Sigh...

There is a new crochet hat sitting on the ottoman waiting to be photographed. In fact, there are several things waiting to be photographed. Yesterday I was logging in my completed items and making a list and I found some finished projects that I knew were somewhere. I also found some yarn.

I am just not in the mood for the photos - wait, I did promise I would show the completed homespun afghan: When I completed the afghan and went to fold it up, I discovered a hole. I think it happened when I was cutting ends and I cut something that should not have been cut. It took some clever mending for me to fix it. The hole was in the light blue section - do you see the hole? No - you don't see the hole. It appears what I did was cut the join when I ran out of yarn - what a dip - and I crochet/knit it all together. After I tried different things like Tunisian crochet and regular crochet. The picture really does not do the colors justice - I've done this afghan maybe three or four times before and this one is the most stunning. It's also the smallest, making it more of a throw than an afghan.

Mr. Honey has given his notice at his job. Working three years after being retired has worn thin. So starting next week he will be home.

Help me, please.

He will be home. When I wake up - he will be there. No more quiet mornings. He will be here. No more leisurely listening to my radio in bed and padding off to the bathroom when I feel like it. He will be here. He will be at my laptop so I will have to fire up the computer in the office so I will have a place to work.

Now, we all know I love me some Mr. Honey - but he's coming back and changing around the calm atmosphere I have developed. I don't quite know how I am going to handle it. This adjustment will be harder on me than it will be on him. Perhaps I will have to visit more knitting places.

I just got a package with my books in it from a craft book club. There's a story there and I can tell it later.

Sum of All Parts

Depending on how you want to count, I have completed 26 - 33 items this year. It would be 26 if you counted a set as one item - I know there are 25 things shown here - I didn't include one of the hand puppets - but are the golf club covers 3 items or 1?

I dragged my leg outside with the rest of me to take photos - the first seven were taken yesterday - overcast days are great for photography as I said. Overcast days, especially using a digital camera, will make colors run more true. On a sunny day, I wouldn't get purple hats; I would get blue ones. That is a source of irritation for me. So, there's a tip for photographers - use an overcast day to advantage in taking your photos.

I am fully aware I would not be able to produce so much,eh, produce if I had young'uns at home. Of course, if we had kids immediately they would be tweens and would be ignoring us now so perhaps I would have time. But the kid we did help raise is in her 30s and living on her own on the upper left coast so again, I have time. (We got her when she was in her teens - young enough for us to mess her up, get strangely attached and cry like rivers when she moved, and thank God we didn't mess her up after all.)

I love this craft. As much as I turned my nose up at crocheting - which I learned first - I am glad to have picked it up. At least nine of the things I've done are crocheted. The joke is on me. Ha. They both help soothe me but in different ways - freaky. I would explain the difference here but I'm putting it in the book. (Hey Julie!!)

Right now the finished objects are occupying the chair and the top of Mr. Honey's snow thrower box. I was asked to donate items to a school auction and I am trying to decide what items from last year I want to give them and that will free up the storage space for some of the new stuff. Incidentally, if you know of a school or other organization who needs items for a sale, raffle or auction, let me know and I will be more than happy to contribute. I have more than enough for any show and the shop and I don't want to lose track of the giving component I started out with.

I hope your weekend is great! I will be limping off to Lay Academy training - I have to reluctantly admit to really hurting the limb. I walked half a block when we went out to breakfast this morning and I was looking for a vet to put me down. We're supposed to have a little snow over the weekend and then pop right back to sunny - I hope you fare as well!

Going Home

I admit there are times when I don't know what to call my posts. I suppose I could wait until I write it and then think of a name but why should I be logical? So when I don't know what to name my posts, I give it the title of the song that's playing on my computer media player and that's why this one is titled Going Home. I could now try and make the post fit the title but that logic things comes into play again.

My drool of the day is this knitted shawl. Lovely, just lovely. Yeah, Yarncolture!

I'm project - less. That isn't to say there aren't some wips lying around because there are two afghans and some other stuff that's not done yet but I don't feel like picking those up. Thus, I am project - less. I did a lot of photos yesterday and while today isn't as sunny as yesterday, it is a little warmer, or rather, not as cold. Believe me, there's a difference between the two and if I have to explain it that only means you live in a warmer climate and I'm not sure any explanation would suffice.

I was thinking about doing some more stuff in cotton. More spa stuff - maybe something for Valentine's Day - for couples. It's a thought. I like working with the cotton - didn't think about it much before cuz I thought all it was good for was washcloths and I didn't put too much thought into that. But since I made the soap bag and the slouch hat, I have to say it's a good medium. The wonderful April gave me a pattern for a bikini and that's made of cotton and seems like a lot of fun to create.

Then there's the 100% Pima cotton fiber that I have about two dozens skeins of. I still don't know what to do with that. The swimsuits would look good in those but this stuff is thin! I think any liner would have more depth than the fiber. On the other hand, it is DK weight and there's stuff I can do with that, I am sure.

A cold seems to be making its way through the house. I have a sore throat and now a runny nose and Mr. Honey insisted he had a fever this morning when he languished in bed. He was supposed to make dinner last night and instead he stayed in bed with orders that I 'eat his leftovers' from our date night. No, don't think so. This morning, when he is usually out of the bed before me on a Saturday, he was in bed until after 10. He said he felt warm so he must have a fever. I told him he would feel cold if he had a fever but I offered to get the thermometer and take his temp.

98.6 on the dot.

When I told him what it said, he pulled back the covers, got dressed, went grocery shopping and is at this very moment sitting in the dining room eating chicken noodle soup and potato chips. To be fair, he does have some congestion and a cough. But apparently the lack of a fever ended all plans for the pity party he was planning with me as the party planner.

I was so looking forward to that.

I'm Still Here

I know it's been a week since I've been here....some of you may not be able to forgive me, hence, the two less followers that were there just a week ago. It's been an interesting week of recovery and thinking.

I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

I don't know how to tell when I've grown up.

I was also trying to do something with Yang ribbon yarn and I tried something three times and it hasn't worked so the yarn is now back in a ball and I have nothing on the needles.

Nothing? You say. What about the shawl that never ends. It's ended. Cuz I stopped it. Now, not only do I not want to complete it. I'm actually bored with it. I did manage to make another hat and two hand puppets. I tried taking a photo with one hand and the puppet on the other and it was really bad so I will have to wait until Mr. Honey gets up from his respite and he can be the puppet. So no photos of anything today.

I also did a ruffle scarf - so it's not like I've been idle.

The big thing is that I've worked out just about every day - six days a week. I'm waiting for the temp outside to hit 35- 40 and I can add walking to my workouts.

The easy chair is filled with items I've made since the beginning of December. Here's the list:
Lion puppet
Ripple afghan
ruffle scarf
Frog puppet
turquoise scarflette
turquoise fingerless mitts
brown slouch beret
green slouch beret
variegated beret
child's poncho
soap sack - which i forgot i made
turquoise hat
golf club covers
crochet hat
purse with bead handle
four baby bibs
and several squares
blue bohemian afghan

Apparently, I like knitting and crochet. Maybe I can do something with that when I grow up.
Yes, there is a snow blower in that box cuz Mr. Honey wanted a snow blower to handle the snow but he feels the snow we've gotten wasn't sufficient enough to use it - even though it was sufficient enough to use the other snow blower. Don't ask me. I just love the guy.

Jumbo Shrimp

The days in July and August were so hot and thick sitting outside was really uncomfortable but the last few days in this fast moving month of September have been quite pleasant and Duke and I have spending them outside. He's been lying in the sun occasionally barking at passersby and other creatures and I have been working on different projects.

I put a bunch of different yarns in one of my tote bags and decided to work on the granny square afghan. I took it over to my sister-in-law's house over the weekend and it was half way done - I decided to work on that the first day out. That afghan is now done. Turned out pretty nice. It is so soft, I cannot tell you. Hopefully someone will come along and want to love it. The background color is brown instead of black - do you see what I mean about how black would flatten it out but other colors warm it up? I think it's because black has every color in it so it absorbs a little of something from every color around it. But brown doesn't so colors reflect and bounce. Try it for yourself in a couple of small swatches and you'll see what I mean.

The second day I worked on the lace shawl (it turned out beautifully, I'll show you the final product once I take it off the blocking board.) For a moment, I was tempted to get some thinner yarn and try some real lace knitting. For a moment. I sat down until it went away. One, I don't possess that kind of patience. Two, I don't need to become obsessed with another fiber. So I will keep myself to this kind of lace knitting that holds smaller chances of frustration. As it is, I measured the shawl/scarf and thought I had enough inches before adding on the bottom trim but when I measured it after it was done, somehow I lost inches and won't get them back after blocking - though I will recover some. I don't know how it happened except I can probably blame the lateness of the hour. Yeah, that sounds good.

It looks really nice on the blocking board and I look forward to taking it off and wrapping it around one of the torsos and taking the photos. Then you'll see. it was worth the swear words I yelled uttered when the lace count wouldn't cooperate.

Yesterday, I worked on what may be the most stunning afghan I've ever made. Looking at the photo it reminds me of those little paints that come with the paint by numbers. In real dimensions, it is really pretty and the center of each square is done in a popcorn stitch so they stand out. some fibers puff up more than others and some of the colors of the same brand have more pop than others. They are crocheted together as i go so when I'm done with the very last square, the whole afghan will be done. All that will be left is the trim and I am thinking I will trim it in a dark color other than black because black will flatten it out. Perhaps a dark green or violet to make everything else pop.

I am set to start a new afghan today and it has hexagons instead of squares. A little intimidating but I'm not in the mood to be defeated. There was rain this morning but it has stopped and though it isn't exactly sunny outside, it is pleasant and Duke is already outside probably thinking what funny creatures humans are to want to stay indoors when there's a chance to be in nature.

Pooch has a point.

Don't Fight The Feeling

I was having a conversation with myself last night. It was very brief. I had stopped working on a scarf because I just wasn't feeling it. You know how that goes, you cast on and you start knitting and you don't get that great feeling of working towards something and getting excited seeing it develop before your eyes and wanting to see it when it's done.

I wasn't getting any of that. So I pulled it off the needles and rewound it to the skein and started working on a bag.

Did you notice I didn't say I started working on a hat?
I noticed it and that's when the conversation with myself started.

"I guess the hat phase is over?" I asked myself, because I didn't know.
"Oh no!" The reply was quick. "You're enjoying making the hats. You really are."
"Wow, OK then. I just wanted to know."
"No, there are two more hats in the stable. You just finished one today. You were working on it at Pleasant Home. But that bag is just so cute, you have to make it."
"So, just so I'm sure; I'm going to make the bag and then go back to making hats."
"Yes, you may divert to something else - and don't forget you committed to making a la de da afghan, but hats are your thing."
"Hmmmph, if you say so."

I cannot account for enjoying the hat making so much. I've now done more than a dozen hats and I am not yet bored with the process and when I try to talk myself into being bored, myself isn't having it. What is this?

I certainly don't want to talk myself out of fun, but I cannot account for this new area of focus. But i will not fight it - what would be the point? It's a heady feeling and that's one of the things we love about the craft. We get that heady feeling of fun and accomplishment blended with mind clearing and relaxation. Why ruin the moment by thinking too much? Isn't that what I said Chantal was doing? I'm her teacher - I should lead by example.

It looks like I'll be taking tomorrow off so I look forward to seeing you all on Monday for the new Top Ten list. I'm headed over to an estate/yard sale because the listing mentioned crafts. (This is April's fault - she has me looking at listings ever since we went to that one estate sale - my friends are such enablers - I love them for it!)


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Even When You're Not Looking

It seems folks want to read about Jared and Alexander. Those are the names of the two sons in My Father's Son. I'll be taking input for a couple more days on which book to write. I don't have a problem writing this one first. The pre-write for this one is furthest along. But don't let that influence you.

The wedding afghan was on my mind and on my needles. That's the excuse I am using for slacking in other knitting areas. I haven't placed anything new in the shop since the 12th of August. That's almost the kiss of death for an online shop. Doing the afghan must be my excuse.

Of course, the last time (before the wedding afghan)that I showed off a completed object here was..this is what I'm saying. It might have been the yarn I dyed in August. Did I show you the yarn I dyed in August? Geez. If I didn't, the last item I showed you was the golden afghan.

However, there is something about knitting that sooner or later an ardent knitter will discover. Things get made when we're not looking. This is especially true if one is one of those knitters who have more than one project going at a time. So while the wedding afghan was indeed taking up space and time, there were other projects started right after it was completed. I failed to show and talk about one and the other has been the subject of a couple of recent posts...yes...the boring and the beautiful afghan is done along with a beaded pillow I made right after the wedding afghan was done. And would you believe it? I photographed them. Yes, I made my sore back get dressed and I took them to the backyard that doubles as the studio and I took their pictures.

The back of the pillow is a blue, brown and ivory variegated stockinette. I have to thank Vickie - a member of StitchCraft.
I was prepared to start this cover over because I thought I made it too big for the pillow form and with a 90 degree turn, Vickie showed me I didn't have to do it over. (I did have to redo the back, but thank goodness I didn't have to take out the beads. Thanks, Vickie!)



Do you see the bling in the fringe? Well, just in case you can't - I'll give you a real good look at it.

I wasn't going to do the fringe at all, but thought it added to the bohemian-ness of the throw. Then I thought I was going to leave out the sequins from the fringe, but the original pattern in the book calls for it and so I tied some in. Not too much, just enough so you know it's there, but not enough to overtake it.

It can double as a wrap or shawl (I know cuz I tried it.) As it turns out, I rather like it. But you can certainly see why it would be both boring and beautiful?

It takes some repetitive work to get over 600 sequins on any one object. (You should see the shawl pattern I cooked up that's using silver grey yarn with silver sequins. It is turning out to be quite beautiful and not quite as boring!)

I love how the sequins catch the light. Little stars. That's what they are. You can have your very own constellation wrapped around you.


And because a knitter's work is never really done (for which we are quite grateful) not only is the silver shawl on the needles, but a stained glass afghan is also in the making and maybe 1/3 of the way done. So there will be something new for you and for the job in the very near future!



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