Saturday, January 29, 2005

I decided to

take pics of my yarn stash today as I went through it. I did leave out the various afghans I've started and the yarns for those. I keep all that's pictured in my computer desk corner, in the shelves and a big basket

And the shelves I keep my yarn in. This is the rest of my stash, including wool, Caron brights, a Red Heart, sock yarns, a black yarn for my poncho, and a ton of cottons. Posted by Hello

My big stash of eyelash yarns and fun fur. Posted by Hello

A bunch of my other yarns, boucles, homespun, some Caron and some Lion brand wool. Posted by Hello

Some other wip's, 2 baby blankets, a baby hat, and my scarf. Posted by Hello

These are the wip ponchos for my sisters. Posted by Hello

I am so happy

because a coffee place has moved into my neighborhood. With a drive-through. It's a beautiful thing. The coffee is great, it's kismet that their turtle latte is exactly how I like it, AND they are much cheaper. Hooray!

The boys and I had gone in and had fried rolls with chocolate on top, all nice and yummy and warm. The boys would eat and I would crochet. Aaaaahhh. However, now that I have discovered their drive-through, it is much easier to get everything to go and come back home, without having to worry about the boys getting into too much trouble. At least if they break something here, it's already mine.

The kiddos are all playing together, two of them are pets, on a puppy, the other a kitty. One of my girls-a pet owner-is using her aristocratic English voice. Apparently the animals continue to break down their cages and there is much discussion on taking them back to the pet store. (Please do not think this is learned from us, we have only had 2 pets since having children. One, my cat of 13 years, who passed away not long after the girls were born, and our fish Skippy, who also met an untimely end. Even though we kept him up on a high out of reach shelf, I still think it may have just been too much to have that many little people yelling up at him.)

I have been helping out with the joint auction to benefit the tsunami victims on Sybermoms. It's amazing the tremendous amount of work that goes into these auctions, I feel lucky to be able to be involved in this one. I will be posting about the auction, when and where and all of that good stuff, in a later entry. I know I don't have many readers of this little blog, but please come out and support this cause. With over two hundred donations, there are a ton of very cool things to bid on.

As for what I am working on, it's the sets for a fellow Sybermom. I've gotten the two hats finished for the younger girls and am working on the scarf to match one of them. They are turning out very pretty, especially once the fun fur is added. Can't wait to see them all finished, and to see pictures of the kiddos in them!


Thursday, January 27, 2005

Blech blech blech

I woke up this morning with my stomach churning around. Vomiting and retching soon followed *sob* I am feeling awful, but I got the girls off to school. My mother-in-law came over and got the boys for me this afternoon, I was so thankful. I haven't been sick since late morning, hopefully I will be feeling better in the morning, as I've been feeling rough for a couple days now. No crocheting today, just resting and feeling bad. Yay.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005


Here is one on of the little girl hats. :) Posted by Hello

Ahhhh, back on cable internet

and things are much faster, especially pictures.

I've been busy working on the ordered scarves and hats, 2 hats done so far. I also reorganized my yarn stash again, whew, amazing how quickly I get that all rowdied around.

It was fairly warm here for a few days, even in the 50's-VERY nice break from the cold. Today we are back to cold. Such is life in the midwest.


Saturday, January 22, 2005


It's finally finished!!! Woohoo! Posted by Hello

A close-up of the strap, I used a bigger hook, same stitch, I really like how it came out. Posted by Hello

A close-up of the felted bag. Posted by Hello

Friday, January 21, 2005


A close-up of the bag and the handle, I thought the handle may have looked cool without being felted, but it's already on, so oh well.  Posted by Hello

Here is my Felty Bag, all finished! I was short on yarn for the handle, so I ended up using a bigger crochet hook for it. Posted by Hello

Oh Elann!!! I am in love. My first ever order from elann came in! Posted by Hello

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Ah My Felty Bag

It is almost finished! One more row of the blue, and then it's on to the handle. THEN, the felting process, which I have only done on a test swatch. Hopefully all will go well, I cannot wait to get this finished!!

Next up are the scarves and hats from the SM order. I want to do scarves for my girls, and my boys, but I also need to work on the ponchos for my sisters. I will probably end up doing the scarves mostly, as they are much faster.

Once I get this bag done I will post a pic pre-felting, right now it is HUGE.

Monday, January 17, 2005

Aaaaaah

Today Mr. Blue was off work, so I took the girls to school and didn't have to get 5 of us ready, very nice. I needed to head to the yarn store, so while I waited for it to open I stopped for coffee, a donut and a loooong time relaxing and crocheting. Bliss, pure bliss. It was very nice to sit and drink my coffee, work on my felty bag, chat with the coffee shop girls and not have to look at my messy living room or listen to 4 children terrorizing each other.

After I headed out in search of some Homespun for some sets I am making for another Sybermom. She had bid on and won the set I had in the last SM auction, and said her other daughters wanted one too and asked if I sold them. That was a nice ego boost. :) I really like doing the sets, as they work up fairly quickly and turn out so warm and soft. Sadly, one of the colors her daughter chose is nowhere to be found, so we are switching to a different one. And yes folks, that means ANOTHER trip to the yarn store, YEEHAW! Hobby Lobby had 40% off their crochet and knit accessories and pattern books, so I picked up a book of poncho patterns, and some more hooks. I wanted some of the bigger ones, like M, P, and that, which were only to be found in the plastic. I haven't used those before, but there's a first time for everything. Plus, I got the set on sale. I had to resist buying any knitting things, since I still haven't learned how to do it. I did hit the clearance yarn section and pick up some white Lion Cotton and some sock yarn. As if my yarn stash isn't big enough.


Sunday, January 16, 2005

Now I remember

back when I first started this felty bag and thought I would never finish the bottom. Now, I am thinking I will never finish the rest. lol I worked on the auction scarf for most of today, and tonight switched back to the bag. Of course the homespun works up very quickly, especially with an N hook, but still. I want to see it finished already.

I also can't wait for my elann order to get here, woohoo!

This is the set for the Sybermoms auction. I LOVE the way this is turning out, and for the new scarf I am adding more white to it. It's very soft and warm. Posted by Hello

Here is the scarf that is going to Mr. Blue, originally the one for the set, the widths are a little off after a skein change. Posted by Hello

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Friday, January 14, 2005

Little stitches

I had forgotten how long it takes to crochet something when using a smaller hook and smaller yarn. I've been using bulkier yarns, boucle and homespun, with a size N hook, so my projects have been moving along pretty quickly. The bag is taking a tad bit longer, especially as I want it to be good sized, and once it is felted it will shrink up.

It's more time intesive, but I am LOVING the colors, a blue and green. Doing wide wide stripes on it and I can't wait to see it finished. Hopefully it will felt well for me too.

I'm being spoiled right now, on my in-laws' laptop, with high speed internet, compared to my dial-up I am in HEAVEN right now. I made some changes to my template while I don't have to wait a billion years. Now I need to stop being rude and go be social.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

My bag is getting some

much needed attention!

I spent most of yesterday either working on a scarf, or the poncho for my sister, by the end of the day I was in the mood for something different. I scanned my stash of yarn, mentally went through the list of projects, and then...I saw the forlorn beginnings of my bag, surrounded by skeins ready to be worked with.

So today I am working on my bag. I've also been giving my hands some rest.

It is FREEZING here right now. Sooooo very cold. We did the school run, dropped all the girls off at school and then it was off for coffee and a trip to the store. Brrrrrrrr. I am glad we don't have to go out again until it's time to pick everyone back up. Then its back home, where I will get cozy in my comfy jammies and hopefully make some progress on my bag.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Sooooo

I've been working on the scarf for the Sybermoms auction for the tsunami victims, and have the hat finished. I really like how the hat turned out. However, I had to switch to a new skein of yarn about 1/3 into the scarf and I am not sure what the deal is, either I am missing a stitch, or this skein is not as bulky as the other. Really not sure. I went back and redid it twice, but I am still getting the same result. Now I am trying to decide if I should just start over and what the heck to do with the other one.

So, today I have been working on the poncho for my youngest sister. I had had to frog about 4 rows, because it was too wide *sob I have now about doubled what I had done before. Progress is being made.

I have a ton of projects right now, my poor bag will never get finished. I also need to get out to buy some more yarn, but it will have to wait until thurs night or fri.

I really, really could've used a nap today, whew.

A shot of the beginnings of a poncho for my sister. Posted by Hello

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Sad and numb

Too much sadness, and emotions.

I went to take a nap today, and slept from 3pm to 11pm. My wisdom teeth are moving, again, and of course I think all of this emotion is just draining me. I am getting ready to go back to bed here in a bit.

I am finished with the hat for the Sybermoms auction, and 3/4 done with the scarf. It's so soothing to just sit and crochet, which is mainly what I've been doing today. It's good busy-work. I feel like I am doing something, but I don't have to think, or concentrate.

I have steadily been winding my koolaid yarn into balls, but I tell you, it is a time consuming job. Untangling the mass of yarn is a nightmare at times. I was careful with the red, I kept the skeins separate, but with the rest I didn't worry about it. Apparently I should have. ;)

Friday, January 07, 2005

Thursday, January 06, 2005

The snow is here

and we are finally getting much more Iowa like winter weather, it's now below zero, we've had 9 inches of snow in two days, and are appropriately bundled up, shovels and ice scrapers at the ready whenever we have to leave the house.

I have finally finished the hat and scarf set, aside from the trim for it. WOOHOO. This homespun is so soft and turns out really beautifully. I am going to donate another set soon, although the homespun is a different color, lighter than what I've used.

I also need to work on my sisters' ponchos, although I am thinking I will need to frog and restart on of them as it will turn out HUGE if I don't. It's all a learning experience.

I have to work tonight, but I wish I could hole up in my warm house in comfy jammies and crochet the night away. Instead I will be serving drinks, chitty chatting, and ringing up tickets, yippee!

Monday, January 03, 2005

Happy New Year!!!

Hard to believe it's 2005, that seemed so science fiction futuristic to me when I was a kid.

The holiday craziness is over, and we have a day at home today before the girls go back to school in the morning. They are pretty excited, one of the benefits of being a kindergartner.

Today I have been winding up my koolaid yarn into balls, something I put off for far to long. Then I will be finishing the hat/scarf set. After that, ponchos for my sisters. We went to Hobby Lobby together to pick out the yarn before they went back to California. I am slightly intimidated by the adult poncho, but I guess we'll see how it goes!