Catch Up

Boo! Did I scare you? I know you probably thought I was missing for good, sorry I've left you hanging. Three weeks ago I hurt my back and hips pretty bad and didn't have the energy to post. Two weeks ago I was getting ready for Thanksgiving, though better women bloggers than I posted AND got their turkeys cooked, I applaud you! This passed week Little A has decided after all this time, that she thought it was a good idea to get out of bed after I left her to see how many times she could get away with it. I admit, it was cute the first two nights, but it quickly became taxing and physically draining. By which time, once she stopped, I zombie out in front of the tv.
Then Monday night, as I was finishing a baby hat, my smoke detectors went off. I was in the basement and immediately ran up the stairs, checked all the rooms, especially Little A's because she has a little heater in there to keep her room warmer, it's right over the garage. But I didn't see any smoke or smell anything. I called E at work and couldn't get a hold of him, then called my mom an got the alarms to stop. The poor corgis running every which way to hide from the noise. My mom said it could be a fluke but if it happens again get everyone out. Right as I was saying, "I will," the alarms went off again. I hung up, called 911, put my shoes and jacket on while I was on the phone with them. Hung up, grabbed the sleeping Little A (she slept through the whole thing until that point), threw her in her carseat and got the corgis in the car and got out. As I was backing up there was already a cop outside. He came out to see how I was and said to just wait the fire department was on it's way. My friend two doors down texted me asking if I was ok. The fire department was inside checking things out so I texted her back and told her we were fine. My mom called E for me so I could just focus on what was going on. It all turned out to be an expired detector and a dead battery. I didn't know they expired, but it makes sense. But everything was good and it's always comforting to know the emergency system works.

Poor Tonka, he wouldn't come in the house for awhile, but once he did he hid in the shower. Little A went right back to sleep and E finally got home. It was a pretty weird situation. Phew, so glad all of that is over.

I've been pretty busy crochet-wise. These are the fingerless gloves I made for my mom for her birthday. I'll have to get a better picture of them on her hands later. Yeah, I made them while watching TV in be one night.

I've been working in some hats too. Virginia was my model for a few of them.

She's pretty good at it.


Little A... Not so much. She likes to see the picture as it's happening, so right as you get her to hold still and snap the picture, she moves!


Virginia holds still long enough, but doesn't sit well.


But then the knee always works too. I'm almost done with my step-dad's blanket, all the squares are sewn together but I need to finish weaving in like 8 ends and do the border. You know, stuff that doesn't take long but you put it off because you know it doesn't take long and then you end up doing it the night before yore giving it away. I'm going to try not to let that happen. Then there's still my mom's Christmas present that's like 1/8 done but won't take long if I just do it!


This is a present for some Little in my life that's half finished too. I found the free pattern at
http://aprildraven.blogspot.com/2009/11/star-stuffie-twinkle-star-free-crochet.html
It's really fast and simple! If you need a star fix, this will help. I plan to attach a little blanket on one side to dazzle it up!


Here's a picture of the granny shrug I made! I used lion brand's USA yarn, which is super chunky, with a Boye's P hook. It was really bulky until after I washed it and I like it more, but I think it would look better post pregnancy. So no pictures of it on yet!


I am in love with making pillowcases! I made Little A one and plan on making some as Christmas presents too. I'll have to find the pattern and post it for you. It's so easy and fun!


And this is Little A's scrappy Christmas quilt. It was intended for someone else but I don't feel it's give away worthy, but Little A loves it so why not let her have it?


Ok! So I think I've got you caught up with all my crafty stuff, but I do have a few funny stories to tell you. (this is what I get for waiting so long to post) Little A loved her Thanksgiving day hot cocoa. She asked for it the next few mornings too. We had a nice quiet, three person turkey dinner. I made a full sized (smallish) turkey, my first because last year we just did a breast, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, fresh green beans with bacon, and crescent rolls. Just a regular Thanksgiving really.

Then one day a few days before Thanksgiving, E and I took a nap while Little A did an she woke up before we did and decided she was hungry. Every cabinet in the house is child-proof withthose little latches, but someone left the cereal cabinet open. Little A helped herself and when I found it she picked up a piece of Chex and ate it and said, "mmm, good snack." All I could do was laugh. The damage was done and it wasn't bad so no big deal! E told me the person who finds it the funniest has to clean it up. Whatever, I had a good laugh!

Then E put one of Little A's jackets on Tonka who hated it with a passion. He refused to move or look at me.

Can't you tell by the look in his eyes he's probably thinking death treats. It was worth it for the laugh too!

Besides all that, life has been pretty uneventful, thankfully. We did find out the sex of the baby, but E talked me into keeping it secret. For now anyway. And if you think those hats give it away, you'd be wrong, those are going to other people. :-) Sorry to disappoint! Well anyway, now that we're all caught up, I guess this is bye or now! Have a great week!

Until next time!

Goal!

Hello! Hello! What a wonderfully lazy day I've had. I did some hooking earlier today but haven't done much of anything else really. But that's ok! It's actually extra ok because...

It's done! Completely, 100% done! Washed and everything, and cuddled with by everyone, including Mabel, who is the ultimate blanket tester. There has honestly only been one or two blankets that corgi has refused to lay on, not sure why though.

So last Wednesday after I had posted I thought to myself, why can't I get it done by next week? What is stopping me? Well, me, but I decided I wouldn't stop myself and got to it that day while Little A was napping. I set it all up and quilted each row vertically. One row at a time thinking it would be more random that way. I was right. And when Little A got up from her nap she saw it all laid out on the floor and said. "wow!" That little girl has never said wow before.

I got a little daring and did some hearts in the few solid pink squares I had. They're wonky but lovely I think.

I had way less ends to weave in with this quilt versus my nephew's quilt. My nephew's quilt was my first free motion experience but smaller than this quilt. This one is approx. 56x71 inches. But still not big enough for E. Sigh. He always tells me, when it's for me make it bigger than you think it needs to be, and then bigger.

It's perfect for me though! And he can still curl up under it in the chair.

I finished it yesterday morning and threw it in the wash before he saw it. It's actually a great learning tool too! Little A would run over and dance on it every time I spread it out on the floor and I would ask her to find the dogs, bugs, stars, flowers, etc. She would grin when she found what I asked for.

So happy anniversary (which was in July) to my wonderful husband. This is a little token fro me to you to say thank you for all of your hard work, thank you for going to work for Little A, Baby #2, and myself. This is a little piece of hard work from me to you. I sure do love you more than any quilt could really express.

Anyway... The other thing I was hoping to accomplish happened too. With a small set back.

It's the pattern "Contemporary Pinwheel" from the 50 Sensational Crochet Afghans & Throws. A Christmas present for my step-dad, I think I might try to do a version for my dad in Irish flag colors. Yeah, we're Irish. Or maybe like the German flag... We're German too. I have other stuff I need to make first though. Back on track; I got half of the pattern done and assembled when E suggested it was going to be too small. So do I add another two rows to make it longer or just leave it as the pattern says? What do you think? My goal is to have it completed by Thanksgiving. This should leave me plenty of time to complete my other holiday items. I've also started another crochet baby blanket. I'm not sure which baby it's going to go to. I have two cousins expecting, one in May the other in June, and my step-brother's girlfriend is due in May.

Besides all that, Daddy and Little A have been spending much more quality time together lately and it makes me happy. I love watching those two together.

Little A also ran off with a box of cereal the other morning. I caught her while watching Cars with her snack and when she was done she stood up on the blanket chest and threw chex squares to Mabel and Tonka. Oh that girl.

Well any hoot, that's all I've got for today. I hope you all have a fabulous rest of the week and have a great weekend!

Until next time!

Anniversary=Crafty

Good morning! Ok, I know I said I'd post on Wednesdays but yesterday doesn't count. It was our fourth wedding anniversary! E told me yesterday that he forgot our anniversary and offered me a high five as condolance. I cried a little. It's not that he said he forgot our anniversary, it was the high five that made it hurt. I looked at him and said, "you're making it worse." There has been so much going on here lately that truthfully I didn't know what day of the week it was until our Parents As Teachers lady texted to see if we were still ok to have our meeting the next day. In truth, I lost track of the anniversary, didn't forget! Just misplaced the days. But my sweet husband, who isn't like some husbands really did remember and had it all planned out.

He had these sent to me these, gerbera daisies, my favorite flower and our wedding flower, with a card that said, "Happy anniversary. I love you. E." He and little A took me to dinner at Johnny Carino's at the Legends and we ate all of our favorites! We don't go there hardly at all so it's really special when we do go. E told me that all other speghettis taste weird compared to mine (which is his favorite dish). It made me really happy to hear him say that.
Then we went to Cabela's to exchange something E bought that didn't work out for him and came home and did our normal routine stuff. But wait! He had something else for me! Oh my gosh! A Big Foot Free Motion Foot for my machine! *heart melting excitement* This guy was late coming home Monday night because he had to drive all the way from Kansas City to Lawrence (both are on the opposite sides of where we live) to pick it up. He must love me or something! I've been after this foot since January, with minimal searching though. And he bought it for me!

It's pretty much amazing! He's amazing! He remembers way more than I give him credit for sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I got him something too, but I'm making his for him, that quilt I mentioned earlier and that granny stripe blanket, of course neither were finished on time, but who is surprised? Not me! My brother didn't get his Christmas present until May! But it was a great day and a happy anniversary!

These are the booties that go with the hat.

Apparently it was a great success along with the quilt. It made the mother-to-be cry or almost cry, but she loved them and that's what matters! I didn't add toe nails because the pattern I used for the bootie wouldn't look right with toe nails.

I've also revised my pattern for the cupcake hat, I think I'll actually write it up and share it with you! And I'm also working on quilted coffee sleeves.

They're really fun and easy to make. I'll have to punch out a tutorial/pattern for that too.

I'm mass producting these they're so fast to make! Besides that crafty has been a little slow this week because E's schedule is backward so mine is too. Next week it'll mostly be back to normal thankfully.

Besides all that, we've been hermitting inside from the horrible heat, plus Little A is taking an antibotic that makes her already fair, redheaded skin more sensitive to the sun. Here I was excited for summer so we could spend most of our days outside! Ha! Maybe we'll get a cool down soon. Anyway, I hope you all have a great rest of the week!

Until next time!

Goings-on

Hi! I didn't realize how fast this week has gone! I didn't realize it was Friday and I thought it was the 23rd instead of the 24th and I had to fast forward my thinking clock and get straight with the days! Plus, Little A has decided that 25-40 minutes is a good enough nap for a growing baby which makes the days seem so much longer and this mama so much more wore out at the end of it.

This kid loves wal-mart! Maybe it's the lights, the warehouse like sounds, the many strange people that are often too loud and talk about things maybe only their diaries should know about, or the many colorful toys, balls, and balloons found on every other aisle. Whatever it may be, if she's having a bad day a trip to Wally is always a cheer-upper! And there is ALWAYS something you need to pick up at wal-mart.

I've been really into hats lately. Crochet or fleece doesn't matter! The fleece punch out so much faster than the crochet ones, but I get the same amount of satisfaction from both. I made myself, Little A, AND Virginia matching fleece hats. Who's Virginia?

This, my friends, is Virginia. It was actually an accident that Virginia came into a hat of her own. I was making Little A her hat and I cut on the wrong side which didn't allow stretching (is that the bias side? I'm still new to the terms of fabric and sewing), and it was cut just perfect for size so it wouldn't fit right. Virginia's head is plastic so she doesn't need much stretch because she won't cry when I have to hold her down to squeeze the hat over her ears. So I made a new stretchy one for Little A and sewed down the old one for Virginia.

I just wanted a picture to show everyone in your matching hats! I'm sorry I made you cry by setting you on the couch for a picture and holding your baby next to you. I promise I won't set you on the couch unless you ask me to ever again!

E wanted some curtains for the kitchen window, have I told you this? After we remodeled the kitchen door and repainted he threw the old ones out and then began to complain about how he wished we had curtains again. Doh! I had a print in my mind and have been searching for something close for about a month and a half to two months. I found the sailboats and piers fabric above at Hobby Lobby. Oh, just saying the name of the store makes me happy because there is so much I'd love to buy and make stuff out of it with! I also got a hunter green to go behind it to block out some sun. On Wednesday, after E went to work, I put Toy Story 3, out new favorite, on for Little A and set to make my curtains. Measuring, cutting, planning, sewing, not in that order. Phew! But here they are!

I forgot to add width to it to make pleats when I put them up. :-( But! I do like the way they came out.

My mom's response to the sailboat print? "My grandma had curtains like that." Thanks mom... Haha! I'm sure (I think) she was joking, but I think it's fun and they look great! Measuring and calculating sure was back aching work, I think I made E give me a back rub.

We had to go to a new doctors' office for E to have a check up and they had the coolest thing! A bird "cage" instead of the traditional fish tank! I should have gotten a close up but I was getting strange looks and felt uncomfortable. They had finches, diamond doves, a canary, orange check something or other, and gray waxbeaks (I think). It was so cool!

I've been wanting to share this with you! There are 157 (3 extra) 5 1/2x5 1/2 squares cut from scrap fabrics from a lot of the quilts I've made. I'm so excited I could pee myself! Ok, maybe not, but you get the idea.

E helped me lay them out, as let me tell you, that man has an eye for color combos and positioning! He's way better at it than I am! But don't tell him, but it's a present for him/me for our wedding anniversary next month! Yay! It's four years, forty? Four hundred? Hehe, just kidding! Though it has only been four years since the "I do's" it seems like a blink of an eye as well as if life was always like this. Bliss is what they call that I believe. I'm over half done with the quilt top, which is my favorite part.

So last week I mentioned an idea I had for a new project. Lucy at Attic24 has a great tutorial for the granny stripe pattern on her blog: http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/granny-stripe.html
I'm SOOO sorry, I still don't know how to link via my iPhone and we still don't have home Internet, but I still hope you check it out by copy and pasting. But I was thinking of making a granny stripe for my home for somewhere, probably the basement, and wanted to see if any of you would like to crochet along with me? I'd be happy to post your progress pictures along with mine if you'd like! Right now I'm working on a sample blanket (above pic) used from left over yarn from this blanket:

Hexagons for my new nephew! Due in October. This pattern can also be found at Attic24 under 'hexagon how-to.'

Well anyway, I feel like I've babbled a lot today, I think I need to post more than once a week or when I've finished a project, this feels like it's going to be long! So sorry! But I leave you with my chocolate face slide baby! I hope you have a great weekend!

Until next time!

Crafty Tales

(above: one of the rabbits I made for Easter gifties, finally got her picture!)
What a deliciously crafty time I've been having! I finished my brother's Christmas present, finally! E is ready to have it gone! And I agree, but for different reasons, once it's gone to it's rightful owner it can begin it's loving life with him! Crochet blankies are made to be loved!

Here it is! 6 pounds of Caron's natural fiber one pounder skeins! Phew, it's heavy too! But oh so soft. It was so long I couldn't get high enough to get it all in the frame. When I went outside the green (Kelly Green) was so dark next to the grass it mostly blended in.

But Mabel appreciated it. I don't think I've ever had a project that I've laid out and not had one of the corgis lay on it. Only the family projects though, if they're gifts I chase those lazies away! It's an Irish flag (obviously) blanket. I'm Irish and come from a strong line of them, but after marrying E I can proudly proclaim I'm Croatian! Little A was built to be tough, but how can someone so pretty be so strong? It's a mystery, that's for sure! But anyway, I knew from the moment I decided to make my bro a blanket it was going to be the Irish flag.

May first was my niece's, who is also my goddaughter, second birthday, and aunt Tabby had a very special present in mind. Of course it was going to be homemade, duh! But what? Crochet or quilt? QUILT! It had to be girly and pretty, pink and purple, but what pattern? I thought I would make hearts from the pink an purple and combine them with the green. But the hearts were oh so terrifying! So much cutting and piecing. It gave me heart palpatations just thinking about it! But then it came to me, a nine-patch!

No wait, better yet, a disappearing nine-patch! You make a nine-patch, first cutting all the squares, piecing them together, then cut them apart again!

Then you rearrange the pieces again and sewing them all together again. Intense, I know!

I made 12 squares that looked just like this one and sewed all the squares in the same sequence. This created what I call a "floating box" design. Pretty isn't it? Then after I sewed all the squares into strips and the strips into a quilt top I was ready for the backing and basting.

I basted and quitled a line, hated it, tore it out, basted and quitled again, and was happy. Then I made a truck load of binding.

I mean, A LOT! Then I binded the quilt, all with my machine, sewed in all the ends, and 'twas done! Yes! Go me! Two days before the birthday and party!

Needless to say, I polished my nails on my lapel and handed it over with a look of much satisfaction to my niecy who loves it to pieces!

What a great quilting adventure that was! It was almost as much fun telling the story as it was living it.

Enough of my crafty stories! Little A got her hair did by my friend, Megan, who also gave me a much needed hair trim! I didn't have enough courge, or is it patients?, to sit little A down and pull her hair back into piggies. So flipping sweet! She also got her ears piercedon Monday. The doctor who did it, not our normal doc, told us her ear lobes were great! And as we were leaving, after fussying for being held down but not even a flinch when her ears were pierced, I overheard the doc tell our nurse what a beautiful baby little A is. I'm bias when it comes to A so I know she's beautiful, but how it melts a mother's heart with pride to hear someone else exclaim the same! All you moms know what I be sayin'!

The little gold studs have caused her no problems and look so cute on her!

Besides all that, the hubbub has been minimal! I'm started some new projects, but that's nothing new, and had a super nice second mothers day thanks to E and little A. My garden barrels are full of my favorite flowers that I get to look at everyday thanks to them! And the hummingbirds and Baltimore Orioles are hitting up the nectar feeders we have out for them. There's nothing as exciting as catching a glimpse of an Oriole sitting proudly on your deck, or hearing his croaking frog call from the trees telling you to go away so he can eat without you seeing. Or hearing the chittering and buzz of a little hummingbird who are a lot braver than you may think! All exciting times when spring finally! reaches Kansas.

Until next time!

Edited to add: I had just come out after putting little A to sleep thinking how sad I was that I didn't have a picture of my oriole to show you. When I came into the kitchen he was literally tapping on my kitchen window!

Do you see him? So beautiul! He stayed and chittered at the hummingbird feeder for a good 3-5 minutes. What a thing to make your day!

I would also like to say congratulations to Daffny A. for winning the star garland! I'll be sending that out soon to you! Have a great oriole, or Oreo if you prefer, filled day!