Matt!

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It's 2012 Already?!?

I have a lot of pictures on my camera which need to be put onto my computer so I can post here. Problem? Well, my computer needs to have Windows XP reinstalled and a faster processor and who knows what else. But until I get a job we have to limp along, the computer and I.

I have a picture of the scarf I gave my friend Tammy for her birthday in September, 2011. And some other items I have made like coffee cup sleeves and these cool crochet cowls which you pull up the back and it becomes a combination cowl and hood. Plus some other things.

But I wanted to write about what I just finished because it would never have happened if I wasn't crafty.

We have had a lot of wind and rain lately. Two of the tubes fell off my windchimes which bummed me out. I love the way they sound. They were inexpensive but I bought them in New Hampshire so replacing them would be difficult. After the first tube fell off I thought that eventually I would do something about it. When I looked out the kitchen window this morning and saw another tube off the windchimes I decided today was it. I went outside, brought in the fallen tubes and windchimes and started trying to figure out how I could reattach them.

Now I'm going to be honest. The repaired windchime looks, well, sad. But it works! I may eventually bring it in and restring the entire thing. For right now, though, I just wanted it working again.

I went to my sewing basket. Yeah, I don't sew. But I have some buttons and thread for truly basic stuff. I took the longest needle I had and some string that's medium weight and though I could pull the string through the hole with the needle. Put the needle through the hole and partway through the string. Nope. Then I brought my knitting and crochet accessory small bag into the room. Yeah, I have a ton of those with needles, hooks, scissors etc. but this is the one I keep most handy. I tried my smallest metal crochet hook, you know, the size I'm supposed to use to do doilies but don't because the hook is too small. It fit through the hole but I couldn't grab more than a couple strands of the string. Nope, that wasn't going to work.

Then I tried a variation on my first thought. I pulled out a YARN needle and managed to thread it with the string. Then in it went through the hole. It worked! I pulled a lot of string through it before cutting it since I didn't want to have to thread the needle again. Then I tied the first tube back onto the original string and hope it's secure enough. The second tube didn't line up as well as the first on the windchime. It was too long. So I left the string tied to the original string and cut it off and retied it higher up. Worked.

So the windchime is back hanging off my patio and hopefully everything will stay put. I can use that method to actually take the whole thing apart in drier weather and re-do it completely so it looks better.

I would never have been able to figure out how to repair the windchimes without being crafty.

Sometimes it pays to have time on your hands. Now if I could just get a job!

Update

Bet you'd love me to post an update, huh. Well I finally have started crafting again and I have a couple of pictures but need to get them off my camera. And part of the problem is that if my daughter reads this she will know what she's getting for Christmas so instead I will just see about posting the picture of the scarf I gave Tammy for her birthday.

Just know that finally I am doing something. It is something to keep my mind off the fact that there aren't many jobs to apply for that pay enough to cover my bills (which really aren't that high). I am still applying and testing and interviewing and hoping and praying. With no extension I will be out of luck in January. And with the filing deadline for extensions only good for those unemployed prior to June 1, 2011 this means that I get 23 weeks versus the person who lost their job a week before me who can get 99 weeks.

So if I'm not updating this or crafting a lot, please be understanding. I am stressed out. And trying hard to hang in there.

Let's Try This

This is on my Ramblings of a Mutant Penguin blog but I am posting it here for a couple of reasons. First, of course, is because Matt is cute. This was in May when I visited my mom for Mother's Day. Ally, Sean and Matt now live in Connecticut. All this was before my universe fell apart and now needs to be put back together.

The second reason is it's the jersey for my favorite Boston Celtics player - Paul Pierce. I need to get a pattern with letters and numbers so I can make my own washcloth. Or, if I was truly ambitious, I suppose I could crochet an afghan. But I'd prefer a washcloth. Perhaps one day when I am working again and not focused on other things I can do that.

I have made Katia Triana scarves which are beautiful but expensive. I bought the yarn on sale and even so it was expensive. I made one in purple/navy blue for Susan for her birthday and a pink one for me. Here's a picture of the pink one. I draped it over the back of the chair so hopefully you could get a better idea of what these look like. Truly, if I could afford it (and when I can I will!) I would buy a bunch of this yarn and make them for everyone!

Still Here?

I don't know if this blog is still here or not. Twice today it's said it isn't. I wanted to update it. If this is working, hopefully I will have a picture or two to add.

I haven't been posting because I was laid off from my job of over 11 years as of June 30th. They eliminated my position because the attorney I was doing the most work for is retiring at the end of the year. So they laid me off 6 months earlier than his secretary. Oh well. Unemployment is at 14.1% in this county but I am looking. Not doing too much crafting because of that and the horrifically hot weather but I am trying.

Still crafting, still ranting!

Still Crafting, Still Blogging

Yes I have been busy crafting. I've made washcloths and cowls. I'll post a picture here. Looking for new, small, easy patterns, as always. I didn't do a lot of knitting or crocheting while I was at my Mom's for a week (went for Mother's Day) and am trying to get back into it now. I've got a washcloth I'm working on for my grandson, Matt, but put it aside to work on something easier. Let's see what pictures I have that I haven't posted... Well maybe I have but Mom loved the shawl I made her. Here it is...

It's May Already!

It's hard to tell but they ARE two different cowls. The one on the left was done with grey Woolease. The one on the right was Homespun Tudor. These just whip up so fast and are so cute and you don't need to worry about sizing.

Here are two round washcloths I recently made in a beautiful color combination. I sure hope someday I can find another really big skein of this since I like having washcloths in this color!

And finally, the one in the center is of the State of California with a CA in it. An interesting knit. I found a website with free patterns for all the states so I am now doing NH. The NH is for me. The CA is for Matt.

Until later, after I return from vacation on the 15th, I hope to have more pictures and maybe something else to show. Who knows!

Happy Crafting!

A Very Long Project

OK this is probably one of the longest projects I have worked on in quite some time. Of course since it was for me it was on my low priority list. I remember I was working on it when my brother came to see me in October. I finished it in January. It's a crochet bag. The picture isn't the greatest but it'll give you an idea. It's pretty tall. And although it may not have been intended, when I went from the round bottom to starting up the sides, it created little "feet" which make it cute. The biggest challenge was making the long ties. But I finally managed to do that. It's something that probably requires two people because you're supposed to twist these long strands. I solved the problem by using the knob on top of my lamp that holds the shade on. Whatever works, right?

This pattern came out of "Crochet Patterns for Dummies". See, I had made a really small crochet bag a long time ago for someone and I thought this would be small, too. Didn't look at the number of rows. Boy, let me tell you this was a lot of work. But worth it. And in case you're wondering and even if you aren't, yes, it took a lot of yarn. I don't want to offend anyone but I thought if I was going to be USING this, I wanted it to be sturdy. So I bought a one pound skein of worsted weight and it's perfect. It makes a good project bag!

I just remembered to take a picture to post which is why it's a few months late.

Would I make another one? Only if I had a lot of time to kill and no deadline. This is not a project to do on a deadline.

But it sure is pretty. And useful!

Cowl Obsession

I found a really easy knit/purl pattern for a cowl and have become obsessed with making them. This one was done with Homespun and is by far my favorite pattern and cowl that I've made. I was wearing it all the time until the weather got hot again. Ugh. Anyway I also made one in a berry color with Vanna's Choice but I made that one too big because of the difference in the texture of the yarn and so I may not wear that again and just consider it an experiment.

For a swap someone sent me a crochet cowl that I *LOVE* and so I thought I would go looking for a crochet pattern. I'm working on a really simple one now that's just single crochet one row and double crochet the next and then you join the short sides with a slip stitch. I'm doing it in grey Wool-Ease yarn. I had to change the pattern because I couldn't quite figure out what they meant about "short side" so I am making it such that I have the width and am working up to make the height. I also thought that would look better in terms of the pattern. When I finish it I will post a picture.

Yes, another fast and fun project to add to my collection of things to make!

For Mom

I made this for Mom for Mother's Day. It's hard to tell but it's a shawl. It was crochet. If I made another one it would be wider and longer. It's rectangular but it just doesn't seem big enough to me. It's big enough for her, I'm sure, but I'd like something bigger.

Washcloth Mania

Well I finally decided perhaps I should get back to making a few washcloths. They usually only take a couple of days especially with these kinds of patterns. Thursday is one of my bosses birthdays and I have never made him anything so John is getting a washcloth with a "J" on it. Later in the month Roger (who has been gifted with two tie blankets in the past) will get the "R" washcloth. Not much but customized. And something I'm sure their wives and/or children don't do.

The I thought about what I could make Andrew for when I visit in May. Here's what I made him: