Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Catching Up

 
Here I am again, only to find myself back tracking the happenings of the last 2 months. Being absent for too many days always takes it's toll, like anything in life, it becomes work to catch up. I have missed this, being here and chatting with all of you. I won't make excuses, just believe that I have been busy. 
I start off with saying that in a years time I have made 8 afghan/blankets. Last year, in memory of my late husband Roger, I made and donated a hexigon one to F.A.C.T, a charity in our county that gives financial assist to cancer patients. They sold raffle tickets and the drawing was May 1st. I made the above afghan/blanket as this years new raffle item. This particular pattern I made a total of 3 times. It is a favorite.


Then I made this ^. No particular reason, I just had plenty of the yarn handy and I wanted to start using it up. I have done this pattern a few time too. Another favorite.


Then I made a skull cap for Meghan. I figured I had made one for Holden, Rachael and Chris that I better not leave Meghan out. At first she said she didn't need another hat, but after trying it on she wanted it. Purple is her favorite color.



And, since I'm on the subject of Meghan I wanted to update you on what her newly remodeled kitchen is looking like now. She has been adding all of the accessories to give it a homey feel. 


The butcher block table her dad made, plus the wooden bowl on top of it and the potato/onion bin under the window. My husband was quite handy in his wood shop.


 Love that green Kitchen Aid mixer. The green canister set I gave her. I bought it 42 years ago. Unfortunately she broke the smaller one that completed the set.







 She has that beautiful new hardwood floor and there is no way that we could leave it looking bare now could we. So she gave me samples of her kitchen colors and I went to Joanne fabrics with them, picked out fabrics and went to work.



 I always pre-wash my fabrics, dry and then I started marking off 1-inch increments and proceeded with ripping strips.


I dug out one of the crocheted rag rugs that I made back when we built our house and kitchen.


Unfortunately mine are stored in a linen closet because my 2 dogs think they are fair game to use as a toilet source. They are very soft from several washings. I love them. I needed to use mine as a pattern since I just winged it back when I made them.


Here was the WIP. 
 

Here is the second rug started. I thought I had taken a pic of the first one completed and laying on her kitchen floor, but I couldn't find it, so next time I get over there I will get photos of the rugs. I just know she loves them and she said everyone who sees them thinks they are just perfect. I'm glad :)


Then I made anther mobis scarf in the seed stitch.... K1, P1 stitch, every row. Cast on an odd number of stitches, as many as you desire, make as long as you want. I knitted till I ran out of this yarn.



I used up more stash yarn. This one in pic is Sensations Yarn (sold at Jo-Ann Stores, not sure they still sell it anymore), a mix of 22% wool, 50% acrylic, and 28% nylon. This yarn came in my possession from a friend. The color is called Green/Pink Stripes Angel Hair Yarn color, knitted up once again in seed stitch. Then I knitted up another gifted odd ball skein (sorry no pic). I have no clue as to this company but the label says www.brownsheep.com. I have not gone to the website. The yarn is 85% wool and 15% mohair. Sorry I have no photo of this last scarf but the color is Brown Heather. I doubt that I would have ever purchased these yarns for myself to use. Wool has always made me itchy, but was told that wool is scratchy depending on how the sheep farmer bedded down his flock. If it was in straw then the wool will turn out scratchy. Anyone else know about this?


During the time I was busy with the yarn we were still dealing with this ^. 


I bought one of these to cheer me up, I was so dang sick of winter.

I did take a day off from all the chores and work here at the house and went to my very first Yarn & Fiber Show in Bowling Green, Ohio. 


I am always a day late and a dollar short, but the StarGazer Alpaca farm that is about 20 minutes from here is now going out of business. The owners were in business for about 18 years. they sold all their animals and this was to be their last show.


WOW! I never realized Alpaca yarn was so soft and soooooo very expensive. She had reduced the price by offering it as buy 3 get the 4th skein free. Let me just say that whatever I make with the 4 skeins I bought will be mine and not made for anyone else....$25 a skein, heavens I have never in all my life spent so much money for yarn before. If my husband was still alive I would have had to hide this yarn in the trunk of the car for a year, lol. I treated myself, what more can I say.


These gals (mother and daughter) were nice enough to pose for me. They were not the StarGazer owners, but they had a booth selling yarn too and plenty of their homemade items. There was another daughter who had been spinning yarn on a spinning wheel but she stepped outside for a bit. Plenty of knitting going on here.


Across from them there was plenty to see, but what caught my eye was.......


the QUILT! Oh boy, was that ever pretty and it sure put me in the mood to go home and drag out my material and machine.



I just loved those colors. It was so hard to take my eyes off of it.


More homemade goodies made with Alpaca yarn.


Now to complete this post I will share with you my latest and last project. In fact I just completed these last evening. Are any of you like me, do you balk when it comes to trying something new, fearing to be a failure and having to scrap the whole darn thing? Seeing yourself as a failure even before you try is just wrong. Don't beat yourself up like I did for years over trying your hand at the unknown. You might just surprise yourself like I did. For years I have envied people who could make mittens. My mom was one of those people, she could knit anything and not even have a pattern. I would struggle and just give up. Well look at what I tried, bound and determined to do this sink or swim.


There is a story about this yarn which is over 35 years old. I had bought a ton of it and given it to my mom. She was suppose to make me a knitted cap with matching long, long, long knitted scarf plus a pair of mittens. As things turned out she and I had a falling out for many years. I did get the cap and scarf before all that but the mittens were never done and she kept all the yarn that was left.


About 3 years ago she gave me all of her crochet hooks, knitting needles and some yarn. She is no longer able to do yarn work anymore. She had lost interest. Guess what I found, yep, the yarn I had given her years ago for my mittens. I still have the cap, and scarf.
I went on Pinterest and pinned tons of knitting patterns which included plenty of mittens. I picked a pattern and got busy. Here they are folks, my first attempt at mittens.



I wanted to get a pic of me with them on but if I'm holding the camera with the mittens on then there is no way I can manage a pic. Believe me, they fit perfectly. I am pretty proud of myself, but I don't take the credit for anything I have been able to make. Only by the grace of God these were made. Any abilities I have I credit to Him. We are all blessed with talents.

Hope all of you are doing well. I will do some blog reading. Knowing how all of you are doing will be good for me to read. I have truly missed you all. Good people are hard to come by these days and I consider all of you my far away & caring friends. Hope you are all having good days filled with blessings. Until next time take care. I will try to not make it such a long time before I post again.
♥♥♥











5 comments:

  1. So GOOD to hear from you again Susanne..I have missed you! You HAVE been a busy-beaver. I love your daughter's kitchen. Love love loooove the green mixer and canisters (I'm a lover of all things green sort-of-gal) I so very badly want to be able to crochet and wished my brain would help me out lol. Love those rugs, they are SO comfy to stand on. I have wooden floors and know the importance of having something to step on when it's cold/winter etc. Ah..all your creatively is inspiring me. Just wish I had the energy! The radiation treatments sure knock you about :-( It sure is sad when a faithful business closes down after many years. Good score for you though! Lovely to hear from you..I'm so glad you are back! xoxo

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  2. Wow, you did a lot of catching up! You've been very busy! I love all the things you made and love the story of how you came to complete your mittens and how you reconnected with your mom. Mine is gone and I wish I had a chance to tell her I love her.. she got pretty mean there for a while so I have to really try hard to remember the good times. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  3. Hi Susanne - it's good to see you again. I love all the projects you've made - you've certainly been busy. Your daughter's kitchen is very nice - that butcher block table is amazing. I've always wanted to go to a Wool Festival, but haven't done so yet. One day I will. Take care - see ya next time. :)

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  4. Love to see your updates. Beautiful works and the modern kitchen of Meghan. You're as ever very creative in knitting and crocheting. I treasure the knitted shawl you made for me. So warm and lovely color in cold days.
    Hugs from Hong Kong with early summer,
    Terriea

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  5. I love your catch up post, my goodness you have been so, so busy. I love the blankets, mittens, the beautiful rugs and the purple cap. Your daughter's kitchen is so beautiful, I am so glad you treated yourself to that yarn. Alpaca is so wonderful and soft to work with. Make yourself a beautiful shawl that you can use as a scarf too.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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