crochet:: the coolest bucket hat, like ever

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. For a girl that doesn’t wear hats, I sure make a lot of them. So many in fact, that I have begun to wear them.

This is my newest hat design because yes, I had to reinvent the wheel. I tried other patterns. I really did. I frogged all of them. This one has all of the features I needed.

  • super simple to follow instructions because I’m basic that way
  • amazing yarn that you can soak in ice-cold water, wring out and stay alive in the blazing sun of climate change
  • face-flattering brim because I am hyper-critical of how I look in a hat even when I am picking veggies from the garden by myself at 8am on a Sunday while wearing sunglasses

You can find the pattern in my Ravelry shop 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

crochet:: give, then give some more

 

I’ve been trying really hard to help the homeless in my community.  I hooked hats & scarves & gloves to distribute in a park that is a place many homeless people spend their days. We have brutal winters & I realized I don’t do enough with my craft to help. I had several items that had not sold from my (long closed) Etsy store that were packed in a box when they could be keeping someone warm instead.

For a while there, I was on a hat binge. I made the grey & black ones for my niece & nephew, then made more just like them to give away…it felt great!

Then I realized that I had blankets galore made for ‘just in case’ I needed at quick gift, and others that were gently used but lived in the linen closet for years because I had moved on to the next afghan.

I also had store bought cold weather gear taking up real estate in my home that would be better served to those that had so little…I was on a roll!

There were samples & prototype pieces that were culled & cleaned, ends woven & snipped, last rows completed.

Recently, I was able to hand some out directly to very lovely people in need of warm gear. I hugged them and told them that I cared; it was an experience I will never forget.  I need to do more of this with my fiber art.

 

Thanks for stopping by ❤

 

crochet:: yeah, yeah, yeah…I took some time off

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unicorn

 

And just what exactly have I been up to?  Things…stuff…sometimes nothing.  Lots of other social media & deleting a bunch of apps I don’t like.  Taking classes & learning to *gasp* knit.  More about the dark arts later though.

 

Today is for saying

Hello Again Lovelies!

 

Today is for easing back into the focus it requires

so I can write again.  It’s been too long.

 

Today is for showing you some yarnporn

of my experiments in wool dyeing since we last spoke.

 

 

Enjoy & thanks for stopping by

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super girlie

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martha’s beach

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capturing summer

 

 

 

crochet:: outdoor cushions & the best adirondak chairs on the planet

Many years ago, I found a pattern in a magazine for some DIY Adirondack chairs and it was true love.  I was pining for a pair of them and my Dad was looking for a project to fill his non-golfing hours during the winter days of his retirement.  So it was decided that after Christmas that year, he would begin the project for me, his favorite daughter. (Nevermind that I am his ONLY daughter. I prefer to go down in history as his favorite.)  

Then life happened, as it often does.

I got diagnosed with cancer.  He got diagnosed with cancer.  We commiserated and spent our time trying to live normal lives while battling the big C.  The chairs dropped completely off of our radar.

Fast forward to this year, and my lovely friend Martha knew I still wanted those chairs.  She also knew that Frankie was not the woodworking type of guy.  She enlisted the help of her retired husband Don to bring my chairs to life.

Currently, I’m in the process of making cushions with scrap yarn.

One down, one to go 🙂

My Dad would be so happy to know that they are now part of my world.

crochet:: on the topic of taking a break…


You may or may not have noticed that I’ve been taking a little breakity break from blogging.  There were lots of reasons, lots of things to do, lots of changes to be made in my life.

The long story has way too many layers to bore y’all to tears with, so the short story it will be…

My father’s death 1 1/2 years ago was very difficult and I have been in a funk ever since.  You can even see it in my blogging, or lack thereof.  I was in a miserable place both personally and professionally.  I changed jobs last summer and got my professional life in order to the point it no longer weighed down my personal life where I was attempting to deal with loss and sadness.  (I’m apparently still queen-of-the-run-on-sentence) 

This spring I decided I needed to *ahem* grow a pair and work on my personal life.  I made a list, as one does when one is as OCD as I tend to be.  I realized I needed to fix SO MUCH CRAP in my own head that the only way through it was to sprinkle in some rewards to myself or I would be overwhelmed.  I didn’t want to get to a point that I’d give up, my Daddy would not approve…

I began my Personal Reboot Challenge with simple things each week building on the success of the previous week.  Some things were easy, like ditching soda.  Others were very flipping difficult, like working out every day and quitting smoking.  I’m 3 months in and happy to report that I have completed the list, kept all the good habits and not reverted to the old bad ones!  There were small rewards along the way…a Runza hamburger, fries & a Dr. Pepper (OMG ~ hated it after eating healthy for so long), and with the money I’d saved by not purchasing cigarettes I got fancy & expensive hand-dyed yarn, and a new set of crochet hooks.  But the pièce de résistance was to finally make myself a studio space in my itty bitty house.   It took a ton of work, and even organizing an 8-family garage sale, but I did it!

I have emptied out the basement living room, and I’m in the process of making myself at home in my very own studio.

Here are a couple of pics with my progress so far.

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I still need to move 2 more of the white cabinets into my space, hang some art on the walls, and to find the right office chair…but I’m on my way.

Thanks for stopping by

&

Have a lovely day!

not just crochet:: how i spent a fall weekend

Because I am a homeowner, of course I spent much of the weekend fixing stuff. Stuff like cleaning the garage & gluing broken crap & vacuum maintenance.

Because duh, that’s most weekends. Amirite?!

BUT, because I am awesome at being a hermit and never leave my house, I was also able to finish up a few more desirable projects too.

My C~A~L socks are done & entered in the drawing for loads of squishy, pretty yarn…

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My ivy has been hung successfully…

it took 2 tries because I am pitiful at measuring sometimes 

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I got PUPPY TIME!!!

Alex’s girlfriend brought over these 2 for a play-date…PRECIOUS!

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Drumroll please…

I finished a spice rack up-cycling friggin masterpiece…

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Thank you to Martha for the donated old spice rack! My buttons are so OCD happy now😃

Thanks for stopping by!

not crochet:: memory box

I’ve never told you my baby’s name before, but it’s Alex.

And well, since he is larger & more of a badass than I, it’s probably safe to disclose that information 😀

I made him a card album & memory box this weekend since he has graduated & become an adult.

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He graduated in May, so I figure 3 months to get it done isn’t so bad. Baby shoes included:)

not crochet:: hoarder level eleventy unlocked

If you are a pin hoarder like me, you have no doubt seen the pin with the hanger & shower curtain rings to group your tank tops, thus saving valuable closet space.

The cheap plastic shower curtain rings are $4 and a total pain to use. Have you tried to take down your shower curtain to wash it lately?  Yeah, that’s why I never buy the circular plastic shower rings anymore.

The shower curtain rings do not like being hung in the shower, let alone being regularly used for tank tops that will inevitably bunch together and end up smooshed to one side because of the weight of said tank tops.  It’s like the tank tops are trying to run away from the shower curtain rings because they know the rings hate everything.  

Yes, they know.

Solution:: belt & tie hanger from the dollar store

You’re welcome

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not crochet:: longing for the melons of water

It’s no secret that I love sweet juicy watermelon.

watermelon wedges

For 20 years, when Frank has cut down a tree for firewood, if the starting wedge turns out nice, he brings them to me for garden art.

A little tea, a little sunshine, a Sunday morning on the deck, and a little paint.

Enough slices to share with the neighbor girls 🙂

life:: the BIG PUSH 5.0

And on the 5th day Lisa said, “Let me be done with UFOs”.  And she was.  And it was good.

hook grips 1

I’ve had the clay and hooks waiting for waaaayyyy too long to be done.  So my son and his (good lawd please help me) girlfriend helped me make grips for the last batch of hooks.

hook grips 2

And BAM! UFO #5 was done.  With assistance.  Or assistants.  Which is it?  Or maybe it’s both?

Happy hooking anyway 🙂