Bag Lady (A Plastic Bag Holder)

...and a doll, all rolled up into one. I had been wanting to make this, from "101 Easy Scrap Crochet Projects", forever. I joined a 'Market Bag or Bag Holder' CAL on Crochet Mania. And this is what I made. I used my 'magic ball' for the top part (it just had enough, with a little left over), and mostly scraps for the stripes in the skirt, and the arms and head/bag were not scraps... That's what I love about crocheting: Making something out of 'nothing'... And this is useful. Although, it doesn't even hold one bag full of bags. Oh well. I can take the rest back to the store to recycle. Or keep saving them to crochet with... (Sigh...)

Lots of Random Stuff...

I still am crocheting and taking pictures of stuff, even though I'm not so good at keeping my blog up. This is a tent I have been working on. Long story. I might have mentioned it here already. I sent my friend a dishcloth I knitted. Her daughter confiscated it to use as a rug in her Barbie Dream House. :P I said 'Awwww.... I can crochet her a rug for her Barbie house!... I can crochet her a lot of stuff for it...' Well, then I thought, 'I can't just send her something, now I will have to make something for her brother...' So I thought of this tent, which our 7 year old also wants one of... (Sigh...) Soon as I am done with this one. It's from an issue of Crochet World, I forget which one. And this is the Barbie furniture, which is finished (woo hoo):

I tried out Tam's dishcloth pattern from her blog (saw it on Dishcloth CAL 2010 at Crochetville). I made a mistake on the middle garter stitch rib. I also knit it on size 7's not 10's. Oh well. I still think it's cute. I put it in my charity pile.

I got a couple RAOKs!! This one is a couple weeks old, from Serena at Crochetmania. I forgot she had said she was going to send me the afghan pattern book; and she sent me some scrap yarns. Yay!! (That's one of the things on my wishlist.) Thank you, Serena!

And just last week, I stopped by my PO box, and I got another RAOK! From Crochetville, this time. Some more scrap yarn!! And pens. (Another thing on my list.) There actually were three pens, but our 7 year old thought the third pen was SO cool. So I let him have it. (See why I have pens on my wishlist, I can never hold on to them in this house, LOL...) She also sent me two dishcloths, which I already have used and washed, even! :P You can see I already crocheted some yo-yos with some of the yarn she sent me. :D

This *was* the Forest Flowers Pullover I had started, from the Spring issue of Interweave Crochets, '09. I was using Red Heart in 'Aruba Sea'. I love how it was looking, but HATED how it felt. I got almost done with the whole front of it, then frogged it. I am going to try a different yarn. I think I'll make it in the colors they used in the mag. I got to go to JoAnns today (Wahooo!!!), and I got a skein of 'chocolate' and 'asparagus' to go with the off-white/ecru I am thinking about using for this... Going to put it on hold for a while til I get some other projects finished, first...

I started a new sweater with the Aruba Sea, too. (Same magazine) I forget what it is called. It's a cardigan, long... You can see what it looks like in the picture. :) Amazing Grace or something?

I also started a skirt!!!!! I am going nuts here. I guess I should just give it up, trying to scale down my WIP list. It's the only thing I can be *bad* with, I can't eat anything, cuz I'm trying to lose weight. Sigh. Anyway, the skirt is called 'Mauve' at Ravelry. (I am not making mine in mauve, though-- "Burgundy Sprinkles'; Wool Ease.) I became obssessed with crocheting or knitting a skirt, somehow. I went through all my patterns, searched patterns online.... I didn't have any of the yarn I needed to make any other ones, so I just decided to do squares and sew them up. I forgot to mention, I don't technically even have a pattern for this, just saw pics of some on Ravelry. But I do have the pattern for the square they used to do it with. So I am going to just wing the rest. I also bought fabric for a liner, and a pattern to do a skirt with. I really don't know if it will all work out... But it's fun doing it. I made an afghan for my husband, for one of our first wedding anniversaries; with this exact same square pattern, too. :P Well that's about all for now.

A Lot Of Finished Projects... Finally :P...

See what happens when I don't blog in a while? (Well, sometimes) I actually have FOs to post about... Three were on my list of projects to finish, three weren't... (Sigh) But, they are all done now so no worries. The mouse ami is one I have had sitting in my drawer, undone. I had been looking for mouse/rat patterns to make on Ravelry. I still feel awful about the rat my husband killed that got in our house a while back... Well last night I went to get some grey yarn out of my yarn bin(s), in case I found a pattern to work on. (Since my husband goes to bed pretty early, has to get up at 3 am...) Well when I went to get the grey yarn, I found this project in there too. All I had left to finish was the ears, and stuff and sew it up. I was going to give it to Eon, but he said he didn't want it!! :0 (Brat) So, I am going to RAOK it to someone... Anyway, you can find the pattern at The Kansas Hookers blog: Mouse Ami. :D I don't know why I didn't finish it when I was so close to being done... Oh well, story of my life lately... :P

I crocheted a couple (three, actually--which makes it four projects that weren't on my list, actually, but...) of dishcloths. This one from a pattern book of dishcloths (ripple) that I have.

This one I just kinda made up. I started a different pattern and said "I just want something brain dead that I don't have to look at the pattern and try to remember what row I am on.." So since I had chained 31 already, I just did sc, ch 1, skip one, across. With two sc in last two stitches. And did that for the whole thing. I think there is a pattern on the Bernat site like this, but I am almost positive you chain more... I also did a second one just like it, different variegated color. They are all going into my charity pile...

Along with this. This is a project that has been sitting undone (cuz I didn't have yarn to finish it). Well I must have unconciously remembered I needed more of this color (somehow...). So I finished this one up. From a Crochet World issue. I also had another one started (that I still don't have the yarn for). And started another one (that I don't have enough yarn to finish...) :P

This was something I wanted to make a sample for, of the "Pressed Flowers" afghan I made. To "show" my husbands Aunt how it "looks". Then I thought, "Well what is she going to *do* with it, though?.... I know, turn it into a hotpad". So that's where that came from... It's a good idea to use up scraps for future hotpads for me, though; too.

Thought I would take a picture of my progress on the Shalom Cardigan. This one is slow going... I switched to circular needles since it was way too hard to do on straights. I found a pair that were the right size, and noticed there was a 'snag' on them. Grrr! So, I tried to cut it off with a pair of nail clippers (didn't work too well), then got my emery board out and filed it down. :P Where there's a will, there's a way!... LOL It worked pretty good.

And, I saved the biggest for last!! My Short Sleeved Bolero! I finished this shortly after my last post. The next day, actually; I think. This is another project I was so close to finishing, why did I stop working on it?.... I don't know. I must lose my steam or something... But now it is done. A project that that was on my list forever to finish. I took a few pictures. Well, my 7 year old took this one. :P Which accounts for the look on my face. (He takes pictures like his Dad... moves the camera before the picture is done being taken, turns out blurry... ) So this was like #4 try on him taking this...

This one I did (with a different top on), bathroom mirror...

And, on the bathroom door... :P

Well that is all for now. Got three million things to do today. But I wanted to get this blog post in. Shoulda started earlier... Oh well. Story of my life... :P Hope everyone has a great weekend.

WIPs...

Well I think I am doing pretty good about only working on things I already have going. The only problem is, I don't feel like working on any of them, cuz I'm bored with them all... (Sigh..) But today and yesterday I worked on some of them. These squares are going to be an afghan someday. :P My husbands Great Aunt sent me a diagram of an afghan she is making (her own design?); and instructions on how to do the 'plain square'. (The other squares are flowers) This is how many I have done so far. All the pink, all the yellow, and started on the blue... Have a soft green and off-white to go, plus the flowers, then bordering them all and sewing them together. This afghan is not going to be done any time soon. I figured; if I start it now, it might be done by next winter. (I am going to be sending it to Pine Ridge, to one of the elders I send things to....)

I should have taken a picture of the beautiful necklace I got from on of the other elders I send things to (the one who I made the two star afghans for--her grandsons [two of them, anyway]-- link is to one of the afghans...). I love it; it's so pretty. I'll try to remember to take a pic to post next time...

I got a new stamping magazine recently. Since I got my teddy bear stamp in the Tag & Silly Swap, I have been in the mood to make cards again. I didn't really get any ideas for the bear stamp in this magazine, but I liked some of the cards in there, so...

This is another (old, old, old) WIP I have had. I picked it up last night and worked on it. I didn't realize how close I was to being done. (Or else I forgot...) All I have to do now is sew it up and crochet the edging on it. It reminds me a lot of the 'LA Shrug' I did. Same stitch, anyway... I hope I will like this/it will cover my blub/ when it's done...

I forgot to post the 'bee' I made, too. I don't have a picture of it anymore (well, I do have one on my Ravelry page... if you really want to see it.. :P) My husband re-installed Windows on our computer, and I told him, 'All the pictures on there that I want I have saved to a website, so you don't have to worry about saving them to a CD (or whatever you save them to...)' He couldn't find the right kind of disc to put them on. Anyway, I don't know anything about computers-- except how to email, and blog, and post pictures... :P But I couldn't get on to Crochetville (this happened to me before, when we had AOL). I vaguely remember someone saying something about deleting my cookies? or something like that... (Back then, when we had AOL...) I tried and tried; and I don't know.... I must have finally done something right, because I was finally able to get on there today-- and didn't have to sign back in every time I tried to go to a different page, or post... Sheesh.

I get to have my very first mammogram done tomorrow. Having turned 40 last year, I guess it's one of those things I'm 'supposed' to do.... So I might as well get it over with, eh?... My hubby spoiled me this weekend and made dinner each night. Saturday he made Slim Jims. Yummy... (We met at Elias Brothers Big Boy Restaraunt~ He was the cook/manager, I was a waitress... :P) Well not having any Big Boys here (unless we drive to California...), we kind of miss it sometimes. There used to be a Big Boy somewhere in Las Vegas. We drove there once, like an hour away, and it was closed! I wonder if it ever opened back up, or not?... Have to check that out.

A Couple FO's...

None that were on my list, though... I actually started (and finished) this kleenex box cover after the next one... I got a new (used) book, "Crochet Private Collection" from Amazon. (For less than $7 including S & H!!) I love this book! I got it because someone at Crochetville posted a Strawberry Cow (from Farmville) that they had made using the cow pattern in this book. Well, I HAD to have it. (I'm going to make a strawberry cow for the kids.... someday....) Anyway, I was looking through the book and saw the kleenex box cover below. I thought it would be cute to send to someone (I send things to) on Pine Ridge... Well as I was making that one, I started thinking, "Whatever happened to that one 'ABC' kleenex box cover I was going to make when we lived in Michigan..." So, I finally found what I had written down, and re-did it... Not so great, but.... The pattern is on my pattern blog if you need a present for a teacher or something... :P Classroom Kleenex Box Cover

The hard thing on this kleenex box cover was the embroidery on the heart. I was going to make a 'matching' toilet paper cover, but decided not to.... (See how I get myself into trouble with too many WIPs?....)

I recently joined a "Tag~n~Silly Swap" at Crochetmania. You post your wishlist and then the first person to be "It" sends someone something but doesn't say who. The person they send it to, is "It", then they send someone else something, and so on.... Well I was the first one to get a package. An adorable teddy bear stamp. It's so cute!! Thanks Sue! (I don't know if she reads my blog at all or even knows I have a blog, but...) :P

Then there is my Spring Drew-Strings Purse, it's finished! Yay... I really like this one. But, I noticed (after I finished weaving in the chains for the 'drew' string) that I sewed the handles on wrong! GRRRR!!! I am pretty annoyed about that. But, I sewed them on too good to even attempt to undo them... :( I still like it, though. I just won't be able to put it on my shoulder. Will have to use it as a 'handbag'. :( I still need to line it. I still have fabric left over from my Chakra purse that I was thinking about using. We'll see...

We are 99.9% sure we are going to be moving again. (Yes, AGAIN!!!!!!!) UGH..... I cannot blame my husband for wanting to move. He has to drive 120 miles a day for work. I don't know how he has held out this long. We thought living out here (in the 'country'--desert style, I guess..) would be better. I do like the open space/no close neighbors here. But, there are other problems... (Besides the commute)... So, we are looking for a new place. We went this weekend to look at a couple. One I liked, but it was kind of expensive. It had a huge back yard (with grass). Well, stay tuned....

Better Days..

I haven't been having any more days like my last post, anyway... I thought I would post some pictures and a video I made, the last time we went to Bass Pro Shop. The boys love going there. There is a huge aquarium (two actually, one isn't so 'huge', but has a lot of bigger fish); sometimes they have a mermaid in there. (See video below... pictures/video didn't post like I thought they would..) This time there were two guys in there, fixing things. The only thing is, they allow smoking in the casino which is right by the aquarium. I hate that. But, it is peaceful to watch the fish, and the stingrays (you couldn't pay me enough to swim in there with those things-- they must have 'de-stung' them or something...). They have a 'shooting range' where you can shoot all kinds of things. We had planned on going here this day so I brought lots of quarters. :) That's the main reason--besides the aquariums, the boys like going there... besides, we always get candy there, too. :P

It's not the greatest video, and no sound (need a real camera...) But, it's better than nothing. :)

Hope you are all having a good day. :)

Apparently, today is...

... "Annoy The Living Crap Out of Tina" Day!! Arghhh! It started at 1 am this morning. I woke up (sleeping with the 7 year old in a twin bed because he won't sleep alone is not fun...) and went into my own room. Well I couldn't get back to sleep, then. I layed there, my mind wouldn't shut off... Then I hear noises. "What is that?" I thought, "I would bet anything Eon is in here somewhere..." I couldn't see him, but finally figured out he was under our bed!! Ugh... I tried pulling on him to get him out from under the bed, without waking up my husband. He wouldn't get out. I said "Well I'm not going back to sleep any time soon now..." So I got up and went out in the living room. I worked on my Spring Drew-strings purse. I finished all I could without my sewing needle (which was in the bedroom..) Meanwhile, Eon came out from my room and went in his own room, got in his bed and went to sleep. Grrr! (Why couldn't he just do that the night before?...) Well I still couldn't go to sleep. So I got the coffee pot ready for my husband and went in the room and looked at the alarm clock to see when he had it set for... Started the coffee pot. Went back to my crocheting. I worked on my button-up book cover by Turtlelvr I had started a while ago. I am about half way done with that now. Well, I did go back to sleep then got woke up at 8:30 by my phone ringing from Texas?... Then, the kids get up.... "Can you drive me here? Are you going to do this?..." I won't even get into it all.... Drive the 17 year old to the place he wanted to go, (this is about the third time we have taken him here) he still does not fill out the application for this place!!!! Take him to Walmart (even though we were just there last night!! Grr...) Go to the post office, since it was closed yesterday. The line is long, and only one person behind the counter.... Ugh... Then, a family with boxes of candy come in right behind me. They keep putting candy in their mouths in the most annoying way, smacking their mouths, talking while smacking their mouths-- UGH!!!!! Is there even food allowed in the Post Office? Oh my God!! And it was a grown woman, too. Finally, I get home. I make a cup of decaf coffee (don't want to interfere at all with my sleep tonight!!). Sit down to try and relax... Just then, Eon spills a half a can of pop on my Drew-strings purse. (Who said he could drink pop in here, anyway?....) Clean that up, rinse off my purse.... Sheesh!!

I have so many projects going it isn't funny. I wasn't sure if I should make the title of my post "Why Can't I Finish One Project?" or "Apparently today is..." Sigh... I thought I would list them here just for myself/future reference:

~Bear Pillow for Eon (was supposed to be his 'New Bed' gift, but I wanted to sew a pillow for the insert, and since my sewing machine doesn't work, I am putting it off....) I think I am pretty much done with all the crocheting on this, but for the pillow part of it and sewing it together...
~A Baby Snow Dragon also for Eon. This is almost done. Got three 'spikes' to crochet, and the arms and legs to crochet and sew all on to. The rest is all done.
~Central Park Hoodie (sigh....) Sleeves are done. Blocked the back, and one front side. I need to sew the shoulder seams together (and block the other front side, and sleeves...). Then I can move on to the hood, and the front band.
~Lamb Sweater; that I decided I was going to send to my nephew Corbin. If I ever finish it!!! I blocked the front and back, need to sew the shoulder seams and block the sleeves/sew those on. I started the hat, need to finish that too. I hope I can finish it in time for him. He is two. It's a size 4...
~Pressed Flowers Afghan II for my husband. This one I am not super stressed about. I told myself it was going to get done when it got done, when I started it..
~Shalom Cardigan Vest. I need printer ink so I can work on this one whenever I want. I am on the yoke part (I guess?)
~An Afghan with no name, that my husband's Great Aunt sent me a drawing/diagram of one that she is doing and I tried to do what I thought she was doing (turns out I did my own thing LOL Hey, maybe I have my own pattern when I am through?...) It's squares... Don't know when this one will be done, either...
~Barbie furniture for my friends daughter that I promised to send... long story (I sent her a dishcloth & her daughter tried to use it as a Barbie rug in her Barbie doll house. I said "I can make her furniture for her doll house!") Ugh... Big mouth me... Actually, the Barbie doll stuff is almost done, it's her brother's stuff I am stressing about... A G.I. Joe type doll camping set, a sleeping bag (which is easy, I made one for Eon) and a tent. The tent is what I am stressing about.... So, I haven't even started it. Sigh....
~A heart pillow from CrochetMe
~A million other years old projects I don't know if they will EVER be done, ever.... :(

I keep seeing new things at Crochetville or Ravelry and "Oh, I want to crochet a hanger cover, that's so cute!".... "I haven't crocheted/knitted a dishcloth/hotpad in a long time, it's just a quick project..." "OH, look at that cute new bookmark pattern, and I've been wanting to crochet a new bookmark pattern..." "OH MY GOODNESS! Someone crocheted a Strawberry Cow from Farmville!! I HAVE to have that pattern!!" :(

Well, I guess I should be happy... Hubby is making dinner and he brought it to me! Awww.... Hopefully I will get a full night's sleep tonight. Otherwise, I might have some FO's to post here tomorrow. :P