Plugged Back In

The internet is finally up and running at Casa de Crocheting Commuter. Time for some updates!!

Girls Weekend

It was a freakin' blast! We went to Stitches East, did sightseeing in downtown DC, and laughed and laughed and laughed! Laughter is the best medicine for sure - followed by a frosty amber beverage to wash it down. :) Too many inside jokes to share here - did somebody say viking hats and stick-on mustaches? I'd also like to pat myself on the back for being Sammy-bombs, the Rock Star.

Stitches East

We only went for the Marketplace and I'm happy to report that I did very well with my plan to only buy a few things. There was plenty to choose from, that's for sure, but I wound up loving this yarn at WEBS:


Valley Yarns 2/14 Alpaca Silk in Burgundy and Olive

And I picked up a bit of this:


Vally Yarns Longmeadow in Coral, Melon and Lettuce

I don't know what I'll make with this, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. The Mistress - who until walking onto the floor of the convention center had never picked up a knitting needle or crochet hook in her life - found lots to buy. And by the end of the weekend, The Queen had taught her all the basics and she showed me how to yarn over. Good times, indeed!

Super Secret Sam Project

The Queen presented me with the "Super Secret Sam Project" that was keeping my interest peaked each time I saw it under her side bar. Now, it is a secret no longer!

Behold!



I knew right away what this was...do you need a clue?

"Good morning star-shine, the Earth says hello..."

Why yes, it's Mr. Burns from The Simpsons, Season 8 and the episode "The Springfield Files". When this episode first aired, The Queen and I absolutely lost it when we saw Mr. Burns singing. Here's a screenshot (thanks to the Queen) and the doll:



The Queen is still working on making a hospital gown for him, but I love it just as he is. Thanks, Queen!

WIPs

I've been working on another doily project with the pattern, Ripe Wheat Doily. I'm not going to post details or photos about it until it's done because 1) it only looks good once it's ironed and/or blocked and 2) I'm lazy.

I've got two other projects in the works - one is a blanket for my brother-in-law's girlfriend and another is a scarf I'm making for one of my best friend's friends. I had made her a scarf a couple years ago and her friend so admired it, she wanted one, too. As I'm a sucker for compliments on my work, I of course agreed to make one for her. It's an easy project and should take less than a week to complete.

I'm also going to try and make a few squares for the San Diego Wild Fire Blanket Project (see the Blogger page and/or the Ravelry group). I've got some yarn in my stash that should work nicely for that.

My Stash

The moving in has gone very well and Sean and I have accomplished quite a bit in just a week and a half. One of the pressing issues is where my stash will reside. The office is getting full of desks and bookshelves and until those boxes get unpacked, here's where my stash resides:



Those two boxes contain all my yarn (except some yarn in a wicker container out of the photo). The bag is full of fabric remnants from a sewing stint I had a few years back. This little corner resides in our sunroom - which currently has no purpose other than to store other boxes that need unpacking:



Sure, this room would be great for a formal dining room...but wouldn't it be better as a craft room? A couple of big, squishy chairs next to a couple of shelves full of baskets brimming with yarn?

Samhain

With the pagan New Year tomorrow, I so wish I could take the day off as a religious holiday. But if I do have to go to work, at least I can wear jeans and claim it's part of my Halloween costume.

And yes, I'll be wearing the aforementioned Viking hat. :)

Happy Halloween!!!

A Quick Hello

Howdy from the land of boxes and packing tape!

Slowly but surely, we're settling into our new digs. The only drawback of the move is being without cable or the internet at home. That should be remedied early next week. In the meantime, we're unpacking and unpacking and unpacking - with a break this weekend to celebrate our first anniversary. I can't believe it's been a year since the wedding! And finally, I'm able to unpack all the wedding gifts and use them now that there is room to store them.

And even with all the moving, I found time to buy yarn for Christmas presents. Just plain old Lion Brand Homespun for a blanket and a scarf and both projects should work up quickly once started. Photos and progress will be shared once I'm back online at home - CHERRS!

Will Be Back Soon...

We moved into the new condo today - huzzah!!! While this is very exciting, it does mean that I won't be able to blog for a while as I'll be very busy unpacking and we won't have internet or cable until 10/30 at home. Don't miss me too much. :)

Completed Project: Colorwaves Afghan

I actually finished this last week, but just haven't had the time to post about. All in all, about 2 months to complete. Would have been faster if I could carry it on my commute.

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Pattern: My own - just double crochet back and forth; border is one round of single crochet, 1 round of treble crochet and 1 round of single crochet

Hook size: I (5.5 mm)

Yarn: approximately 12 skeins of Lion Brand Colorwaves in Caribbean

Size: 59" by 46" (approximately)
Unless I'm using a pattern, I don't really plan on how big the blanket will be. I just chain away until it feels big enough and then start the blanket. This one seems like a great size for a nap on the couch.

Modifications: The only modifications are that I need to wash and block it (the size is approximate because it's a bit wonky in shape right now) and I need to figure out who is getting this for Christmas. :)

I don't usually post this kind of stuff here on the crochet blog, but in honor of Girls Weekend, here you go. Both The Mistress and The Queen will get a kick out of what I feast on.

Your Monster Profile

War Troll You Feast On: Jack and Coke You Lurk Around In: Olive Gardens You Especially Like to Torment: Emo Kids

What's Your Monster Name?

Prompted

There's a new blog called Stitch-Stirrers which has "prompts and other fun stuff for the crocheter."

While I originally wanted to participate in all of them, I haven't. (Bad, Sam! ::slaps hand::) So here goes my first one - and please note, I probably won't keep up with every week. But I do appreciate the thought and work Tracie puts into it. :)

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Oct. 7 Prompt: Why Do You Do It?
If someone asked, "Why do you do it? Why in the world do you crochet?", would you give them a long response or a quick and easy one? How would you reply?

Quick response: I enjoy it. It's relaxing and it allows me to be creative.

Long answer: I really enjoy it. It's so relaxing, even meditative. Crocheting gives me a creative outlet to play with shapes, colors and textures. Trying new patterns and techniques challenges my mind and keeps me thinking. Gifting crocheted items gives me immense joy as I try to weave into each project happy thoughts and good vibes that I hope carry onto the person who receives the project.

Crocheting allows me to create something tangible - different from the emails and reports I do at work. I crochet on my commute because I feel like I am being productive during all that down time. And given my Grandmother was a notorious knitter and crocheter, I feel a strong connection to her whenever I pick up the hook - because most of my hooks used to belong to her. :)

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T-Minus 2 Weeks

It's official - we've got a closing date and a moving date. The moving date is 2 weeks from yesterday so the preparations have truly begun. The forms for address changes are in, the new insurance policy is bought, and the boxes are going to be packed this weekend.

Actually, I'm supposed to start packing right now, but I can't seem to bring myself to start. You're talking to the Queen of Procrastination here.

Crafty things have been going on, but less so given the preparations for moving. I ordered a book called "99 Snowflakes" which has 99 patterns for crocheted snowflakes (duh!). I so enjoyed my first doily, that I thought a lucrative side business may be to make crocheted ornaments and either sell them at craft shows or online. After a quick search of Etsy, I'm not worried about any competition. I've also started another doily as I enjoy the intricate work using a small needle and crochet thread as well as the ease with which I can carry it on my commute.

Next weekend is Girls Weekend when the Mistress and the Queen will be traveling to Maryland. We'll be stopping by Stitches East (major thanks to the Mistress for putting up with the Queen and my fiber addiction) and I'm only going to buy a few thing. Only a few. Really.

So it's a busy couple of weeks leading up to the move. On top of limited time to be crafty, who knows how long it will take for Comcast or Verizon (not sure which we'll go with) will have the cable and internet hooked up so I can blog. Stay tuned... There's a new crochet corner to be established in the new place!

Completed Project: Pineapple Petals Doily

My first doily is DONE! I even ironed and starched it - which made it look a lot better than it did non-ironed.

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I've got two photos of this to share...

This one I enhanced the brightness and contrast.


This is the regular one so you can see what the color is really like (and the wrinkles in the pillow case that I used for a backdrop).


Pattern: Pineapple Petals Doily

Hook size: 6

Yarn: Less than 1 skein of J.P. Coats Classic Crochet Thread size 10 in Victory Red

Size: 13 1/4" diameter

Modifications: I used a larger hook and different thread so this doily is larger than the pattern (9 1/4" diameter). I also used this bright red instead of white or ecru. I love it!

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For my first doily, I really happy with how this came out. I especially enjoyed learning the doily and lace techniques and making the pineapple pattern. The main problem I had was due to my gauge. You can see the chains between the pineapples are a bit wavy because they are too long. Oh well - it's a first project. Maybe if I blocked it, it would be better. But I don't think I'll be getting a big foam board to create a doily blocking board until after we move.

But now - what to do with this doily?
Do I give it as a Christmas gift?
Or sell it?
Or just pack it away?

Suggestions welcome. :)

Anticipation

The condo...delivery date pushed back AGAIN. Ah, the joys of new construction. Not the builder's fault - it's all about BG&E. Whoever heard of an electric company having meters on back order??? And considering the electric rate raises that have been put through, you'd think they'd have plenty of money to have meters in reserve. I think on my next bill, I'll just put a note that my money is on back order and I'll send it when it arrives.

Girls Weekend...The second week of October - and it will either be right before or right after we close on the condo. We'll have a fabulous time among the boxes ready to be transported to the new location (or the boxes recently moved to the new place). A good amount of wine will make it all look like modern art, I'm sure. And Stitches East - oh, yeah, we'll be there!

New employment...Sooo looking forward to finding the right job at the right salary in the right location. It's the trifecta of employment satisfaction that I'm looking for...here's to finding it.

Crafty things...No new projects to speak of as the above 3 items are consuming my time. It's good, because I really must finish what is already on my plate before diving into another project. Unless I find something so fun I just can't help it. :)

New Project: Pineapple Petals Doily

I've jumped into yet another new project and this time it's a new brand of project, too - DOILIES. And not just your grandma's doilies.

That's what people think when they hear "doilies", right? These random, frilly, lacy things laying around on every available flat surface of your grandma's house, under crystal vases and candy dishes filled with salt water taffy (YUCK!).

Well, I happen to have found doilies to be a new challenge in broadening my crochet repertoire. Using thread instead of yarn and wielding a tiny little hook to create beautiful lace designs seems like fun. And for my first ever doily project, it's going well.



The pattern is Pineapple Petals Doily and I'm using J.P. Coats Classic Crochet Thread size 10 in Victory Red with a size 6 hook. I don't think this is the right yarn or hook size but that's what I had in my stash and this project is really just to try out the technique and pattern reading. So far, so good. I think it will be better once I block and iron it. Stay tuned...