Give-away

Happy Friday everyone!

I came across this blog today, and these potholders  they're so beautiful I just had to share the giveaway with all of you!

I hope you all have a crafty weekend :o)

What's Cookin'?

Mostly a big pot of indecisiveness….

Not sure what my deal is lately but I’ve made zero progress on many projects.  The biggest hurdle that I have yet to clear is a lack decision making and/or a lack of confidence in the decisions I’ve made.

This past weekend I was in a bit of a funk/rut.  I made trips to AC Moore and Michaels and spent some time crocheting, but one of two things happened by Sunday - either the work I did was frogged or I’m still unhappy with color choices and am waiting for some yarn to arrive by mail*.

*”Funny” story – the yarn I’m waiting for wasn’t ordered online, I sent my mom to the local Walmart (don’t have one close to us) to pick up some yarn I’d seen over the holidays that I couldn’t find anywhere else!  It’s being shipped to me today along with some other goodies from wonderful Chautauqua County!

One of my most chronic cases of indecisiveness over the years has been when it’s time for me to make something for myself.  I don’t suffer from a need to give everything I make away, I just can’t make a decision on design, pattern, colors, hook size, etc etc etc….

Perfect example would be that after I bought some Vanna’s Choice in Raspberry on clearance over the weekend I couldn’t decide what to do with it.  I bought them out of the 5 or 6 skeins they had left (plus I knew think I have 2 at home….) I spent most of Saturday with it stuck in my head to make a scarf with this yummy raspberry color. Why a scarf when I have so many skeins, you ask?  No freaking clue.  By Sunday morning I’d frogged my 5^th or 6^th scarf attempt and started a blanket.  It wasn’t until last night that I’d finally settled on my 2^nd color (Vanna’s Baby in Lamb if you’re wondering) and my pattern.

Feeling happy with my choice I had a bit of “steam” left last night to crochet (until I passed out from exhaustion).  I was happily crocheting away while we made our way through Season 3 of West Wing when I came across this:

 F#SH*GHT^%W#&%$#&!!GKLI^#D

I don’t know if you can see it but in the previous row I missed a ch-2.  I’ve made like 5 blankets with this pattern at this point and I don’t ever recall doing this.  I was too mad/tired to frog it last night and fix.  So it’s sitting at home waiting for me tonight.  My hope is that now that I am actually happy with my color and pattern choices that I’ll have more of a desire to pick this up each night after work.

Things like sheer exhaustion from work, 4 industrial size loads of laundry on Monday evening, dental work yesterday that’s made opening my jaw quite painful today AND the current book I’m reading (and find difficult to put down) are also contributing to my lack of crocheting.

I really need to find a better work/life/crochet balance J

Weekend WIP

Hi everyone!  Just a quick update tonight.  Our internet is crazy slow for some reason, and I just don't have the patience to play around on here all night!

I finished up my RR over the weekend, but it's still sitting here with all those ends waiting to be woven in....looking at me wondering why I've moved on to other new projects instead.  Okay, seriously, I know the blanket isn't "thinking" anything.  Don't worry I haven't completely lost my mind ;-)

On Saturday I pulled out my Seaside Reading Blanket from last spring, thinking it would be my next finished blanket!

Very quickly this........:

Became this:

I'd been using a K hook and it was too loose and lopsided, etc. etc. etc.  So I took the time to neatly frog it and start over with a hook 2 sizes smaller.

As of last night, I'm now at this:

Yes.  I know, it still looks lopsided to me too......but I'm HOPING that it's just the angle of this morning's 7:30 a.m. cell phone photo!!!  

I really love this pattern.  The blankets that I've made with it in the past I loved when they were finished!  Only one problem with it:

Look at those ends to deal with!!!

There's more than just the different rounds too since I have all those balls from my frogging over the weekend.  And they're all squiggly from me frogging a year old project.  I keep telling myself that before I crochet anymore, I'm weaving in the ends of what I've done.....

I'm on day 5 of a migraine though so tonight is all about my jammies and catching up on some TV.  There's always tomorrow (or the day after) for weaving in ends!

BUSY weekend!

Aren’t 3 day weekends just the best?  Well, they’re the best when you’re not traveling and don’t have any big plans – that’s my opinion!

I spent LOTS of time crocheting over the weekend.  The time I did spend doing “housework” was primarily craft closet organization as yarn is officially taking over our apartment!  It’s not perfect and it definitely no longer all fits in my “craft closet” but it’s better than it was.  I’m going to work hard this year to use what I have first to eliminate some of my stock! 

I did have a small set back on Sunday morning when I lost a filling.  Everyone keeps asking me what I was eating when it happened.  “Nothing,” I say, “I was flossing my teeth and it just fell out.”  Once the initial shock wore off I’ve been fine.  No real pain, thankfully (other than the fact that my gum is a little sore after 48 hours).  It’s just annoying to have to spend so much energy thinking of soft foods to eat, taking smaller bites than I’m used to and working to keep all food on the left side of my mouth.  No joke I’ve spent most meals with my head tilted to the side in hopes that gravity will help me out:o)  I’m headed to the dentist today at 2 so while soft foods will still be in my diet for the next week, at least, by dinner tonight I’ll no longer have to worry about getting food stuck where it doesn’t belong!  Thinking happy thoughts for me that I don’t need another root canal!!!!  PLEASE J

Here’s a belated Christmas/Birthday gift that I started on Sunday afternoon and finished yesterday.  I LOVE the line of Red Heart Shimmer, and 2 strands together is just perfect for this project.  I’ll likely be making more for my site in different colors.

As for my Seaside RR….we all know I had some challenges on Saturday morning.  I am happy to report that I trip to Michaels on Sunday night provided me with a perfect match!  Turns out Loops & Threads in Heather is extremely close (if not completely identical) to the Bernat Berella “4” in Soft Heather!!  I bought 3 skeins to be safe (and will return that which I don’t need in the coming week)

 I’ve only made it around once since starting with the new yarn.  I only picked this up again last night and for a bit this a.m.  The teal stitch marker is where I changed from Bernat to Loops & Threads.  I really can’t tell the different.  Can you?  Maybe I’m slightly color blind and missing it….  PLEASE let me know, I have a pattern adjustment in my head that I could do if need be!

I also started and completed 2 small projects for my shop (well, one still needs the ends woven in and to be blocked, but who’s counting!)  I supposed you’ll all see those pictures once my site is up and running!

Sunday night we went to our friends apartment (conveniently 2 doors down from us!) to watch the Golden Globes.  I wasn’t 100% into watching…they were a bit boring I thought.  Did anyone else notice how bored some of the people looked when they turned the cameras on the audience?  It was a good time to work on my 4” squares for a project that I haven’t shared just yet.  I haven’t shared it because it’s too disorganized at this point to share.

I did make Cake Batter ice cream (gluten free, of course!) for the 2nd time for Sunday and it actually turned out this time!!!  Thanks again for the recipe Megan - turns out the kind of milk used definitely made a difference, at least in my ice cream maker!

Oh!  Debi – your square is in the mail today.  I’ll wait to post a picture until you have it.

That really felt like a LOT of work this weekend!  Sunday into Monday was when most of this was done.  I also watched almost the entire first season West Wing.  I love re-watching my favorite series when spending the day crocheting.  I only have to listen like 50% of the time to know what’s going on – much easier when crocheting!

In case, that wasn’t enough for 3 days, I just have to say how beneficial cleaning can be!  I never did find this pattern that I was looking for in the fall when I needed it.  It randomly showed up when I was organizing yesterday afternoon!  I was THRILLED J  This is probably the #1 reason I need to get my patterns in better order.  They’re just in a million places, a million different ways and I find myself unable to find what I want, or reprinting, again when I am able to find online.  Have no fear.  I’ve had the binders, etc to do this for over a year now….I just need to STOP crocheting long enough to get them in order.  The key is probably to just organize the ones I’m currently using and add to that as I go along.  One step at a time I suppose….

I’ve caught up reading all your blogs, and it sounds like I wasn’t the only one who had a great weekend!  I hope it’s a short work week for all of you as well.  I know I’m ready for the weekend to be here again J

BLERG!

Very frustrating morning of crafting (that was just compounded by my iPad deleting the post I'd already written)

Just 5 1/2 rounds to go on my RR and I ran out of yarn!!!  Once I got over the annoyance of knowing I'd started a project with yarn from my stash and would now have to buy yarn to finish it, I got online to order - just to find out that it had been DISCONTINUED!!!!  so frustrating!

If anyone knows where I can buy more Bernat Berella 4 in Soft Heather PLEASE let me know!  I've checked every website Google suggested, included Ebay with no luck.  My only last attempt to finish the pattern as written is to take a piece of yarn with me to AC Moore and Michaels later this weekend in hopes of at least finding something close in color.  Either way I may have to adjust how I finish the blanket.  No, not a huge deal, but I was looking forward to finishing it has written.

waaaaaaaaaaaah

Ok, I'm done pouting.  Well, probably not, but I'm going to go and get some housework done now.

Pre 3-day Weekend Update

Happy Friday everyone!  I don't know about you, but I couldn't be happier that this week is almost over!  Of course, knowing you have a three day weekend coming up just makes the days go by slower and slower as the week trudges on!

I've posted a recent picture of my RR to the Flickr group as a "part 1 of 2".  As in a before and after the 3 day weekend!  I just have the round I'm doing right now and then 9 more until it's done so I'm hoping to finish it up before the weekend is finished (and maybe even be on to something else!)  I have big plans to clean tomorrow, hit up Wegmans on Sunday morning and then spend the reminder of my weekend relaxing and crocheting crocheting crocheting!  I do plan to take breaks for things like making ice cream and possibly doing some laundry was well (but there's no need to get ahead of myself, right?).

I'll leave you today with a question that I'm hoping for some feedback on.  Does anyone have a preference to Blogger vs. Word Press (or vice versa)?  I've always had Blogger because it was Google and just never strayed.  Since receiving my iPad for Christmas, I've read that the Blogsy app works better for WordPress than Blogger accounts.  Out of interest I set up a WordPress account thinking I may transfer everything over but I can not figure out their layout/setup/anything!  So basically any of you who use Blogsy for your Blogger accounts and love/hate it or have WordPress and LOVE it, I'd love any feedback you can give me!  Either a comment here or an email to hljweston@gmail.com would be great!

Cold and Rainy Night

The weather here is terrible tonight.  Cold, and rainy....should have been the perfect night to work on my RR but I haven't been too motivated the last couple of days. Maybe this whole working a 5 day work week is getting to me?  Haha I know, talk about spoiled!

Biggest issue is likely that as the blanket gets bigger it takes a lot more work (and time) to notice progress made.  Here's hoping I can wake up early tomorrow and get some stitches in before work. 

Lots of good change coming for the blog and my new shop, hoping to have something to actually show for my work after the 3 day weekend. 

On a non-crafty note, has anyone watched season 1 of Downton Abby?  We found it on Netflix last night and it's pretty great!  It's on PBS and I've heard that season 2 has now started. Anyone with access to stream instantly through Netflix should check it out!  Only 7 episodes to season 1 but it's very entertaining.