WIP Wednesday: Update

Last week I shared with you my "start but don't finish a project" condition. I wanted to update you on how that is working out for me. This last week (while looking at several projects that I could make) I forced myself to work on one project. I completed the pink and red baby blanket that was shown in the top left corner of last weeks photo. I decided not do add a red border... but I think that it is beautiful without it!
NOTE: I used this pattern here for the blanket.

Now I am focusing on the blue and yellow striped corner to corner baby blanket that was also seen in last weeks photo. I have started my decreases and am happy that I am more than half way done, I should have it finished by next Wednesday!

Once I have these two blankets done, I will be putting the blankets aside for a short while. I need to finish my Christmas gifts for my family back home in Washington. I have all of my gifts done except for the ones for my little brother. I have to make him a rabbit and a hat. Those should take 1-2 weeks max and then its back to blankets. I plan to finish the random squares blanket first, then the one I didn't take a picture of because it is a Christmas gift and then the purple round ripple.

As a reminder, here are the photos of the finished blanket and my WIP photo from last week!

Help Me Decide...

I am finally finished with this baby blanket. I have hidden all the loose ends and I believe I am finished. I just can't decide....

I have enough red yarn to do a single crochet edging on the blanket... I think.

So... what do you think, should I add the edging?

Flashback Friday: My Two Favorite Dogs

Today I want to share about two wonderful, loyal dogs that were important in my life.

The first one is Winnie. I remember back in 1989/1990 when Dad brought her home from the pound. She was this cute little puppy (I have a puppy photo somewhere but we bought a house 8 months ago and I don't know where everything is!). Winnie was with us for about 12 years. She suffered from epilepsy (seizures)... there were many days where dad found her seizing in the back yard. It was hard, after my parents divorced and Dad got sick, we couldn't afford her medication. I remember data telling me that he was afraid he would have to put her down at some point. That day finally came when I was in my senior year of high school. I was devastated. Winnie loved people and was very loyal.

Winnie 2000

Then there was Sampson. Sampson was a golden retriever. My uncle used to breed them and he sent Sampson to my Granny and Poppa back in 1995/1996 (I think) for Christmas. I remember picking Sampson up at the Portland, OR airport. Sampson was from Florida... and like I said, it was Christmas. I remember seeing the cute fluffy ball of a puppy walk around in the frozen grass. Sampson grew into a BIG loyal and hyper dog. Sampson seemed to age quickly, right along with Granny and Poppa. He developed Glaucoma as well as other dog things. 

Sampson 2000

WIP Wednesday: Blankets

I made two jokes last night... one being that I would die under a pile of unfinished blankets and one being that my husband would soon have to medicate me for my condition. I recently discovered (meaning I have known for a while) that I have a hard time starting and finishing a project. I don't actually have a condition but sometimes I feel so scattered. I know I do this to myself... I am always looking at new crochet patterns and am constantly thinking about what I could do with this yarn or that yarn. This is how I got here. My WIP Wednesday photo shows 6 blankets in progress... one was not shown because I was afraid the person it was for would see it.

I plan to finish the pink and red one and the blue and yellow one before the others, then the blue and red one... we will see!

Monday Monday

I had a great weekend. The marriage conference was great, I very much enjoyed spending time with our friends. I found a greater appreciation for my husband who has taken wonderful care of me since I developed this tendinitis in my foot.

While we were at the conference we learned that Clay and Renee Crosse are ambassadors for Holt International. Holt International is a Christian organization that provides temporary foster care for children over seas while they wait to be either adopted or returned to their birth family. Jeff and I both felt called to sponsor a child. This means that we will provide $30.00 a month for this child to have food, clothes and necessites provided. This will last until he is placed with a family... usually 6-12 months.

Our child's name is Gyeong-heum and he will be 1 year old on Feb 27, 2010. We will never meet this child but I pray for him daily... sometimes several times daily.

After the marriage conference Jeff took me to Savers. I got some yarn and started a baby blanket... I am very happy with how it is working up. You can click on the photo to see it in a lager form.

Thrifty Finds

Today, Jeff and I went to a marriage enrichment event at a local church. The guest speaker was Christian music artist, Clay Crosse and his wife Renee. They have been putting on these events across the country and I very much enjoyed it.

Afterward, we went to Savers. I have to admit... the first time I ever went to Savers it was to look at some furniture. A friend at work had told me about these amazing deals she saw there the week before. I had no idea that it was a second hand store... until I got there. The furniture wasn't attractive in anyway and some of it was in very poor condition. I was put off and planned to never enter that place again...

And then I learned about the great deals you can find at thrift stores on yarn and craft stuff. So I asked Jeff if we could stop by. I think I scored big time with 3 skiens of Red Heart Baby yarn and three skeins of some random worsted weight acrylic... my favorite purchase was my head! I saw it and told Jeff to grab it... I can use it to photograph my hats (way better looking than me!). I got all this for $11.00!!

Flashback Friday: The Coveted Hair Clippies

Since I spent most of yesterday and today immobilized due to the recently developed tendinitis in my right foot, I didn't have time to go through my box of photos. So while going through my Photo Bucket account for some photo to display, I came across this...

That's me on the right with the "get me outta here, I'm scared!" look, my brother Buddy (top), my sister(left and yes, we are twins) and my cousin Sheila. Sheila was born in the spring of 1987 so this would put this picture in the winter of 1987. I was three years old and I still remember getting ready for this "photo shoot".

See those white hair clippies I have in? Well, you would never guess it, but they were a prized possession of mine; my sister and I fought over them! I won.

I love the big poofy bangs. They work well with our thin, fine hair... and believe it or not... I enjoyed having my mom curl my bangs like that well into the 90's!

Randomness

Since I finished my recent custom projects... floppy beret style hats. I have been very happy to do nothing but work on anything I want! This means random cotton dishcloths, random blankets, and other miscellaneous projects. You have seen both of my blankets but you haven't seen my dish cloths!

These were made with "I Love This Cotton" yarn a couple weeks ago.

Jokes Make the Best Gifts!

Some time last week or the week before I was talking to my good friend Deana who knits. I had joking said that I needed to get her a casting of my feet so she could knit me a pair of socks! Not too much later we were picking out yarn and patterns! She received my pink and green yarn today and I am so excited to get my first pair of knit socks! She says before Christmas so that I can hang them on the mantle so that I will have some place to put my lumps of coal! What she doesn't know though is that I don't have a mantle! So here is a photo of the yarn that will be my socks!!

Random Project

I spent most of today... in between cleaning the kitchen and running around town... working on random squares to make a blanket with. Last Christmas I made a blanket for an "Angel Tree" thing at Walgreens for senior citizes and I am hoping that this year they will have another one. The difference is that this year I am getting started early so that I don't have to rush to put a blanket together in one week. So here is a sneak preview of what I am currently calling my "Random Squares Blanket". Enjoy!

Flashback Friday: Learning to Swim

My grandparents have all passed away so when I want to spend time with them, I only have memories. I was lucky enough to have had my Granny and Poppa who loved us so much that we got to spend parts of every summer with them and random weekends here and there. I even told my dad once when I was less than 6 years old that I was going to run away and live with my Granny.

I have tons of photos with my Granny and Poppa from when I was in my teen years after I had gotten my first camera. This one was taken when I was maybe 6 years old; probably younger. It was on one of the trips to the Paradise resort/campground they used to take us to. This is where I learned to swim. My Granny taught me.

Paradise is where most of my memories are... there and running through the halls of their house being chased by Granny. They are truly missed.

Motif Monday

Last night I came across a photo for a "squircle"... the blog owner posted her pattern this morning and Hooks and Yarns. I got to come home from work early today so I decided to take a break from my current projects and make one! Here is my photo! Thanks for the pattern, Debi!

My First Patch

So I found this wonderfully green cardigan at Walmart last winter. I wore it everywhere... work, church, grocery shopping, working out at Curves... yep, everywhere. A couple weeks ago I found that I had a huge hole in the left elbow. I decided that I was going to crochet a "patch" for it... I dont have hooks small enough for a doily type "patch" and I honestly don't think that I could crochet a doily to save my life. So, using the smallest hook I have, the F hook, I made this black flower with some Naturally Caron "Country" yarn in Black. It was a bit awkward stitching to the cardigan, but kind of cute...

Round Ripple Blanket

Sometime last year I had purchased some purple and black yarn to make a blanket for my sister. That project never happened since other ideas and wishes from her came up. While looking for crochet blogs to read... some of which I loved and have followed.

I was inspired by Grannies and Ripples and Hooks and Yarns to try my hand at making this round ripple blanket that I found here. So far, I am totally in love with it and have decided that when I am done... it will be sold!

Flashback Friday

Since I decided that I want to do this blog thing on a semi normal basis now, I thought I would get in on my friend Tia's "Flashback Friday" posts. I haven't had time to go through photos from my childhood and teen years... and I don't have a lot of photos from my early marriage thanks to either not having a camera or having a crappy one.

So for my very first "Flashback Friday" post, I am going to share one of my very first crochet projects that I actually took a photo of. This is is a baby blanket with a flower applique that I made for the apartment manager where we used to live.

Yarn, Rabbits and Bears!

Well, I started an amigurumi rabbit back in the beginning of 2008 as an "in between projects" project. I finally finished it in June of this year. It turned out way too big, because I used the wrong stitch! As I finished this rabbit I had several people from work and one from Curves ask me to make them one... and some bears. So below is a photo parade of my Rabbits and Bears!

Patterns are from Rheatheylia