Dusting off the Shelves

Whew...this blog is dusty! I doesn't seem like it has been over 3 years since I posted anything.

Since I posted last, I have moved twice (hopefully the last time was the last time for many years), my grandson started Pre-K and I have made a bunch of things, some big things, but mostly small, quick things.

I made 3 afghans for Christmas 2010, 1 each for my daughter, my son and my boyfriend (I don't know what else to call him, cuz this sounds so teeny-bopperish). It was a great surprise to all of them, especially my daughter and bf as they saw me working on two of the others, but never all 3 at once. Those were my big projects for that year.

In 2011, I joined a block-a-month CAL on Ravelry and was able to make 3 or 4 throws from that, so sort of a mid-size project on a monthly basis.

In 2012 I focused mainly on crochet squares for various charities. I didn't like my set up in the house I was living in, I didn't have easy access to my stash (no more yarn closet like I had in the previous house) and any large project just didn't have room to spread out.

I have pictures in Ravelry of all my various projects, so probably won't crowd up the blog with past stuff. Hopefully I will have new pretties to show going forward.

I am in the process of setting up my very first dedicated craft room! When I head that way my daughter always laughs and asks me if I am heading to my girl cave. Not sure I like the term girl cave, but I do like that I have it, whatever it is called. I took out some built in shelves and painted a wall and assembled some cubicles so I can display and stare and pet my yarn stash anytime I want to.

So this:






Has turned into this:







It is still a work in progress, as I have to figure out how to set it up to be a good workspace for my thread dyeing as well. At first I was hoping I could install a sink down there and have an actual dye workshop, but there would have to be some layout changes to the whole downstairs area for that to happen, so I gave up that idea for the foreseeable future.

As it is, I am very happy in my new home and with the weather getting cooler, I am definately looking forward to sitting down with my yarn close at hand, my DVR full of shows to catch up on and start (or finish!) a project.

I have finally moved into my new place. I still have stuff at the old place though. I have a bit of time before I have to get it all out. The new house looks so nice without all the clutter though. Heaven forbid I get RID of any of the clutter though. Actually, I am making a sort of possible garage sale pile in the garage. Once it is complete, perhaps then I will decide if anyone else will think it is worth buying and have a garage sale, or if it looks like a pile of junk, perhaps I call the "got junk" people and have them come pick it up.

I am still in the process of organizing my bedroom and doing all the stuff that comes with a move, so I haven't had as much time to knit or crochet as I would like. I do have an entire closet...yes an ENTIRE closet for my thread/yarn stash and thread-dyeing venture. I will have to take a picture of my treasure closet to post on here. I am quite proud of it. I am not so sure what my man will think when he finally moves in (whole other drama there *sigh*), but I did tell him I was claiming the extra closet as my hobby closet. I just don't think he realizes the scope of my hobby. LOL Mind you...this is not a small closet. I think it may actually be bigger than our clothes closet...but really, I don't know what point I am trying to make there...it's just delicious to open up and look at!!!

My Grandson turned 1 back on March 22nd. I can't believe a year has gone by already. He just started walking in the past week, and while he doesn't say actual words yet, he is quite sassy and opinionated and gets his point across quite well when he has something to "say".

I will try to take some pictures to make the next post more interesting. Since I am so *good* at posting on a regular basis. I really want to post more, I just get so involved reading everyone else's posts that by the time I am done, I have to go do something else and my posting goes out the window. I enjoy following everyones blogs though...truly a delight to see all the various crafts everyone does!

This week...

I have been able to do a little knitting. I am just stuck on dishcloths. They are mindless, quick projects, so I do lots of them. Plus, I am in 2 KALs, one is weekly, one is bi-monthly, so I always have one going.

This is the one from 1/4/09 weekly KAL, the pattern is called Rose Trellis:


These 2 are the ones from the 1/11/09 weekly KAL, the one on the bottom is called 7 Ridges and I used P&C light blue and seamist, the one or the top is called Citizen Kane and I used P&C brick red:


I have the mid-month cloth for January on the needles still, so will post that next week. I am also working on the Absorba the Great bathmat from Mason-Dixon knitting...I work on that when I don't have a dishcloth going...Yes...it does happen
occassionally. LOL

Most of my weekend was spent preparing my thread to list on Etsy and eBay. Finally got that all done and it is even labeled. I get lazy sometimes, and save the labeling for later, but I told myself I could catch up on TiVo if I put the labels on, so that is what I did. Am I the only one who has to bribe myself to get stuff done? Hope not.

I hope everyone has a great week, and maybe (not promising) I will have something more exciting than dishcloths to post next time!

Where has the time gone?

Soooo...it has been ages since I actually posted. I check in on everyone else's blog regularly, but never seem to find time to actually post to mine.

First, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, in whichever way celebrate, and that the New Year looks promising!

I have been knitting a lot in the past few months...have a doily on the hook that has been there for ages that I need to finish. I made about 30 dishcloths for a contest in Ravelry, but when there were a few people who were like 20 cloths ahead of me with a week to go, I gave up. No way I could knit 20 more cloths, I was doing good to get one a day done, plus, they weren't letting up, so decided to do other stuff, and attempted to catch up on some KAL's. In varying color combo', this is what they looked like:



I donated all of those cloths to a lady I met in my Etsy store. She bought some of my thread, and we continued to convo with one another. I found out that she and her son make food deliveries to the elderly, so I offered to send her my dishcloths to include in her next run. They were a huge hit, and she said everyone had stories about how they used to make them, or their mother, or their grandmother...she said it was wonderful. I wish I could have been there.

That has really been the extent of my crafting. Dishcloths. It hasn't kept me from ordering, I think I have enough cotton yarn to will to my great-great grandchildren. And as I type this...I have even more coming. It was on special. I had to. What if they quit making it? I need to make sure I supply future generations with plenty of cotton. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

My lack of crafting has more to do with a new man in my life. He kind of just happened...wasn't looking...had given up...then *blam-o* there he was. He lives down in Florida, and comes up to Georgia to work quite a bit. He is planning on moving here, so that is good. I have gone down to FL 3 times since I met him...kind of a your turn/my turn kind of thing. So...I have been spending a lot of time with him, and he has become such a positive part of my life...in a time when I really really needed it. Funny how that happens, when you least expect it.

I did some thread-dyeing over the past weekend (previews on my other blog). I am gonna try to get more inventory built up. Sales over the holidays were dismal, but that was somewhat expected this year. I anticipate that things will pick up again hopefully. If not...I will have lots of hand-dyed thread to pass on to future generations as well! (Sure do hope someone in this future generation I keep referencing likes to knit and/or crochet.) My daughter has tried to knit, but she is not as into as I am. She knitted a couple of small things, then kind of moved on. Maybe when she gets a little older. Heck...I didn't pick up a crochet hook until I was almost 40 again after I learned when I was younger, and have only learned to knit in the past year. So there is still hope.

I am going to be moving in the very near future. Not sure where yet, whether I will be staying in GA or going down to FL. I hate moving. And since I moved in to my townhome 4 years ago, which was a pain in the a$$ with the meager items I had, I now have accumulated 3x as much stuff to move. 2 looooong flights of stairs make it even more daunting. So packing is going to be taking up my weekends, with sporadic knit breaks. I did go through my yarn stash last weekend and put it in boxes and mark them. I have 4 boxes...so far. I know I have 2 plastic 3-drawer units in my closet that are also filled with yarn, but I not going to bother to box those up, I will just transport it as it is in the drawers. I believe when I get into going through my closets, I will find bags of yarn I bought on sale and just had to have laying in the back waiting to be rescued. So at least one more (big) box of yarn to pack up. It just doesn't matter if you are moving down the road, or out of state, moving is just not fun. I don't have a choice though, so I figure if I get started, I won't be running around at the last minute making rash decisions on what to throw out and what to keep. Which is why I am doing my yarn stash first. Priorities. For future generations, of course. LOL

Melanie

I finally completed Melanie from Patricia Kristoffersen's Victorian Spiral Doilies. I had started it along with my fellow Raveler's for a group Doilympic CAL. I came in dead last which is probably the equivalent of an Aluminum Foil medal LOL! That's ok though, I am pleased with the results. I used size 10 thread in Natural and Sage Rose.



I have already started my next doily, Cappuccino from PK's Coffee n' Cream. I am sure it will probably be another month before I post again, I seem to be very slow lately. This may be the last doily I work on for awhile, because the holidays are going to be here before I know it, and I need to start working on my list of knitted and crocheted goodies for presents.

Vacation

I just returned from Tucson, AZ and a wonderful visit with my Mom, Grandma, Aunt, Uncle and cousin. It is always so good to see them all! Mom's house is like visiting a private spa, she has a pool and each day we would go out and float around relaxing, talking and laughing. I got a perm while I was there, a pedicure and I finished (and started) some new projects. We went out for ice cream and got these huge sundaes! One is my Mom's, I promise I didn't eat them both!


I finally finished the Purple Prairie Star for my Grandma, and she loved it!



I also took a picture of Mom with her Prairie Star I made her last Christmas.



I started Melanie, a PK doily that we are doing in my Ravelry PK Doily group during the Olympics. I am using my own colorway, Sage Rose and another solid color that I have not determined yet. I did a few rounds with a cream color thread that upon closer inspection was too creamy, so I frogged back, and I am trying to find a better solid colored thread that I will be happy with.

It was a great vacation that went too fast! (Don't they always?) Now I am back into my daily routine of work. Have a bunch to catch up on I am sure. Next mini-vacation is at the end of this month for my daughter's 21st birthday! I can't believe she is already 21 and a Mom herself! Which makes me a Grandma...which I still have a hard time calling myself. Which is why I have dubbed myself G.B. for Grandma Brenda, without actually being called Grandma!

Bewitching

I completed another PK doily this morning...Bewitching! I don't know what I am going to do with my pile of doilies and dishcloths I am accumulating, but it sure is good therapy! LOL

I did complete the Between Meals doily as well before I started this one, but I haven't been able to get a picture of it yet. The batteries in my regular camera died, and I need to buy some more rechargeable batteries for it. It goes through regular batteries like crazy! I used the camera on my phone to take this one, and it is not the best quality, but I can't get a good picture of the whole Between Meals doily on it. I have the batteries on my Wal-Mart list for when I go this weekend, because it is just a given that I will end up there at some point this weekend.

I have a long weekend, today is my Friday. I took a vacation day for tomorrow, and of course, Friday is the 4th of July. Looking forward to the time off. Of course, it always goes to fast, and as soon as I leave work today the "I only have 4 days until I have to be back!" sets in. So many things I want to do, and 4 days just won't cut it! I hate that about myself...always counting down the time.

Hope everyone has a safe & happy 4th of July!