New Yarn

I have a great sister in law. I am not saying that because she brought me yarn. We have always gotten along and had fun together. Back in the 70's I would drive up to her house every week on my day off and we would have lunch and shop or look for stuff we might need that week. We have a lot of people named Jane in our family. We have found ways that when we say Jane we know which one we are talking about. When the great nieces and nephews came along, SIL Jane took it upon herself and gave herself the name "Crazy Aunt Jane". This is not because she is crazy, well I guess she's not, but because she is fun and will do just about anything. Recently she and BIL Jerry took a trip to Maine. In the middle of the trip I got a call. Nothing was wrong, she had come across a local alpaca farm and wanted to pick some up for me. Whoa. I love alpaca. It is my favorite fiber. We had a little texting and talking going on to find out what was the one to get. I mean how many people do this sort of thing? Probably more than might admit to it. Short story long, the yarn is from Blue Star Alpacas in Jackson, Maine. Maine...those lucky people. Their winters are nice and cold enough to wear all kinds of warm knitted things. In Texas it gets cold but not cold enough to really wear some of the lucious sweaters I see on Ravelry. This alpaca is collected on the local farm and spun right there. I love local businesses. So here is the newest yarn to add to the stash. I have to sit and look at it a while and it will tell me what it would like to be. Thanks Jane. I love it.

 

What Was I Thinking?

The Daisy Afghan is coming along nicely. I added two more colors. Caron's Simply Soft in Celestial (blue) #0011 and Ocean (also blue ) #9759. Before this thing is done there may be even more colors added. There are some really nice ones and I may weaken.

 

Coming along nicely. I really enjoy connecting the squares together as I go.

 

BUT

 

What was I thinking when I started this??

 

 

Look closely.

 

 

Oh the humanity! Perhaps it is just me. I have always hated sewing be it clothing or ends on knitted/crocheted projects. I have been so excited about the colors of the squares and the fun of putting the afghan together as I go that I have avoided the inevitable....hiding all those little yarn tags. I think perhaps I should spend the afternoon working on these instead of doing more squares. Perhaps I will do three more just to have the blankie even. I am weirdly big about that sort of thing, balance.

Boxing Up Hats

Time has come to box up hats for the Knit-A-Cap project. Each year about the time school starts it is time to get the hats ready to ship. My contact in Washington, DC, Lana, gets all the hats together and then ships them to schools that have requested them. These little knit hats may be the only hat some of these children get all year. I have had hats shipped all over the US including as far away as Alaska, anywhere where the winter weather is cold. I do not have as many this year as I have some years but 181 kids will be getting hats. I have blogged previously when I ship hats and if you are interested in participating in this project for next year just leave a comment and I will get in touch with you.

I sorted hats according to the yarns so there would not be too many per box of the same type.

 

Sorted to colors.

 

In the box and ready to ship.

 

 

 

More Daisies

 

The daisy afghan is coming along. I am liking the connect the squares as you go.

Love the colors.

 

I had this color in my stash and decided to add it.

Caron Simply Soft Persimmon #9754

 

 

 

I also had this skein of Caron Simply Soft in

Rubine Red #9748.

 

So these colors will be added. I was at Michael's today and came across a couple more colors I would like to add. It would seem that this project is growing. I can't seem to stop crocheting squares.

 

 

Daisy Chain

I have a few daisy granny squares knit together. I think I am liking this knit together as you go idea.

This is the first group.

 

All of a sudden I realized I could add the yellow from the daisy centers for another square. I have been a little slow this week. So I added yellow.

 

 

I am not sure I like it but it will make the afghan larger. I also have not decided on the color for the border yet so there are lots of options. Any opinions on adding the yellow square?

 

Blooming Flowers

I do not have a green thumb. This summer I have tried to have some pretty flowers on the balcony. I have tried not to overwater, underwater, or do any of the other stuff that causes my plants to die. This is one of my Purslane plants. My mother always had it on her patio. I got it because it is supposed to be hardy and it does have beautiful flowers. I was looking out the window yesterday and saw it was blooming much more than it has of late. I love the hot pink contrast with the yellow.

 

 

Correction

Thanks to Square Grannie for pointing out the link for Pioneer Woman's blog was incorrect. The correct link is www.thepioneerwoman.com . Try that and hopefully you can see this wonderful mixer. (I also corrected the link in the original post.) It is listed under the home and garden section.

I Want This!!

Pioneer Woman has this mixer on her site today. (Picture taken from Pioneer Woman's website). Every once in a while she gives it away. Today is one of those days. If you want it please do not go enter on her site because I want to win it so bad. (Ok that is not nice, go enter. www.thepioneerwoman.com ) I just love it. Isn't this just the coolest thing you have ever seen.

Every time she offers it I enter to win it. So do thousands of other people. What are the chances of me winning? Hey I was not a math major but they must be very, very small. This is also why I do not play the lottery. I would rather spend my money on more yarn. This is an appliance that is a work of art. I just enjoy looking at it. Thought you would too. It is listed under the home section.

Daisy Squares

I have been working on daisy squares this week. I have been jumping around on projects lately. Part of that is that some are not as travel friendly as others. A large afghan or shawl is not as easy to work on in a doctor's office as a hat or little squares. That plus the fact that I am unable to stay on one project for very long. I did finish the "future present" but it can't be shown till it is given away. So here is how the daisy squares are coming along.

A bunch of daisy centers.

Little daisys.

Squares

Connecting the squares.

Bunny Mummy's blog (www.bunnymummy.blogspot.com ) where I found this cute pattern, suggested making the daisy centers first to get them out of the way. I have been making the yellow centers and then doing a few of the petals. I did do these four squares just to see how they would look. I am using the crochet squares together as you go idea from www.attic24.typepad.com . I have never done this before but still have nightmares of having to sew 280 squares together on an afghan I made in 2002. I think the colors of the yarn are fantastic for this project. The are all Simply Soft by Caron. Sunshine #9755, Limelight #9607, Grape #9610, Blue Mint #9608, and Strawberry #0015.

Happy Birthday Matthew!!

Happy Birthday Matthew! With all the pictures I have it was hard to choose what to post for your birthday. I had a very hard time keeping it to just a few. Hope you have a fun birthday. I love you bunches!

Don't think you liked the beach then but all that has changed,.

Always loved this pix.

Always has been a spiffy dresser.

Uncle Daisey has always been and still is adored by Jo.

Contrary to what some people think,

you were blessed with a mom with a sense of humor.

 And you have the pictures to prove it.

Sweet wife. She helps me not worry so much.

Still likes to dress sharp.

Happy Birthday!! Love ya!

Daisy Granny Square

I got this cute pattern off of www.bunnymummy.blogspot.com . It is really cute. Am going to make some squares tomorrow while ignoring football on TV.

Simply Soft Sunshine #9755

Simply Soft White #9701

Simply Soft Grape #9610

Birthday Cake

After swim lessons we had birthday cake. It was very sweet icing and I like sweet but wow very sweet. We had to sing Happy Birthday and of course had to light the candles several times for the girls to blow out the candles. Good thing we believe in germs building up immunity, haha.

Happy Birthday Alli!

Happy Birthday Allison!!

Just a few pictures to celebrate Allison's birthday. It is so hard to choose just a few.  Happy Birthday sweetie. I love you bunches!!

Not only have I seen this expression still today but have seen it on Jo and Scout too.

Among the bluebonnets.

Sweet girl.

Always finds a way to be funny.

 

In Alaska. One of the most fun trips in my life.

Cute couple who know how to make me laugh.

With Jo and Scout. Love all of ya'll.

Hope you have a great birthday!

Future Present 2

This is a little update on "Future Present". Perhaps I have found a solution to the issue of this yarn and it's being contrary. I am using Addi Turbo needles in size 11. The yarn just slides so easily and I seem to have much less separation and grabbing than on my bamboo needles. I have used Addis a lot but perhaps not for this yarn. The project is coming along nicely.

Surprise

Nothing can make a person more happy or lift their spirits than a wonderful surprise. I got one today. The girls came over for swim lessons. We had lunch and before we left to swim Allison said she picked up some stuff for me because well, she knows it must be a sin to pass up yarn on sale. We are talking serious sale of 75 cents and $1.50.

There is Caron Simply Soft, Lion Brand Fun Fur, Peaches and Cream cotton, Red Heart Tweed, Homespun, and Hometown USA. How can one seriously be stressed or upset when someone opens a bag of yarn and dumps it on the floor saying I know you are trying to decrease your stash but it was on clearance. Thank you, thank you, thank you sweetie. It was so much fun.

Future Present

Ha, I laughed when I saw that title. Here is some yarn I am using to make a future present. JE loves it, I tolerate it. It is sometimes contrary to knit/crochet with because it has little grabby places. But it is the softest yarn ever when it it washed. I got two skeins of Lion Brand Homespun Candy Apple #375. One of the best things about this yarn, take note of the American flag. It is made in the USA! For that alone I will continue to use it.

Homespun Granny Square Afghan

I am still trying to clean out my stash of partially used yarns. I mean how can you add more to the stash if it is clogged with partially used skeins? I pulled out some Lion Brand Homespun yarn and found I could make some sort of small afghan. I used a size N - 9.00 mm hook.

Yarns: All Homespun

Holiday Homespun Starlight #200

Shaker #301B

Painted Desert #407

Quartz #362

Hepplewhite #300

I started with the Starlight and then decided as I went how far I wanted to go with each color. Once I had used all of them I decided another row of Starlight would be a good break. Then I just crocheted in the same order again. Ok so using left over yarn can have a down side. I did not have enough Starlight to do the edging that I thought I should do. So I had to buy, yeah, another white. Fortuanately I had a coupon. Since the Starlight was left over from Christmas I found Hepplewhite was also a bright white it just did not have the little gold strip through it.

I think it came out pretty good and will be nice to use once it ever starts cooling down, like in November.

Grandboys Visit

The grandboys were in town today. They are going to see the Texas Rangers play tonight. We met for breakfast and went to the park. This is the first morning it hasn't been over 90 by 9:30 in the morning. They had a great time. I took the opportunity to get a quick picture.

Cactus Tuna

This huge cactus is near my house. This is only about half of the patch and it is huge. There are so many cactus tuna. I think this is the most I have ever seen in one patch.

So cool.

Meow

Scout cracks me up.

Bye Bye Pink Shawl

The pink shawl is no more. Sad. It is a very nice pattern, Multnomah by Kate Flagg. I have ripped and ripped and ripped this shawl at least five times. Once I got to the feather and fan instructions I never could get the pattern to come out right. My stitches were always off. I even let it sit for a while and tried again to no avail. I have done feather and fan before and it is not hard. The shawl was put in the buffet in the stash. I could not bear to look at it anymore. When I pulled it out last week I thought maybe it was me and I would just try again to whip it up. Alas, I still had issues. So I ripped. I really like the pattern and I know a million people have made it but for some reason I cannot get it to work. The yarn is a lucious Madeline Tosh sport weight alpaca in a pink called Posy. I love, love, love the yarn but it has to be something else. I am afraid it will be so "used" I won't get a good shawl out of it. So bye bye Multnoma. So sad to see you go but I will find another pattern and use this wonderful yarn for something else.

Pink Shawl

I have had such issues with this little pink shawl. It has a simple feather and fan border but for some reason the stitches never match the pattern. I found it yesterday in the back of the stash where it had it had been sent many months ago for misbehavior. I am giving it another chance but if there is no cooperation it is headed for ripping out.

No Words

My friend Tommy N Nana posted this picture on Facebook tonight. Casket of 2nd Lt. James Cathey USMC who was killed in Iraq and his wife Katherine the night before Lt. Cathey's burial. The Marines made her a bed below her husband's flag. She played music that she and her husband liked and the Marines kept watch over them through the night. There are just no words.....