Finished auction package

I finished the one-skein throw for the silent auction for scholarships for Kansas Professional Communicators. I added a book that I had two copies of and a nice mug for a cup of tea, or coffee, or chocolate, whatever the reader prefers. I think this little package will make for some 'comfortable reading.'

The book is one of the Thursday next series by Jasper Fforde. Thursday Next is a literary detective and enters the world of fiction to take of crime. It's so fun and the references to jillions of other books and characters is great.

The mug is from Barnes and Noble, and says, "Shh . . . I'm reading" all over it, in different sizes. I thought it was a perfect choice.

I do really love the throw pattern and am looking forward to making another. I used one one-pound skein plus a little more (my gauge was a little bigger than the pattern called for) of Red Heart acrylic. I started with a size K Boye hook, but it didn't feel great in my hand. I don't have a Clover comfort K, and when I tried my Crystal Palace bamboo size K, it was too big. So I ended up (after all that) using a Crystal Palace bamboo size J. Still waiting for Shelly to get a Laurel Hill Forest Palmwood size K in at the store again. When I went in to get one for this project, she was out.

I also used a double-crochet edging instead of single crochet, which was what the pattern called for. I like the extra texture and finish of the double crochet.

I hope someone pays a good amount of money for it since it goes to a good cause!

The dog on the trampoline

Yes, this is Milo on the trampoline. It is one of his favorite places. When he and Sparky are playing and running and Milo wants a break, he jumps right up on the trampoline.

Believe it or not, he also gets on the trampoline and jumps when the boys are out there. He can clear it so easily I sometimes wonder why he doesn't jump the fence. It's really not much higher than the trampoline is. So there you go. One more dog weirdness.

Some stuff, yarn and crochet

I started a new Boteh scarf. I wanted one to wear in the summer. One that I can throw on with jeans or a skirt, and is a nice lightweight, cottony yarn.

For this one I am using Sockotta, a 45% cotton, 40% superwash wool, 15% nylon sock-weight yarn. I love the feel of it. It feels more like cotton than wool, and yet the wool gives it an extra soft touch. Plus those colors just rock. Purple, green, turquoise. Just cool.

And of course, a trip to the yarn store to crochet is never complete without a purchase or two.

I am so enjoying how the Sockotta is working up, that I thought I'd like a Boteh in some summery warm colors as well. This Tofutsies in a lovely coral/pink/tangerine absolutely fit the bill. Again, a cotton, wool, soysilk blend. Mmmmmmm.

Then I was thinking about another one-skein scarf. I've been going to my closet and wanting a summer-weight scarf to wear, and coming up short. Aran-weight wool just doesn't cut it in 80-degree temperatures (not that we've had so many of those yet). So, off to the DK section of the LYS, and lo and behold, gorgeous silk in a DK weight. Lighter, breathable, and oh, so touchable. Perfect green with a little yellow and white flecking action.

Of course, I told you about the Marble I bought to make a smaller throw, but here it is so you can see the great colorway. This photo is pretty true to life. I think it will be marvelous when it's made up.

Yeah, I know it's crooked. Tilt your head. I tried to order this stitch guide off Amazon months ago, and it's been out of stock. I think Harmony is replacing it with another book. I found it on half.com. If you love books and haven't tried them out yet, I highly recommend it. It's part of Ebay, and works like Amazon marketplace. New/used books are available, sometimes old library copies. Thus far, I have not been disappointed. I even found Evan the feature-length G.I. Joe animated movie he watched 90 bajillion times from about age 8 to 10. In perfect condition. $20. Other places wanted $90. Apparently it's a big collectors item.

Love my doggies!

We were out in the back yard one day last week when it was pretty warm and the dogs were just tearing into each other and all over the yard. They get relatively wild at times and I have to kick them out of the house (kind of like the kids!). Milo can fit Sparky's whole head in his mouth. He grabs Sparky by the neck and throws him around and Sparky bites him on the legs and grabs his ears. They really are hilarious. One will grab a stick and the other will chase.

Sparky loves to sprawl out when he's chewing on toys or sticks. We call him the turkey butt dog because he looks like a Thanksgiving turkey when he's laying out like that (as you can see).


And the two of them just make such a cute matched pair. Look at those faces. How can you resist? Needless to say, they are very spoiled dogs. We love them.

To raise scholarship money

I belong to the local and state chapters of the National Federation of Press Women, Kansas Professional Communicators and Wichita Professional Communicators. Every spring the state organization holds its conference, and in conjunction with the conference is a silent auction to raise money for the organization's scholarship fund.

As I was driving from Wichita to Lincoln, Neb., a couple of weeks ago, I was tired and stopped at a Wal-Mart to walk around a little and wake up. It was a store that still has a sewing/crafts section and I found a nice (free) pattern for a throw from a one-pound skein of yarn. So I picked up the pattern and a skein of yarn and decided to make the throw for the silent auction. The pattern calls for a 'K' hook, but I am using a Crystal Palace bamboo size 'J'. I started with a Boye K, don't care so much for the aluminum, went to a bamboo K and it was too big (no narrowing on the neck of the hook like on a Boye). Hence the bamboo J.

I didn't check gauge (it's a blanket, who cares?!) and didn't get it out of one skein. But that's OK. I'd rather have it a little on the big side. So I am working the last few rows and getting ready to do the edging. I like the pattern enough that I am going to make one for myself out of a nice blue variegated acrylic that I found at Twist. It's called Marble by James C Brett. I think I will go down a hook size to an I or something that will work about the same. But the pattern is a nice quick one. Two rows that repeat. One of treble shells and one of chains and singles. Voila! That's it!

New yarn!

I got my first package from Woolgirl last week. I know; I am remiss in not posting about it until today. However, I wish I would have taken 'before' pictures so you could see how nicely the yarn was wrapped in tissue with ribbon. It was such a nice package to open!

I found this lovely Family Pendragon in the same colorway (Humperdink) as my wavy scarf. The scarf was an aran weight and this is a fingering/light sport weight. I think it will make a lovely hat or pair of mittens.

Then there was this luscious, summery colorway, Minoan Temple. I love the Family Pendragon yarns. The colors are rich and vibrant and the yarn is fabulously soft and easy to work with. I may actually try a pair of socks with this.

I couldn't resist this lovely brown from Gypsy Girl Creations. The color is brindle and I love the gold and rust mixed with the dark chocolate brown. Not sure what this will be, but if a first pair of socks is successful, maybe a second pair. If not, it would make a nice wrap or small shawl.

And one of the things everyone says is nice about Woolgirl is the little extras they put in your package. I got a sample of Soak wool wash and this lovely stitch marker. So, I guess this means there will be more knitting in my future, since this is a closed marker and I can't use it for crochet!

Trip to Lincoln (Nebraska, that is)

I took a little trip to Lincoln last weekend to go to an honors convocation for Alyx. While there, I took an opportunity to go to the capitol and I took a tour. Nebraska has the only unicameral legislature in the United States. That means they have only one legislative arm. No house and senate or anything like that. And it is a nonpartisan legislature. No one runs on a party ticket. Interesting.

And what makes it even more interesting (to me anyway) is that the state legislature actually began as a traditional bicameral one. It had a house and senate. It was in the 1930s that the state changed systems. The capitol even has two chambers. When the state changed systems, it chose to use only the larger chamber for meetings.

I love the architecture of the building. It is so different from others that I've seen. And it's actually the third building on its site. I can't remember what happened to the original. The second was built from native limestone, was porous and began to crumble. So this one was built. It was actually built in stages around the old one, and the office wings were built first, the skyscraper tower in the center was built last.

It took 10 years to build, and the state allotted 1 million dollars a year. When the money for that year ran out, construction was halted until the next year when the next million dollars would kick in. No debt. Cool.

True signs of spring?

Although today's temperature doesn't support my theory ( I think it might be 40 degrees F), I can see evidence in my back yard that spring may have actually arrived. These are blossoms on our peach tree right behind our deck. It looked like this last year early in April, then we had a bout of cold weather (like 20 degrees for a couple of days cold weather) that pretty much killed everything off. I'm daring to hope that we are past the chances of that this year. We are supposed to have temps in the upper 30s overnight, but we didn't get hit by the snow that blanketed northwest Kansas.

Behind the peach tree is the weeping willow we planted a couple of years ago. A pretty spring green on the leaves that are starting to pop up. And more difficult to see is the crazy blooming Bradford pear tree in the neighbor's back yard. I really think spring has actually sprung and might even be here to stay. My tulips are coming up in the front yard, but don't show signs of blooming yet. I hope they do, but this is the first year, so we may miss some. And the thunderstorms we've had overnight for the past couple of nights have soaked everything but good! Soggy lawns and soggy newspapers. Oh well.

Whoa, knitting

Stockinette stitch even! OK, so I have attempted knitting several times, and each time was baffled by the pointy sticks. But this time, I was determined. I was on my way to Lincoln this weekend and stopped at a Wal-Mart for a short walking break. While meandering through the store, I found this cute pocket size "Teach Yourself to Knit" kit with these adorable little needles. Knew I would have a little time while there, so picked it up with a couple of balls of yarn (not what you see here). Realized the yarn was bulky and needed bigger needles, so bought a pair of size 10s as well. Long story short, had some issues with purling. Got knitting down like a charm, and even when I thought I was purling was actually knitting, albeit in an incredibly awkward way. But I could do a great garter stitch! :-)

Anyway, called my lovely sister Chauntel, and she tried to help me through purling. Finally, she sent me to YouTube where I found this video. Lovely! Knowing that I work (and always known I would) in continental style knitting, seeing someone actually do it, made an amazing difference. So, last night after work, I grabbed a ball of scrap yarn and those cute little needles, and went for it. Got a few rows in and realized it was actually a stockinette and not a garter! Hooray! So this morning I added a few more rows, and here it is! Above is the front (obviously) and below is the back. Whoo-hoo! Man am I slow though. Think I'll have to crochet a little to remind myself that I can do something fast. . .

A finished scarf — or, instant gratification

I've been working on my ripple afghan in fits and spurts, but occasionally I feel the need for a little instant gratification. So, when I was needing some a couple of weeks ago, I turned out this nifty little scarf. It is one of those great one-skein patterns. I used Berroco comfort for this one.

It is a nice brownish pink, so I can get away with wearing it. Generally pink is not a great color for me. I love working with the yarn and it comes in a zillion colors.

The pattern is from the March/April issue of Crochet Today. When I first saw the pattern I wasn't enthralled (maybe because the one in the magazine was really pink), but the more I looked at it the more I liked the ruffled along the edges. So, I went to the yarn store (well, I didn't actually have to make a special trip, I was there for something already I am sure) and got the yarn. The pattern was easy and I was able to kick this puppy out in about 2-3 hours. Fun stuff!

So, now, I'm making flowers from random patterns that I find free online, or from patterns I have, or from Tamara's brain. I'm ready to try some embellishing, and I am learning to better work with threads. I think I will limit myself to nothing smaller than a size 10. I think I would need a magnifying glass otherwise!

A box for my parents

So I finally got a box together for my parents. The afghan was supposed to be their Christmas present, but it ended up being a 'happy spring' gift instead.

You can see the edges of the afghan (which ended up just immense!) in the lower left corner of the box. I also blogged about it here. The other items were just a few little things for mom. She always wants a couple of new towels for her kitchen, and Kyle thought if we were sending kitchen towels we should send some dish rags, too. So I whipped up the four towels, and Kyle picked out four rags. The little olive green square you see with a brown edge is Kyle's first finished crochet 'project.' He really wanted to send it to his grandparents, so I put it in the box with a note on it. Buried in the box is the "Savin' up for knitting lessons" bank I got for my sister like the one I have on my desk at work. She loved it!

A spring day over spring break

So the sun was shining and the weather was warm (and the wind was blowing 40 mph — typical). We went to the zoo. Apparently every other person in Wichita was ready for a spring day, because they were there, too.


The flamingos were happy to see the sun and the picture doesn't to justice to their bright coloring.







The meerkats were playing and running around. I loved this one in the bush.






The hippos didn't even go in the water. They just laid around on the dirt and soaked up the sun. Of course, their water is so disgusting you can't even see three inches into it. . .







The zebras must not have wanted much to do with the crowds. They only showed their back sides. :-)

Some fun new yarn and hooks

I found a great clearance place online that has a ton of different types of yarn, and some of them are available for as much as 75% off: Smiley's Yarns. So, of course I found some terrific cotton and blends that just fit for some future projects. First, there was the Jaeger Roma. A nylon, acrylic and angora blend. It is incredibly soft and has a smooth touch. I love it, and got it in two colors: mocha and leaf green. (top and second pictures) I'm thinking it will make a nice vest, capelet, wrap, or something like that. It will be a nice spring addition to the wardrobe. Now to find an appropriate pattern to make with it. It's a light worsted and I have about 1,250 yards of each color.

Then I also found these two great cottons. Lily elite cotton in a lovely buttery yellow. And it is really soft and supple. Much nicer than the sugar and cream, and will make a nice short-sleeve cardi or something similar. Perfect for summer. Another pattern hunt is in order.

Finally, there's this terrific worsted weight from Coats, TLC's cotton plus in a persimmon-y peachy color. Again, about 1,200 yards, and a pattern hunt. Soft soft soft. Mmmmmm.

I have tried thread crochet several times and have such a hard time with those short tiny hooks. Now, I know that a 00 or a 1 or 2 is a decent size hook, but the steel hooks are short and hurts my large hands. Cruising around on E-bay I found a seller who makes wood handles, and will insert any size Boye steel hook after you win the auction for the handle. I purchased 5, as you can see, sizes 0, 1, 2, 3, and 6. They are so easy to work with and I am so excited to do some thread work. I have some size 3 and size 10 thread, and am thinking I will branch out and try a couple of other sizes (but probably nothing much smaller than a 10, maybe a 12). I'm even thinking I might try a doily or two! And I saw a cute denim skirt that was embellished with little doilies in a natural cotton thread. I'd like to do that to one of my skirts. And some cute lacy embellishments on jeans or a jacket, and sweaters. Oh the fun in my future!

Shawl and yarn and basket and cardi

So, I've been working along on my ripple afghan (it's about twice as long as it was when I first posted about it, and I still love it, by the way). But I was feeling a need for a little instant gratification, so to speak. And one night I was sitting on the couch and it was a little chilly. So, I began to desire a small shawl. I perused free patterns online, and found a simple prayer shawl pattern on Lion Brand. Loved it, and decided I wanted to make it. The pattern is shown in both Thick & Quick Chenille and Homespun. I have some Homespun in my stash for a poncho, so I didn't want to use that. And I have some T&Q Chenille in my stash, so I thought about that. Then I decided I wanted something different. Monday night at about 9:30. Luckily, we still have one Wal-Mart that actually has a fabric section. So off I go, ostensibly to pick up some other items I need, but also to get a yarn fix. Ta-da! Homespun in Meadow. Wednesday morning I had this wrap ready to wear to a luncheon I was attending. I love it!

Now, I gave the Boteh scarf I made away, so I've been wanting to make another one for me. I have some variegated yarn I picked up thinking I might use it, but I am just not sure how the pattern will look in a variegated. So, I picked up these two skeins of Opal superwash. I love the blue — it's really a denim blue. And I love to wear jeans and a white shirt, and thought the blue scarf would be just a great touch. And I also love green, so I felt a need to add a green scarf to my list (in case I don't want to wear the blue one with my jeans ;-) ). The rosy color is kind of a brownish pink (I don't wear true pinks well). And there is a great scarf in Crochet! March issue that I want to make. It is the Ruffled Lace Scarf, designed by Nancy Brown. The yarn they used was a Dark horse Fantasy. Didn't want to wait for a mail order (and only need one skein) so I went with Berroco Comfort, which I love anyway.
Needed a basket to carry my projects. I am tired of having to dig around in a bag and I can't see the bottom and everything is jumbled, etc. And I have some great bags, but with the ripple afghan, when I was changing yarns, regardless of how great the bag was, it was a pain. Plus, they don't stand up straight when you set them on the floor and try to leave your yarn inside and pull it out. Anyway. Shelly got these great baskets in. They are from Ghana, and the importer she buys them from buys them in a free trade situation directly from the makers. So I can feel even better about getting it. I love it and it does just what I need it to. Stands up, lets me see my yarn, provides a receptacle for those bouncing skeins, and is easy to lug around. However, my little dog is scared of it. Can't figure that one out. Won't come in the same room as it.

And finally, next project in the queue is this wrap/cardi from the Dec. 06/Jan. 07 Crochet Today. I really want to get it made while it's still cool outside. And I have so much stuck to nature-type colors lately, I wanted something a little brighter. I was going to just buy new yarn, but I decided maybe I could bust a little stash (since I just ordered a ton of new yarn from Smiley's). So I went down and found this warm red fuzzy stuff. I picked it up on clearance at Hobby Lobby (yes, that says 99 cents) ages ago, thinking I could find a project for it. It's a little lighter weight (a heavy 3 as opposed to a lighter 4), but I think it will work just great. It's slippery and fuzzy, so I don't think it will be hard to work with at all. And the stitch pattern is big enough, and the yarn is not so fuzzy that the lacy pattern should still be plenty visible. Plus, the newsroom gets awfully cold in the summer when the air conditioner is running. So, that's up. Now, off to Ravelry to get a few hours in and do some updating!

Those are some big feet

These are the feet of the puppy we brought home in September. Needless to say, he has grown! I was looking at his feet the other day and noticed how big they were and how different they were from Chewie's (our other dog that we had to put to sleep around Thanksgiving). Then, I thought, these feet remind me of the feet of the big three-headed dog, Fluffy, in the first Harry Potter movie. And when he puts his foot on your lap, it just emphasizes the similarity. Of course, Milo really does have only one head. And his paw isn't as big as Hermione's head. But still...

We LOVE our LYS

Shelly, owner of the local yarn shop, Twist, gave up the windows of of her store to the KS My Stitch chapter of the Crochet Guild of America. This is one of the displays that was put together.

Our guild president, Tamara, got the items together and arranged for many of the vintage items that are included in the display.

All the windows look so great, and what a great way to get the word out about crochet and our guild.

To see the rest of the display check out the KS My Stitch blog here.

We LOVE Shelly!

A spring-like day

and the dogs loved it! Milo decided to take a break on the cushion on the bench — which you'll notice has lost its legs. However, it still makes a nice place to sit and stretch out and enjoy the sun, as Milo can attest to. The temperatures reached almost 6o the last two days, are supposed to be close to 60 again today, and near 70 on Saturday. Whoo-hoo!

Rippling along

I have a friend who started a ripple afghan and the pattern was one I just fell in love with. Now, I have usually avoided ripple patterns (except for my Pendragon wool scarf) because they often look like the afghans grandma did in funky colors and just sort of a mish-mash. But this pattern was a little lacy and used neat yarns (Tamara is using Provence cottons in bright colors, with rows of chocolate brown single crochet between colors).

I fond a soy blend by Bernat at Michael's on clearance in a great oatmeal color and a celery. The oatmeal is the almost white color and the celery is the soft green color (right above the melon color). I wanted some other colors to brighten it up, so I got a Bernat acrylic in forest green, Lion Baby Soft in melon, and a couple of fun yarns to add some texture. I am using an off-white mohair blend, a fun fur (which isn't in yet) in the same green as the acrylic, and a fringy ribbon in a melony blend. And then for a little extra contrast there's some Jiffy acrylic in grape. I love the little darkness that it offers and how it just contrasts so well. Then there's one of those crazy eyelashy carrying yarns that is in greens, pinks and yellows. And as you can see from the picture of my yarn bag, there's another variegated bulky yarn in there that I want to incorporate as well.

The pattern is from the Feb/March 2007 issue of Crochet Today. I ordered a bunch of back issues of the magazine including this one. I am just loving how it is working up!