Happy Holidays

Just sending out Holiday love.  Whatever your reason for celebrating this season be it a time of joy.  Peace!

Owls Need Big Eyes

While cruising the pages of Ravelry I came across a crochet pattern for little owls ( http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/owl-key-chain-pattern ).  I had some cotton scraps I was waiting to move into a finished object and thought this pattern was a good project to achieve these goals.  I also thought they would be cute little gifts for my friends.  With hook in hand I started on plan.  My first couple of tries were not cutting it.  I pulled those out and started again.  My crochet skills lacks the refinement of some of my more talented friends.  However, it did not deter me from making four of these little key chains.  My first 3 look okay, but the 4th one looks much better.  In the end the success is all about the eyes.  I have tons of buttons in all sizes, but currently I have no idea where my buttons are packed.  So I was scrambling for 2 matching buttons of any size..  My friends at Kirkwood Knittery gave me the buttons to finally make my little owl look great. Lesson learned, owls need BIG eyes.

Bat Mobile Or Itty Bitty Battys

Natalie and I heard we were getting a new niece awhile back.  I decided to knit her something and fate would bring Rebecca Danger's little monsters into my life.  I kind of fell in love with her itty bitty batty and saw a group of them made into a bat mobile.  The original plan was for Natalie and I to knit the bats together, but after knitting 2 of these bats, my control issues kicked in and I decided I would do it all myself.  I was frugal and used up most of the leftover Simply Worsted form the build a block blanket.  I had fun with this project and was excited to give the finished bat mobile to our new niece, the Divine Miss O.  The gift was a hit and now I can publicly crow about my knitting prowess.  Actually, the hardest part was the mobile.  I never was very good at mobiles.  Mobiles need precision and balance, things I do not possess in abundance.  I also made the bat mobile so as the Divine Miss O gets older they can cut the cords and she can have a colorful bat family.  Enjoy new niece!

Just Showing Off

I know I already blogged about the Cat's Cradle crocheted tunic, but Natalie took such a great photo of the tunic I had to show it off.

Princesses

Last year if I saw one Disney Princess costume, I saw 100.  Little girls and a few boys wanted to be Elsa, Snow White, Jasmine, or Cinderella.  Who I am I to throw metaphoric stones about the state of feminism in a 5 year old.  In 1971 I had the good fortune to live out my dream of being Cinderella in a hand me down costume.  I remember thinking that mask made me look just like the princess du jour.  After that Halloween I would ask to wear the costume again, but with some kind of evil magic it disappeared.  However, just once I had the thrill of being a bona fide Disney princess.

Cat's Cradle or More Crochet then I can Stand

About a year ago I started on a quest to improve my crochet skills.  I wanted to get better at hooking, you know what I mean.  Sometimes when you knit it helps to be able to incorporate crochet to be a more versatile fibernista.  And I did use skills I learned on the crochet afghan to finish the building block blanket for Natalie.  I am not regretting spending more time in the land of crochet, but while I am crocheting I am longing for my knitting bag sitting so lonely on the corner of the futon.  You would think after the afghan I would throw away my hooks and cast on some dramatic knitting project and never look back.  You would think that.

Try not to notice the spiderish shapes on the tunic

However, I still wanted to crochet myself some crazy tunic to wear over a turtle neck or something like that.  Well, the something like that turned out to be the Cat's Cradle 2 by Doris Chen.  I promised myself I would only join the crochet along if I could find the yarn in my stash.  I found I did not have enough of one color, so I added another color for the trim and just like that I was in another crochet along.  As always I was compelled by that inner product knitter to crochet my tunic up as soon as possible and with miles of chain stitches behind me, I finished.  I even made it point to flaunt my project at a craft fair and a party all in the same day. 

Hooking under a "Sale" sign

Now, I am saying this to you and anyone else who is listening, I done hooking for awhile, Christmas knitting is awaits me.

Rainbow Knitting

2 Washcloths and a Hand Towel

After the history making Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, I felt driven to knit up some rainbow themed coasters.  As you can guess coasters do not take a significant amount of yarn.  After 4 coasters I found myself with a bag full of unused rainbow hued, cotton yarn. About the same time one of my straight, not narrow friends gave us rainbow beach towels for the new house.  With yarn in hand, I thought I should knit some linens to match.  A hand towel and two washcloths later, I still find myself with some extra yarn.  However, I am very pleased with my triple rainbow accomplishments fancying up the bathroom on the second floor. 

Washcloth Matching the Rainbow Towel

Coaster that Launched Half a Dozen More Projects

Open House

As I have said we have moved and it was hard.  Early on in this process we started telling people, "Oh yeah and we will have a big open house."  Well today we had to do just that have the much promised open house.  I wanted to do it a little fancy and send out invitations with a photo of us on the front.  With help from my sister we did just that.

 

We opened our door and hoped for a good turn out, and we were not disappointed.  You came with gifts of plants, flowers, food, and knitted things.  You came with smiles and good wishes.  You came and filled our home with love and joy.  You saw our new home on its best day and listened to our stories of all the work that went into the house.  Thank you so much and know we were overwhelmed by the out pouring of excitement and generosity.  We are so lucky to know so many wonderful and kind people.

 

Sadly, some of you could not make it, we missed you, but we understand life is full of many things and sometimes there is not enough hours in the day to do everything.  Also, some of you live far and away from us.  However, you are always welcomed in our home and we look forward to giving you a tour of the new digs.  Sadly, I can say you missed some amazing almond butter cake made by my beautiful wife.  I cannot promise we will have that in abundance for your visit. 

 

As always, thank you for all the support in the last year, your kindness and patience with us is much appreciated.



Finishing the Building Block Blanket & a Tunic Too!

Call me the queen of finished projects!

First I finished my building block blanket.  You know the one Natalie and I worked on in 2014?  I crocheted the blocks together and then did an awesome crochet border.  So happy to call it done!

And then I finished a cotton tunic with sleeves!  Trying to impress you by adding the "with sleeves."  However, because the tunic was cotton, I kind of sucked at sewing the sleeves.  Also, once again I forgot my 3X body has almost non-existent shoulders.  Even with my I-cord edging I am still looking at a droopy neckline.  When will I learn to go down a couple sizes at the very top.  Better luck next time, because done is DONE!

Public Service Announcement About Sticky Fly Traps

Over the weekend we bought these sticky fly traps to help us with the mosquitoes which are eating us alive in the back yard.  We have a drain under the back porch and we have been pouring some chemicals in the drain to kill the evil little bugs, but still they are still thick.  We thought that these traps would help.  However, after 24 hours the only thing it caught was one large woman.  I was trying to unstick a wind sock, which got caught on the trap, and in the process the trap got stuck to my arm.  When I pulled it off my arm it flipped back and hit me in the chin and then landed on my shirt.  It took some effort to remove the damn thing from my shirt.  It took even more effort to remove the sticky residue from my person.  When I poked the now destroyed fly trap, stuck to the patio, not a bug was on it.  Apparently, it was designed to trap silly, middle-aged, lesbians.

Homesick

Today I discovered that I am homesick.  Homesick for my comfort zone.  Homesick for a place where I know where everything is.  Homesick for that feeling of coming home throwing myself down on the futon,  kicking my shoes off, and sleeping until I wake up and know exactly where I am.  I know, I am just pitiful.

Yarn Crawl or How I Busted My Budget

This weekend was the St Louis area yarn crawl.  Last year I didn't do the crawl because we were shopping for a house.  And as I have mentioned with the move, I have been on a yarn diet. I have also mentioned that I have fallen off that wagon.  Well, any thought that I might climb back on that wagon was blown this weekend.  I bought yarn at 5 of the 7 shops.  I tried to purchase something at every shop to support women owned small businesses, and because I like all these ladies, and of course I love yarn.  I enjoyed seeing everyone in my travels too.

My New Preciouses

However, I did break my budget.  Feeling a little guilty about that, but it is done and I have new yarn.

Hurtful, Hate-filled, Homophobia

Today my spouse and I went to her grandmother's funeral.  Her grandmother had lived a long, full life loving her family, quilting, and gardening.  She was a faith filled woman, who struggled with her granddaughter's choices to move away from small-town Missouri and live with another woman. After 30 years she had at least accepted that I wasn't going away. I went with Natalie, as her spouse, to  be her support and comfort as she has been for me as I struggled with my own losses.

Most funerals are sad and this one was no exception.  However, shortly after the first hymnal the preacher lauded the family for their traditional family values.  He asked that everyone help him pray for those traditional marriage values that are currently under attack by the government.  Our heads snapped up and we knew we were no longer welcomed as many of the attendees started nodding their heads in agreement.  The same heads that share DNA with my beloved.  It hurt me to see so much hate around me.  It was appalling to know in the room there were young people being taught to hate those that are different, and in some cases hate themselves.  The cutting remarks were even sadder than the reason we were there.

We did not leave, but stayed for the rest of the service.  The small minded preacher went on to talk about the importance of love,  Jesus is love, he felt surrounded by love, and love of the Lord is the highest form of love.  He concluded by inviting all of us to share in a dinner prepared for all of us with love at his church.  We decided to skip the dinner.

Natalie said to me on the ride home, "After that there was nothing else he said that I wanted to hear."

Love may have won last month, but hate still exists and flourishes in small-towns and small minds.

What's Your Point Scarf

I have been knitting, but with moving & some larger works in progress I have not finished much lately.  However, awhile back I did finish a scarf which will not find its way around my neck until this fall.  In the meantime it languishes away with my other fabulous knitted scarves.  The pattern for the scarf is called "What's Your Point Scarf?" Available at the following website:  (http://www.skacelknitting.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.46871/.f ). 

The scarf was an easy knit, but it is the yarn I used which I love.  One of the Sunday knitters showed up with this Schachenmayr Regia Fluormania line of sock yarn and I knew I had to have some.  I found a vivid purple, pink, green colorway to call my own. 

I was worried that this pattern was going to just roll up once knitted.  My knitter think tank assured me blocking would take care of the rolling edge problem.  Aggressive blocking paid off and the scarf is flat as a pancake (which if you think about it a pancake is actually a little puffy on top).  Can't wait for nippy weather to show off this pointedly vibrant scarf.

And the World Continues to Turn on Its Axis

Just a little under a month ago, as you may have heard, Natalie and I's marriage was recognized by our country.  Our whole country; all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US territories.  Since then the I have noticed the sun still comes up and the moon still continues to wax and wane.  Our mail shows up with the same bills and junk mail.  The internet functions and the grid has not fallen.  I have not seen a rain of frogs or the Mississippi turn to blood.  I will admit we have been plagued by a swarm of mosquitoes, but bug spray seems to be taking care of that problem.  My marriage has not destroyed our world.  In fact so many of my friends, co-workers, neighbors, knitters, and family have rallied around us to congratulate the recognition of our 30 year union.  We feel blessed to have so much love and support.  Thank you my friends and allies for all the years that you have opened your hearts and minds to my family.  Your helped change my world. A world that continues to turn just fine on its axis.



My Map is Pink!!!

I have kept this map at my desk since November of 2012 (http://tempestinapot.blogspot.com/2012/11/rainbow-tide-coming-through.html) & now it is totally pink!  I know there are some grinches who are trying to steal marriage from couples, but they won't last.  And just so you know I smiled as I colored in those last 13 states.  The county I grew up in started marrying same-sex couples on June 29th.  Good job Crawford County, good job.

TODAY IS THE DAY!

Today is the day.  The day I have waited for 30 years.  The day my same sex marriage license becomes a marriage license.  The day we become just another married couple.  The day I hoped for, but thought I might not see in my life.  The day I smiled all day and kissed my wife on the front steps of our home.  Today the Supreme Court said I do to declaring bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.  The day I saw the hearts filled with love and joy.  Today I go to bed an equal.  Today was the best day.

Rainy Day People

Felt like a rainy day person today.  I only left the house to walk the recycling to the dumpster.  I stood at windows and watched it rain.  I thought about where the rain goes and really did not do much of consequence today accept laundry.  I feel a little like a slug.  Guess the overcast day got me down.  Glad I don't live in Seattle.

Cue Gordon Lightfoot.

Keys

Earlier this week I removed all my keys from the old house off my key ring.  It felt like I was breaking up with someone.  I was sad the rest of the night.  I keep asking myself, "Why are you being such a baby about this?"  I can only say that all those years made the old manse my home and I am missing the comfort of knowing I am home.  One day this house will be my home and I won't feel so displaced, but not today.

And So My Stuff Arrives

At last all of my stuff arrived at the new house.  The movers showed up last Friday bringing my boxes, furniture, and the accumulation of my life.  I had these poor guys stuff my stuff in every possible nook and cranny we could find.  I am a bit overwhelmed by the lack of organization and the inability to even find the power cord of my cd player in the mounds of things here.  How did my life get so out of control?

Natalie tells me not to worry, I have the rest of my life to get everything in order.  I have to wonder if that will be enough time to get my life reorganized and under control again.  Wish me luck.

Falling Off the Yarn Diet Wagon

Dream in Color, Smooshy (I can thank Siri for this purchase).

With all the drama of moving my wife and I decided to curtail our fiber habit by going on a yarn diet.  I tried to think of all the yarn I was going to have to move.  This strategy worked, I did in fact not buy any yarn for several months.  However, now that I am moved in I have rewarded myself by throwing myself off the yarn diet wagon right in a big old pile of yarn..  I bought some Berroco yarn, which was on sale, for a vest.  Thanks to the enabling of the always helpful Siri I bought 2 sumptuous skeins of a Dream in Color cashmere/merino blend sock weight yarn.  I have a pattern for that too.  Next came 2 skeins of Black Bunny Fibers, Sister Silk.  I am still searching for a good pattern for the silk.  Finally, I found some Ella Rae cotton in a clearance bin, and thought I would knit a hand towel for my new bathroom. Yup that is me wallowing around in that cashmere, silk, and cotton.

Black Bunny Fibers, Sister Silk (I admit I was seduced by the color)

Blue Horizons Circa 1974

After traveling over mounds of stashed yarn, struggling through pages of difficult instructions, and hours of strenuous hooking I have completed my Blue Horizons crochet project (cue over the top music).  Okay, I finished my afghan, my first, and maybe last afghan.  Relieved to back to my sticks and leave the hooks behind.  I used up 3/4 of my Mission Falls stash and hooked about 4000 yards of yarn.  Yes, that afghan has over a mile of yarn in it.  Of course we are on the cusp of Summer and I don't think I am ready to cuddle up with my a wool afghan. Fall will come my pretty.

The original pattern had blues and purple aptly named Blue Horizons.  As I love green and I have a lot of green yarn I decided green it would be.  I added snaps of reds, balanced by a blue and some purples with black for the borders.  In the end I think the colors remind me the early 70s when my mom put in an avocado kitchen accenting it with autumnal colors.  I loved those colors then, I love now and I love this crocheted afghan. 

I need to thank my friend, and teacher, Suzanne, for all the help along the way.  Thanking her and the rest of my crocket group for the patience and assistance to get me to this beautiful finished project.  Feeling I have earned my crochet afghan merit badge.

I Do Not Have the Power

 

 

As you can imagine with the move everything is in chaos.  I find myself surrounded by boxes, lots of boxes.  Even something as simple as the cord to my cd player has become big drama.  I know it is here, in a box, laughing at me.  I went back to Casa de California and nope not there either.  I took my frustrated self to Target and guess what I could not even find cd players. I found lots of cords but nothing even remotely looking like a power cord to an old fashion cd player.  I tried to ask one of the associates to help me, but it was as if we were speaking 2 different languages. I tried the internet, again it was as if I were typing in archaic codes.  I lamented my cause to my sister and she was not sympathetic.  In fact, I could hear her eyes rolling on the other side of the phone.


After having a temper tantrum in front of Natalie she had mercy on me and went on her own quest for the lost power cord.  My wonderful wife went to Best Buy and told them my saga, but again there was no power cord for sale.  One of the associates looked around the back room and actually found an orphan cord and sent it home with her.  My hero showed up with the new cord, but it did not fix my cd player. Again I was sad, but my wife happened across the Wii and low and behold its cord actually fit my cd player.  I turned on my music and did a happy dance for Natalie.

Granted I still had Pandora and my Walkman while I was searching for the cord, but I wanted control of my music.  I know some of you are wondering why I just don't go completely digital? I like my cds, I like my cd player. Now, I just need a new cord for the Wii.

Dresser Win!

Loving the greens on this chest of drawers

Yesterday, I lamented that I was on a quest for a chest of drawers.  I had prepared myself for a lengthy hunt, but first thing this morning I walked into Vintage Bizarre on Virginia and immediately I found 2 gorgeous candidates.  I did hear angels singing when I beheld my choices.  Dresser A was painted white with 7 drawers painted various shades of green.  Dresser B was cream with pink drawers.  I loved them both, but dresser A just had the look I really wanted.  Now that I have it home, I think dresser B might have been a better choice because it was bigger.  However, I do love the look of my new chest of drawers.

Many flamingos will roost here.

Today was all about furniture, we moved the new dresser to my room.  Natalie put together an IKEA apothecary cabinet for my bathroom.  She gets a good spouse award because she hates putting together IKEA furniture. Even a small dry sink, made by my great grandfather Helms, made its way into my bathroom.  I love the idea of having the dry sink used by generations of my family now being in my own bathroom. 

I have always loved the glass knobs on this dry sink.

Calling today a win.

The Perfect Chest of Drawers

I am picky and I know it.  Today I started my quest for a chest of drawers for my bedroom.  It has been almost 15 years since I had a chest of drawers, I think because my old one died and I couldn't find one I liked.  I ended up with a wardrobe instead.  The wardrobe,a sad and tacky particle board thing, is falling apart and has only the trip to the curb in its future. Now I am living out of 3 suitcases, and I see a need for a chest of drawers.  Of course I have requirements because no ordinary chest of drawers will do. First it must have at least 5 drawers.  Second it can't be particle board. Third it must be only 30 inches wide.  In my fantasies, I walk into the funky antique mall, a light shines on the absolutely perfect piece of furniture, angels sing, and the price tag says "Cheap." Wish me luck with that.

Home Again, Home Again

Natalie and I always bicker about how you end saying "Home, again, home, again" is it "Jiggety jig" or "Lickty Split?"  We have been having this disagreement so long, I have even forgot which one of us thinks what.  Regardless, I am at my new home or one day I will arrive here and say I am home.  It has been hard for me to give up my old home and move to the new place.  I have lived at Casa de California longer than I have ever lived anywhere, 19 years.  My previous record was for the house I grew up in, 16 years.  I admit I do get attached to places and have a hard time letting go.  Letting go I must.



My life has been about boxes, newspaper, and moving stuff.  We have moved my yarn, fiestaware, clothes, shoes, kitchen, dining room, bed, and many, many, flamingos.  I am almost ashamed of all the stuff I have.  I have re-homed a few things and some things have went to Goodwill, but still I have much stuff.  I have donated over 9 linear feet of books to betterworldbooks.com as well as to friends.  We have even taken a few items out for bulk pick up.  I am physically and emotionally exhausted from the process and still I have more to do. 

I have not been blogging because I have been consumed with this move.  One day I will have everything at the correct address and then I can start the process of making this place my home.  In the meantime, I will tell you what I have been saying to Natalie, be patient I will get home again.

Lambing Mitts

Sometimes you are just destine to do a thing.  For example the Lambing Mitts by Veronika Jobe(http://www.toltyarnandwool.com/blogs/blog/17124140-lambing-mitts), I was destine to knit them because by a fluke of a mispronunciation at Ellis Island that is my last name.  I thought it would be fun to be the Lambing in the Lambing Mitts.  The pattern was easy and I had some Aran weight Mission Falls I decided to use up.  I was also happy to be using my knitting needles instead of a crochet hook.

First I knit a pair for a co-worker's birthday.  I wanted to use up some of the odds and ends leftover from the crochet afghan I have been working on and decided to use a dash of blue in the red top of the mitt.  This decision was mistake.  The goal of the mitts is to have a garter ridge top to flip up and down.  On the first pair, I have the woven ends on one side, which is visible if you flip the top up.  Knitting fail.

Photo by Siri!

On the second pair, the set for me, I learned my lesson and kept the color changes for the hand garter ribbing.  I kind of love how the mitts turned out.  The turned down top is so wonderfully squishy, too.  I made my pair a large, but used the medium thumb size, which is prefect for me.  Again, what is not to love about an easy pattern sharing your name.  Much Love!

Fabulous 49!

My First Birthday Cake

Today I turned 49.  I am thinking about starting to say I am 50. If I do that then maybe it want be so hard to say this time next year.  Not only that, but if I say I am 50 I will get lots of people saying to me, "Oh, I thought you only looked 49."  I had a cold birthday full of warm wishes.  Glad to have such good friends.


Also, it is my 4 year wedding anniversary.  You remember that time I went to Iowa and married the love of my life.  I am hoping that next year by our 5th wedding anniversary we get marriage equality. We are down to 12 states (my home state being one of the 12) and Alabama who are still denying same-sex marriage equality.  I dream of the day when all families are treated equally.

The only wedding dress I have ever worn

Thank you for all the kind birthday wishes.  I would be lost without you all.  Much Love.

Busting out the Begonia Blocks

After rumaging through my stash, weighing my skeins, and doing some math I finally finished crocheting all my blocks for the blue skies afghan. The last block was called Begonia, and I really loved the dramatic flower in the center.  I am ecstatic to be done with these blocks, but I still have a way to go for a finished product.  As I write I have begun blocking the blocks.  I am hoping next month to begin the process of putting them together (more crochet).  In the meantime, I am enjoying not crocheting and working on knitting projects. 


One of the bittersweet things about this project has been using my stash of Mission Falls yarn. The colors have been beautiful to work with and I have fallen in love with this brand all over again.  Sadly, as this yarn is no longer manufactured, I am using up the last of my stash of this yarn.  My friend Suzanne has said people are holding on to this yarn and taking it to the grave. 



I used all but maybe 18 inches of the lavender.  The last block was a real nail biter, but I went down to a smaller hook and used almost every last scrap of the yarn.  When I made it to the end of the last block I got up and did a little victory lap around my living room.  It feels good to see my stacks of finished blocks.

5 Years and Counting

My Dad in his late 20s.

Today is the 5 year anniversary of my dad's passing.  I have spent the past years re-living those final hours of his life.  To see someone so strong so destroyed by this disease was worse than anything I had ever seen before.  All ideas of Christian grace gone.  It was horrific.  And yet when people said to me, his passing was a relief from the pain, I wanted to scream at them why did he have to suffer at all.  I still carry such anger and pain at this vile thing called cancer and if I pray for anything it is that there is a cure so no one suffers as he did.  After the anger is the hole from the loss of someone so important to me.  I move forward and make the new normal without him, but know I still cry when I think of all the things I can no longer share with him.  Grief is not about stages, it is about forcing yourself forward when with every inch you leave the life you shared with your loved one behind.  Sad day, sad thoughts.

More Insta-hat & Blocks

Okay, moving aside I have also been working on putting my blocks together and finished another Insta-hat for Baby Sis.  So despite my puling, my life is not all packing and moving.  Sorry to be so negative, once I am moved it will be better.  In the meantime check out the knitting photos below.

Baby Sis Modeling the New Hat

All 12 Blocks Laid Out for the Next Step of Putting Everything Together

I Hate Moving

Just letting you know my life is all about boxes, newspapers, tape, and sharpies.  I will be glad when this process is over.  Back to packing.

Insta-Hat

I have been so lucky in my knit life to have come in contact with some amazing knitters.  So much talent in so much variety.  One of my Sunday knit buddies is a talented stitcher, has a great eye for color, and she can a read a pattern backwards and forwards.  However, what she truly excels at is finding some of the best patterns out there.  I am constantly wanting to knit what she knits.  I find myself stalking her project page on Ravelry more than I should.  She is a pattern trendsetter.

Co-worker showing off her new knitwear

Over the holidays my knit buddy found the most adorable hat pattern on Instagram called Insta-hat by Lee Meredith (http://instagram.com/leethalknits).  Meredith posted the free pattern on Instagram and Tumblr in 4 installments.  You did have to go to a social media sight to view each part of the pattern, but it was worth it.  The pattern was fairly simple and knitted up fairly fast in bulky yarn.  I loved my friend's finished hat and knew I had some bulky yarn that needed to be knit up.  I threw aside my crochet (because you know I would rather be knitting) and cast on the Insta-hat.  Part 1 & 2 of the pattern went well, but part 3 gave me some fits.  After pulling part 3 out the second time I put in a lifeline.  Like always, once that lifeline went in I knit the pattern perfectly. 

My own Insta-hat

I was just going to make one hat for a co-worker who had asked for a beanie style hat in September.  I finished the beanie version of the Insta-hat and gave my bin of bulky yarn another look.  I found some green alpaca blend that needed to be knitted up in a slouchy version of the hat for me.  This pattern was quick and fun. I may have to go back to the bulky bin again and do some stash busting with this pattern.

Popcorn Crochet?

As I have mentioned I am working on a crochet along with my friend Suzanne.  I am not loving the crochet as much as knitting.  I like crochet, but I never come home at night and say, "Yay, I can't wait to crochet."  However, most nights I do come home with the expressed goal to knit.  Once I finish the blue horizon afghan, I will only be hooking as needed.

Pay No Attention to the Stray Knitting Needles Next to the Blocks

I have crocheted 8 textured bluebells square, 20 cornered grannies, and now 16 popcorn flower squares.  I have 20 more begonia squares to do.    I have been taking a break on the crochet and working on some knitting projects before facing the begonias. I have promised after the next knitting project to go back to the crochet.

In the meantime I am knitting and working on moving.  One day in the future I will be moved into the new house.  Until then I am going through books, recycling 5 years worth of Vanity Fair, and wondering why I thought moving was a good idea.