Shawl is done and ready to ship

It is always so exciting to finish the last Christmas Gift project especially if it is done before December 24th.....smiling!!!! The shawl is over six feet long and done in one row of hdc's with a chain in between and the next row is all hdc's with a turning chain of two. I made it out of a pale shade of rose Harmony yarn. Put a short 3" fringe on each end. It is very soft and very warm and oooooh, did I mention it works up quickly??. I forgot to take a picture before I wrapped it up and put it into a box for mailing....OOPS. Oh well, next time.....

I love to collect bits of trivia, helpful hints and fun little stuff. So I thought I would try to include something from my collection each time I post here. Today's suggestion is for whitening teeth without buying those pricey kits.

This comes from Marc Lowenberg, a New York cosmetic dentist. Once a week, brush with this at-home treatment: Add just enough hydrogen peroxide to a little baking soda to form a paste to polish away discoloration.

I have to go now and write letters to add to the Christmas Boxes I want to mail off on Friday. Have a good day and keep on crafting.

Back on line-----yay!!!!!

That most integral part of my life, my computer, decided to take a siesta so I was without my daily internet fix for all of December (till today) and part of November. Goodness, what an addiction this technological wizard has become. But I am back on line and trying to reconnect with all that was lost to me.

I have been finishing up the last of Christmas crocheting with only the "Harmony" yarn shawl to complete. I am still fussing over a Christmas Card design. Have stamped three so far and none are really "doing it for me" so it's back to the studio to try again tomorrow.

One of the really cooooooool things I received for my B'day was a new Dress Form. Years ago I had one of those chicken wire looking things that was forever becoming misshapened as I tugged at the clothing pieces I was working on. This new dress form is made by Dritz and has all those lovely dials and measurement guides. I've already tried it out with a quickie summer top and was pleased with the adjustments to the top I could make before ever trying on the completed item. Yep, I am a happy camper. Now all I need for Christmas is a "Cricut" diecut and embossing machine and I'll NEVER leave my studio.....winking.

I'm already thinking about the projects for the coming New Year. I want to learn at least one NEW craft skill but haven't settled on anything as yet. Tatting comes to mind but I'm not sure I am up to working with such fine threads. I think I would like to try something in the "fabric" line as I love the feel of different textures of material as I smooth my hand over it and drape it and squish it together and smooth against my cheek. Yes Sir, I am definitely a tactile personality.

OK, well I have so many sites to try and get back to and once again add to my "favorites" list. It's the BIGGEST PAIN putting the old "humpty dumpty" computer files again. So I had best get back to it.

Done and Undone

Here is the finished "Be A Friend Shawl" and now it is going into the zippered bag of completed projects. I also made the two-skein Hoodie scarf from Red Heart. Added a bit of bling on the front edge.

I think I am taking a short sabbatical from crocheting as Christmas is looming large and coming fast. Although I have most of my crochet gifts completed I am still in a holding pattern for creating hand stamped Christmas Cards. There is always something on the back burner, right? I love co-mingling crafts and might end up with some quilting and crochet bits incorporated into a couple of card designs. At any rate, crocheting will be slowing down as other crafts gain a bit of momentum

Finished one, started another

I finally finished the "Be a friend shawl". Wasn't much left to do....just couldn't seem to get back to it. Now it is done and I've found I truly like the color combo.

Sooooo, on to the next project: a hooded scarf. I've had this pattern for years dragging it in and out of my "current projects" binder. Yesterday I looked through a tub filled with two and three skeins of matching yarn and found a lovely, soft sport yarn from a long ago supply company (which is defunct like so many others) and decided to create that scarf. I think I will again be adding a bit of bling using a fun fur, feather or ribbon yarn. Haven't searched that out yet. The pattern is a wonderful easy dc, ch 2, sc across the row with a turning of ch 2 and stitching in the ch 2 of each row's pattern. Very rhythmic and soothing. Will post a pic when completed.

Life gets complicated

Calling myself a crocheter tends to mean that's what I WANT to be doing. But, as with most endeavors, life can get in the way. That's been this week in a sentence. I am so glad to see Saturday evening just so I can at least PLAN on crocheting again. What with helping out at the local library, trying to teach a few people to "hook" here and there, working up a program to give at a Homemakers Extension meeting, making cookies for that same program then spending an evening with 100 extension members hoping I didn't make a fool of myself.....all together it has been exhausting. Today, though, hubby and I motored off to the big city to pick up a free collection of old big band "records". That turned out to be a most rewarding trip. The young woman giving away her grandfather's collection of old records was a lovely and sharing person who also turned out to be a "crafter". Geez, we are just EVERYWHERE.

Finally after a week of commitments and preparations for commitments I am looking forward to some HOME time. If nothing else, it will be a blessing to pare down the dirty laundry mountain to a smaller hill.

The best part is that I can get back to working on crochet projects. There are soooooo many. Oh, and there are those Christmas cards I have yet to start making. The rubberstamps are laid out; inks pads to the ready; glitter, glue and papers all lined up; and, last but not least, a stack of Christmas CD's are sitting beside the player just waiting to sliiiiiiide in. Time, Time, Time......where does it all go?????

Back to sorting through projects......

Eureka, more crafting books

What is this FASCINATION with acquiring more crafting books???? I stopped by a local thrift shop on the lookout for crochet, knit or crafting tools and what do I find.......an entire tote filled with about 10 years of more recent Workbasket Magazines, a few Handcrafter mags and a couple of Christmas hardback books. Like I NEED any more pattern books...NOT!!! But, those small crafting mags from the past drew me like a crochet magnet. I ended up buying the whole lot for $6.00 and could barely manage to carry them to the car. WOW, for such little pages they pack more than a crafting wallop; they are darn "weighty" as well.

It's sometimes hard to explain or even justify the need to snatch up a bargain such as this. Family, friends and especially NON-crafters simply don't get it. There are times when even "I" don't get it, but I sure do buy "it" anyway. I figure I'll "get it" later once I look through all those books and fall in love all over again with the world of creative hand crafts.

A little "hooking"

Only managed to do a "little hooking" over the evening hours and this morning. Am working on the "Be A Friend Shawl". Almost have it finished with only the last row to add and then the edging. I used Super Saver in the color Pumpkin and added some Bernat Boa in a multi-color of golds, browns, magenta and a pale orangey as a three row accent. It is working up prettier than I had at first thought it would. It is very heavy though, taking about 2 1/2 skeins. Since it is a "shoulder hugger" shawl I might put a few fasteners down the front. Haven't decided yet. Here is an in progress photo.

A New Adventure

OK, I admit it.....I AM A YARN JUNKIE!!!!!! There, I've said it out load and I feel so much better. Crochet is my "thing" and am constantly searching for new patterns, interesting yarns and fun projects. Below is a picture of the majority of my yarn stash when I went into an organizational frenzy recently. It took me two days but ultimately I got all of this into 23 totes and 6 zippered blanket bags complete with labels of content and color.....whew.

Since I am only just now setting my tootsies into the "blogger world" I hope to spend a bit more time on future posts. But, for today this is it.