Maintaining comfort with lots & lots of yarn

It was asked on Rockford Crochet where we keep our stash. Decided that it would be easier to show pics. What you see is some of my yarn, not all of it because some of it is sorted into homemade kits. Most of it is in the meditation room in the tall bookcases you see below. They used to have doors on them, but I took them off so I can more easily stare at my yarn. It is very much like having a mini yarn shop in my home and it is so fun to go in there to shop! A very cheery room.

The white and off-white yarns in the hanging organizers live in the office now. I had to bring in my yarn from the enclosed porch because of the cold meaning that I don't want to go out there when I want to make a selection.

That's my Sierra Leone, Africa orphanage box on the desk next to my covered sewing machine. Accumulating and making items to send will be an ongoing project. I bought a box of 60 Band-Aids. Will remember to take some out and put them in that box since even basic medical supplies are greatly in need in such places. I happened to have some unopened hair beads that I don't think I'll use along with some non-crochet baby clothes that had been for my current stuffed animals and childhood dolls.

The first yarn I'd bought after purchasing the four trash bags full (as seen in a previous post) was 3 skeins of Red Heart Spring Green which is the same shade as Caron Simply Soft Brites Limelight. I got it from Walmart. I got really hungry for green last winter so I'm glad that they had it in stock. They only had 4 skeins of it. I did buy a pound of black yarn too.

Right now around here it even looks like "a lot" of yarn to me, but I'd still be willing to take more yarn in if anyone needs to rehome some. Has to do with maintaining my psychological comfort level so having a lot of yarn around me as much as possible is terribly important. Oh, and course it will be used too.

I usually work on crochet projects in my bedroom, the living room, porch, and office. I usually take a project with me when I go out. Takes the anger out of having to wait.

I have taken projects with me to the bathroom and worked on them there . . . Don't worry, I launder/sanitize the items that I donate to charity. Washing helps soften acrylic fabric and removes manufacturing oils, body oils, and whatever other substances may have collected on in-progress projects.

I think I've crocheted in the basement while waiting for my laundry to finish it's business. Yes, I'm pretty sure I've done it there. I'm sure I will have done it all over the house someday.

I like to write a lot so I tend to alternate between writing in a notebook or on the computer and crocheting. Recently cleared the pile of yarn and papers that accumulated on my desk.

My current project which I started the day before yesterday: Cherry Chip dishcloths. Popped into my head to make sets of them for people who have to rebuild their lives due to fires or other unexpected circumstances. Whoever needs 'em, basically. I'm on my fourth and last one for this set.

I'm probably going to switch over to making a navy blue scarf that will go with a navy blue hat that I've already made with the intention of donating it. Need something that doesn't require a lot of concentration while I watch movies on the computer.

I've also been working on a teal & white blanket. It's so nice. I'm leaning toward selling it because I'm sure someone would love it and give me money for it, but we'll see what I do when I do it.

Will be posting again soon!

Capture color

It's 7:54 a.m. I've been awake since 4 something. I've already crocheted today. I've been in my bedroom listening to Club Dead by Charlaine Harris read by Johanna Parker. It's a Sookie Stackhouse mystery. The only vampire novel that has held my attention. Very entertaining. I want to see more of the new HBO show, True Blood, based on the books. I saw some of the first episode online. It was good. Anna Paquin (Rogue from the X-Men movies) plays Sookie and she's appropriate for the role.

Color. Below are my Lilliput zinnias that live in the back yard for now. The cold hasn't killed them yet. There are some bright yellow ones back there which have had their leaves gobbled up by insects. My first time sowing that variety. Last year I had the giant profusely blooming zinnias that you see above which I loved. Next year I'd like to have gladiolas and lilies.

Yarn that I bought last year. My meditation room and bedroom are painted a deep pink coral color which is why there is a reddish overtone in some of my photos. Mmm, yarn memories.

I made this hat last year along with 6 others with the intention of donating it, but it called to me over and over again to keep it. I reasoned that I had a right to keep it since I bought the yarn and made it afterall. The others hats did make it to the non-profit agency so it all worked out. I have been wearing the pink & black hat inside the house lately. A house hat. I received several compliments when I wore it last year. I could make more like it.

This is the colorful blanket that I'm going to donate to the local youth foster home when finished. I think I'll stop with the Paddy Green round. It's already fairly large and I've got other crochet projects going on that I can't keep my hands off of.

I've worked on the Soft Blue blanket and sweater already today. I took pictures of those items plus more pumpkins that I made. My mind told to me to stage them with raffia for an organic, realistic look. I've made 13 pumpkins and I am so over making pumpkins. Too many steps. No more!

I really like looking at the pics on this site and what the group members have done for charity. http://www.halfknits.com/photos.htm

I took a closer look at the photo shown of hair scrunchies on a table. Delicious. I have cranked out so many of those. I'll have to make more and put them in a colorful pile like that and stare at them. I'm going to donate a small bag of them with the colorful blanket. I'd think they'd be handy for teen girls.

Oh, the crochet excitement!

This is a white half double crochet mat that I had lying around, approximately 9 1/2 x 12". I couldn't remember what it was created for so I called my friend Kathy and asked her if she would want a present. I crocheted simple shells around the sides and shoved it in a bag along with two bookmarks that I made using stickers that she can't remember giving to me. She called to report that she loved the peach & white "doily" and knew just where she was going to put it.




On a whim, I began making a hat (which will probably morph into a bonnet with ties) using Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Red for Daniel recently. Yes, he is pink. I've had him for 21 years--since I was 11-years-old. (Added more stuffing to his insides to firm him up.) I put a hole in the top for his ears to stick out. I'm thinking about making an entire outfit for him. Tempted to make a poncho for him. Yes, I think he would like that since it's been getting colder.

Colorful, striped blanket that I started a few days ago. I've been weaving in the ends as I go along so I won't be faced with weaving them all in when the crocheting fun comes to an end. I'll probably give it away when I'm done making it. I just want to see how those stripes will look.

Yesterday Karen from Rockford Crochet picked up the cheery "Happiness" blanket as seen in a previous entry which will begin it's journey to an elderly woman residing in a Nebraska nursing home. She also brought me some YARN!!! which I've already begun using for charity items.

This morning I began making a second ribbed charity hat in Red Heart Soft Navy yarn. I also collected five others that I made some time ago that I have in mind to donate to a nursing home for indoor wear.

It's terribly exciting donating crocheted items. I never would have imagined how much so. Causes an adrenaline rush, I believe. I've discovered that I giving FREE things is just as thrilling as getting them. So exciting. I came across another Yahoo! crochet group called Stitches of Love which is about crocheting things for the elderly who live in nursing homes and retirement centers. My membership has already been approved!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stitches_of_Love/