On Hooks & Needles

Completed Project: Lennon's Blanket

2012-01-20T06:30:00.001-05:00

FINALLY!!! It's DONE!!!!

After missing 5 or 6 self-imposed deadlines, this blanket is finally done. It's bigger than a baby blanket for a good reason. The recipient is for "C's" new 4 year old grandson whose favorite color is green. Just because he joined the family at an older age doesn't mean he wasn't going to get his own blanket.

It's Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Yarn made with a J hook. As always, all the details are on Ravelry.

It is so great finally completing this project - and it's going in the mail TODAY! Now I can start two other baby blankets before I have to start two more. What's in your queue for the New Year?

Road Trip

2012-01-19T13:00:00.005-05:00

This year is off to a lovely start. I spent a wonderful weekend in Virginia with my chosen sister, Perches. Her new home is so delightful and welcoming, especially the backyard. Seamus was over the moon as he ran around the fenced backyard in the lush green grass. Some unpacking was completed, a cabinet or two organized, and so much food was enjoyed.

I baked a cheesecake and a strawberry-cherry pie for Perches and her boys. Here's the pie, prebaked.

That's a homemade crust, a recipe I learned from my DH's awesome grandmother. I'm happy to report that the pie turned out delicious, even for breakfast.

No additional photos to share because sometimes you have to live life as it happens rather than trying to photo-document it all. Other times you're too busy eating steak and cheesecake to remember to take photos of anything.

Year of Lovely Things 2012

2012-01-09T08:00:00.003-05:00

The new list is up and I've already crossed off a couple of items. No photos of the banana cream pie I made over the weekend as I was not happy with the consistency of the custard. Luckily, the custard's flavor was wonderful and the crust of the pie was spot on.

I'm looking forward to move loveliness throughout the year! My first fondant and gum paste class is this week. Yay!

Year of Lovely Things 2011 - Recap

2012-01-08T20:30:00.003-05:00

Many a lovely thing was experienced and accomplished in 2011. Below is the list showing I got to cross of 44 of 52 lovely things. If there was a post about an item, I included a link. For those other 8 items (in red), some may return on the 2012 list.

Emerging from the Shadows

2012-01-06T06:30:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everybody!

It was a busy autumn and holiday season, hence the long hiatus from the blog. I wasn't as crafty as I had hoped to be during that time and I wasn't inspired to blog about much. I did think about it - and I tried to come up with some posts; but I blog for fun and when it isn't fun, I don't blog.

But the new year is upon us and with it, there seems to be some frenzied crafty energy swirling around me. Have you felt it, too? Here's how it has been affecting me:

A project that was stalled on progress, regardless of the work and time put into it, now seems to be crocheting itself.
I learned in December I've got three more friends expecting which brings the new baby blanket count for 2012 to four - one in February, one in March, and two in June.
In one day, I was able to find the perfect patterns and the purchase the perfect yarns for the first two blankets. The yarn arrived just three days later and it is now patiently waiting in the craft room.
In just the past few days, I've found three crafty classes to take during the first half of the year.
I've already written my list for the Year of Lovely Things 2012 (thanks to Perches who has also found her way back to the blogosphere)
The enthusiasm to blog has returned!

Let's hope this crafty energy sticks around for a while!

And The Winner Is....

2011-09-28T16:30:00.002-04:00

I guess I overestimated the readership of this blog as I received only 2 votes on what my one-hundreth project on Ravelry should be.

The two votes were both for socks though for different patterns (one for the crocodile rock pattern and one for the twisted Celtic cable pattern).

Since one of the voters was Sean and the twisted Celtic cable socks are for him, that is the pattern that won. (I hope you understand, Mistress.)

I'm hoping to cast on for his socks in the next few weeks.

Dreaming of Fabric

2011-09-25T17:00:00.002-04:00

Oh, how I am yearning to learn to quilt!

Perhaps it is because of the sewing related newsletters and advertisements from JoAnn Fabrics...

Perhaps it is the little drawer of fat quarters I've acquired over the years...

Perhaps it is due to the beautiful creations by friends that inspire me...

Perhaps it is the need to learn something entirely new....

And I want to sew some other projects, like placemats and pillows and bags, perhaps a tree skirt for the holidays...

But not yet...

I cannot give into this urge and head to the craft store with reckless abandon to budget and disregard for the lack of space in the craft room.

But someday....

Someday.

LYS - All About Yarn in Columbia, MD

2011-09-24T11:30:00.003-04:00

Another item to cross off my Year of Lovely things list - visit a not previously visited LYS in Maryland. I had a handful to choose from but I hadn't yet decided which would be the right one. The decision was made for me when there was a Groupon which was $10 for $20 worth of yarn at All About Yarn in Columbia. How could I pass that up?

On a rainy Saturday, the address was plugged into the GPS and off we went. The store is located in a business park and it was a little hard to find. After a few wrong turns, we found it. From the outside (as the photo shows), the shop just isn't much to look at.

All About Yarn

8970-G Route 108
(in the Oakland Center - near Red Branch Rd)
Columbia, MD 21045

I wasn't expecting much (more on that later) but I was so pleasantly surprised when I opened the door. You have no idea you're in a business park once inside the shop. The displays of yarns, books, needles and accessories and the great lighting make it a colorful, happy and welcoming store. There are so many different brands of yarn at all different kinds of price points, from common to uncommon yarns, novelty to high-end - there is something for everyone. There was also a wall of Addi needles at very good prices. The store is twice as big as you expect. Go past the register to some displays on either side and then a whole other section opens up. So spacious! Sorry I didn't take some photos to show you. You'll just have to take my word for it.

I got my money's worth with the Groupon. I picked up some gorgeous Cascade Yarns Quatro - 220 yards of 100% Peruvian highland wool.

I also got a skein of Mountain Colors Twizzle, a hand-dyed yarn from Montana. It is 250 yards of 85% merino wool and 15% silk - DIVINE!

There were so many more things I would have bought but I thought two without projects planned for them was enough. I can't wait to go back to the store and at least get some new needles if not some more yarn.

After such a glowing review and considering this LYS is not far from where I live, you may be wondering why it took me so long to check it out in the first place.

The answer is - the WEBSITE. It is awful.

I will be honest that I even had second thoughts about getting the Groupon in the first place because of the website. I was worried the actual store would reflect the persona of the website. The website is hard to navigate, it looks old, but most of all, it looks unprofessional. While the website gives you the basic information about the shop (location, hours, brands carried), it does nothing to help promote the fabulousness of the store. It doesn't need flashy animation or complicated programming - it just needs to be reorganized, cleaned up, and some fun photos added.

So don't let the website fool you - this store is definitely worth checking out if you live in or are visiting the area.

Help Me Choose Project #100

2011-09-18T12:45:00.000-04:00

Finally! The cool crisp weather of autumn is upon us. Like the beginning of Spring, I feel the need to clean and organize and prepare for the coming months. As a crafter, this goes beyond just cleaning out the clothes closet and dusting the usually neglected crevices of the house. One of my main projects is to get all my crafty projects in order.

The craft room is actually in pretty good shape. In the Spring, I reorganized the yarn by keeping similar types of fibers and colors together and I found a way to store all the books and magazines in one place. The other bits of various crafts (beading, fabric, paints, etc) are also where they belong. I also donated a big bag of unused and unfinished motifs including some spare yarn. That freed up a considerable amount of space in my cabinets.

What needs the most attention now is my list of projects and trying to figure out what I am going to do with all these beautiful skeins of yarn I’ve collected without a designated purpose.

I’ve started by reorganizing and cleaning up my Ravelry stuff. I had oodles of projects in my queue but I didn’t really intend to make them all. Instead, I had used it as a holding bin for projects I really liked or would love to make. So I cleaned it out and added my favorites to my favorites. (Seems like a no brainer, I know. I just never took advantage of the favorite features until now.)

My queue now contains 12 projects that I am actually planning to make because I have the yarn, pattern, kit or the desire to make them. It is much more manageable and I don’t get stressed like I did when I saw an unattainable goal of 50 things I’d never be able to do.

But now – which one do I do next? I’ve got 99 projects in Ravelry so the next one will be number 100. A bit of a milestone, don’t you think? Would you be willing to help me decide the next project that I will have on my hook or needles?

There are twelve projects listed in my queue and they are in no particular order. Most of them are projects for me but some are for others (socks for Sean, a few hats for friends' kiddos). Take a look at what I've got (in Ravelry - you'll need to log-in) and then vote by leaving a comment.

Things to keep in mind:
1) I've got three projects in progress right now - a simple baby hat, a knitted shawl for a friend and a cable capelet for me. There's also a blanket listed as a WIP but it's actually hibernating.
2) I've listed some possible yarns from my stash for each project but those are just ideas. Once a project is selected, I'll get your input on which yarn to use.

I'll keep accepting votes and comments until Friday of this week. The results will be posted next week. Thanks for your help!

Completed Project: Mandy for The Mother Bear Project

2011-09-14T08:00:00.009-04:00

I found out about the Mother Bear Project during my trip to the Minneapolis Knit and Crochet Show in July. It's a great charity "dedicated to providing comfort and hope to children affected by HIV/AIDS in emerging nations, by giving them a gift of love in the form of a hand-knit or crocheted bear." For a $20 donation, I got the yarn, crochet hook, and pattern to make a crocheted bear. It also included the tag and the shipping costs to get it to the kids overseas.

This was a fast crochet project and a fun one to do. The instructions are super easy with only chain and single crochet stitches. This would be a great project for any beginner. I did tweak the design a bit by giving her some red shoes and her skirt is slightly different from the pattern. The ears are a bit more cat-like than I wanted but I didn't really understand what the pattern wanted me to do. Maybe the little flower decoration will take attention away from the less than perfect ears. It took me three tries to embroider a face I liked. The plain round eyes looked creepy when I tried them though I didn't find them creepy on other people's bears.

And I named her Mandy because I had the song "Mandy" from the movie White Christmas floating in my head the other day. Random.

As always, details on Ravelry.

To learn more about the Mother Bear Project, visit motherbearproject.org. You can see other bears on Ravelry, join the group on Ravelry, and also buy the patterns. Once you buy the pattern, you can make as many bears as you'd like as long as you send in $3 per bear for shipping.

Completed Project: Ravens Scarf

2011-09-13T09:00:00.006-04:00

As always, details on Ravelry.

I completed this in plenty of time for the official start of the NFL season. (Sorry - I just don't give a hoot about preseason football.) I think it compliments my Ravens shirt ever so nicely. I expect it will also look good with my black winter jacket.

It also looks great on Seamus.

Go Ravens!!!

Butterflies 2011

2011-09-12T18:00:00.001-04:00

My parsley plant proved to be a haven for butterflies again. This time I was prepared to keep the little guys (and/or gals) safe. I bought a butterfly enclosure so that once the caterpillars were big enough, I could keep them hidden from birds. Four caterpillars cocooned and one so far has become a butterfly. The other three are still there but I don't know if they have died or if they are waiting until the spring to emerge.

The photos below show the journey. Enjoy!

Butterflies 2011, a set on Flickr.

New Project: Summit Wrap

2011-09-06T18:15:00.002-04:00

This project was started with gusto in July but thanks to the aforementioned time warp, the progress did not continue as planned. I had high hopes of completing it by August 24. I didn't even come close to being half done by that deadline.

It's a lovely and free pattern from Knitty called Summit. I happened upon it when I wanted to use some fabulous ivory silk yarn I bought at last year's Knit and Crochet show in Manchester for some kind of wrap for a friend getting married. Her dress is was a simple, ivory silk dress, perfect for the bride and the beautiful beach setting. When I saw this wrap on Ravelry, I thought it would be perfect - simple yet elegant, and the instructions seemed to be something I could handle.

A really fun new skill I've acquired with this pattern is now I can knit backwards! No, really. I'm knitting backwards. As in, not turning my work in order to do stockinette stitch. It's awesome! The pattern has small, repetitive bits of stockinette over 6 or 11 stitches. The knitting backwards makes it just a little bit faster than turning the work back and forth over and over again as the shawl gets bigger.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll have enough yarn for a slightly-smaller wrap. I (accidentally) left off one column of waves making it a bit narrower. As it gets longer I'll hopefully be able to guess when to start ending it so that I have enough yarn left to finish it. I'm also hoping that the finished wrap is long enough that it doesn't look silly.

Because I wasn't sure if it would actually get finished in time, I did not tell the bride in advance I was making it. I did let her know about it on her wedding day...but gifts were the furthest thing from her mind. Hurricane Irene had her sights set on the Outer Banks, the very beach where her wedding was to take place. So the wedding was moved up by a day and while tons of people were evacuating, Sean and I were driving towards the storm to make it to the wedding. It was a lovely ceremony with fewer guests than planned but they were happily married in the end. And everyone made it safely home before the storm arrived. Here are a couple of photos from Friday morning before we hightailed it out of town.

I believe that technically I have a year after the wedding to send a gift. Given the speed at which the first part was completed, I can't procrastinate. I'll need to fit this in as a project I work on at least once a week. Here's hoping I keep to that plan.

Knit and Crochet Show 2011

2011-08-28T11:00:00.009-04:00

I had a wonderful time at the Knit and Crochet Show in Minneapolis last month. The Professional Development Day was the highlight of it all for me, and not just because I won some awesome stuff in the raffle. The presentations, both plenary style by Vickie Howell and Ellen Gormley, and the small group presentations by nine accomplished instructors and designers, were very informative and interesting. Lion Brand sponsored the day (thanks, Lion Brand!) which included giving everyone some free yarn and hooks with which to make some chemo hats for the charity, Knots of Love. Here's my improvised design:

I was not able to attend the CGOA event at the Textile Museum inducting posthumously the fabulous Jean Leinhauser into the Crochet Hall of Fame, but I can share with you the video that was shown that night:

Such an amazing woman who will be missed by so many people.

My sister-in-law and I went to the shopping preview on Thursday night and had a blast. One of my favorite purchases was a handmade sheep pin by Ogle Designs. My SIL and I each got one in different colors.

I had so many people complimented me on the pin and asked me where I got it. I hope I steered more business to their booth and now I hope I've steered you to see their website.

I picked up some Addi needles to make the purple scarf and I got a signed copy of Ellen Gormley's new book, Afghan Design Workshop. I also picked up some awesome New Zealand yarn called Kia Ora Kiwi Laceweight by Zealana. It is 40% fine New Zealand Merino, 30% Organic Cotton and 30% New Zealand Possum fibre.

New Zealand possums are a bit different from North American possums. They were first introduced to New Zealand as a viable fur trade but they have since become a threat to other wildlife as they have no natural predators to keep numbers under control. The government has to do some drastic things (as in killing loads of them) to protect other species of animals, mainly birds.

This yarn by Zealana is available for purchase from The Yarn Sisters. But you're not just buying some awesome yarn, you're also helping a conservation movement. Learn more about how this yarn is helping - "Save a Kiwi - Knit with Possum!"

I picked up three skeins in three lovely colors and I'm hoping to make a pair of gloves from them. This yarn is so incredibly soft.

My SIL and I stopped at another booth, this one completely for charity. Called the Mother Bear Project, the charity is "dedicated to providing comfort and hope to children affected by HIV/AIDS in emerging nations, by giving them a gift of love in the form of a hand-knit or crocheted bear." I picked up a crochet kit and I hope to make at least one bear before the end of the year.

The CGOA dinner on Saturday was also great - and there was more free yarn (and there was wine)!

Between shopping, free gifts and raffle wins, I had quite a haul of goodies when I returned home.

I don't have plans at this point to attend the conferences next year, but that could change. If you're been thinking about attending this fall or next year, DO IT! You'll have so much fun!

Midwest Meanderings

2011-08-17T21:00:00.020-04:00

It is amazing how time has been flying all summer. First, I couldn't believe the Knit and Crochet show was a month away - then it was suddenly time to pack and go - and now it's three weeks later. Has your summer been like this, too, or am I just stuck in some kind of time warp?

Anyways - long story short, it was a great trip. While the 2011 Knit and Crochet Show in Minneapolis was the initial reason for a trip to Minnesota, it was also a great chance to see family in the area. That area included a 5+ hour radius from Minneapolis, too. Neither my DH nor I had ever visited this part of the country (beyond a layover at an airport) so the trip also let us add other states to our list of places we've been together.

Our trip from Minneapolis started with the 5 hour road trip to Wisconsin. It started out as a nice morning, but the rain came...

Sheets of rain, big drops pummeling the car, scary driving rain...but light in the distance made us hopeful for better roads ahead.

A few days in Wisconsin with family included two other states - Iowa and Illinois. Iowa was more of a drive-thru trip just to say we'd been in Iowa. The stop in Illinois was more of a destination. We visited the town of Galena which was historically known for being a major port of call for steamships. The town is full of history having hosted speeches by Lincoln and was the town where President Grant retired.

Inside of Grant's house with almost all the original furniture.

Downtown Galena

It is an artsy, fun little town with boutique-type stores along the main street. One of these stores was especially fun to visit - you guessed it - a yarn shop!

Fiber WILD! in Galena
fiberwild.com

What a wonderful little LYS this is! It has such a welcoming energy as you step through the door. The yarn selection is great as are the book, hook and needle selections. The owners are super nice and knowledgeable and the customers in the store (including yours truly) were having a wonderful time perusing the shelves for lovely fibers. While I normally try to find some local yarn when I travel, I wound up with two national brands.

I picked up some Flounce which, I found out later, is all the rage now. I had to have it once I saw the sample scarf being worked up in the store. The ruffles are so fun and the yarn is so soft. I chose purple as this will be my Ravens scarf now that football is back. The yarn is actually really easy to work with once you start. There are also videos online to help you figure out where to pick up the yarn edge. I'm knitting just 6 stitches on size 11 needles and it works up quickly. If it was my only project, I'm sure it could be finished in an afternoon. But I've got a few WIPs plus a book series I can't put down.

As always, details on Ravelry - but I will point this out, something that may be obvious to more experienced knitters but it took me a minute to figure out. The patterns and photos on Ravelry show a flatter scarf but I wanted the round, boa-type scarf. So - if you want a flat scarf with ruffles on only one side, knit stockinette stitch (knitting one side, purling the other). If you want the round, boa-type scarf with ruffles on both sides, knit garter stitch (knitting every side).

My other purchase was this Comfort yarn by Berroco. It caught my eye at the store as the colors are so nice and it is so soft. While I have oodles of baby yarn at home, I was with my sister-in-law who plans to have kids in the next few years. We thought it would be fun to buy the yarn for the hat and booties together so that when she does get the items, she'll remember when we bought it.

I should have bought my needles for the scarf there, too, but I thought I might get a better deal at the show. Lesson learned - but details about that and the rest of the trip in the next post.

From Wisconsin, we drove back to Minneapolis along the Mississippi river. It was a lovely trip along the water and was thankfully a rain-free drive.

While in Minneapolis, I didn't visit any local yarn shops as there was going to be plenty on the conference show floor. Plus, it was time to do some sightseeing!

I did find some crochet-related fun while on a tour of the Twins baseball park. Here's the front page of the Minneapolis newspaper the day the ball park was approved. Up in the right hand side - an article about crocheting!

Next post - actually about the show!

Happy Trails

2011-07-22T09:30:00.000-04:00

The Knit and Crochet Show is next week in Minneapolis - hooray! I'm very excited about it even though I'm only going to be at the conference for a couple of days. I'm not half as prepared as I was last year but I'm ready for it.

There will also be a visit to Wisconsin where, in addition to crafting with my sister-in-law, I just might get to visit an alpaca farm! Isn't that awesome? I hope to also see the sites of Minneapolis including the gigantic Mall of America. A few days with extended family will also be wonderful.

So it'll be a crafty, family trip. If you're at the show and see my logo bag, please say hello. Otherwise, you'll hear from me next month. Or maybe if I have the opportunity, I'll have some updates on Twitter. Maybe even cute photos of alpacas!!!!

Completed Project: Tropical Colors Baby Blanket

2011-07-11T18:15:00.003-04:00

When I make a baby blanket for a friend, I ask the mom- and dad-to-be if they have any particular colors or patterns in mind. Sometimes I get very specific details on what they like (i.e. purple, but not bright purple, more of a lightish blue-purple violet but not pastel) or don't like (i.e. no pink anything!). Some want to see pattern samples and others want to be surprised.

In the case of this baby blanket, I was given the following info - anything with blue and/or green - maybe even some orange. I was also told to let my creative juices fly! Or drip. Or whatever creative juices do.

So here's what I came up with...

As always, details on Ravelry.

The pattern is Willow from the book "200 Crochet Blocks" using bright colored cotton yarn and a G hook.

My plan was for a 5 x 5 square blanket and I had made all 25 squares. But when I laid out the pieces, it was too big. I went with a 4 x 5 design which is still a little large but I liked the shape and size better than a 4 x 4. Plus I couldn't handle not using 10 squares I had already made.

I kept the border to a minimum as the blanket was already so big. It's one round of orange sc, one of green hdc and one of blue Hhdc. The final size was about 41" x 32".

I literally finished weaving in the ends from the border about 30 minutes before leaving for the baby shower yesterday. I usually cut things close but this was a little stressful for me. The mom-to-be and grandmas and aunts liked the blanket (yay!) and I got to meet another Raveler who knitted the cutest little booties, hats and mittens.

There's a lull in babies now...I'm sure it won't last too long so I better get to work on my other pending projects.

A Rose By Any Other Name...

2011-07-01T08:00:00.002-04:00

Thanks to a botantically-inclined friend, the identity of my mystery plant is
Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album). A wonderfully cute name for a plant to show up in this fiber fanatic's container garden.

But it's not a plant, it's not a flower, it's not a bush, herb, fern or vine.

It is just... a really big weed.

::sigh::

So two nights ago I proceeded to unearth it from the giant blue pot. I had to hack at the soil with a trowel to get it to come out in clumps. It was a damn healthy weed with roots that had spread through that entire pot so out went all the soil, too. I had no chance of saving the coconut lining of the other container, either, so the whole thing was put in the trash.

The mystery still remains how these plants showed up in my garden. Was it a bad seed packet - labeled lavender but full of weeds? Or was it the potting soil mix (moisture control by Miracle Grow)? It wasn't birds or seeds on the wind since these plants were all started inside.

Oh well - it doesn't matter. The weeds are gone now. I'll be transferring basil to the big blue container and I hope to grow a formidable basil tree in it.

Lucky Find

2011-06-30T08:30:00.007-04:00

On a recent day trip to St. Michaels, I made my stop into Frivolous Fibers. They've got a new sign up and they have reorganized the store. It looks lovely! As usual, I didn't need any yarn but that didn't stop me from checking out the selection. I was drawn to their new wall of sock yarns with bold and beautiful colors. I asked my DH if he'd like me to make another pair of socks for him. He looked at the wall and then found a basket full of - wait for it - Blue Moon Socks That Rock lightweight yarn! One of the owners commented the store had the lucky mistake of getting the skeins by accident. Blue Moon doesn't want new clients (booooo!!!!) so the store has been unable to get the yarn. In the end, it was a lucky find for me.

The colorway is Mustang Sally. I've got a pattern picked out on Ravelry for some cabled socks but I need to purchase the pattern in order to make sure I have enough yarn and that the pattern will be large enough.

DH was warned at the yarn store that the date of completion for this pending project is way, way, WAY up in the air. Like, he might get this pair of socks in the next two years. In the meantime, it makes a wonderful addition to my stash.

WIP: Burnham Wood Capelet

2011-06-29T16:00:00.015-04:00

When I saw the Burnham Wood Capelet pictured in the Spring 2011 Interweave Knits magazine, I knew I had to make it. I scoured the magazine to find the pattern to no avail. Thanks to a quick search on Ravelry, it turns out the capelet was actually in the Winter 2010 magazine. The photo just made a second stop in the spring magazine. This was a very fortuitous error for me as I had not flipped through the winter magazine as thoroughly as the spring one.

This is the most complicated knitting project I've attempted to date. Not only is this my first attempt at knitted cables, it is also my first attempt at reading knitting charts and it is the largest knitted garment I've ever attempted.

Note the key word here - attempted. I have high hopes that I will make it to the end of the project with a capelet that fits and one that I adore wearing. But there is so much that can go wrong between a collar and the last stitch. I'll be checking in with Romi's Ravelry group and other wonderful knitters who have made this project.

My Ravelry project page is the most up to date and I've chronicled my progress in the notes. So far, I've completed the collar.

The delay in starting the next part of the shawl is a baby blanket I must complete before a baby shower in July. It's close to being done so I hope to pick up the capelet and get back to work on it soon.

What has been your greatest knitting or crochet challenge this year?

Gardening Update

2011-06-29T07:00:00.002-04:00

The herbs are doing extremely well. I've made multiple batches of salsa using the parsley and I have too much basil and thyme.

The only issues so far is that the rosemary plants are just now looking like they will survive.

And there is the great mystery plant that is clearly not lavender. The seed packet said lavender and I planted lavender in the pot marked "Lavender" and yet these random sprouts showed up in the "Lavender" pot and all the other containers, too. It then proceeded to grow over two feet in height and hint at some kind of flowers, but no blooms.

This does not resemble any lavender plant I've see before. The stalks don't look right at all. If you happen to know what the heck this plant is, please leave a comment. Whatever it is, it's growing without any problems. It has even filled one of my rail containers.

And so far, two Johnny Jump Ups have bloomed. Look closely - they're little.

While I love my container gardening, I yearn to someday have a yard with lots of space for these herbs to grow and flowers to grow.

Year of Lovely Things Update

2011-06-28T17:00:00.001-04:00

The past two months have been oh so lovely. Quite a few things to cross off the list...

My birthday was celebrated in many ways, starting first with a trip to see "C" and "D". Our visit was in Fredericksburg instead of North Carolina, but it was lovely just the same. I also received some awesome gifts - a sheep mug and the cutest yarn stitch markers.

My birthday celebration continued with a pedicure, facial and massage thanks to my wonderful husband's gift of a day at the spa. I did my own manicure after a relaxing bubble bath at home. I was truly pampered for my birthday!

Other lovely things accomplished include: sending some snail mail, seeing a Red Sox game, staring at the stars on a warm spring evening, and trying a new restaurant. I watched a marathon of "Game of Thrones" and I am wholeheartedly addicted. I've tried to celebrate the small lovely things of every day life too, like an easy commute home on a Friday and the fun emails exchanged with friends.

And still, there are so many things on the list to look forward to. I truly am blessed.

How lovely is your year so far?

Oh, Honey, Honey

2011-06-28T08:00:00.004-04:00

I made my first ever home-brewed mead with a kit gifted to me by my sister-in-law. It's from The Bee Folks who are local beekeepers with booths at both the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival and the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

The kit (many to choose from) has the yeast, herbs, rubber band, cheesecloth, and instructions. You buy two jars of honey (many to choose from, too) and some spring water.

Follow the super easy instructions and you'll be brewing mead like a pro. Here's a photo showing the yeast at work.

And here's a video where you can see the bubbles churning the herbs.

Since I didn't have a dark place to store it, I improvised by covering the jug in a dark dish towel.

Then - voila! The mead was done in a week.

It was then enjoyed by friends during Sheep and Shenanigans.

I recently tried brewing another batch using one of the kits I bought at MS&W. It was quite tasty but I liked the first batch I did better. There are so many combinations of mead kits with honey flavors to try. I've still got another one to try and I plan to buy a couple kits at this year's Renaissance Festival.

This brewing also helps me cross off an item from my Year of Lovely Things list. Which, now that I look at the list, there are a handful of items to also cross off. Where's that pen?

Completed Project: Queen of the Snow Cow's Blanket

2011-06-27T20:00:00.014-04:00

There was one, then there were two, and finally, there were three.

In just under a year and only days after Sheep and Shenanigans, the blanket for the Queen was finished. As always, full details on Ravelry.

This won't be the last big blanket of the year if my plans stay in tact. There is a brightly colored granny square blanket I'd like to complete before Christmas.

Photos of Stockinette Stitch Shawl

2011-06-26T14:00:00.005-04:00

There was too much giggling and general merriment during the shenanigans that better photos were not taken as planned. You'll just have to deal with these that don't do the finished project justice at all.

The original post is here and as always, details on Ravelry.

Successful Shenanigans

2011-06-26T10:15:00.007-04:00

Where to begin...and what to post... about the epic events of Sheep and Shenanigans Weekend 2011...

Too much fun was had by all, the details of which would take up tens of thousands of words here on the blog. Instead, just a few photos from the sheep dog demonstration to share...

No yarn purchases for me again this year, though I couldn't resist a purple lamb stuffed with lavender...

...and two more mead kits from The Bee Folks.

And I received a wonderful gift from the Queen - titled, "Moonstruck".

There was also plenty of food and drink and fun with mustaches...

There was also lots of creativity that didn't involve yarn...

At the end of the fabulous weekend together, everyone was as tired and happy as this little guy...

Who knows what next year will be like - or even where next year will be. There's been talk of moving the shenanigans to another location or another time of year. Regardless of when it is or where it is, I have no doubt it will be EPIC!

In Memoriam

2011-06-20T20:00:00.000-04:00

The crochet and knitting world lost a legend last week. I feel fortunate to have met Jean at last year's CGOA conference. She will be dearly missed by me and so many, many others.

I Blinked...

2011-06-02T17:00:00.000-04:00

...and the month of May was here and gone.

When I last left the blogosphere, it was the eve of Sheep and Shenanigans 2011. The weekend was epic and I had such keen ideas on blogging about it. But the week and weekend following were busy. And busy turned into busier and the number of posts I wanted to post grew and grew through the month.

And now it's June.

So - I'll try to catch up with a few posts about May happenings and not leave June adventures in the dark. Better late than never, right?

Stay tuned...

SHENANIGANS!!!

2011-05-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

The shenanigans begin today when my girls arrive this evening. The house is cleaned, the shopping done, and now just food prep and trying to keep my excitement at bay are all that's left to do.

While the blog will be quiet this weekend, I will try to have some fun mobile updates on my Twitter account. Check it out here. I make no promises to the quality or quantity of posts but I will try my best.

Until next week - CHERRS!

Completed Project: Blanket for the Mistress

2011-04-29T09:45:00.003-04:00

During this welcome lull in making baby blankets, I've been able to stitch like crazy to complete some grown-up blankets. Here is the second one for another chosen sister, Beth-la.

It's nine skeins of Lion Brand Homespun in beautiful blues. As always, details on Ravelry.

She'll be picking this up in person in a week. A WEEK!!! Yes, Sheep and Shenanigans is only a week away!!! So many preparations to be made! But I also must finish the final blanket of the trio, the one belonging to the Queen.

I can't wait to see my girls!

Completed Project - Stockinette Stitch Shawl

2011-04-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

It's finally done! And I love it!

Not only did this take me over a year to finish, the yarn itself is some beautiful boucle I bought at my very first trip to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in 2006 - yes, FIVE years ago! But I now have a wonderful wrap in beautiful shades of reds and oranges.

So where are the pictures, you ask?

Well, I haven't been able to take a decent photo of the shawl. The angles were wrong, the placement was wrong, the lighting was wrong. A handful of photos taken and nothing worth saving or posting. So I'm going to publicly ask my dear friend Perches to assist me in a couple of weeks. Her photography is beautiful as you can see on her blog.

What do you say, lady? I'll barter with you - some photos in exchange for an extra helping of pierogies? :)

I learned three important lessons from making this shawl -

1) Working on a big monotonous project goes much better and faster if you just work on a little bit every day or every once in a while. I was able to get this shawl finished over the last month by working on it during lunch each day. It was amazing how much progress I made without focusing on the daunting challenge of finishing it.

2) I have really got to get knitting terms straight in my head. I thought it was garter stitch but it was actually stockinette stitch. D'oh!

The last one may be more of reinforcing behavior rather than a lesson...

3) It's okay to buy yarn you absolutely love even if you have no idea how the heck you're going to use it. You will find the right pattern someday.

A Weekend of Lovely Things

2011-04-12T18:45:00.003-04:00

This weekend included such lovely things, including a few that I can cross off my list.

On Friday, Sean and I attended a concert by one of Sean's most favorite artists, Orla Fallon from Celtic Woman fame. The seats we had were amazing and the meet and greet afterwards was wonderful. She's one of the nicest celebrities I've ever met in person.

An added bonus to the evening was discovering a new band, Tin Cup Gypsy. They were the opening act as well as the backup musicians for Orla. I had never found an opening act to be very good - HAD being the important word here. They started their first song and I was immediately smitten. Beautiful harmonization, thoughtful lyrics, amazing vocals, and gorgeous melodies. I've been listening to their CD non-stop, I love it so. (Yes, I am the crazy girl rocking out in her car while stuck in traffic on the beltway.) They were also super nice when we met them at the end of the performance. Cassandra in the band makes her own jewelry so there's a crafty side to the band, too. Seriously - go check out some music samples.

On Saturday, a visit with my chosen sister and little nephew brightened the day. We invited over some other friends to join us for dinner so there were five adults, two toddlers, a baby and one very excited dog in the house. It was deliriously fun chaos from which Seamus is still recuperating. There was also CAKE!

Perches' birthday would not go uncelebrated during her visit so a new recipe was tried. This is Stout Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream frosting from Bon Appetit's Dessert cookbook. The name of the recipe comes from the fun ingredient - BEER! Instead of Guinness, I opted for Rogue Brewery's Chocolate Stout as a way to include more chocolate in the recipe. I modified the frosting a little to make it fluffier and a tad bit sweeter. It still needs work as I didn't love the consistency or the flavor. Maybe using milk chocolate instead of bittersweet chocolate next time? And I highly suggest making this cake in square pans. It was too difficult to cut a small piece from the round cake. Smaller square slices would be much better considering how ridiculously rich the cake was.

And when will this be made again? In just a few short weeks for Sheep and Shenanigans 2011!!!!

But back to this past weekend...

On Sunday, there was bacon, eggs and french toast for breakfast. There was also a quick crochet lesson about crocheting in the round. In the afternoon, there was nap time, more chocolate cake, and a lesson on crocheting a puff stitch. Such a wonderful way to spend a Sunday.

It turns out it was a wonderful weekend for two good friends. One welcomed a baby boy into the world and another got engaged!

How wonderful was your weekend?

Remembered

2011-04-04T19:15:00.002-04:00

Turns out the mystery plant isn't lambs ear...it's the forgotten forget-me-nots.

Beautiful blue surprises for a Monday!

Completed Project: Perches' Socks

2011-04-03T10:15:00.005-04:00

Ten months in the making - and finally, one of the three blankets is done!

As always, details on Ravelry.

So why the title? Because Perches requested a pair of socks instead of a blanket, thinking the blanket would be too much work. I'll make her socks someday, but this year it was to be blankets for my girls. I've got two more blankets to finish - 3 skeins a piece to crochet. There's a comfy chair in the craft room with my name on it.

Unanticipated Motivation and Inspiration

2011-03-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I ordered a new chair and ottoman for the craft room. It was a beautiful oversized chair in a warm neutral color with a big squishy ottoman that had a storage compartment. When it arrived, the color looked great in the room but it was waaaay too big. We moved the cabinets to different locations to try and make the chair fit, we tried different angles, but it was just no use. So a call was made and back to the store went the chair and ottoman.

The craft room looked much better without the giant chair taking up so much room, but the craft room was also a mild disaster since the large cabinet had to be emptied in order to move it. It had contained a significant mess behind those closed doors - books and patterns and yarn, plus some other crafty items, in unorganized stacks and piles. That mess was strewn about the room for over a week as I tried to find the motivation to tackle it. That motivation kicked in on Sunday.

I went through everything, putting like items together, like all the sock yarns in one place. It was great to go through everything, reminding myself of the beautiful yarns I've purchased these past few years and that I still have not done a darn thing with them. Then I got to the many remnants of yarn I had. Mainly acrylics from baby blankets made years ago as well as a substantial amount of Homespun for which the labels were gone and I couldn't even begin to guess at the color's name. There was also some really cheap yarn I had bought for a dollar, hoping to make a blanket for charity.

Looking at all this yarn, I said to myself - even if you made more baby blankets with this same kind and color of yarn, it's so old, would the dye lot even be the same when you bought more? And when are you going to make all this charity stuff? You've got a project list long enough for the next few years with some fantastic yarns already in your stash.

Well, when I'm right, I'm right.

I filled up a sizeable bag of yarn for donation. There is no sense keeping good, quality yarn in my stash for some future charity work when I'm sure there is some group locally or nationally that would love to get this yarn for their projects. So once I find a group that will take this bag of yarn, it will be sent on its way.

The craft room clean up is not completely done - the 3 ring binders of patterns and magazines as well as all my pattern books need to be organized and put back inside. That was the part I least wanted to do - so when I came upon some extra curtain material and the wonderful Mr. Burns, I immediately pulled out the sewing machine and got to work.

No pattern, no pinning, no ironing. I just folded the fabric, took out the scissors, then sewed it up where it needed sewing. It's not pretty close up - the sleeves are really wonky and the seams are sloppy - but it's supposed to be a hospital gown, which I think it resembles. This also counts toward my Year of Lovely Things as my small sewing project.

What inspired you this weekend?

Beginnings

2011-03-24T17:30:00.000-04:00

They're sprouting! All of them! Except one little pot of basil. I am super excited!

Hermits are People, Too

2011-03-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

It was a glorious weekend full of beautiful weather and blue skies but my hermit tendancies were in full expression. It was just as nice for me to enjoy the days with my husband and dog in the comfort of home than out and about with the masses. The sun was warm on the balcony and proved to be a most excellent spot at which to sip my coffee and absorb some much needed vitamin D. This wasn't on my list of lovely things, but it was lovely just the same.

How did you make the weekend lovely for you?

Spring Equinox Sale!

2011-03-19T10:41:00.000-04:00

To celebrate the arrival of spring, all my patterns in Ravelry are 20% off through 3/20/11!

Spring Fever

2011-03-15T08:00:00.004-04:00

Building upon my experiences from last year's foray into container gardening, I spent Sunday's sunny afternoon planting seeds. My DH was a wonderful help as I was trying to wield the Costco sized bag of potting soil.

These plants will stay inside until they appear hearty enough to go outside. Lessons learned from last year - I started them all in their own containers to avoid any transplanting related stress and these containers are even bigger than last year's containers so each plant has enough soil.

I planted rosemary, thyme, basil, lavender, and parsley in the large pots. There are two pots of basil as I'm hoping to make a lot of pesto this summer as well as try to train/prune one of them into a basil tree. The little blue pots have basil and the little green pots have rosemary. I'm hoping these will be great gifts to give should the seeds succeed. My rosemary last year didn't make it past the seedling phase.

The container already outside will stay there. I added some Johnny-Jump Up seeds as well as some extra lavender and parsley seeds. It is going to be more of a survival of the fittest in that container. Who knows which plants will grow and win in the end. The lambs ear is clearly in the lead. I'm hoping the flowers and the parsley will attract some butterflies this year like they did last year.

Did I ever even post about the butterflies last year? A search of the blog says no. Oops. Well, here's the story - during Labor Day weekend, a beautiful blue butterfly was intrigued with my parsley plant. Turns out, she was laying eggs! I found this out when I saw the leaves of my parsley plant disappearing and these little guys were there. Turns out black swallowtail butterflies love to lay their eggs on plants of the parsley family.

But back to this year's garden... The little garden Goddess stake decoration I found at Joann Fabrics. I also found a wall hanging and a whirligig thingamabob. I wanted wind chimes but I figured the dog would go berserk every time they chimed in the wind.

The two planters on the railing need new liners before they can be filled with soil. The rest of the Johnny-Jump Up seeds will be planted in them and perhaps, if I find something fun, some other type of flower or vine will be planted there, too.

In the meantime, the waiting and the watering continues until little green sprouts appear.

Completed Project: Plaid Baby Blanket

2011-03-13T20:00:00.002-04:00

I took a photo of this little blanket a couple days after I started it. I was meaning to have a post showcasing this new project and how quickly I had worked up a good part of it. But I didn't post it last weekend and then I went and completed it in just over a week. It is so good to have my crochet groove back!

As always, details on Ravelry.

Isn't this a cool technique to simulate the look of plaid? The free pattern is from Lion Brand. I did use a different yarn (Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Cranberry and Vanna's Choice Baby in Lamb and Chocolate) and a different hook size (J as called for by the yarn label). The colors were selected for the recipient as he will have a sock-monkey themed room. I didn't want to go overboard with the monkey faces (which honestly, creep me out a bit) that adorn some blankets. Plus the parents-to-be are going with a subtle theme, not monkeys everywhere. I think this blanket will be a nice addition.

Mother Nature Has A Sense of Humor

2011-03-07T14:00:00.001-05:00

I had a friend look at the photo of the surprise plant that lived throughout the winter in the big planter. He has a theory of what it could be - I hope your find it as funny as I do.

It seems this little plant could be...

wait for it...

Lambs Ear.

Isn't that hysterical? Of all the plants that could wind up in this crafter's garden, it is one with a sheep inspired name! I didn't plant lambs ear last year so I'm assuming this was a seed either dropped from a visiting bird or carried upon the breeze. It's a hearty little plant usually used as ground cover. If it turns out it isn't lambs ear, I probably won't remove it from my container garden. This little gift from Mother Nature will be cherished as I plant my Johnny-Jump Ups next to it.

A Gardening Surprise

2011-03-04T11:00:00.003-05:00

My container garden last year did pretty well given the multiple transplanting I had to do. While my herbs did great but unfortunately my flowers did not do as well. I had a few plants pop up, lots of green but only a few flowers. This was mainly due to the shallow planter that didn't give them enough room. There was also this crazy rain storm that may have contributed to it, too.

At the end of the summer, I moved the last few green items to a large planter on the balcony. They did rebound a little but with fall approaching and temperatures dropping, it was too late for a comeback. I left the container outside for the winter, hoping to reuse the soil in the spring. I didn't pay all that much attention to it until earlier this week when I suddenly had the urge to prepare the balcony for this year's garden.

I cleaned off the furniture, washed the windows and the doors, swept off the pine needles that had showered down from our neighbor's exterior holiday decorations, and I was about to dig up the soil when I saw someone had survived the winter.

And there was even a little green sprout popping up next to it on the left.

I went inside to check the seed packets from last year to see what exactly had survived the winter. As I searched the drawers in the craft room, I remembered - I threw out the old seed packets when I thought everything had died.

Crap.

Then I remembered I had started a gardening journal last year - yay! That would have a list of the herbs and flowers I planted. I found the papers and saw just the first entry that listed all the herbs and just 2 of the flowers I planted.

Damn it.

Did I ever make a list of the flowers I planted on the blog? A search of past postings found this incomplete list.

Mother of pearl!

So what the heck is this little green plant that fought to live through the winter? It's got some fuzzy leaves so I'm thinking it might be the johnny jump-ups I planted as they are part of the violet family. Anyone have any ideas on what it is?

More gardening posts are on the way as I'll be planting this year's garden soon. I'll be sure to keep accurate and complete records this year so I know exactly what I planted.

I Love Surprises

2011-03-04T07:45:00.003-05:00

Sometimes.

Good surprises - always.

Bad surprise - not so much.

Surprised by the plot in a movie? That's a good time.

A surprise package in the mail from a dear friend? Always wonderful!

I was practically squealing with delight when I opened the package to see I was the lucky recipient of one of these:

It doesn't matter when a Valentine arrives, it is still a wonderful and thoughtful surprise.

And then I discovered the loveliest little crocheted brooch.

I absolutely adore this little brooch!

Thank you, my chosen sister, for brightening my week!

Completed Project: A Baby Blanket for Maebh

2011-03-02T18:00:00.003-05:00

The love of rainbows for baby blankets continues...

I used the pattern from Lion Brand - but as my color progression is nothing like the pattern, this is really just a big granny square. The same colors as the other rainbow baby blanket, and just as sweet of end product. As always, full details on Ravelry.

The title of the post is not a typo - the little girl's name is Irish and is pronounced "Maeve" like 'save' with an 'm'. She's such a cutie, just like her big sister. I appreciate her patience in receiving the blanket since she was born in early January.

Now on to a baby blanket for a little guy to be born in April. It's nice to be ahead of the game again.

What is in the water???

2011-02-15T20:15:00.004-05:00

While I got rid of my resolution list, I still have many project lists. One of which is devoted solely to baby items. So many friends have had babies the past few years and this year promises to keep pace with production.

A beautiful baby girl was born in early January so her blanket is first on the list. It's actually a good thing I didn't start it before she was born because everyone was convinced she was going to be a he. I had more boyish colors selected for the blanket which would have been used had it not been for my tardy start to making it. (Note to self - when the parents want to be surprised the day of delivery, either make a unisex color and style blanket or make two blankets to be ready for the surprise.)

Two more blankets for April and August babies, one of which is a boy (ultrasound confirmed). These are for two former coworkers from my last job. Not only do I want to make them blankets because they are great friends, I also owe them since I moved on to such a wonderful job and left them back in the trenches.

A hat was recently completed for a friend from high school - the wonders of Facebook to connect old friends! She saw the apple hat and wanted one for her first.

When these projects are done and delivered, I should probably start another baby blanket or two so I don't find myself so far behind when the next wave of pregnancies are announced.

What is making up your to-do lists this year?

Completed Project - Baby Rainbow Ripple Blanket

2011-02-05T12:00:00.003-05:00

Started in mid-December...
with the plan to finish it by New Years...
sidetracked by a fall on the ice...
it is now completed!!!

And I absolutely adore it!

As always, details on Ravelry.

It will be put in the mail soon to finally be delivered to little Kate who was born in October. I hope it helps brighten for her these cloudy days of winter.

Crafty Resolutions for 2011

2011-02-02T18:00:00.002-05:00

You may have noticed the page for crafty resolutions is gone.

That's because I couldn't come up with an interesting list. Finish WIPs, attend festivals, take classes, ... so boring and so predictable.

Plus, it's now February.

So there shall be no crafty resolution list for this year. I'm sure I'll be crafty enough without a formal list. :)

Year of Lovely Things 2011

2011-01-26T08:30:00.009-05:00

My 2011 Year of Lovely Things list is finally updated. As it now mid-January, I've already got a few items crossed off. This includes celebrating both my new job and freedom from the cast. There is also the self imposed snow day I'm enjoying today.

Got a list of your own lovely things? Then head over to the main site to sign up.

Attack of the Snow Cows

2011-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

I attempted to drive to work today but it was an epic fail. After 30 minutes of white knuckling the steering wheel, and only getting a few miles from home, I gave up and turned around. A self imposed snow day it has now become. There will be plenty of crocheting (which has become much easier to do now that the cast is off) and a few blog posts will be written. First up - updating my Year of Lovely Things list for 2011. Stay tuned!

Recaps of 2010

2011-01-18T06:45:00.000-05:00

I did a number of the things on my 2010 list of lovely things - see them here before they get updated for 2011. I got to complete 41 our of 50 on my list with a few things being delayed because of my fall (Sean did get his banana cream pie but I couldn't help Grandma make it).

As for my crafty resolutions, I did pretty well, as long as we don't count the projects list. And all the activity seemed to happen in the first half of last year (see mid year update). I'm still working on a list for 2011 so that I have a meaningful list and also one that I can accomplish. I'm definitely leaving projects off the list. It seems a project put on the list never gets done. Maybe I should try some reverse psychology and make a list of projects to not finish.

What are on your lists this year?

I'm Back!

2011-01-09T18:00:00.001-05:00

No posts since November - and yes, that's because of some wonderful non-crafty reasons.

After a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving with friends (who are considered part of my chosen family), the house was transformed into its holiday splendor.

The following weekend was our second annual holiday party which was as successful and well attended as the inaugural party (even with the few folks sidelined by the flu).

Then there was trying like crazy to complete the charity squares (which I did) and then during a work trip, I was finally able to start a baby blanket for miss Kate who was born in late October. The plan was to have it completed during Christmas break, before I started my new job.

Yes - A NEW JOB!!!

I found out right before Thanksgiving that I got it. It was (and continues to be) such an awesome feeling of freedom and positivity! I let work know I was leaving and told them I'd stay through December to finish some things and transition my duties. So work was busy and I was so darn happy that there wasn't enough time for blogging. My last day was before Christmas, and then we made the trip to New England for the holidays.

The plan for the trip was to finish Kate's blanket, as well as the one for the Queen and the Mistress. But on our first day there, those plans were sidelined:

I managed to fall on an icy stone porch which resulted in a very early morning Christmas Eve trip to the emergency room. A few x-rays later and they were putting on a cast for my broken wrist. My broken RIGHT wrist. (Yes, I'm right handed.) I asked the doctor what things I could and could not do. He said keep it minimal to allow for healing. I asked about crocheting and knitting - and I'm not making this up - he said "That would be great - do whatever you can as long as it doesn't hurt or make you sore. It should help prevent stiffness after having the cast on for 4-6 weeks."

It's been more difficult to crochet with a cast than I had hoped. I can get some stitches done but it's just so slow that I get frustrated. Typing is also a bit of a chore. But once the cast is off, I'll be back to finishing these long overdue projects (plus a blanket for the new little girl born last week) and blogging more. Lots to catch up on, including a look back at last year's crafty resolutions and lovely things and trying to get new ones in place for 2011.

Until then - beware of ice! :)

Time Machine Needed

2010-11-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

I don't need one to send me backwards or forwards. I need one that will stop time for a while so I can get a handle on all the projects I need to have done by the holidays.

My countdown to Christmas is as follows:

3 large blankets for my girls (Queen, Mistress, Perches)
1 large mosaic / granny square blanket for one of my nieces
Charity squares for Warm Up America
2 baby blankets - one born and one due in January

I must give a big shout out to Brenda who volunteered to help with the charity squares. I've sent her a few balls of the free yarn I received from Lands End so I have a few less to make before December 15. Thank you, Brenda!

But today is not a day for crocheting or knitting or anything crafty. Today is a day for cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. And the cleaning will be followed by prepping and cooking for tomorrow's Thanksgiving feast.

Wishing you and yours a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
<br>

Completed Projects: Spider Doilies

2010-11-10T20:00:00.009-05:00

As part of an October craft swap with friends, I made a trio of doilies to sit under votive candle holders.

Unfortunately, the photos of the doilies aren't great (poor lighting) and I took them before I attached cute little spider embellishments. I completely forgot to take photos of the candle holders until the packages were on their way across the country.

As always, details on Ravelry.

The changes I made from the original pattern are that I stopped after round 10 and modified round 11 to make it the last round. I also used a thicker thread (size 3 instead of 10) not on purpose, but because I picked up the wrong size at the store. I'm still happy with the results but would use the thinner thread in the future.

I received for the swap some ever so lovely knitted goodies from Perches and a wonderful package of holiday cheer from the Queen. If I had more free time, I'd participate in more swaps like this. But for now, there's barely time to finish the projects currently underway and those currently on the to-do list. And there are too many on both lists!!!

Completed Project: Blueberry Hat #2

2010-11-06T08:30:00.000-04:00

I was particularly fortunate to have a stash of completed baby hats on hand when I found out about a new coworker who is expecting twins - a boy and girl. With no time to make blankets, hats were the answer.

I had both a blue and a red hat completed previously but they had different tops. Not because anyone would have cared and not because anyone would have said something - but because I had a problem with the difference, I had to have a matching pair. So I quickly cast on for another blue hat.

As always, details on Ravelry.

They were a big hit for both Dad and Mom as well as with my coworkers. And the babies should be arriving any day now!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T12:00:00.000-04:00

I've been quite crafty but no time to post. Here is at least a couple of cute shots of Seamus in his Halloween costume.

How did I get him to sit still and not try to rip off the costume? Cookies. And the photo below shows how he was eagerly waiting to eat them.

Hope everyone has a great Halloween!

Rainbows on the Horizon

2010-10-20T11:30:00.000-04:00

I've finally decided on patterns, colors and yarns for two baby blankets I need to complete before the new year. One baby is due any day now and the other is due in January. Neither set of parents will know the gender of the baby until his or her actual birthday. So - I've decided to make both blankets with rainbow colors.

One will be the baby ripple afghan and the other will be a baby ripple blanket. I ordered a variety of colors of Lion Brand Cotton Ease from Knitting Warehouse. Not sure which baby will get each blanket. I'm hoping it will come to me when I get the yarn and decide which blanket to start first.

Do you have anything on your hooks and needles for new arrivals?

Sub-Contracting

2010-10-18T10:00:00.003-04:00

Where has the time gone??? And how do I get some of it back so I can finish all this craftiness?

The craft swap is due this week, I've got double checking to do on my crochet Masters course, I've got 2 baby blankets to start and complete, 3 large afghans to finish, and ~50 squares for charity.

Yes, the yarn from Lands End arrived and it is a beautiful shade of red. It is so soft that I can't understand why Lands End doesn't sell it. I would seriously make every baby blanket out of it.

But there is a LOT of this beautiful yarn to be made in to a LOT of squres. And I've only made 1 1/2 squares so far due to the other projects that I have. So - if you're interested in making a few 7" x 9" squares - knitted or crocheted - I'm happy to send you some yarn.

The only requirements are

1) the squares must be completed by Dec. 15,

2) you'll be responsible for mailing them by this date to the donation address,

3) shipping for donation is your cost, and

4) you'll let me know when you've completed everything.

If you're interested, send me an email at onhooksandneedles (at) verizon (dot) net. Include your name and address and how many squares you can commit to. I'll then ball up some of the yarn and ship it to you (at my cost).

Any takers?

Pattern Featured!

2010-10-06T19:30:00.002-04:00

My pot holders pattern is featured at the Daily Crocheter!
www.dailycrocheter.com/crochet/exclusive-free-crochet-patterns/

Or click here to go straight to the pattern:
www.dailycrocheter.com/crochet/potholder-crochet-pattern/

Or, if you want the free PDF version, get it at Ravelry:
www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crocheted-pot-holders

Greetings to all of you who came to my blog via that link. And thanks to the Daily Crocheter for featuring me!

A Fantastic Find at the Festival

2010-10-04T14:30:00.002-04:00

Another trip to the Maryland Renaissance Festival yielded a terrific find - a hand-made knitting bowl!

This beautiful pottery is from Dancing Pig Pottery. Keep an eye out for the Etsy shop to reopen to get yourself one of these great knitting bowls or the other fabulous pottery she creates.

When It Rains, Turn on the Sprinklers

2010-09-26T10:30:00.008-04:00

I have a long list of projects to finish between now and January. The craft swap stuff is going well and I'm doing pretty good on the blankets. But then there are two baby blankets to be made (for babies due in October and January), a lingering blanket that must be done by Christmas, and a pair of socks that I had hoped to make by Christmas, too.

Oh, and I need to finish the Crochet Masters Course in the next week.

So what do I go and do?

I sign up to receive yarn from Lands End for the "Warm Up America" project. I've got to crochet 51 squares by December 1!

FIFTY ONE!!!!

And that's after the yarn shows up!

But it is for a great cause and it will be a true donation to charity once I get the squares mailed in. You remember the hats I took out to donate? Yeah - they are still sitting on my shelf, waiting for an envelope.

If you're interested in making squares, check out the "Warm Up America" site for details. You can knit or crochet the squares using acrylic yarn. And you don't have to commit to 51 squares like I did.

If you are a CGOA member, check your email for information on how to sign up and receive yarn to make the squares. It's a 51 square commitment per cone of yarn requested but you can spread the work around with your guild or group members.

Wish me luck! I'll need it!

Another Lovely Weekend

2010-09-20T11:30:00.021-04:00

Two more off the list - I went to the Maryland Renaissance Festival, which given the multiple artisans at the festival, I'm counting this as a craft fair, and I finally tried tai chi.

The festival was awesome as always. I bought some beautifully crafted leather goods from Holy Cow (a great name, don't you think?) - a belt and pouch for my festival garb. (Sorry, no photo at the moment.) While the little pouch will hold my wallet and phone, I'll have to find or create another bag in which to hold my crocheting/knitting. There were many times during the day I wished I had brought a small project on which to work. Those were times when there wasn't a frosty ale or giant turkey leg in my hand. :)

I had my first - and what will be my last - tai chi class on Saturday. The instructor's teaching style just doesn't meld with my learning style so I'm going to get a partial refund while I can and try to invest in a good tai chi DVD. All in all, not a failure as I did find out that I would enjoy learning tai chi, just not from this particular instructor.

My hooks were also quite busy last week and through the weekend. The secret projects for the craft swap are well underway and I am actually hopeful that I'll be done in plenty of time to mail them to the recipients.

Oops...I hope these are not famous last words and I'm forced to stay up all night, multiple nights, to complete the projects. It wouldn't be the first time I've procrastinated to the last possible minute.

Speaking of procrastination, I'm still far behind in completing my crochet Masters course. But really, I work best with an unrealistic deadline for such things. This weekend looks like it will be my self-imposed final, final, FINAL deadline to get my rear in gear and complete it.

How lovely was your weekend?

Completed Projects: Two Knitted Baby Hats

2010-09-14T08:30:00.034-04:00

Two for Tuesday - two completed projects from the last couple of weeks.

The first hat is similar to the blue hat I recently completed, but I did use a different pattern. You'll see there is colorwork done to make the green part look more like leaves.

As always, details on Ravelry.

This was my first ever attempt at colorwork with knitting, beyond the basic color changing. I had a number of twisted stitches to correct as I was trying to carry the yarn behind the color I was working with. I'm not sure if this an issue only for continental knitters or not. I did get the hang of it, but there were a few twisted stitches that made it through (don't look too close and it's fine).

The second hat was completed in record time for me. I started it during my morning commute on a Wednesday and completed it during my commute home the next day.

As always, details on Ravelry.

I absolutely LOVE the way this yarn works up. The colors and self-patterning are great. I'm tempted to get another few skeins of this in order to knit up a matching baby sweater.

But first, I must complete some other top-secret projects before my October craft swap. This also means that there probably won't be many (if any) completed project posts put here on the blog since the main readers are members of the swap. Maybe I can get away with a few 'sneak peek' photos?

Hats and Sox

2010-09-08T20:30:00.002-04:00

Another item crossed off on my Year of Lovely Things list - Sean and I went to an evening game at Camden Yards to see the Red Sox take on the Orioles. Even with the number of Sox players on the DL, it was an excellent outing. I managed to get only a few funny looks as I worked on another baby hat.

This hat isn't for anyone in particular. I just needed a small project to take with me on my commute. I should have selected a pair of socks to work on (still 2 more to complete in order to cross it off my crafty resolutions list) but the last two hats knit up so quickly, that I was looking for some more instant (or at least quick) gratification.

This hat will differ slightly from the blue version I just finished. That hat used the umbilical cord hat pattern from Stitch n' Bitch and for this red version I'm using the Berry Hat pattern (can be found here). This pattern is also super easy - only minor counting and color changing involved when you get to the last few rows. Otherwise it is just knit, knit, knit all around. Less likely to lose your place when you have to look out for foul balls heading your way.

What has been your experience with knitting or crocheting in public? Good, bad, indifferent?

Completed Project: Berry Baby Hat

2010-09-01T19:00:00.004-04:00

Started on vacation and completed in just four days...

As always, details on Ravelry.

This yarn was purchased at the 2010 Knit and Crochet Show. I'm still debating whether or not to add a leaf or two to the top. I might but it will be whenever I get around to it. This hat doesn't have a recipient in mind yet - but I'm sure that it will soon enough. I'm thinking it may be perfect for my friend due in November. A lot of us (including the Mom) think it will be a boy - but maybe I'll make a red one just in case it's a girl.

Shore Living

2010-08-31T18:45:00.014-04:00

To celebrate my DH's birthday, we headed to the Eastern shore for a few nights. Staying in our favorite town, St. Michaels, we were able to really enjoy our time there. Past visits were only day trips that always seemed to end too soon. Not this time - this time we were able to see and do all the things we wanted to over a few relaxing days. We went to the maritime museum, the St. Michaels museum, wine tasting, a cruise on the Miles River for long afternoon ride, lunches and dinners at so many wonderful places, and great accommodations at the B&B.

And knitting - lots of knitting...

at the winery...

on the boat...

at dinner...

and (though not pictured) in the room and at the LYS sit and knit.

The sit and knit took place at Frivolous Fibers on Sunday afternoon. I had such a wonderful time meeting the new owners and the local crafters. It was a welcoming group that made the two hours I spent there fly by.

Before I worked on the new baby hat, I first finished the fourth ocean waves baby blanket. (Not before I left for the weekend, as I had hoped, but at least now it is finished.)

As always, details on Ravelry.

In total, this is three more items off my list for a Year of Lovely Things - spend a weekend in St. Michaels, go wine tasting, and go to a knitting/crocheting group.

I hope you had a lovely weekend, too.

So Close...

2010-08-26T11:45:00.009-04:00

I almost had the baby blanket done yesterday. I was rounding the border at warp speed until I realized the count was off for the final border round I had planned. Some stitch counting, math calculations, and a couple of added stitches resulted in a revised border. It's looking good, but I'm only at the beginning.

Will I finish the baby blanket tonight before vacation? Any bets? I do hope I finish it because I'd like to bring a smaller, more travel-ready project with me.

Time Traveling

2010-08-16T14:00:00.000-04:00

How did it ever become the middle of August so quickly? The last month or so has flown by at warp speed. I have gotten so little done on my perpetual to-do list. Books to read, courses to finish, plans to be made so that tasks can be completed. I really must find time this week to sit down and plan out the rest of the year. The project deadlines are approaching quickly and I must get a handle on things.

One baby blanket must be done by Labor Day so I can send it home with Auntie K who will be hosting the baby shower. Saving on shipping is always a motivator for finishing a project. If I'm true to my name, "Crochets Like the Wind" (bequeathed upon me by the Queen), I may be able to finish the blanket and find time to knit a hat, too.

I also need to finish the crocheting Masters Course by the end of August. I technically have until the end of September to finish it, but with the other projects, I want to have my portfolio completed and submitted sooner rather than later. I'm very much enjoying the swatch making so it will not be an issues of finding the motivation to complete it.

The other three big blankets must be done by mid-October. Again - another motivation for finishing is to save on shipping. The blankets will arrive with our little craft swap project celebrating the Celtic New Year. The craft projects will also need to be done by mid-October - so this means I need to figure out exactly what I'm going to be making. No specific details will be posted here as some of my frequent readers are the recipients.

If the above mentioned projects get completed, that will leave just 3 projects left moving towards the holidays. One baby blanket for a baby due in October (I'm waiting to see if it's a boy or girl before I make the blanket), one big girl blanket in bright rainbow shades, and one pair of socks for a dear friend whose blood has not yet thickened up for the cold Buffalo winters.

Note: I am not avoiding the possibilities that a) more prego friends will pop up requiring more baby blankets to be made, or b) I will get antsy to start something new (or finish something already started) for myself and that project (or projects) will sneak its way into the mix.

What are on your hooks and needles for the rest of the year? Is your list energizing or daunting?

2010-08-11T18:45:00.001-04:00

I just had to share this - I laughed so hard watching it.

Now I'm off to learn more about Pringle of Scotland (don't be mad that I don't know much about it...yet!)

Lazy Hazy Days of Summer

2010-08-10T09:00:00.013-04:00

It's hot.

It's really hot.

It's sweltering and disgusting with the temperatures approaching 100 degrees, the heat index off the charts, and the high humidity.

It's so hot that I can't get cold water from the tap. It's cool at best.

It's so hot my breakfast bar melted in my bag on the way to work.

It's so hot...it's just too freakin' hot!

The heat is affecting my brain. I can't concentrate. I'm moving from project to project, doing little bits on this one and then little bits on another. I attempted to start a newborn hat, frogging it 3 times until I just gave up.

So it may be some time before I have another completed project posted. I'm hoping by the end of August to have at least one or two things completed. But if this heat keeps up, all bets are off.

When Eight Isn't Enough

2010-08-04T10:30:00.002-04:00

I've got eight different projects going right now. EIGHT! And I feel like I need to start another one...or three.

What the heck is wrong with me??? It must be the time of year - the anticipation of autumn and cooler weather affects me like it affects most people in the spring. I'm ready for new things, new projects, new adventures!

But out of those 8 projects are two that must be completed in October and four to be completed for Christmas. I'm going to have to find a way to focus.

Who am I kidding? You know there is going to be a ninth project soon enough on either a hook or pair of needles. :)

What projects are on your hooks and needles?

Four Out of Five Ain't Bad

2010-08-02T20:45:00.011-04:00

My weekend was lovely and I was able to do most of the items on my list.

donate to charity
I found the two hats I wanted to donate to charity. They will be going in the mail this week.

send snail mail letters
Written, stamped and sent. Email is great for quick communication but there is something special about handwritten letters on pretty stationary.

try tai chi
This is the one that didn't happen. I had every intention of trying out a DVD I bought a long time ago - but it sat in the drawer while I sat on the couch crocheting (which was also a lovely activity in which to participate).

sit on the balcony, stare at the stars, and drink some wine
I did sit on the balcony with a glass of wine and Seamus on my lap. Unfortunately, the clouds had other plans and decided that stars would not be visible that evening. It was still a lovely way to spend some time relaxing.

make lasagna
Done and DELICIOUS! I made my own sauce for the lasagna which turned out really well considering I didn't know what the heck I was doing. I looked at a few recipes to get the basics down and tried to remember how my mother-in-law makes her sauce. I attempted to write down the recipe...but looking at my notes, I know I did and added a bunch of stuff that isn't written down.

I was able to harvest lots of herbs from my balcony garden. Here are chives, parsley, basil and thyme. (Harvesting was ever so appropriate for August 1, eh?)

Lots of chopping later, half the fresh herbs were stirred into the sauce (at the end of cooking) and the other half was added to the spinach-ricotta filling of the lasagna.

Assembled and baked....

The finished dish?

It is as delicious as it looks.

I had a great time cooking and I was reminded just how delicious homemade dinner is compared to most take out and frozen dinners from the grocery store. Considering what a large dish of lasagna I made and the fact that Sean doesn't eat lasagna, this will be my dinner for the next week or so. I'm not complaining, though!

Did you have a lovely weekend?

Weekend Plans

2010-07-29T09:15:00.000-04:00

It's looking like it will be quite a lovely weekend. Not weather wise - the hot and humid is still lingering - but lovely activities are on the agenda.

donate to charity

send snail mail letters

try Tai-chi

make lasagna

sit on the balcony, stare at the stars and drink some wine

Sounds absolutely lovely.

What are you doing this weekend?

Survival of the Fittest

2010-07-22T08:00:00.014-04:00

While vacation was good for me, it was not as good for my plants.

I was able to bring my herbs inside as they are in pots and easily moved. Besides the soil being a little dry and having grown toward the window, they were fine.

My container of plants grown from seeds and the beautiful red, white and purple container I planted had to stay on the balcony. In the planted seeds container, the flowers died off but the leaves were still green.

The soil was bone dry - so dry that when I first watered it, the water passed right through without absorbing much at all. Then it rained that evening. And it stormed. And the lack of proper drainage from the roof resulted in a waterfall of water on the container.

Good news - the plants survived and were thoroughly watered.

The colorful container? Well...no amount of water or rain was going to fix it. It went from looking like this when I planted it...

....to looking like this when I got home from vacation.

Depressing. I think I am going to make a trip over to the nursery this weekend to see if I can find some pretty new flowers. Suggestions?

Mid-year Review: 2010 Crafty Resolutions

2010-07-21T11:00:00.000-04:00

Time to check my progress and update some items on my 2010 Crafty Resolution list.

----------

1) Catalog all current UFOs from past years - decide what to frog, what to finish and what to throw out

This happened - yay! - so now all that I have on my hooks and needles are current, going-to-be-finished projects. The only downside is that there are soooo many going-to-be-finished projects for the rest of the year.

Let's see what will and will not get done this year as planned and what has been added to the list.

2) Projects for 2010:

Green knitting bag

This probably isn't going to happen in 2010 given the other projects I'm working on. But I'm still very happy to have kit.

Three baby blankets using the same pattern but different color combinations

Completed! See 1, 2 and 3. I've even started a fourth baby blanket with the same pattern.

Blanket for the Queen

Added to the list are blankets for the Mistress and for Perches. (I know, Perches, you wanted socks. But you so coveted the blanket at MS&W that I'm making you your own. You can have socks next year.) All three blankets are started and underway. I knew I'd have to make them at the same time, adding only 1 or 2 skeins per blanket then switching to another blanket so that I didn't finish one and then not want to work on the others.

Blanket for Brodie

It went from being a gift for her summer birthday to being a gift for Christmas. I should be able to get it done.

Make at least 3 pairs of socks

One pair is done - the blue socks for Sean. I've got plans for two other pairs, one as a Christmas gift and one for myself. I've got hope for both pairs since the blankets I'm making will be too large to take with me during my commute. The sock projects are much more portable.

3) Get serious about starting side business, to include:

Create own web site

I changed the blog address to reflect the new name. I decided against having to pay for a domain name right now given the free stuff out there, like Blogger.

Get a business plan in order

Planned, written, and working on it.

Open an Etsy shop
Create some inventory for the shop

Opened but nothing in there at the moment. I doubt I'll have anything there by the end of the year.

Add new patterns to my Ravelry shop

While I've jotted down a bunch of ideas, new patterns have not yet been written.

Design new products on CafePress

The Sheep and Shenanigans shirts do count - though they were made for me to buy. I'm sure I can come up with a few ideas to add before the end of the year.

4) Join the crochet guild or knitting guild or something

In March, I joined the CGOA. I'm planning to join the knitting guild in the next couple of years after I get my crochet career on track.

5) Fiber Traveling

Go to MS&W 2010

Awesome, as always.

Go to another fiber festival besides MS&W. Virginia? Rhinebeck? Stitches?

This one is still up in the air. Perches - when is the festival near your house?

Check out TNNA (if I can)

I found out I could not attend since I was not a professional. But - I just applied to become an associate crochet professional through CGOA. I'm hoping this will be my ticket to be able to attend TNNA next year.

Go to the knit/crochet show in July

Done and done. And I can't wait to go again next year.

6) Take a crafty class - cake decorating (final class), sewing, knitting, spinning, painting, sculpture - something! Could also count if I take a class at an LYS or at a conference

My attendance at the Professional Development Day could count toward this. I'll mark it off twice by completing the CGOA Masters Course, which I hope to finish by the end of August.

------------

I am very happy with my resolution progress to date! I'm also very excited at what the rest of the year will bring. How is your year coming along? Please share your triumphs and successes in the comments.

Knit and Crochet Show - Part Deux

2010-07-18T09:30:00.121-04:00

After the excitement of Professional Development Day, I had a couple days with family events before I returned to the show on Saturday. My sister-in-law came with me and I was excited for her as it was her first time at a fiber event. Neither of us had signed up for classes but we did find plenty to do as we made our way through the exhibit floor.

I won't give you a complete review of all the booths - you can find the full listing here - but I will tell you I found plenty to ooh and ahh over, and even plenty to buy. I got some wonderful Lerke yarn from Dale of Norway - perfect to make a few fruity baby hats. I bought a new umbrella - sheeptacular design - as well as size 8 16" Tulip circular needles for a second Marsan hat (if I decide to make another).

The blue yarn pictured is from Tess' Designer Yarns in Portland, Maine and it will eventually belong to my SIL. She was so in love with the yarn when she saw it - but she thought it would be better to get a number of small, fun things than just one skein of yarn. So I offered to get it for her as a Christmas present and she accepted. She won't get to have it until Christmas, but at least I know I'll be giving her something she really wants and will truly enjoy.

I did let her continue to fondle it when we were sitting in the lobby looking over our purchases. I didn't have a project with me (long story - brought the wrong yarn with me for a current project) so I offered to wind up a skein of hand-dyed alpaca she bought from Nightingale Fibers. We had shared a table at lunch with the owner's sister who was helping her with the booth. She has the most beautiful yarns and she even names the yarns after the alpacas. As I was winding my SIL's yarn, and staring at the skein of blue yarn from Tess', I was starting to have some major yarn envy. The beautiful hand-dyed colors....the soft feel of the yarn....the potential!

I was trying to be ever so good with my yarn diet, just getting those few skeins of Lerke for projects I knew I could make...

But that nagging, biting feeling would not subside. Daydreams of knitting with the fabulous fibers would not leave my head. The thought of going home without it was too much to handle...

Back to the market we went where I bought a skein of silk from Tess' and a skein of beautiful baby alpaca yarn from Nightingale.

And then, I felt better.

Hello, my name is Samantha and I'm a yarn addict.

The top photo is Tess' Cascade - a 100% silk yarn. Divine! The bottom photo is of Nightingale's Lilian - an 80% baby alpaca, 20% silk yarn. I can't find words to describe the soft luxuriousness of this yarn. The color is gorgeous with subtle purple hues mixed with the cocoa brown shades.

With my yarn appetite fed, it was time for the CGOA Member Dinner, Fashion Show and Silent Auction. My SIL and I were so happy to get to sit with Jean, Rita and Marty again (as we did at lunch the day before). Also sitting at our table was -- seriously, I'm not making this up -- the Editor of Interweave Crochet magazine, Marcy Smith and Vashti Braha!

There was good food and great conversation. There were favors, too - a Tulip hook, Country yarn from Caron, Adirondack buttons, free patterns and other booklets of information about crocheting. The fashion show was amazing! I don't have very good photos from where I was sitting, so I suggest you check out the fashion show winners listed on the CGOA blog. Both my SIL and I won door prizes - she received some more Caron yarn and I received none other than a pattern book by Jean and Rita! I did make them both sign it for me.

At the end of the evening, it was thank yous, hugs and good-byes. As on Wednesday, my mind was buzzing with ideas. Sleep would not come quickly that night, which proved to be a bit annoying for a 7:00 am departure home on Sunday. But it was worth it - all that I learned and experienced, the wonderful people I met, the new opportunities I see ahead of me.

It took a few days until I was able to fully digest all that happened, thus this posting was not immediately written. My attendance at the conference renewed my hopes of making a career out of crocheting and knitting. It won't happen overnight, but the foundation has been laid and I'm starting to build my dream.

None of this would have been possible had it not been for the CGOA, the Professional Development Day program and the buddy program for new attendees. There is also so many thanks and hugs to pass around to all the amazing crocheters - professional and enthusiast - who shared their time, knowledge and kindness with me. I also need to thank my husband, Sean, for agreeing to make our summer vacation the trip to New England so I could attend the conference.

To everyone - Thank you! A million times, thank you!

CGOA Professional Development Day

2010-07-15T09:00:00.027-04:00

The bags are unpacked, the laundry is done, and I've even sorted through most of my materials and purchases from the 2010 Knit and Crochet Show I attended last week. This was my first time at the conference and though I did have a buddy assigned to me who told me a bit about the event, I didn't know exactly what to expect.

I am happy to report that the experience greatly exceeded my expectations!

I got to meet such incredible people, from well known designers and publishers to aspiring crochet professionals to people who just love to crochet and knit. It was inspirational and energizing for me - dare I say it - life changing. It gave me hope that I can make some kind of career out of my crafty endeavors.

My adventure started on Wednesday at the Crochet Guild of America's (CGOA) Professional Development Day (PDD). After speeding up to Manchester in the morning (keeping an eye out for troopers), I entered the ballroom to find a place to sit. Circular tables were spread throughout the room, tables of door and raffle prizes were in view, and refreshments were provided. But the main thing I noticed was the energy in the air. People were smiling and chatting, saying hello to old friends, greeting new ones, commenting on others' handcrafted garments. It was an electric chatter of joy and fun weaving throughout the room. I found a table near the coffee (always a great place to sit) and before I knew it, I was meeting new people and feeling right at home. I introduced myself to some ladies at the table and lo and behold, who am I sitting next to but Edie Eckman!

The program began with information from Robin Chachula, followed by an inspirational presentation by Kristin Omdahl. Lion Brand then took the floor to do a marketing piece - which was fine to do considering they sponsored the day. I'm more than happy to sit through a half hour commercial about yarns that I love in exchange for free coffee. They let us check out their new line of luxury yarns (only available now via online order or in the Lion Brand Studio in NYC), and gave us free hooks and yarn to make charity squares. The morning ended with a presentation by Lily Chin, a tour-de-force in the design world with a NY attitude and personality I adore.

Lunch was next - which for hotel food wasn't bad. I had finally met up with my conference buddy who was - you won't believe this! - Jean Leinhauser. Go ahead - go Google that name if you don't know who she is. Or check Amazon for the many, many books she's written and published. She was there with her good friend and business partner, Rita Weiss, another legend in the business. Then sits down Marty Miller, the current CGOA President. You can imagine how exciting this was!

After lunch, it was time for smaller workgroups. Eight different workgroups were presented and attendees could choose to go to three of them. The three I attended were
- Ellen Gormley: The Business of Crochet (click here for proof I was there)
- Susan Lowman: Contract Crocheting (From an Editor/Designer's Perspective)
- Edie Eckman: Designing for Publication

After three hours of tons of helpful information, my brain was buzzing with ideas and excitement. I had pages full of notes, extremely helpful handouts from the teachers, and a couple of charity squares to donate. The day also resulted in over $1000 being raised for lyme disease research.

Why no more details than this? Because there isn't enough time in the day for me to write in all the details of everything I learned from the presentations, workshops and people I met. You'll just have to find the opportunity to check out PDD for yourself at next year's conference which will be taking place in Minneapolis at the end of July. I know I'll be there.

Stay tuned ... adventures from Saturday's shopping and the CGOA dinner and fashion show are up next.

Completed Project: Hat for Uncle Bobby

2010-07-14T09:30:00.000-04:00

I finished this project inbetween my days at the CGOA conference. I'm not quite sure why my hat looks so different from the photo in the pattern and on Ravelry.

My hat didn't end up with the distinct decreases leading up to the top, instead looking like sloppy seams. Was I supposed to actually SSK or just K2tog through the back loop to make the stitches twist? Was I supposed to SSK everytime or SSP when I came to a purled stitch? If you've made the hat and have some answers, I'm all ears - especially before I try to make this hat again.

As always, details on Ravelry.

New Beginnings

2010-07-12T11:32:00.000-04:00

WOW!

That's a small word for all that happened over two days at the Knit and Crochet Show last week in Manchester, NH. I really think it was a life and career changing event for me. From the amazing people I met to the new doors of opportunity that were opened, there is so much that happened.

Alas, there is so much laundry to do from a week long vacation, not to mention the other mundane tasks of everyday life that must be first attended to before anything knit and crochet related. Boring, I know - but also necessary.

Stay tuned this week for posts about the conference including the wonderful people I met and the amazing yarn purchases I made. The most gorgeous hand-dyed baby alpaca yarn ever!!!

Counting Down the Hours

2010-07-06T08:30:00.002-04:00

It begins this time tomorrow...The Knit and Crochet Show in Manchester, NH. I cannot wait! My bag is packed, my notebook in order, the location programmed in the GPS - I'm ready!

Hopefully I'll have a post or two up by Monday next week. Stay tuned!

Socializing

2010-07-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

Just an FYI that I've set up a page on Facebook for ye olde "On Hooks and Needles". If you're plugged into Facebook and want to publicly declare that you like me (you really, really like me!) then click this link and hit the "Like" button. The status updates on Facebook will feed directly into Twitter (to follow me there, click here for OnHooksNeedles).

Not yet quite sure if my foray into social networking from a crafty business perspective will work out but it is worth a shot. :)

On the Rebound

2010-06-29T15:00:00.000-04:00

My fears for my little herb garden have been replaced with joy!

The herbs have taken off since I transplanted them - compare the before photo to these!

The thyme and basil are doing the best so far. In fact, I even used some basil and thyme in my cooking over the weekend.

And the recently transplanted basil has surpassed the basil that used to look promising. It is a wonder what some more space and new soil can do!

The one on the right was transplanted into two smaller containers. I'm hoping to give them as gifts if the plants rebound as well as the pot on the left.

There was rebounding in the flower container, too! Compare this before photo with the surprises below - Johnny Jump Ups!!! (and to answer C's question, yes I planted them because of Mom)

The rest of the greenery has perked up and another Nasturtium flower bloomed.

Hope renewed in my gardening abilities!

Snail Mail

2010-06-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

These are in the mail to three special friends.

The postcard images are fun and thus allow me to cross another item off my Year of Lovely Things list. The messages on the other side are quotes that I came across while reading over the weekend. It was funny how each one distinctly seemed to be for each friend.

We'll see if I was right once the postcards are received.

I See Ewe

2010-06-28T21:00:00.004-04:00

I saw these at Joann Fabrics when buttons were 50% off. I just had to have them!

One has been attached to my crocheted purse which I will be bringing with me to the CGOA conference next week. It is a tiny little decoration but a cute one.

UFOs and Frogs

2010-06-28T10:00:00.007-04:00

The number one item on my list of crafty resolutions for 2010 is to catalog all current UFOs (Un-Finished Objects) from past years - decide what to frog, what to finish and what to throw out.

I started this when I bought the new cabinets for the craft room and I had to go through all my yarn to find out what I had and whether it had been logged into Ravelry. My stash is mostly up to date on Ravelry though some of the amounts are wrong (since I have no idea of the exact amount left after projects) and there are a few basketfuls of odds and ends and random yarns not worth inventorying.

With this completed, I can now take a look at the UFOs lingering in the shadows.

First off, I have 6 current projects in Ravelry - four blankets (1, 2, 3 and 4), a hat, and a shawl. These are all in progress and slated to be finished this year.

I have 3 hibernating projects in Ravelry - a crocheted block quilt, a flower afghan and the infamous BUBBLES bubbles scarf.

The crocheted block quilt was started back in 2007 though I could have sworn I started it before then. It's a really neat pattern to make a large quilt out of little crocheted blocks. I have this handful of blocks I made but that has been the extent of it since 2007.

While I do still love the pattern, I don't really have any desire to come back to these squares or this yarn to complete it. So - the decision is -

FROG IT!

Maybe I can use the yarn to make Christmas stockings?

The flower afghan was started with some leftover baby blanet yarn. The little flower motifs are so cute and easy to make. I've got a sizeable stack of them.

But I haven't made one of these flower motifs in a couple of years and I don't feel motivated to make more right now. I definitely won't frog them as it would only amount to little pieces of yarn. But should I throw them out? Or find a way to repurpose them? Are they worth keeping, tucked away in the cabinet for some project in the future? Your comments/suggestions are appreciated.

And that damn BUBBLES bubbles scarf. It was a wrap at first and then a scarf. I have NO DESIRE WHATSOEVER to pick up this project and work with it again. The yarn is even driving me crazy and I so do love Brooks Farm Yarn. But sometimes you just need to let go - and that is just what I think I need to do with this project. The decision -

FROG IT!

- and put the yarn up for sale/trade on Ravelry so that someone will be able to realize its true purpose and bring out its true beauty.

Any UFOs lurking around your house?

Completed Project: Crocheted Netbook Case

2010-06-26T14:00:00.022-04:00

The Knit and Crochet Show is less than two weeks away. In preparation, I was thinking what crocheted and/or knitted items I should bring with me. There is usually plenty of oohing and aahing that goes on at these conferences as participants check out what everyone else has made. It's nice to have other crafters appreciate the time and craftwomanship that goes into a finished crocheted or knitted project.

I knew I'd be bringing my crocheted purse with me, though it will be inside my shameless-self-promotion bag. I thought about making a shawl but that would be too much to accomplish in just a few weeks. Since I knew I'd be bringing my netbook to take notes and look up information onsite, I thought a cover would be a quick and easy project to accomplish.

After playing with a few ideas of how I wanted the case to look and function, I thought about incorporating some granny squares. At first, it was going to be all granny squares pieced together. Then I thought I could use the three granny squares as the flap of the case, having the buttons come through the middle. But that morphed into a band of granny squares in the middle of the case with a flap and buttons accented in the same colors as the squares.

Voila!

Besides using part of the granny square pattern (only 4 rounds of the possible 7), the rest of the case was improvised as I went along. My squares seemed a bit wonky when I attached them together so I did a DC/HDC/SC pattern to straighten things out on top and bottom. That worked a little bit but it's still a little funky. I also did a lot of crocheting in the backloop of stitches to get those fun lines to show up.

The bright colored yarn is acrylic and the ecru colored yarn is cotton. I should have used a larger hook for the blue and orange acrylic which may have lessened the mega-wonkiness of the flap.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda - I didn't. So I'm living with it since it is just for my use.

I thought about lining the bag and purchased two colors of fabric - blue to show through the crocheted stitches and squares on the outside and a bright fun yellow and orange pattern for the inside. But as I am not 100% happy with the completed project, I'll save the fabric for another project.

Ta-da!

2010-06-26T10:15:00.001-04:00

Purchased at this year's MS&W, it is now framed and hung up in the craft room. I love it!

"Beside Still Waters" by Conni Togel

Currently On the Hook and Needles

2010-06-21T09:15:00.002-04:00

As I mentioned before, I have a couple of projects I need to finish before the Knit and Crochet show taking place in a couple weeks.

First is a case for my netbook (a mini-laptop). I've been playing with some design ideas and color schemes. Besides using part of a wonderful granny square pattern, the overall pattern for the netbook is being improvised as I go. I picked up some buttons and some fabric this weekend for closures and lining the case. I'm still not quite sure how it will all work out so I'm delaying photos until then.

Another project is to finish a hat for Sean's uncle who for Christmas had given me a gift card to an LYS (see review here). I was originially going to use the raspberry skein I purchased at the store but I instead decided to first try the pattern using the blue skein of Lamb's Pride that Perches gifted to me. So far, the hat is looking good though I'm very afraid that it will be too small. Perhaps that is because it looks smaller on DPNs than it would on circulars. Once it is completed, I'll have Sean try it on for size and if it does indeed fit, I'll go ahead and make another hat using the raspberry skein.

Will both hats be done in two weeks? Plus the netbook case?

I do believe in miracles.

More Sheep

2010-06-20T11:00:00.003-04:00

Another email received - this one about the presence of sheep in photos of megalithic sites.

Great photos!

And, if you check out this link, you'll see a photo I took (though no sheep in this one). :)

Counting Sheep

2010-06-18T09:15:00.005-04:00

I received an email from the Wales tourism board (a country I must visit some day) that was pointing out less known reasons to visit. The first sentence jumped out at me for obvious reasons.

"You may already have heard about our three national parks, 641 castles and 11 million sheep throughout a country which is ideal for touring."

I forwarded it to Sean thinking he'd get a kick out of the random sheep statistic - which he did - and it led him on a search for more stats. Below are his quickly found findings:

There are only 3 million PEOPLE who live in Wales! Almost 4 times as many sheep as people--which appears to be the largest imbalance of any nation of the region.
In Ireland, they have 6 million people and 8 million sheep.
In Scotland, there are 5 million people, and 9.5 million sheep.
Also, UK overall has the most sheep of any EU member nation. Total UK sheep population was estimated to be 33.5 million as of 2007. With 22.5 million in non-England areas of the UK, that leaves 11 million sheep for a people population of 51 million in England proper.

In addition to wondering where they house and contain all these sheep, I'm also wondering how many yarn stores there are! Too few, I'm assuming, since when I was in Ireland there were none to be found.

Lovely Weekend (Part 2 of 2)

2010-06-16T10:00:00.002-04:00

Continued from Part 1...

Sean went back to bed but I was wide awake and decided to take advantage of the morning hours by going next door to the nursery to get pots and soil to transplant my herb garden. The basil in the single pot was doing so much better than the basil in the planter. The other herbs were looking pretty short and sad, too. My diagnosis is that they were just too crowded and did not have enough soil in the planter to thrive. But I would need something to replace the herbs for an empty planter is less lovely to look at than a planter with struggling herbs. Thus, I came home with some flowers and other supplies.

Seamus was intrigued...

With the new purchases, I turned this...

...into these...

...and the planter now looks like this.

This full, lush planter of flowers is what I envisioned my seedlings would grow into. Alas, they are still looking sad, small, and on the verge of dying completely.

I'm not giving up - but I'm less than optimistic that my flowers will make it to the lush category any time soon.

In summary, two more lessons learned from this year's foray into gardening.

1) I'll plant my herbs in pots instead of a planter. In fact, I'll probably start them in pots instead of the seedlings tray so they do not have to withstand my less than delicate hand transplanting them to pots.

2) I'm not starting flowers from seeds for the planters. Instead I'll buy them once they've flowered for more instant gratification.

Lovely Weekend (Part 1 of 2)

2010-06-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

T'was such a lovely weekend spent with my dear, dear friend Perches. Not even three hours of traffic and single lane, winding back roads could damper the excitement of visiting with friends (though my nerves were a bit frazzled and poor Sean had to deal with me).

It is a beautiful area of Virginia with rural countryside and yet access to more urban amenities just outside of Fredericksburg. Seamus particularly liked the large expanse of grass in Perches' community, though the chirping of birds in the morning put him on high alert during our walk.

We went to the Virginia Renaissance Festival on Saturday mid-morning, after sleeping in a bit and getting some breakfast. It is a newer festival, compared to the Maryland Renaissance Festival that is celebrating its 30th year. There is less land to work with so it is on the small side (no map needed except to tell you which stage is which). Nonetheless, it is a charming festival with both tents and activities on the field and in the woods. The cast was in great humor and in great costumes, the vendors had good wares to sell, and the storyline of Queen Elizabeth and pirates was thoroughly entertaining. I thought the VA festival had many more hands on educational opportunities than MD, which was nice. You could learn about gunpowder, the history of beer, how the Queen would have feasted in her court, etc. There were also more activities for the kids, such as crafts and learning about various trades. But what the VA festival lacked most was entertainment. The musical acts were okay but not great, and the other types of shows, like the magician/storyteller, were only mildly entertaining. Compared to Maryland's festival, it was no competition. I'm not saying this as a detriment to the festival - it is still a new festival and will improve as it grows. I'm just being honest so that if you have gone to the Maryland festival, you know how this one differs.

I did get some good photos of the day to share.

Sean and I stayed for about three hours total when the heat and humidity were just too much to handle. We headed home for cold showers and a change of clothes then went back to pick up Perches. How she survived the day in all those layers of costume, I don't know. We went to dinner in historic Fredericksburg which is full of Civil War era buildings that have been transformed into restaurants, offices, and boutique type shops. It is also a very dog friendly town. We're looking forward to a future trip to explore more of downtown and the surrounding area.

Our visit was over before we knew it and we left quite early Sunday morning. It was already 75 degrees at 7:00 am with close to 100% humidity. Ick!! We said our thanks and goodbyes and hit the road. We made it home in just 90 minutes - half the time it took us to get there on Friday.

My weekend of lovely things was not over yet...stay tuned for Part 2.

Completed Project: Sean's Socks

2010-06-14T20:45:00.004-04:00

It took a couple years after buying the yarn to actually get the socks made, but finally, here they are in all their glory!!!

Socks for Sean - size Men's Large, Socks that Rock Yarn - Colorway "In the Navy"
More details on Ravelry

These are the largest sized socks socks I've completed to date, and unlike my last pair - which I loved and Perches loves - this time the yarn weight matches the needle size and the pattern.

Sean really likes them. When I finished them and these photos were taken, he wore them as long as he could until his feet were too hot to keep the socks on. He's looking forward to winter when such warm socks will come in handy.

One pair down and two to go on my Crafty Resolutions list. I have plenty of skeins of sock yarn from which to choose. I do know who I will be making a pair for next, I just have to pick out the yarn. I'll also make a pair for myself, probably from the Lion Brand sock yarn I picked up in NYC. Maybe I'll have that completed before Halloween..but I'm holding myself to that deadline. Before any other socks can be started, I've got a couple of what I hope are quick side projects to complete before the Knit and Crochet Show.

A Weekend of Lovely Things

2010-06-10T09:30:00.003-04:00

When I find the time, I must update my Year of Lovely Things list. I have done a lot more than is currently crossed off, and after this weekend, there will be two more to take off the the list.

It's a two-for-one special as I will get to visit Perches and attend the Virginia Renaissance Festival. I had orginially thought that the "go to a renaissance festival" item would be crossed off the list in the fall when the Maryland Renaissance Festival takes place. Will two trips to a Renaissance festival make up for the craft room not being painted?

This will be my first ever to the Virginia festival so I'm interested to see how it differs from the Maryland festival. Most notably, the Virginia festival takes place at a winery - no complaints here! Also, the story line is about Queen Elizabeth, instead of King Henry VIII and his ever-changing cast of wives, and there appears to be a focus on all things pirate. YARRRR!!! . I'm most excited to see Rose Sprout live and in action.

I'll have my camera with me, and hopefully a new project to work on if I can finish Sean's socks tonight. Do you have anything lovely planned for your weekend?

A Crafty Start to Summer

2010-06-01T21:00:00.007-04:00

Summer heat is not usually the time to begin making large, warm blankets made of Homespun. Leave it to me to defy conventions as I have started such blankets just as the summer begins, the temperatures are soaring and the humidity is disgusting. The blankets have two skeins crocheted in each which means that they are just a skein or two away from not being portable on my commute.

No worries though as I'm again able to work on Sean's socks. I picked up another set of DPNs and after a very delayed train ride home, I've just turned the heel. With any luck it will be completed this week or next and I can then focus on a blanket that I hope to have done by July. This will take a miracle, but I'm trying to be optimistic.

Speaking of July - the 2010 Knit & Crochet Show in Manchester, NH is just a month away! I'm too excited about it, especially the Crochet Professional Development Day. There will be so much information to absorb in just 8 hours and so many wonderful people to meet and with whom to network in just a few short days. I've been paired up with an amazing mentor (a buddy program for newbies at the conference) and I've been trying to stay on top of the messages on the groups and Ravelry pages.

Over the weekend I learned of another friend who is expecting. After congratulating her, I immediately asked when she was due. Lucky for me, she's not due until October so I have some time to get a blanket made. They are not going to know the gender until birth so I'll probably do a similar gender-neutral blanket as I did for their first born. I'm happy to report they still use the blanket each night during storytime.

I guess this post is a bit muddled - like my brain in this ungodly humidity. At least I remembered to use spell check, right?

Knot Your Average Dog Toy

2010-05-22T16:00:00.004-04:00

When you have a knotted mess of cheap yarn that isn't worth the time or aggravation to unknot - you can make a puppy very happy.

Surprise!

2010-05-22T10:30:00.005-04:00

Look at this surprise that showed up yesterday...

It is the first of what I hope is many Nasturtium flowers. Yay!!!

Survival of the Fittest

2010-05-20T15:00:00.010-04:00

It appears that my herbs and flowers survived the somewhat traumatic transplanting from last month. I'm not really sure how big each type of plant should be right now so I don't know if they are on track or behind schedule. But they aren't dead and that is a victory in itself.

A few of the flowers are struggling, which I expected they might since the package said Nasturtium don't do well with transplanting. One is definitely looking good with strong green vines and bright color while the others tend to fade from green to yellow on occasion. The dahlias are getting taller and the Johnny-Jump-Ups seem to be progressing. Ironically I've forgotten which plants are the forget-me-nots. I'll know when/if the flowers bloom.

The herbs are doing well - from left to right is basil, chives, parsley, thyme, rosemary and lavender. They took some injury during a tremendous downpour a few weeks ago. The water cascaded from the roof of the building directly into the container. I rescued them when I saw what was happening but some damage was done, especially to the basil and chives.

The small pot of basil is looking great. Time will tell just what a mistake it was putting all these plants into one container. Perhaps all I'll need to do is transplant them to more containers. It they do well, there will be an abundance of pesto made this summer.

Completed Project: Ocean Waves Baby Blanket - the last one!

2010-05-18T16:00:00.006-04:00

This blanket took waaaay too long to finish. Sure, I was distracted by other projects and life in general...but there's no good reason why this blanket wasn't done by the end of March instead of the middle of May. But now - finally! - it is finished. The baby boy for whom it was made is still shy of 5 months old so I think he'll still get plenty of use out of it.

As always, full details available on Ravelry.

I really love the color combination and prefer the bolder hues to the pastel ones I thought I might use. The border is different form the one in the pattern which made it bigger (finished size is 26" square) and gave it more texture and visual appeal. It's Lion Brand's Baby Soft yarn that is machine washable and dryer friendly - a must for baby blankets I make.

The completion of this blanket also completes an item off my list of crafty resolutions for 2010! Yay!!!

Birthday on the Shore

2010-05-17T19:30:00.011-04:00

My wonderful husband took me to St. Michaels over the weekend to celebrate another anniversary of my 29th birthday. The weather was absolutely gorgeous - sunny and warm but not hot and not humid. We took a 90 minute boat cruise on the water where I was able to get a few rounds done on his socks. I was glad to be on the easy part of the sock because the scenery was distractingly beautiful.

After docking, we had lunch at our favorite restaurant in town. This was then followed by a leisurely stroll through town which included a stop at Frivolous Fibers. I had seen a couple of patterns at their booth at MS&W but thought I would rather get it at the store than carry it around at the festival. The patterns are for purses - both knit and both with the option of felting. I decided to buy the handles for both patterns, too.

The handles were a definite splurge since the horse bit looking handle was $30 and the other was about $15. But I loved them both, I knew I could not find them at Joann's, I knew that they would be way more expensive with shipping to buy online, and I was supporting a local business. Not to mention, it was my birthday. (Aren't I great at justifying yarn store purchases?)

I looked at Sean and told him honestly - these bags may not be started until a year or two from now. He just smiled. And then I smiled. And then we both laughed. I so appreciate that he puts up with me and my fiber addiction.

I don't think I posted about this yarn, Knitcol Trends, that I also bought at Frivolous Fibers, though it was from a trip back in March. This should (fingers crossed) be a quick project of a baby hat for one of the babies due in November. If I run out of time to make a blanket, at least the little one will get a warm hat to wear.

We walked around town a bit more, bought some treats for Seamus (who had to stay home since he would not have been allowed on the boat), and got Sean a new hat. It was such a wonderful day but before we knew it, it was time to get back in the car to drive home. The only thing sadder than the trip being over was arriving home to find that one of my DPNs was gone. I guess it liked the boat so much it decided to stay there.

Sheep & Shenanigans 2010

2010-05-13T09:30:00.000-04:00

It takes some time to recuperate from a sheep and wool weekend and this year's Sheep and Shenanigans was no exception. In fact, it feels as though I needed more days than ever to get back to real life thanks to the absolutely wonderful weekend I had with my girls. Hence, the story of the weekend is being posted more than a week later.

Instead of giving you the play by play of events (which would be an epic blog post considering al the hilarity and randomness packed into the weekend), I'll share just a few highlights. There was talking and catching up, giggling about boys and cooing over the bebe, lots of feasting and merriment, and a few Wii sporting events. Seamus had a wonderful time and was his usual social and bouncy self. It was a lot for him as this photo will attest. I give you - the tiredest puppy ever - and this was only on Friday afternoon! He was playing with his stuffed animal and promptly fell asleep mid-play.

The festival was wonderful as always. While the weather was beautiful and sunny, the temperature was a bit too warm to handle. We headed to the big barn first, not only to avoid the major crowds but also to avoid the heat. The barn gets hotter as the day goes on, from the lack of air circulation and the ever increasing mass of people. When we got there, it was already crowded but not as bad as I had feared it could be.

Though I didn't have any plans to buy yarn, I did come across a yarn company I had not previously heard of - Miss Babs hand-dyed yarns. And, though I didn't have plans to buy anymore sock yarn given the numerous skeins I have at home, it was beautiful sock yarn that caught my eye. They are sitting in a beautiful Carnival glass bowl I bought recently from Etsy.

Something new that caught my eye this year was a weaving booth, as in basket weaving. I'm sure it has been there previous years; this was just the first year I stopped by to look. I found what I hope will be an easy to weave hair clip. The kit makes two so I have a backup if I mess up the first one.

After the main barn, we made our way to the smaller barns of goodies. After pushing my way through one barn, I had had quite enough and volunteered to watch Bebe's stroller as the other girls walked through the remaining barns. I did get a chance to walk through the sheep barn and take some cute photos. A few are below or you can see them all on Flickr.

It was close to noon when we made our way to the shelter of shade beneath a large tree to eat lunch. It was another great idea this year to bring our own lunches. I find the festival food to be overpriced, not very tasty and for the most part, quite unhealthy. We did treat ourselves to some ice cream, as is tradition, and at only $4 for a dipped cone it was worth the price on a hot May day.

After calling our chariot to retreive us, we made our way through some other lanes and saw other vendors, trying in earnest to find out where Brooks Farm had gone. A number of vendors had moved this year to a larger area which was great for their booths (more space) but a bit frustrating for us (hard to find them). One of the vendors who moved and whom I wanted to see was the artist, Conni Tögel at the Charisma Art Gallery. I bought one of her small prints a couple years ago and it now hangs in the craft room. I was hoping to find another print for the craft room, though it would need to be one that I absolutely loved - not just one that I sorta liked. While flipping through the prints, one caught my eye immediately.

It's called "Beside Still Waters" and I just love it! The colors, the trees, the happy sheep - all of it. I'm going to get it framed and either replace the flowers photo with it or hang it to the right side of the cabinet in the craft room.

When Sean arrived, we climbed into the van, tired and hot but happy and content. And also sunburned - bright red on my arms, chest and ouch! my head where my hair is parted. (Note to self - next year remember sunscreen and big, floppy hat.)

Tradition continued with a viewing of Auntie Mame and a dinner of pierogies. Sadly Perches and Bebe had to miss dinner and a movie. They needed to head home a day earlier than planned which was probably for the best considering the rest of us were up until 3:00 am. Or was it 4:00 am. Whatever it was, it was waaaaay too late because Sunday morning arrived too soon. It was time for breakfast, and lots of it. French toast, homefries, bacon, sausage, eggs, fruit, yogurt - so much of it and so delicious. Food that was great for a hangover as well as keeping us full until dinner time.

After breakfast, there was time to knit, crochet and talk. But alas, the minutes moved so quickly that it was suddenly time to drop off the girls at the train station and airport.

And thus, before I knew what happened, Sheep and Shenanigans was over. A whirlwind of activities and laughter and much needed girlfriend time had come and gone in what felt like hours, not days. But my soul was recharged so there was no sadness, leave for the fact that MS&W 2011 was now a full year away.

Thanks to "C", we've got a notebook in which to chronicle our shenanigans, not only for this year but for years past and those in the future. I'm not sure how next year will top this year, but I have no doubts that it will.