I'm a Wolf!

 My husband and I spent this past weekend at MoonDance, for the third year.  We found the above wall~hanging our first hour there.  I particularly liked this one, because it features a wolf couple, in silhouette.  It seems most of the wolf stuff you see is featuring a lone wolf, but this is special for us~~a wolf couple.

If you click on the pix, you'll see an enlargement so that you can see the detail of the two necklaces.  The top necklace is the smaller of the two and it was one that My Jerr bought me last year at MoonDance.  I love it and wear it all the time.  Whenever I wear it, I get lots and lots of compliments and comments.  So this year when we saw that the same artist had a larger one with a touch of red, I really wanted it!  The copper wiring is braided and she did an excellent job with it!

Folks who know me, have seen my artwork and know that trees are extra special for me.  My back is covered with an awesome tree, the web curls around my ribs, extending over my shoulders and down over my breasts.  All seasons are represented within the trees branches, as you can see by the spring buds over my right and the falling leaves over my left.  Several years ago, I did an extensive entry devoted just to description of my tattoos that I have.  Roughly 35~40% of my body is inked and there really isn't any way to answer the question, "how many tats do you have?" accurately.  It's just a work in progress!!

My new glasses were waiting for me when we returned home.  There are thousands of frames available, but I really liked this style of frame, so I got two pair.  The ones above are my regular wear and the ones to the right are 80% tinted.  So I have prescription sunglasses!  I can look thru my rose tinted lenses at my world.  And the best thing, both pairs, and shipping, $28 bucks!

My husband, I love him so...modeling hat #6

I tried to post this last week, but blogger/blogspot was experiencing some technical difficulties.

Hat #6 can be worn snug as a cap or as shown here.  I think it's fitting that I was able to post this now, as a belated~memorial day tribute.

hat #5

My Jerr modeling hat#5.

Work it, work it!!

By the way, that shadow box behind him was made and presented to him last year by his youngest son.  It's a collection of all Jerr's Coast Guard medals, patches, plagues, pins, buttons, etc.  Plus the USA flag and the Coast Guard flag.  His youngest son is also career Coast Guard.

These hats are to go to Knots of Love's Veterans' Cap drive.  Since my father is a Vietnam~Vet and my husband is retired Coast Guard, I thought it fitting to choose this as one of the charities I'll donate to.

Hat #4

My Jerr modeling hat#4.  I really like this particular hat.  I've been having fun tinkering with technique.  This hat was constructed entirely of single crochet and slip stitches.


This is not your run of the mill slip stitch.  Here's some detail.  Of course, for better detail, click on the pic for enlargement.

To do this slip stitch, enter the back bar from the back, yarn over, and pull the yarn thru.  The main difference is that you do not enter the loop from the front, but do so from the back.  It yields a taller stitch with more stretch.

Did you know that slip stitches could be done so many different ways and result in so many different looks?  I've not yet tried all the ways to slip, but it's fun to try these techniques on hats, cuz they are worked in the round, so the front is what is worked on at all times.  I think it lends nice finish, firm band.

And the hats can be worn with either side showing.  The work looks neat from either perspective.  More hats tomorrow!

hat #3

Tah~Dah

This hat actually makes me think of the traditional painter's sort.  That's painter as in artist, not construction.

Oddly when I asked my husband to model it, I noticed that it matches his ensemble!  A bluish~gray tank top with MSU maroon shorts.

The blue shade is Caron's Simply Soft's "Ocean".

Hat number TWO

{*sigh*}

My Jerr, I love him so!

{*blush*}

Here he is modeling the second hat I made for Knots of Love's Veterans' Cap Drive.

He indulges me so much, wearing a hat in this heat!

{muwahZ, baby!}

Knots of Love

 Back in April, I'd heard about the Knots of Love's Veterans' Cap Drive.  So when I finished up the afghan I was working on for my husband's daughter and when I finished up two of May's project of the month for different charities thru two yahoo groups; I thought it would be a good time to begin amassing some items for various organizations.  Most of them are local efforts, but this one, this Knots of Love's Veterans' Cap Drive, well I'd like to help them reach their goal of five thousand hats by November.

This hat is the first!  It's made using Caron's Simply Soft.  The color is Autumn Red.  I used an I/9 {5.5mm} aluminum Boye hook.  Pictured here, the hat is resting on a 8.5"x11" sheet of paper.  It's kinda large, but someone might not like their hats too snug.

I'm going to try a few different styles.  I'm trying for a more solid crochet, but without the bulk.  So I will probably try a few hats in single crochet, or even slip stitch.  This one was done in half~double crochet stitch {in some countries, this is called a double crochet, while what we in USA call double crochet, others call treble}.

Knots of Love ask that the hats not be very holey or open mesh; this particular group of folks are Vets who have had chemo/cancer and so their bare heads are more tender and more likely to be cold.  So Knots of Love has a list of yarns that they ask folks to use, most are very soft.

I like using Caron's Simply Soft.  It works up nicely, is soft to touch, and is easily attainable {our local WalMart carries it...sometimes...well as much as our WalMart carries any yarn}.  It's not too expensive, which is a nice plus.

~tah~DAH~

tah~DAH

Sew...

I mean, so...

My friend, Kim, came over last week and we cut out the pieces for my first tote.

Then today, she came over and helped me sew it.

It's my FIRST!

It's for my laptop.

AND it's reversible!

TAH~DAAAAAAH!

flat pieces from round looms

Wrapping a round loom for a flat piece is not as complicated as written descriptions can sound.

Basically you use an eWrap {so called because the yarn does look like an "e" wrapped around the peg} to go around the loom.  But instead of continuing the wrap, to form a complete circle; you reverse the wrap at the last peg.  This creates a gap so that the resulting piece is not round, a tube; but flat.

Hopefully you can see that there is a gap between the pegs, above the lil knob on the loom.  I didn't continue the wrap around from the last peg to the first one to complete the circle.  I wrapped to the last one, reversed and continued the warp in a clockwise direction to the first peg.  Then I reversed directions and wrapped in a counter~clockwise direction to the last peg, then I reverse directions and wrap in the clockwise direction to the first peg and so on and so on.

I'll see if I can't do a better demonstration with each step illustrated.

wrap it up!

Ok, there are lots of ways to wrap pegs when looming.  Here are three.  Click on the picture to see an enlarged version to see the details.



This is a slanted version, each peg is not wrapped in full.  The yarn goes around the outside of the peg only.  This produces a double~knit, medium density.

Ok, this creates a much more open weave.  As you can see, It is a wide U wrap, using two pegs per wrap.  The peg is not completely wrapped, but again the yarn goes around the outside of the pegs.

Ok, this is actually a denser weave, with each peg being wrapped three~quarters of the way.  You can see that each wrap crosses over to create an overlap of coverage.


The yarn is Yarn Bee's Soft Delight in pale pink.

loomin' large

You can click on the pic for an enlargement to show detail.  I've been looming scarves these past few days.  They aren't intended for warmth, so much as comfort.

The one to the right is incredibly soft!  It's folded in half so you can't really see how gauzy it is.  Fuzzy, soft, comfy.

The one to the left is using some super thin ribbon that I found at a fabric store a few towns over.  After I finish a few more, I will box them up and send them to California for a project that wants to give women at abuse shelters a lil gift for being brave enough to leave their situations.

ribboned scarf

The other day, a friend and I went to Ackerman {two towns to the west of me} to a fabric store which has tons of notions, like buttons, snaps, elastic, thread, and such.  The woman who owns the store had some water damage a month or so ago and a large portion of her inventory has been marked down.  She's also rearranging the layout and so she's clearing scads.

So I bought ten rolls of very very thin ribbon for 99 cents per roll.  Since the regular price for this sort of ribbon was 94 cents per yard, I figured I was way ahead.  So here is the scarf I finished this evening, crocheted with baby~boucle from my stash and woven thru with matching ribbon.

I'm looming another with very thin baby yarn, Bernat Baby Jacquards, and some of the thin, Thin, THIN ribbon.  It's very pretty so far, and once it's done, I'll post a pic!

hats off!

 Some of the charities to which I'm donating crochet items are monthly picks, so might not be in need of the articles right this minute.  Like the May's project for one group are hats that won't be used til this coming winter by folks in Michigan.  So here are some of the hats for warmth that I've been making.  There are a few for smaller sized heads, but most are for older children and adults.  Some have brims, others are brimless.  There is even one pictured here that has three brims!

the crafty room

This room contains most of my crafting supplies and also functions as our office.  It is a rather large room, possibly the largest single room in the house!  It's on the backside, to the northwest of the front of the house.

Part of my mom's wedding gift to me was to repaint the interior of my new home.  Also, my mom and brother laid new tile for my new husband and me.  The walls are a peppermint~tea and the floors are a marbleized blend of dark shades of green.  My husband and I bought the paint in a five gallon bucket from WalMart and the tile was found at Fred's {a discount pharmacy chain in this region~~something like Dollar Store, Dollar Tree, or Dollar Bill's, only with a pharmacy as well}.

The two wooden cabinets pictured above were built by my husband several years ago.  The large table is loaded with unfinished or unsatisfactory projects to be frogged {rip~it, rip~it, rip~it} on one half.  The other half of the table is seen here.

It's full of Caron Simply Soft yarns.  There is a charity that I'm making hats for that require soft fibers.  Most of the yarn was bought on clearance when our WalMart was renovating their lay~out and radically changing their yarn section {also eliminating their fabric area altogether}.  Some of the yarn I'd gotten when a store discontinues that color or shade.  I keep my eyes open for bargains like that.

 These two wooden shelving units were actually part of a large custom~made corner cabinet that my husband's first wife had designed and asked him to build.  He's a very obliging, sweet man!  I'm very glad that I'd met him, three years after his first wife had died {they'd been married 29 years}.  Two years ago, we wed.  I'm a lucky lady!

What you see here are some of the many skeins of yarn I have amassed.  I use yarn frequently, constantly crocheting and sometimes looming.  So yarn never dry~rots here!  The pink chair is one of two that I brought with me.  They rock and swivel.  They came to me used, and I have no idea what sort of history they have, but they're mine now.  The floor~lamp is also used, and my husband did some repairs to it since I loved the shade and the actual lamp assembly.  It's very peaceful to sit in the pink chair, with soft light, listening to an audio book, crocheting away.  Very peaceful.

 I included this picture cuz it features three yarns that are my favorites.  I didn't used to be very fond of these colors, but our wedding was in the fall so we used autumnal colors.  Since then, these shades have become very special to me!  Claret, carrot, and gold are the three colors pictured here.  Also, atop the sewing cabinet/machine, is a stack of boxed tea.  I can't find this tea in my area, so when I was in Wisconsin, I bought a bunch of it!  It's Good Earth, sweet and spicy.  Very very tasty.

Of course you can click on any picture to enlarge for detail, but this one might be something you won't want to miss.  The desk and chair are the ones that my husband used when he was a lil boy at his grandparents.  My mother did all our floral arrangements for our wedding, and there is one sitting on the corner of the desk.  She also made the lil doll you see.

Draped over the chair's back is a very long hat and a small scarflette with Bully, the MSU mascot.  Atop the filing cabinet are several purses that are MSU themed as well.  The shorter one my husband found on our honeymoon for five bucks!  The other one, he found here in town for five bucks too.  I haven't used the larger one, tho I probably will in awhile.

It's past my bed time, happy mother's day to all you ladies out there! g'n'nite!

May Day!

So yesterday, I was having lunch with a friend and she'd referred to an event and I said, "oh, yeah, that happened a few months back...wait!!  NO!  Last fall!"  and then gasped cuz it's MAY already.  When did that happen?  I realize it's a trite cliche, but, as I get older, time flies faster and faster.

Every December, I sit down with two calendars; the one for that old year and one for the new incoming year.  I page thru and mark birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates, transferring the data from the old to the new.  Then at the end of each month, I go thru the next month and figure out who I need to get which cards for and what needs to be sent out when.  Otherwise, days go by and I see them coming from a long way off, then I glance away and miss them til after they've gone by and it's too late to send even a "Happy beLated birthday" card.

So earlier this past week, I was looking at the month of May, and I asked my husband, "when did they stop marking May Day on the calendar?"  I mean, our calendar has most all the "special" days marked on it, including days that I need to google cuz I'm totally unfamiliar with them; I look up Boxing Day every year, EVERY YEAR, cuz I can never remember what I discovered the previous year.  Now, May Day in much of the world is sort of like our Labor Day here.  In theory, anyway.  Labor Day here mostly marks the end of summer and the beginning of the school year.  At least that's the way it was when I was young.

Now, here in Mississippi, Labor Day doesn't much mark the end of summer in any way.  Area schools start back in the beginning of August and the temperatures are usually in the triple digits well into September.  The old social etiquette rule regarding wearing white {especially footwear} has definitely gone by the wayside; does anyone even remember that white pumps were not seen on ladies' feet from Labor Day to Memorial Day?

I never was much of a lady.

But I do remember as a child dancing about the May Pole with streamers and ribbons.  Last year, I had a chance to do that again!  I'd forgotten all about it til I saw the pole standing atop a hill, with strips fluttering in the breeze.  We had so much fun, strangers most of us, all ages represented, that most of us were laughing by the time we finished wrapping the pole in multi~colored fabric.

Happy May Day, from me, to you and yours!

my husband, you sexy~thang!

 Another scarf finished!

I had problems with my coordination and kept taking the pic of the scarf, shaking, blurring it out of focus~~and that was even WITH the camera's stabilizing feature engaged!  So finally, I handed the scarf to my husband:

Give it to me!  Great!  Fierce!  Now turn!  Good!

And cuz he is such a great guy, he pulled it off, all campy!

Sigh, I love this guy!

Scarf for May's project

I've finished up the flower~afghan I was making for one of my husband's kids and some other items that are in the picture of an entry from a few days back.

I'd started to look at various charities and organizations that I could donate crocheted items to, about a month ago.  One group collects scarves from women's shelters.  The scarves aren't meant for warmth, but rather can be for comfort or a fashion accessory or whatever.  It's the current project for May.  So I gave a shot at making just a regular mesh scarf and then weaving some other lighter pink thru the darker pink squares.  It's ok, I'm not thrilled with it, but not everyone's tastes run the same.  So I'll probably be posting pix of scarves during the next few weeks.