Struggle

Sometimes, life just blows. "Struggle", for those of you who know me.... well "struggle" just makes sense. It's almost been a year since I've blogged. I'm alive and crocheting I promise. More to come.

Worst Blogger Ever

Yes... thats me. I win hands down, no argument. Sometimes, life just gets in the way. I suppose if I had an adoring fan base, I'd be more dedicated. As it is, I think I might be the only person that reads this. I won't go on and weigh this poor blog down with my woes, so on to crochet. Suffice it to say, I havent blogged since July, but I have been crocheting. I dont want to chat about each project like normal so we'll just do a link dump with a quick summary.

• Star Scarf - An AZ car ride expirement. Failed. This won't be getting finished


• Scrap Starghan - Started on the camping car ride, finished... I don't remember when.


• Rainbow Scarf - An AZ car ride expirement. Success.


• Pink Market Bag - Started to help a coworker learn the pattern, finished on AZ car ride.


• One Skein Scarves - Random lunch time projects, green vanna yarn, and double strand mint in simply soft.


• Blue and Green Baby Ripple - Baby blanket at the request of a coworker


• Baby Boy Granny Square - Another baby blanket at the request of a coworker...this one who crochets might I add....


• Homespun Scarves - I no longer own a camera, crappy cell phone picture of two homespun scarves, and a black and hot pink boucle type scarf.


• Horizon's Beanie - An AZ car ride project, she found some boucle in the dollar aisle that she had to have...


• Granny Square bag - Random usage of old cotton yarn, still not assembled. And cat. Sexy sexy cat.


• Elvis' Log Cabin Blankie - Who names their baby Elvis? Apparently these people.


• Elvis' Starghan - No mom didnt want just one blanket for Elvis, apparently being the King you need 2 baby blankets.


• Drop Stitch Scarf - Boredom on the same 16 hour round trip car ride to AZ


• Arizona Booty - See how productive I can be while trapped in a car for long periods of time


• Arizona Beanies - See above statement


• Moving - The grand finale.... I had to move. This is me sorting my stash. Well this is me frustrated from having to move and packing, lying on my yarn stash.

I know there is a Trojans colored beanie (the team, not the condoms, where is your mind?!) that I didnt get a picture of. There was a fall colored homespun scarf that left the house without a picture also. I worked up another boring double strand p hook afghan also, again, no picture. That's still at home though, if I get a camera, I'm on it, I promise. Current projects on the hook are a hat for my child for Crazy Hat Day at school, 2 scarves for a coworker, and my mother would like a sweater for her dog. I promise I'm working on the whole camera thing.

On a lighter note, on top of crocheting I have left the house, I promise. Chalk La Strada at the Italian Festa, pumpkins, and Halloween. Horizon and I went to the Chalk Festival as we try to every year and celebrate our culture. This drawing was so vibrant in the sun, it's always hard to believe they're done in chalk. Another favorite, I like catching the artists working on them, makes them that much more amazing. Pumpkin time was great fun also; Horizon feeding a goat (yes she has purple hair), monkey and mommy on some slightly uncomfortable hay, my brother and I and monkey (again with the uncomfortable hay), and Horizon and I with our soon to be destroyed, I mean carved, delights. Yes, we carved them ourselves. Which, by the way, takes 364 days to forget exactly what kind of pain in the ass carving can be. Horizon working on hers and the finished products. I carved the castle, Horizon did the more traditional one, and Laura did the one with eyebrows. Last but not least, Halloween. My little Ariel.

I'm Alive

No really, I promise. Life falls apart sometimes. Without the struggle, we wouldn't appreciate all the rest. I will post a crochet blog soon, really really soon. Cross my heart.

Honkeytonk Badonkadonk

Well because I have a bit of junk in the trunk and I get to see Toby Keith tonight. Yup, I'm cool. I saw Brad Paisely and Sugarland recently too. I'm a country geek.
Anywho, I have been madly crocheting, trying to both build an inventory and get projects out of the way. I think projects are a bit like bunnies, they quickly multiply. I was almost done with baby blankets, just working on my last two for the year for my girlfriend. And now, with the Cherry Blossom baby blanket finished, I have 3 more to do. I still need to work up a 2nd one for her that may match the nursery better, my mom's sister in law just had a baby boy (Elvis?!) and my mother would like to send her two (2!!!!) blankies, and my coworker would like a blankie to send to her brother. She crochets by the way, she just prefers my work, is too busy, and likes the patterns I use. It's a baby kinda year I guess. Before the last 3 blankets popped up, I did manage to start on some inventory projects. I started the Boteh Scarf (Interweave Crochet Spring 2007). I have to rip the whole thing out though, if you notice... it's backwards. I did the triangles the wrong way and the whole thing spirals inwards. I also started a stash Starghan, just something to have for the craft fair. The starghan was worked on the way to and from camping, as was the Boteh. What was supposed to be a 6 hour drive round trip, was 7 hours on the way up and just shy of 4 on the way back down. I did get time to crochet so I cant really gripe but man LA traffic sucks and it makes me cranky.
Other than LA traffic, camping was a lot of fun and it was a good 4th of July. Here is the usual recap of holiday fun times:

• My Wyatt, passed out, sandwich in hand, face in plate. He fought the nap as long as he could he really did.
• Playing horseshoes, Michael and I were on a team together. We started strong but we lost, maybe I should have drank more.
• So graceful, yet so uncoordinated.
• Mr Rogers, good in the hood. OK, so not Mr Rogers, but a grubby me in grubby pjs.
• My rockstar child playing contentedly with her Littlest Pet Shop toys in the tent.
• The girls after some margaritas (read tequila shots), Kings Cup, and Bullshit.
• Never to be forgotten, s'mores. The number one camping necessity. Well besides tents and all that crap.

Weekend Bloggerdoodle

This might be the first weekend blogging I have done, usually I make work pay me for blogging. Ok, I blog while I should be working, really it's all in how you look at it. I am sitting here snacking on carrots though, go healthy me. Alright, alright you win... I'm dipping them in garden vegetable spread (is that redundant?). Next week I'll be camping for July 4th, I'm pretty excited for some down time. I have yet to decide if I will bring crochet, I dont want anything to smell like campfire. I will probably bring crochet for the car ride though, so I guess there may be some minimal crocheting done.

So you ask, what have I done while I ignored you for the last month or so, I've been crocheting! Oh yes, I occasionally show I am accomplished. It's rare, I hate to set expectations too high. Last time I checked in, there was two more baby blankets to go and the teachers afghan. Teachers blanket done, one baby blanket is finished, one is in the works, and I made a scarf out of scraps. I have really really abnormally high hopes that I will be able to build an inventory for Christmas time so I can peddle my wares at our work craft fair. Yay, for Christmas money. OK, so I finished the baby blanket for my coworker. I chose a new ripple out of the 200 Ripple Stitch book, and went with the new Vanna's Choice Baby yarn. Here is the Pink Ripple, in Pink Poodle, Rose Mist, and Purple Mist. Yes, it's a WIP picture, sadly, I am lame and forgot to take a finished picture. I have plenty of Vanna scraps from the last couple baby blankets since I am addicted to her yarn and I worked up a quick scarf. I went with the trinity stitch, it's quick, it's easy, it's familiar. Maybe as my adoring public, you could all chip together and buy me a Crochet Stitch Bible type book so I could stop using trinity so often. Until then, it's all your fault and I will continue trinity-ing away. Also, I know I said I may use log cabin or seija for my next baby blanket, but I lied. Well I didnt lie so much as I changed my mind, cause I'm a girl and I can do that. I am going to make two baby blankets for my girlfriend and wait until her shower in August before I decide which one to give her. She has registered at one place for a cherry blossom set and at another place for a more jungle type print. I dont know what will match better, so I am starting out with the Cherry Blossom Blanket. Next I will do one in her other colors. Whichever I dont use will just go to inventory for the craft fair.
As for crochet, that's it for now. Horizon was in her school's talent show with her Girl Scout troop. She did really well, they sang Growing Strong. She has muscles like mom! School's out now, so her and I have our Wednesdays to hang out and be girls. She got her braces, she loved choosing the colors! Strange child and she's all mine.

Happy Friday!

Yay for Friday! Ok, well I work tomorrow, but we can pretend anyway. It's been over a month since I have updated this, but I promise I have good reasons.

April was busy, May is shaping up to be just as busy. We should all be overjoyed that I can ignore my work for long enough to update my blog. First, there was the wedding. My girlfriend got married and I was one of her bridesmaids. I got my hair and nails done and wore makeup, I looked like a girl! It happens so rarely, I really enjoy when I do get to be a girl. It was a beautiful wedding on a yacht with the reception on land (thank god). I must say, we looked like hot mamas! There was more tattoo work, I dont think I will be done with ink anytime soon. After wedding and tattoo, there was the celebration, with a parade (!), to honor my giving birth. Ok, so the parade was for the SpringFest and the celebration was for Horizon's birthday. Both events coincided, so my little girl scout was in a parade on her birthday with her troop. Check out the shirt she made, she's crafty like mom! I dont remember being 9 honestly, but I know when I did turn 9, I didnt get an ipod. Lucky brat.

Amidst the chaos, I started a P Hook ripple afghan to replace the one my brother lost (thru no fault of his own). His birthday was the 12th, so I had maybe 2 weeks to finish it. I did! I finished it last...Wednesday? That left me with a week and a day to make a market bag for Laura for her birthday. Not only was I going to attempt a pattern I had never made before, I was also going to incorporate beads for the first time. I have been very very good about only buying yarn for projects I need, once I finish the current project. Last Wednesday I bought yarn for the first time in ages! I bought cotton ease for the market bag, and some wooden type beads. I also bought some red heart soft yarn for a Boteh Scarf. I had hopes that if the bag worked up quickly enough I would be able to knock out the Boteh in time. No luck. I did finish the bag though. As I find with most Lion Brand patterns, the projects are way oversized, this thing is huge, check out how it dwarfs my child. I improvised the pattern a bit, adding a flap with a wooden button for closure. I tied all the ends off last night and started to package everything up. Today, there is a combined celebration for 2 of my coworkers who are having babies. I will be giving away a baby boy and a baby girl blanket, both made awhile back. Also, I had another Garden Scarf made ages ago that would be packaged with the market bag. Check out all my goodies leaving the nest today!

Now, I will start on the end of the year teacher's afghan for Horizon's teacher. After that... freedom for a bit? No, 2 more babies to go. Another coworker and the new bride are having babies, both girls. I think for my coworker I will make the Seija Set from Happy Hooker. For my girlfriend... I am not sure yet, maybe a Log Cabin baby blanket from Vanna's book? 3 more blankets, then freedom! Yeah right...

March Madness.... In April

Ok so I sorta missed the deadline to title anything March Madness. Oh well.
It's spring (I think... has it been 6 weeks since the snowbound rodent did or didnt see his shadow?) and with spring comes stress. Longer day light seems to mean less time. The more time I can be outside means the less things that get done in my house (um, hello, I havent seen my closet floor since Christmas). This also means I dont get a whole lot of time for crochet. The down side of this is everyone I know has a birthday between March and May. Everyone has babies between March and May. Basically, less time to crochet, yet 50 projects to do. I end up typically ranting about this every year, usually closer to May. In May (warning: this is not an exaggeration) between my family, in laws, and friends, there are 18 birthdays and/or anniversaries. Oh yeah, and just to up the crazy, throw in 2 holidays. I wonder, 9-10 months before May, are there less people in public? Is everyone shut inside (hopefully) doing naughty things? Are the malls less crowded? Is there less traffic? I may test this theory this year and go out around that time. Maybe the lines will be shorter. I start this rant, and along comes the inevitable fist shaking and curse words, and then I stop. I remember. I had my daughter in May. Apparently I am no better than anyone else, and I too was doing naughty things at the same time as the general public.

So anyway, back to March. 2 baby blankets found their homes. Brian's baby blanket was delivered (thought I had a finished picture...oops), and I was told, well received. Also Val's baby blanket was delivered. Sorta. Initially, I started a baby girl blanket for Val in "non traditional" baby girl colors. I hand picked a new pattern, something soft and pretty, and spent a couple extra dollars on Vanna yarn. I started the Grisaille, remember this? I eventually finished the blanket, and set it aside for her shower. Now, a week before her shower or so I learn she is registered at a local baby superstore, and I check out her registry. While it's not traditional baby girl colors, it is traditional baby colors. It is mint green, light blue, and white. Now, I have a hideous blanket that I made that I refuse to give to her. I scramble and throw together a quick N hook, double strand, baby soft blanket and give it to her. She loves it, it matches perfectly and she will never know about the hideous concoction I had initially made for her. The problem is now I am stuck with a hideous baby blanket. Sigh.

Other random updates, remember my toe? The poor grotesque toenail that I injured? It got worse. Then, last week, my toenail fell off. Yes, I only have 9 toenails now. Boy, its a good thing I dont have to look pretty in two weeks at my girlfriends wedding... oh wait, I do. I could totally disturb my audience and take a picture of the newly naked toe, but I vomit a little in my mouth just looking at it and it's my toe. I will save you the horror.

Also, Easter has come and gone. It seems to me Easter happened too soon this year but I dont think I would handle it any better any later. I still scrambled at the last minute to find my daughter something cute to wear on Easter and I still scrambled to make Sicilian Easter Bread. I make this bread every year for my Grandfather who really likes the bland, tasteless rope bread. It's designed to hold painted Easter eggs, for decoration purposes. I make it without the eggs, why waste 7 eggs? Also, due to my grandpa's restrictive diet and bland tastes, I dont glaze it either. Basically, I just make bread dough and twist it into a fun shape. Here is the wonderful dough, pre rising and pre baking. After rising and baking, yumm, braided bread. This year on Easter, was my brother Alex's birthday. Another blanket found it's home, The Monstrosity was delivered. He loved it, I was so very ecstatic. He rushed right to his room and put it on his bed. I couldn't have been any happier. Easter was overall, a pretty good day, I love my family, I love all the food, I love the fun times. My brother sent me a joke this Easter that I wish I could tell year round, it makes me happy. I giggle just writing it. Why does the Easter Bunny hide eggs?

To hide the fact that he is fucking chickens.

HA. Ok, so really, I am simple minded, but seriously, every damn time I laugh.

Here is our Easter fun:

• Hubs and I being the newly skinny rockstars that we are
• The birthday boy interjecting in a photo op of Grandma... every time. (I have about 10 pictures all with his hand, head, foot, or arm in the picture in some way)
• Horizon showing off her stupendous egg finding skills (we havent told her why the Easter bunny hides the eggs)
• My wonderful husband being his crafty self and hiding eggs in solar lights
• And me. Happy, warm hearted me. Without coffee. Not a pretty sight.

Lastly, more progress. Yes, it's not crochet. So what. Stop reading. No really, go away if you dont like it. Go. Now.

If you stayed, check out www.yarnabuse.com. Yes, it's knitting not crochet. Seriously though, this crafter made me laugh until I cried.

There once was a man from Nantucket..

Ok, don't ask, it's Amy's fault.
Let me just start off by saying, I meant to update this a week or so ago. I really did. I even took pictures of the projects. Did I update this, no of course not. I blame work. I had training last week and my computer access was limited. Yeah, that's it.
Let's revisit the January list.

• Finish living room blanket - sigh.... maybe by next winter
• Make Danny replacement blanket - Not even on the horizon yet
• Make Cynthia a replacement Charger blanket - WOOT, she found hers, removed from list
• Felt something, anything - I have high hopes I will do this... someday
• Finish Alex's blanket - HA HA DONE. DONE DONE DONE. Please see previous blog entry.
• Fruit cozies for my cell and ipod - let's just say ditto on this in regards to felting
• A market type bag for Laura - well its only March right, her birthday isnt until May
• Coffee cozy - see felting something, see also fruit cozies
• Baby boy blanket for Kim - DONE
• Baby girl blanket for Val - DONE, pictures to follow
• A baby blanket of undetermined sex for Johnny B - its officially a girl, this will be the next baby blanket I work on.... I think
• End of the year afghan for Horizon's teacher - why do I foresee myself sweating and working my fingers until they hurt at 11pm on the day before the last day of school?

3 things on the list are done and its only March, that says something right? Now let's look at an updated version:

• Finish Living room blanket
• Make Danny a replacement blanket, birthday in May
• Market bag for Laura, birthday in May
• Baby girl blanket for Brian, end of March baby shower (pictures to follow)
• Baby girl blanket for Johnny B
• Baby blanket of undetermined sex for girl friend
• End of the year blanket for Horizon's teacher, end of school year mid June

Ok, see, the new list is smaller. It becomes less scary, possibly more attainable this way. This doesn't mean I still don't harbor deep desires to let my inner crochet craziness out and crochet fruit cozies. I have been extraordinarily good on the yarn purchasing this year. Could just be because I am broke. I like to think its due to my superhuman willpower. On that note, I havent had chocolate in 711 hours. I havent broken down and stolen candy from a child yet. I havent rolled my face in rolo's (please tell me someone else saw Bernie do this on Biggest Loser and laughed until they cried). I haven't even started drinking my chocolate bubble bath. All in all, I've been successful, and I am a wee bit shocked. This doesn't mean come the end of Lent I won't be a chocolate eating fool.

Sorry for that bit of tangent there, lack of chocolate does that apparently. On to crochet now I promise. I finished the Grisaille patterned blanket I had started on. This is Val's baby blanket. I bordered the shell pattern with a shell border. It ripples a bit but I think I like it a little bit wavy. The color scheme never grew on me as much as I thought it would. Hopefully she will dig it though. I also started a baby girl blanket for my husbands coworker and fellow high school classmate of mine. It's another of Vanna's lap afghans, the same pattern I used for Kim's baby blanket. I really like how mindless it is to work, it isn't a lot to tote around and it's quick. Just a week or so later, I am almost done. One last row and edging and another one down. Next will be another baby girl blanket. I think I am going to dig out The Happy Hooker for that and see if I can manage the Seija Set. Lastly, I was perusing random photos the other day and found this. Happy Easter 2005. This is crochet related trust me. This was my husbands and my first Easter together. Notice my cute poncho (in at the time I swear). I crocheted that in about 2 or 3 days when I couldnt find anything else to wear on Easter. Now my mother in law has one, as well as 2 scarves, 2 hats, and a purse. This is what happens when people find out you crochet. Lastly, Easter in March??!!! Sigh, hope everyone remembers to spring ahead this weekend, til next time... muah!

Wooohoooo!!!

Insert happy dance here. I did it. I did it I did it I did it.

I finished The Monstrosity. Just for reference, that is the camo ripple on a California Queen bed. It hangs over on both sides. I finally finished edging it (with 3 rows of sc, so tedious!) and trimming all the ends I wove in. I can't believe it's finished. I wanted to take a picture all wrapped up in it, but I didnt want to bite on CrochetMe's picture. It's heavy too, I could have suffocated myself on accident, that would have been sad. I can see the irony now, "Here lies Beige, smothered with her own creation". Sad.


On a more positive note, I had a great weekend. Not only did I finish Alex's blanket, I finished the baby boy blanket for my coworker. This was the log cabin pattern from Vanna's new book. I edged the blanket in single crochet, same as the camo ripple. I am almost ahead of the game. I still have so much to do by June-ish, but I feel better having 2 of the projects already done.

Lastly I started on my 3rd project due this year, the baby girl blanket for yet another coworker. I wanted to do something different, so back to the 200 Ripple Stitch book I went. This time I chose Grisaille, and went back to Vanna yarn. I bought light purple, dark purple, chocolate, and taupe. The pattern is pretty with alternating shells, it's a bit more complicated then I imagined, but it should end up very girly.

Th th that's all folks!

"Human Progress is neither automatic nor inevitable..."

In honor of MLK Jr day, we'll start with that quote (BTW, yes I know I am a week late, give me a little credit here, at least I am writing). Also because progress is slow going on curent WIP's and I googled "progress quotes" for a little motivation. What I found wasnt necessarily motivating, but it did make me feel better about slowly chugging along.

It's raining out which is fantastic. I am sure I have mentioned it previously, but I really do love the rain. Granted, I love the rain because its a rarity, but regardless I still love it. Last night, it was the perfect crochet night. It was rainy outside and cold and we'd eaten an early dinner. Nothing to do but curl up on the couch and crochet. What makes it even better is now that I am making headway (finally!!) on Alex's blanket, I can actually throw it across my lap while I work on it. The blanket seemed to go nowhere for awhile but now when I stand up, it comes nearly to my shoulders. I am finally excited by the length it has gotten and hopefully the excitement alone will push me to finish. I was floundering on what to do with the ends, then I came across CrochetMe's goddess Kim Werker's finished ripple. Sigh, the jealousy. I think I have decided to edge it. Go around the whole thing with a few rows of SC or HDC in black. She edged hers and it looks amazing.
I also started a project that could travel with me. I decided to make one of Vanna's log cabin afghans for my coworker who is having a boy. Now I already know I can be considered somewhat of an eccentric at times, but I had jury duty a couple weeks ago and I was excited. Really truly excited. I would get paid from work for doing my civic duty, and I wouldnt have to go to work. I got to take my little crochet bag and sit for 3 hours and do nothing but peacefully crochet. This was my jury duty progress. Granted, I havent worked on it much since but I have gotten a bit farther. I met up with another crocheter at Starbucks to help her translate the pattern and I got a few more rows done. I am really liking Vanna's yarn also, it seems so much softer then good old red heart and the colors are so much more awesome. It is a bit more expensive but I think for baby blankets and smaller projects, I may be hooked. Ha. Hooked. Get it? Ok, well it was funny to me.