I've Gone a Little Yarn Crazy!

Hi Everyone! 

I forgot I created this blog last year! That's how crazy its been! So a quick catch up. I had a wonderful opportunity in January to go stay with my daughter Tara in Virginia for 6 weeks. The first thing we did was purchase yarn! I always make her something while I am there. So she says "will make me this shirt"? 

Of Course!

 You put a ribbon of your choice of color down the sides.....

 And it fits her beautifully! 

So back to the store we go because I found a new stitch and pattern called Entrelac Crochet. I found this tutorial on You Tube from Bev Qualheim. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npSvDgFLU7Q&list=PL71E46DA27541DB18&index=22&feature=plpp_video

And here is the finished product! Isn't it gorgeous! I had a ball making it.

I made 3 while I was down there. Now I need more yarn! So off the store we go. 

I found a wonderful 12 point star blanket pattern that I have wanted to try forever. 

I made this blanket for my newest Granddaughter Sama.

Well you guessed it, I am out of yarn...

"Say Cheese Hailey" !

Keeping with the All In The Family theme my 11 year old granddaughter Hailey is an up and coming photographer.

Hailey started taking pictures as soon as she could say "Can I take a picture please"?, "Can I see your camera for a second'? Hailey's mom and aunt are both avid photographer's and have taught her so much. She recently took a camera class to learn more about speed, lighting and such. In November Hailey's Mom surprised her with a Fujifilm Digital Camera. Here is some samples of her photography.

Foliage

Flower

More Flowers

A Stufty smiling for the camera!

Newborn Sister Sma

Practicing Close Ups

Gramma Jackie's Cat Camile

Bird In Flight

Random Wheelbarrels

Architect in New York City

Although Hailey loves photography, she also practices other crafts. I waited from the day she was born to ask me to teach her to crochet and when she was 8 (same age I asked my grandmother) the day arrived. She also looms on the round looms and has made several hats. Paper crafting is near the top on the list. In the beginning of summer her brother Amir and her make bookmarks for the Ballston Spa Library to give out to the kids (the adults love them too). Click on the link to go to their homepage and see what's new. They have a wonderful reading program for the kids in the summer. Thank you Hailey for letting me put your pictures up and show you off!

All in the Family-With My Cousin Karen!

Crafting is usually handed down from generation to generation. My cousin Karen is a wonderful example. Her father enjoyed drawing cartoons when he was in high school and then when he was older took up oil painting. He did a few ocean scenes before an unfortunate fishing accident that left him blind in one eye, losing his depth perception and his ability to continue to paint. He periodically draws a cartoon figure for his grandchildren now. His Mom was a furrier and illustrated her own advertisements. She also drew little pictures in her correspondence with relatives.

Karen has been given the same gifts. Karen is a Christian homeschooling mom of 6. One of her children has graduated from RPI with a dual degree in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering! That says so much about her dedication to her family and God. 

Karen lives in the midst of beautiful woodlands where she spends quiet afternoons during the Spring and Fall months, collecting small leaves, flowers and plants for pressing. The Summer months are filled with gardening and other outdoor projects, but also lend themselves to finding some larger leaves or different plants.

Being interested in the beauty of God's creation and wanting to be creative, She has worked with pencil, colored pencil, pen and ink and watercolor. She also enjoy photography, sewing, crochet, cooking and organizing.

Karen has started a home business at Etsy called KateXpressions. (Etsy is a social commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items as well as art and craft supplies) KateXpressions has come from the desire to create and to encourage. Here are some examples of her beautiful note cards.

"Everyone enjoys being thought of and sending a note of
encouragement is a way of loving and caring for others."

I encourage you to take a walk through Karen's shop and see the beauty she has captured on paper!

Karen's Etsy Shop: http://www.katexpressions.etsy.com/

Karen's shop blog: http://katexpressions.blogspot.com/ - KateXpressions

Karen also has her personal blog: http://sowerscorner.blogspot.com/ - The Sower's Corner

Knitted Hat and My Son

I am still studying the instructions for the socks (OK, I am a little scared to get started) so I knitted up a hat on #15 circular knitting needles with the help of a you tube video.

The directions were great but I made my first hat too big around and too short. It also said to decrease on the top which I did.

So I made another one! I made it longer and instead of decreasing on the top I just bound off, turned it inside out, and then with the yarn that was still attached I wove it through the stitches on top, gathered it and tied off. Looks and fits so much better!

Now I am so very excited that I mastered the knitting and the circular needles and actually knitted a hat that I have to go find someone in the house to share it with! I put on my hat and go searching out someone, anyone. My husband is out snow blowing. I think he knew I was close to being done. I singled to him and he points to his ears that he can't hear me. "Didn't he already go over that path"? Oh well, I take a picture of my hat and send it to my both my daughters. Nothing. I call both girls and get their voice mail. I HAVE to share this with someone. I hear my son (who is 24) in the next apartment and proceed to knock on his door. (he has no warning)

He says come in and I bound in wearing my hat talking a mile a minute telling him all the intricate details of what I did and how I had to change the top...and...and ..You see my son is smarter than my husband because he grew up with 2 sisters, no brothers, and ME. He strategically places me in front of (to the side of) the TV so it looks like he is looking at me, nodding his head, but is really playing his Wii. He is saying "a huh, a huh" until I break the cardinal rule. I ask him to try it on! You see Joe is an avid hiker so naturally I would want to make him something to wear in the winter. He says "Ahhh I have alot of hats and it won't fit me and...... I put it on him! His girlfriend is trying not to laugh. "If I make it a little longer to cover your ears...."


But I had a lot of fun making the hat and feel great that I mastered another craft! If what your doing doesn't come out exactly like you want just jump right in and try it again!

AC Moore and My Husband!

Last Sunday:
OK so it's been snowing for 3 days and I am going crazy in the house. I say to my husband (out of desperation) "Would you like to go to AC Moore with me?" And he says "Sure". I am just happy to get out of the house. In the car I start explaining about the my 50% off coupon I got in the mail and what I am thinking about buying and the best way to use it. My husband has made it to "coupon" and I lost him at "buy", knowing its going to cost him some money. I continue to talk about yarn and knitting and anything else that pops into my head about crafting. I looooooove crafting.

In AC Moore and to the yarn isle. I explain to him that I purchased #3 double pointed knitting needles to knit socks. Now I am NOT a knitter. I have mastered many crafts, looms, crocheting, dabbled in quilting, card making, bla bla bla.....So before I die (I am only 50) I am going to master knitting and make 1 pair of socks in my lifetime. I tell him I need a book that calls for the #3 needles because that is what I bought and I don't yet know how to adjust for different needles. I have him looking through books, show him how to quickly scan through to only look for the needle size. He looks at me and says "OK". At this point I am thinking how truly lucky I am to have a husband who will do this for me and he is looking at me thinking "If I find this dam book quickly I might get home in time for the game". Well low and behold we find the book! Hurray for me.


Now I also have a 40% off coupon for one item. I turn around and start explaining to my husband all the different types of knitting needles I read about and what they are used for. He in turn is saying "Ah huh" "Ah huh". I am thinking I better act quickly, I think I am losing him! So I pick a crochet hook, yes that's what I said a crochet hook. Now I know it's not a knitting needle but sense I am a beginning knitter (and yes I really only had facts to spew at my husband about the needles so he didn't think he wasted his time) I panicked and went after what I knew.


OK we are now moving from where we were and I see a look of relief fall over my husband's face. Well I let him lead, I really did, but he took a left (thinking it was a short cut) and went down the yarn isle. Oh poor poor man! I have a book, knitting needles and a crochet hook. What was he thinking! Now we are looking at bulky yarns for circular knitting needle that I bought the week before to learn how to knit a hat. Yes, socks and a hat, very ambitious for someone who is only a loom knitter. I say to him "What color yarn do you think will look good on me"? He says "what"? I ask again and explain about the OTHER needles I bought and "What color yarn looks good on me"? I can see his head spinning. It's like asking him "Does this dress make my ass look big"! So I let him off the hook and pick out Wool-Ese Thick & Quick Cranberry yarn. How many do I need to make my hat? He starts heading up the isle like he didn't hear me. I start to follow him. He starts to walk faster. I walk faster. He makes it to the check out. A big heavy sigh of relief. It's almost over.....Then I take out my coupons. Now I can't use both coupons at one time. I start to explain about the coupons and a warm glaze falls over his eyes. He holds out his hand, takes the coupon and waits his turn to ring up my yarn. We head out to the parking lot to the car. It's over, it's really over, I can hear him thinking. I turn to him and say "I need a girlfriend huh". Well we did have a good laugh. On the way home I didn't even talk, honest I didn't. He deserved the 15 minute ride home to think about football, hammers, wood, cars, etc.....What a good guy!