A little before I say good night

I've had quite the long day, but I just wanted to write a quick post before I hit the sack tonight. I have been teaching again this semester after taking a year off. Just one public speaking class, but it's been quite the challenge getting back to a routine of being in class twice a week. Shoot, that reminds me. I need to figure out a speaking order for my students and get it posted for them. Anyway, so the day started out with class. Today, we watched Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Even as many times as I have seen it, it is still amazingly powerful. I love this particular lesson on language and delivery.

After class I got to spend a little time in the yarn before I had to be at work. I love to spend Wednesday afternoons at the yarn shop because I get to see so many of my friends. They inspire me, encourage me, listen to me, love me. It's awesome. Today, I realized that I am nearly half finished with a shawl I have been working on all month. I gave myself the deadline of Oct. 31 to reach the halfway point. I was so excited to be almost at my goal. I love this pattern. It's a long, rectangular stole made of lace weight yarn. Baruffa Cashwool to be exact. It's heavenly.

Here's how far I am so far:



And here's what it will kind of look like once it gets all blocked (thanks to Connie and Kelly — or was it Susan? I should be able to recognize the hands! It was Jen! I knew I should have been able to recognize those hands — for the assistance):



I am so pleased with it and I can't wait to wear it. I know I am going to love it. I have several other projects going right now too, but this one has been my focus.

I also bought a new crochet book on Monday. Jinna had it at the Crochet Guild chapter retreat, and I loved it. I found it at Barnes and Noble and couldn't pass it up. I love it because it's practical, it's easy to follow, it's got stitch patterns/motifs *and* project patterns. And it's beautiful! It's "The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet." I highly recommend it.

OK, well that is enough for tonight. I am ready to hit the sack, and I think the silly dogs are finally starting to settle down. At least I hope they are.

Some yarn, and some finished objects

I think there may be a few of these posts in the offing. I have quite a few finished items and I have added gobs of lovely yarns to my stash. I will just throw a few of them out there every once in a while. I am having as much fun as ever making things. For a while I felt like I was spending more time with knitting than crochet, but in reality I don't think I was. I think it just feels like it because I can crochet so fast, and it takes me a long time to finish knit projects.

Here are a few photos just for fun:
This is a really fun chicken pot holder. I gave this one away. I need to make one for me.



Isn't this a pretty yarn? It's dyed by my friend Pacasha. And it's a perfect color for this time of year, it's called "Apple"!



I love making pot holders and dishcloths. They are instant gratification. And fun. And cute. Witness:



I love shawls. I sometimes even wear them. But this one? This one I wear. Noro Sekku. Laceweight yarn. So soft. And lovely colors. And weighs nearly nothing.



That's enough for now. I have lots more to post, so keep your eye out!

Hooking away!

 A few members of our local chapter of the Crochet Guild of America, KS My Stitch, snuck out of the city for a weekend retreat. What a great break it was. One of the things I love about living in Kansas is the wide open spaces. Don't get me wrong, I love mountains and forests and trees, but I love, love, love the prairie. In some weird way it reminds me of the wide open of the ocean. Granted, there is no awesome beachy, salty, smell (rather, you occasionally get assaulted with the smell of feedlots and cattle, but that is beside the point), but the wind across the grass looks an awful lot like waves, and I can always see the sky. I love the sky.

Anyway, six of us went up to Severy, Kansas, near the Fall River Wildlife Refuge, where one of the gals has a cabin. We sat on the deck, with the sun shining around us, the wind blowing lightly over us, and looked out over a beautiful scene.



And we had a great place to sit and crochet and visit too:



And we had so much fun. We laughed and crocheted and laughed and ate and laughed. And then we slept and woke up to this:







Yes, I was actually awake and witnessed this sunrise with my own eyes. Those pictures were indeed taken with my camera by me! It was really beautiful.

What a relaxing and re-energizing weekend. I really needed it. And it has inspired me to sit a little more often when I have a minute and bust out my hooks. Fabulous!

A long time . . . again

Well, I've been thinking about updating my blog for ages and I finally decided to do it. I have so many ideas and things that I want to post about, so it will end up being a series of posts.

Oh, so much has happened since I last posted (I really do need to get better at this, but I just keep saying that and not following through). So, I will just choose something random for today and then worry about all that other stuff later. Life is crazy as always. I forget to slow down -- although that's not such a problem as it used to be. But I am learning to make more of an effort at keeping me mentally healthy. It's awfully hard to keep everyone else that way if I am not.

This means that there is likely much more yarn and many more hooks in my future. As well as a little more thinking of others. I am not very good at that. I consider myself to be quite a selfish person, and that is not a quality I am comfortable with. I am really trying to be more thoughtful; to be more aware of others' needs; to be more in tune with people around me. To help meet others' needs. To do more to help them know they are loved. I know how much I appreciate it when someone tells me I am loved and I want to make people feel that way.

Tonight at work I looked up and out the newsroom windows. The sky was absolutely aflame with the colors that I only see in Kansas sunsets. Gorgeous. Amazing. And a reminder that there is something out there that is greater than me. A reminder that there is beauty everywhere. A reminder to stop, breathe, and take life one step at a time. A good reminder.

Oh, it's been so long!

I am so far behind. I have so many things to say. I can't say them all at once. So this will be a short post, and I will take some time in the next few days to catch up.

First is the wedding. Oh, so many things happening in relation to that. Not mine, of course, but my daughter's. I have the best sister ever who has planned the whole reception. I owe her big time. It will be a lovely affair, this I know. The dress is beautiful and so is the bride; the groom is handsome; the reception will be lovely.

Next, the yarn. Oh yes. There has been a lot of it lately. As suits me. And laceweight. Oh, how I love the laceweight right now. Maybe it's because it has been so terribly hot at my house. Maybe because it's so soft. Maybe just because it's my current fancy. I don't know, but I love it and I am adding more to my stash. Down side? It takes longer to work into a finished project. That's OK. They are so lovely when they are done.

On the hooks and needles right now:

1. A crochet country cotton shawl in a lovely blue cotton blend yarn (fingering weight) that will be oh-so-fun to wear with jeans. It's perfect.
2. A crochet alpaca lace scarf. It's a beautiful heather green that reminds me of grass, and moss and the sea. It's so soft. And will be a beautiful lacy thing when it's done.
3. A knit shawl called Traveling Woman. It is in a beautiful hand-dyed from a local dyer. Can't wait to see how it's going to look when it's knit up. It's lace also (in a fingering weight), so it will take me a while. 
4. A crochet shawl that I have been working on (more off than on lately) in a lovely laceweight yarn for a year and a half. I really want to get it done. It's circular and I want it big. The bigger it gets, the longer each round takes.

And just off the hook: the crochet shrug I made for the wedding (no sleeveless dresses for me, thank you). I need to weave in ends, but otherwise, it's done. I love it. I will make more of these. Easy pattern, fast to make. I finished mine in about a week.

And lots of plans for lots more yarn. Oh, to have more time to knit and crochet. I hope I do soon!

Likely meandering thoughts

I am awake at an unseemly hour (at least for me). I was up at a little after 4 a.m. with a bad case of insomnia. I didn't go to bed until nearly 1, so I am working on approximately 3 hours of sleep (if you don't count the couple of times I woke up in the meantime. What this means, I'm not sure. But one thing is for sure, and that is that I will not have much power of concentration today.

Since I was up anyway, I decided to tackle the mountain of laundry in the laundry room. And I do mean mountain. I like to see instant results, so I put the big things like comforters and blankets and towels in first. Which is great because it does get the mountain shrunk faster. What's not so great about it is that the socks often get lost and don't get washed until I find the laundry room floor again. Then eventually, no one has socks, and I go to the store and buy some. Then I find the laundry room floor and I am overrun by socks. It's a vicious cycle.

And since I was already up, I felt like I should be working on my mom's crochet bag, but seriously, I am not sure I can concentrate enough to work on it. And I need to. Really. I missed a whole day of crocheting yesterday because I was doing major manual labor moving furniture and big time cleaning. In fact, I am paying the price today in my hips. Oh, they are sore. I should have medicated before going to bed. The pain probably contributed to the insomnia. But I love the new bedroom furniture very much and it will be so nice when the bedroom is actually finished. We sure aren't there yet.

And now, my toes are getting cold because the air conditioning vent is right behind my chair and the cold air is blowing under my chair and freezing my toes. Maybe I should turn the air conditioning back up a little. Or I could go find slippers. There is a whole box of my socks sitting right in front of me. Huh.

And now I think I need to post a picture, just because maybe I will feel better if I have something pretty on this page.

There we go. How about a Jamaican sunset? I could live there. Warm water, fresh pineapple, soft sand under my toes. ::Deep sigh::

Lots of hats for charity

I love to crochet. That is apparent even if you just glance casually through my blog. I also love Ravelry.com. It is one of the best finds ever. I have tried all kinds of new techniques, learned to knit, made new friends and had lots of fun in the process. What a great mix!

One of my favorite parts of Ravelry is the Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup group. It really pushes me to finish projects I might not otherwise. It also offers lots of fun ideas for projects. And we get to play Quidditch. This most often involves creating things for charity, and this weekend was no exception. The great Quidditch coaches on HPKCHC put together a marvelous hat challenge and each team fielded four champions (one from each house). I represented the Third Year team for Hufflepuff. I knew that I would get far more hats made if I crocheted, and I have a great fall-back pattern that is just double crochet. So I challenged myself to make 10 hats today (since I did have to work after all). I exceeded my goal by finishing 12 hats! I am actually quite proud of myself. Here are all 12 hats:

I had a ton of fun making them, and now I will find a charity that can use them. They are all teen/adult size and machine wash and dry. And quite soft too. It was a fun day!

More projects finished (finally!)

I tried really hard in April to get some of my unfinished knit and crochet projects finished. I have quite a few, so it's helpful to wrap up anything I can. I didn't accomplish quite as much as I had hoped, but did get a couple of things that I really wanted finished done.

First was the Tropical Breeze Shawl. This was such a fun pattern and it really worked up quickly. I love, love, love the Ella Rae yarn. Smooshy, soft, no splits, fabulous. Easy to work with and beautiful worked up. Here's a photo:

I wore it Friday night when I went to the ballet in Lincoln. It was wonderful and I am so glad I got it done in time to wear. I wish I had remembered to take a picture of it when it was blocking. It was crazy. I think I used 150 pins at least!

I also finished this little doily. I love doilies. I don't know what to do with them after I make them, but I like to make them! Maybe I will make a bunch of them and frame them on black fabric. That would look pretty and I could hang them in the living room near the piano. I'll have to think about that. Here's the one I just finished:

And I have a friend who is having a baby soon (if she hasn't already) and I really wanted to make her some pretty bibs and cute little summer sun hats for her. I was so happy with how they turned out and will make more. Fast and easy and really cute. The perfect pattern in my book!

And I finally finished the shawl I have been working on as a sample for the shop. It took me a long time to make, longer than I thought it would actually. And this picture is before blocking. I took it in and blocked it today, but forgot to take my camera so I don't have a picture of it blocked yet. It nearly doubled in size! It is really a beautiful shawl. I will go in tomorrow to weave in the ends of it, and plan to take a picture of it then. As a relatively new knitter, this is a project I am quite proud of!

Another day, more stuff

So we went to dinner tonight at the cheap pizza buffet. It's almost always worth it with two teenage boys who can eat an amazing amount. A dad came in with his two kids, a little boy and a little girl. They were awfully cute, but the greatest thing was the little boy's cape. He had a Cars blanket he was wearing. It was awesome. I love it when parents will let their kids do stuff like that. It was another thing that made me smile.

On the yarn front, I am finally almost done with my Herbivore shawl for the yarn shop. This thing took me a very long time. I am a slow knitter I guess. I am down to the final five rows on the shawl. Here's a picture of it from a few days ago:

The pattern is by Stephen West, and once I memorized the four row repeat it was easier to work. I have, however, had to correct a few mistakes... Mostly getting backwards on the rib and having to undo the stitches on the row below and then do the stitch on the row I'm working. Oh, well.  It will get finished.

On Ravelry I am in a Harry Potter group that is so much fun. I am in Hufflepuff (and I love the yellow and black). Each term (three-month period) there are three sets of classes (one a month) and six classes in each set. Assignments are for projects that need to be started and completed during that month. There are also OWL assignments, which are projects that will take more than one month to finish. I have completed two terms in the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup, but have not yet attempted an OWL. I think I might this term. I have a great pattern for a crochet sweater based on one Molly Weasley wore in the Order of the Phoenix movie. I need to get all my materials together and write my proposal. I need 13 colors of yarn for it!

And yes, to continue the rambling, I am now off to my book club where we will discuss "Three Cups of Tea." It was quite and interesting book, and I don't read much non-fiction. I am looking forward to hearing what the rest of the group thinks of it. Now I can read one of the library books I checked out. It's good to have a library. I wish I could read and knit or crochet at the same time.

And finally, I wish that two of my sisters will have exceptionally good news soon. I love them. I want them to be happy and healthy and have good things happen to them. I don't want them to have unhappy things happen to them. That is all.

Musings

So as I was driving to work yesterday, the sun was shining and there was no wind (amazing, I know, but really, once in a while the wind does stop blowing here). It was a beautiful day. I turned a corner where a short stretch of road is divided by a drainage ditch and there were a bunch of kids (elementary school age) playing down by the water (which was more than normal because of the fabulous thunderstorm the day before). One small girl (maybe 5 or 6 years old), dressed in a pink dress, was a little away from the rest of the bunch. Next thing I know, she runs a few steps, leans over, and comes up with a huge cat in her arms. I mean big. This cat was almost as tall as she was! Well, it reached from her shoulders down to her thighs. Big gray tom cat. And it just hung in her arms with its front legs draped over her arm, and off she marched. It was freaking adorable!

It made me smile -- grin really. I had my sun roof open and my windows down. What a great feeling! I need to look harder for things that will make me smile. I know there are so many things in this workd that will if I just pay attention to them. And the kids that little girl was with? Yeah, getting pure enjoyment from playing in the creek and looking for little living things. Tadpoles? Fish? Crawdads? Maybe all of them. Absolute unfettered delight on their faces. Lovely reminder of the joys of childhood.

Another day not long ago, I was driving by the fire station nearest my house. It was another nice day and the station had its doors open to the nice weather. As I drove by, I glanced in and noticed the firefighters' pants and boots standing at the ready to be jumped into when the call came. I was struck by how dedicated these men are to all of us. They don't question a need, just jump up and go. And I thought of my baby brother who lives this life and am grateful for his dedication and sacrifice.

And finally, I stopped at my oldest son's house last night to pick up his dad's drill. Met by dogs and cats at the door, and have rarely been met by such excitement at my appearance! Big sloppy dog kisses all around. Lots and lots and lots of them. Clear up and down my face and all over my glasses. It was a  wonder I could see to drive home! Here's one of the main offenders:

This would be Han Solo, who is now much bigger than this, but still has just as much tongue hanging out! He weighs over 100 pounds, but still thinks he is a lap dog. I love him.

I think spring is finally here!

We've had lovely weather for the past week or so, and it has been so nice to see the sun. We really didn't see much of it this winter, and this winter also ended up being one of the most consistently cold winters in a long time.

And while I could do with less wind, well, at least the temperatures are nice and warm! It has been keep-the-sunroof-open kind of weather. And while thinking about the reason my family celebrated Easter yesterday, I took the opportunity to take the camera out and catch proof that spring really is here. Lots of proof in the blooms in the yard!

The peach tree is smothered in blossoms right now, and I think it had even more blossoms on it this morning than it did even yesterday!

Even the phlox in the front yard is almost there. A few little blooms and lots that will be open soon.

The redbud isn't quite open yet, but give it a few days and it will be amazing. But the Bradford pear across the street looks like it has been just covered in popcorn as you can see:

For the love of granny

I didn't learn to crochet granny squares until I had been crocheting for about 30 years. I know, I know, that's what everyone learns to do first, right? Well, not me. I don't know why, I just didn't. But when I did, I realized why they are so popular. The thing I don't like about granny squares, though, is all those ends that have to be woven in when you change colors so many times.

Well, I found the solution to that! When I was at Stitches West last month, I found a beautiful bag of Noro Kochoran. It is a bulky weight, 50% wool/30% angora/20% silk yarn. Well, I didn't really want all that fuzzy stuff on me in clothing, but I just couldn't pass up the bargain of 10 balls at a discounted price in colors that I really loved. After we got back to my sister's house, I started thinking about making an afghan with it. I know, I know, seriously? Use Noro? Isn't that a little, um, decadent? Crazy? Expensive? Well, yes, to all of them. But all it took was one granny square and I was hooked, so to speak. I looked at patterns for dozens of different squares, but I didn't want the pattern to get lost in the yarn, I wanted it to show the yarn off. Basic granny square was just the answer!

Now, the other thing about this afghan was that while I was making every square, I couldn't help but think about my grandmothers, who both crocheted. One grandma I remember mainly making doilies and lovely things with thread; the other I remember with lots of afghans. I love making doilies and thread things, and I love making afghans and other bigger things. I think I have both grandmas to thank for my love of yarn and hooks. This afghan then is in tribute to my grannies. A granny for my grannies, and I wish they were here still so I could thank them for the wonderful gift they shared with me.

Grateful for good friends

You know, when we have trying times in our lives, it's so important that we have good friends. I know that I am blessed to have many good friends, but this post is about one of them. She is my great knitting friend, whom I get to see when I go to the yarn shop to hang out. I usually try to time my visits so that I know she will be there. She makes me laugh, even when things are hard. She encourages me to branch out in my knitting adventures and I keep trying to convince her that crochet is good for more than charity scarves.

But last week, when things were just rougher than normal for me at home, I went into the store like normal (it's a great place for me to find some peace) and Susan had just a little something for me. Now, it's always the thought that counts, and this was such a thoughtful and sweet gift that showed me how much she loves me. I don't really think we tell the people who mean so much to us that we love them often enough. I look at this and immediately know that Susan loves me.

A tiny little hanky with a beautiful crochet edging and a sweet little note did so much to lift my spirits. Thank you Susan!

Grannies rock

So when I was out at Stitches with my sister, I totally splurged on a bag of Noro Kochoran yarn. 10 luscious skeins of it. Then I was stuck with trying to figure out what to do with 1700 yards of yarn that is not suitable for a garment for me (all that angora just doesn't cut it for garments). I immediately decided I wanted to make an afghan with it, and I figured I would do some variation on a granny square.

I looked and looked at all the different patterns for afghan squares out there, but with the long color variations in the yarn, I figured that the design of the square would likely just get lost in the yarn. I grabbed a cake of yarn, my 5.5mm hook, and whipped up a traditional granny to see what it would look like. I was sold. This yarn was meant to be traditional granny squares. I got two squares out of each yarn cake, plus have enough of each left over to seam the squares and to put a simple border around it.

Above was my first layout, but I think there is too much turquoise in that far right row. So I changed it up a little ( I think I switched only 2 or 3 squares--I guess if I searched closely enough I could figure it out) and got this:

Now, let the seaming begin!

In which I make snakey Hufflepuff socks

So, on Ravelry.com, there is this really wonderful group based on the Harry Potter books. I love it, because the way it's set up, I get more projects finished than I probably would otherwise. We are sorted into houses, we have classes, and we play Quidditch. It's my favorite place to hang out when I'm online! And, my fellow Hufflepuffs are some of the greatest people I have ever met.

Anyway, for Quidditch in March, we had a crochet sock team from each house, and I was on the Hufflepuff team. I have attempted crochet socks before, but always got hung up at the heel. I have a deep instep and long heel, thus making adaptations almost always necessary, and hence the reason I never finish a pair! Well, this time I did. One of the other people in our house is a dyer, and she made special Hufflepuff  yarn for those of us who were making socks and wanted it. I had so much fun making these and I love wearing them. They fit in my favorite Birkenstock clogs.

One of the fun things about this yarn is that it ended up making a little snakey face on the toe of one of my socks. It makes me smile every time I see it.

I think I want to crochet more socks!

A trip that results in more yarn

I am really bad about keeping my blog up, and I really need to be better. Maybe this year? Yeah, or maybe not. I guess I'll see. At least I am thinking about it more often.

I had to just write a quick post to say what a great trip I had to California, to spend a week with my sister and play with yarn. We had a fun time at Stitches West, and I brought home quite a haul. The yarn makes me happy.

I got some great yarn from Miss Babs, Creatively Dyed Yarns, Kitchen Sink Dyeworks, Lisa Souza Yarns, Blue Moon Fiber Arts and Noro. I also got some Elsebeth Lavold Sily Wool and and some Kangaroo yarn.

Overall, a nice stash enhancement. I am already 2/3 done with the granny squares from the Noro to make the ultimate splurge afghan. It's going to be yummy. Other plans are in the making for much of the other yarn.

I was glad to have some time to spend with my wonderful sister. We don't get to see each other often enough. And after I got home, I realized that I didn't even get a single picture with her. And now that I have been home almost two weeks, this is what I miss: In 'n Out Burgers, Yogurtland and Trader Joe's. Oh, and of course I miss my sister. And her knitting group.

Fall is beautiful!

Wow. It has really been a long time since I have posted here. It's not that I haven't thought about it, it's just that I haven't actually sat down and done it. It seems like things just keep getting busier. But maybe they aren't really and it's just my imagination. Life has just been rolling right along, but there are so many things that have happened that I really should post about. Maybe later. For now, I am reveling in the beauty of fall. Here's what I have been seeing around here:

Nancy's scarf

DSC04516.JPG, originally uploaded by coribug.

My friend Nancy (pictured here with me) requested a scarf (the one she is wearing) she could wear with a red coat she has. I had been wanting to try some Noro Kureyon sock yarn, so I borrowed her coat and took it in to Twist so I could match the yarn.

I found a lovely skein that looked like it would work well, then set out to find a pattern that I liked. No luck. Finally I decided I would have to make my own. I have only done a little designing, and pretty much never write down what I do. Well, this time, I was working in the same manner (from my head basically) and had several people ask for the pattern. Rats. That meant I had to re-create and write it down. Sheesh.

Well, I did, and I actually have it posted. Head on over to ksmystitch.blogspot.com. You'll find the pattern posted there with detail pictures as well. I also actually have the pattern saved as a pdf. Once I figure out how to post a downloadable link to it I will. Meantime? Post in the comments that you are interested in the pdf and I will contact you.

Best new bag ever (well, maybe)

I picked up the most amazing bag at Twist. Cass, one of the shop regulars and an amazingly gifted stitcher, makes these terrific bags from recycled sweaters. She cuts the sweaters up and uses the fabric to make the best crochet/knitting bags. She lines them with a coordinating fabric (and she's great at choosing pairings because of her quilting talent), and adds all kinds of little pockets.

They have strong web handles and are incredibly roomy. Mine is a great orange wool with a funky, retro pink/orange/white lining. I so love it!
And I now have been able to add pictures as you can see! Thanks, Cass, for making a bag that feels like it was made just for me!

A hat for a friend

I have a lovely friend at work who had a birthday recently. And sadly, she also had a grandmother pass away just before her birthday and the funeral right after her birthday. Kind of stinks. So, a few of us got together and decided to help her have a happy birthday. This is my contribution:

An adaptation of the non-hair-smashing hat in my previous post. This one is also a lovely soft alpaca (Alpaca with a Twist if you are wondering). I used a smaller hook to make a denser fabric. And in a solid color, it just needed a little dressing up, hence the flower.

It fits her just right, and I love it so much that I intend to make myself one and promptly went out and bought more of the same yarn so that I can. I have to say that I really do love the little button in the center of the flower. It's such a cute hat. Happy Birthday Lynette!