Calling All Crocheters!

I need help. I am terrible with color combinations. I would appreciate any help anyone can offer in the area of color combinations for a few ripple afghans. The afghans are for me, my boys and the home in general. I am opting for good old basic ripple afghans because they are colorful and interesting to look at and relatively quick to crochet. What are your favorite color combinations? What color combinations make you happy when you see them all together? I'm not really concerned with whether or not they match anything in my home. These are for comfort, for snuggling under on the couch, in the bed, on the floor watching tv. I just want ideas for color combinations that are pleasing to the eye. Any ideas would be appreciated. Also which ripple afghan pattern is your favorite? I'm not a yarn snob, am perfectly happy using Red Heart, also like Lionbrand too.

I've been working on my granny squares but not much to show. I need to take a picture of the pile of squares I've done to date. Not as many as I would like but slowly making progress. I'm hoping to have enough squares crocheted by June and then I can start sewing them all together.

News From the Workbasket

Not too much news to report other than the ripple afghan wild hair I have at the moment. Lots of creative planning going on but not much actual creating. I'm trying to finish up a cross stitch RR. It's so close. I got caught up in the whirlwind stitching of BOAF's Peace and forgot all about the RR. This is the last round in a RR that was started last year and should have finished up in January. Yep, we're just a tad behind. Mine is still in NY state and the one I'm working on should be on it's way to England by the end of the week. I tried to get creative and change the colors of the rabbits on this piece and that's what set me behind. I do hate the act of frogging. It's a symbol of time that is not very productive. I hate that. From now on I think I'll just stick with the designers preference. My stitching time is so limited these days that the thought of frogging just sucks the energy out of me. My threads, DMC and GAST seem to be knotting up on me big time too. I hate it when it does that. It's like some skeins are just preordained to knot. No matter what you do, how short you cut the lengths of floss for stitching, it knots. I really, really hate that.

Thoughts on Stitching and Crocheting

There are times when I go back to the subject of why I stitch and crochet. Why I want to learn to knit so badly, why I wish I could embrace quilting. I don't mind designing quilts, I don't mind sewing the pieces together by hand and my stars I do love to buy fabric, but I procrastinate when it comes to sitting down and cutting out all those pieces. Yes, I am aware of the miracles of the rotary cutter but I'm old school and trace each piece add the seam allowance so I have a definite sewing line. It takes forever. But I do enjoy the end project. Why bring this up now? Well once again I have to defend my love of needlework, all kinds of needlework to my mom. She thinks I'm some kind of lunatic because I whine when I don't have time to stitch or crochet. She rants for 30 mins about how it's not the most important thing in the world and she just doesn't understand how I can sit for hours doing that "stuff". Hmmm, I actually came from this woman's womb? How did that happen? I don't know why I even bring it up to her. Another sad part to this story is that when my mother comes to visit she gets our bedroom, my stash is hidden in the garage except for whatever projects I'm working on at the time. She would absolutely freak out if she saw all the yarn, cross stitch charts, kits, books, you get the idea that I have. The last time she visited she went on for hours about how much money all the quilting magazines in my bedroom must have cost. I kept telling her, "Momma, most of those were bought back in the 80s and early 90s." They are stacked in a potato and onion bin that normally would be in the kitchen but it has three flip down doors, is dark oak stained and wire front panels and fits in my bedroom. Each section is crammed full of quilting and needlework magazines. I don't know why I didn't take the time to tuck those all in a Rubbermaid bucket and hide them away for the duration of her visit. All I heard was, "I can't believe you waste so much money on these magazines. I just don't know how you can spend the money on them. It's such a waste." Anyway, when I try to tell her why I stitch, why I crochet, why I find comfort in those acts, she just doesn't get it. She doesn't want to "get it" she just wants to bitch about the money I spend on these hobbies. When will I learn to not bring it up any more? Just never mention it? Why do I want her approval? I'm over 40, just barely, but over 40, why do I care whether she approves or not? Why do I want her to "get" me? I stitch because it brings me joy, comfort and peace and when a project is finished I have something really cool for the house that I made myself. ALL BY MYSELF.