The start of a new week

Yep, it's Monday again!  Man how is it that the 5 days before the weekend drag along and the weekend just flies!
On with the show.  Wrapped up the week long blogging challenge and now it's just me again!  I did a few things this weekend, finished up the Sgt. Frog hat for Katlyn, worked on the striped scarf some and made a list of things to do.  Of course I always make a list so that I remember what I want to get done on my weekends, but this time I added projects:
Sgt. Frog hat....checked off
Striped scarf.....worked on, but not quite done
Pincushion.......pulled out some mini skeins to use those and in a project bag!
Swatch made for baby blanket..........not yet, but I will get to it soon.

Sgt. Frog done and hanging out on the doggy treats

The pincushion is something I really want to do, sweet and simple and I can keep it out on the table.  Funny that I don't have one.  The baby blanket is for a friend of my daughter's that is having a boy in October, so I have some time there, I just need to come up with a nice solid stitch that I can applique onto, but I don't want to do just single crochet for the whole thing, how boring!  Let's give it some texture too!

The makings of a pincushion

Got all updates done and out of the way now and once I get these projects wrapped up I can start on a garment....eeek!

Listening to:  Remedy by Seether

3KCBWDAY7 - Crafting Balance

Today is the last day of the week long blog topics, it's been a pretty great experience and I have found a bunch of new blogs to enjoy!
Today we are working on crafting balance, as in do I have any!  Hahaha....no I do not, not even a little bit.  I seem to have a mental block on learning to knit.  I do want to really I do, but I always find an excuse not to.  Yesterday's excuse was I really should just finish up the projects I have surrounding me instead of starting something new, which are of course always on going.
I am also a bit intimidated by knitting.  I mean where do I start?  What yarn should I use?  What size needles?  I really am pretty clueless when it comes to knitting and everyday this week I have seen so many gorgeous things done on other blogs and while I really want to do them too, I think that is holding me back as well.  I mean seriously, how am I ever going to knit such a beautiful sweater/sock/shawl???  Mercy my insecurities happen in my own house even!  sigh....I will keep trying to get the courage up to pick up the needles but in the mean time I will stay unbalanced.  I do love my crochet!

I love the quiet of Sunday mornings

Again I have picked up this Sgt. Frog hat for Katlyn, I am reworking the earflaps and then I can whip up a star and be done with it!

the flap that I am redoing yet again!

I did learn that my weaving in of the ends is quite masterful since I had no flippin' idea as to where or how to find the ends to rip it all out!  Grrrr, oh yes I think I forgot to mention....she hated the earflaps AFTER I edged them and wove the ends in!

It's getting longer!

The scarf is nearly done, only 5 more stripes to go and then on to blocking!

So that wraps up the entire week of daily blogging, I did run across some new blogs and will actually be hanging out reading many more today since Katlyn will be off spending the day and night at her Cousins house.  Nearly done with the laundry and then that's pretty much it for the day, I can kick back and crochet while doing some blog reading!

Remember, if you want to find other bloggers doing today's topic of this week long challenge just type in 3KCBWDAY7 into Google.

Listening to: Mary Jane's Last Dance by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

3KCBWDAY6 - Improving your skillset

How far down the road to learning your craft do you believe yourself to be? Are you comfortable with what you know or are you always striving to learn new skills and add to your knowledge base? Take a look at a few knitting or crochet books and have a look at some of the skills mentioned in the patterns. Can you start your amigurumi pieces with a magic circle, have you ever tried double knitting, how's your intarsia? If you are feeling brave, make a list of some of the skills which you have not yet tried but would like to have a go at, and perhaps even set yourself a deadline of when you'd like to have tried them by.


And away we go with today's topic.


I am a crocheter, I think I can crochet pretty much anything I set my mind too.  The only thing is I like simple, so I don't really challenge myself all that much.   I learned to crochet from a babysitting when I was 11 and as I got a bit older branched out to my first baby blanket.  Don't recall with I chose this pattern to do and since I still have the blanket to this day, I know I didn't make it for anybody, but I did learn from this.  I learned how important it is to count your stitches!!  The sides are quite interesting needless to say!

Now when I was taking a crafting class in high school, my teacher let me choose my own project and I again chose a ripple.  I picked out a rainbow of yarns (literally a rainbow, this was 1979 after all) and counted ever single stitch is that blanket, without fail!  I worked on this for a while, but it really was a huge monster and I think I ran out of yarn at one point.  Anyway when my oldest son was born in 1989 I found it again and gave it a much quicker finish then I had originally intended for it and was able to use it for his twin race car bed!  It's still being used today, I pulled it off the couch for the picture taking in fact.  It's a great watching TV blanket.  So I definitely improved my skills with this blanket.  

Max checked out what I'm doing

Would have been ginormuous had I completed it!

I have of course done many other things since these 2 blankets and as we do, we learn with each item. I have learned over the last few months that I can work without a set pattern and that makes me happy.  I think up next is going to be making clothing items.  I have always stuck with accessories and household items and now it's time to venture out of my comfort zone!  I have been looking at Doris Chan patterns over the last few days and think I will start there! 


I have also read so many new blogs this past week and have really enjoyed seeing everyone's work!  I am in a serious need to learn knitting, I really want to make socks! 


So there it is, out there in the universe, clothing items and knitting....the things I shall be learning!  Now I better get this striped scarf done for Katlyn so I can get to learning! 


More blog reading on today's topic can be found by typing in the code 3KCBWDAY6 onto Google.


Listening to: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones

3KCBWWC - Perfect Craft Day

So today I am skipping over the whole "Something Different" topic today since I really am not feeling all that creative.  Pretty sure all creativity has disappeared from my head!  I am hoping that this being Friday, the weekend shall bring it back!  Now on with today alternative post of my Perfect Craft Day!

I'm thinking that my perfect craft day will have to start out shopping....horrible as that sounds to me, because I loath shopping UNLESS it's craft shopping!  So I would head out to my favorite yarn store because there's nothing more perfect than that.  They have comfy sofas and tea and friendly staff to chat with and of course yarn that is simply delicious.  Normally when I go to my favorite yarn shop, I have people in tow (which I don't mind), but I am not able to just hang out in the store loving each yarn type and color for as long as I would truly like too.  On this my perfect craft day though, I will be hanging out and learning to knit!  Something I really want to try and where better to learn than a shop full of yarn!  I get to pick out yarn and have someone visually help me with this whole creating with 2 sticks thing....yep my kind of day and perfect.

It may be short in words, but honestly a few hours of yarn shop happiness by myself is all it takes to make my perfect day absolutely perfect!

how could hanging here not be perfect!

Well that's my day, now back to the reality of my job....sigh

If you would like to see some great creativity of other bloggers for today's topic of "Something Different", just type the code 3KCBWDAY5  into Google or for other "Perfect Craft Day's" use this code 3KCBWWC

Listening to: No More, No More by Aerosmith

3KCBWDAY4 - A Knitter or Crocheter For All Seasons?

So today's topic is about seasons?  Specifically, "How does your local seasonal weather affect your craft?"

I live in Southern California, the seasons don't change all that drastically but boy when it's a rainy day I am super happy to snuggle on the couch under a crocheted blanket and hook away.  I pretty much crochet year round and don't notice a huge difference in the things I make seasonally.  I do not make clothing other then accessories so I can't say that I lighten up too much, though I suppose I don't really think much about making up fingerless gloves in the middle of 106 degree temps, but they are a small project so maybe.....
I did think that this would be a super easy topic to cover, but it seems as if I am floundering, here it is 11:48 in the morning and I have typed up a whole lot of nothing!

I guess that the weather outside will certainly dictate if I have a heavy blanket working across my lap or not, but  as far as the fibers I choose the weather will have nothing in that decision.  I can use any fiber in any weather.  I  do have different projects going and if it's hot I may pull out the granny square blanket that I am working on for Brooke since a small square doesn't need to sit on my lap.

Whereas Sam's blanket has gotten a bit bigger and blacker then just individual grannys.  

Speaking of black (or any dark yarn actually) though not weather related, definitely daylight related.  I can't work on Sam's blanket at night, simple DC's but I have such a hard time seeing the stitches I would rather sit in the sunlight and work on it! 

So there you have it, I might change slightly but overall I will still start a big ripple blanket in the summer, whether I let it sit in my lap or not is another story!

So day 4 wrapped up, not all that pretty and completely got away from me, but complete!  If you would like to enjoy other blogs on the same subject, just Google 3KCBWDAY4 and a nice long list of them will await!

Listening to:  Wings of a Butterfly by HIM

3KCBWDAY3 - Your Knitting Or Crochet Hero

So today's topic as you can see from the title is about my Knitting or Crochet hero.  Wow, this could be tricky I think.  I don’t really have one specific person.  I do visit a few different blogs and always manage to find a thrill in how people’s work and colors choices can make similar items look so different.

I love Twinkie Chan!  I love her fun style in everything she makes, from super cool scarves to cupcake coffee cup cozies.  And of course she’s adorable!

How sweet is this!

Lucy at Attic 24 is wonderful!  I have made a few of her patterns and love all her stripy goodness and enjoyment of color!  Her blog is just such a happy spot to stop by!

Delicious colors!

Stix On A Beach  her color choices never fail to amaze me.  She finds inspiration in old movies and vintage wrapping paper!  Wonderful!

Just lovely!

Me! MaDonna! can't forget about her!  She is quite the fashionista and inspired my most favorite cold weather accessories!  Fingerless gloves in a variety of colors and textures and I am forever grateful to her for the simple fact that after whipping theses gloves together with no pattern, I found that I can actually work well without a pattern!  Yep I said it, I am a pattern follower and was (still kind of am) a big chicken about venturing out without a pattern, but have since gotten a bit better and made a couple pair of the gloves, a Bender beanie and some amigurumi.

Again adorable!

Thanks you ladies for all of your fantastic works and inspirations, you all rock!

Now of course there are many more wonderful blogs out there and I spend entirely too much of my work day surfing around to these blogs....shhhh!  I have found other blogs simply by clicking on links found on the blogs I do follow and that can set off a whole chain of blog reading!  And I won’t even get started on the wonders of Ravelry!  So I think you can see I don’t necessarily have one hero, but many of them!

Thanks for looking and you can find others participating in this week long fun challenge, by entering today's tag 3KCBWDAY3 into Google search! 

3KCBWDAY2 - Photography Challenge Day

So today's challenge is a photography challenge, I thought yay, pretty easy...I take tons of photos and love to have fun with them..........apparently I lied to myself!  I got nothing, nothing I tell you!  Ok I do have pictures, but clever...hardly.  So I will go with some start to finish shots, I even got a bit fancy with the bunny ones!

I dyed the yarn with Kool-Aid, pink lemonade and lemonade to be exact for a prettyish pink/yellow combo.  You can see in the top picture I have added the kool-aid to the yarn in the crock pot, about an hour later the draining and rinsing stage and the laid out neatly on a towel getting ready to hang for drying and at last the finished product!  A bunny for Brooke!

Kool-Aid dying to bunny

Next up a short series (4 whole pictures) from idea to completion of a hat for my son.  I drew a silly little sketch so I didn't forget what I wanted to do and started the beanie part...and now skipping along...ta-da done hat and Son wearing hat :)

My fabulous drawing!

hooking in the car!

all done and ready for shipping

and he loves it :)

Next up just some pictures at home, I have a lovely collection of knitting needles and not a clue how to use them, but they look nice on the bookshelf where I keep some of my yarn!

one of these things is not like the other

getting creative with focus

more creativity here...right?

A quick picture of Katlyn's striped scarf on Sunday morning, rolled up it's much easier to work with, especially with a crazy puppy running around!

third time around for the colors

This last picture is just a large vase I have hanging about for collecting the bits and pieces I cut off after the weaving in,  pretty colors to look and and functional when a need for stuffing small items arises!

ahhhh the memories!

And there you have my photographs for today!  Thanks for looking and if you want to see more photos from others participating in this week long fun challenge, simply perform a Google search for the tag 3KCBWDAY2  Loads of pages come up!  I'm off to do just that right now!

Listening to: Left in the Dark by Barbara Streisand