New Year, New Design

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

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

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

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

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

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!!!

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'!!!!!!