Fresh off the loom

My hands have been very busy with all sorts of things. I do indoor gardening now. I had to move my container plants into the house to protect them from the cold. The orange blooms you see are nasturtium and they have a scent. My first time growing them. I set the plants up in the living room and turned on a lamp with three bulbs for them. There's a tomato plant behind them. I noticed today that a tiny green tomato is growing. Think it was last year when I had green peppers growing in the living room.
















After reading an article on Lion Brand yarn company's site about their charity of the month, Knit One, Save One, I got in the mood to knit a baby hat on one of my Knifty Knitter looms. Hadn't used them in several months so I had to get the instruction manual out to make sure I remembered correctly what I was doing. I started the baby hat this morning and finished it a short time ago. I'm surprised that I weaved in all of the ends and everything in one day. My first pompom.











Turned out very nicely using Red Heart "Monet." I have a freezer bag with 4 other baby hats that I made in the past that I'm going to put it in until I decide where to donate it.








Yesterday, I began crocheting a blanket that I intend to donate using the Simply Soft yarn that I received from the company for FREE on Tuesday the 14th. I'll share more about that later. You can see the in-progress blanket above behind the hat on the loom.

I have yet another colorful large blanket that I've been working on. One that I started before the Soft Blue one. It's in the colors of the rainbow. I plan on donating it to a local youth home when I finish it along with many other items that I've made, purchased, and acquired for free.

Yarn shock

I knit up some black & white yarn that I combined into one ball just to see what it would look like. That happened some time ago. With black & white novelty yarn I crocheted around a white flower thinking it would accent the knitted fabric quite nicely if I made a pouch with it. I set a heart-shaped silver button in the middle of the flower. Someday I'm going to actually sew up the seams of that pouch and attach the flower and buttons so it can be used.


I got a yarn shock yesterday. I had written an email to the public relations dept. of Caron yarn company last week wanting to know what I had to do to get free yarn for community charity projects. I had forgotten about it. I got a response! I was instructed to write another email with my name, address, phone number and email address along with what I do. I had read somewhere that yarn companies have a budget allotment for product donations, so I decided to give requesting some a try. If I get a box of yarn from Caron, I will never stop screaming--in the good way.

A blanket that I made a long time ago using double crochet stitches, a scallop shell edging. I just wanted to use up those oddly-colored yarns that I must've gotten at a thrift store. I'm going to donate this blanket.









I keep churning the projects out. Below is the second poncho I've crocheted. I single crocheted it together. I want to say that I made it in the spring. I used Red Heart in Shocking Pink which truly is quite jarring to the retinas in person. I made two panels for a black poncho in Softee Chunky yarn a long time ago that still needs to be assembled. It's not hard to do, I just haven't done it!

















This is a closeup of my first attempt with Brick Stitch using yummy Caron Simply Soft "Mango" yarn and my red plastic G hook. I'll have to insert a better pic later to better show you how delicious that shade is.








Last night I finished crocheting the Soft Navy hat that I'm going donate. Really, I'm in the mood to make a large, thick BLANKET.

I finished crocheting the large, double-stranded gradated stripes one that I made for myself, I just need to weave the ends in. Loose ends haven't stopped me from using it though. It measures 46 1/2" wide. Don't know how long it is for sure. I made it to cover me from my toes up to my shoulders.


Have it in mind to start knitting something. I've never knit anything from a pattern since I prefer my knitting to be on the mindless side. I do have a crochet blanket that I can finish up. It just needs to be a bit wider. I'll have a day for weaving in loose ends to officially complete some projects and there will be lots of short pieces of yarn all over the carpet.

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/

Pumpkins in progress

Three of the orange pumpkins you see below in a hunter green basket live with someone else now. I gave them as gifts for the recipient to do as she sees fit since I don't particularly like pumpkins as decorations. It's normal for me to make things that I don't want to keep as long as I have my fun with yarn first.

The pumpkins started off as rectangles of fabric. I half double crocheted in the back loop only. I made them whatever size I felt like at the time so there were a variety of sizes.

I gathered the bottom of the pumpkins into a round shape by weaving a strand of yarn through the tops and bottoms, cinching them closed.
They were stuffed with polyester fiber.













I used Red Heart Paddy Green for the stems on the orange ones and "Light Chocolate" wool yarn for the Soft White ones. I put the orange pumpkins in a basket that I had made months ago to conserve space the day of my yard & porch sale. I will be making more pumpkins in the near future due to public interest.

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/