An RAOK (One I sent) :)

This was a while ago. Before we moved here, in fact. :P I just found out that the person I sent it to was away and didn't get her mail. It wasn't much of an RAOK, but.... I made her a card. (She likes piggies.) I looked and looked online for a free homemade card 'recipe' of a pig... I found a picture of one that I tried to copy. (Above.) And made up my own nerdy saying 'This Little Piggy~....

... Sent you and RAOK!' I'm a dork. I know it though. And I'm okay with it. ;P

I sent her one of my critter keychains (the pig, of course...)

And this square for her Crochetville Friendship Afghan. It also is pink, and a ribbon.... I read on her blog that she is keeping her blog pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month. So I thought it would be perfect!! I sent an RAOK out three days ago, too. One of my peppermint bears, and stripey bears..... It's heading north. (Well I guess most everything is north of here, but....)

I have started (trying) to crochet my own (ami) version of a Love Bug. I am not real good at ami~ and especially making up my own, so we'll see how it goes.... this should be pretty easy though, as it isn't any arms/legs, ears, etc.... just mainly a body and wings. It should be pretty straightforward. I'll keep you posted.

I have also put a new button in my sidebar, as you may have already seen. It is to donate squares for afghans for kids with cancer. :( This really breaks my heart, kids with cancer. So I am going to try and make some squares to donate to her.

Thank you everyone for your well wishes for my insomnia. I hope it will go away eventually. Lisa, I don't know if you saw my comment on your new tea cozies at Crochet Mania.... (I said I was going to make some green tea and use the apple tea cozy I made...) Well I did, and DU-UH!! Green tea has caffeine! I had two cups (big ones) of it. That *might* have contributed to my insomnia last night, too. I have a big problem with drinking too much caffeine/not being able to sleep... Today I am going to venture out and go to Whole Foods and see if I can't find some echinacea tea... (I think it's caffeine free~ if not, I'll get decaf!) Sheesh...

UGH!!!! Insomnia!!

I hate this.... I don't feel good at all, and you would think all I would want to do would be sleep! Well... I do, but I can't. It's really bugging me. This is a vicious cycle that has to be stopped.

One of the things I was thinking about is the love bug (speaking of 'bugs' lol) that I made about two years ago (or more?) Who knows... I thought I saved the pattern to my computer but I can't find it.... Waaaaa! Maybe Annie's Attic will post it again this year? Maybe I printed it out and just have to dig through my messy folder of printed patterns... (Actually it isn't even a folder anymore, it's two sides ripped apart on top of a big pile.... I should take a picture of it.) :P

Knitting progress....

....on the Central Park Hoodie. The color is a little off. It is Frosty Green. I'm excited with the way it is coming along.

Not much other news. I did get a hair cut. At least six inches cut off. My hair is short again. About chin length. I can flip it up or under. Today it is kind of both. Our water is so hard here that my hair was beginning to feel (and look) like straw. I asked the girl cutting my hair about it; and she said to use a clarifying shampoo once a week, and that should help. (If anyone else has this problem, too...) We are just renting, and no water softener (we aren't going to pay for one when it isn't even our house, you know?)... We drink the water from the fridge; which has a filter. I have never had water harder than this. If you put some in a glass and stuck a fork in it, it would stand up straight. (Not really, but...) At least it isn't all rusty, too. We had water like that in Michigan (every time the power went out.) It still wasn't as hard though. I didn't drink the water there, either; without a Brita water pitcher.

I've ordered two retractable tape measures recently. One is for the swap at Crochet Mania that I am in. I can't find any tape measures anywhere here. :( You'd think they would have everything here, but it seems just the opposite. Oh well. I prefer ordering online anyway. Don't have to deal with traffic, long lines, rude people...

Have a great Tuesday everyone. What's left of it. ;)

"L.A." Shrug is Finally Done!

I don't believe it myself, still. This thing has taken me almost two years to finish. (Not that it is the shrugs' fault.... :P It's my fault...) But, it feels good to finish it! I started this back in May of '06; I think. Although now that I think about it, I am almost positive I started it in April. Because this is what I took with me as a project to Michigan. And I got a lot of it done on the way there and on the way back. Anywho.... here it is! (Bad, BAD hair day.... I didn't even do anything with it, I was not feeling good AT all....) :(

I have been working on my Central Park Hoodie. It's ten and a half inches along so far. :D

And..... it didn't last long... Remember how I said 'I want to finish things' before I start anything else? Ha. Well I do recall also saying 'I don't know how long it will last...', too. It didn't last long. :P I have started and finished one of Yarncat's turtles. They are SOOOO cute! Especially the pink ones. I have a second one in the works. (And a third, fourth, fifth six... one in mind...) In fact, I bought some pink camo yarn by Red Heart to make one with. And I have started a scarf for the Scarf Challenge at CFAC. Remember my 'Scarf with no name'? Well I am making a modified version of that, created by Patty (merlot) of Crochetville: Cluster Scarf (I like hers better.) I may or may not make a Tri-Color Cloche to go with this one. I was going to, but I don't know if I'll have enough of the accent (stripe) color I am using. Unless I go buy some more. Not having a label though it will be hard to match it. We'll see.

What else? I'm working on a square for the Square a Month Swap at Crochetmania. I have to send one out (yikes!) by tomorrow. I keep forgetting.... My brain is not working lately. I have been sick. (Again.) My husband got some kind of flu. Probably from work. (And sleeping for only five hours a night and working ten-twelve hour days doesn't help with the immune system, either....) Fortunately mine is stronger than his, and I only got a mild version of what he has. Thank goodness~~ he is barking like a seal. :( Anyway I thought I'd keep you posted.

Knitting Progress.... On Central Park Hoodie...

I got two cables done last night (thanks to insomnia.... sigh... I need AmbienCR-- lol....) I am love, love, loving this sweater!! I hope I am making the right size. I'm making the size for my bust measurement. Well I was reading on the Interweave site about this, and read a couple of comments about 'bust measurement' and 'finished bust measurement'? Well what's the difference? I hope it is the right size, anyway... This will be the first sweater I have ever knitted for myself. :D

Close-up of the cables (blurry....) I was going to finish my LA Shrug first, before I even worked on the Central Park Hoodie at all... But, yesterday I sewed the sleeve on and got to the halfway point (with much sweat and holding my breath lol) and I realized I had sewn it on with the wrong side out!!!! AAAAAAAAAARRRGHHHH!!! So.... I 'un'sewed the whole thing and put it away. That really made me mad. I hope I can sew it on the right way, as good as I did the wrong way.... sheesh... So I worked on the hoodie and a square (which I also had to rip one row out of... yesterday was just not my day to crochet I guess...) :P I am hoping to wear my shrug next weekend, though. So I will definitely finish it soon!

Some of my favorite things....

...or should I say 'my favorite Fo's' of 2007.... I thought I would post some of my favorites that I finished. The shrug I tested for Mimi. :)

Back view. This pattern is available for purchase now, here!

The bolero I tested for Mimi. The bolero pattern is available for purchase, too.

The comfortghan my friend and I made.

This is the edging.

The mock cable slippers I knitted for the slipper swap. I loved these. I should make some of these for my Mom.

I love this apple tea cozy I tested for Lisa, too. The pattern for this apple tea cozy can be purchased at Lisa's Etsy store, A Playfun Yarn 2.

I made a lot of toys this year. One of my favorite things to crochet. I don't know why. But... :P These are some of my favorites. We watched Wallace and Gromit one night. I don't remember if we got the movie at the library or the video rental place... Anyway then I thought 'someone has had to have crocheted a Gromit out there, somewhere.' And went on a quest to find one... Well. As you can see, I found one. :P I love this guy. This is the only one I have made. So far.

Another thing I am proud of is the 'White bunny with the black tail' that I made for our middle son. It's KristieMN's 'Floppy Friends' pattern.

And then, of course, there are my stripey bears I have crocheted this year. I think I have crocheted eight stripey bears this year. Two of them were the peppermint bear; which I love!

Most of the rest of them were like these guys.

While not a stripey bear, I also crocheted one of these bears.

I think I have come a long way in crocheting toys, from the first stripey bear I ever crocheted!! (On the right, in case you couldn't tell....) :P

Another one of my absolute favorite toys I have made, Cupcakes' Sheila the Aussie Troll. I LOVE this one. I sent this to my cousin who was going to Australia; before she left. I think she took her with her. I had to make this for her, since 1. She has had and collected (what used to be called 'wishniks') trolls since I was little. 2. She was going on a trip to Australia. And Cupcake lives there and created this troll... soooo..... it all worked out. :P I should make another one of these for me, too. I made this picture my avatar over at Crochetmania. My husband saw it and said 'Did you make that?' 'Yeaaaah... (you were there when I made it, weren't you?)' :P 'That's cool. You should make another one.'

And, another one of Cupcakes' awesome patterns, the Koala! I made this one for my Grandma. Long story... but it was the same time when my cousin went to Australia.... I made the Koala for my Grandma, too. (My cousin takes care of my Grandma, so I made them both something 'Australia'...) I love this little Koala.

Another toy I made that I loved... Oldbaglady's snow dragon. I made this one for my secret pal, Kelle. I still want to make another one of these, too. Our ten year old (I can only say that for ten more days! :O) was drawing dragons for a long time, and I wanted to make him one of these. (It was a long, confusing time for me... lol.... he wanted a 'red dragon with blue wings' or was it a blue dragon with red wings?.... well, he is 'done' drawing these, and I never got around to making one.... I made him the white bunny with the black tail, though. And, I am currently making him one of yarncats turtles.. more about that in another post.)

Something else I am proud of myself. For actually finishing. Knitted socks. FOR ME!!! This is one thing I am determined (did I spell that right?) to accomplish in knitting~~ Socks, and to be able to just knit them from memory. Someday. This year, hopefully. I bought two skeins of (expensive!) wool to make a pair with. So it will hopefully be soon...

Something else I have knitted last year. While it is nothing *big*, I just love the four corners dishcloth. And the spiral scrubbies, too.

Here is a yellow set. WOW!? Is that the end? (Whew...) :P

Well this year I hope to make more wearables for myself. And not be afraid to do it. (And hope they turn out nice...) Last night I dug out my L.A. Shrug and worked on it for a little while. I guess it isn't called the 'LA Shrug' I must have made that up. It is called the 'Green Shrug'. LA Shrug sounds more exciting, doesn't it? I only have one sleeve left on it. I don't know why I stopped. Second sleeve syndrome, maybe? lol (Kinda like 'second sock syndrome'?) Well stay tuned for some more wearables progress.... Have a nice Monday everyone!

Some Wearables I Would Like to Make...

I'm going to try venturing more into wearables..... Here is one vest I have been wanting to make. I have been wanting to make this Hooded Bone Coat forever, too. Not to mention the Central Park Hoodie which I have already started. Here's a shrug (oops, bolero) I bought the pattern for a long time ago but have never tried.... And I hope to finish my L.A Shrug I started last year. Just some of my hopeful future projects. :)

2007 Crochet Projects Album

Rather than post all of the pictures here (which would take aaaaall day!) I am putting a link in for my 2007 Crochet Projects Album at Picture Trail. :) Turn up the volume to hear 'Frankie and Johnny'. (I had to put that one on there, since that is one of the first songs our 15 year old learned to play on the guitar and piano.)

Central Park Hoodie

I have cast on.... This is how far I've gotten since last night. All the bottom edging, and one row of the chart. :D I was thinking, I have never knit myself a sweater! The Central Park Hoodie is my first one. I hope I don't screw it up. I'm not using expensive yarn, so if I mess up it won't be a huge deal. Then I can buy some *real* yarn to make one with... Stay tuned for more progress! :)

Scrap Baby Ripple Afghan

I finally finished this one. I had to practically force myself (especially when it came to the fringe)... I think next time maybe I will just use a few colors repeated then it won't be so much *thinking*... These are all random scraps. I don't know how long ago I started this. But it's done. Yay!

The other side. This is one of those projects that was starting to feel like it was a member of the family, or something. :P

I am working on a Diego bag for our youngest son. And I got the gauge swatch almost done for the Central Park Hoodie. It looks like it is right on for the gauge. Yay!

I also am in the 'Winter Blues Swap' and the 2008 Square a Month Swap', at CrochetMania. So far I have done two squares. This seems like it will be fun. I just hope none of my packages get lost. I think I am sending them all w/ delivery confirmation.

Tape Measures!

Peppermint Swirls! (Of course I would have to do this one first~~ How Cool is That?!) A cute little bee, too. :p A ladybug! Oh my goodness, it's so cute! Here is a whole page of cute ones! A snowflake?! Another whole page of cute ones. A rabbit with a carrot? I'm not too sure about that page... (I don't know if you could actually buy it there?) Actually, you can order that rabbit one from the first 'whole page of cute ones'... Nautical tape measure. It's from Pottery Barn. A cake! And of course, the ever popular sheep tape measure..... Wow. This could keep me busy for a while... :P

Knitting and Gingerbread Men...

It sounds so exciting... doesn't it? :P Here is another cap and sockies set I have finished. Woo hoo. This is definitely a newborn set. Which is what I was going for. But I didn't know if the hat would turn out a newborn size or not.... It did. One of those times when it all worked out right in the end. Yay. ;P It will be going to Pine Ridge, too. I have also almost finished with the fringe on this baby blanket. I cannot wait til it is done. (I am soooo done with it!) I'll take a picture of it when it's completed. I've been trying really hard to not start a new project until the one I am working on is completely done. I am doing good so far. I finished the hat and sockies, and am trying to get the fringe done now. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep it up. But...

Here are some gingerbread cookies the kids and I made a while back. Can you believe I have never made gingerbread cookies in my whole life? They really weren't hard at all. No harder than sugar cookies. And yummy, too. They weren't super sweet, the icing just made them perfect.

Here are some the kids decorated. :P I did the stars and heart, and the bottom snowman. I think they made one of every single cookie cutter I have. Of course, I had to make at least one gingerbread man!

I looked at every single store around to find a gingerbread man cookie cutter but I could not find one. So, I used an old metal one my mom gave me that was kinda bent.... I didn't think it would look good, but it came out pretty cool. I should take a picture of the cookie cutter so you can see why I didn't want to use it.... But it came out fine. Well I'll see you all next year. Hee hee... Be safe!

Recycled yarn

I want to try this someday. I saw it on Stitch N Locks blog today.

http://www.neauveau.com/recycledyarn.html

Some Works In Progress...

Or should I say 'A' WIP.... (One of many, anyway...) This is a sockie I have started. Remember this post? (Scroll all the way down...) And here's another pair I did. I have made a blue set just like the green set, too.

Well I suppose this will be the 'white speckled set'... I just got the urge to make a pair. (This, folks, is why I never finish anything...) ugh. I also started a pair of socks last night. But I didn't like the way they felt and I cut off what I had done.... I also did a gauge swatch for the Central Park Hoodie but (di di di... or however it is spelled...) All you need is worsted weight yarn for this sweater. I have never worked with the yarn they had suggested, so how was I to know it is WW? I am also not good with needle size/ gauge, and 'just knowing' these things. Yet. (Or ever.) So. I got some 'Frosty Green' Red Heart. Yes, it is about one fifth the cost of what the other yarn is. But. I don't think it is going to make for a very comfy sweater. I don't know what else to do. Wool makes me itch like there's no tomorrow. One time I wore a wool sweater all day; and kept itching all day.... looked in the mirror when I went to the bathroom, and had red welts all over where the sweater touched my neck. (Isn't that called 'hives'?) If that isn't allergic, then I don't know what is? Or is it 'than'? Hmmm... anyway. I have not been feeling well it has been 'one of those days'... I think I have some kind of mild flu. I made lunch for the kids, and all of a sudden felt like I was going to vomit. (TMI?) I felt dizzy, and shaky. After I got their lunch ready, I went and laid down. When my husband got home I asked him if he didn't feel good. (He was laying on the couch.) He described every one of my symptoms. (Whew!) I was so relieved. I was beginning to worry it might NOT be the flu. But a 40 week long thing... :P Anyway that's about all for now. Have a nice weekend everyone.

I Got a Package from Australia Today!

And, I finally took a picture of the card that Mary Jo sent me, too. :D She put one of the new 'Holiday Knits' stamps on it, too. My favorite one~ the teddy bear. Thank you again for thinking of us and wishing us good luck in our new home, Mary Jo.

My son went to get the mail today. When he came back he said, 'You got a package from Australia'. I said 'Are you serious?' (I have not been feeling good all day and have been out of it, so I thought maybe I was half dreaming?) lol... It had cute Koalas all over the outside... (I love them, they are so cute!) I knew who it was from, before I even looked at the return address.... :P Makes me want to make another koala bear... And the inside envelope had them, and a Koala card, too. And some Australian holiday stamps. Thank you, Cupcake!

And she sent a 2008 Australian birds calendar. I love it!! I love all birds, and birds from Australia are even more cool~ Thanks so much. I have also been looking for a 2008 calendar since I don't have one yet... Thank you. :)

And another stamp book! The kids all love this one. With more stamps! Awesome!!

And a shark~'Yikes! He's biting me!' :P When you move the page the mouth opens and closes, it is so cool. Thanks so much, Cupcake!

Central Park Hoodie, Here I Come!

I am diving in head first, and making one of these. Have you seen it? The Central Park Hoodie? It is awesome. I had to buy it. I am taking a tiny break from knitting my gauge swatch, to tell you about it... I don't know if this yarn will work out or not. (Wool-Ease... I have a ton of it in Burgundy Sprinkles.) I so want to make one in the yellow-green, but I think I am allergic to wool. I itch SO bad when I wear it, anyway. So I am going to try to find a non-wool alternative to use. Meanwhile, I am going to see if this yarn will work.... Stay tuned. :)

Peppermint Bears

Here is another peppermint bear I recently finished. The stripes are just a little bit different. :P I am sending both of these for RAOKs.... :D I haven't sent an RAOK out in a long time. It's gonna be fun. I just recently signed back up on the wishlist at Crochetville, and at CrochetMania, too.

I got a cute Mickey Mouse card today from Mary Jo~ Thank you Mary Jo! I also got a thank you card from the person who my friend and I made the comfortghan for. I guess one of her squares (my friends squares) are coming apart. :( I wish I was there so I could fix it, or help her fix it. She doesn't know what she did.

Have a Nice Day Everyone!

Tall Peppermint Mocha w/ Soy, Please?

I got this idea today... don't know how, but I think it was inspired by the Peppermint Mocha I got today.... :P

I posted the pattern on my pattern blog if anyone would like to make one. It didn't take long at all to make.

This is a star flower bookmark I made. My second cousin (I keep wanting to call her my niece... she is the same age as our oldest son...) has been in and out of the hospital with open heart surgery. :( I wanted to send her *something*, even though I know it won't change the outcome of anything... I just wanted to let her know we have been thinking about her, and that we care. I hope she will pull through this one okay.

Peppermint Bear

I was about done with making the striped bears for a while, but....After looking through a book I just recently bought ('Mad About Scraps' by Annie's Attic) and seeing some 'peppermint people'; and seeing Mimi's neat idea on wrapping something like a candy cane.... I got an idea to make a 'peppermint bear'. Or, my kids have been calling it a candy cane bear. I just had to make one. What do you think? I think it's cute, but I don't know if it's just me... I want to get some red ribbon to tie around its neck. I'll probably send this one to someone, too. I haven't decided who yet, though. Probably an RAOK or something... I have just recently read about 'Make a Child Smile'. KristieMN posted about it at Crochetville. So I don't know. Maybe I'll send this bear to one of the kids for the month of December. The link above will take you to that page. (Taryns' picture is not loading fully for me, but maybe it is just my computer...) Have a Nice Weekend, everyone.

Three Bears

Where's Goldilocks? lol. These are three stripey bears I have done recently. You already have seen the one on the far left, (or middle?).... I did another one almost just like her. The ears and tail are a different purple. Then I did a 'boy' bear. I was going to send these to UC Davis; but I guess I missed the deadline to send them. So maybe I'll just save it and send it next time. The other two, I have someone else in mind to send to.

I have been working on comfortghan squares for someone. They are all done, I just haven't taken a picture. I haven't felt like even crocheting much, lately. Just kind of in the dumps lately, I guess.