frigid bitch's stitches

Good Friends and fun times

2012-01-30T17:42:00.004-05:00

and gorgeous men!!
Yes, it was once again time for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. It was the 50th anniversary of the race, so a lot of people and events were going on. Yes, I once again waited in line to see Patrick Dempsey.....after 3 years, I think this is the best pic yet!! I also saw a few others, too:

The first is a picture of me and David Hobbs.
David is an announcer for the F1 races. It was fun to meet him and see the surprised look on his face when I asked for a picture. He even waited patiently while Bob tried to get the camera on my i-phone to work.
The next is a picture of Jackie Stewart. He was in the garages, too. His pants matched his hat. The third cutie is Max Papis, who drove the #9 car, I think it was a Daytona prototype, or DP class. I saw him in the gift shop. He is very sweet and offered to sign his shirt if I bought one.
As for good friends, my friend Lori, who lives a few miles from the speedway, got up at 5:30am on her Saturday to join me and Bob on the Fun Walk around the track. Bob and I have been doing this for 5 or 6 years. We usually get up at 3:00 am to make the 2 hour drive to the speedway and walk at 7am. This year, we camped in campground, took the seats out of the van and slept on the floor of the van. I was proud of my hubby, who I never would have thought was a camper. Anyhow, here's a few pics of Lori at the top of turn 1, and me and Bob in between turns 3 and 4, and Lori wearing her Krispy Kreme hat at our campsite:
and yes, she is sitting on one of the van seats we took out in order to sleep!
Here is Timma after a night of racin' under the lights and partying...
and his friend Rich.

The boys drove out to see the race...

Ok, back to the grindstone...I have to work tonight. I will get back to my crafting pics; just beware: racing season is coming, so I can't promise there won't be any more posts about cars and the roar of the engines! I leave you with the 2001 overall winning Corvette; Dale Earnhardt drove the #3 and was a teammate to this team

I'm baaaaccckkkkk...

2012-01-26T10:54:00.007-05:00

Yes, one of my New Year's resolutions was to blog more frequently. Well, I've been busy working over the holidays and stitching away. Crocheting dishcloths, doilies, hats and afghans. I have also been knitting....a hat and a dragonfly dishcloth!!! For Christmas, I made my SIL, Kim, a sweater: This is Annie's Attic's Offset Shell cardigan. Love the color and the drape....the yarn was tough to work with using an H hook. I want one, but will use a bigger hook, next time!
Kim loved it!!
Here's a ruffle scarf I made for a Christmas exchange, for someone who lives in Colorado:
The pattern is from the Red Heart site.
Here's the dragonfly dishcloth:
It's kind of hard to see the dragonfly because of the varigated thread, but it's my new washcloth in my shower!!! And yes!!! It's knitted!!!
Nest up, a few crocheted things: a hat for a friend of the boys, a dishcloth for an exchange, and a doily for me!!!
pattern for Brent's beanie is here:
http://www.piece-by-piece.net/Crochet/easy_beanies.htm
this dishcloth is Mina's delight and can be found here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20070126133436/http://hometown.aol.com/dcm1955/mddish.html
Love this doily. Found it in a Magic Crochet. It's called Rustic table center.

These are just a few of the things I've been doing. I also spent the holidays reading Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy, watching the Swedish (subtitled) versions of the books, and seeing the newly released American version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." I absolutely LOVED the stories and read all three books within a month. I think I have my reading mojo back!!
and with close to 200 (free) books downloaded on my kindle, I guess I'd better get reading!!
This coming weekend, we are headed to Daytona for the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24....we are finally taking the plunge and camping there. Nathan, for whom I made the gray hat, his brothers and my friend Lori (who lives in Daytona) are all going, too. Son Tim and his friend Rich are coming out Saturday. Bob and I are going to do the Fun Walk at 7am Saturday. At least we will be there and not have to leave Ocala at 3am in order to start walking at 7am. SO EXCITED!!! I am supposed to be getting things ready, but am waiting to see Patrick Dempsey interviewed about his participation in the event. Will I wait in line to see him again this year.....HELL YEAH!!!!!
Ok, I really do have to run and get things crackin' around here. Until we meet again, have a crafty day!!!

2011 Quickly coming to a close.....

2011-12-30T04:24:00.002-05:00

Holy Schnikies!!!! WHERE did the year go? Lots of creating, lots of reading, lots of things to do....OH MY!!! All of it finished? my goodness, no! As I look back on this chronicle, I am proud that I blogged a little more often than before. I am going to strive to blog at least once a week in 2012....not just about crafting, but about life in general. It has been a tough end of the year...I've been covering Thanksgiving and Christmas. But for the first time in a LONG time, I am off for New Year's Eve.....not sure if I can make it to midnight, but I will try!!
I really do have to run, but I want to thank you for reading. May 2012 be the best year yet!!! I fully intend on making it mine!!!
Happy New Year!!!
Beth

Another doily!!

2011-10-30T14:07:00.002-04:00

Finished this doily for an October birthstone exchange.....color was pink. This pattern is called 'White poinsettia" and is supposed to have 12 little flowers around the outer edge. This is 10.5" across now. And I didn't have time to do little flowers....my own fault. I always start these things too late! I do plan on making one for me in white/silver and red flowers on the edges....All in all, I love this pattern. It's quick and easy. I just didn't like the fact that it ruffled really bad. I had to pull like the dickens to get it to lay flat when I blocked it. But I did it!!! Hope Ms. Mary likes it.....

EPCOT's Food and Wine Festival

2011-10-26T17:13:00.011-04:00

Oh yes, we hit it for the second year in a row. Planning on going back as we were there with my sister and her hubby from Buffalo. Yes, the whole crew....all three boys and Nicole and Barbara, too. Had a great time wandering around the parks, riding a few rides. My sister has never been to Disney before. She loves Johnny Depp, so the first order of business was to get her to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. She liked it, but it could use more Cap'n Jack Sparrow...duh!!!

While at the parks, Bob and I sampled a few things from France. I had to have my fix of escargot......baked in little loves of bread with garlic....yummmyyyy!!! Bob had the coq au vin sur gratin de macaroni......oh yes, chicken in red wine over gourmet mac and cheese.....here's my version:

Here's a picture of all of us at Mexico, The Inn at San Miguel (?) after dinner:
Back row: Tim, Joe Pixie, Steven, Me, Teresa, Bob, Rick
Kneeling: Jeff and Barbara
Rick and Teresa were kind enough to join us for dinner. We had a blast!!!! After that, the boys put on their "Three Amigos" pose:
Tim and Jeff always mess with Steven, so he doesn't know which way to look.......therefore, he's never looking in the same direction as his brothers. Always. Priceless.....
Stevie's 20th b-day was the 25th.....his brother bought him pirate ears with "Shredder" embroidered on it....
Steven put on his hat and was jumping up and down on the balcony as we returned from breakfast, screaming..."It's my birthday...it's my birthday..." To which passersby wished the silly boy a happy birthday..... I even got to surprise him with birthday ice cream at dinner. Somehow, he knew it was me that told.....

I also was working on a candy corn outfit for my newest cousin, Landon. He was born on Sept 21 to my 2nd cousin Lisa and hubby Kelly. Finished it yesterday

And last but not least, what would a first visit to Disney be without a commemorative t-shirt? Nicole (who took most of the pics and is in very few......LOL...I think she plans it that way....)

All the girls had them.....it was fun, but we were never in the same place at the same time on Saturday to get a pic......you will have to suffice with just me.......
Ok, back to the grind and my crocheting.....doilies, blankets, and oh yes, work is thrown in there at some point!!!!! Til next time...happy crafting!!!

New design

2011-10-09T07:50:00.006-04:00

Hello out there!! Yes, I realize it's been over a month since I have been here. Time is just passing much to quickly for me these days. Work, trying to get my house in order....and it's a tall order. Twenty five years of accumulated stuff (mostly craft stuff and clothes) to try and sort out. I have finally taken the plunge and begun selling some of my patterns, that I know I'll NEVER use, but just had to have, on E-bay. So far, 5 of the 35 I've posted have found new homes.....yeah!!!Not a lot, but at least it's a start.
Cleaning out my closet is another story. I hate to throw anything away. But, I am slowly getting there, too. Washing whatever is still good and going to donate them to Goodwill. A gargantuan task, but I feel good giving it away, especially knowing I'll never wear some of the stuff again.
On the crafting note, I have a cousin who just had her first son at age 38. Little Landon Hamilton Walters is an adorable bundle of joy born to my cousin Lisa and hubby Kelly. The live in NYC; Kelly posted a picture from their balcony one night. The are really close to the Empire State building. Anyhow, I have been trying and trying to find a special blanket for this special little guy. Thought I finally found it in this:
Trouble is, I cannot find the pattern book it's in. So, I was going to work off the picture. Not too hard, as it appears to be grannies with alternating colors every other row and a checkerboard of colors between the grannies. I can do that!!! Sooo, I looked for the colors I thought I had in my stash room. Wanted turqua, mint green and off white. Welllll, don't have the turqua I thought I had, the mint green didn't go so well with the aruba sea, and I have about 3 shades of off white. Not going to work. But then I remembered I had Aruba Sea, coffee brown and Earth and sky. The varigated yarn for the granny squares and the blue and brown for the checkerboard. Even a little latte for the bands between the checks and squares. Loved that I didn't have to change colors every round on the squares.....varigated yarn is great for that! Finished the first row of 5 squares, put a latte border on top.....and found another stitch pattern for a cross over stitch instead of the checkerboard. Decided to try that. Here's the result:
I know it's a little dark, but it's a cell phone photo without the flash. I really like this much better than the other one, and it's more special because it's a mix of designs I put together. Something special for a special cousin!!!
I have also been making fall leaf dishcloths
The pattern is found here: http://www.bellacrochet.com/index.php?main_page=document_product_info&cPath=5&products_id=40&zenid=c38g8rfp7aned7vi7957l45fp0

Love the ease, quickness and beauty of these leaves!
I have a few of these to send out to my cousin/bff Linda in RI......have to get cracking, or it's gonna be Christmas!!!!
Ok, guess I better get back to Landon's blanket. Will make every effort to be here again very soon!!!!!! Until then, stay warm, dry, and enjoy the fall!!!!!!

More doilies!!

2011-09-04T17:26:00.003-04:00

Yes!!! Two more doilie finished! The top one is called Little white.....sent away for an exchange. The bottom one is what was SUPPOSED to be mailed. The chart was weird, it worked tedious, but when it was done, I loved the color(s) (ran out of one and had to go to another). It also reminded me of the leaves of a Catalpa tree growing up. HAVE to keep it! The replacement was made in a 24 hour period, much easier and fun. I will have to make one for me, but in a different color........
Been working all the OT I can. Bob turns 50 on Sept. 19. After months of trying to plan a surprise party...being told repeated he didn't want one, today, he finally relented. Luckily, his oldest brother and wife offered up their house. It's closer to everyone in the family and his folks won't have to travel so far. Not to mention my house is in such disarray with trying to renovate, lay flooring and get rid of years worth of CRAP!!! My problem is no time with working OT. Oh, the reason for the OT is my sister is coming from Buffalo, NY in October. The boys, gf's and Bob and I are going to Disney World for three days. My sister has never been.....oh, she's getting Minnie ears with her name on it, you can count on that! So, we've been funneling all extra funds into this 3 day vaca. We are all uber-excited and can't wait!!! Pixie is worried about dinner reservations (already made); the boys are trying to figure out what rides they want to take their aunt on.........bob and I are planning our trip around the World showcase as it's during the Food and Wine fest....Oh yeah..........In the mean time, I have baby blankets for cousins, Christmas,, and NOT TO MENTION that wedding tablecloth that I am STILL working on.........

Sea Aster

2011-08-26T14:47:00.008-04:00

I've had this pattern sitting in my e-mail box for two years........it's the first in a series of 100 or more charted patterns. I really like it, but ran out of pink before I finished. Debated using sage green or this yellow. I really like, and have received quite a few compliments on my color choices. funny thing, I only had about 2 1/2 feet of the yellow left when I finished! Hate it when I cut it that close, but love the end product. ...Can't help but wonder what the green would have looked like!
Do you like the marble walls and nice wooden table in a corner? Believe it or not, this is the set up at the VA laboratory's female outpatient bathroom. I love the marble and the wood, so I set up the shot and took it!
Now it's back to the tablecloth and testing patterns for my friend Aurora.....
The boys had a good first week at college. Tim only has 9 credit hours, but that's because we waited until late to get him registered. Steven also has 9 credit hours. All their classes are at the same dates and times.....wooohooo...'here they are on their way off to orientation last week....

Two handsome young men, if I do say so myself!!! So proud of them!
We also had fun with our air conditioner freezing up. Two hours out in the heat and wet vacuuming the water out of it, propping up the ductwork under the house where the water was pooling and not draining; and then snaking out the drain. Oh yeah, that was fun. But it's working like a charm and hopefully won't freeze up again!
To all of our New England friends in Irene's path.....I do believe the reason it's headed your way is because I went out on Monday and bought a plastic storage tote of hurricane supplies....batteris, canned goods, bottled water, flashlights and laterns. I knew if I did all that, the storm would turn away from us. Our thoughts and prayers are with y'all in the path of this 409-mile wide storm. Stay safe!
That's all for now. Must get back to my crocheting....well, untangling the two balls of crochet cotton that my sweet dog, Fiona, had wound all around the living room this week.
But just look at that face....how can I be angry when I left out my crystal palace bamboo hook (that was chewed to smithereens) and my kitchen cotton. Yeah, I know better. Isn't she just adorable? She knows it too..........LOL
Until next time.....keep those crafting fingers flying!!!!!

Busy time!!!

2011-08-21T14:14:00.004-04:00

I have been running around like a lunatic for the past week, trying to get my two youngest boys enrolled in the local college. Classes start tomorrow.....yeah, like everything else, we DiBi's like to wait til the last freakin' minute to get it done......
Good news, I am the proud mother of two college students!!! Hard to believe, but it is so....Seems like only a couple of weeks ago I was getting ready for my college foray. I say that because I recently found the paperwork my dad had for paying my room and board. VERY hard to believe that I now have two kids in college. Steven is studying music, once he finishes stuff he SHOULD have done in high school. Tim is going for computer science, as he acquired a few things, unbeknownst to us, during high school. Seems Tim's A+ certified in computers and almost a Microsoft master. He only needs to pass the Outlook part. Oh, but can he fix his moms' computer.....Ummmmm, no. I'm on my own. LOL
Have been crocheting sporadically. Started up again on the wedding tablecloth. Hope to be finished by the holidays. Also doing some small doilies. In the meantime, I finished a baby blanket...the lady wants two more by Christmas for the baby's sisters. Thank goodness no puff stitches required!!!! They are too heavy and hot for Florida this time of year!
And yes, I must admit, I have fallen prey to the Angry Birds craze. Fun little game...neat to blow things up!!! I didn't want to do that, but it is a different time waster when I don't feel like reading, crocheting or watching tv.....
Ok, off to fold laundry,......yay...I just love that...........

What happened to July?

2011-08-03T16:52:00.003-04:00

Last I looked, I just returned home at the end of June. August came in the blink of an eye!! It doesn't help that it's been scorching hot outside; even going in the pool is too hot. The pool, which is for cooling us off, is like a sauna. So, I've been staying inside, watching my dvd's and dvr'd shows. Oh yes, and the news. All the while, crocheting away. I finished a baby blanket for a coworker....FINALLY! It's the Honeycomb pattern by Tammy Hildebrand. Really easy, the blanket itself just got very hot VERY quickly. The lady I work with wants it for her soon to be born granddaughter....the baby will reside in Washington state. Grandma wants the baby to be warm. The blanket is 35 x 37. The solid cream color is the mother's choice.
Also working on a doily for a group I'm in. The doily is called Sea Aster. It's charted and the first of a series of charted doilies. I've had the pattern for over 2 years. Since the others in the group are on to #94, I figured it was time for me to start!
My washing machine has been on the fritz for a week. That really is a pain with three grown boys and all my hubby's and my laundry piling up.....Thank goodness the pump came in and it has been repaired today! Now to get into line so I can wash the baby blanket to bring to work tonite!
Time to go and make dinner. Pork chops with applewood rub...I may grill them, but then again, it is 93* outside, so I may just braise them on the stove.........Til next time my friends....

Doilies!

2011-07-17T17:24:00.003-04:00

Here's what I've been up to....doilies....quick patterns so that something I make is FINISHED!!!!!

The top two, Fairy Lace by Bella Crochet, and Good Morning Sunshine (I made two of these...one to give and one to keep!) were for exchanges. I am going to make another fairy lace for someone I work with who commented that it was pretty and would look good in red.....the bottom one, Porcelain, is from a yahoo group CAL, but from last year. Yes, I am behind in EVERY aspect of my life.....LOL!
This is a picture of my youngest, Tim, that was published in the Ocala Star Banner online. Yes, he graduated!!! All my boys are now officially high school graduates!!! We went and made sure Timm is all set for college in the fall. Unbeknownst to his father and I, he has been working on a computer degree and has 12 credits of college he earned in high school! The little turd even graduated with honors......I really am proud of him.....and his brothers!!!

OMG!!! WHERE is my year going??????

2011-07-13T00:35:00.003-04:00

I cannot believe it's been since January, and here we are, almost halfway through July of 2011!!! Where oh where has my precious time gone? Work, kids, roof problems, high school graduations, party, vacation to upstate NY and RI to see some of my favorite folks, a wedding of a nephew, frantically attempting the impossible to create an heirloom wedding gift in time (NOT!!! But by the holidays, for sure.....I hope....), more work, dead dishwasher and tv (thanks to a thunderstorm while we were away)...more work......

Oh yes, and a crashed computer due to a virus....thought I had lost all of my precious crochet patterns. It took me a week to find them in hidden files, but once I did, I purchased a 1TB external drive and have them safely stored on that. Anyone who knows me, knows how I treasure my patterns....they are my "precious" to me being Gollum.....I love to collect them; you never know when you will need a particular one....someone someday is going to want to have this.....and the list goes on. My current love is to find as many freebies as I can on the internet. And the fact that I can save them in a tiny byte of information on a hard drive (or 2 or 3), makes collecting as many as I can all the more fun......

So, yes, when my computer crashed, and I thought I had lost most of my cherished patterns. Funny how you can miss something that isn't really tangible, but a fragment of space and time......

Onto my projects....there have been doilies and aforementioned tablecloth. I am hoping to post pictures of my projects this weekend, and maybe a few from my visit home. I will definitely have to keep up with my blog more often now that I have a couple of friends telling me that "yes Beth, it is no longer January....I am following you." Sooooo, in an effort to keep up with everyone, I am going to make the concerted effort to not let time and space get in my way of posting to my friends out there in CyberWorld!

Looking forward to hearing from and about y'all! I have missed you, oh wonderful world of the internet!!!

Crafting craziness!!!

2011-01-27T03:57:00.002-05:00

I have been on a roll, so to speak, of crocheting and knitting. I find myself drifting more and more back to the crochet world, mainly because knitting takes me soooooooo long. I wish I could knit as fast as I crochet. I absolutely love the drape of knit items over crocheted ones. The speed with which I can crochet satisfies my need to finish projects at the last minute. Yes, alas, I am one of the worst procrastinators in the world when it comes to finishing my projects. Of the 111 or 112 projects I have on Ravelry, 20 of them are unfinished. I have about 15 more in various bags and closets in my house. I have to find them, photo them, and post them up there.
I don't have any photos to post at the moment, but will get some up this weekend of what I have in progress. This weekend is also the Rolex 24 hour race at the Daytona International Speedway.....Yes, folks, it's Race time once again. I can already feel the thunder of cars racing around the 2.5 mile oval at speeds of 200 mph.....ooooohhh, how I love it!
Bob and I are going to do the Daytona 5k and Fun Walk at 7am. We walk....at least until we get into better shape. I would love to run the 5k. One day. Hopefully, my two friends, Lori and Jonna, will be there running. We also hope to meet up with a co-worker of mine, Nathan. It will be fun to be there with other folks I know that enjoy racing as much, if not more, than I do!
Will I wait in line to meet Mr. McDreamy again this year? Perhaps, as last year I TOTALLY forgot to have him sign "The Art of Racing in the Rain"......Patrick Dempsey is supposed to star in the film version of this cute book about a dog that is fanatical about car racing. But it was soooo worth standing in line for 3 1/2 hours just to say I was first! He's such a sweet man and appreciative of all his fans. Swoon.....
Ok, back to racing. Daytona ought to be interesting this year, as the surface was torn up and repaved. During testing at the Roar before the 24, I had read where Tony Stewart (my perfect man....younger, single, rich and best of all.....NOT HOME ON THE WEEKENDS!!) hit greater than 197 mph......WOW! Can't wait for the Daytona 500 THIS year! We weren't going to go, maybe to the Gatorade duels the Thursday before the race. Bob's brother, Tom, and his girlfriend Susie, go and we meet up with them for dinner while waiting for traffic to dissapate. Another sister--in-law, Teresa, has expressed an interest in going to the Big Race. I may just have to go, just to accompany her....I hope I can sit on the Party Porch!
As for crocheting and knitting, I have been crocheting scarves, fingerless mitts and hats furiously! Am trying my hand at ETSY (BethsCraftCabin) and friends have requested some things. So I've been busy. I will post photos later this weekend.
Ok, blogland! Enough for now. Will def be back soon, since things are heatin' up here in Florida! Til next time, stay warm, stay dry, and happy hooking!!!!!

New Year, New Design

2011-01-08T10:29:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year, Blog land! This past holiday season was a whirlwind of work, frantic crocheting of last minute gifts (mainly scarves....oh what fun I had!!!), family and food. I really did have a blast frantically crocheting the scarves...versions of the Champlain New Warmer from the Caron site:

http://www.naturallycaron.com/projects/champlain/champlain_1.html

Here's a couple of my scarves:

The blue one was actually the first. I still have it and love it! Made with a half skein of Red Heart Shimmer. The lilac scarf was the third....made with Red Heart Symphony. The girls love them~!
The second one was also made with Red Heart Symphony, in a blue shade.

I am now on a scarf kick, making one for Bob for the cool winters here in Florida:

about half way through it, Bob told me he likes the varigated and multicolored scarves. Thus, the two stripes of various browns from my stash.
The scarf kick started when I saw Kim Guzman'a Poinsettia scarf pattern:

http://www.caron.com/projects/ss/ss8_poinsettia_scarf.html

I made it and sent it to my friend Donna in NY:
I then found a pattern for a braided crochet scarf pattern, but do not want to pay $3.50 for the single pattern:

http://www.e-patternscentral.com/detail.html?prod_id=8141&cat_id=&criteria=braided+crochet+scarf

It's beautiful! So, I decided to design one, only in knit, for me:

So yes, dear friends, I have in fact DESIGNED my own pattern! It's a stockinette knit scarf in three sections, then braided together. I only started this last night, but will post the pattern here:

Using size 9 (6.0mm) knitting needles:

Using a 30 stitch co, Stockinette stitch 4 rows, then do stockinette stitch on first 10 stitches for 50”, bo; Stockinette next 10 stitches for 50”, bo; Stockinette last 10 stitches for 50”. bo. Braid the three strips. Pick up 30 stitches along bottom edge, stockinette for 4 rows. BO.

I will post pics as I progress. With the boucle, I cannot see the stitches so well, so I will make another when this is done. This one is for Jamie, my favorite (and only, LOL) grand niece's mom in NY. Jamie happens to be Donna's daughter. I hope anyone who tries this pattern will send me photos of it!

I have also opened an ETSY store to sell my crocheting, at the urging of my sil, Kim. The site is BethsCraftCabin on Etsy. We shall see how that goes! I also decided to become an AVON representative. I like the products, so I figured I may as well buy it at a discount and sell it! My website is
www.youravon.com/bdibiasio
check it out and use me as your Avon Representative! Questions can be e-mailed to me at
framptonforever1976@yahoo.com.
Well, am working OT this weekend in Blood Bank on 3-11 shift. That means 3-11 today and a double tomorrow. I am signing off for now, but will make the great effort to post more often on my blog. Perhaps even design a few more patterns throughout 2011!!!!

Well

Hello, Blog world

2010-11-07T11:30:00.006-05:00

Yes, I'm back once again. Attempting to get my crafting mojo back. A friend of mine on facebook saw a post to a link to Kim Guzman's Poinsettia scarf: http://www.caron.com/projects/ss/ss8_poinsettia_scarf.html
and liked it. I asked her if she wanted one; Donna asked if I was kidding. Told her no, wanted to get my crocheting mojo back. Hence, the scarf was started. I have finished the first of 9 squares during the first few laps of the F1 Gran Prix in San Paolo. I "feel" it coming back...now to work through the mountains of yarn and projects to get done!!!!
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hVf0OFifCMQ/TNbVgdK4iPI/AAAAAAAAAT0/xZZ1FK7tCa4/s1600/IMG_0926%5B1%5D.jpg">So, as you can see, I haven't been totally out of the crocheting world. I have finished a few things. Just not as quickly as I would like.....oh the life of a leisurely crafter.....

Crafting Drought

2010-08-16T00:46:00.003-04:00

Ah yes, the dog days of summer. Here in North Central Florida it has been HOT...nearing or over 100* F. Even too hot to spend time in the pool. Dogs only want to go out long enough to do their business. Well, except for Marley, our not quite two year old Australian shepherd. She's always up to run around, chase the soccer ball or frisbee. Her new favorite sport, however is chasing the neighbor's chickens out of our yard. Since the scraggly legged little chickens like to come to our yard, are they considered free range? I'm thinking yes.......maybe when they are a little plumper, we can have a FRESH chicken dinner....mmmm.
Back to the reason for my lack of posts. Yes, summer has been relatively busy. Started by going to Indianapolis for training on a Roche Diagnostics analyzer. And the week just happened to coincide with the Indianapolis 500. Yes, it was a fun and exciting race. Got to stay with some friends who lived 3 1/2 blocks from the speedway. It was nice not to be stuck in race day traffic and facing another 2.5 hour drive home, like when we go to Daytona. We went to the Daytona 500 this year...coldest, longest (remember the infamous pothole?) race on record. The Indy 500 was the HOTTEST race on record. 95*....but the bloody mary's were awesome!!!!! Yes, I do want to go back, but hopefully, it wont be so hot next time! Oh yeah, Bob flew up to Indy on the Wednesday before the race. We had a fun time. Even learned to play 'corn hole'.....
Only bad thing about being in Indy that week and weekend was that I missed Stevie's debut with Solkry...his first real professional gig. It's ok, though, we have the whole thing on dvd. I get to enjoy it over and over....good news is that there is another show scheduled for August 28th at the same place. This time, I will not miss it! Stevie had so much fun...Solkry even went into the recording studio in July. Cannot wait to hear the cd!
Then it was gearing up for Stevie's high school graduation. There were 350+ kids in his class, and I could only spot him with his yellow and black sneakers. He was so proud, as we were of him. Tim's girlfriend, Shelby, was a co-valedictorian. It was so neat to see all the kids that hang out at my house get through high school. Very sad now as they are all leaving to go to college. But we are all connected through facebook. Now to get Tim through his senior year.....aye carrumba!!!!!
This has been a particularly bad summer for my crafting. I have been dabbling, but not really doing much of anything. I must finish Andrew's blanket...since I'm testing a pattern for a friend, I MUST FINISH SOON!!!! I am also working on a couple of doilies. I started one in Cebelia Nile green for an August Birthstone doily exchange. Pattern is called Moonbeams. I liked it so much I am keeping it for myself. So now, I'm doing another called Small White Doily. I did manage to crochet Nicole a rasta type hat for her birthday. That took me two hours, so I'm hoping the bug is going to bite again soon. The crafting bug, that is. I reallly do want to destash and make some pretties.....There just are not enough hours in the day!!! I will post photos of some snippets from my summer this week. I WILL be a better blogger, I will be a better blogger........ Until next post, enjoy your long summer days and happy crafting!!!!!

Losing My Religion.MPG

2010-06-02T19:18:00.000-04:00

My son Steven in the band Solkry at the Backstage Lounge in Gainesville, Florida, Sat., May 29, 2010....
Behind on my bloggging, but promise to update more very SOON! Thursday or friday, for sure!!!!

2010 Winter Olympics

2010-03-01T15:59:00.006-05:00

Yes, it's over...did you see that hockey game? Freakin' awesome.......sorry we lost, but great to see Canada win on their home ice. I love everything about the winter Olympics.....I even got a pair of the famous red mittens....

href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hVf0OFifCMQ/S4wsfUxDAvI/AAAAAAAAATE/Uylqmjnpt7M/s1600-h/IMG_0551%5B2%5D.jpg">

As you can also see, I did not finish my Wrap with slits for the Ravelympics....I was busy working on a doily for a contest. It's blocking now, so I will post pics on a later post. I am going to finish the wrap this week, but need to start on a baby blanket for a shower on Sat.........

Ravelympics 2010

2010-02-21T19:48:00.002-05:00

Yes, I have done it again....joined the Ravelympics on Ravelry. I have actually finished two WIP's, so now I can move onto the main events! Will I medal and finish in time? We shall see. Here are pictures of what I have finished off:

The first is my great niece's blanket....I do have to add the ladybugs, but the bulk of the blanket is done. It is 64" across. I am going to use the pattern as a table doily with mexicana thread. Will start after the Olympics. I will post a totally finished picture of this when the bugs are added. Her birthday is Tuesday, so I am hoping to mail it off by then!
The second is a picture of the knitted fun fur scarf I made for a lady at work. She wants it for her niece for her birthday. Yes, an actual consigned job!
The main event is going to be Coats and Clark's Wrap with Slits, and yes I am doing it in the carrot color pictured here:
http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Projects/Accessories/WR1811+Wrap+with+Slits.htm

Can't wait to see if I can do it!
Why am I waiting to get started you may ask? Life got in the way, as usual. Work, kids, and yes, the Daytona 500 all are to blame. The week I was to lay out my materials for the main event, Timma, who had had his driver's license for 11 days,(Feb. 10, to be exact) was rearended in his 1995 jeep. He was fine; the jeep looked fine, but the ford 500 that hit him had moved the muffler into the drive train. It is still in the shop getting fixed. In the meantime, Tim has been driving Ponykeg (my G5), Bob and Jeff have been driving the minivan and I have been driving the 2011 Kia Sorento we got as a rental. I like it and have realized how much I miss having an SUV. But I am ready to give it back. I miss my car. Sad, but that's the way it is. Hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday and Tim can have the Jeep for his use.
Well, I need to get some rest before I head to work this evening. Hope all is well and you are all enjoying the Olympics. I prefer the Winter games to the Summer games. I have enjoyed all the snow sports. My favorite, ice hockey, is on tonite...GO USA!!!!! What is your favorite winter Olympic sport?

Let's go Racin', folks!!!

2010-02-13T10:13:00.005-05:00

Yea!!! It's February, and it only means one thing....besides my b-day.....SPEEDWEEKS at Daytona, culminating in the Daytona 500....This year, the powers that be of racing were kind enough to schedule the first NASCAR race of the season on Valentine's day.......which also happens to be my birthday. Will I be there you ask? HELL YEAH!!!! I will answer!

Hubby and I went to the Gatorade Duels on Thursday, Feb. 11. It was quite chilly at the track, so I decided to crochet myself a pair of fingerless mittens on the way to the track. I started when we pulled out of the driveway and finished two hours later when we parked the car in the free park and ride shuttle lot on Clyde Morris Blvd in Daytona Beach:

For those who do not follow NASCAR, the Gatorade Duels are the 2 150 mile races that decide who will race in the 500 and who will go home. The field consists of 43 drivers; about 50-54 try to qualify for the big race. The pole is decided by who runs the fastest qualifying lap on the previous Sunday. Gatorade duels decide what 43 drivers are going to be in the race, and positions are decided by either your position of finish in the duels or the speed you ran in pole qualifying.

For those of you that haven't guessed, I LOVE NASCAR!! There is nothing like feeling and hearing a pack of 43 cars passing in front of you going 200 mph. The smell of the fuel...the thrill of the passing, the jockeying for positions....it's awesome!!!

Anyhow, by the time the second race started, the temperature had dropped about 10-15 degrees....my hands were cold, and was I ever happy to have those mittens!

Here's a few pics from our adventure:

After the races, we met up with Bob's brother Tom and his SO, Susie......

So, if you have nothing to do on Sunday, Valentine's day, take a look at the race...we will be sitting in the Superstretch (aka, backstretch) near the Budweiser Party Porch..(imagine that!). I root for Tony Stewart, #14 Office Depot/Old Spice car...I have all the gear, and I will be cheering like a mad woman....look for us! Will post more pictures next week!
Until next time, Gentlefolk, start your engines and let's go racin'!!!!!!

Hello!

2010-02-06T08:25:00.008-05:00

Ok, so I'm not so up on my blogging as I should be. January has been a busy month...I can't believe we are already at SPEEDWEEKS in Daytona! That means next weekend is my birthday. This year of 2010 seems to be flying by already.....WOW!

This is the first time in a long time the Daytona 500 is being run on my birthday. Don't worry, folks, I already have my tickets. Got them the first week of January! We are sitting in the Superstretch....aka the backstretch.....usually a point where a lot of the wrecks start. Bob and I went to walk the Daytona 5K and Fun Walk at the speedway last Saturday. It is the kickoff for the day of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. We always have the intention of staying for the race, but not in the pouring rain that ensued. (Walking in the walk, we are given tickets to the race). I did, however, attain my goal of being first in line to meet Mr. Patrick Dempsey. Yes, for all of you who don't know, he is the same Mr. Dempsey of "McDreamy" status on Grey's anatomy. I swear, I am the only female in America that doesn't follow his acting, just his racing. He owns a team in Seattle that races 2 Mazda RX8's. He's also participated in LeMans (another grueling 24 hour race in France...remember the Steve McQueen movie?)

Bob thought I was nuts, arriving at his garage spot to stand and wait at 8:43 am for a 12:15 pm autograph signing. I only budged when I had to use the bathroom; I then had Bob stand in my place. Bob kept trying to coax me out to see other happenings around the track. No way, I wanted to be #1. At about 10 am, others started to line up behind me.

I realize this is primarily a craft blog; please do not think I was completely devoid of crafting that day:

Yes, I was KNITTING fun fur scarves. The girls love them, I love the Fun Fur Stripes, but knitting is still not my favorite. I love the material knitting produces, but my crocheting is so much FASTER!!!! The scarves are a big hit...I have folks at work wanting a few......The book is the Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. It's a dog's point of view of his owner's life. The dog's owner, Denny Swift, is an up and coming racer. Enzo is the dog that loves TV and racing. Really cute, heartwarming and soon to be a motion picture starring who......yes, ladies, McDreamy himself. I had wanted Mr. Dempsey to sign the book for me, just for kicks; I even had it in my hand. I was soo busy looking into those steel blue eyes and asking for a picture,(which is now my screen saver on my phone!!), I forgot about the damned book. Oh well, guess I'll just have to go back next year! The book is a relatively quick read and well worth it. I recommend it to everyone.
Here is another pic of all the stuff, including our unused Rolex 24 tickets and my race number....
I did manage to get Patrick to sign a Rolex 24 poster that we are going to frame and place in our game room. Oh, and for those of you who have been waiting patiently, here it is:
Ah yes, well worth the 3 1/2 hour wait..Patrick Dempsey is as nice and accommodating to his fans as everyone says he is. McDreamy indeed! He now has a new fan; and yes, I have ordered (and received) the first two seasons of Grey's Anatomy, thanks to the suggestions of my nieces Kristen and Rachel (who were very jealous that I got to meet Mr. Dempsey....don't worry, I sent them his picture and posted it to my facebook page, too)!!!!!

Oh, and I do have new button on the side of my blog: it's the DIY DISH button. If you visit the site, publish the button to your blog, you will be entered to win one of two souped up sewing machines......good luck!!!!

New Year 2010!!!!

2009-12-31T02:32:00.003-05:00

I must say, 2009 flew by rather quickly. An awful lot seemed to happen this year; I am very glad it is drawing to a close. My work life has settled down considerably. I am home at night to make dinner for and eat it with my boys. I have time to work on my crocheting more. Our house is getting prepped for new floors, new kitchen appliances and a new coat of paint. Maybe even a new porch off the back, fenced in yard, and new windows, too! My new Cabrio washer and dryer are to be delivered on New Year's day......I've never had a matching set before, so I am joyfully harkening in the New Year!
Jeff has found his new career path in Nuclear Engineering. Stevie is gearing up to graduate HS and go to Az with Jeff this summer. Timm is working diligently to get into a great college to be some sort of aerospace whiz, and is even working at Wendy's (he's so cute in his uniform).
I have also learned to appreciate my friends and family more, to cherish each gathering and meeting with those who mean the world to me, both old and new friends, and to appreciate the wonderful world around me.
I hope to post some pics from Christmas and some new things I've made on here in the next week. Until we talk again, I hope y'all have a happy, fun, joyous and above all, SAFE New Year's. I will be safely in the lab at the VA....but hey, at least I'll be awake at midnite!!!! See ya in the new decade!!!!!!
PK

Christmas is Over....

2009-12-26T17:20:00.002-05:00

and I can't believe I haven't posted a word mid-October! I must admit, I was busily creating gifts for family and friends. I will post pics in the next week or so, but I will also say that one of my New Year's resolutions is to pay more attention to my blog world. I find a two month plus absence from my beloved cyber world is just tooo long!

Christmas was fun...on Christmas Eve, we took the trip to Zellwood station for the annual DiBiasio family Christmas. Liken it to Griswold's without all the lights! There's food, drink, cookies, cheesecake and oh yes, the yearly gift exchange. We all pick names at Thanksgiving. I received a great hot cocoa/coffee basket from my sister in law, Teresa. Haven't had time to try anything except the white chocolate kona coffee. yummy! can't wait to have the cocoas and marzipan coffee.

I crocheted a pink panda bear afghan for my niece, Rachel. She posted that she wanted one after seeing another that I had made on facebook. The only differences were that I used black and white fun fur for the panda and the tunisian stitch, to make it go quicker. Yes, dear friends, I waited until the last possible moment to cram this into my stitching schedule. I finished it and she loved it. I hated using the fun fur, particularly on the black parts. Stitches were dropped and repaired a few times!

I also crocheted a sweater for my SIL Susie. She had seen a few I made about 5 years ago for my nieces and said that she also wanted one. Yes, 5 years later, she received it! I was upset, as Jeff's gf Sam is still in Arizona working and wasn't here to try it on before I gave it. I made it in Sage Mary; Kim, another SIL, wants one of the same colors, also. Yes, I think I have my work cut out for me for next year, and it's only December 26!

I still need to finish Madelyn's blanket. I 'm three rows from being done. I really think I have separation anxiety from finished projects. I will get that blanket done before her birthday in February! I also need to make socks, earflap hat and arm warmers for Stevie's gf, Nicole. I guess I'd better get started soon!

The fun part of Christmas this year was making the boys wait until 4pm on Christmas day to open their presents. I was at home by 8:15 am (I work the graveyard at the VA hospital lab in Gainesville, 45 minutes from my home), but was soooo tired, I climbed into bed to sleep for a couple of hours. The boys wanted to go see Sherlock Holmes, so I had Fandangoed the tickets on Christmas Eve. Glad I did, too. The line was around the theater when we drove up at 12:55 for a 1:10 pm show. It was AWESOME to be able to walk in and stroll right to our movie! We loved it....and we all went as a family....the only person missing was Sam. We came home, Bob cooked our standing rib roast while I wrapped the rest of the presents. Then it was time to unwrap! The boys had fun...they all received NERF guns...have been sporadically running around shooting one another at opportune times....which starts yet another war. Steve's waiting for his Bass pedals and cables; Tim's drumsticks and heads are on their way....he went out with me on Black Friday and we got his other shopping done, along with his dad's; Jeff and I are going laptop computer shopping next week. Jeff wants to take online school to study nuclear engineering. YAY!!!! He found something he wants to be when he grows up!!!

OK, enough for now. Next post will have pics of the above mentioned projects! Until then, continue to enjoy your holidays and most of all, love the family and friends around you and far away! And as always, find time to do whatever makes you happy.....be it crochet, knit or some other craft!!!!

Merry Christmas and have a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!!

Menopause, hot flashes, lack of sleep and knitting

2009-10-15T04:21:00.003-04:00

Ah yes, menopause. It is hitting me in waves lately. Heat waves, as it were. Working the graveyard shift, I get to lay down at about 9am. That's after the boys are fed and on their ways to DHS. I sleep for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours and wake up drenched in sweat, heat radiating from my core. Hubby, sweet thing that he is, suggests that I take a cool shower or dip in the pool. Surely that would cool you down. I snarled, no it won't work. You should try; my fangs bared, I growl, "no, trust me, it's from the inside. standing in the pool will NOT work." Then one night, the dear man reached over and felt my hot, sweat soaked skin. (No, not amorously; rather to see what all the ruckous was about with the hot flash). "OMG!" he exclaimed; you feel like a furnace. "Yeah, I TOLD you so......" Never was a dip in the cool refreshing pool brought up.
Anyway, yesterday was a day when the hot flash racked my body, sitting me straight up in bed at 11:30 am; I had fallen asleep around 9am. Hubby snuck out the door to work his noon to 9p shift.....personally, I think he slunk away a little early, just to escape the snarling and growling from my lack of sleep.
Unable to sleep, I decided to surf the net in search of learning to knit info. I have been an avid crocheter since I was 8 years old (thanks, Grandma Till!!), but knitting has always eluded me. I don't have the patience to watch someone and do what they do. We usually both end up frustrated and I give up. Reading the directions is like me trying to read Greek....uh, yeah, I don't get it from a 2-D picture. I have a couple of really cool EASY knitting patterns I want to make. So, I stumbled to You-tube. There are instructional videos to teach you almost anything you want to learn. I found the basic knit and purl stitches, plus the cable cast on required for the first attempt; The Garter Ridge T-Top from e-patterns central. I made my test swatch, no holes and no problem. Didn't even rip it out, as the son expected me to do. Like I usually do when I don't like the way something turns out. I proudly bound off and showed my little 2 x 2 inch creation to my boys. "That's nice, Mom." I am very happy that I was able to learn this! Can't you show a little more enthusiasm at my accomplishment? Uh, nope!@
So then I progressed to the 89 stitch cable cast on. Almost gave it up, as it took me 2 1/2 hours to get it right......10 stitches was a breeze! I perservered, frogged, tried again and again. Finally, all 89 little buggers were on the needle. Garter stitch for 10 rows. Easy, peasy. Then came the purl stitch. I forgot. Oh no, what will I do? Lion Brand has lovely photos and diagrams to jog the memory. Ah yes, there it is!!! Not as difficult as you were trying to make it.......DUH moment set in.
I am well on my way to the front of the sweater. I am still very excited that there are NO HOLES! Keeping my fingers crossed that my luck holds...So, if it were not for the hot flashes and onset of menopause, I would not be unable to sleep and needing something new to attempt, in order to stay awake until said hot flash passes. Perhaps I will be able to de-stash a bit with this new little twist in my life. Guess we'll find out soon enough!!!!

More FO's!!!!

2009-10-12T18:27:00.003-04:00

Yea! I finished the Hearts and Gingham Nap sack I started in April 2008. The great nephew that it was originally for is wayy to big for it, so I had to make it for a friend at work. She was due Oct.22. but had a beautiful little boy on Sept 30. If the kid had been on time, I would have been done in time!
This was fun to make, but I hated putting it together. The string took about 2 hours to weave around the outside. Hope Johanna and the little guy like it!

finished projects

2009-09-27T10:21:00.004-04:00

End of September. Hard to believe the month of September is almost over. This year seems to be flying by faster than usual. In my absence from the blogging scene, I have been working, fighting a cold, abscessed tooth and crocheting! Yes, I have finished a few things:

The above two lapghans were done as a CAL for the group CrochetNChitchat on yahoo. Am sending the blue and black one to my 90 yr old aunt for her b-day. She loves blue and loves when I send her things I make. The pineapple centerpiece is another attempt to fit my kitchen table....not a chance. Only 35.5" across. I'll keep trying. Really love the Elizabeth Hiddleson pattern, though.
The last picture is of my leaf green sweater from Crochet! magazine, May 2009. I didn't like the plain dc stitches, so I did a cross stitch instead. A little airy and light to wear in cooler weather. Now to move on to a sweater coat for me. Too bad I found the Tokyo pattern at Caron.com. May have to make that first:

http://www.naturallycaron.com/projects/tokyo/tokyo_1.html

Jeff and Sam are safely in Arizona, training at Palo Verde nuclear facility. They are loving the change of pace and learning something different. Jeff said the funniest thing was trying to find a hazmat suit that fit sam...she's 4'11" and tiny. Best they could do was get a size XL; she looked like and oompaloompah. I would pay to see that!
I am once again, hoping to be able to post more frequently. There's just not enough hours in my day! Take care and have a great afternoon, my friends!

Long awaited UPDATE!!!

2009-08-31T01:06:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe it's been soooo long since I last posted. So much has happened; prepping for our long drive to Washington, DC and Boston, the DiBiasio family reunion, oldest son getting ready for an adventure working in Arizona. Work again has gotten in the way of my blogging. Life seems to be settling into a dull roar, so hopefully I can be more frequent in my posts. I will post pics from our vacation; the boys stayed home. Their girlfriends and they cleaned my house, carpets and kitchen. WOW, it was spotless when we came home from our week away! They did a wonderful job. Now, to keep it that way....gonna be tough as my vacuum cleaner blew up on Steven while cleaning. Washing machine lid switch is burnt out, so jamming it into place won't work. Oh yes, and the pool pump died, too. Luckily, we had the original in the shed that had never been used. It is pumping away and my pool is crystal clear!
I will post about Mr. Bob's and my adventure from home; that's where all the pictures are kept! We did an awful lot in a very short period of time....I think I am finally recovered!!! Hope all is well out in Blog land. I have missed you and will be more diligent with my posts from now on....barring any unforseen circumstances!

Graveyard shift and Russian White Nights

2009-07-18T02:01:00.003-04:00

I was just reading my friend, Henya's, blog, Chickenstitches. She was talking about the Russian "White Nights" and how she never truly experienced one, but likens being up with her various 6...yes, Six (God bless her...My three drive me nuts) children, at various times of the nite. Henya finds respite in knitting, crocheting, making stitch markers, as one of her "blessings" is up and about. She got me thinking as to how my graveyard shift is similar. I spend a great deal of time waiting for the lab work to come to me. I have begun to bring small projects to work on during the down time. Then it hit me, I can write on my blog. I'm hoping to be able to do this more frequently, as I have been lax. My dream of miraculously getting all caught up on my far behind projects has yet to happen. I cannot get motivated to work on them, just as I cannot motivate my butt to exercise again. I blame it on trying to adjust to graveyard again. Not true; I have been playing with my new computer, trying to get it just right. I have TONS of storage space on it for my patterns. YIPPEEE! Thank you, Sir Pauly for your hard work! Also my new i-Phone and it's neat applications.
Oh yes, and then there's the chauferring service that I render to my two youngest boys. They are teenagers with driver's permits, but I must be present when they drive. Who would have thought that I would be spending a lot of my free hours trekking them across Ocala and it's environs? I do most of my crocheting, mostly on my EH pineapple centerpiece (8 rows to go, folks!), in the car. That also enables me to miss some of their more inexperienced driving faux pas. Nothing too major. No accidents so far (fingers crossed.)
The point of this post it that I feel as though I am on a forever "White Night". The bright flourescent lights of the lab keep it quite white. I just wish I could be more craft productive like my friend. I will get there, I know I will!

Oh the joys

2009-06-28T11:48:00.007-04:00

Of not being in charge! I am quickly adjusting to my night shift schedule. I really like working graveyard shift. It is sooo nice to have my life back the way I like it. I can cook, craft and get my house in order. I have accumulated so many crafting supplies and it is piling higher in my room. I need to get rid of some things and have started to dispose of things I don't need. I am slowly going thru my closet to make room. That means yes, getting rid of clothes I haven't worn in years. I, my friends, am a pack rat. I know it and I am really trying to declutter.

My ultimate goal is to paint my living room in the Corvette orange I have had sitting in the middle of the floor for over a year. I have to clean and declutter first.. That will take awhile. It's ok.. With my new schedule, I get home at 8:15 am, feed the animals, sleep til 1pm, and then do what I want. To say there is less stress in my life is an understatement! I feel like jello. It's just nice to know that I can easily fall into my old routine. I was afraid the years added since I last did this would take a great toll. Surprisingly, I can still do it! It's nice to know that I can stretch anyone's two day weekend into 3 days. How? Well, I work Sun- Thursday nites (or Monday - Friday as the VA puts it). When I come home Friday morning, I stay up for as long as I can to squeeze every moment I can out of my day. I don't come home too exhausted to do anything but sleep. Thank the good lord, I am able to enjoy my life!

for those days when I will be too tired, or when I need to nap when the sun is still out, I invested $20 in room darkening curtains. (Royal blue to go with the pale blue or green I want to paint my room.....eventually!) They work really well...my only fear is that now I will not want to ever wake up, thinking it's still dark outside!

They work really well! I only closed one, and it is pretty dark in my room!

I mentioned feeding the animals....here is a couple of family of kittens we have acquired:

It's like a kitty commune. All the moms feed all the kittens at various times of the day. Pretty funny, but all are taken care of. Our dog, Marley (little australian shepherd)

LOVES playing with the kittens. She picks them up like little toys and "plays" with them. We yell at her to drop them, and she gets this look like..."What...they like it when I play with them.....really they do!" The moms don't like it too much; they circle Marley and growl. Marley growls back until one of us breaks up the stand off.

Here are a few things I've been working on. First, my Elizabeth Hiddleson Pineapple Centerpiece:

I am really happy with the way this is coming out. I work on it whenever the boys are driving me around. The next is the tablecenter that is too small for my table: It is too small for my table, but I did find the clear table covers at walmart. The cats will leave it alone!

That's all for now. Time for the NASCAR race from NH....I have on my swimsuit and the clouds are swirling in, and it is raining......

Another long time between

2009-06-14T20:31:00.004-04:00

.....my posts. Sorry to have been lax, but in the almost month I have not posted, I have been working at my new job, getting my boys ready for the end of the school year, coaxing Steven to finish his online algebra class, chauffering the boys to and from work and girlfriends houses....oh yes, and crocheting a bit.

First off, the new job is absolutely awesome. Who would have thought that not being in charge of something could be so freeing? I loved my job as a supervisor MOST of the time. It was great when things meshed and hummed and ran well. It was even kind of fun solving problems and making things run right again. The long hours and time away from my family led to more stress. It is definitely nice to know that I still have the skills I attained so many years ago in college; I still have and can put them to use! I do my first night (yes, graveyard) shift on this coming Saturday and Sunday. I CANNOT wait! It is so nice to perform my job and leave at the end of my shift. I get home and can make dinner for my family. Yes, and be there to help with school tasks so the boys can graduate on time.....Oh yes, and home on the days Steven needs to go have his Senior pictures taken. I really do love working the night shift! Almost like you don't work at all.

I have been crocheting some too. Working on varigated squares for an afghan for an exchange. Also these couple of things:This is a wreath/candle ring for a contest. If I win, I get all the entries from the contest. If not, I send it away and make another. It was supposed to be a wreath, but the patriotic bear is too heavy; I didn't have time to get another before I submitted the picture. I decided to make it a candle ring.

The above is a soap sack that I tested for Suzetta of Suzie's Yarn Stuff. I really like this pattern. I finished it in less than an hour. How do I know? I began it when there was 55 minutes left during the 24 hours of Le Mans and finished it before the checkered flag waved. It's an easy pattern and I placed a bar of cranberry glycerin soap (smells lovely!). I told Suzie I liked the pattern, but next time I will add another row of lace to the top.

Oh, I also had time to purchase a new i-Phone. 16G. I really like it, but have to admit, I spend way more time on it than I want to.....but I do have my blog saved on it. Better than a laptop!

FINALLY!

2009-05-03T16:55:00.002-04:00

A new post! No pics this time, just a recanting of my life over the past couple of weeks. Who would have thought that decompressing from a high (although it really didn't feel that way until recently) pressure job to a regular, day to day life would be such a welcome relief! WOW, I haven't done much of anything lately except cry during an orientation that showed films of the Department of Veteran's affairs. No, I wasn't the only one in tears, but I have come to realize just what the words "compassion" and "hug" mean to me. We were told to show compassion to the patients of the hospital. After 25 years of medical work in the private sector, I have not heard THAT word in years. Empathy, yes; compassion, never. HUG? OMG, I have had it drummed into me that people could press sexual harrassment charges; even patients. We were not to touch a patient unless we needed to for our jobs. sometimes, you know when folks just need a hug..... Yes, I do believe that those who defend our country deserve that from me...and so much more.........
Someone in my orientation class asked if I had someone overseas...no, just a dad that served in WWII as a bombadier in the air force, a brother that served in Viet Nam...he wouldn't come near me as a 4-5 yr old little kid because of what happened to those of the same age over there. I never understood until I grew up and heard the stories. Yes, I do appreciate those that were thrown into a war they didn't ask for. I also have a very dear friend who is now on active duty in the Air Force in Georgia. He's been in that state since 2001 or 2002, after 9/11. I remember he and I IM'ing on AOL, worried about what was going to happen to him after he was called to active duty from his 'safe' reserve duty. Luckily, he was able to stay in the states with his family in Warner Robins, an MP marching the flight line (of which I was given a personalized tour). I also have a friend from high school who I have found out spent time in the Army and is living in Huntsville Alabama. To each of you, and to the millions like you, I say a heartfelt "thank you" for keeping America the great country it is. Without the sacrifices you have made, no matter how big or how small, we would not be the country all others aspire to be. I am very proud to be a federal government employee; I'm only sorry I didn't realize what it meant a long time ago.......

Moving on.....

2009-04-23T09:25:00.004-04:00

Yes, Tuesday was my last day at Shands. A little sad, but I am excited about my new venture at the Malcolm Randall Veterans Administration Hospital in Gainesville. Right across the street from Shands proper. The best part of it all: I WILL NOT BE IN CHARGE OF IT ALL! Hoping to get back on track with my crafts, picking up the needlepoint, cross-stitch and felting I have neglected far too long. Keeping in touch with family and friends more often. I even began the chore of cleaning my house by folding the 5-6 baskets of laundry that have been accumulating (Methinks multiplying) on my pool table. Next is to tackle my closet and get rid of those pesky clothes and actually be able to walk in my so named closet. If you don't hear from me for awhile, I have probably been buried in an avalanche of clothes, yarn, hangers...etc.

The folks I work with had a great spread of food for me...Thanks Lynn! You did a great job of organizing it all. It was greatly appreciated, right down to the Nascar cake. I will be cleaning black frosting off for the next two weeks!

I have managed to make Tablecenter #2.....mexicana with strands of red, orange, goldenrod and bright yellow:

The colors from my cell phone do not do justice to the beauty of this. I will post a better shot from my camera. The damned thing is still too small for my table. This one measures 32" across. Bigger than the copper mist one (which I sent to my sister in law for her b-day. She had hinted at a Christmas gift, but her b-day was a week away.) I need a 54" across. Soo, I guess it's time to move on to another pattern. Will try my Elizabeth Hiddleson Pineapple Centerpiece:

It's coming along quite nicely, but I do believe it is going to be smaller than my table. Again I say...DAMN! I will find one that will fit my table one day. I guess it's just a way for me to keep trying different patterns.

We are off to Orlando and visiting with Bob's family (yes, the in-laws....I really like mine). First a stop at Downtown Disney and the Earl of Sandwich, then to Sam Ash (michaels may be in the pic for me....even if I'm trying to use all my stuff before I buy more), Wine World (ok, it's really called Total Wine, but we like Wine World), then on to Mom and Dad's to visit with Bob's cousin Lauren, her hubby Mitch and their adorable little girl Isabelle. Will post pics in the next couple of days. CYA~!

Tablecenter finished!

2009-03-22T17:19:00.002-04:00

This is the tablecenter I wanted to make into a tablecloth for my glass kitchen table. The original pattern called for size 10 bedspread weight cotton and a size 7 hook. Thinking I could get a larger version with size 3 thread and a size 2 hook, I started. Upon finishing it, I could not find my stupid steel pins to block it properly after I washed it. so, here it is at 25". Now to find a clear vinyl tablecloth to display it so the cats won't tear it up.

Home sick

2009-03-05T13:37:00.003-05:00

I am home sick, too dizzy to drive the 40+ miles to work. I crawled back into bed at 7:00, to awake again at 11:15am. Those who know me know this definitely means I am not well. I usually awake at 4a, go to the gym for 5:45 and on with my day 5 days a week. Weekends, I am up by 7am. Still feel dizzy, not like eating. Hubby made me banana nut muffins before he went to work. What a sweetie. Since I got this crud from him, I'm guessing he feels a little guilty.
My friend Lupie from Lesser known skeins has nominated me for a Kreativ Blogger award! I am more than honored, but a little embarrassed as I can't figure out how to post the lovely little button to my blog, much less link to hers and nominate others! If someone would help me out, I would soooo appreciate it. Lupie religiously follows me, and I am so happy to do the same for her.

In the mean time, here are a few photos of the heart blanket I finished this past weekend.

I have been driving with this in a box in my car to mail all week. Sad fact is, I work right next door to the post office. I am hoping to get it mailed tomorrow! I made it for a rep of mine at work who had his first baby in February...yes, a little girl. Now on to clean out more of my stash!

Ok, am feeling a little puny. Guess I'll go back to sleep til the boys get home. Have a great day to all!

WOW, it's over

2009-02-17T16:59:00.003-05:00

I can't believe my glorious time off is over. I have found and accepted a new job with less responsibility, celebrated a well-deserved Christmas in February with my family, went to Daytona for speedweeks 2 times in 3 days and turned another year older. Holy cow. Now, tomorrow, I have to drag to a job I have grown to dislike tremendously, awaiting the day I can tell them "I quit". The important folks (aka, those closest to me) know, but others have only heard rumors. The reasoning for giving up the ghost are:

1.)Not that driven to succeed. Just give me what I need to sustain

2.)Being home after 8 1/2 hours is a good thing.

3.) Being responsible for my work only is a GREAT thing

4.) did I mention #1?

5.) More time for Beth and family and things I enjoy, rather than the dread of a job I despise and see no point to other than no one else will do it.

6.) Again, see #1

7.) #5 leads to more time to crochet! See picture:

This is a blanket I am crocheting for my new great niece. All I need is 10 more rows and about 25 ladybugs. Madelyn's theme is ladybugs. I hope she enjoys this blanket more than her uncle Mike liked the first thing I ever crocheted...a blanket for him that he promptly threw on the ground......Boys!

Anyhow, I hope to have more time in the VERY NEAR future to keep up with my blog. and my friends. and most importantly, my family!

Vacation....Day 4!

2009-02-10T20:11:00.003-05:00

Yes, I am once again on a break from that dreaded 4-letter word, WORK. I have been consumed not only with the tight budgets at the hospital, but also with the fact that NASCAR season is starting up again! We have tickets to the Duels at Daytona for Thursday; the qualifying races for the Daytona 500. I cannot wait! Next to crochet, following the races is my favorite past time. I love to be in the crowd, hearing the roar of the engines speeding past at 200 mph. Feel the cars as they tear around the track. Oh yeah, if this is being a red neck, then a redneck I will proudly be labeled.

Anyhow, since we received our tax refund last Friday and have been making the boys wait for their actual Christmas presents, Monday was the day to celebrate. We gave Jeff cash, Steve a new mountain bike (what, no bass or amp? I wonder what happened?), and Timm a new TV for his room so he can play his X-box 360 and not have to fight Dad or older bro for TV time. Bob and I were laughing walking out of Best Buy with a 4 lb 22" tv. 20 years ago, not only could we not afford a tv that big, but it would have taken a flatbed cart and 5 best buy associates to load it into the car. Amazing what technology can do!

As for our Christmas in February, I am waiting for my Saturday visit to the Nascar trailers. Can't decide what I want for my b-day, but will check it out on Thursday. That way, I can have a plan of attack for shopping day!

I have been crocheting some. Here are a few things I have in the works:

The first is a heart baby afghan for a rep-friend that I know. He and his wife are having their baby at the end of Feb. The second pic is of my Dublin Country Throw (from the Caron site) and Big Bow sweater from the winter 2009 Interweave Crochet. Both are for me. If I can ever get them done.
I also need to start an afghan for a great niece due at the end of next week. Her name shall be Madelyn and will involve ladybugs. Will post a pic of the idea soon.
Ok, back to enjoying my relaxing time off. Daytona, here I come! Go Tony Stewart and Elliott Sadler!!!! I LOVE this time of year!

WOW!

2009-01-22T15:50:00.003-05:00

Again, another long time since my last post. I have been a busy bee at work. I have also been crocheting in every free moment. I finally finished my friend Dave's transplant afghan:

I finished it on his birthday, which was 01/19. Funny to me to call him "friend". For five years he was my "boss." I called him dude. Hey, I even have this in the mail! That's gotta be some kind of record for me. I'm very pleased with the way the blanket turned out. It's extremely warm, but I am tired of making those danged squares!

Work has been a pain as the paperwork piles up, but the people that need my attention are more demanding by the day. I am seriously thinking of going back to the bench. Steven needs help in algebra, and I can't help him if I'm not home til 7 pm. Money's tight, even in the hospital business, so everyone is being asked to do more with less. It's really tough and leaves less time for the things I like. Will just wait for now and see what the future brings, plugging away as best I can, but making sure I make time for my boys.....

I hope to post more pics this weekend. The holidays were fun and family filled. I have reconnected with quite a few high school friends on facebook. Fun finding out what they have been up to. Myspace is still mainly for the nieces and boy's girlfriends.

On another note, Sam, Nicole and Ethan went to Washington DC for the inauguration of Barack Obama. Oh to be young and fancy free and to on road trips like that again! (OK, they went with Layla and her mom, who had the trip well-planned). They were cold and had to stand way back by the Washington monument, but they were THERE! AWESOME.

On Monday, I leave for Baltimore Maryland for a lab inspection. I haven't been that far north during the winter in over 20 years. Can't wait to see how that goes!

OK, I'll save more fun stuff for the weekend. Hope y'all are staying warm and safe where ever you may be!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-26T19:47:00.005-05:00

Wow, hard to believe Christmas has passed and it's been so long since I've been here. I've been busy at work and home, not even close to ready for Christmas. Put in a full day on Christmas eve at the lab, drove from Gainesville, Florida to Apopka (Zellwood Station, to be exact) for the annual DiBiasio Family Christmas. Think Chevy Chase and Christmas vacation, just minus all the lights. For the first time in 22 years, hubby had to see his family without me for the first few hours. It was odd being the last one there, as we are usually the first! My two youngest went with their dad early; all cousins wanted to see Stevie's shaved head. He had grown his hair for 4 years. I now have a 15 inch ponytail to send to Locks for Love. But Stevie complains his head is cold. Soooo, we have to find all the Superman logo hats we can.....Steve says that's his symbol....."S" is for Steven, after all!

Jeff and Sam came with me. I was hoping to have Jeff drive, so I could relax and crochet. As I have said before, the best laid plans.......no crocheting and I drove. The ghans posted here are gifts for folks at work.

Here's what I have been working on for an exchange. Late, but almost done:

That's all for now. Will post more this weekend...purses I have been making, too! I hope you all enjoy the holidays with your family and friends!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

2008-11-27T10:42:00.002-05:00

Got up at 7am and started cooking. We are smoking a 25.69 lb mac daddy turkey and baking a 21.41 lb. one. Stuffed with faud (meat stuffing); making regular stuffing for me. Rutabagas, mashed potatoes, homemade whole cranberry sauce, green been casserole, corn, hawaiian rolls, sweet potatoe casserole, and greens.....I'm sure I'm leaving out something, but it will be a veritable feast! Enjoy your holiday with your family and friends...I am very thankful for all of you that read this! Beth

Best laid plans......

2008-11-11T11:46:00.004-05:00

So much for wanting to post on my vacation. I did well for a few days, but got a stomach virus at the end. Finally feeling better, so I can post more frequently. Here's a pic of what I did while on vacation:

my neckwarmer and fall purse. These pics are from Universal:

The first pic is of the whole gang, boys, gf's and me. Hubby taking picture. Then us on the teacups and the last of me and hubby at the end of the day. Can't wait to go back and ride the rides!

CAL Bag done!

2008-10-28T18:31:00.002-04:00

My CAL bag for Universal is finished! Can't wait to use it tomorrow. Have to upload some pics and clean out my card so I can take plenty of pics tomorrow. Will upload them this weekend.

Another CAL

2008-10-27T11:44:00.002-04:00

This is a bag to go along with the hat and scarf. I don't have the entire pattern yet, but am going to improvise it so I can tote it along as a carry-all on Wednesday on our trip to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. Yes, all of us and the girlfriends are going on an outing. Should be interesting as the Timm and hubby don't do roller coasters. I'm good for a couple of rides, but then I get dizzy. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the rush of riding a coaster; I finally have learned that I don't get sick to my stomach if I keep my eyes open. I even like riding in the front row. My fave coaster so far is Shekra at Busch Gardens.....supposedly two 90 degree drops. (More like 86 or 87 degrees; if it was actually 90. the cars would fall off the track...that would NOT be a good thing). Coolest thing about Shekra is the 4-second hang at the top as you look down to your death. Scary, but a lot of fun! I am looking forward to riding The Hulk and Double Dragon coasters. Will post photos later in the week. The weather promises to be grand and cool. My boys are great at figuring out where the cameras are on the coasters and waving their arms.....I hang on white knuckled and scream for dear life. Yes, they all laugh at me.
But Timm promises to ride one with Shelby....she likes them too. That ought to be fun to watch!
Off to finish my bag and make another On the Go Sunshine purse in gator colors....I'm being paid and have to have it done for Friday.

VACATION!

2008-10-22T14:17:00.005-04:00

I'm hoping to be able to post more, now that I'm on vacation til Monday November 3. Have lots of projects to work on, painting of my living room in "corvette" orange, cleaning my closets and LAUNDRY.....yech. Oh well, must be done. We are taking the boys and their girls to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure next Thursday. Should be fun as my youngest doesn't like roller coasters. His girlfriend, Shelby, does. This should be fun.

Saturday marks Steven's 17th b-day. Wow, hard to believe. He has vowed to cut his hair by Christmas. It's rock star long, but he's tired of brushing it. I'm going to try to get him to donate it to locks for love. Tim is going to cut his too. His head is a mass of curls and difficult to manage.

Bob and I went to Kanapaha gardens in Gainesville on Sunday for their annual fall plant sale. It was free to get in. We bought another bamboo stripestem) and a camelia plant. That brings our total bamboo count to 11 plants (including 2 heavenly's that don't spread and run). Bob and I both took lots of pics, so I will post some later this week.

This is our first plant, called golden goddess (clumping). That was followed by 2 arrow, 1 seashore (resuce missions from our local home depot), 2 buddha belly's, one miniature buddha belly, and a black. I also found out that a friend/rep at work has some either timber or blue he's trying to kill with roundup, so we are going to make a road trip and get some from him!

This is my camphor tree. When I bought it ten years ago, I thought I froze it the first winter. It took FOREVER to grow to this height, but it is getting HUGE! This is my most fragrant tree. Now, if only I could figure out how to rotate the pic so it's not crooked!

I have to go pick the boys up from school; will post more later!

Crochet along

2008-10-12T14:55:00.001-04:00

Finished! Mine, Mine, Mine! Yipeee! Now, I just need it cold enough to wear! Gotta love the sunshine state....it's now 88 degrees.

Doily with a twist

2008-10-12T11:31:00.004-04:00

Here it is. I was sent this pattern back in August, finally getting to it NOW! I love it...16" across. I was sent the pattern and thread ~Aunt Lydia's in cream....nice and shiny! (along with another doily the girl had made) in a box.

It is my duty to finish this one, send it along with another pattern and thread to the next person on the list. I love this pattern and picked up some Aunt Lydia's bamboo crochet thread at Walmart. This stuff is soo soft, it feels like silk. Can't wait to make my doily with this stuff!

Click for donating mammograms!

2008-10-11T20:01:00.004-04:00

Use the link here http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2&link=ctg_bcs_home_from_ars_thankyou_sitenav to click on the breast cancer site, donate a mammogram or two! I'm also gonna post to the donate a bowl of food to rescued animals on here, too. http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_home_from_bcs_home_sitenav I am a softy when it comes to animals. Guess that's why I have tons of cats and 3 dogs. Will post photos tomorrow. They are not rescued, they are mine. One day, I hope to rescue some. I cry all the time when these commercials come on tv. Drives the boys crazy! LOL.....

crochet along scarf

2008-10-05T16:09:00.004-04:00

Here's a pic of my dawn and susans comfy corner crochet along scarf. My fave colors, as this is for ME! You may not be able to tell, but I did run out of a few colors, but since it's mine, I don't care! Now on to the hat!
And to finish watching TALLADEGA, Baby! I love that track. Talking to hubby, I'd be happy just going there, camping, walking around, tailgating and listening on the radio. GO TONY, ELLIOTT, Juan-Pablo and JR!

Dave's ghan and Arlene's cap

2008-09-29T01:34:00.005-04:00

Dave's ghan is 1/2 finished! Yippeeee! I accidentally have the ribbon rows going in opposite directions, but that'll make Dave remember my chaotic ways! Orderly, nicely lined up in the same direction is just SOOOO NOT ME! Besides this way, there is no proper way to use it.

I also have an online friend who I've known for years, named Arlene. She is the sweetest lady I've known in a long time. Recently, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is currently undergoing radiation treatment and has been depressed. With all the breast cancer afghans I've been doing, I decided to make her a ribbon hat. Yes, that's me modelling it....only for a true friend, as I ABHOR having my pic posted. I used Dee Stanziano's (of CrochetingwithDee) Tulip Preemie Cap, which is a variation of her light and lacy chemo cap. I hope it helps to cheer up Arlene.

By the way, if anyone is interested in donating to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, here's the link: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY09Florida?team_id=310736&pg=team&fr_id=11638

The team I'm on is the Gainesville, Florida Chapter named "Cure or Bust." Friends of mine from Occupational Health had me join three years ago. Glad to support the cause, especially since I now personally know someone and I feel like I'm really helping out! If you would like to donate, go to the link and look for my name, Beth DiBiasio. If you have trouble, contact me at wadefan420@bellsouth.net. Thanks!

Ribbons and Roses

2008-09-25T18:01:00.005-04:00

This is the Ribbons and Roses Afghan I made for another Breast Cancer team from Gainesville, Cure or Bust. I am a member of this team. They are raffling it off the day of the walk, October 3. If you would like to make a donation, e-mail me and I'll let you know how.

Here's a comfortghan that one of my groups had me put together for a member whose hubby had died unexpectedly. I am also putting together another for the daughter who is also a grandmother this past week. Hope to post more often soon!

Dave's last day at Rocky Point

2008-09-20T16:38:00.005-04:00

My now former boss Dave and I, after his party. After weeks of taking, organizing, developing pics from our lab, here's the last one his lovely wife Sonya (yes, of Sonya's sweater) took of him and I together. Lots of food, fun and yes, PRESENTS! Of course, Dave's afghan is NOT yet finished, but will be by the time the snow flies in PA. Penny made dave a Gator beanie on her knitting looms.... Oh yeah, and I HAD to give him a PONYKEG........actually, it's a Bubba Keg.
If you look closely, you can see my Bobicus Maximus pin from the Ravelympics on my lanyard. Yes, I wear it every day.
RPL is not going to be the same without him, I will miss him; good thing I have him on my facebook friends! I'm just glad I didn't cry....almost, but didn't do it!

Absenteeism

2008-09-18T04:34:00.002-04:00

Been away from the blogging world for awhile. work has been nuts; boss is leaving tomorrow, planning a big bash for his send off. Learning all the fun things he does, entertaining all the reps he used to talk with, plus all the other things that go along with a hospital lab. Staff, instrument issues, patient/nurse/doctor complaints, budgets, supplies, filling in for sick and vacationing people. Just been too tired to do much of anything. Am working on a blanket for Dave, a variation of the pink ribbon ghan. This one has green ribbons, as Dave had a liver transplant last September. I won't have it done by tomorrow, but it contains the same green that is in Sonya's sweater. Long story, but my way of keeping the family connected. Will post photos of my progress this weekend.
Hope all are well, those of you in Ike's path are ok. Thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Nicole's Inga Bag

2008-09-02T04:22:00.004-04:00

I began this bag on May 6th for Steven's girlfriend Nicole. She loves highlighter colors, so I went with Caron's simply soft brites. The squares were bigger than they were supposed to be, so I only needed 12. Nicole also wanted a LOOOONG strap (yes, she is way taller than me!), so I made a chain of 150 and sc all the way around twice. She liked it, so I guess that's all that matters. The first pic is what I'd had done up til Sunday. It's cute and fun to put together.

Here's a link to the pattern. http://www.scribd.com/doc/3313248/Ingas-Granny-Square-Crocheted-Bag I know I found it on another blog, not this link, but this will work! Maybe that's what I'll use all those grannies for that I have!

On to the next project, which is Dave's green ribbon ghan for his going away gift. And a doily, and a CAL from a yahoo group that I want off my coffee table! The list is never ending, LOL

Breast cancer awareness afghan

2008-08-29T11:37:00.003-04:00

I made this for Kara (pictured holding her afghan) to raffle off for her MSABC team. It was supposed to be 20 squares, but being the procrastinator I am, I only was able to finish 9. I will get started sooner next year!

Now I need to start on my boss' (soon to be ex) green transplant ribbon ghan for his going away gift. Something to keep him warm in Pennsylvania. I see ribbons in my sleep! LOL

Sonya's Country Car Coat....Completed!

2008-08-24T15:33:00.003-04:00

Yes, children, it is completed! I really like it, it is very warm. and if you are wondering, yes, I have to stand in my bathtub to get a good photo from my big mirror. I promised Sonya I wouldn't take her pic and post it on the web. So, I guess this is the fashion show you are going to get. Now, I have to finish the breast cancer ghan and figure out what color I want to make MY Car coat! I really like this pattern. Moves fast and seeing results fast (yup, instant gratification, baby, that's what I'm all about!) certainly helps to push to the end. Not to mention the accolades from Bobicus Maximus on Ravelry for successfully completing my Olympian task! BRING IT ON!

All done but the edge and collar!

2008-08-24T08:04:00.003-04:00

WOOHOOO! 3.5 hours to go and just the edging and collar to go. Can't wait and the excitement is building! I did add 5 rows of inverted edging to the bottom and like the length a lot better!

It fits!

2008-08-23T11:00:00.003-04:00

finally got this together last night. Started the outer trim before making the collar/edging. Had to model it to send photo to Sonya to see if she likes the length. I do not. Covers my butt, but needs to be longer to truly be a "coat" for my tastes. Am going to invert the pattern stitches along the bottom edge about 3- 4 rows. I'm really liking this sweater....will have to make one for me now! Can hopefully finish today, but laundry and kitty litter do stand in my way....not to mention cleaning my kitchen and making meatloaf for dinner...! I'm sure chauferring a teen or two around will be added in there somewhere!

As for Fay, we never lost power for any length of time. Just a few blips. Hubby thought I was nuts for turning off the air (until the house started filling up with teenagers and girls who's power was out and NEEDED a shower!). After living without it for 3 years after the last round of hurricanes that moved thru here, I WAS NOT going to chance it again. Hope my friends in Daytona fared well, as the storm stalled there for a few days. I also hope they don't have to make a mad dash for UF this weekend as KeiLani starts classes on Monday. Ok, I'm off to see what I can accomplish today!

Oh yeah, and don't tell, but I ordered a Bobicus Maximus lapel pin for Sonya to wear on the sweater, notating that it was done for her for the Ravelympics 2008 on ravelry! (I ordered one for me too!)

It's beginning to look like a sweater!

2008-08-22T18:56:00.002-04:00

RAIN RAIN AND MORE RAIN

2008-08-22T09:53:00.002-04:00

Yes, it is raining here. Tropical Storm Fay is stalled over our little corner of the world. Work and school have been cancelled. Gotta love it, the kids went to school Monday and have been off the rest of the week. 4/5 Hurricane days gone. It is better to be safe than sorry, I know.
This means I may finish Sonya's sweater by Sunday! Woooohooo! Sleeves (and laundry) will be done today. Will post pics later.
Hope you all are staying dry. I'm stayin' inside...funny, we haven't even lost power (yet)....keep your fingers crossed. Living out in the boonies, we used to be the first ones to lose it! Better get to the sleeves!

no time for sleeves

2008-08-20T06:17:00.002-04:00

Haven't had too much time these past couple of days to work on sleeves. Bummer! What with the kids going back to school for a day, then having hurricane days Tues and Wed. Thank goodness Fay turned farther south. Sorry for the Orlando folks, but it was breezy, cloudy, and sunny up here yesterday. Oh yeah, not to mention attempting to go live with two new analyzers at work. Yippeee!
Am hoping to get home this evening and at least make ONE sleeve a reality! Have a great day and I'll keep you posted!

SUCCESS!

2008-08-18T17:14:00.003-04:00

Mean old Sonya won't let me post her photo here, but I do have her back (in more ways than one!). I did rip out the entire back and both fronts as my boys were driving to Gainesville to do some school shoppoing on Saturday. By Sunday evening, I was back where I started, plus the beginning of one sleeve; it fits so much nicer now! I have pics of me wearing it so you can see the front pieces.

Yes, I did take the pics in the bathroom at work, as you might tell from the lovely sink faucets. Am now headed home to attempt to finish at least one sleeve!

Too Small

2008-08-16T09:21:00.003-04:00

well, the results are in. The sweater is too small in the armpit area. Yeah, that happens all the time. I was going to try to add to it, but want it to be right. I am going to ripit all out and start again. Luckily, it's a fast moving pattern and I should still be able to finish by next Sunday's closing ceremonies!

Today, I need to take the boys clothes shopping. School starts Monday...thank goodness. Since they can both drive, I can work on the sweater in the car! Little do they know the evil genius that is their mom! LOL. Anyhow, hope to repost my progress tomorrow after the MIS race...GO Tony Stewart and Elliott Sadler, and Juan Pablo Montoya!

progress!

2008-08-13T22:05:00.004-04:00

attached are the updated pics of the sweater I'm making for the Ravelympics. For those of you who don't know, Ravelry is a site for knitters and crocheters to showcase and log their creations. Meet fellow crafters, acquire new patterns, and just share with your crafting buddies.

Anyhow, the two front pieces are done. I attached the fronts and tacked the shoulder seams. I will take a pic of Sonya with it tomorrow. I'm hoping the armholes are big enough, but I always have problems with armholes and sleeves. I think I'll be adding length, ripping out seams and elongating the armholes. But I KNOW I can get this done by next Sunday and the Olympics end!

Ravelympics update

2008-08-10T17:04:00.003-04:00

These are projects I'm making for the Ravelympics 2008 and Crochet Games of Ancient Greece on Crochetville Forum. The sweater is LionBrand Country Car Coat. I'm making it for my friend Sonya at work. Have to finish it by August 24.....I think I can, I think I can! The Pink Ribbon squares are for an breast cancer awareness afghan for raffle at work. Needs to be finished by Aug 29....I KNOW I CAN! LOL....Will keep posting pics as I progress. I WANT TO WIN! Blades of Glory...How about Hooks of Glory? Blazing Hooks? I'd better get back to crocheting!

My first blog

2008-08-10T12:21:00.002-04:00

Wow. Here it is. My little place on the web to put my stuff. Pretty cool. Hope to get some pics posted during the coming days. Right now, I'm working on the Lion Brand Country Car Coat for the Ravelympics. Did most of the back during the Nationwide race at Watkins Glen yesterday. Pic will follow as soon as I get it taken!
Have to take Tim to Shelby's house. An hour round trip. Yippeee! Later, Beth