Blood moon 4/15/14

thankful

Last year was the hardest year I've faced in many ways 

 

I spent many hours in a park

 

standing by a tree knitting one day I asked my Angels for help

 

yes I am pagan...

yes I believe in Angels

 

stay strong be happy in spite of everything

 

work on what you need to

 

 help the ones you can

 

we are doing what is needed

 

listen and you will be guided

 

I believe and trust my guides

so that's the path I followed

 

much time has passed now...

things are brighter

happier

peaceful

 

I stopped at this park not long ago

watching my guys

happily walk our doggies

I thanked

my Angels

 

hardly believing all we'd been through

when I looked down a saw a pink sparkle deep in the grass...

 

even though it was brisk outside and it was covered with moisture in the shadow of another tree

it was warm to the touch

 

the cross was missing it's center stone but other wise undamaged and remarkably clean

 

I've since replaced the missing stone with a crystal

fits as if made for it

I will hold this dear to me not because it's a cross but

because I know they heard me

 

 

 

life is good

update

Okay I'll admit it I'm a sucker for yarn on clearance... okay fine any deal on yarn...

I couldn't help it less than half price... just over 2 bucks.. I've seen this yarn in stores for a while and always wondered what on Earth could you make from it other than a funky scarf.. it reminds me of the hats my grandma wore lol

It is not as quick to work up as you'd think with it's bulkiness those balls really slowed me down... no matter what size needle I used they still hung low... I reknit it a few times not liking the cowl or scarf... until it hit me.. this would make a fun bag...  

well at least I hope it will... as I don't want to reknit it again lol I'll update if it works out otherwise.... yeah
and to think this is the only knitting I've been doing in ages ....

I've been working on  dish scrubbies...    just playing not really bothering with patterns... cotton center with acrylic leafs and trim for better scrubbing power..

and the granny squares are starting to add up...small ones

 and others... I'm making many different sizes for my wrap...

Happy Valentines Day

Earrings and matching necklace

dish scrubbies

 

I've been having so much fun playing with crochet :D
I'm still working with stitches and tension haven't really spent any time on learning the ins and out of witting the patterns out yet... so here's what I did to make the hearts hope you all can understand what I mean :D
All hearts were made with the same stitch pattern using different sized hooks and yarn...
two strands of worsted held together for the scrubbies with size N-9.mm
the earrings and necklace are made with crochet thread size 10 using hook size B1-2.25mm
I didn't get any yarn amounts or gauges

Chain 5 join in the round into the first chain with a slip stitch

Chain 3, double crochet once ( all stitches on this round are done through the center of the of ring ), treble crochet twice, double crochet five times, treble crochet once, double crochet five times, treble crochet twice, double crochet once, chain 3, slip stitch into the ring....

on the earrings I chained 10 for the hanging ring and slip stitched into the ring.

the necklace and the red scrubbie I single crochet around the edge... the pink one I put a half crochet on the bottom to make the point stand out a bit more
the necklace chain is 100 chains for each side
   

 

The best of gifts

 

I am so blessed to have people in my life who know what I love

 

 Thank you Kath for the wonderful heart pattern kit. come with everything needed to make them...buttons and all... even a bag to carry the supplies in while making them :D

 Thank you Sabine a full bag of different yarns... I'm having fun just looking at them... for now ;)

and Mom the bamboo/silk is such a dream to work with thank you again :D

Granny square find

One of our very favorite things to do as a family to celebrate is thrift store shopping :D

So for son and hubby's back to back b-days we did just that..

Everyone found something they love.. hubby got music cd's and movies... one son got nice boots and pants...one got a nice shirt ( he also got a dozen or more seeds packs from the dollar store at 4 for a buck )

I was the one who hit the jack pot 2 pair of leather boots, 2 new pair of boot style slippers, 4 heavy duty dinner plates, a new pair of fleece leggings ( great under skirts in cold weather ) and these..  

a whole bag of granny squares...155 of them, in 3 shades of green.. less than $3.

 

 I love granny squares...

they had to come home with me...

all of the work that had to have gone into making these couldn't be for naught...

for whatever reason they found their way to a thrift store they will not be a wasted effort 

 

I am making some of the same size in different colors with my "left over" yarn that is too long for my ever growing ball of end pieces

I save every piece of yarn over an inch long after weaving in the tails...

I made a wrap with the last ball... haven't decided what this one will be yet.. I do love wraps though <3 p="">

 

I'm think I'll make the granny squares into a colorful small afghan.. to go with the larger square one I'm making  

Granny square crochet wrist warmers

One of the things I've always loved about crochet ( and a big reason why I wanted to learn ) is the wonderful granny square 

My love of granny squares goes back to my grandma ..fitting right ;)... all the wonderful gifts and house hold items she made with them... from the beloved bag she made me in grade school to the warm afghans I'd wrap up in to listen to the radio on winter nights at their small farm.. one was always on the back of grandpa's rocking chair... grandma would be working on one of her crafts sitting in her rocker, letting me work with her never once telling me I wasn't doing it "right" I was free to do it any way my heart desired..at the time I would always pick sewing as the craft I wanted to work on... she put my first sewing kit together for me when I was 3, everything I needed tucked away in a small metal band aid box ( I've always had a love for metal boxes, tins, cookie containers...)

 

The very first thing I made in crochet was a granny square..

I'm working on a afghan of my own now..

last night after finishing up a pair of warmers a friend was kind enough to set up a few special orders for... I had just a bit of the teal color I was using... so granny square it was going to be...

    

 As I was working I was thinking how cold my hands were...the weather being much colder then I like it... so should I go get a pair from the other end of the house... getting colder on the way ( I also keep a wrap/afghan on the back of my rocking chair where I do my crafting ).. or just make another square and turn them into a pair without ever having to leave my warm cocoon... the yarn wasn't quite enough to make them the right size, as luck would have I had a bag of yarn right next to me.. the color worked nicely with the other, being the same weight and brand didn't hurt any.. to bring the squares to the 6 inches I wanted :D after adding double chochet stitches along the top and bottom of one side with a few single stitches in the middle for the thumb opening...think hour glass shape..

I just folded them and slip stitched them closed along the double stitches on top until I got to the thumb opening.. adding single stitches along the other edge I hadn't worked before to get to the second set of double stitches closing them with slip stitches as well.... warmers without every leaving the rocking chair lol
 

Right twist panel fingerless gloves

  

Size 10 US dpns needles
Both gloves made the same
Gauge 4 stitches by 5 rows per inch in stockinette
75 yards of worsted weight yarn approximately

k = knit
kf/b = knit into the front and back of the next stitch
k2tog = knit 2 stitches together
p = purl
rt = knit 2 stitches together leaving on left needle, going between those stitches, knit first stitch again
( )x = repeat directions inside brackets as many times as indicated


on Ravelry

Happy New Year

I am so happy to start this new year out being able to crochet lol

 

It has been hard year full of tough lessons....

 hearing this for over and over....

Thanking all those who helped me in these dark times...
Many blessing to you and yours

New photo of 1 by 1 fingerless gloves free knit pattern

1 by 1s fingerless gloves