Happy Holidays

Wishing you and yours a Very Merry Holiday season, no matter which Holiday you Celebrate we hope this one is the Best one yet! 

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Frogging Again

So this was supposed to be a Christmas Gift but that's just not going to happen.. This year anyway.

It all started with some poking around on the internet, I am always looking for new ideas. And I came across this stripped cowl pattern. I loved the flow of colors and I sent a quick link to a friend. She loved it too, I asked about what colors she thought would work, she decided Red, Black, Grey and White and I thought that it would make a quick gift for Christmas. To start off it has been a crazy season and I am a bit behind but I though tit would be easy to knock this out. After all I have all those colors in my stash, shocking I know! So I dug around a bit pulled them out and started on my way.

First I followed the pattern as written, 54 sc in a round. Did about 16 rows and decided it was too wide and too stiff. Frogged it and left it for the next day. Got back to it and decided to cut the stitches in half and add another row to the colors. Much better but as I went along it was still really stiff. I know that a SC makes for a solid cloth but the person I am making this for is looking for something more "soft". SO it's coming out again today,  after I fix the antlers on the reindeer hat one more time. Having a bit of problem with getting them right too. I just love the way the colors flow into one another. I might end up with a flat cowl instead of doing it in the round but still with SC or perhaps half doubles. Any Ideas? I hope to finish it up this weekend and I'll make it a New Years Present!

 I think it's time to take a break from crochet, after these projects of course and complete something else. I'm afraid I'm having a bit of a Holiday burn out. Once this is completed I'll  post a picture of my seriously changed version. My issues might stem from all of the time I have spent on Pintrest lately looking at strip quilts. I am having a hankering to knock out a few for some new babies that are on the way. Never fear I have stash for that also..

Here's hoping you were able to get all of your projects done and packages up by now. If you're in my boat , at least it's better to know you aren't alone!

Ideas for the Next Year

I'd call them resolutions but just the thought of that makes my skin itch. So I'm leaving it open ended and calling it Ideas. I'm a bit overwhelmed with the holiday rush so I'm trying to be proactive and think beyond so I'll have something positive to look forward to.

I'm also have a problem with making lists so I'll list these and then I'll be able to refer back and see what I haven't accomplished in the New Year!

1. Move the Treadmill to the Shop (It's a Barn really we're in the south on a farm after all,but he doesn't like that term), so that I can actually use it. If I use it in the house, the Chocolate dog wants to run too and I'm a bit afraid of broken legs, mine and hers. Just close her out in the hallway you say? Doesn't work. She'll stand out there and Howl like her heart is breaking, and It breaks mine, so moving it out is the only option..

2. Organize the Craft Room so I can get back there and tackle some projects. At least hang those awesome curtains and lay down the super cute rug.. Oh and make room for a dog bed. It all comes back to her doesn't it..

3. Work on some of those projects that I was talking about
  A. E was born a bit early (8 weeks to be exact) almost 25 years ago and I thought it would be nice to make some blankets for a Neonatal Center. I totally get the stress of waiting and watching others go right home. Having something homemade for her might have helped me a bit. I checked and the hospital we were in still don't do this but I have found a few that do. I'll be happy to spread them around. My goal is 25 in her honor but It might not hit that in the few months I have available.

   B. Get some of the quilting done on the blanket I started for E!. Might make a good Bday present.and boy should she be shocked to get it..

  C. Work ahead on projects for this Fall, so I'm not trying to put together inventory at the last minute..That will also shock people..I might even get more sales that way..hmmm

  D. Finish that damn Cross Stitch "Moose Welcome". It's been in the works so long the Moose may have wandered off.

4.Don't get involved in another CAL. It's already too late for that one I just saw the Moogly Crochet along. I have a coupon for Micheal's for this weekend. Might just have to go pick up some colors because the living room will be minus a treadmill and I can add a love seat in there.

5. Do some landscaping (cut back the overgrown weeds and bushes) if you want to get into the Counties' Master Gardener program.

6. Actually start working in the garden before it's the last minute, so I can enjoy it, I don't enjoy spreading horse and alpaca poop at any time but if it's cooler that makes it a bit better. That goes ditto for starting seeds in the greenhouse.

7. Take some time to do some pottery. A couple hours a week helps get those mugs out and the table set finished. Then I won't have to fight off those people who are always after MY personal mug, they'll have their own.

8. Find a charity or an organization that needs a little help. Our county is sorely lacking in everything but they are also lacking in organizations that want to help.

9. Work on being happier in my surroundings, remember that poor planning on their part doesn't constitute an emergency on my part. And I am responsible for my well being and happiness.

10. Spend more time outside, walking the dog, smelling the flowers, Posting to my blog reading in the sun, taking pictures, and make sure to  do one thing every day that makes me and someone else happy.

How many of these will I accomplish.. I hope a majority of them. I thought that 2014 was going to be a great year. I was very very wrong. I'm not as optimistic about this year but I'm working at what is best for me and that's all I can do. Hopefully things will fall into place, even if it's an extended time frame. Something is better than nothing.

Have you been thinking about the new year or are you just trying to get thru the holidays and then you'll worry about the rest? Are you one that never ever makes a resolution or are you in the majority crowd that makes them but they seem to fall off near March..?
 

 

The Hunt is on!

So I have a Meeting on Thursday for a group of Daisies that are joining my troop. I have all of their paperwork, Intro for the cookie business and other forms already to go. My issue is the craft that they will work on while I talk to mom and dad.

I thought I'd do something simple, something that they could take home with them. Ah Ha! Pony Bead Candy Canes, I remember making these when I was little and I think we still have the ones we made when E was little. And it only takes a few supplies, Ribbon, pipe cleaners, beads. Surely in this mess I have those. So I dug around in the craftroom and I found Ribbon.. Check that off, Pipe Cleaners.. yep check those off, Beads.. white ones right here.. red? red?.. nope.

So I had some other errands to run so I stopped by Micheals, out.. tried JoAnne's.. nope.. 2 Walmarts in different towns.. nada.

WHAT.. has there been a run on Red Pony Beads!? Are they the craft du jour for the zombie apocalypse? Are they not making another batch of red dye #6? I know it's the holidays but I'm not looking for red pom poms for Rudolph's nose, (which I did get the last bag of at Micheal's, sorry).

Chris says don't panic you can get them off of Amazon. Really? He must have an underlying  reason for saying that. I'll have to check the account and see what he's trying to get and just needs a bit more to get free shipping..

I'll figure this out. I do have until Thursday. I'm not panicking, yet anyway. It's only beads they have to be somewhere right?  Ask me on Wednesday and we'll see how I'm doing,..

Weather Woes

We have finally gotten back into our sort of normal weather around here this week but the problem is that we had a few weeks of February weather in the middle of Fall.

The leaves barely got a chance to change before they were frozen and fell off. Our Garden took a beating, even though we covered and hooped the rows. It was just too cold too soon.

And now it's warm again! 60 degrees right now at 4:00 in the afternoon. Not that I'm complaining by any means and have no doubt I will take this over the other that we had. But it's causing havoc with my plants!

This one of my poor Hydrangeas that think it's time to send out new shoots and leaves. 

The azaleas are fairly sure spring is rolling back around! 

It's still only December and quite a few months of fall and winter left to go around here. Hopefully we won't have the back and forth all winter. That will be really bad news for the fruit trees and such. In fact I had better check the grape vines to see if they are thinking about sprouting again. And Mother Nature if you are listening, can you keep the polar vortex up where it belongs, the south would appreciate it if you do. We enjoy watching snow on TV but we are NOT equipped to deal with it down here. As entertaining as it maybe to those up north, watching us stuck and sliding around in an inch of snow, we'd rather be spared from that this year. Once every ten years is certainly good enough around here!

Small Town Holiday

I've lived in near the state capital and I've lived in medium cities but for somethings I think small towns just do it better. Not all things by any means but somethings like holiday celebrations, they excel in.

We went last night to the tree lighting celebration in Hookerton as vendors. We lucked out the weather cooperated and it was chilly (not cold) and clear. Overall it was a great night to be outside with friends.

I should have taken more pictures of things like the tree and the kids but I did get a couple of Santa. It was very neat, they had carriage rides around town for anyone who wanted to go, complete with jingle bells. Santa ended up coming in on the carriage, in prior years he has come on the firetruck. I liked the idea of the carriage a bit better. You could have your picture taken with Santa for free, FREE, does anyone do that anymore?

We were serenaded by wandering groups of small children singing carols with their elf hats. I think that is something I can put down for my Daisy/Brownie troop to do next year. I remember doing that with a church group when I was small and it was a ton of laughs. We made fruit and cookie baskets for the older members of the church and sang for them as they were delivered...but I diverge.

They had a local radio DJ keeping the festivities rolling, their were raffles and contests for kids, local church choirs and bands. A petting zoo with a donkey that loves kids and carrots, not necessarily in that order. I was informed by one of my Brownies that she had been concerned that this donkey had escaped from the live nativity scene at the church just down the road. I checked for her and assured her that they didn't have a real donkey just real people. She decided that donkey's tend to make a mess in the hay when they hang around for a while so that must have been why they didn't use them. I agreed. Disaster averted..

Do big cities have celebrations, sure they do. They have lights, they have people and they have all kinds of flashy stuff, what do small towns have? They have the homemade elf hats and cookies for the kids. Homemade fish stew and hushpuppies by the bucket. They have people who invite you to dinner and ask about your family and they really mean it. I am taking orders for Friendship Fruit Cakes and I'm afraid I am reaching the order limit already. I'm glad to know that we'll be apart of so many holiday celebrations. It's nice to be part of a community that values homemade and handcrafted items.

I will have to say I fall strongly in the category of scrooge rather than holiday elf. But even the grinch was won over, so maybe with a few more of these outings I might too change my tune about the holidays. We have another event in the community on the 12th, a Christmas Extravaganza, I might even wear a reindeer hat if the weather permits...

Here's a good one of the horse, he was a great sport about the whole thing, He must still be seeing flashes from all of the pictures that were taken. 

And a good picture of of our local Santa in his carriage. I wonder if Ms. Claus knows he is stepping out with an Elf this year..

I made a thing Monday 12/1/14

It was a Holiday Weekend but it ended up being a wreath weekend too. I had accumulated quite a few wreath orders over the last week. I thought I would share a few that are being delivered today.

The person who ordered them wanted a simple wreath that she could use with an initial. She is giving them away as gifts and I'm doing the hard part so she says..lol

I have a few more that went out over the weekend and two more to make this week. One is has a frozen theme, we'll see how that goes.

I also worked on a few Rudolph hats for a tree-lighting we are attending tonight. We have a busy week, shows on Monday, Friday and Saturday this week. Let's hope I can keep ahead of the orders!

Hope your December is starting out busy and fruitful too!