Friday, August 29, 2008

:P

Why does the cold virus like me so much? I swear, it feels like I've been sick half this year. Atleast this time it was only 1 day of yuckies and we'll have to see how long it lingers.

In crochet news...


This is the fabric my momma and I picked out to line my aran bag. I'm so very close to finishing all the panels, but you know me, I sometimes have crochet ADD. So...

I've been trying to decide on a project for my nephews Christening (next summer). There are two of them, so I'm trying to plan ahead. I've loved the knitted tesselating fish blanket pattern forever but wince at the thought of knitting two blankets! To my lucky (and very ecstatic) surprise, I found a crochet version on Ravelry! YEAH! Here's the Ravelry link, and the blog link for Eboni's fantastic pattern. I think it meshes well with the whole Christian theme, (Ichthys). So, here's the beginnings of my blanket.

I'm soooo excited about this pattern. It's so fun and easy to do. Plus, you don't get bored because you're always looking forward to seeing what the next little fishie looks like next to his friends.

Now I need to re-concentrate on the aran bag, and then detour to a brown beanie for a bro, this was our texting convo the other day...

Bro: "do you know how much i love you <3?
Me: "yes, what do you want?"
Bro: "you know me so well. a brown beanie."
Me: "i'll see what i can do :P"
Bro: "you're the bestest sissy ever."
Me: "i know"

Have I mentioned that he's spoiled?

Friday, August 22, 2008

Aran Bag Updates

Here are some in progress pics. I'm exactly half-done with the panels. I put them together to show you the front, and then the panel below that will be the sides. Now I have to decide how to join them and what kind of cell phone pocket I should make to put on the basket-weave side panels.

Oh, and the fabric was from fabrictales.com for those of you who asked :)

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Another Bag

The other day, momma sent me an email saying that I started a trend...

Hally Berry with a crocheted bag??? Hmmm... this calls for a new project. Of course, I don't want one that looks exactly like that, but an aran crocheted bag sounds irresistible to me.

Here's the beginnings of mine.

There's going to be another panel of the berry looking one on the other side of the braided one, and I'll mirror that on the back. I have other ideas, too (cabled side panels???). I'm really loving it! Plus it's yellow, who doesn't love yellow?

Lined with the below fabric... oh goodness... I think I'm drooling :)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Flower Scarf.... Check! Beanie to match.... Check!

Woo! 2 Finished projects. Makes me happy :)

The scarf went soooooo fast. I think in all only a few hours. The hat was just as quick. I used the pattern from here. It was very easy and I liked her suggestion of only chaining 1 to start a new round in hdc. My seam is much less noticeable than normal. I added a ch 3, sl st into next hdc around the last round of the pattern. I think now it matches the scarf well.

Hope my cousin likes them!

*8-13-08* I was tagged for a meme by Cindy.

Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking to them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

Six unspectacular quirks of mine:

1. I have to have clean feet when I go to bed, even if that means just washing them in the bathtub if I don't have time to take a full shower. Dirty feet = bad sleep.
2. I have Portuguese thighs. Hubby and I joined a gym. That's all I have to say about that!
3. I work for 3.5-4 hours a day and get paid for 8. Isn't that fantastic?
4. I actually really love my in-laws. How often does that happen?
5. Ummm... I love watching ESPNews. Isn't hubby lucky?

I am going to tag:

Whoever wants to be tagged. I know it's a cop-out, but that's how it goes :)

Saturday, August 9, 2008

I..... Can't..... Stop!!!

I have 3 scarves in progress. Why does that happen? You just have to start something new... HAVE TO :)

The first one (reddish pinkish orangish yarn) I've shown you, but it's a progress. I can't decide if I like it single width or double. The pic above is where I was experimenting to see where I'd connect them if I did double width. I think I'm leaning towards single, tho. My sis-in-law (whom this is being made for) is very petite, so I think it'd be pretty and dainty, just like her, if I leave it single width.

The second was a scarf I started for my cousin's birthday. Then I thought that I might not want to give a 14 year old an alpaca wool scarf. I don't want it ending up in the washing machine and getting ruined (then she'd feel soooo guilty). It was funny, the other day I texted her to ask her her favorite color. Her mom called me back a bit later and said her daughter told her, "Mom! I don't know what to do! Christy texted me and she wants to know my favorite color, but you said I'm not allowed to text anybody!" I was laughing. What a good girl :) So, after that long story, I decided to use TLC Essentials in the Serene colorway, good ol' wash and wear acrylic, for hers (the 3rd pic) and make the wool one for me.

The patterns are from "111 Easy Edgings" from Leisure Arts. It's actually a crochet lace book, like you're supposed to use a tiny hook and thread. I use a bigger hook and bigger yarn, and I'm really happy with how they're turning out! They're also worked from top to bottom, so you don't have to ch a bajillion chs at first. It's a really great pattern book, and not expensive either. Great purchase.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

This is what makes me happy...

I finally got a few days off of work (I usually work weekends, too). Hubby took me to Pismo Beach for the day and I got to eat heaven in a bread bowl :) Then we met up with our friends in Morro Bay and relaxed on the beach. It was a very nice, very relaxing day.

We had a small scare today. My momma thought she might have appendicitis but it turns out it's colitis and diverticulitis which at least is cured with some antibiotics and not surgery, but very painful to go through none the less. She's feeling better and is trying to convince the doctor to send her home but she might need to stay overnight in the ER. They'll check her labs in the morning and then discharge her with some antibiotics. Any thoughts and prayers from our sweet blog friends are, as always, very appreciated!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Some pattern links and new projects...

*Update 8-3-08* Momma finished it! You can go to her blog for more details.

Ok, new stuff first...

Momma asked for a bag made of robin's egg blue and red granny squares. This is what I came up with. I couldn't find a pattern that I liked, so I just made it up as I went. It's 5 granny squares crocheted into a circle with 3 rows of hdc on the top half. Then I crocheted the bottom separately and attached it with a slip stitch through the back loops only to the granny squares. If anyone's interested in the pattern, I can maybe turn my chicken scratch into something meaningful. Momma's going to line it and add quilted handles. I'll show you the finished product when she's done :)

Next, a future Christmas present...

I'm using pattern #31 from 111 Easy Edgings (by Leisure Arts) which is actually for crochet thread and a tiny hook. I'm using KnitPicks Palette in the Rasberry Heather (which is not very pink, but more red with a yellow goldish heathering in it) and an E hook. It's turning out so pretty and dainty and I think it'll be perfect for my sis-in-law.

Ok, and your pattern links for these pretties...

Ok, here are the pattern specs and links:

Flower Shaped Dishcloth

Yarn: Peaches and Cream in red ombre and red
Hook size H

Tulip Stitch Dishcloth
Yarn: Peaches and Cream red and yellow
Hook size H
*I changed this pattern so I could use and H hook by switching every ch 3 in the pattern to a ch 2*

Crochet Sponges
Yarn: Peaches and Cream red ombre and yellow ombre
Hook size H

That's it for now! Have a great weekend everybody!