Heeere's Harley

Every time I get online I think I really should make an entry into one or both of my blogs. Do I? Not usually. I tell myself I ran out of time, but really I haven't. It's a case of pure laziness on my part. Which tends to also be the cause of most of my should-haves-but-didn't-get-to-its. So here I am getting to it.

I have more than enough time this weekend, which became a three day weekend when Grandma woke up with a seizure Thursday morning. My mother lately seems to be on the edge of a nervous breakdown, and given the last year she can hardly be blamed, so I stepped up and stayed home. Poor Grandma had four seizures by the end of the day and is right now sitting in the recliner (where she has been since after the first attack when she actually seemed to recover quickly) talking to people only she can see. I am hoping that she will be a little closer to recovery tomorrow, at least enough that she knows where she is and can walk (with our help) to the bathroom.

Anyway, I stayed up for 24 hours straight yesterday and it wasn't a complete sit around wasting time or dozing day. I crocheted. I am working on a teddy bear for Mother's day, but at one point I decided I wanted to make something quick and gratifying. Most of my projects have been large and slow to make since my hands don't let me crochet for long periods of time with out stopping often. So I made Harley.


Harley is the last bit of one ball of yarn and a furry yarn for hair. I think he's cute and I love the hair. He started out round on the bottom but is actually four sided (hence his cone head look). I needed a little instant gratification this weekend.

I am also playing with my digital camera. It's not a very good one, but I am trying to get it to take good pictures, at least until I can afford something better. My phone takes good ones, but they don't do well at a larger size. Here's what I've managed, I think they are good.


This is a picture from my Mom's eight foot rosebush. Its a little out of focus, but I think that is because of the breeze that day.


The Hydrangeas will be blooming soon and here is the proof. Ours blooms somewhere between green and lavender, although last year there seemed to be more purple.

I had one other picutre, but it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted. The wind moved the branches and I lost the image I really wanted, which was of the flowers framed by other flowers. I don't know if that makes sense, but it didn't work this time. I can try again now that I've cleared the pictures from my camera (no memory card).

Well, I guess that's it for now. I am hoping Grandma will go to sleep soon, but she says ahe's not tired and I suspect she'll start trying to get up out the chair. Maybe I'll sleep tonight. Wish me luck.

Hatin' on the Hook

I just don't get it. I don't understand why some knitters have such a passionate hate for crocheting. Okay, so you don't enjoy the craft but what is up with the animosity?

I receive Knitting Daily a newsletter by Interweave Press. They give tips and patterns for mostly knitting but also for crochet. Well, for one issue Kim Werker, the editor of Interweave Crochet wrote about crochet. The way some knitters reacted to an article about crochet you would have thought Kim was writing in favor of rape or something. It was mean and hateful and frankly rather childish. They were offended and angry that Knitting Daily would dare include crochet in its contents. Never mind this is a free newsletter and is basically meant to be an advertisement for all things Interweave Press, they were downright pissed off the the "C" word was even mentioned.

Okay, so you don't like a craft, so what. I don't particularly like knitting but I don't hate it, it is just not my thing. I am not going to demonize it or anyone who mentions it around me. I guess its part of a spoiled brat attitude to think that if you don't like something you should never have to hear about it or see it and if you do its okay to throw a temper tantrum.

I really have to stop reading the comment sections of blogs and articles. This is the second time I have written about the comment section. I constantly find myself disappointed in the intelligence levels of so many people who feel the need to leave comments. I realize not every knitter is a foolish as those I am speaking of, but its never the rational people who leave an impression.

Back on the Hook

I am back to crocheting again, not as much as I used to because my hands are hurting, but its something. I am working on a notepad cover out of Patons SWS that I am going to felt. Every once in a while I see an artists set that consists of a blank paper notepad, colored pencils, in a fabric cover of some sort. I am jealous and wonder why they don't make those kinds of goodies for writers? So I am making my own. It is striping nicely in colors that remind me of the ocean. I will probably line it as well. And since I rearranged my storage and can get to my yarn/fabric stash, I won't have to buy anything. I am hoping that two skeins of yarn will be enough because, much to my disappointment, I don't have enough money to buy more. I also hope I get more cash soon, I only have five 18-gallon tubs of yarn to last me in the meantime.

I am also working on designing a square for a contest that Red Heart and Crochet Today! magazine are having. I am having some issues with it so far. Including having to scrap my first idea because I can't do a gauge swatch to save my life. I went through the trouble of doing one, calculated sts per row and how many rows to get the size block I wanted. I was going to do a picture block, but when I started crocheting the block it was a good two inches too long! I decided to crochet another swatch right on top of the long piece and guess what? The short swatch is the same as the first one I did. So, evidently I crochet differently for a short piece than I do for a larger piece. I knew I hated doing swatches.

Anyway, I am doing a different block now. I've hit a few snags there, but I'm still at it.

I am also doing charity stuff again for preemie babies. I've finished a few pairs of booties and a hat and they are tragically adorable. So tiny. Even smaller than I thought they would be because the pattern I am working from is for the tiniest of the tiny.

I would like to introduce you to Toria, my best friend's daughter and my favorite five year old. Don't worry those are washable markers, but you should have seen the looks we got at the bookstore as Toria 'painted' her face. Sorry about the picture quality, I used my phone to take the picture.

Isn't she adorable? She doesn't always look like that, but I can't get any other pictures to upload today. Maybe next time. Until then,

Blessings
Agate

Hellooo! Is anyone still out there?

It's been awhile hasn't it? A lot happened since May. I got a new job, that I commute to. My Dad died during one very dramatic and painful Sunday in June. Then in October, not only to help my mom pay bills, but so Grandma wouldn't have to live alone anymore, she and I moved in with Mom and Erica, my sister. It's a three bedroom house. I sleep in the living room. But we are dealing with it all and seem to be adjusting.

I haven't done much of anything the past 7 months, except work. Not a lot of writing or crafting, though I manage to get a little in. I don't even get to see people very much, people as in friends, rather than acquaintances. But i am trying to get back in the groove.

I am writing in short bursts, carrying notepaper folded in my pocket during work hours, scribbling bits during breaks. Its not as much as I was doing before last June, but I'll get there.

ANd I found another charity to craft for. It's called The Preemie Project, I really liked making the preemie hats for Save the Children on 06' so I thought I would do it again. If nothing else, it may keep me from wallowing in my own grief and do something for someone with more immediate problems.

So I am back and plan on once again chronicling my life, whether or not anyone is around to read it.

Blessings to all,
Agate

A quick update

I tried doing a post a couple weeks ago about a purse I made for my mom, but for some reason I am having issues with the pictures. So for now, no pics, but I have been crocheting.

I made the purse for my mom from Lion Suede yarn in Mocha and Patons Brilliant in Gold Glow. I added some gold cloissonne beads and a magnatic clasp. There are also three flowers made from the gold glow. Its real pretty so I hope I'll be able to fix the picture problem and show you. I also made a skinny scarf for her out of the leftover yarn. I still need to add beads to it, but the crocheting is finished. And though the weather is wrong for it now, I used some novelty yarns, Bernat Bling-Bling in a blue color and Bernat Boa in white, to make a scarf for her. The blue is done in granny squares and edged with the boa. My mom likes the furry, fluffy scarves and requested a wider one than the others I have made for her. The scarves are part of her Mother's Day gift this year.

I made a goddess shaped doll, amigurumi style, but I'm not sure I like it, so it needs to be redesigned. Maybe I'll post a picture of it as a before to the finished design.

I bought an xxl man's shirt in a pretty aqua-blue color. I crocheted a flowered trim in brown Cool Crochet yarn and made a v neck for it (I hate those tight collars) I did a few other alterations. I haven't taken a picture of it yet.

I bought the above T-shirt because it matches the blue yarn I am making a shawl out of. I am also using a variegated brown and blue yarn I am using. It's not near done yet, but I was working on it last night.

Well, that's it for now. I'll try to get pictures posted next time, I just didn't feel like messing with it today.

Blessings
Agate

I'm an inspiration

Okay, so Grandma's flower garden is an ispiration, but hey, I'll go with it. On the Granny Along blog, in My Copycat Square, Sherri really liked my flower garden square and is mimicking it. It's not exact because she is using the regular square center instead of the eight armed one I did, but I'm still just giddy and honored. I love it when people like my stuff.

Blessings,
Agate

It is done!!!

It is finished. It took me until five minutes before I gave it to her to do it, but it is done. A few things before I show you the pictures. The yellow is really a pale baby yellow, not the orangey color I see on my screen. The light green isn't so yellow, its like the green of new leaves, and that isn't black, it's dark green.



This isn't the best picture of it, but it is the only complete view I managed to get. This one looks better.



Most of the blanket is done in basic Red Heart acrylic, and old acrylic at that, ten or more years old, so some of it has that crunchy feel. So I did the border in softer yarns. (Remember: I am working from my stash and couldn't afford to buy anything else, and it had to be washable anyway) I used a K hook for the squares, and an L hook for the border, creating a wavy and soft edge. The first row is TLC, the second row is a pale yellow Baby Teri (Red Heart, and the outer edge is white Baby Teri.



I wanted to add lots of flowers to it, but since I ran out of time (if my hands hadn't bothered me for that week I could have) but I did add a few. Along the edge of the blanket (before the border) I placed small flowers where three squares come together and reinforced those corners. Then on the four corners of a large center square (formed by four smaller squares) I placed the four larger flowers. Then in the center are three small flowers in a cluster.






I was very pleased with how it turned out. Grandma always complains when we get her things because she doesn't think she needs anything, so when she started opening the bag, she was also starting to complain. She stopped in mid complaint, smiled and said "Oooh". Then she spread it over her and hugged it. It was the best reaction I could ever get. Last I saw it, it was on her bed, hope it stays there because with her memory she'll forget about it if it gets put in the closet (for example the quilt I made for her a few years ago)

My tax money came, not a lot, but considering I haven't had any extra money for months, it was a windfall. I went to Sacramento to hang with Kindra. We went to Barnes and Noble and Michaels this is what I got.



Ah, new crochet magazines to look at and a ball of pretty yarn. The yarn is Patons Rumor in Spanish Heather. It is an Alpaca, acrylic, and polyester mix that is dark grey and a red that ranges from burgandy to bright red to a dark rose. Kindra was talking about making a hat from the Interweave Crochet magazine. She'll have to make it little bigger because regular size hats are always just a tad too small and she wants a new spring hat. I might turn the Rumor into a hat as well, maybe something a little lacy. The yarn is thick and dark and not what most people consider "springy", but I like dark muted colors and I wear a lot of black and red (and not just at work) so I am looking forward to creating a new hat. I don't do a lot things from the patterns in magazines, mostly because I have trouble getting my swatch to match theirs, but there were a couple shirt patterns I liked that I think I'll try. You'll know if I do.

Blessings,
Agate