Flashback Friday: Pretty Ballerina

Jeff and I do not participate in Halloween for religious reasons. This year will be our first Halloween in our home and we anticipate having some trick-or-treat-ers for the first time. We have bought some candy to hand out. Even though we do not participate in Halloween I do remember loving the holiday when I was a child and teenager.

I remember one year I had this pink ballerina outfit that I begged my mom to let me wear for Halloween. I won... kind of! I was so mad because she made me wear this pink turtleneck under the outfit.... so I guess she won! I understand her thought process now as it was Halloween in Washington state... its cold there this time of year and she was just trying to keep me warm! I know that we were living in the trailer park at this time and I believe it was when James was a baby... so I ws probably 5 or 6... mom would know better.

Finshed Project Friday!

I am going to do two posts today... first is the one I am most excited about. I made my first paid of fingerless gloves this week. I mentioned in my WIP Wednesday post that I was working on a pair for my old manager's daughter. I finished them last night and think they are so cute. The pattern I used is "Ravenna Mitts" found in PDF format at Ravelry.

I had to alter the pattern because the stitch counts didn't add up for me. The beginning chain 18 made a loop so small that I could not get my hand through it. So I improvised some multiples and succeeded with a cute pair of gloves. I plan to make them again with a few more changes such as a longer wrist part and using a smaller hook for the shells.

The color isn't quite right in this photo, the purple is too blue but I used the lighter purple that I used in my round ripple blanket.

WIP Wednesday: Return of the Condition

So last week I told you that I would be setting my hexagon blanket aside while I work on the rabbit for my little brother for Christmas. I did start the rabbit... I have the body, both arms and half a leg... its a start. I spent the weekend making cozies for my water bottle and hubby's water bottle... one for work and one for home.

I won a knitted pair of fingerless gloves in a silent auction last week that I will be giving to my step mom for Christmas with the scarf that I made her. One of the managers at work was also bidding on the gloves and was upset that I had won and I feel a little bad about it. She wanted them for her daughter. So last night I started a pair of fingerless gloves.

The photo today shows the hexagon blanket, the camo rabbit parts, the purple yarn for the gloves, my green bag that I carry left over yarn in, the cowl that I won in a give away (under the green bag... its light teal) and you can barely see the random square blanket in the back which I have to work on soon! This week I plan to finish the rabbit and gloves and then get back to my blankets before starting anything else... I hope!

WIP Wednesday: Hexagon Blanket

So now that I am over that cold I had lat week I have been working on joining the hexagons that I have been working on. I am using the Flat Braid Joining Method. I have a feeling this will be a WIP for at least a few more weeks... I have to make a rabbit and a hat to finish my Christmas gifts and I've put it off long enough so this weekend I will start the rabbit.

Creativity Resurrected!

So my cold that had left me feeling creatively dead has 99% gone away and I was feeling a bit creative today! I made my own crochet cupcake pin cushion! Isn't it adorable?

I'm still alive... barely!

I have so much to say about my week between receiving goodies in the mail, attending airshows and concerts and this mind numbing cold that has left me creatively dead... but I can't seem to write it all up without it sounding forced... so I'll catch you up on that later.

I'm going to leave you with a photo of a random project done yesterday... I love the colors but hate the end result so it will live the rest of it's life scrubbing my dishes!

Flashback Friday: Daddy's Girl

When I read my friend Tia's Flashback post about her dad teaching her to ride a bike I was completely touched. I am also a Daddy's girl... always have been. In high school he was my best friend, I could talk to him about anything and usually that took place before bed, I would sit with him and watch TV and talked for hours... that's how I got the nickname "Gabby". I haven't seen my dad in 2 years.. in fact it is 2 years today that he flew in to Arkansas to see me.

My dad got sick back in 2000... he worked for Freightliner (the truck company). He started passing out at work and started going into what we called "the box". Dad went to several specialists and was tested for everything from cancer to huntingtons disease. It wasn't until about a year later we found out he had Celiac Sprue Disease. Celiac Sprue is a gluten intolerance that destroys the stomach and upper small intestine. It goes hand in hand with lactose intolerance, osteoporosis and many other diseases and disorders. Dad developed some extreme and very rare symptoms including stuttering, memory loss and involuntary movement of his head.

As I said earlier, he would go into what we called "the box". This was a scary time for dad and us kids. "The box" was when dad's mind shut down... he didn't know where he was, who he was or who we were. Dad has been gluten free for about 10 years now and he still suffers from the memory loss, stuttering and the shaking of his head.

The photo I am going to share with you today was taken in December 2000 shortly after dad got sick. If you notice, he is in a wheel chair... he spent a lot of time in that chair back then because this illness drained him of all his energy. This picture was taken at family fun night at my little brother's elementary school. My dad is awesome.

Baby Blanket Update

So last week I was super excited that I had finished the two tone pink and red blanket for my friend, Amy, who loved the blanket and could wait to wrap her baby in it. I will have pictures of little Mya snuggled up in it after she is born later this month.

This blanket is for a very special friend who moved away a few months ago. She is due soon with her first child. Before she left I had many plans of things to make for her... very expensive plans! I found this yarn at Savers where I also found the yarn for the other baby blanket, I spent $8.00 total that day and made two baby blankets.

I am very proud of how both of these blankets turned out. I even made a small pillow to match. I hope one day Jeff and I will have children of our own that I can spoil with homemade goodness! Now time for photos.

Gluten Free & Vegan Giveaway

My friend Tia over at Christopher and Tia are having a Gluten Free & Vegan Giveaway. They are giving away 4 items from the Smart Treat Website. All you have to do is visit the website and choose 4 things you want and then tell Tia! Looks to be a great giveaway!

Flashback Friday: Granny

I have been thinking a lot about my Granny lately. She passed away just over 5 years ago and I miss her. She loved all of her grandchildren very much and sometimes, she was my best friend. It is hard to remember a time when Granny and Poppa weren't a part of our lives. I grew up hearing stories about how they baby sat each of us kids when we were babies... how when Granny was bathing my older brother... his hair fell out and how when I was just a baby, she let me crawl around on the floor naked... which allowed me to poop on the floor. That was the funniest story.

Most of all, what I remember is how even as she continued to grow older and more frail, she never stopped playing with us. Granny and Poppa were blessed with another grandson when I was almost 15 years old... my little brother, Jacob. So, while Poppa mostly sat in his spot on the couch and grumped around... Granny was up, playing with the kids... and their rowdy dog!

I remember her chasing us around her house with the monster face on. I can hear the shriek in my voice as a screamed down the hallway trying to escape the Granny-Monster. I remember making mud pies out back. Granny and Poppa had a covered patio in their back yard that had flower beds around it. We would sit on the patio and play in the mud in the flower beds. My Granny... was the best Granny.

While reviewing photos last week for my flashback friday post, I found a photo of my Granny from Christmas 2000... I have a lot of photos from that year but this one reminded me of the fun, energetic Granny... the one who promised to teach me how to drive... the one who fed me a light breakfast on Sunday mornings before she made pancakes around noon just for us... the one who always had ice cream in the freezer... the Granny-Monster.

This is Granny on the razor scooter my little brother, James, got for Christmas that year. I also have photos of Jacob (that's him behind Granny) on it who was almost two at the time and my favorite photo of Jacob and I on it together. Maybe I will share those pictures next week.