Long Weekends

I extended my long weekend by taking off work yesterday, and all of next week. Going to Savannah to meet up with my roommate from Iraq. It's not going to be a wild time, but I believe we'll have fun regardless of the fact that mortars and rockets aren't being fired in our direction.

Here's a picture of the purse organizer after I measured and cut out the plastic canvas to size.

There are two end pieces, one bottom piece. (the largest piece center bottom) and four sides. Two for the outside and two to divide the interior of the organizer. I will make additional dividers within the three main compartments, but that still needs to be figured out, as well as how best to put it together and keep the frustration level to a minimum. For this first attempt I'm going to use the quick stitch method. If I do it again I may try to design the sides and ends before I stitch everything together.

Oh yea, I used 7 per inch plastic canvas. More later.

Not Really Crochet

This really isn't about crochet, but kind of has something to do with yarn, so I thought I'd share. A pet peeve of mine is purses without any kind of organizational attributes to them. I can't stand having to dig through a purse just to find my phone or a pen, or whatever it might be. I am a bit intolerant I suppose. Anyway, I sell the original door to door make up line, and several brochures have included purses and a tote that seemed exactly what I wanted, so I purchased one. I really like it, it was a good price, but the organization portion isn't removable. I've tried a couple of the commercial purse organizers and they were just a waste of money. So I decided to see what I could find that I could make. There are patterns for sewn organizers and I even found a pattern for a crocheted one, but none of them suited me. I wanted something that didn't have to be propped up.

After several attempts to find something I set about trying to figure out how to make one myself. I thought of plastic canvas, which would give strength and stability to it, plus I could make it removable if I wanted it to be. And here is where the yarn comes in. It can be decorated like any plastic canvas project, or just have the edges sewn in.

More on my process later.

Recycled Silk Sari Ribbon Yarn Giveaway

AllFreeCrochet.com is giving away 2 skeins of recycled sari yarn from Darn Good Yarn. This is silk ribbon yarn. What better way to be green than using recycled yarn made from the end products of sari manufacturing. Rather than this being thrown away it’s being turned into beautiful silk yarn. Visit their website for entry information.

Grandchildren

I am so thrilled to be a grandmother. I cherish every hug and kiss I get from those little ones. My oldest granddaughter is 4 and very smart and fashion conscious. She’s long limbed and very tall for her age. I made her mother a scarf not too long ago. I used Yarn Been Hollywood Special Effects which I believe has been discontinued. Unfortunately I don't have the color name or number. The yarn was given to me by a someone I know after I returned from Iraq. I can’t say I was thrilled with it initially because it is an odd mix of eyelash, ribbon, and chenille, but the colors are beautiful. Bright pink, green, yellow, orange, purple, blue. I was concerned that it would be difficult to crochet, but it was very smooth. I particularly liked the eyelash portion of it.

But I digress. I had a bit left over when I finished my DIL’s scarf, so I used it to make a very short one for grandbaby #1. Actually I thought I had enough yarn to complete hers but couldn’t find that last skein so it was not as long as I would have liked. She immediately put it around her neck and tied it in place. I was pretty impressed that she knew enough to do that.

I was looking for something in my stash and found that last skein so I immediately set about fixing my error by crocheting her a new, much longer scarf. Here it is almost finished. I used a K hook.

I measured it against her and she pronounced the length of the scarf “pertet” so I finished it off and wove in the leftover yarn. I showed her how to wrap it around her neck, and she proceeded to show me the proper way, tying it in a “pertet” knot.

I apologize for the bad picture. I'm going to have to work on that.

Baby News

My thing used to be whenever I knew of someone who was having a baby, or their spouse was, I'd crochet a baby blanket for them. I got out of the habit, and even when my own grandchildren started arriving I didn't even think to make one for the first. She was three when I finished hers, my grandson was one, and my second granddaughter got hers more quickly. I think she was just a few months old when I finished hers.

Two years ago I spent six months in Iraq and met a wonderful young Air Force lieutenant with whom I became very close. She said I reminded her of a favorite aunt, which was fine with me. She was very adamant about never having children. Well, several months ago I received an email from her that just said, "Guess what?" My reply was to ask her due date. I knew she'd change her mind eventually, I just didn't realize it would be so fast.

Anyway, I'm getting better and I set about looking for a great pattern to make a baby blanket for this baby girl who is going to be beautiful if her parents are any indication. I found the nursery colors would be green and pink, so I went in search of the perfect yarn to match. I found one at Hobby Lobby. The in-house brand, I Love This Yarn, is truly soft and comes in a huge variety of solids and variegated. I chose Summer Happens, and crocheted this blanket.

The picture doesn't do the color variation justice. I have very poor lighting in my apartment, no overhead lighting outside bathrooms and kitchen. I'll need to be more creative in the future. And I can't retake pictures of the completed blanket because it has been mailed off to New Mexico. I used a pattern for a larger afghan pattern I found on Redheart.com. I just used a smaller hook than was required. I believe I used a J instead of the N suggested in the pattern. The pattern can be found here.

I'm pretty proud of myself for getting it done before the baby was born. She's going to make her appearance in July.

Now I have two more to make before the end of the year. My older son and his wife are expecting later in the year, and I've got everything bought for that blanket. One of my best friends in high school has a grandchild due at the end of the year, and I'm just waiting to find out the nursery colors before I begin.

It's A Miracle

I don't know what got into me but yesterday I went to Wal-Mart after work, and never went near the yarn. I also went to Michael's and fondled yarn but didn't see anything that remotely interested me. I must be ill.

Then today I had to run errands, something I have to force myself to do on the weekend. I guess getting out of the house five days a week is enough for me. But I had to get to the bank and the post office, so I went to Joann's and a different Michael's from Friday. No yarn. I can't remember the last time, at least since I started crocheting with a vengeance again, that I left any place that sold yarn (remember I even bought it at Big Lots) without at least one skein. I admit to coming close because I saw a beautiful colorway in Bernat Mosaic. But I left it at the store. I'm proud of myself.

Some days

Some days work just really interferes with what I want to accomplish ;~)  But I did manage during lunch to clean out my always present project tote. It’s amazing what can be found when something is stripped bare. I found that my really cheap ($3) reading glasses, kept in an outside pocket, were broken. It’s not so much the expense, but they were a perfect fit and leopard print. So now I have to go to Michaels and hope that they have another pair in the correct strength and the right print. (heavy sigh

It just affords the possibility that I will buy more yarn for more future projects. But I digress.

I found a couple of skeins of yarn, apparently thrown in to show co-workers, purchased at Big Lots for $1 each. I bought all the skeins of the colors I liked. One, an orange-pink mix, has a terry cloth feel that I think would be great as a beach cover up. The other is a mix of shades of red in a mixed fiber ribbon yarn with a light sheen to it. That one works up so nicely, feels smooth as it is worked.

I also discovered several small balls left over from projects and I have no idea why they ended up in the bag. I think I’m going to experiment with hyperbolic crochet, or maybe free  form and see what it becomes.

Another Finished Project

Last night I finished a scarf pattern I converted from knitting to crochet. It may sound difficult but it wasn't. Where it said knit I used single crochet. Increased and decreased normally when necessary. Here's what it looks like.

Several months ago I purchased a lot of Redheart Supersaver in Marrakesh for another project, about three skeins too many, so I thought using one of the extras for this scarf would be a good idea. After all I had it on hand, and it depleted my stash by one skein. It was an experiment after all. It's approximately 65" long, I am too so I played measuring tape. The picture really doesn't do the color justice, but a co-worker said it reminded her of Fruity Pebbles, so that's what I am calling it.

The knit pattern I used can be found on the Lion Brand website. If you haven't yet registered there, do so. It is chalk full of free patterns and helpful advice for both knitters and crocheters. Oh yeah, the pattern number is L0478 and is called Woodland Path.

Self Control

It seems no matter how strongly I talk to myself (I'm just going to l-o-o-k at the yarn), I end up buying at least one skein. Yesterday I bought three. I had to pick up my brother in law from a friend's house, so I thought why not run to WM while I was out. We've been having a horrible bout of fleas in the yard, spread no doubt by a number of stray cats that seem to wander through at their leisure. Anyway, my reason for going to WM was to pick up some yard spray. But as I can never go there without at least cruising the craft section I wandered their while BIL went off in search of his own thing.

There is no denying it. I love yarn. The colors, the textures, its all intoxicating. Like most crocheters I have several projects going at once (see previous posting), and several that I'm planning to start as soon as I complete a few. I grabbed some Caron Simply Soft in these colors Violet, Raspberry, Orange and Dark Sage for a retro skirt pattern made from granny squares. They aren't quite the right colors, but they looked pretty interesting together. Hmm, maybe for that paisley top I have planned . . .  I didn't buy them, but I did pick up a skein each of Blue Mint and Forest Floor for a top (Diamond Shell by Lesley Arnold-Hopkins) and skirt (Lace Skirt by Linda Permann) I'm turning into a set. You can find the patterns for these in issue 18 of Inside Crochet. You can get information on subscribing or purchasing this crochet magazine, I love it, here.

(edited 27 Dec 12 - still haven't made any of the projects mentioned!)

It's an Addiction

Last night I decided to count the number of active projects I have going on, as well as those that I have planned for the near future. I was appalled. My first count, just of the visible projects, was for a total of 9. These are  projects that I do some kind of work on most weeks.

Then there is one almost finished afghan that is packed away in a box in my closet, and I literally have not worked on it for a year. I do plan on completing it. Some day. You can find that project here.

That number doesn't take into account the other projects I work on but aren't visible. With few exceptions, like when I know I won't be able to work on anything, I have a bag I take with me that has 3-4 small projects. Plus there is a summer top I'm working on for myself. It may be ready next year. I can't say I never make myself anything but the last thing I made was a coaster and coffee cozy for my desk at work. After I made each of my coworkers their own sets.

These don't take into account the projects I've purchased yarn for but have not yet started. I think I have a crochet addiction.

What I'm Doing Here

My hope with this blog is to explore my life now that I am alone. Not alone in the sense that there isn't anyone around me, but in that there is no longer a significant other in my life. Hasn't been for about four years now, but the fabric is now completely ripped in two.


It's odd that to think that at my age I now have to start over again. It's definitely a scary thought, especially when I think that men my age are single for a reason! Oh well. 


I've been doing a lot of crocheting the last six months. And I've actually finished some projects, which is amazing to me. Ravelry has become my favorite place for patterns. I have a lot of them, too. So I'll share what I'm doing, and provide links when appropriate. I am not much of a designer, but I do occasionally come up with something on my own. Usually I am inspired to create when I find a knit pattern I like. I knit, but just very basic stuff, and I prefer crochet.


I learned to crochet after my mother passed away in 1980. I was a young mom, and the last thing I knit was a blanket for her in her favorite lavender color. It was buried with her. I decided that I'd learn a new craft and a friend of hers, who was extremely crafty, showed me basic stitches and how to read patterns.

There are so many talented designers that I find I have enough projects to keep me busy for the next 100 years, even if I never bought another pattern from now on. I don't see that happening, though.

So this is my adventure in crocheting, which keeps my hands occupied gainfully.