Right now I'm living in Bizarro Computer world. I have a brand new computer that has to go back to the factory for repairs due to some storm damage related to the modem. It keeps rejecting new modems. So I'm forced to use the old computer that barely lets me read email much less send it. Being able to write a blog entry is an adventure in itself.
Things have been busy here. This weekend is devoted to getting the kids ready for "my favorite time of the year"(remember last year's Office Depot commerical?) Back-to-School!! Yea!!!!! WAHOO!!!! It's time, the kids are bored, fighting all the time. School is where they need to be. Time to get some structure back in their life.
Let's see, on the crafting-needlework front, I've managed to finish the fob for the long overdue swap. WHEW! Just need to find some emery or doll pellets to weight it down and then sew it shut.
Finally got a RR out the door and FedEx'd to the next recipient. Another one to check off the list.
I made some Fuzzy Furry Shoes(the pattern is at Marlo's Crochet Corner but I can't link it for some reason-the url is http://marloscrochetcorner.com/Furry%20Shoes.html) yesterday for one of the girls I work with. I found a bin of flip flops for a $1 a pair at Walmart and grabbed a pink striped pair for Angel in a size 7 and a green pair in size 7 for myself. I plan to make my neighbor a pair and fortunately she's a size 9, I think I got the only two size 7s left but they had tons of 9/10s and 11/12s. I'm also hoping to pick up a pair for my niece this afternoon and make her a pair too.
I can finally get back to work on the Houses of Hawk Run Hollow at www.carriagehousesamplings.com. I love this design and have hated having to just let it sit. It's been screaming at me big time.
I've made some progress on my Peyote Granny Square afghan but not a lot. I think I've finished 4 more squares in the last week. My goal is 10 a week. Hopefully I can catch up this weekend. I love this afghan. I've memorized the block pattern, have all my yarn in one bag, my crochet hook, and a pair of scissors. It's all ready to go whenever I want to pick it up and crochet a block and there's none of that losing your place when you set it aside, nothing really difficult to keep track of. I may just make granny squares all the time. So many things you can do with them. You think I'd find it boring but I don't. There's a gazillion color combinations one can come up with. This one is very bright, wild, tropical, 70s-ish all at the same time but now I'm thinking about playing around with some other colors. I can't decide if a granny square afghan in just three colors would look good or be boring.I want to make one to match a picture on the wall over my couch at one end of my living room and would like to go with three different shades of pink/rose. Kind of girlie for this almost all male household, but they can deal with it. I've also considered doing a granny square in as many shades of green as I can find. This picture has several different shades of green to blue so maybe that would be a better option for a granny square afghan and then I could do a ripple afghan with the pinks. Hmmm...I hate choosing colors because I'm not good at it at all.
I want to buy a good digital camera but it's not in the budget at the moment. I've been wondering if the $20 are even worth spending the $20 on them or just holding onto that money and putting it towards a better one? I mean surely the $20 ones get the job done? They couldn't sell them if they didn't work right? Oh well no reason to worry about that for the next two weeks anyway since my computer is going to be away. I've had Packard Bell computers for years and the first time I buy a good new computer a storm takes it out. Trust me, we've had plenty of bad storms before nope, this computer is obviously a wimp. Maybe Packard Bell computers are better than I thought they were. At least the modem doesn't fry at the first sign of lightening.
Saturday, July 24, 2004
Monday, July 19, 2004
Lots of problems lately. Lightening has struck our house twice in two weeks. The second time we lost two tvs, a vcr, the Nintendo 64, the phone, the cable, and finally the modem to our computer. All my lectures on safety during storms, unplugging things, staying off the phone, finally sunk in with the boys and DH last Tuesday. They all just thought I was paranoid, overreacting, etc. Now they finally "get it". 'Bout darn time.
Then on Wednesday the ice maker in the fridge went bonkers and proceeded to flood the kitchen. What a mess.
I have been quite productive since being disconnected from the outside world the last week or so. I have crocheted 25 squares for the Peyote Granny afghan I'm crocheting. Would have just called it Groovy Granny but that's the name of an afghan in a book I have. Since the colors in the afghan look like someone was "under the influence" while choosing them, Peyote Granny seems to fit. I found some Red Heart Kids Lime and Pink yarn and have added those to mix and I've quit using the Starbrights ombre. I think the colors I've been using all go well with the Red Heart Pinata Ombre. I'll leave in the squares I used the Starbrights on and who knows I may use it again if I can't come up with any other colors I can find locally to use in the afghan. I want it to be bright but also to have a scrappy feel. I don't want it to look too planned or thought out. So I'm not crocheting it with a plan, no I need 10 of these or 5 or these. I'm just reaching for colors as I crochet each round.
On the cross stitching front, no progress at all. I majorly screwed up a needlebook I was making for a swap, and I'm sick about it. I have bought some more fabric and am going to stitch up scissor fob for the recipient and I found a pair of scissors at Hobby Lobby this weekend to include with the fob. Now to just get motivated enough to stitch it. The design looks like a quickie but I'm still so bummed about the needlebook idea not coming together, I just don't want to pick up a needle. I guess I need to get over myself and get back to stitching huh?
We have one more new kitten member to the family. Her name is Holly, short for Hologram, as she is the cat who isn't really there. DH told me when I took her in at 2am one morning that when he came home from work that kitten better not be here. He came home from work and said, "Uh the kitten's still here" I said, "Well if the kitten were here she'd be really sweet and I guess it's a shame she's not" DH then said, "Uh, I'm looking right at her" I said, "No you're not, she's not here, must be a hologram." Anyway, DH detemined that she's the sweetest kitten that has ever walked the earth and Holly is now a permanent member of our family. I have an appointment for my momma cat Crystal to be fixed August 19. First appointment I could get. Now to just keep her from getting preggers over the next few weeks. Then it will be Holly's turn then the other two baby girl kittens, Hermoine and Sabrina. Then we are done with cats. Five cats is getting into the eccentric, ok, nutty, kooky if you will arena. But I'm going to be responsible, get everyone fixed and then we can be a happy family.
Then on Wednesday the ice maker in the fridge went bonkers and proceeded to flood the kitchen. What a mess.
I have been quite productive since being disconnected from the outside world the last week or so. I have crocheted 25 squares for the Peyote Granny afghan I'm crocheting. Would have just called it Groovy Granny but that's the name of an afghan in a book I have. Since the colors in the afghan look like someone was "under the influence" while choosing them, Peyote Granny seems to fit. I found some Red Heart Kids Lime and Pink yarn and have added those to mix and I've quit using the Starbrights ombre. I think the colors I've been using all go well with the Red Heart Pinata Ombre. I'll leave in the squares I used the Starbrights on and who knows I may use it again if I can't come up with any other colors I can find locally to use in the afghan. I want it to be bright but also to have a scrappy feel. I don't want it to look too planned or thought out. So I'm not crocheting it with a plan, no I need 10 of these or 5 or these. I'm just reaching for colors as I crochet each round.
On the cross stitching front, no progress at all. I majorly screwed up a needlebook I was making for a swap, and I'm sick about it. I have bought some more fabric and am going to stitch up scissor fob for the recipient and I found a pair of scissors at Hobby Lobby this weekend to include with the fob. Now to just get motivated enough to stitch it. The design looks like a quickie but I'm still so bummed about the needlebook idea not coming together, I just don't want to pick up a needle. I guess I need to get over myself and get back to stitching huh?
We have one more new kitten member to the family. Her name is Holly, short for Hologram, as she is the cat who isn't really there. DH told me when I took her in at 2am one morning that when he came home from work that kitten better not be here. He came home from work and said, "Uh the kitten's still here" I said, "Well if the kitten were here she'd be really sweet and I guess it's a shame she's not" DH then said, "Uh, I'm looking right at her" I said, "No you're not, she's not here, must be a hologram." Anyway, DH detemined that she's the sweetest kitten that has ever walked the earth and Holly is now a permanent member of our family. I have an appointment for my momma cat Crystal to be fixed August 19. First appointment I could get. Now to just keep her from getting preggers over the next few weeks. Then it will be Holly's turn then the other two baby girl kittens, Hermoine and Sabrina. Then we are done with cats. Five cats is getting into the eccentric, ok, nutty, kooky if you will arena. But I'm going to be responsible, get everyone fixed and then we can be a happy family.
Monday, July 12, 2004
Been playing around with the template but the old orange one keeps showing up, maybe it needs a little time before it pops up. I'm hoping to add more links if I can ever figure out the whole html thing again. I guess I need to play around with it more often so I don't forget how to do things and how to write html.
Well here's what I've been doing the last couple of days:
I want to make a funky, bright granny square afghan. Most of the ones I've seen, the blocks are connected together using black, navy, white or dark brown. I wanted something bright and happy so I've been playing around with various colors of yarn and a couple of bright ombres I've had around the house.
What have I learned from this experience? That I should never ever trust my own color choices. Truthfully? I think these blocks look fine and all go together but I know there are some color savvy people out there that are going to be saying to themselves, "What in the hell is that chick thinking?" The ombres I'm using are Red Heart's Pinata and Starbrights. They both seem to work with the yellow I'm using as the final round on my squares. I thought at the start of this project that I had a pretty varied Red Heart collection but boy was I ever wrong. When we made a Walmart run the other day I thought I might be able to add to the seven solids I had on hand and unfortunately these are the only colors my Walmart has in stock that come close to matching the Ombres. Guess a Hobby Lobby or Micheals trip is in order for next weekend as my JoAnn's only has about three skeins of yarn in their total inventory. Yes, it sucks.
Over the last few weeks I've been trying hard to get a cross stitch swap item finished and in the mail. I finished it this weekend and then completely destroyed it trying to turn it into a needlebook. When I measured my fabric I seriously miscalculated, I tried to compensate, then managed to cut right through the stitching. So I'm going to restitch something else, super fast and make a scissor fob. I"m so disappointed. I had wanted to make something extra special, but I attempted to do it making up directions as I went along and sometimes that just doesn't work.
After I screwed up the piece, I decided to lose myself in my yarn and play with granny squares. The squares comforted me and hopefully by Wednesday I'll feel like picking up the cross stitch needle again and get this piece for this swap finally finished. The fob should stitch up quickly.
Meanwhile Back at the Ranch
We've acquired another kitten. She just showed up on our doorstep at 2am one morning. We fed her and couldn't let her go. She's the sweetest little thing and because I kept trying to tell DH that he didn't see a different kitten and that of course we don't have five cats now, he must be seeing a hologram, she has been named Holly. Even he hates the thought of letting her go.
Caught my male cat, Got Milk, making sweet love to our momma cat this morning. She's in heat and since we took her and her two kittens in I've been dreading this moment. Someone told me I couldn't get her spayed until she was out of heat and up until this morning my male cat didn't want anything to do with her. Quite shocking since she's really been putting on a show for his benefit over the last two weeks. Of course the 8 yr old comes running into the living room screaming, "Mom you told me to tell you if Got Milk ever got behind Crystal, well he is, he's behind her and on top of her! Does this mean they are making sweet love? Are we going to have more kittens?" I go and break up the cats' afternoon delight, much to my male cat's disappointment. Here we thought he needed viagra because he's so old. DH gets a bonus check next week, guess I'm taking $250 of it and getting Crystal fixed. ASAP.
DH's only comment was that apparently the cat is getting "it" more than him these days.
Well here's what I've been doing the last couple of days:
I want to make a funky, bright granny square afghan. Most of the ones I've seen, the blocks are connected together using black, navy, white or dark brown. I wanted something bright and happy so I've been playing around with various colors of yarn and a couple of bright ombres I've had around the house.
What have I learned from this experience? That I should never ever trust my own color choices. Truthfully? I think these blocks look fine and all go together but I know there are some color savvy people out there that are going to be saying to themselves, "What in the hell is that chick thinking?" The ombres I'm using are Red Heart's Pinata and Starbrights. They both seem to work with the yellow I'm using as the final round on my squares. I thought at the start of this project that I had a pretty varied Red Heart collection but boy was I ever wrong. When we made a Walmart run the other day I thought I might be able to add to the seven solids I had on hand and unfortunately these are the only colors my Walmart has in stock that come close to matching the Ombres. Guess a Hobby Lobby or Micheals trip is in order for next weekend as my JoAnn's only has about three skeins of yarn in their total inventory. Yes, it sucks.
Over the last few weeks I've been trying hard to get a cross stitch swap item finished and in the mail. I finished it this weekend and then completely destroyed it trying to turn it into a needlebook. When I measured my fabric I seriously miscalculated, I tried to compensate, then managed to cut right through the stitching. So I'm going to restitch something else, super fast and make a scissor fob. I"m so disappointed. I had wanted to make something extra special, but I attempted to do it making up directions as I went along and sometimes that just doesn't work.
After I screwed up the piece, I decided to lose myself in my yarn and play with granny squares. The squares comforted me and hopefully by Wednesday I'll feel like picking up the cross stitch needle again and get this piece for this swap finally finished. The fob should stitch up quickly.
Meanwhile Back at the Ranch
We've acquired another kitten. She just showed up on our doorstep at 2am one morning. We fed her and couldn't let her go. She's the sweetest little thing and because I kept trying to tell DH that he didn't see a different kitten and that of course we don't have five cats now, he must be seeing a hologram, she has been named Holly. Even he hates the thought of letting her go.
Caught my male cat, Got Milk, making sweet love to our momma cat this morning. She's in heat and since we took her and her two kittens in I've been dreading this moment. Someone told me I couldn't get her spayed until she was out of heat and up until this morning my male cat didn't want anything to do with her. Quite shocking since she's really been putting on a show for his benefit over the last two weeks. Of course the 8 yr old comes running into the living room screaming, "Mom you told me to tell you if Got Milk ever got behind Crystal, well he is, he's behind her and on top of her! Does this mean they are making sweet love? Are we going to have more kittens?" I go and break up the cats' afternoon delight, much to my male cat's disappointment. Here we thought he needed viagra because he's so old. DH gets a bonus check next week, guess I'm taking $250 of it and getting Crystal fixed. ASAP.
DH's only comment was that apparently the cat is getting "it" more than him these days.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Haven't blogged in a while, had problems accessing Blogger but the problem was with my computer. I cleaned up the hard drive and here I am.
Haven't had too much to write about anyway. Things are dull and boring around here. I'm currently reading Rita Mae Brown's Mrs Murphy mystery series. Can't decide if I like them or not but I keep reading one right after the other. They are a nice distraction and the characters are likeable.
Stitching
Recently I've been trying to finish up a needlebook for a swap. I just realized last night that I've been using the wrong color GAST so I'll have to frog a little before I can turn it into a needlebook. I'm hoping to make a pocket in the front of the book to hold a pair of scissors but I think I'm reaching. This process might be above my skill level but it seems pretty straightforward, but how many times have I said that and it then comes back to bite me?
I put the first stitches into CHS Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I had planned to stitch it all in DMC because I can't justify the expense of the silks and now I'm rethinking it and wanting to use silks. I could buy them for each block but then I think what if I finish a block and then don't have the colors I need for the second block? I'm such a spazoid sometimes. I want all the silks now or I don't want to use them at all.
I'm trying to finish up my Gemstone/Black Single crochet afghan using three strands of yarn and a Q hook I created a longer foundation chain than I intended and this is going to be one honkin' big afghan. It'll be nice this winter though.
I want to get some sock yarn and participate in the sock CAL over at Crochetville.
I haven't had a lot of time to spend crocheting or stitching lately. I'm almost sorry I have a job now. Not a lot of free time. I like the money and right now it's really coming in handy but I realize now how much I took all my time at home for granted.
Right now my goal is to purchase some luxury items I've been obsessing over for a while like these Pistoulet dishes.
I also want to buy a computer Armoire, hope I spelled that correctly. I found one at Walmart for under $100. Looks nice and will really clean up the computer area in the living room.
Also on the list are school clothes for the boys. Back-to-School time is right around the corner. We go back in early August.
I'm working hard to clean up some UFOs and long term projects so that I can get my stitching and crocheting under control. I'd just feel so much better if I could finish anything, one little flippin' thing. I know I only have myself to blame, but now it's time to get it under control.
Fortunately DH has a ball game tonight, DS#2 doesn't have basketball practice so I plan to order pizza for dinner, frog the swap piece and hopefully get it restitched this evening and maybe I'll be able to get it made into a needlebook this weekend. That's my goal and I hope to stick to it.
Haven't had too much to write about anyway. Things are dull and boring around here. I'm currently reading Rita Mae Brown's Mrs Murphy mystery series. Can't decide if I like them or not but I keep reading one right after the other. They are a nice distraction and the characters are likeable.
Stitching
Recently I've been trying to finish up a needlebook for a swap. I just realized last night that I've been using the wrong color GAST so I'll have to frog a little before I can turn it into a needlebook. I'm hoping to make a pocket in the front of the book to hold a pair of scissors but I think I'm reaching. This process might be above my skill level but it seems pretty straightforward, but how many times have I said that and it then comes back to bite me?
I put the first stitches into CHS Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I had planned to stitch it all in DMC because I can't justify the expense of the silks and now I'm rethinking it and wanting to use silks. I could buy them for each block but then I think what if I finish a block and then don't have the colors I need for the second block? I'm such a spazoid sometimes. I want all the silks now or I don't want to use them at all.
I'm trying to finish up my Gemstone/Black Single crochet afghan using three strands of yarn and a Q hook I created a longer foundation chain than I intended and this is going to be one honkin' big afghan. It'll be nice this winter though.
I want to get some sock yarn and participate in the sock CAL over at Crochetville.
I haven't had a lot of time to spend crocheting or stitching lately. I'm almost sorry I have a job now. Not a lot of free time. I like the money and right now it's really coming in handy but I realize now how much I took all my time at home for granted.
Right now my goal is to purchase some luxury items I've been obsessing over for a while like these Pistoulet dishes.
I also want to buy a computer Armoire, hope I spelled that correctly. I found one at Walmart for under $100. Looks nice and will really clean up the computer area in the living room.
Also on the list are school clothes for the boys. Back-to-School time is right around the corner. We go back in early August.
I'm working hard to clean up some UFOs and long term projects so that I can get my stitching and crocheting under control. I'd just feel so much better if I could finish anything, one little flippin' thing. I know I only have myself to blame, but now it's time to get it under control.
Fortunately DH has a ball game tonight, DS#2 doesn't have basketball practice so I plan to order pizza for dinner, frog the swap piece and hopefully get it restitched this evening and maybe I'll be able to get it made into a needlebook this weekend. That's my goal and I hope to stick to it.
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