Emerging from the Shadows

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!

I Blinked...

...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...

Attack of the Snow Cows

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!

Time Traveling

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?

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

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

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?

Socializing

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. :)

A Weekend of Lovely Things

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

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?

Birthday on the Shore

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.

Treasure Hunt

I was watching LOST last night and working on the third Ocean Waves afghan. There is no way it is going to be finished by Friday so I was not really concentrating on my work. I watched the show and kept shifting my seat to accommodate the dog jumping about, only reaching for my hook during the commercials.

Until I reached - and there was no hook to be found.

Off the couch came everything. The blanket was unfurled, the cushions up-ended, the floor beneath the couch searched. I wedged my hands between the chaise cushion that is firmly attached to the couch, desperately searching.

Crumbs - yes.

Hook - no.

I kept feeling about until I found a hole in the lining leading to the frame of the couch. I contorted my arm as best I could to search every place. Then - all of a sudden - I felt the familiar aluminum on my finger tips.

"Got it!" I said triumphantly, as I pulled my hand from out of the cushions. And there it was - the hook I lost back in December.

Back under the cushions I searched for the newly lost hook but to no avail. I then tipped the couch up, hoping to jostle the hook loose from whereever it was. I heard the metal hit the wood frame but where it ended up inside the couch is still a mystery. It will have to wait until the weekend when I have a chance to disconnect the chaise from the couch and flip it over to try and shake out the hook.

Did I mention that the newly lost hook was the one that replaced the hook I lost back in December? Guess they wanted to switch places.

Always Follow Your Gut

I was soooo close to having the longest weekend ever until the government reopened on Friday. Had it stayed closed, it would have been an 11-day weekend for me - from the Friday prior to this Monday's holiday. But no, OPM decided to do delayed opening/liberal leave for the day and given that I don't have a ton of leave, I made the trek in to the city.

WHAT A MISTAKE!!!

Long story short - the commute was awful both in and out of the city (ice, puddles, train delays and a derailment, and almost missing my train home) and even just 6 hours of work seemed to undo all the relaxation and enjoyment I had gleaned from the snow days.

I should have stayed home like my gut told me to ... but with so little leave, it was a hard decision to make. Next time - leave balance be damned! I'm staying home!

I tried to get back into the relaxation/enjoyment groove yesterday with a trip to Joann's for some new storage containers (40 percent off - yay!) and a new skein of Baby Soft for the third Ocean Waves blanket (yet to be started). I also got my taxes done and was able to ask some questions of my accountant about starting a small business. I've got some more information now about copyrighting and registering a trademark/brand name and also getting a tax number if I need it. My gut is telling me to pursue this crafty entrepreneurship, so I'm listening!

Today will be spent finishing the updates to my stash on Ravelry and organizing the craft cabinet. But this will done after I make my wonderful husband a delicious Valentine's Day breakfast and a batch of oatmeal cookies.

I hope you have something fun planned for your Valentine's Day, too!

Snowmaggedon!!!

It was worse than they predicted and I'm at the epicenter of the storm with a reported 32" of snow so far. Here's what I saw at 9:30 this morning. Note that this is the view from the third floor of our condo building.





Seamus soooo wanted to go out and investigate but the snow was deeper than he was taller on the balcony and 4 times his height on the ground.



I'm taking advantage of having to be homebound for the day (and probably the next 2 days). The laundry is going, some cleaning is planned, and I'm getting some blogging done. I should also have plenty of time to put together my new craft cabinet. (It's just a matter of how I'll get the empty boxes out to the dumpster.)

Stay warm!

Merci Buckets

Thanks to all for the feedback. The blog will be staying here for now, perhaps trying some new layouts or color schemes in place of packing it all up and moving to a different blog host.

In other news, the snowpocolyse redux or snowmageddon is on it's way to DC/Baltimore. I'm hunkered down with plenty of craftiness to keep me busy. I'll also have some time to blog about it all while the snow piles up outside. Cheers!

Solicited Advice

As noted in my crafty resolutions for this year, some changes are brewing here at the blog. I've been thinking about moving from Blogger to WordPress but I'm still on the fence. While the change could be fun (new features and designs) it could also be a pain (a lot of work to set up, new platform to learn, links to past posts won't work, might lose readers).

To move or not to move, that is the question.

Your thoughts and advice are appreciated.

Three years and counting...

Wow. Three years of this blog already???! It seems like just yesterday I gave up the blog of ranting and raving (the Shoe Box) for one devoted to crafting. And so many visitors - over 21,000! I hope that over the years readers have found the blog interesting, informative and occasionally funny. I've gotten a lot out of having the blog. It refocused me on my crafty pursuits and got me writing again. Maybe not writing well, but writing nonetheless. I'll look at it as a way to ward off dementia in my 30's.

Thanks to all for stopping by and reading about my crafty exploits. I'm hoping to keep it active through this year and I'm contemplating some changes to the blog - as in the title and blog host. Even for a Taurus, change can be good. :)

Happy New Year!

I guess I should say, Happy Belated New Year! I hope I'm able to catch up with this year soon as I have many things planned for 2010. My list of crafty resolutions is still taking shape as the plan for how to accomplish my list of personal resolutions is being mapped out. So far it looks like I'm going to tackle 2010 from all angles - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Physically - Not only am I going to work on getting back in shape (my physical form) I'm also going to improve my physical surroundings, such as getting new storage for my yarn and perhaps complete a few sewing projects to decorate the house.

Mentally - I'm going to work on making lists and plans that have clear goals and milestones to accomplish what I want to do. There is too much clutter up in my noggin. This includes getting down on paper and into planning a number of patterns and possibly opening an Etsy store. This also includes trying to find a new job where I feel mentally stimulated and one that doesn't suck the life from me. Something closer to home would be great, too.

Emotionally - Emotionally, I'm good. I've got the best husband ever so no worries there. It's just getting the other things - physically, mentally and spiritually - in order to reduce unnecessary stress and keep my emotional status in check (i.e. not resort to drama-queen reactions. As I learned in October, I am NOT low-key).

Spiritually - Whatever spiritual path you follow or beliefs you hold (or don't hold), that's up to you. I was fortunate enough to find my path many years ago but I've been disconnected from it for a few years now. The daily grind can do that to you if you don't make time for yourself or for important activities. I'm hoping in 2010 to reconnect with my beliefs and my path. The spinners are still spinning and it is in my best interest to pay attention to what is going on. They have a way of giving good hints as to what they are up to so that you can be prepared for what is coming.

Hope your New Year is off to a great start! (or at least a great plan)

Thankful (and crafty) Weekend

Hope everyone had a splendid Thankgiving! I know I did. I was lucky enough to spend it at home with my wonderful husband and close friends. The company was superb and the food was delicious. The only downside was how quickly the time flew by.

Perches, Mr. Perches and bebe came for Thanksgiving and stayed a couple of nights to visit. We had a wonderful time catching up, going to the aquarium, munching on leftovers, watching favorite movies, and yes - being crafty. I give you the fruits of our Saturday morning labors - reindeer!



A new color scheme for this year compared to years past. They have already been delivered to Sean's work place where people were happy to see them (and surprised they were done so early). A half dozen followed Perches home to adorn her Christmas tree and I have a handful left for my own tree. We didn't get a chance to make reindeer food but I'm hoping to do that this weekend.

I was also the very lucky recipient of these beautiful, handmade by Perches herself, stitch markers. I LOVE THEM! Seriously - when she gets her Etsy store up and running, you should buy a pair of these markers.



We also made a quick trip to Joann's on Black Friday. It was late in the evening and we were on a mission to get Perches some size 6 circular needles. What could've, should've been a 10 minute visit to the store lasted closer to an hour. We wandered through the isles, seeing what was on sale and what looked interesting. Decorations and containers, trees and swags, fabric and notions, and then the yarn department. Perches helped me NOT impulse buy yarn for a baby blanket. I so wanted the colors and yarns to go together but her eyes confirmed my own - they just didn't. I'll need to pay the premium cost to get the right yarn in the right colors from the manufacturer. I did end up buying some fat quarters which were half price. The selection was slim as it was one of the few areas ravenged by black Friday shoppers.



What am I going to do with these swatches of fabric? Your guess is as good as mine. I'm thinking they would be great as purse or pocket lining. At 79 cents each, it's okay that they don't have a predetermined purpose right now.

Hope you found time to fit in some craftiness over the holiday.

A Whirlwind Weekend Ahead

My to-do list for this weekend is daunting, and I'm not talking about the mundane grocery shopping, laundry and clean the house on the list. It is the crafty to-do's that are looking insurmountable - not each on their own, but all of them completed (or at least started) in one weekend is looking like too much. Here's the list:

• Make curtain for Office shelving
  
• Make craft room curtains
  
• Paint advent calendar
  
• Colorflow lady bugs and gingerbread house decorations
  
• Start making reindeer candy canes
  
• Christmas photo of Seamus
  
• Wrap Gifts
  
• Organize craft room

I need to get started and complete a few of these because Thanksgiving will be held at our house this year as well as a big holiday party a few weekends later. I've got to get this stuff done ahead of time so that I can focus on cooking and entertaining. I'm even going to have to break my own long-standing rule and put up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. The tree will probably wait until after Thanksgiving but the swags and Christmas lights will probably go up next weekend.

Any guesses on how much I will actually get done this weekend? And how much caffeine I'll need to ingest to tackle it all?