Tomten Jacket Progress

I finished the hood on the Tomten Jacket...  I started picking up stitches for the border. But... I am going to need a longer circular needle. (SIGH.....)   I was looking at buttons, trying to think what kind of buttons I should get. I king of want some "wooden" (or fake wood) toggle buttons..  Or similar to that. I have about three hundred ends to weave in on this, too. I did weave a bunch in already.  I just want it to be done.

Today is my husband's company picnic, or "Family Day"... What is it called, anyway? Whenever my Dad had something like this, it was called a company picnic. They have a semi-truck load full of things to give away as raffle prizes. TV's, bikes... I don't know what else.  I think it will be fun for Eon. We're trying to talk Eli into going too. He doesn't want to.  I will try to get pictures.  

Some Really Old Projects

I was laying in bed last night, trying to go to sleep. I was thinking about some of the old projects I used to crochet. And so this morning, I went through some old pictures (one box, lol-- I still have a lot more).  This was pre-digital camera, and pre-computer days (at least for us).  Also, pre-Amigurumi days. :)  I crocheted the two older boys some "Floppy Dogs" from an old "Crafting Traditions" magazine. They wanted puppies, too. :D  They actually wanted a whole litter. Each. O.o  But I did make them each a puppy. :)

I also used to crochet "Bed Dolls". From Annie's Attic. I used to crochet these, before our oldest son was even born. But I didn't have a camera, even to take a picture of them then. I crocheted two for my younger sisters. One I know was "Miss February, 1992." I don't remember what the other one was..   This one I gave to one of my nieces.  Steve's late Great Aunt Steffie had given me three or more big skeins/balls of gold polyester thread. I used some of it (I still had more when this was done, that's how much she gave me) to crochet this dress.  I don't even have the patterns for these bed dolls, any more. They took a long time to finish. I think I made three all together. I used to love crocheting doll clothes; which was unfortunate for me since we had three boys. :) But I would make them for other people..  I still have a bunch of clothes, and doll patterns. But none of the bed dolls.

And this was the picture I kept thinking about, for some reason... I don't know why. We had that ugly old couch... (Ugh!!) That was when I let a stray cat into our house, and he peed on everything, our bed, our couch!... We had to get a new mattress, and throw our couch away- and get this ugly one from the Salvation Army/Goodwill.  Anyway.  I was crocheting Eli an afghan. And he was sticking his tongue out. :P

These were the Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies I was talking about in my last post, I think.  And this is the recipe. I got more chocolate chips, and caramel pieces to make more, this morning. They're yummy.

A Pattern I Tested and Cookies I Baked...

I tested a sleepsack pattern for someone in a group I am in on Facebook. I made it to the pattern instructions.  It does measure 22 inches from top to bottom. But, the front panel only measures 15 inches.  So... I think it is too small. The next one I make, I will make the front panel 22 inches long.  I asked about it on the Bundles of Joy group. (Where I would be sending it..)  I still need to get buttons and sew them on the sides. The only place to get buttons here is Walmart (which, I am glad we have-but, they don't have a huge selection of buttons.) So I will have to either order online or drive 67 miles to the nearest craft store, Michaels or Hobby Lobby..   I do like this sleepsack. The back part of the front panel is not bumpy like the front, it's soft.   I saw a sleepsack that I really liked in a magazine recently (I can't remember what the magazine was). The style was like this one though.   All you basically would do is crochet a straight piece, put a border on it, then sew it up. Sew buttons on the sides... 

I made more cookies today. It hasn't even been one week. I baked Snickerdoodles last Wednesday.  These are Butterscotch Cookies. I added what was left in the bag of salted caramel chips from some cookies I made a while back. I don't think I posted them, I will try and upload a picture of those and post it. They were yummy. Anyways, these were even yummier with the chips in them.  I doubled the recipe, because usually it only makes one or two dozen.  This made four dozen exactly. 

Close up.. 

I always put some in baggies and stick them in the freezer, for lunches. Otherwise they all get eaten, it seems- before I even pack a lunch the next morning. 

So you can see how big I roll the balls.  I like doing this while I am waiting for the cookies in the oven. Then I just have to put them on the cookie sheet, for the next batch..

Spring Break...

Eon has been on Spring Break all week (well, last week, since today is Sunday). And, we have been completely broke. So... What do you do on Spring Break when you are broke?  Well, my plans were to do nothing. Except, sleep, knit, eat. Bake, read...  Eon had other plans. He wanted to have a friend over. Soooo.... I had to clean. And bake (which I was going to do anyway. But it isn't as fun when you HAVE to do it..)  I made some Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells for dinner. And baked Snickerdoodles. That was two days of cleaning/cooking.  I did get to relax and do all the things I wanted to do, too...   I made a card for one of my pen pals..  It didn't turn out as cute as I thought it would.  A bee, and "Happy Bee~ Lated Birthday".  I put a flower on it and what is supposed to be a honeycomb..    I won't be able to send it out until this week. So it will "bee" late.. I also baked banana bread. I was mashing the bananas, and started singing "mashed banana, mashed banana" to the dogs... (From The Wiggles, kids' show...) LOL. I think I am losing my mind..

I tested a sleepsack pattern. It's done, I just need to get buttons for it, sew them on and take a picture.  Then I got the Tomten Jacket out, to try and work on it. I didn't want to. But once I started working on it (after I got everything out and figured out where I was on the sleeve...)  I did enjoy it.  I also found the yarn skein wrapper for the green yarn. So if I need more (which I think I will), I can get more.  I thought I couldn't remember so I was glad I found it. I also did write it down in my notebook. Which I am glad I kept. I think I will just use that whole notebook for all my projects. I always try to go in to my Ravelry projects to see if I kept notes ("Oh, what did I do here last time?"...)  and only half the time do I "write it down"... 

I crocheted a cross bookmark for another pen pal who wrote me she just got confirmed (?? is that what it's called ??) as a Catholic. She converted.  So, even though I am NOT religious, I like crosses (even though I don't have any), angels...  (I do have those.)   So I got her a confirmation greeting card and am sending this with it. Nothing big, but like I said, we are broke.

Then I got this in the mail yesterday. :D  It totally made my day.  Another one of my pen pals, Barbara, sent them to me. She said "Since we are both kitchen towel junkies".  I love that. And, I am one..   When Eon had his friend over, I was cleaning like mad and trying to make everything look perfect. (We even hung pictures up -- I took a picture, I should upload it..)

We hung pictures in the living room. So the house looks more lived in. :)  I think that is a record for us, hanging pictures in two and a half months! It took a year and a half to hang them in our old house. And I didn't even hang any in the apartment before that..  It feels more like "home" with pictures up. :)  We might add to that wall, but I like it for now.

A recent picture of Jaxson... :)  He is taller than Jetta now (slightly), and weighs 47.5 lbs! Jetta weighs 30 lbs. Always has..