Crochet

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I can definitely tell it’s school time again…

I can’t believe it’s been a month since I last posted.  Our school year is now in full swing and I can sure tell it!  We’ve also started Awana at church, as well as our homeschool co-op classes, so I’ve really been busy here lately. 

For us, we also had our annual county fair.  Unfortunately, the rain cancelled the first 2 days of the fair, and we were too busy the rest of the week to get to go except for a brief period one day.  We did manage to get our entries turned it.  We, as a family, did not do as well this year as last year, but we all still had fun.  One of Melia’s photos won first place in its category, and my afghan that I entered won first place!  I’ve won 2 years in a row!  I’ve never really won much in my life, and this year’s win was unexpected.  But, I’m very thankful for it!  It was a round ripple afghan that I had made a couple of years ago for Melia.  I’ll find a pic and post it for you. 

I also had my 35th birthday this month.  I am so blessed to have had 35 birthdays!  I pray that God will allow me to be blessed with many, many more birthdays! 

The down side to this month is that I managed to catch a nice little cold that seems like it wants to linger for quite a while.  It always seems that when I need to slow down or de-stress, God always seems to have to get my attention by sending a nice little “bug” my way.  Hmm.  I wonder what that says about my stubbornness?  But, I have managed to get in quite a bit of crochet time, which has been  nice.  I’ve almost completed the required amount of squares I need to for my Log Cabin Afghan.  When I finally finish it, I’ll post pictures for you!

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Oh!  I also had a “duh” moment a few days ago!  Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my Kindle.  Well, I figured out that I could add my favorite patterns to it in PDF form!  How cool is that?!  This will really be a big help when we’re on the road and I want to take my crochet with me and end up misplacing my pattern.  (Yes, I have done this before).  So, now I have a library of my favorite patterns on my Kindle so that I can take them with me everywhere I go!  Just another reason to fall more deeply in love with my Kindle. 

 

Well, that about sums up what my family has been up to.  I’m trying to get back to posting on a more regular basis, but it always seems like when I think of something to blog about, I’m no where near my computer and, when I am, I forget what I was thinking about before.  I know that I need to keep a pad of paper with me, but I never can seem to remember to do that either!  Maybe one of these days I’ll remember!  Look for another update soon (I hope!).

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Off The Hook!

I know I’m late posting these but I wanted to share them anyway!  I crocheted each of my kids a round ripple afghan for Christmas.  Boy what an undertaking it was.  I wasn’t doing too bad on timing until Thanksgiving when my mother-in-law became very ill and ultimately passed away.  But, with determination, I managed to get them all done, even though I was working on the last one up until 9 P.M. Christmas Eve, and then I still had to finish tucking in all the ends.  But, they are done and my children love them.  That is what counts.  They love them. 

I’ve laid them across our bed to take pics of them.  To give you an idea of the size, we have a queen-size bed.

Melia’s Afghan:
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Katie’s Afghan:
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Michael’s Afghan:
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Here they are opening them on Christmas morning:

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They love it when I make things for them and I love making them things. 

This is where you can find the pattern for this particular afghan. 

I’ve already started on my Christmas 2010 stash!  Yay!  I’m hoping to get at least 1 big project per month done throughout the year for Christmas and possibly 1 small one.  It will really depend on time, material, and money for buying more yarn where needed.  My biggest goal is to use what I already have on hand first, only buying what I need to finish a project.  We’ll see how it goes.  I have a major weakness for all things yarn!

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Gifts For Crocheters Under $10

I, myself, love to crochet, as does my oldest daughter.  But, it can be a very expensive habit hobby to have.  I would love it if someone were to give me a gift that would help me support my habit hobby.  It’s one of those hobbies that I find very relaxing, and I can take it with me just about anywhere.  So, I thought I would share with you some of the things that I would enjoy receiving as a gift that you might give the crocheter on your gift list this year.

– Crochet Hooks– If you know of a certain size that your crocheter uses a lot of or is missing, this is always well received.  I know I have duplicates of certain sizes because I use them the post and almost always have at least 2 projects going at any given time.

– Crochet Hook Organizer Case – These are a must have for any serious crocheter because it helps to keep all your hooks together.  You can never have too many since most of us will have duplicates.  We need to keep up with all of them.

– Comfort Grips for crochet hooks – these are nice.  They help make the small aluminum hooks easier to hold and keep your hands from cramping as bad.

– Crochet Thread – I have found that I love crocheting with thread.  However, each project takes quite a bit of thread, so I know that I would love getting a gift of various colors of thread. Just make sure that you have at least 2 of each color that you choose to give because, most projects will take a minimum of 2 balls, and there is nothing worse than getting most of the way through a project only to find that you don’t have enough thread and the color you are looking for is either hard to find or has been discontinued.

– Skeins of yarn – If you can find out if there is a particular color that your crocheter is looking for, definitely pick it up for them!  Make sure to take the brand name and the color name with you to the store so that you make sure to pick up the right one.

– Stitch Markers – these really come in handy when you’re changing colors quite a bit or have a design in your work.  If you make jewelry, you can even make a few using a lobster clasp.  These are the ones that I love the most.

– Hot chocolate or flavored teas – when you’re sitting there working away, a nice cup of hot chocolate or tea is always welcome.

– A good bar or bag of chocolate – If your crocheter is a chocoholic like me, then you can’t go wrong with their favorite chocolates.  A couple of my favorites are Lindor Truffles or Ghirardelli Chocolate.   If they have another favorite treat, then those would also be well received.

I hope this helps you find the perfect gift for that special crocheter on your list this year.