Busy-ish

Have ya missed me?
Huh?

Have ya?

Please say yes 'cause I've missed all of you!

What have I been up to, you ask? (Yes, I can hear you through the techno-highway.)

Indy modeling last years version of the Baby Elf Ski Hat.

Well, I think I have torn out Baby Gaumer's Christmas Baby ELF Ski Hat hat two or three times. The pattern calls for sock yarn and a two stitch increase every other row. First, I was making it every third row and caught it when I couldn't figure out why I wasn't doing just straight sc. So, I tore it out, about half way and restarted. I caught myself doing the three row increase again, so, frog another time. This time I got it correct. I LOVE the way it looks, but using sock yarn takes so damn long forever.




I'm going with a white background
instead of the green seen here.

Then, I decided it was time to work on the Christmas potholders I'm working on. I have too damn many of these only 14 of these to make. But repetition and I are not friends. Two are made out of Sugar and Cream . . . about halfway through the first I went online and ordered red, green, white and variegated I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby, If I am going to be bored out of my mind busy on these, at least I want to use the softest yarn possible.
Then, it was Family Tree time. Click here for the end result. That is until this evening. I discovered that our program did not add the hubby and me so, instead of 508 descendants, there are 510. Then, this evening, I discovered about 29 more . . . LOLOL

I sent messages to all of my relatives on Facebook. Most of them I don't know personally, but they are on the 6th generation of my maternal great grandfather's tree . . and I am the last of the 4th generation. (I think I have mentioned that when I was born, the oldest of the 4th generation was 66 years old.)

A couple were former students. When they did their Family Trees in 8th grade Science I discovered they were related to me. (One girl I told I would keep her but her older brother had to go!  LOLOL) I started with them and looked to see who they were related to with the last name I was looking for. I friended them and almost all friended me back. (The rest probably think I'm a nut case!)

Anyway, I posted the latest update of the tree and then sent messages to everyone to check out their little part of the tree and let me know any anything that is incorrect or I need to add. Well, two have responded so far and that started me on a quest to find out more on my own.

My hometown newspaper has a digital archives. I have spent a TON of time the last several days looking up more on these people . .wedding articles, obituaries, etc.

Then, today, I finally organized all of the family pix and vital records and burnt a copy do I can load it on this computer.

My eyes are killing me from crocheting with sock yarn and reading computer newspaper articles.

Show Off Time

Like the old cowboy song, "I'm back in the saddle again . . . . "

My hands are busy again with yarn . . . scrumptious feel. I hadn't, really, stopped crocheting, but it was seeming like it took D*A*Y*S to make what I should have been able to churn out in an evening.

Well, that's behind me now. I have "on the hooks," shall we say, a toboggan hat for next Christmas for my yet, unsexed niece/nephew who is supposed to make it's appearance in June; 9(+/-) socks finished for this same child's Advent Sock Swag, a baby blue, boucle throw, requested in 2009, by my best friend in Logan and a basket weave ornie for a Valentines Swap.

Here are the two latest finishes. Well, the 2nd is a finish, the 1st is half finished. You will understand why in a minute.



Square is from the Christmas Granny Afghan pattern.

I have 2 cousins, 2 nieces and 2 nephews in Logan, 1 brother, 2 sister-in-laws here and 1 niece and 1 nephew here . . . plus 1 aunt of my niece and nephew here. (I am maternal side, she is paternal.) That means I have 12 Christmas gifts I need like to make. (None of them expect anything but I like to have at least one thing home made for them each year.) This year this will be a Christmas 4-square potholder for each of them. Above you see what the front will look like. Since I need to make 12 fronts, I will have to make 58 individual squares and these can be a little time consuming, fasten off, add on for the first three rounds :{  Since this is the more difficult part (the backs will be a red/white/green variegated yarn giant granny square) I decided to make them first and then mindlessly make the backs later and join them/finish them off then. So, all in all that means I will make 58 "3 inch squares" to have 12 fronts, then make the 12 backs for a total of 24 "9 inch squares" to complete one gift for each person on my "to-do" list.

A DROPS Design

Now, we move forward to this month's Valentines Day Swap in my "Itsy Bitsy Swap and Chat" Ravelry group. My partner said she likes the sparkle of Valentines Day, so I'll be making her 2 Valentines ornie. Here is the first one. I used Vanna's Glamour which has a sparkle that sure didn't show up in the photo. I am in the process of making another one using the white and silver for a touch of elegance. On it, one lobe of the heart will be silver and the other lobe white. Will post when finished.

Okay, back to work on the silver and white Valentine ornie. Will post when finished!

MoreWays to Use Leftover Yarn

Okay, Okay . . . I know what you are thinking . . "Enough with the potholders already!"

I wish I could stop, but it is so easy to sit down, pick up a hook and make one when my mind needs to zone out.

Sitting on the window sill in the kitchen.

Can you believe I almost matched the positions of the potholders in these two pictures?

Don't look too close . . you will find all of my "hidden mistakes."
Remember that only God makes anything perfect =)

Now, for something fresh . . . . here are 2 more of the Dust Bunnies relatives. Please give a warm welcome to Adam Apple and his sister Alyce Apple.

According to Glen Campbell, "God didn't make Little Green Apples."
You can tell a mere mortal made this one =)

I may have to keep this one . . . the red is so luscious.

To be honest, don't the key rings look like an Empanada made to look like an apple?  LOLOL

All items are for sale in my Etsy store. And remember, all money I receive benefits the Wyoming County, New York, no-kill SPCA.


Signed,
God Didn't Make Little Green Apples, But I Make Apple Dust Bunnies




Potholders and Hockey Pucks

 For some reason I have a song from the group Chicago ("Saturday In The Park") running through my mind. It is one of my ALL TIME favorites, but, besides the fact that it is Saturday, why would I start thinking of it? I know it is going to stay with me all day at the rate its haunting me now.

Today's picture, for your perusal (is that really a word? Sounds so fake, doesn't it?) is the potholder I made for my 1st swap in the Dazzling Dozen Potholder Swap on Ravelry.   I have always been a fan of Granny Squares . . so easy, yet look SO NICE when done, that this has become by FAVORITE potholder pattern . . . a 4 Granny Square front and one Granny for the back. Even though it seems like it wouldn't be heat resistant, due to the holes, it is. AND, the PLUS to it is that it is machine washable, dry able, softens in feel and in color with each wash and if by chance, like we have done MANY TIMES, it gets burnt, it will just look like it has been in the family for generations . . so you can blame it on "granny."  LOLOL

Forty minutes until game 2 in the Sabres race for Lord Stanley's cup. Must get computing finished so I can go upstairs to watch it and work on the NY nieces and nephews Christmas presents . . let's hope they are in the race 'til the end so I can get the presents finished this spring.

Signed,

Crocheter for Christmas

(8053)

4 Square Potholder

This is a pattern I have come to REALLY LOVE!
The Christmas pattern at the left is the original pattern. The ones below are off-shoots of the original.

This pattern is available at my Ravelry Store.

Remember:
100% of the sale will benefit the animals at the Erie Natalie's 2nd Chance Shelter, a no-kill dog shelter in Lafayette, Indiana.

The Animals and I Thank You.

add to cart
show cart