elegance

I love all things elegant.

Definition of ELEGANCE

1a : refined grace or dignified propriety  b : tasteful richness of design or ornamentation c : dignified gracefulness or restrained beauty of style : polish d : scientific precision, neatness, and simplicity
2: something that is elegant


But step into my house and you will see:
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 a brand-new puppy keen on chasing crabby kitties

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homework that seems to be geared heavily toward stupifying the smartest of parents

 

a dryer & a Jeep that pick the most inopportune time to stop working

 

a prognosis of acute cabin fever,

 

yadda, yadda, yadda.....

 

 

 

And...my life is anything but elegant.

 

How to remedy that?

Simple.  You crochet something that is elegant.

First off ---->My Cascading Elegance pineapple doily from : Crochet Pineapple Centerpieces from HouseWhite Birches. (I have had this book forever & don't know if it is available to purchase anywhere.)

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And you know --there is something so elegant about a crochet pineapple pattern --- and of course, this Aunt Lydia Bamboo Cotton thread is still my fAvOrItE!! The drape alone is more than sumptuous.

And then on to this book.  My sister purchased this for me and not only does she know me oh, so well, she learned  how to knit!--drat her...but that is a whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother time...ahem.

In her book, Linda Permann shows so many delightful stitches and one that I have always wanted to do is: Catherine Wheel.  Every time I have tried to crochet this stitch -- ugh, let's just say it never resembled the pattern. 

Ever.

But man! her directions were clear.  The diagrams were clear...

....ta-da!  A Catherine Wheel Washcloth.

Love this so much, that I am trying two totally different colors.

Okay.  Now it's onto my very sagging inbox...

doing w/o

Stepping away for a bit...........

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wintry cowl

Wintry weather is always welcome here.

Huge snow drifts. Huge snowflakes.  Huge prayers for at least 22 inches of the stuff.  Huge hopes of major snow accumulation that will somehow exceed the roof line of our house.

Now that winter has indeed made its frosty entrance -- well....one must have a gorgeous, wintry cowl, right?

And I found just the one!  Crochet today jan/feb 09  has a super easy cowl pattern that works up beautifully.

Using leftover yarn and my M hook, I fell in love with the ease & look of this stitch pattern.

It's a simple v-stitch that can be done almost mindlessly.  And with a big hook...

....well, a mere 31 inches later a luxurious cowl has formed.

roses in the snow

I'm taking a break --- remember?

Plunging myself into a whirlwind of pre-Christmas obligations -- not having time to get any type of thready/yarny things done.

Uh. huh.

That worked....

....until I saw Teresa's fabulous video tutorial for her crocheted Christmas ornament.

So, pushing aside the pile of Christmas cards that need to be addressed; the cookie dough that needs to be mixed; the online ordering of Christmas presents that  m.u.s.t. get done; the menu planning for Christmas eve....I went and hunted for hooks I had hidden & thread I intentionally put out of reach.

And made a roses in the snow ornament.

*thread is size 10 DMC Cebelia
*the hook is my # 7
*and I changed Teresa's flower to the flower from motif #114 from this book:

The tiny green leaves I crocheted from here:

Hmmm.  I think I will give this ornament to Ruth.  She is a special 91 yr. old lady ( and I do mean, lady!) that I have the pleasure of taking care of a few days a week. 

I have learned so much from her! 

Some days I wonder, 'Exactly who is taking care of whom?'

~

She has taught me that being strong is more admirable than being whiney.  

She has taught me to say thank you even in the smallest of incidences.

She has taught me that when you fall down, you stand back up.

She has taught me that obligations are opportunities.

She has taught me that if you are still drawing breath  -- you still have plenty of things to do.

~

"This is Christmas:

not the tinsel,

not the giving and receiving,

not even the carols,

but the humble heart

that receives anew

the wondrous gift,

the Christ."

-- Frank McKibben

Merry Christmas, everyone!

quietness of mind

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Bless us Lord, this Christmas with quietness of mind. Teach us to be patient and always to be kind."

--Helen Steiner Rice

....a bit of a holiday break.
 
I'll be back soon.

color inspiration for a stocking

I am being inspired by color.

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It all started with my sister wanting a new flower for this handbag that I made her.  Her other flower? = droopy.  So she requested anna's fabric flower in colors that would go with her handbag.

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So I got my fabrics out and became enamored with the colors --> vivacious pink, coal black & snow white. Seeing the flower completed, I wondered what I could crochet with these same gorgeous colors....

...and came up with a very non-traditional Christmas stocking.

The grannyy square is from:

I laid the blocks out to form a nice stocking shape and btw--- I'm not sure the proper way in adhering the granny squares together before seaming them as a stocking -- but the safety pins worked well.

And although I do not like it when stores etc. cannon-ball straight-away into Christmas and mindlessly ignore Thanksgiving-- I am realistic enough to know that if I don't get started on this stuff now, I'll be running around like a lunatic and trying to get all of my projects done ( read= not a pretty sight.)

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Now I have to think of clever ways in finagling my husband into decorating our Christmas tree in this color scheme...

Ha.

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I know that will never happen.

hooked together

The more I say that -- hooked together -- the more I like the layers of meaning it evokes.

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The crocheted beauty pictured on the left was given to me by my great-aunt.  I was completely stunned when I unfurled it and saw the hours & hours that she put into it.  And the fact that it is now in my possession -- oh, dear! I can not tell you what it means to me.

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And knowing that my lovely great-aunt -- who had her husband, & her daughter who was riddled with cancer & her Downs son taken from her long before she herself was called to her heavenly home -- I am just struck with the beauty of each crocheted stitch she took. Was she pained with thoughts of the loss of her precious ones as she joined these blocks together? Was it a healing process for her to see this come to shape? She lost so much, but gave so much more. 

(...and I complain because the internet is running slow and I have to wait for 3 red lights!??...)

Now that this is in my possession, I am hooked together with her.  And it is a lovely feeling.

I had visions of finishing this -- and I still might.  Because honestly! don't you just love that a simple block when joined can form such a beautiful petal-shaped labor of love.  Ohhhhhh, I  a.d.o.r.e.  that!

So I too want to leave something that may take years for me to complete...

...but nonetheless, something that just might get passed along.

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So I started paging through old copies of my MAGIC CROCHET magazines and found this gorgeous Sweet William pattern. 

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The block is gorgeous.  Enough said.  But what really struck my fancy about this pattern is that it is so much like the one from my great-aunt.  By itself: pretty.  But when joined together as one, it seems to take on a whole different dimensional quality that is truly fabulous and so, so different from the original block.

 

Time to start joining these 2 blocks with many, many more to come....