New design

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!!

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

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!!!

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?

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!

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??????

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!!!