monet marigold

These have to be my most  f.a.v.o.r.i.t.e. colors all placed onto one skein of yarn. 

But when you use the word 'monet' to describe a color combination, well --- that alone conjures up all sorts of softly hewed images.

The yarn is Red Heart in Monet.

And the marigold flower pattern is from here:

I used my I hook and just oohed and ahhed over these colors!

Super fast & super easy pattern.

How just one simple skein of very inexpensive yarn can become a fabulous, frou-frou flower....

...it's just so lovely!

all my eggs in one basket

Inspired by this super cute papercraft found here, I adapted the project for an Easter basket.

And of course, crocheted eggs would be the most adorable thing to place in it.

The egg pattern can be found here -- I do so love Lion Brand patterns, btw.  I used Caron Simply Soft yarn with my G hook.

~

Morning breaks upon the tomb; Jesus scatters all its gloom.

Day of triumph thro' the skies; See the glorious Savior rise.

--William B. Collyer 1812

~

Happy Easter.

doing things by hand

If there is one thing that I have learned since I have taken on the hugely rewarding task of caring for an older person -- it is the art doing things by hand.

And yes, I am convinced, it is an art.

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~~This lovely, tenacious woman (that I gleen all sorts of information from) is celebrating her birthday today. 

Ninety two years of being on this earth -- and she has finessed the art of doing things by hand.

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Because she does not have a dishwasher I must wash/dry & put away her dishes by hand. 
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But you know what? there is something almost soothing about that whole thing....it reminds me of my sisters & me standing at a sink full of dishes, giggling about some of the most dorky things ever as we rushed to get them all done.

And so now -- much to our kids' chagrin -- they are learning to do the dishes by hand (even tho our dishwasher is less than 10 inches away, ready to be loaded).  They are now standing next to a sink full of sudsy water, learning to do things by hand, wondering if their parents have completely lost it & loving every moment of it.
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So what better birthday gift than to crochet Ruth some dishcloths?

I added crochet edging to hand towels that I bought from the store; used Lily Sugar 'n Cream ;  my g or h crochet hook;

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...and got all of the stitch patterns from my new, favorite book:

So Ruth will be getting some new crocheted dishcloths & towels.

And I have learned of how to do things by hand:

Skills I Have Learned So Far

1.  How to stand still with hands in sudsy water and just enjoying the quietness of scrubbing some glassware & silverware.

2.  How to fold a fitted bed sheet. Perfectly. (Can you all do this? Sheesh, this skill seemed to escape me entirely! But now?! Thanks to Ruth --I show off how I can do this -- and yes, it is always met with complete eye-rolling.)

3.  How to make the fiercest bowl of home-made frosting.  (And I'm not talking about powdered sugar with a little milk added in.  Ruth gave me her grandmother's recipe from the old country that is made on the stove with flour, milk, butter, shortening and sugar...more than yummy!  Bye, bye store bought frosting in a plastic tub!) 

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Thank you, thank you Ruth!  And happy birthday, sweet lady.

sideways, of course!

If you  know me -- I have hit you over the head about a billion times you know that I have all but turned myself inside out to make some wearable socks. 

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Go ahead.  Peruse previous posts of  mine and you will see sorry, little crocheted socks that are ill fitting and collecting dust on my I-will-never-wear-that! shelf.  I have even dabbled into that forever-confusing world of knit & purl, just to maybe get some yarny socks with needles instead of a hook.

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Nah.

But just when I thought all was lost...

...I found a pattern for socks that are crocheted sideways!

Interweave Crochet Accessories 2010

My hugest complaint with crocheted socks has always been ---> there is. no. give. whatsoever when trying to get them on.  They just don't stretch.

But holey moley!  Brenda K.B. Anderson the designer of Sydney's Sideways Socks has shaken my world in the most wonderful of ways.  Sideways, of course!

Just look at those delicious rows of stretchi-ness....

I used my C hook and this very soft, very lovely yarn:  Deborah Norville Collection SERENITY Sock Weight in Paprika. 

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(Shhhhhh! --  I broke the #1 rule of sock-making and only made one....

...but I love these so much, that I am going to make some in every color & size to fill my dresser drawers to overflowing.)