Happy cow

I bought the counted cross-stitch plastic canvas cow from the Salvation Army. It was very well-made from yarn. It has a compartment that I am currently using to store scissors, aluminum crochet hooks, and remote controls when they are not in use. The brass bell around its neck jingles. Next to it is the second sweater can cozy that I made using black bouclé yarn and surprisingly soft pink bulky yarn that was also a thrift store find.




I made this slipper months ago by now. I still need to sew up the back seam and make a second one. I'll get on that for sure one of these days.





Had my second yard & porch sale on Saturday. Was a sunny day. It got so hot that I was so glad for it to be over with so I could stop complaining about the heat and bees/wasps flying in my face. Have been putting the unsold non-crochet items in the attic and organizing the unsold crocheted items. I have selected three blankets that I would like to donate.

I visited my friend Kathy yesterday at her home for several hours. We ate cheesy bread and pizza from Papa Murphy's. We sat outside on her porch after we gave her husband instructions for replanting hostas in front of the house. I worked on a gradated stripes blanket that I've been making for myself while she held the large skein of Red Heart "Claret" yarn. It will probably be long and enough to cover the top of a twin-sized bed.

It's a chilly, whitish gray day which is a signal to get cozy and relax. My plan is to watch recorded Lifetime movies in the office bed while crocheting another blanket that I've been working on until it's time to go on errands late this afternoon.

Apples & Honey

Visited Honey Hill Orchard on Sunday. The shop is in a garage. There were many bags of apples, containers of honey, apple cider, donuts, caramel apple pie, and apple fritters among many other items. It smelled wonderful in there.

There were a few Cheese Days booths featuring many, many colorful Native American crafts and CDs for sale. The man below had just finished playing a wind instrument along with a CD when I took his pic.

Photo from my August 30th yard & porch sale of me and my special friend/#1 customer Kathy holding up the "Happiness" blanket which will be up for sale again this weekend. I think if I don't sell it on Saturday or when I host my first crochet boutique next month, I'll donate it to a nursing home as a cheery lap blanket.

These were going to be washcloths that I was making to use up the skein of soft yarn that they were made of, but Kathy purchased them for her elder daughter who will most likely use them as doilies. You can left-click for a closeup of the shell edging that I did for the first time on them.

Also up for sale will be this set of single crochet coasters and a mat made from cotton yarn in a variegated Peaches & Creme shade called "Lemonade."

Today I will continue crocheting fall-related decorations that I will have available at the Saturday sale. Right now the orange and Soft White pumpkins of various sizes exist as retangles. I'll be crocheting my first apple soon. I'm thinking that I'll use Caron Simply Soft "Autumn Red" and also "Limelight" to make a green one. I'll be sure to share pics.

Swiss roots celebration

On Sunday I attended the Cheese Days festival in Monroe, Wisconsin. Attending events with large crowds is something that I generally try to avoid, but I was motivated by my desire to see the crafts.

Believe this building is called Rathskeller Inn and Turner Hall bowling alley.















There was a man performing songs on stage. First time hearing a yodeler live.













Looked the craft booths. I didn't notice any booths with handmade knitted items if there were any. Three booths featured crocheted items.














Crocheted scrubbies and hanging kitchen towels from the same booth.


What I learned from the experience was to bring my own food the next time I attend such an event. Seriously considering acquiring a baby stroller to push my stuff around in. There were many strollers being pushed by attendees, but they all contained children.

To learn more about Green County Cheese Days, go to this site:
http://cheesedays.com/

Destination: unknown

I finished the double crochet "Lullaby" blanket with reverse single crochet around the edging yesterday. I'm going to offer it for FREE on Freecycle this weekend. I made it knowing that I wanted to donate it and I want it to go to someone who really needs it. It turned out nicer that I imagined. It is large. It measures 36"x 43 1/2". It is heavy & thick because I used two strands held together.

Left-click on the images to see a close-up view.













Here we see what I consider to be "the money shot." Yes, yes, yes! There's nothing more satisfying than looking at a completed blanket folded up, ahhh.










I must've had a productive day yesterday. The "Corn" wool potholders turned out quite pleasing after undergoing the felting process. They're still on the porch drying. Wet wool is not a pleasant odor. Yuck!







I also finished crocheting the Soft Navy & Pumpkin scarf. Just have those fun (not really) ends to weave in!












Shades of blue scrap yarn rug that I started months ago. It'll be some time, I imagine, before I break down and weave in all of those loose ends! The sad part is that I already weaved in many of them, plus there are ones on the other side. I think weaving in ends with a needle looks better and is more secure than just crocheting over them which I used to do. I want to crochet a solid blue border around this rug which will look nice. I have two other scrap rugs to finish.

One thing about me is that I do eventually finish projects started months prior. It's nice to be able to pick up a project that is already underway.


Yesterday evening I returned to crocheting a scrap blanket that I started months ago. It has shades of orange, blue and white. Some of you have seen it before in photos that I shared of me working on it at the park. I'm adding more white to it from a 16 oz. skein of Red Heart using my favorite red plastic H hook to form clusters of two half double crochet stitches. Taking a long time. I just want to make it wide enough to be a lap blanket. Its ultimate destination? Unknown.

The pleasing result of impatience

Earlier today, with my Red Heart acrylic yarn, I began crocheting a Soft Navy blue scarf which I will add Pumpkin stripes to when I get to the ends. Also began listening to David Baldacci's Last Man Standing which is detailed and unexpectedly amusing in some parts.

The Aran Fleck headband you see is the pleasing result of impatience. Decided that I wanted to try a different "simple" shell stitch pattern and found one that looked like it would be easy. It was slow going despite reading the instructions multiple times. I decided that two rows were enough for me. I single crocheted around the edges then decreased stitches until it was time to make a chain for the adjustable ties. For the cool fall weather and inevitable winter, I will be making extra thick earwarmer headbands in various sizes as soon I can get on that streak.


Below is the manifestation of the last crochet order that I made. I like looking at the calm, restful image. Since I know the person who received the eyeglass case cover, I happened to see it in action at my August 30th sale which she attended. She opened her purse so I could drop her purchase in it and I saw the peach cover with her eyeglass case inside. I grabbed it out of her purse. I was surprised to see it again!

A variegated hunch

I wanted to see what Red Heart variegated yarn "Monet" looked like knit up so I made a pocket-sized swatch in garter and stockinette stitches on size 10 needles. The stockinette stitch is just right for bringing out the beauty of this yarn. I don't know what else I'll make with the rest of the skein. Probably something that I'll try to sell, donate or gift to someone since those colors are not my personal taste. I just had a hunch that yarn would look good knitted up.

A Country Peach & Copper Cream shawl that I made earlier in the year. Double crochet and crossed double stitches for the CP main body. Half double for the CC edging. Turned out out lovely.

Deliciously soft acrylic and nylon Red Heart Plush Chocolate yarn worked up in hdc crochet resulted in this scarf. I made another one in red which I'll be offering for sale. I got a good deal on Red Heart Plush one time when I spotted it in Walmart's clearance aisle for $2.00 a skein. Normally priced $4.88 per 6 oz. skein. I have plans to make a matching tam and scarf set for myself with the three skeins of black.

It's a another rainy day today in a series of rainy, rather warm days. So far I plan on finishing the Lullaby double crochet blanket that I've been working on. I have it in mind to start a couple knitting projects. I know I want to use my dark Grey Heather yarn in a rib stitch. Also thinking about making a set of four dish or washcloths in garter stitch (because I don't want to have to think too hard or pay too much attention) with one of the variegated yarns that I have. I can't wait to see what happens!

First Blogger post. It's photo-riffic!

It's Saturday afternoon already. I spent a good chunk of time this morning learning more about how to use the tools available for this blog and taking pics of the many crochet & knitted items that I've made. It's unbelieveable how fast those projects add up. I'll share many pictures of finished and in-progress works.

I made the Ginger Sesame Sweet & Sour Chicken last night. I just dumped some ingredients together to make the sauce to flavor it to my liking. I crocheted the Fiesta Ombre cotton potholder in Ripple Stitch months ago when I was in need of a potholder for retrieving dishes hot from the microwave.

I do way more crocheting than knitting, but I enjoy being able to do both and they can go together. Not too long ago, I crocheted adjustable ties for the soft novelty yarn headband that I knit last year. I went on a scarf binge last month using very soft yarns and made one using the same yarn with complimentary Caron Simply Soft yarn in Soft Pink and Orchid.

In progess: yellow wool potholders. They are currently rather large because they still need to undergo the felting process which I've never intentionally done to wool. Also, I just need to add loops for hanging them up. These I plan to sell. My taste in colors is rather bold for home décor and is primarily in the red family.

Green & yellow blanket posed with its coordinating sweater can. Surely a John Deere or Green Bay Packers football team will find them irresistible.

This is the baby blanket that I'm currently working on using two strands of yarn held together using a shade of Wintuk "Lullaby" which I bought a bunch of a couple weeks ago at a thrift store.

That's my hand you see holding up the aluminum hook while I take a pic with my right. I was wearing black and pink beaded bracelets that I made a couple years ago. I'm going to sell two black bracelets which would fit a person with a larger hand or wrist since I custom-made them for myself and I have wide, capable hands.

I wasn't sure how that variegated yarn would look worked up so first I did my version of a swatch which happens to be an entire baby blanket. I did a simple picot edging with white baby yarn with a rayon thread running through it which adds sparkle. The ends aren't woven it yet, but you can't see them because I hid them from you!

I made17 preemie/micro-preemie hats out of scrap yarn during my last vacation while hoping psychic energy can't be absorbed into the hats since I spent most of that crocheting time watching horror movies about serial killers and thinking about how sad it is about premature babies . . . Well, I was planning on a yard/porch sale last month and thought about which small crochet items I could make quickly. I dove into the freezer bag full of hats and, with the addition of ribbon and tulle, transformned several of them into the mini gift bags and French Vanilla sachets that you see above.

She's so lovely. This Cream & Glazed Dawn scarf is so light, airy, and soft. It'd make a luxuriously soft gift for someone. If it were my personal fashion taste, I'd keep it. In the meantime I'm just happy to look at it and touch it.

Weather permitting, the next Rita's Really Great Stuff yard/porch sale will be held on Saturday, September 27th. I will turn 32-years-old the day before, on the 26th. I hope that I have many, many craftastic years ahead of me.