pretty petals redo

Falling in love with this pattern: Pretty Petals Potholder  my mind started swirling for ways to embrace a bit of a redo.

Redo #1:  pretty petals become a pretty petal ring.

Redo #2:  pretty petals become a pretty petals headband.

Redo #3:  a tiny hole in my favorite bedspread becomes non-existent with a pretty petals cover-up

And now? 

Well, I think I will crochet the actual potholder.



blue velvet & sunshine

Yes.  Another one.

From the same book as my last doily.  This one is called:  Blue Velvet.

Gorgeous pineapples (to which I seem quite enamoured with lately) but for some reason this has come out waaaaaaaaaaaay smaller than the finished 34 inches stated in the pattern. 

I never check gauge on a doily --- if it calls for size 10 thread and size 7 steel hook, I know the end result will not be that much off.  But sheesh! the first 3 rnds were suppose to be almost 4 inches in diameter.  Really?  Just how big was that hook?  Or am I just the tightest crocheter in the world?

Needless to say it is still quite beautiful & flow-ey & blue velvety & it's. a. doily. ( And as much as my family thinks I am completely nuts for being in love with these things --- well, I am.)

Now about the sunshine. 

The uber-talented & inspirational Melissa (who, btw -- is instrumental with me getting this completed) gave me a bit of sunshine with this lovely award. 

Thank you, Melissa.  (You have no idea how grateful I am to you for keeping me focused!)

Part of winning this award is telling a little bit of myself.

How about with pictures?

Here is everything (well....almost everything) I adore:

And now I get to nominate 10 recipients of this sunshine award. 

Ready? 

I will give this same award to the first 10 who comment on this post....

1. Aisyah (my dearest of blogirl-friends who inspires/motivates/ & inspires me some more!)

2. Jane S. (who left such a lovely comment)

3. Cherrie (who has been w/ me since the beginning -- I adore her!)

4. Tammy (oh, my goodness! she finds beauty in the remotest of places!)

5. Penelope ( I Love her talent and projects -- and that's with a capital L!)

6. Charlotte (yard sales & crochet --- ok. what more is there?)

7. Alessandra (beauty from Italy)

8. Anna (simply one of my favorites)

9. Ana Paula (gorgeous crochet that I covet admire deeply!) 

10. La Mañosa (if only, if only! I could have an ounce of her quilting skills!)

Okay, girls!  Grab your sunshine, tell us about yourselves and nominate 10 other gorgeously talented girls!

And thank you --- all of you!  Your blog-friendship is definite sunshine in my world.

such a rosey finish

A finish.

A rosey finish!  Complete with lacey pineapples and pearls.

It is from this book:

And even tho I ran into some major snafus....

...I have come away smitten by the simple beauty that can come from a mere size 7 hook and size 10 crochet thread. 

Yup. Just give me a crochet project, sleeping kitties, flowers, stacked dishes, etc...

...and chaos just seems to disappear.

Hello to a quiet world filled with sweet, simple things.

For awhile anyway.....

giving up--- not an option

Many moons ago, I started this doily.  In fact, I started it waaaaaaaaaaaaay back here.  

The reason why it never got finished? 

I kept getting stuck on Rnd 15.  To the point -- after frogging the silly thing 4 times ---- I gave up.

But giving up is not option when it involves lace & roses & pineapples. 

So cue soft, warm nights with the soothing sound of bugs calling out ---> equals the desire/need/want to hook this thing to completion.

Okay. 

Truth be told, it was more like swatting pesky mosquitoes in the humidity & heat while trying to keep track of split tr cl and tr-cl shells and beg tr-cl shells & what Rnd did I just complete!?

And then!?

I get to Rnd 18 & 19.....wait, there is no Rnd 18 or 19 printed in the book.  What!?  Seriously?  Now I am beginning to feel as if this doily is not meant to be.  There is where giving up truly started to become a reality.

Bu thank goodness -- after much searching for the missing rnds, I found the correction on Annie's Attic website.

Phew. 

So after all of that I am finally completing the last rnd that involves about a billion picots (not my favorite, btw) and I will finish this beautiful pineapple rose doily by affixing 8 more rosettes to the edge.

Ahh.  Feels good when I see this lacey garden taking shape. 

And 'escaping' death-by-Rnd-15-and-the-lack-of-printed-Rnd-18-and-19 feels even better.




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