Mary's Crochet House

Just adding pics

2010-03-13T16:35:00.000-08:00

Pic posting to add to long time non blogging

2010-03-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

Okay I will post some pictures to add to this post if I remember how to do it.

This was taken when Jen came up to visit. Took her to Sea Lion caves unfortunately all the sea lions were out to sea and so none in the caves.

Wow its amazing how time can fly

2010-03-13T15:39:00.001-08:00

I can't believe is has been such a long time since I've blogged. I look at the date and wonder what I've been up too, the sad answer is not much. I have spent a lot of time learning more about knitting and so that has taken up some time. Its all kinda crazy but oh well whatcha gonna do.

A long post

2007-05-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

Okay this will be a long post as I haven't posted in such a long time. So it has been an interesting May. First of all I had a 50cc scooter that I have been riding for the last year, welllllll I took the Basic rider training class here in Lane county. We rode motorcycle for this which ended up teaching me how to use the clutch and shift a bike. It was a blast and I passed so now have my motorcycle endorsement. Suffice it to say I couldn't get a motorcycle unless I sold my scooter, Finances being what they are. Anyways working in a motorcycle shop does have its advantage, it just so happened that a lady was calling from Pennsylvania looking for an "06" Raspberry Red Yamaha Vino 50. We weren't able to help her to buy a new one but oh by the way one of our employees is wanting to sell hers. So after more thought and preperation on the lady from Pennslyvania she decided she wanted to buy mine. Okay here is the story. Her three boys and her were wanting to fly to Eugene, Or. pick up her scooter, pick up their bicycles from Amtrak and then they were to embark on a coastal route to San Francisco. Where they would meet up with son #4 and then embark on the cross country tour back to Pennsylvania. They will be camping along the way and hopefully they might be blogging about their progress eventually. My husband and I had to travel to California to see my step daughter graduate so we speculated if by chance on the way home along the coast if we'd actually see them. Well as chance might have it as we were driving along the avenue of Giants who do we see on their bike and scooter? but Joy from Penn, and her three boys. Wow what a major coincidence to see them at all, but we didn't want to freak them out to bad so we honked, waved and kept on going. Did give her a call on her cell though to say it was us honking at her. Hope the boys and Joy have a wonderful trip.
As I said above we went down to Ft. Ord, California (could be Marina) I remember it as Ft. Ord having lived there as a child, anyways it is now CSUMB university which is where my Step-daughter Jen goes to school. She graduated with her Teaching credentials and we are so proud of her. We had a wonderful time with Jen and tooks some pics of our time with her and our route back home to Oregon. Unfortunately the pics are all jumbled so sorry bout that.
Here are the pictures hope you all enjoy them.

Spring is here

2007-04-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally coming to the Pacific Northwest and even though we are getting our spring showers with it we have flowers blooming all over. It is really a wonderful thing to see the changing of the seasons especially though a childs eye. My daughter has become quite the photographer and her pictures of the changing of the season thru her eyes is quite interesting. She is a fourteen year old that is also blossoming and coming into her own. She now has a boyfriend and you will see a couple of pictures of him. His name is Tracy and is a very nice young man. These pictures were taken at the park on one of our clear days and besides taking pictures of each other she took pictures of the world around her. So here are some pictures she has taken and I hope you all enjoy them as we have.

A few things I've crocheted in the past few months

2007-04-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

I was given permission to post some pictures of a couple of tested projects. My friend Kathy has become quite the designer and I've had the privilage of testing for her. While doing this I have learned so much from her. She has encouraged and helped me to go beyond what I thought my skills were in crocheting and I would like to acknowledge that fact.
I have done a shawl and a couple of doilies for her. The rest is some patterns that I have always wanted to do but thought I wasn't capable of doing.
Well other than working and crocheting not much else has been happening. I know pretty boring but having a happy home life and enjoying my craft is much more fun to me than all the craziness in the world.
Well here are the latest crochet creations.

Been gone for a while.

2007-04-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

Well I have been gone for a while, seems like there isn't enough hours in the day to do all I 'd like to do some my blogging has suffered the worse for it. Work has been keeping me busy as we have moved from our old location to a larger facility. Also I have been testing patterns for a dear friend and so haven't been able to post those pictures. I did finish a filet pattern that I got off of smartcrochet.com
It is called Turtle and I used a size 30 thread and a size 12 hook. Took me about a full week to get it done and I am happy with how it turned out. I took pictures of different angles but they all look the same sorry about that.

Thread Angel

2006-12-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

I have been in an Thread Angel making mode evidently. Here is my second one. Since I had problems on the first one with curls I decided ringlets would work better for me. I think I like this one better.

Some new items

2006-12-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well I have been away for awhile as I have been doing a lot of testing lately. Also making gifts for Christmas. So here are a few items I have made recently and just wanted to post pictures of.

2006-07-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a scarf I created specifically for my mother in law. She loves purple (even those this is more like Lilac) but anyways I edged it with glass beads to give it a nice sparkle in the sun. I thought this would be nice and light for the summer and yet stylish enough to be worn during the summer months. I used a size 10 thread and a size 6 Tulip hook which is 1.4mm. To do the beadwork along the edges I used a size 20 thread in a corresponding color and a brighter purple glass bead size approx. 10.

This is a choker I tested for Kathy over at Simply Crochet. She makes the most amazing creations and have allowed me the pleasure of testing for her. This is also edged with beads.

This is a cardigan I saw in Total Crochet fashions by Gayle Bunn that I picked up at Wal-Mart. I used a cotten chenille and a G hook. I really like how it drapes and it is quite comfortably light during the summer.

2006-05-25T22:42:00.000-07:00

I'm back finally, I get so wrapped up in my crocheting with the few hours left in the evenings that I don't post as much as I use to. Also I guess I am pretty boring as I can't think of much to say that would be very interesting. This is a filet wall hanging that I made for my granddaughter. It is a fairy filet that was created by Ferosa Harold and is a free pattern you can get on her site at: http://members.tripod.com/fharold-ivil/id17.html It was a really interesting piece as you are increasing and decreasing to get that scultured look. Anyways it was fun and now one of my granddaughters have something to keep with them from me.

Here is a Filet dragon that I did for Brittany, as she was just pulled out of her sick bed to take this picture she obviously was not looking thrilled. She does love her dragon though and has it hanging in her room. This is also a free pattern from: http://crochet.about.com/library/ndragon5.htm I used a size 9 steel hook and size 20 thread in black. I really like that way it flows throughout.

These are the flowers my kids sent me for Mothers Day. Was a complete surprise as I was talking to my daughter online when the Fed Ex man knocked on the door with them. They are special kids I think.

Here is the Josephine Rose doily I tested for Kathy (Katchkan). She makes the most amazing patterns and I have been privilaged to be able to test them for her. Well thats about it for now, am working on another filet piece but had to put it on the back burner until I can get more thread. This is another pattern I'm testing and it looks so good just makes me crazy when I have to wait to finish due to lack of thread. Will show it when I get it completed.

2006-05-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

This is another tested pattern that I did for Kathy (Katchkan) It is called Harvest Dance and was an interesting pattern to work. Everytime I test a pattern for Kathy I learn a new stitch and or aspect of crocheting that I wasn't aware of. This was done with a size 20 thread and a 10 hook. I did have a few problems adjusting to the thinner thread but overall it all turned out well.

This is one of the two ponchos I made yesterday for a co-workers daughters. This one is done with Ping Pong yarn and a K hook. You really can't make out the detail but it should keep the chill off but still be cool enough on a warm day.

This is the second poncho made with Bernats Frenzy yarn and an I hook. This is for the younger daughter so hope it fits them both. Anyways it used up some of the yarn that I had bought from the dollar tree and so that was a good thing. Well that is about it for it hope to start a new project soon.

2006-04-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well I thought since I have some new pictures of the family I would post them. But first after hearing about the dollar tree having dollar skeins of yarn well I just had to check it out. My local store had Barnet Frenzy and Patons ping pong there so got some. At about three something normally this was a great deal. Anyways decided I would make the shawl on the Frenzy label. It is really soft and warm when the wind picks up. We are finally getting are spring here and so the skies are a clear blue with a nice breeze. It was about 70 degrees which is really nice, although when the wind came in this shawl came in handy to keep the chill off.

This is the most current picture of Brittany and I. She is still a little shorter than I am although I am hoping she is still growing. She likes being short but I would like her for her sake to get taller than me, I am only 4 foot nine.

This is a picture of Dennis and Brittany, she wanted the picture this way for contrast between her height and her dads.

Here is Brittany and Dennis sitting on our motorcycle.

A cute picture of my daughter that I played with to get the antiqued look.

Dennis and I our most recent photo. We don't usually get our picture taken together because one or the other of us is usually the photographer. But since Brittany has gotten older and is getting to be a better picture taker maybe she can record us as we age. Gracefully hopefully. Okey an update completed.

2006-04-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

Well I haven't been around lately due to testing this shawl for Katchkan (Kathy) over at Crochetville. I have been busily trying to get this done in the time frame that Kathy gave and finally got it completed tonight. I have been working on this since 3/7/06 and got distracted here and there and so this took longer than usual to finish. I used a size 6 steel hook and size 10 thread in a lilac. Brittany is doing a good job of holding it out although her arms were getting tired she said.

Here is a flat version it doesn't fit into the picture frame but extends out quite a bit. I just love the way it looks. Oh also it is beaded along the edges and a picot stitch across the top.

Aclose up of the shawl. Brittany is about 4 foot nine like me so you can see how this will have a nice drape when she puts her arms down.

2006-03-17T23:09:00.000-08:00

I did it! I finished my first but certainly not my last crocheted beaded Purse. I got the pattern from Kathy (Katchkan) over at Crochetville and have been working on this for the past week and a half. Actually the crocheting with the beads and following the graph pattern was quite easy. Stringing the beads takes the longest time and sewing it not one of my favorite things to do so that was a challange. But other than that I think the purse turned out great and am quite proud of myself. I just wish I could take a picture that showed how beautiful the pattern is but till then it does the job. Well gotta head to bed now but at least I will sleep well tonight knowing I accomplished what I set out to do.

2006-03-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a beaded purse I am working on right now. It is the Blue Moon Beaded purse that Kathy (Katchkan over at Crochetville) created. It seems like a difficult thing to do but in actuallity is quite simple. When I saw Kathys posting of this purse and found out that she made this with larger beads and size 10 thread I knew I had to try it. I had purchased another purse pattern from Kathy previously and it called for size 20 thread and 13 beads and a 12 hook. Suffice it to say I became was intimidated with all the tininess that I put it on the back burner. Having finished the one side I now know what needs done and am not so intimidated. After I finish this purse I will be definately going back to my smaller purse and finishing that one up. I will be posting as I go along on the progress of this purse.

Here is a picture of the second side I am working on now. This is a quarter thru with 3/4 to go.

Okey another picture of the first side. I am hoping that the frame I ordered for this will come in by the time I finish the second side. Kathy gave me a link to Lacis where you can find many frame types. They are pretty reasonable.

I have to agree with Kathy that taking pictures of beaded items can be difficult. But I think you get the general idea although in person the design is spectacular.

Well the only benefit to being sick for the last few days is that I have been able to hang out with my beads and thread and everyone leaves me alone. That is the only problem I have found is that when your trying to string on beads and people distract you your counts can be way off which sucks. Well hope you all enjoy and if by chance your interested in this pattern you can go to Kathys site at: www.crochetnbeads.com and check out her patterns. She is readily available if you have a problem. Well thats about it for now hope you all have a great day.

2006-03-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

Well I have been home sick with the flu and so decided I might as well update my blog. Just doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day to do all the things I need to do. Along with the flu we have snow that actually hit our lower elevation. So suffice it to say staying inside is indeed a great idea.
Somehow this doily came up twice, I don't know how to fix it, anyways it is the opal rose doily from kathy (Katchkans) birthday doily series. This was a really fun pattern and very easy to work up.

This is a picture of the tree in my from yard that looks like a christmas tree and with the snow on it it looks like a tree that has been frocked. That is my husband Dennis in the background being silly.

Here is a view from the backyard and the hills behind our house.

Here is Britt with a snowball she made to throw at the dog, the dog was smart and ran into the house before she could throw it.

Here is the thread holder I received from Katchkans Catch over at Crochetville, He makes these and they sure are a work of art. The best part is that it works really well too.

This is a poncho I made my niece, I don't know if it fit her as I haven't heard back from my brother yet, It is made with lion brand homespun and fun fur.

Here is the Priceless Peridot from the Birthday Doily Series from Katchkans Patterns.

Close up of the Opal doily. Wonderful pattern.

Closing view of the doily from the top of this series of pictures. I can tell that I am starting to peter out again cause I can't think right. So I will close for now and hopefully beat this flu into remission.

2006-02-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

Here is Brittany posing with a scarf I knitted with a really soft yarn I picked up on sale at Ben Franklins. I really love how this yarn feels and when you wear the scarf wheather leaving it long or wrapping it around your neck it looks great.

This is one of the hats I received from Lorrie over at Crochetville for the hat swap. Brittany loved the hats so much she agreed to actually sit and have her picture taken with them on. If you knew how hard it is to get a picture taken of her lately you would understand what I'm talking about.

Another of the hats that Lorrie made.

This is a scarf I made using No Bo yarn that is Wal-marts brand yarn. It is a simple sc ribbing with fringe added. This yarn has like three different types of yarn weaved together which gives it a soft textured look to it.

This scarf I made using Moda Dea Tickler tape and Eden for the edging. I have been trying to fill up my time till I get some thread I ordered in so these make easy quick projects to do in the meantime.

Here is a picture of Brittany Jumping rope with my green scarf. She is such a turkey some times. But then again she is still a kid and does act that way thank goodness.

Another pic of Jumping rope with scarf in action.

Here is the scarf as it should be used. Hope you all have a great day.

2006-02-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

This is my day to show off some things I have either finished or received. This first picture is of the Emerald Song Doily from Kathy's (Katchkan over at Crochetville) Birthday Doily series. This pattern as all of Kathys patterns is easy to follow and a blast to do. Her creativity constantly amazes me and I am so priviliaged to be allowed to test for her.

Well Income tax refunds have hit my house and so was able to splurge a little of the things I normally wouldn't be able to buy. These being some of them, They are 6 hooks I ordered from Turn of the Century and they are so awesome. I have only been able to play with them a little bit but they are so easy to use and feel so good in the hand. I ordered F, G, H, I, J and a #13 in Walnut. The 13 is larger than an N but smaller than a Q.

Here is another beauty I purchased from BrianC over at Crochetville. It is a #10 thread hook in a maple wood. It feels wonderful in my hand and can't wait to put this puppy to work.

Now these beauties were courtesty of my loving husband Dennis for Valentines. He had them delivered to my work and so I was able to enjoy them all day there and then bring them home to enjoy in the evening. He is the best, I gotta say even when I think we're not gonna do much he always surprises me in this wonderful way.

Oops another picture of the Emerald Song Doily, hmmm think I like how this turned out. Oh well anyways it is a pattern that I enjoyed so what the heck an additional picture is good too.
Well hope you all have had a great February thus far, hard to believe we are over half way thru the month. I am looking forward to Spring though so all in all life is good.

2006-02-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

I ordered these hooks from Jimbo over at Crochetville and received them Friday. They are an N hook and a thread hook number 7. Jimbo whittles these from branches of trees from his family homestead. They are so awesome as he configures the hooks with your grip style in mind. These feel so good in your hands, and the pouches he sent them in are an added bonus.

This is Nikita relaxing on her new rug that I made using the N hook and 3 strands of yarn. I had made her a rug before but it ended up being to small her.

Completed rug minus the dog. I was stash busting also so you can see where I ended with one color and started another. I don't think my dog can tell the difference.

Here is the working on the rug with my hook.

This is the filet doily I am working on for Kathy (katchkan) over at Crochetville. This is the Topaz Temptations that Kathy created for her Birthday Series of Doilies. As soon as I got my seven hook from Jimbo I had to start this doily. It seems to be working out pretty good.

Close up of my Jimbo hooks.

Well thats it for now.

2006-02-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of the tissue tote I tested for Kathy over at Crochetville. Actually this is my second attempt as I had made one but it turned out to large. This is for my mother in law as she just loves purple.

Here is a close up of the Sapphire Enchantment Doily I tested for Kathy (Katchkan) for her Birthday Doily Series. I love the way the roses just pop against the blue.

Complete picture of the Sapphire Doily, hmmm seems my blue isn't as dark as the original made by Kathy but still looks pretty good.

Smaller pic but closer up. I'm silly I know but what can I say I really like the looks of this doily.

Okey here is the first attempt at the tissue tote, it was larger than what was called for. Kinda had a loose gauge going thru out. Well being thrift minded and really liking the looks of it I made my way to my local Wal-mart and purchased some wet wipes. I thought this might be a good idea for moms out there that need to have something for their little ones. Anyways made a negative turn into a positive is always a good thing.

Wet wipes in the tote, duh like you didn't figure that out LOL

Here is the Pearl Wreath from the Birthday series, unforunately I didn't have pearls so substituted gold glass beads instead. It still turned out pretty good I'm thinking.

Close up so you can see the gold beads.

Here is the White Diamonds also from the Birthday series. As this was my birth month I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I used a size 20 thread and a metallic silver thread together. It turned out great but boy did that metallic thread cut into my finger. Although it was a joy to do it also was challanging.

Kathy took on a major project putting together this Birthday month series of Doilies and I have been so thankful that she feels my skills to test for her are enough. I learn new techniques each time I test one of her patterns and if I have a problem at all she is there to help out. Well hope this makes up for not posting much lately. Between working and a sick child last week just being able to crochet is an accomplishment in itself.

2006-01-21T19:38:00.000-08:00

Okey here is the other doily that I just finished last night. The pattern is called Ruby Dreams and should be a bright garnet color which looks fabulous by the way, but I didn't have any in my stash so I made do. The thread should also have been a size 30 but I didn't have any of that either so I used a size 20 and a size 10 hook which made the doily fairly large. The color is between a salmon color or peach depending on what you want to call it. I think it turned out pretty good but my blocking is kind of oblong as the finished size measures 24" x 22".

I had to place this on the floor to get a good picture. Hope you all like it.

Thats about all that has been going on around here.

More doilies

2006-01-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

I have been busy testing doilies for Kathy (Katchkan) over at crochetville. You is putting together a Birthmonth doily series and here is a couple more that I have tested for her. This one is the Amethyst Doily that is beautiful I think.

A more centered pictures, sorry I am not the greatest at picture taking or Maybe I can blame my camera. yeah thats the ticket its the cameras fault. Well there would have been two different doilies if I had posted right oh well guess there will be another post then.

2006-01-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

Hi all well I've been busy trying to keep up with Kathy's creativity. Here is her Garnet Star Doily that I tested for her. The pattern is very easy to read and comprehend. I think this turned out pretty well. I am working on the Amethyst Doily but as I have caught a bit of a cold my head is not working right. The pattern is also easy to read but my comprehension is way off and so I will pick it back up in hopefully tomorrow when my head is clear again. Well thats about it for now .

2006-01-01T23:10:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all. Hope you all had a safe and fun New years. We were planning on staying home for New Years but around 11 pm my son was bored and wanted to head to a bar. We took him to our local bar and stayed thru the New Year. Man I must be getting old but I was tired before we left and just got tireder (don't know if thats a word) while we were there. Floyd wanted to stay till closing but us old folks left him there and went home. He had a good time though and got home safely so all was well in the world. I spent New Years Eve prior to our going out making this cloche. I got the pattern from www.stitchdiva.com it is a free pattern and looks really good. I found the flower pattern on another site unforunately I don't remember what it is but will post it later if I remember. My daughter Brittany is my model once again and she actually said she liked it. That is an amazing thing when your 13 year old actually likes something you made.

This was my project for New Years day. I needed to keep my hands busy till I can get to the yarn shop tomorrow to get some thread. I have a doily I will be testing for Kathy and need to get the specific color rather than just a color I have in my stash. This is a newsboy hat that I have been wanting to make for quite a while. Britt says its cool but nothing she would wear.

This is the back view of the cloche. It has a raised stitch the makes a really pretty spiral to the cap. I used Patons Brillance in black sparkle and the flower is made with red heart plush.

A side view of the hat and flower, the flower seems to blurry to me but it really looks nice on the hat. So this is a quick review of how I spent my New Years Eve and the New Year. Hey I know I'm boring but thats okey. I relish quiet time more so the older I get.

Thats it for now.

2005-12-31T16:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a filet runner that I was given the opportunity to test for Kathy (Katchkan) over at Crochetville. It measures 23.5 by 12.5 inch and I think it turned out great. The only problem was I tried to block it when I was tired and you don't need to look far to see how way off I am on it. Oh well I will be sending this to my daughter for her birthday and she can block it better herself.

A more centered picture of the runner.

Here is a picture of my granddaughters with the scarves and hats I made them. The girls are to cute for their own good but they are such lovable turds you gotta love them.

Well I hope everyone has a Great New Years Eve and a really great year to come.

Repost of previous post

2005-12-07T18:21:00.000-08:00

I was really irritated with myself for posting this post so badly. I shrank the pics so hopefully it will all fit within my borders like it should. Again this is the Stonehedge Mountain hat that I tested for Etaria over at www.crochetgarden.com the hats are from the rugged mountain series that she designed to match the rugged mountain scarves.

Here is another repost of the rose soap that I tested for Kathkan (kathy) over at Crochetville. If you are interested in this pattern she is putting the pattern up for sale on her website at www.crochetnbeads.com and while you are there browse around her crocheted and beaded purses, they are so awesome to see.

2005-12-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

Here is another cap I made from Etarias Rugged Mountain Snowcap collection. It is a childs x-small and is called Woodridge Mountain Snowcap. The pattern can be found at www.crochetgarden.com for a very reasonable price. I used Caron's Simply Soft Brites in Aqua.

Here is the same hat with a scarf I am working on right now to compliment the hat. It is an adaption I made from Etarias Rugged Mountain Scarf set. It is the right size for kids and it is really soft and warm.

Another picture of the the hat. Hope you can make out the detail. This is done in cables and has a really nice texture to it.

2005-11-24T21:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving all. I hope you all had a wonderful day with family and friends and had time to give thanks for all you have on this day. We spent the day with my husbands family and had a nice quiet day enjoying each others company. Once we got home I received a call from my Oldest son wishing us all a wonderful day, it was a pleasant conversation and he is well and so is the family. I called my oldest daughter and they had a nice day at home. Her husband will be leaving approx. Saturday for another tour in Irag so spoke to him and let him know that we would be thinking of him every day until he comes back home and there will be prayers for his safety while over there. I think he was a little choked up but did appreciate the thought that we keep him in our prayers every day. We are quite proud of who he is and what he does for our country and I give thanks everyday that we do have dedicated military that our out there to keep us all safe here.

I tested another hat for Etaria over at www.crochetgarden.com it is called the Mountain Lodge Snowcap. The pattern will be available once all testing is done. It is another wonderful pattern especially if you are looking for thick and warm hats.

2005-11-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

Well I have been testing a few patterns lately so here are some of the results. This is a new cap that Etaria at www.crochetgarden.com is testing for sale. This will be part of her Rugged Mountain Series that she has created four scarves and now matching caps. Unforunately I used a dark brown wool ease of so the pattern doesn't show up well in the pictures.

Here is a side view of the same cap but like I said you can't really make out the stitch detail like I would have liked.

Here are two hats I made for my granddaughters to match the scarves I posted about previously. I got the pattern off of Etarias site that again I posted about above. This is a free pattern that she offers on her site.

This is Oli the elephant. Now these are some soap critters that I tested for Kathy (Katchkan) over at Crochetville. She is so creative and I am so glad to be a tester for her. I sure wish I could pick up my hook and just create something out of yarn or thread from something that is in my head. But that is not my lot in life so I am so happy to be a tester for those creative designers out there who feel I am up to the task.

I am calling this one Clifford the big red dog after one of my daughters favorite books when she was little. Actually I think she still is little cause when she saw him she yelled Clifford and promptly took him to her room. Makes my day she actually wanted something I made, being a teen she is very particular about what she will wear that mom makes.

Percy the swan, I think I will be looking for childrens books to match the swan and Clifford to send to my grandkids for Christmas.

2005-11-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

Well I finally finished this shawl I was testing for Kathy(Katchkan) over at www.crochetville.org . Kathy is an impressive designer and I am constantly amazed with her patterns. I have been a tester for Kathy on a few of her patterns and hope to be again and again. She crochets items that amaze you and yet anyone with the desire to make it has only to follow her pattern and get the same results. I used approximately 5 balls of Aunt Lydia's #10 thread in Delph. For the beaded trim I used dark blue #8 beads and over 100 teardrop beads. The teardrop beads have a tendency to break if you don't string them nicely.

Here is a close up of the beading done on the trim.

Here are the finished scarves for my granddaughters that I posted about earlier. Now I just have to finish the caps to match. Almost done with the purple hat then onward to the watermelon hat.

Close up of the scarves.

Okey not to much going on now that I finished the shawl. My son Floyd will officially be out of the Marines November 22nd. and we are all happy about that. He has done his duty for his country and now he is looking forward to the civilian life once again. He will be having Thanksgiving with his Grandma in Calif. and then heading here for a few days. Then if everything falls into place he will head for Tenn. where he will look for work and help his sister out since her husband will be back in Irag. So we will go to Dennis' parents for a very quiet Thanksgiving and probably Christmas. Well other than that I must go back to my crocheting. Bye all.

2005-11-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted much lately because I have been busy as a tester for Kathy(Katchkan) on her Autumn Shawl. I couldn't find an Autumn color that I liked so decided to do it in a light blue. I will be using some dark blue beads for the trim, but I will post pictures when I have it all completed.

Here is Brittany modeling Kathy's simple shawl, I was working on the
Autumn shawl when I lost my hook in the couch unforunately the couch wouldn't give up the hook so I had to put the Autumn shawl on hold until I could buy a new hook. So in the meantime I had to keep my hands busy so I worked on this. It is a free pattern that you can get at Crochetville that Kathy has posted.

Here is a scarf that I am working on for my Granddaughter. It is an adaptation of a pattern that I tested for Etaria at www.crochetgarden.com. The scarves are all beautiful works and this is just a small piece of it. My granddaughter is only six so the full size would have been to wide for her.

These next two pics are of a sleeveless shirt I knitted in October. It is a simple pattern but takes me longer to complete because I don't knit as fast as I crochet. Brittany isn't happy about being my model as she really hates pink but she does her mothers bidding because she loves me. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Another knit top that I completed in October. I am slowly working my way up from sleeveless tops to hopefully doing one in sleeves. But until then I will keep practising with sleeveless outfits. The shirt is a little to big for Britt but she is a trooper and let me take a picture anyways.

Okey I think I have made up for not posting for awhile. Once I get thru with my Autumn shawl I will have to start on some quicker projects for Christmas so hopefully it won't take me as long to post finished projects.

2005-10-31T20:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween all. Well here is a picture of Brittany, her friend Jessica and Jessica's brother Sandy. They are ready to go out and trick or treat. I am just glad that Sandy being the good big brother he is took Brittany and Jessica out so that Dennis and I could give out treats here. Usually this is slow on our block but tonight sure has seen an increase especially with the older kids but thats okay cause they're all nice.

Jessica and Sandy waiting while Brittany gets her things together.

Here is a picture of Brittany modeling the shrug Tandy made for me for the Autumn Secret pal swap.

The backside of the shrug.

Here is my reveal Package from Tandy, she was such an awesome secret pal, I couldn't have asked for better. She spoiled me rotten and of course I loved it all.

Here is another package Tandy sent before the reveal package and I didn't post it earlier. She sent me all kinds of goodies and a really soft scarf she made. Also she crocheted one the the grocery bags that was on Crochetville and I have been wanting one but never got around to making myself one.

Oh wow I just looked at the last time I posted here, boy have I been gone for awhile. Hmmmm have I been busy busy. Nooooo.... Well I have been busy crocheting and knitting just not blogging. I have knitted a couple of tank tops so once I get a picture I will post them. I am slowing working my knitting skills up and one day I might actually get to making a sweater for myself at least that is what I am aspiring too. Right now I am testing a crocheted shawl for Kathy at Crochetville. It is so awesome and I am having alot of fun with it. It it a thread shawl so it will keep me busy for awhile. But the graph is easy so that makes it great.

Well thats about it hopefully I will do better about posting but who can tell.

2005-10-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all well I am back again. I am sporatic at best on my blog but then you know life gets in the way and what free time I do have I am crocheting or knitting some thing. Anyways I tested a pattern called Snowflake Winter Cap for Etaria at Crochet garden. It gives me something new and interesting to work with and test my skills in crochet. I cannot say enough about her designs. They are remarkable works and she does a great job testing her patterns to be sure the patterns are as error free as possible. I am the second wave of testers on this particular cap in order to be sure the gauge is correct for the sizes listed.

Here is a picture of Brittany with the frontal view of the hat, as you can tell she had to do something silly just as I clicked the camera.

A side view of her showing how it covers the ears and back of the head wonderfully.

A better picture of Britt with the front view. If you are interested in this pattern you should go by: www.crochetgarden.com
I think my kid looks a little sleepy in this pic may because she had a friend over this week end and stayed up later than usual. Anyways she puts up with my using her as my test dummy and doesn't fuss to much about it so I guess I can forgive her when she makes funny faces.

2005-10-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

This is a hat and shawl/poncho thingy I made. The hat pattern be found at: www.crochetgarden.com it is a free pattern that Etaria has on her pattern page. It is a fun and easy pattern to follow and is quite warm. I really love the look of the cable and post stitches. Now on to a mini rant. I downloaded the Crocheted Romantic Ruana shawl from the lionbrand site and although not using all the products they called for (it would have been to spendy) started on it. Well by the time I got really into the pattern and up to the neckline it finally hit me that the instructions weren't complete. I checked out the knitted version and it seemed complete so I just winged it for the neckline and finished it up as best as I could. Well being all of 4' 10" it was really short on me, not at all like the knitted version. So I adjusted and added to bottom edge to add some length and put a reverse single crochet along the edges. Now the thing that really gets me is if I had spent the money for the supplies they wanted for this pattern and found all these problems I would have been royally ticked. I kind of figured the supplies themselves would have been about $80.00 dollars. I spent 15 on the suede and used some sparkly boucle type yarn I had in my stash. For what it is, its okey but I was really looking for the drapey effect they showed in the knitted version. I realize that not using the moonlight mohair might have helped the drape but still, if your gonna post a pattern you would think the thing has been tested and proofread prior to publishing it as a complete item. I also realize that mistakes happen but if you check out the knitted version it seems far more instructional and complete than the crocheted version.
Okey dokey then I am done so here is a picture of the front of the hat and Ruana shawl. At least the shawl is warm and that will come in handy this fall.

Here is a close up of a scarf I tested for Etaria. The pattern can be found here at: www.crochetgarden.com . It is an advanced pattern but will all kinds of trial and error it comes thru wonderfully. The corrections have all been posted and she is always available for questions so you won't be disappointed if you purchase her patterns.

Okey this is a long post for me, just thought I'd voice my frustration and maybe help someone else out if by chance they decided they wanted to try out the Rauna. I did send an email to Lionbrand but have not heard back as of yet just hope I was clear enough for them to understand what the problems are.

Halloween costume quiz

2005-10-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

Well I saw this quiz on another blog and had to take it; you know keeping in the spirit of the month. Here is the result:

You Are A....Dragon Geisha!
-relaxed

-peaceful

-sweet

What's Your Halloween Costume? .:with pics:.
brought to you by Quizilla

2005-09-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the cable scarf I tested for Etaria you can find her patterns here:http://www.crochetgarden.com/

Unforunately what you are seeing here is a shorter version of her scarf. I mistakenly thought I had enough cotton tots for the full scarf but realized when I ran out that I had sent the last skein off to a swap partner. My luck. It is a great pattern and easy to follow and she is readily available for help.

2005-09-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

Well here is the finished cape I made for Brittany, I think I posted about it a while back. Anyways I finally got it completed. It was knitted with a 10.5 circular needles and I used the Joanns Rainbow Boucle yarn. The hood part of it was an afterthought and I kind of winged it. But Brittany is happy with it and thats what counts, even though the look on her face in these pics don't attest to that fact. The first picture is with the hood up, the 2nd is of the back side and the 3rd picture is with the hood down and pinned at the top.

2005-09-01T21:48:00.000-07:00

Hi all sorry I've haven't posted in a while. Been busy with work and getting Brittany ready to head back to school. She is so not wanting to go back but I sure am. To much laziness going on around here. Here are a couple of pics of Britt with her new glasses. She picked them out herself and really seems to like them. I think she looks so cute in them.

Here are some pictures of the beaded mesh bag that Kathy (katchkan) created and I tested her pattern. It was a clear concise pattern and was a breeze to follow. Kathy is such a creative and remarkable crocheter I felt quite priviliaged to be able to test her pattern for her. I think the results came out fine although I would like to try it again with better quality supplies the next time around. I used up what I had in my stash and now know that with better quality supplies I will have another spectacular purse.

2005-08-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

I have been away from my blog and crochetville for a little while now due to my son coming up from 29 Palms for a visit. For those who have read my blog they know that my son has just gotten back from his 3rd tour over in Irag. So he was home for a much deserved break from the Military. It was actually a quiet time here at our house, which from what he says is what he really needed. Brittany played her clarinet for Floyd while he worked on organizing his pictures. Floyd has about 3 more months of the military and then will be back to civilian life so he is looking into his options for after he is out. He is still the wonderful person he has always been and I for one cannot really say how much his service to our country means to me but he knows and appreciates it.

Pic of Brittany on my laptop and Floyd still working on his picture album.

Here my big boy with a smirk on his face, he thought he'd be funny/

This is a picture of Brittany with the cape I am working on for her. It is knitted using Joann's rainbow boucle. My local Joann's finally got in the new colors and so I had to get the red, dark blue and green yarn. When Brittany saw the red she said wow now you can make my cape with that one.

Here is the front view of the cape with Brittany holding onto the knitting needles. She wants it to go down to her calves so I still have a lot of work ahead of me. Now she wants a hood on it. Darn kid add more work for me. She is really liking the way the blending looks on this cape.

Lastly but not least is the outfit that Britt wants to wear for the first day of school. She doesn't start until the 8th of September so she may change her mind a few times before then.

Fair results

2005-08-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

Well I put a couple of doilies and scarves into our local fair here and I actually won a couple of ribbons and a best of show on the Romantic Pineapple doily. I was really excited as it was my first actual best of show. Anyways it was cool. My dd entered a picture she drew and received a second place showing which made her day.
I haven't really been doing much lately, made a couple of rugs lately just to use up some stash yarn. They turned out okey I guess. My son is coming for a visit in the next couple of days so things will be busy for a while. It will be good to have him home although I won't be able to take time off like I would like to. Luckily he is self sufficient and I do believe his sister will keep him occupied while we are at work.

2005-08-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a doily I saw on Crochetville doily swap the other day. Chie posted a link to the pattern and so I had to go and get the pattern and try and make it. Here is the end results, it turned out quite nicely I think. I got the thread from one of my gracious swap partners and loved the color but had to find the right pattern to do it justice. I do believe I found it. I am testing a pattern for one of the crochetville ladies and so far so good. I will post pics of it as soon as I've completed it and gotten the okey from her.

Just wanted those that read my blog to know that my son is home from Irag and getting ready for some leave time in the next week or so. He will be driving up here from California for a short but much needed rest and relaxation. He doesn't seem to worse for the wear but is very glad to be home and not have to look over his shoulders 24/7.

Other than that not much happening.

2005-08-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday turned out to be a really good day to purchase yarn. My daughter and I decided to stop by the dollar store and what do we find? Yarn for a dollar a spool. It didn't matter the size. So having two dollars left in my pocket I just had to buy some. Here is the results of my two dollars. The seafoam colored yarn was on a huge spool and when wound on my yarn winder turned into 8 pull center cakes. The brown is almost a corded yarn but not stiff and I ended up with the three sizes of cakes that are shown. The seafoam yarn will primarily be used for rugs and such because it has a really rough texture and when pulled together has a nice thickness.

After my husband saw my newest stash and how much it cost me he said lets get you more at that price. What a guy, anyways here is $5.00 dollars worth below. The white is a thin sport weight type yarn. The dark brown and gold colored yarn is like some astro dyed yarn I bought off of ebay a few months ago, very soft and will make into some lovely accessories I'm thinking. There middle is a boucle type yarn that I haven't figured out what I want to do with yet. And last but not least the last spool is a verigated thread. I am using some of the white and the verigated thread to make a doily and will see how that turns out.

Here is the white spool with a 4x4 post it so you can get an estimate of the size. It is huge, I rolled a few cakes but stopped and just wrapped the rest in a bag until I need it again.

Here is a closer pic of the greenish yarn.

Here is a pic of my Five dollar haul rolled up mostly. Everything but the white got rolled up but the white spool just had to much to wind in one sitting.

Here are two pics of the purse I made out of the brown yarn, Britt requested it after we rolled the yarn and she liked the color of it.

I am in yarn heaven right at the moment, being the yarn addict I am. I also scored at the Good will today, got three sets of knitting needles for 49 cents each. Now I must go and play with my yarn again.

2005-07-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

Here are two 3-d snowflakes I finished tonight. They didn't block well at all and so they look really tweaked but as these are my first attempts I will consider them good enough. I used a silver metallic thread and the other is white. I got the pattern from a snowflake kit I purchased a few years ago from Herrschners and finally had a reason to give them a try.

These are the snow flakes I made the day before yesterday for the CAL at Crochetville. I have a few more patterns for the week long cal to get thru still so there may be more postings this week although come to think of it I have a couple of races we're going to Friday and Saturday night so don't really know how many I will get done after all.

Here is the swan bookmark that Kathy over at Crochetville made a pattern for. It was a really easy pattern to follow and turned out pretty good. I think if I make a couple more they might turn out better.

Well thats about it for now hope you all like them.

2005-07-26T23:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a doily I made this weekend. The pattern can be found at: http://pandacrochet.8m.com/beauties it is the Septembers Beauty for 2003. I really love finding these great patterns that can showcase my abilities, just wish I was creative enough to make up patterns myself. But knowing myself I will appreciate those that can and use what I have which is the ability to follow directions and still have an item that will give me pleasure for years to come.

2005-07-26T23:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some snowflakes I crocheted yesterday for the snowflake crochet a long on Crochetville. I decided to do these with beads. They take a bit more time because I had to string the beads first and then crochet them as I went along. I think they turned out pretty good. Made a few more tonight but didn't get pictures taken yet so will post them when I get the pics taken.

Well not to much has been happening lately but I did get good news in that my son should be stateside on Friday after serving his third tour in Irag. I am sure that when he gets off the plane and then takes the bus back to his base he will be so glad and relieved he made it thru another tour. He will be leaving the service in about 4 months so after a total of 8 years serving his country he is ready to be a civilian again. I feel blessed that God has been with him thru out everything.

Okey I guess thats about it for now.

Sorry haven't blogged in awhile.

2005-07-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

Well here is a doily I started a couple of days ago while I was working on and off on the large white one below. It is called fans and fantasies and can be found on crochetparadise website.

This one is called Romantic Pineapple doily, it turned out larger than I expected, well it does help to read the directions where they tell you the size. Anyways it is a beauty I think although don't know what I will do with it.

Close up of the doily. It ended up measuring 22 1/2 inches across in diameter.

Barefoot sandles I made from a pattern I got off crochetville.

This is a Christmas in July Roak I received recently. It is a dishcloth and address book. It was so greatly appreciated.

2005-07-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

flat view of purse prior to felting.

sitting up view of purse before felting.

2005-07-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

first pics after the 2nd wash cycle, and a silly Britt.
Bottom view of 2nd wash of purse.

Final washing for felted purse

Again last of the washing

2005-07-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the small picture but......oh well here is the my first completed felted knitted purse. I am quite happy with it.

Here is Britt giving you a full view of the bag.

Again with a side view.

2005-07-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

Close up of Brittany and the dropped stitch scarf I made. It is homespun with a boucle sparkly yarn held together thru out.

This scarf will be great during the winter due to the thickness of the scarf.

Doily I made for my Doily swap Partner

Same doily hope she likes it, this turned out pink in the picture but is a very nice mauve color she preferred.

Pineapple doily shawl in a Rayon Boucle thin yarn, I tied it in the front and kind of like it this way.

Front view of the Pineapple doily shawl.

Back view of shawl, please excuse the jammie bottoms not quite the fashion statement I wanted to make but timing is everything.

Pattern link for thread holder

2005-06-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

I have had a few requests for the pattern location for the thread holder. It can be found at: www.e-PatternsCentral.com and can be purchased for $1.99. I wish it were a free link but it is where I got it from. I have purchased from here before and never been disappointed. I also put this info on Crochetville under show and tell on the thread I started. Hope this helps anyone wanting to make this holder it is a fun and quick project that is practical too.

2005-06-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

Crocheted hat and Silly Brittany

Crocheted head scarf

Crocheted thread holder

Crocheted rolled stitch belt

flat pic of thread holder

Boa hat

Knitted drop stitich scarf in Chenille

Crochet rolled stitch belt

Mini AJ wrist bag in Brilliant

Knitted drop stitch in homespun and glittery yarn

Rolled stitch hat

Rolled stitch hat

Snowflakes

Snowflakes

2005-06-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

>
You are Dishcloth Cotton.
You are a very hard worker, most at home when
you're at home. You are thrifty and seemingly
born to clean. You are considered to be a Plain
Jane, but you are too practical to notice.

What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Kinda sorta fixed my blog

2005-06-25T23:25:00.000-07:00

Okey I changed the template again and got my profile at the top of the page. Also got my buttons put back on except for my crochet blogs button. I forgot my id and password to ringsurf and have an email out to Donna to see if she can send me a new ringcode. Other than that this'll do for the time being. Or at least until the kid decides to help me again. LOL. not.

Problems on my blog

2005-06-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

Okey my blog looks really funky cause my daughter decided to change my background. So all my buttons are gone and I don't know how to get my side bar back up to where it should be. Sucks big time. On a brighter note I got a package from my yarn swap partner Fran today. She sent me so much neat stuff I am a bit overwhelmed. Here are some pics of the things she sent me. Now I need to figure out what to make with it all.

Excuse the arm in one of my pictures as my daughter decided to stick her arm in the way. Oh and if anyone has any help for my blog I would take any hints and help.

free cycle

2005-06-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

Well I have been hearing about Freecycle for a while now and decided to give it a whirl. In our area you need to post a listing for an item you are giving away and then for every item you post(give away) you can post a couple of want items. Hope this makes sense. Anyway, I posted that I had a dishwasher that was broken but if there was a handyman with appliance he might want to rehabilitate it. I got a response within a couple hours which is great cause really don't know when we would get it out of here otherwise. Then I posted that I wanted any yarn or thread anyone was wanting to get rid of. Within a short time of posting I got an email from a lovely women in the next town who had some yarn and knitting needles to give away. Score. She sent me some rug yarn which i can crochet into a pretty nice rug. So all in all Freecycle has worked pretty well. I think I will keep my post up though for thread and see what happens.
I also received a box of yarn from Lynlee that was filled with all kinds of fun novelty yarns and chenille. I sent her a shawl I had crocheted but was too big for me and so we had a pretty good swap. I am already knitting a skinny scarf with some of the chenille yarn. I will post it as soon as I finish it. It has been a neat day and I acquired more yarn. Made my day for sure.

Checking in with finished shawls

2005-06-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

As you can tell I end up blogging when I have something to actually show. Oh well this is my blog about my crafts so I guess thats okey in itself. Just got off the phone with my son who is in Irag. He is so wanting to get home, only about a month and a half left of his tour there. He said he dreamed he was home in Oregon kicking back, fishing and just hanging for his ten day leave. Just to hear his voice is a relief to me. We finally got another beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest. Unforunately I have had to clean the house and do laundry so just got to look outside and open the house. Its all good though. I finished up a couple of shawls here recently, one is knitted and the other crocheted. I used the Joann's Sensations Rainbow Boucle that I had posted about previously. I think in one of the pics I showed the start of the knitted shawl in blue. The crocheted shawl is called the Serefina Shawl and really turns out nice with the rainbow boucle. Need to get some of this yarn in the purple, dark blue and greens if my local store ever gets it in.

Back again twice in one day

2005-06-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

Okey forgot to mention on the pictures earlier. On the pineapple shawl I had made and unforunately it was to big for me. I am all of 4 foot 9 inches and the thing was just hanging on me. So being the wonderful husband that he is, Dennis offered to be the living model for me. We took the pics in our backyard and so there are shadows from the trees couldn't convince him to go in the front yard. Plus I know better than to push my luck. He is such a great guy. Anyways I have been wanting to try out the Joanns Sensations Rainbow Boucle that alot of people on Crochetville have been talking about. Well the Joanns is about a half hour from us here and since my hubby works in the city he stopped by and picked me up a couple of the skeins. He had called me to find out exactly what it was and when he went into Joanns the store clerk helping him couldn't find the exact thing so let him phone me from there. Between the two of them they found me these skeins and I am so pleased.
I am starting a knitted shawl with the blue and may make something for my granddaughters with the pink. I am also knitting a felted bag with some Noro yarn I picked up a couple of weeks ago. The yarn is great to work with although the price will keep me from doing another project after this one for quite a while.
Well here are some pics:

Finally a beautiful day

2005-06-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Well today was finally a beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest. From Rain yesterday to Sun and blue skies today. Jeez we whoudl have had this for the last 3 weeks. Ah well you take what you can get. Dennis got to go out and mow the lawn, just made his day. But the yard looks great now. Britt is counting the days till school is out, and I'm not. Well I haven't posted much but then I'm beginning to think thats par for the course. I've been busy crocheting and knitting. My knitting is slower than crocheting so don't have much to show in the knitting arena. I have started a knitted felted bag. Then put it down to finish up some bookmarks for the Bookmark swap at Crochetville. Picked up my felted bag worked on it for a couple hours than put it back down to start a Pineapple shawl. Finish the shawl and start on another doily. Oh well what can I say. Crocheting is faster and I see results faster. Anyways here are a few things I've completed. One of these days I will post pics of my wips maybe later tonight.

Race day rained out

2005-06-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

Den and I went to our local race track tonight to watch the sprint races, modified etc. About half way thru it started raining and the race was called due to weather. So since I was home earlier than I thought we'd be I took some pics of the items I have made lately. I think the snowflower doily turned out pretty good, especially after I starched it flat. It was curling really badly while crocheting but once starched and pinned out it looks wonderful. Also got on a dishcloth binge after receiving some in our dish cloth swap on crochetville, but in knit and crochet. Then with all the thread I received from Jaclim I had to make one of my beach Barbies a poncho and beach bag. Now she is really ready for summer.

2005-06-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

I finished another doily but now have it starched and waiting to dry. It turned out pretty well but will be a day or two before I can post a picture. Since I just finished starching it decided to check in on some blogs and read up on whats happening with other people. There are sure alot of crafters out there, I am in great company. The doily I completed was the snow flower doily found on freepatterns.com. They have some really nice patterns there from doilies to fashion accessories to home decor. Well thats about it for tonight sorry if I bored anyone.

Finally posting an entry

2005-06-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

Okey just got over my slump. Been kinda bummed lately, I'm thinking I need a vacation. I finally got my year in at work and think that it's time I took a couple of days off just for me. Selfish I know but the mental part of me really is wanting some me time. Seems to much to do and not enough time to do it all in especially with my crafting. So I have been doing some knitting and crocheting but haven't been able to wrestle the camera from my daughter till today. Jeez she is such a teenie bopper. Anyways here are some pics of what I have completed lately.

Nothing much today

2005-05-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Okey been in a creative funk lately. Pick up one thing start it, put it down and forget about it not in the mood. Try something else same fate so I decided to put down the crochet hook and Knit instead. I am working on a Tee Top From Berroco My First Project booklet. It is a knit 2, purl 2 stitch pattern so not to strenous on the mind. Took it to the races last night and completed quite a few rows before the dark set in. If I get a chance later I will post a pic. Anyways sometimes just gotta do something different. I received a call from my son in Irag Tuesday morning so that made my day. He is well and can't wait to get home. Being as this is his third tour I'm sure he has seen more of the country than he has ever wanted. I also received my dish clothes from Kimberly at Crochetville. They are just to pretty but I am sure I can put them to good use. She also sent me a wonderful stitch marker with an Angel charm on it that I just Love. To bad the pic doesn't show it well. I also have a button for my site now Thanks to MomaChet at Crochetville. Thank you so very much. Thats been about it, I did complete a couple of things before my funk set in so here they are:

Finally finished

2005-05-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the sherbet tank that I was a pattern tester for. Geez felt like such a dork because I didn't measure it on me until I was almost done and found out I had made it to big. The pattern itself is great but you need to watch what kind of yarn you use and try it on as you go. I had to go down a hook size also. I think it was because of the yarn I used, it was Caron simply soft and I crocheted looser than normal with it. The pattern can be found here:http://crochetaddictspatterns.blogspot.com/
well here are the pics on and off.
Mary

Happy Mothers Day

2005-05-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Well Its been another mothers day come and almost gone. Received calls from my oldest son and daughter today. My middle son is in Irag so I didn't think I would receive a call and I'm sure he would have if he could have. Today is also my husbands and my 6th anniversary. We spent it just hanging around the house, it was an unfortunate event that we were broke at the same time. Oh well, Britt made us homemade cards and it was nice just hanging around with the family. I've been making doilies lately with the colorful thread I got from Jaclim. I think they turned out pretty good.

2005-05-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

Here is my newest knitted project, It is a pattern I got off the Lionbrand site that called for mobias Mohair yarn, unforunately I am such a cheapskate I couldn't justify spending $7.67 a skein (pattern calls for 3 skeins) to make this. Instead I substituted Red Heart Symphony yarn (3.67 a skein) and using double strands thoughtout completed it in two days.. I love the way it feels, so soft and really light.

I crocheted this scraf using Caron simply soft embroidery yarn. I just loved the colors when I saw it so I had to make something with it. I used my crochet patterns book and just came up with a pattern.. The bad part is you can't see the pattern from this pic but it is so cool.

2005-04-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

I have been a knitting and crocheting fool lately. To many patterns and not enough time to do it all. Man that just bugs the heck out of me, but then I still have to make a living so off to work I go. Anyways I have been making coasters from some patterns I got off the crochetdudes.blog, His designs are just to awesome. The patterns are for dishcloths but I used double strands of crochet thread and made them into coasters and mini doilies. Hope he doesn't mind. I also had to work with the Wendy Chunky Velvet yard I received from Ashley in the last yarn swap. I decided to knit myself a scarf so that I can feel it all day long. It turned out okey and short enough not to get in the way at work. I have also finished up another Blanket for the Blankey Brigade. So thats about it hope to start on some bookmarks now that I finally found my pattern book. There will be a bookmarks swap starting soon on Crochetville, so hope to do some for that.
Here are some pics of completed items.

Crocheted and knitted items

2005-04-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some dish clothes I made for the dishcloth swap at crochetville.

Potholder I made just because.

More Dishclothes

This is the yarn swap I received from AshEqypt at Crochetville. The yarn is just so soft it is unbelieveable. The pink and purple is from England and called Wendy. Ashleigh also sent me Patons Bohemia, thinking this will make a very nice scarf, but still thinking about it. And Last but not least a Bar of soap from England that made the yarns smell oh so good.

Here is my daughter posing with the knitted poncho 3 in 1 that I knitted for Debi at Crochetville. It turned out fine, just think if I try this again I will use 2 yarns held together throughout. It turned out really lacy but my daughter would more than likely snag it on something.

2005-04-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here is my first completed knitted article of clothes. I have been knitting for awhile but mainly just dishclothes and scarves so this is an accomplishment for me.

MIA

2005-04-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Well I have been MIA lately, have been busy crocheting for the dishcloth swap at Crochetville, so won't be posting pics of them until I have sent them out. Also been crocheting a star baby blanket for the blankey brigade on crochetville. I think this is an awesome Idea as I have Kids that are in the Military and like most when babies come along money starts getting tighter. Also with our guys and gals out in the field this is a wonderful idea to recognize what they do to keep us all safe. I am currently working on a knitted tank top. Since I only knit occassionally this is taking me some time, just hope it fits like it's suppose to when I finish it. Well I will post pics later.

Projects completed

2005-04-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted here because I have been busy crocheting. Since I work during the day it doesn't leave much time in the evenings what with making dinner, checking out whats happening at Crochetville, reading blogs and then trying to finish projects started. I decided to up my load by signing up for the Blankey Brigade and dish cloth swap. Oh well I'll make time somewhere I'm sure. Anyways I did finish a blankey this weekend and some other small projects over the last week.

2nd set of socks finished

2005-03-25T19:52:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday I started a pattern I received from Kimberly at Woven N Spun's blog. She was kind enough to send me the patterns she had made up for socks. Since I am on a sock fetish lately I crocheted these up pretty quickly. Although I am new to crocheting socks it is an accomplishment that I completed them at all. My daughter likes the way they looked and is the model for the following pictures. She is a ham even if you don't see her face. I am going to start on another of Kimberly's patterns after I finish here and check out Crochetville. It was surprising that I finished these at all today due to the fact that my brain hasn't been functioning all that well all day. Making dumb mistakes at work but nothing serious thank goodness. But I did leave early just to get some rest and hopefully the brain will be functioning much better tomorrow. Well thats about it for now here are the pictures of Kimberlys Criss Cross Socks.
img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/dennymare/crisscrosssocks2.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">

Rainy oregon

2005-03-24T21:43:00.000-08:00

Well we are finally getting our rain. It has been a pretty dry and mild winter and so we really need the rain around here. We are also getting some wind coming up this weekend, so it will be kind of scary with the rain and wind.
We have 5 trees that have branches waiting to just fall off, landlord won't cut them until they fall so hopefully if they do decide to come down this weekend it will miss our house and and the neighbors. Well other than the weather not much has been going on, I am working on some socks for myself. I got the pattern from Kimberly at Woven N Spun and they are working up nicely. At least I think they are for me my daughter is making noises like she would like them. Hmmmm, that is unusual at the best of times because she is twelve and prefers store bought to home made usually.
I have two more sock patterns I will be working on after this but once I finish the ones I'm working on I will post them here. Well thats about it for now.

Spring is here

2005-03-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

Although we are finally getting some rain here in Oregon, it is still spring by way of the child being home for a week. We decided that the ward off complete boredom for her we would take her out for the day. First of all I should say that Britts spring break was effective as of Thursday last week, so by Sunday she was a bit bored especially since mom and dad have had to work. Back to our day, we took her to see Robots at the theater. I have to say it is a laugh out loud movie, as I am not into cartoons I was especially surprised at how much I enjoyed it. After the show we let her browse the mall, another thing I am not a fan of, but......it was entertaining to watch how much Britt enjoyed it. From there we hit a few other stores across town, which if you knew my husband he hates running from one end of town to the other but he took us without any complaints. What a guy! And the most important part is he took us back across town to our fav craft store so we could look around. I got a few things there, sock yarn to finish my socks I started yesterday and some new knitting needles. Wow it was a good day for all. Since then I have finished my socks and taken pics so that is what you will be seeing tonight.
I also was a tester on a pattern one of the girls made for a wrist purse. I thought her pattern was clear and concise and she added pics that I always appreciate. There wasn't very many errors for me to correct so all in all I thought it turned out well, the only bad part was that I picked out the wrong kind of yarn to use, I used peaches and cream and that was to thick for this project. I will be trying the pattern again with worsted weight yarn and see how that turns out. Well thats about it for now, here are the pics:

Just checking in

2005-03-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

Not to much been hapening around here. We are watching the Jeff Foxworthy roast, ought to be funny.
Anyhow been crocheting more but no pictures as of yet, made three more poncho sets for two nieces and my youngest granddaughter. Hopefully their moms will send pics.. I finally got around to making a sock. It turned out okey just have to make the other one. Thats the problem with making socks you have to make two. Jeez what was I thinking. Trying out a couple more bookmarks also. Well we are now in our new home at crochetville.org. it is so much better than our last board and one of the reasons I haven't posted lately because I am always there. okey thats about it for tonight.

fun day

2005-03-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

Well we had a fun day, started out with helping hubby finish putting a new stock on his rifle. He is such a sweetie and got a smaller stock on his 22 so that I could site easier. I have short arms to go along with the short person that I am so a regular sized rifle doesn't help me much. My daughter is getting much better with her shooting also, she is learning firearm safety too. We took a drive out into the country and then found an isolated spot to shoot. Was a beautiful day and a great bonding opportunity for all of us. When we got home finished working on my Martha Stewart poncho and I think it turned out rather well. I had started it last night and it was so quick. The homespun yarn is so wonderfully soft and easy to work with as long as you use a big enough hook. So here is the poncho without further ado:

2005-03-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

This first picture is of my granddaughters with the poncho sets I sent them. They were just so excited to get them they changed out of their school clothes and into little dresses to wear with them. The flip flops were an additional thought as the ponchos are for summer. The second pic is of the poncho I made for their mom, and no the model isn't their mom, she is my youngest daughter. I did send a picture to my oldest and she is looking forward to getting her poncho also. Well I've got a few more to do evidently, got an order for two more for some girls my oldest knows and then my other granddaughter. Guess I should be pretty much done with ponchos by then. I am doing a little knitting also trying to get my skills up with that. Am working on a fan scarf with some really soft furry yarn can't wait be be done just to take pictures. Well thats about it for now.

2005-03-05T21:41:00.000-08:00

These came in the mail on Friday and made my day. It is a raok from one of the Fairy godmother at Crochetville. The are two sets of stitch markers and a wonderful book thong. They are all beautiful and a thoughtful gift from a wonderful person. My pictures don't do them justice unforunately. Hopefully I can take a better pic this weekend.

2005-03-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

This is another poncho, hat and flip flop set I made for my granddaughter Alyssa. I will be sending these out on Monday so hopefully by next week I will have pictures of post of them wearing them.

Nothing to show

2005-03-03T21:27:00.000-08:00

Frustration must be the status of my day. Seems like no matter what today has been frustrating from start to finish. At work it was so slow up until about an hour before I was due to go home, go figure. Anyways at least there are some sales to show for the day. Got everything done and was still able to get out there by 10 after five, so wasn't to bad. Just drives me bonkers when you can be dead all day and then get a rush that'll make your head spin. Oh well that is life. Made it home and oh boy did I get a surprise, got a raok in the mail and two packages with yarn I had ordered. Woo Hoo that made coming home so much better than usual. I am strange in that I love coming home to my family even when they annoy me. I received the raok from Lori and absolutely was in heaven. She sent me two sets of beaded stitch markers and a book thong. It was just what I needed thank you Lori. Also got some yarn in I ordered from ebay. They are cool colors and I can't wait to start something with them. They are a thin chenille so will have to use double strands to make anything with it. Just need to figure out how I want to use them. Then I got on the computer to check out my email and I couldn't get online. Spent all evening trying to figure out what happened when it finally hit me that maybe if I unplug the modem it will reset and the world would again be in balance. After two hours of frustrating myself lo and behold the quick fix worked. Hello I am so slow today. At least I figured it out before I got on the phone for support and have them tell me to reset the darn thing. Well I finished up my granddaughters poncho, hat and flip flop sets. I am now making them purses hopefully to match. Then when they get them I will post pics. I like to see them in them to be sure I did the job right or not. Well thats about it for now. Gotta work some more on the purse so I'll close for now.

2005-02-28T22:20:00.000-08:00

Here are some scrubbies I received from my fairy godmothers, as you can see from the pic, I got them wet before I took their picture.

Here is the bin of yarn that Brittany wound for me on the yarn winder.

This is a poncho that I made for my granddaughter, it is a pattern that I got on chochetville and Chelle is the designer, Also the hat is one that Chelle designed. The flip flops are crocheted with eyelash yarn and is a cute addition for my grandkids.

2005-02-25T22:06:00.000-08:00

Today was a wonderful day, I received a yarn winder today in the mail. It was such a surprise and a wonderful toy.. Unforunately as you can tell by these pics I haven't been able to use it due to my daughter having fun with it. Well at least I got out the tub of yarn and she is a winding fool. She is also rocking out with her head phones on. Who would of thought a kid would do that for her mom, must be the yarn winder must be a blast to do but I couldn't tell ya........(This is Mary's dd typing and it IS fun if you don't have one then you should get one, there soooo much fun and it helps you with your crocheting stuff! In this picture of me I'm listening to Gretchen Wilson) Also got the primrose plant from our Service manager at work for all the help the office people do to make their job easier.. Now isn't that the greatest! Then as if that wasn't enough today my co-worker walked in with the small flower she picked off her bush in her yard. It has the most fragrant aroma and such a pretty flower, I just love it.

Then when I got home I checked my email and received a raok of Adegio Teas from my Fairy Godmother. Oh decisions, decisions whatever shall I get. (I'm thinking about getting some flavored tea, but I don't know for sure yet.) So as you can tell by my day it has been good. Hope it continues on.

2005-02-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

Here is my daughter posing with the shawl I finished last night, she is such a ham.

2005-02-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a pic of the rose shawl that I just finished last night, I think it turned out pretty good.

red haired barbie

2005-02-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

This is a pattern I got from originals by gidge. She has free patterns that she puts on her website and others you can buy, I haven't had much luck ordering patterns from her but it could be my server. Hope you enjoy this.

Photobucket

2005-02-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

This is a test post from Photobucket.com

Photobucket

2005-02-16T19:26:00.000-08:00

This is a test post from Photobucket.com

raok

2005-02-16T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well I have gotten some raok's ready to send out. It is an interesting way of clearing out what I don't use anymore and hopefully the people I'm sending them too can use them. Not to much has been happening in my life lately. I did receive a call from my son in Irag. He is doing as well as can be expected. Evidently it is really cold at the moment there, he usually has to worry about the heat. This is his third time there and hopefully last, he will be out of the service after this tour so may not have to stress about him being there. He is doing his job and doing a great job of it I might say. We all need to support our troops in doing their jobs as well as they do. Anyways on to other subjects, haven't crocheted to much lately due to always being on crochetville. That board is addictive let me tell you. Well as always it seems there aren't enough hours in the day to get what I want done so I will sign off so I can do some crocheting

new projects completed

2005-02-12T21:02:00.000-08:00

here are some pics I took of the fingerless gloves I worked on last week. My daughter really liked them and so did a couple of her friends. She ended up giving away a set I made for her. Also worked on some book marks for my daughters teaches for valentines.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/dennymare/bluefingerlessgloves.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/dennymare/brittsfingerlessredglovesfeb2005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/dennymare/bookthong3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/dennymare/heartbookmark.jpg
I have been having a good time increasing my abilities with knitting. It is a wonderful thing when what you make people and they appreciate it. I also made the thong bookmark, I got the patterns from crochetme magazine online. I made one for my daughter and one of my co-workers. The glove pattern I got from http:/www.marniemaclean.com/patterns/NearlyGloves/Gloves.html.
It has been a good day all and all, had to work but it was so slow.........today made the day seem longer. But now I am home and life is good. Well hopefully these pics come out if not oh well I tried.

Good day

2005-02-11T18:48:00.000-08:00

Today has actually been a good day. No traumas at work, got all my paperwork caught up with and filed. I gave one of the ladies I work with a book mark I had crocheted using a pattern i got from donna at the yarn tomato. Instead of a round bead I had used a fish glass bead, well unknowingly she also collects fish as well as reads a great deal. She was doubly delighted which also delighted me. Makes my day when someone appreciates what you give them. I will be working on some heart bookmarks for my daughters teachers this weekend. She is picking out the colors and I am doing the work figures..... So this will be a productive weekend coming up.
My son is in Irag and I received a phone call from him, it makes for a wonderful week when you hear from a loved one. He is fine and things are quiet where he is. Which is good news for the mom. Well if I get my camera out and my daughter sitting still I will be posting pics of the fingerless gloves I finished this week. She has also given a pair away to a friend of hers that really liked hers. Okey thats about all for today.

2005-02-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

This is the 1899 Jeweled Theatrical costume.

2005-02-10T21:43:00.001-08:00

These are a pair of Flappers dolls from the Paradise Dolls collection Patterns

2005-02-10T21:43:00.000-08:00

Princess Di

2005-02-10T21:42:00.000-08:00

Gold Rush Doll

2005-02-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

Dolls I refurbished using Paradise Doll Patterns.

Samples of crocheted outfits

2005-02-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

Well I will be showcasing a few of my Barbies that I crocheted outfits for. Most of my patterns are taken from the Paradise doll Pattern books. The seem difficult but are simple to do, just have to get use to the beads and sequins. I enjoy doing the doll fashions because they are small and you see the results quite quickly. I also like to crochet doilies, washclothes and hair scrunchies for my daughter and granddaughters. I have recently been knitting fingerless gloves for the girls also. I think they turned out okey. My daughter seems to enjoy them quite a bit.
As soon as I can get my daughter to sit still long enough I will take pics and you all can be the judge.