the missing in action with the main ones being health issues and computer issues---hopefully the health issues are resolving and the computer issues will be soon .

I just read the sad news of a friend's brother-in-law passing at the early age of 48. My mind has not been able to think about other things--life can have so many unexpected turns. Prayers and thoughts go out to their familys.

I have not accomplished that much knit/crochet wise--I have made 16 shopping bags of various patterns--here are some samples..

And I have made 3 of Monica's ballband recipe bags.

LasT Day of MaY

Once again, May has slipped away as fast as April. I became ill on Mother's day--thought I had food poisoning--turned out I have cellulitis--I was in the hospital for 12 days and now I am on home IV therapy and an oral antibiotic that is going to break the bank! Felt so bad that I didn't even want them to bring my knitting/crochet to the hospital. I have been home a few days so hopefully I will start to feel like being more productive.

I Missed April

No, it wasn't that I have been so busy and accomplished so much that I did not post in April--I just don't know where the time went to.

Spring did come finally, although it is only 48 degrees at the moment. Of course since the tree was blooming so beautifully, it has been raining and all the blooms are almost gone.

I don't have a redbud, but I get to enjoy the neighbor's--the redbuds have been especially beautiful this year.

I also know it is spring because Jasmine has had her spring hair cut--doesn't she look cute.

I hope you can tell from this picture that the afghan has grown--yes, very slowly, but it is coming along--probably 2/3's done.

I have started a crocheted afghan called Gingham Garden--couldn't figure out the flower square that went with the pattern (just when I think I know what I am doing!) so I am trying to decide on a flower pattern to go with the gingham strip--anyone have any opinions? (The green is much prettier than pictured--although I might have chose a different green, but I am using up stash.

The End of March

I see that I have only managed one post so far, so I am thinking I ,at least, must end the month with something. This has not been an especially good month for projects--I don't seem to be getting too much accomplished and spring doesn't seem to be getting here fast enough for me. It is 56 degrees--there are these signs of spring, but I am wanting warm, sunny weather with beautiful flowers and trees blooming.


The winter white afghan continues to progress at a snail's pace. (doesn't saying it that way seem to make it the afghan's fault and not mine that it is not coming
along very fast?) I really don't know why I haven't finished it--it's not that boring to knit--variety of four patterns and I know if I don't hurry and finish it, it will be too hot to work on.


I started another one of Monica's double cable scarf--I wanted to do it in the yarn that she used for the book, but decided that I can not buy that yarn until .I am caught up on some bills. This is Berroca's comfort yarn that I actually also like.


I have also started another afghan by Nicky Epstein called Gentleman's Afghan. I wanted to use the yarn that is pictured in the pattern, but wouldn't you know it, that yarn was discontinued. (Which really was a good thing since I trying to catch up) Since I couldn't have the good stuff, I am using up yarn on hand. I had trouble with a couple of her blocks so I am going with her idea but using patterns that I have always wanted to try.



Here's to the coming of spring--have a good day to all.

When Is It Spring?

As tired as I am of winter, I have to admit that this snow was beautiful--view from my front yard and one from the back yard.




Again, feeling the need to have some finished work (if I didn't take all this time out to do short projects--my afghan and socks would probably be done --at least a lot closer to being done than at present)--I started this Heartland purse--I really like the stitch pattern. The purse was supposed to be a shoulder purse but due to a Beth Error--it has handles.

Need to Finish a project

My afghan is coming along so slowly--I am afraid I have been neglecting it-probably only has an inch more than the last picture.

I have the aran sock on the needles, but not far on them either. I was beginning to feel like I was not accomplishing anything--so, I started a hat.

Hats On by Charlene Schurch is one of my favorite hat books. I have made more projects from that book and I feel like I really got my money's worth with that book. This hat was made from Paton's classic wool and Noro Kureyon for the contrast. When I got to the top of the hat, my noro went with the totally different colors that I love in other things--but looked strange on my hat, so I skipped the pattern on the crown. The hat turned out too big for my styroform head, but happily fits my head OK.

Sock Want-a-be Knitter

I have heard of the SSS--second sock syndrome and I am wondering if anyone else has the SWABKS (sock want-a be Knitter Syndrome). I have purchased tons of sock yarn and have not one pair of socks to show for all that yarn stashed away--not to speak of the books, patterns, and three DVDs bought in hopes of producing a pair of socks.

I love looking at all the beautiful socks that Monica and others produce--maybe I don't have the patience for the actual knitting of the sock. This is one of Monica's patterns that can be bought at the Loopy Ewe-- click here and you can see what it's really supposed to look like!

Camera Problems

Tried all day to get my camera to transfer pictures--uninstalled software-tried to read instructions (if all else fails-lol), help line etc. Nothing worked -- pictures would not transfer from camera to PC--then--for no apparent reason--it worked. Thus, I decided I had better show my progress while I can.. If you count the ring cables, you can tell I have made some headway but this seems to be taking for ever.




I am going to try and knit Monica's Aran sock--so I dug out one of my old unfinished socks and I know it is a little pathetic but I thought I better try on an old sock before I try the beautiful aran sock.



One day the snow all melted - in the 50's and by the next morning we had a very light covering of snow and in the 20's. Rivers are very high and there are flood watches.

And the Beat Goes On

Just a quick update on the current projects.

1)My winter white, former forest green, afghan is progressing slowly. I do like it much better in winter white rather than the forest green. This afghan does seem to be taking forever but I just need to buckle down and work on it and not get distracted by looking for new patterns on the computer or my books, or looking at all the wonderful things that other people do, or looking for new books or yarn. ect



I think that my favorite swap is the potholder swap. It is one that I can always join in because it doesn't take long to make them, it's not expensive to mail them and you can always use another potholder.

I now have all that forest green yarn-Paton's shetland chunky so am trying to decide what to do with it--I like this stitch--not sure if it will be part of an afghan or just a scarf.

One of my goals for this year is to decrease my stash of yarn (so I have room for more-but we don't have to discuss the logic of that). I bought a Crochet Magazine at the grocery store and saw this really pretty granny square afghan that was done all in one color. But as I am trying to destash, I am going to do a multi color one--first picture shows the pattern and the next shows how many I have done.

The very nice and very talented Monica gave me an award for encouraging her in her knitting ventures--I have to say that I love her patterns and can't wait to see pictures of her work--I would have to give her an award right back.

Snow is on the ground--it was -5 degrees this morning--I am awaiting spring!!

Winter Blahs

I am afraid I have given into the winter blahs--the excitement of the wedding and of the holidays is over and I am just feeling alone and old. In short, feeling very sorry for myself--must quit the pity party.

Update on projects--green afghan met an untimely frogging. I had about 11 or 12 inches completed when I looked at the beginning and discovered four very noticible errors--why oh why did it take me that long to discover the mistakes. I was able to correct three of the errors without any problems but the 4th one , despite working several hours on it--ripping back all the way to the beginning in that section--just did not look right. Of course, if I had been willing to sew the 15 panels--all I would have lost was one little section. I have restarted the afghan and switched to winter white--same pattern--and yes, I did not learn my lesson--I am still not willing to sew 15 panels and I am doing it as one panel.

Here is a picture of the green afghan about a week before it met the frog pond and below it is a picture of the new winter white one.









My daughter asked me to make her friend a green hat--used Charlene Schurch's pattern of Aran watch hat. I did it in some old yarn I had lying around --the color is prettier than pictured here--somehow have managed to get strange settings on my camera and have not figured out how to get it back to the simple basic ones. This is a really nice pattern--lots of interest but once the pattern is set, you never have to either memorize or look at the book--can just look at the hat and know what to do next.


Also finished my wheat sheaves scarf-stitch pattern from Barbara Walker's second book--I liked the looks of it and pattern was easily memorized.