Scarves

The scarves are finished.  In plenty of time to mail!

Same pattern different yarns.  First I used Red Heart's Boutique Midnight in Misty.

Then I used Bernat's Alpaca in Indigo.

I may just send them both.  I still have some time to decide.  

The pattern is Chic Crochet Cloche & Scarf.

Wow, this was surprising.  This pattern is designed by Katherine Eng and is from the Coats and Clark's website (see the above link).  But when you bring up the pdf pattern it has the Red Heart website listed at the top.  However, on the Red Heart website the pattern by this same name and same author is completely different!  How strange is that?

Finished Blocking

Here is what the sweater looked like when I removed the towel.  Good job.  I let it finish drying.

You can see the pattern much better on the dress form.  The back:

And the front.  I added about 4 rows to the length.  Even though I am short I tend to like things longer and I think the design really called for it.

The cold front arrived last night so I should be able to wear it this week!!!

Blocking

I recently finished a sweater for myself but it needed blocking.  The pattern had directions for blocking that I had not seen before but since this was a kit with a mercerized cotton yarn that I do not generally use I felt I should give it a try.

"Lay it out as desired and place a damp towel on top.  Press down firmly and leave until towel is dry.  Then remove towel and leave until the sweater is dry."

Sounded easy enough.  And it was...  after I spent the entire afternoon cleaning the garage so I could set up the card table to lay this out.

But the weather was perfect for doing this much needed project and I feel so much better having  it finished.  Well, almost finished.  I have a few things for a top shelf that are waiting for my tall grandson to help me with.

It sure feels good to have things sorted and organized again.  And I just might have this new sweater finished in time for cooler weather!  

Getting in the Halloween Spirit

Working on a little surprise for the new granddaughter.

While Delilah, the other granddaughter's Chihuahua watches as my daughter works on the skirt.

I was glueing on eyes.

Check back later to see how this works out.

Christmas Sweaters Finished

I finally finished the Christmas sweaters for the three little girls.  

This is for the littlest.

And this is for the middle girl.  I love this color and don't see it often.

This is for the oldest girl.  The silver strand doesn't show up well in these photos but I am told the girls will love the sparkle.  I just hope they fit.  Time will tell as they are for Christmas.

Distracted

I just saw a plaque for sale in a catalog (Potpourri) that says:

"I can't clean because....

I get distracted by all the Cool stuff I find."

Oh that sooooo describes me!  

Not to mention the condition of my house!

Every time I start to put something away or organize or sort

I start finding stashes  

of all kinds of things

And patterns or instructions for wonderful projects

that I plan to try  -  someday.

And instantly I forget all about what I came in with or for

and want to begin work on:

a flamingo quilt

or a new blouse

a knotted bracelet

or a crocheted sweater

a card for mom

or some tatting for a challenge (how long ago?)

Sprang that I still don't have the hang of

or Broomstick Lace that looks so neat

Christmas ornaments

or grapevine wreaths

weaving a shallow basket for picking blueberries

or maybe knitting a cap for my grandson

A new recipe to try

or that painting of the squirrel I photographed on the fence.

I could go on and on and on and on.

How about you?

What distracts you from cleaning?

Found it!

I found it!  I finally had a few minutes to relax and think about where I put that purse pattern.  Guess what?  I have been so busy that I realized I had not PUT it anywhere.  It was still in the bag with the leftover yarn from making the purse.  HA  Yeah, I know ya'll have a different bag for different projects with more than one full at a time.  I know I sure do.  More project bags than I care to admit, truth be told.

Anyway, when I looked there it was, right where I left it.  It is a free pattern from Bernat called Mermaid Tears Purse.  You can find it here.  Enjoy!  And thanks for your patience.  It is worth waiting for.

100

Wow, this is my 100th post for this blog.  It is also my comeback after an almost 5 month absence.  I knew I would be gone awhile but had no idea it would take so long.  Family matters.  They aren't finished.  Not by a long shot but I am home again.

I wish it felt as good to be back as I thought it would.  I am still spending hours every day on paperwork and sorting.  It is beginning to take a toll on my wrists/hands and my Carpal Tunnel is complaining.  All of which explains why I have not done much fun stuff for the past few months and still am not finding myself able to enjoy life as much as I would like but it is getting better.

In the meantime, as I come across the few items I did work on and finish I will post photos, beginning today with this alligator stitch purse.  I had been seeing this stitch everywhere and wanted to try it out but when I saw this purse I could not resist.  The colors are not what I would have bought or even dug out of my stash at home but I considered myself lucky to find these neutral colors laying around my room in California and personalized it with the teal blue flower.

I have to say it was fun and the top band has a neat stitch effect as well which was also new to me.  While we are at it the handles were totally new techniques that I still am not certain I did correctly.  Some detailed drawings would have been helpful but regardless it produced nice softly padded handles that unlike most crocheted handles do not seem to stretch out!  I haven't had a chance to try it out yet so can't be certain.

I would love to give credit for the pattern and if/when I run across it in one of my boxes I will post it.  I do know I got it off the internet.  I know that isn't a huge help but there it is.

Anyway, I have SO many things I want to do that I don't know where to begin but first I have to finish sorting out all this stuff and organizing it and catch up on two months worth of mail.  Yikes!

Baby Sweater Set

The photos.

Here they are. (Hear the trumpets?)

I am slow but determined.

I don't have my camera with me so in order to post photos I first had to learn how to take pictures with my cell phone.

First you have to appreciate that up until about 6 months ago I only turned my cell phone on if I wanted to make a call and generally used between 2 and 8 minutes per month!

But when my phone finally bit the dust, (they last a long time when you rarely use them) I decided to get one with a qwerty keyboard so I could learn how to text.

Wooo Hooo! It took some time for the kids to get used to the idea that grandma can text!

With my daughter out of the state for a few months it came in very handy and I got LOTS of practice, (read that as I had to keep upping my plan).

Anyway, I had asked my grandson to show me how to take pictures but he just did it for me.

(I sure hope he did not learn that from me!)

So I stopped by a Verizon store and the nice (bored) young men there graciously showed me how to not only take a photo but also how to send it as a text.

That's great and all but hello - I still couldn't post the photos!

My daughter offered to email them to me but she has been laid up with her back so that hasn't happened either.

I figured I would just stop by the Verizon store again for more instructions but I have been quite busy caring for my now laid up daughter as well as my mother so no free time for running the roads.

Therefore since I wanted to stay up to change my clocks... (Yeah right, I just can't sleep!) I decided to try something my son had suggested trying and lo and behold I was able to email the photo to myself first try! Either electronics are gettinga whole lot simpler or I am getting smarter. Yeah, I know - it's not me!

Now for the photos of the baby sweater set that I mailed to her on Thursday. It actually arrived today but her mommy has been having trouble trying to send me photos lately [wait maybe it is me ;-) ] so I don't have any yet on the model. These that I took while I was blocking it will have to do.

I don't know how well you will be able to see the hearts pattern along the bottom edge of the sweater and the hat. It is kind of a slouch type hat. But at any rate we have photos.

Afghan finished

Here it is. The afghan I started before Christmas. Done in plenty of time for his birthday! These are colors he likes so I think my grandson will enjoy it.

Hmmmm I just realized I neglected to make a notation on the pattern before I filed it that I had to order more of the 'Zebra' yarn. I better go do that!