it's time to confess

I have a confession to make. 

Well, two actually.

First one:
I hate making crochet cables can't make crochet cables.  Let me give you an example of a pattern for crocheting cables:

Directions for cross cable row:

(for a six stitches wide cable) skip next 3 sts,

 tr ps around each of next 3 sts;

working behind last 3 sts, fold last 3 sts forward,

 tr ps around each of 3 skipped sts.

No, I have no idea what that means.

And that is a huge problem when asked to crochet cables in this.  

So this is my dilemma: 

Frog my aran afghan? 

Watch every online tutorial for mastering crochet cables? 

Pull out my hair? 

Admit defeat?...

...or how 'bout trying a knitted cable?

Finding Redheart's pattern for a knitted cabled throw & throwing caution to the wind, I started to knit cables.

Yes. Knit. A. Cable.

Me!

Wow.  Just let me say, comparatively speaking:  a knitted cable is much, much, MUCH easier to do than a crocheted cable.  And for someone who has struggled with knitting (me) I am amazed at how easily this is just flowing off of my needles.

Now for confession #2:

This is a before & after photo of my yarn.  I am ashamed to admit that I stashed my yarn in a rubber tub.  A huge 'no-no', I know.  Completely inexcusable, I admit.

           before                                       after

But then I started seeing paper towel tubes used as nostepinnes for achieving centered pulled skeins of yarn. (btw -- I could do a whole post on the simplicity & beauty of these wooden treasures, but a paper towel tube was much easier to come by.  But rest assured -- I have dropped subtle hints to kids & husband that I would love to have one/more of these handcrafted lovelies in my possession.)  I then proceeded to take every messy skein in my rubber tub & carefully wrap each one into a centered pulled skein of yarn.

A centered pulled skein of yarn is neat, orderly & so lovely to look at!

a handbag for Ruth

It started with this flower.

From this book:

And it became the focal point of this handbag. 

A handbag for Ruth. 

And being that she is celebrating her 93rd birthday...

And blue is her favorite color....

And zippers don't cut it for a massive stroke victim --- but pockets for tissues and sunglasses (yes, she is still a diva needing her shades...) I sewed this handbag for her.  Now when we go out shopping (which we do frequently) she can do it in style.

~ ~ ~

This flower was so easy & quick to crochet that I started to think about all of the fabric in my stash.  And yarn.

A lot!

And since this handbag was so easy to sew ( I just drew out a purse template on cruddy paper and sewed it from there)...and the flower so fun & fast --

Well. 

It's the makings for some (a lot!) cute handbags with 'crochet-cute' flowers as added embellishment.

~Easter Blessings~

aran afghan

I want my dream living room to look like this (minus the washer & dryer, of course.) 

I  l.o.v.e. the color of the walls soooooooo much & when I was at the fabric store recently --- with nary a thought of purchasing any yarn --- I stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted this yarn  --> Soft Baby Steps in aqua. 

Why, it is the perfect color of my dream living room!!.... 

So I snatched up enough to do this aran isle throw to match my new dream living room.

I love the texture in these stitches. 

Bobbles, front and back double crochet, skipping stitches and wrapping stitches to enclose stitches = tons of texture.

It's the perfect color & afghan design for when I have my feet up & I'm watching the rest of the family scrape off all of the old paint & rolling on that new aqua paint color in my newly decorated living room....

Now.  Who do you think will be finished first?

Kids + husband painting?

or

Me crocheting this afghan?

...and then there were 2

Two socks. 

Can you believe it?

Neither can I.

clover

A tatted clover....

...tatted many times over into intricate, lacey medallions ~

~ can become a beautiful piece of threadwork.

The pattern is Clover Mat  by Jon of Tat-a-Renda.

I have only begun this but love knowing that I can stop at just a small doily or maybe a table runner -- or good golly! a bedspread. 

Okay.  Maybe not that huge.

Because with tatting --- it is add-as-you-go, so the project can remain small, or it can be built upon to become a gorgeously, huge piece of work just by how many pieces are tatted to the previous piece.

Love that.

And it is really such a darn shame that no one in this house has any crochet patterns for say...an iPod cosy or something.

Because I spot this when my son walks past me....

Yes.  That is Scotch tape. 

And yes, he has it taped to his shirt.

Like I said --- it's just too bad he doesn't know of anyone that has scads of crochet (or maybe even a few knit) patterns for stuff like this.

henrietta

There is certain vibrant charge to the air when spring seems to be nearing.  

A newness.  A deep, strengthening sigh.  A feeling of ahhhhhh....

I love that feeling.  And walking through the house with the sun's warmth through the windows, I start to visualize all that spring entails.

For starters, what's certainly needed are spring-like potholders. 

More specifically -- ones that will help usher in spring with their cuteness & quaintness.

From here:

(this book can be purchased as a download here.)

....the perfect spring-like potholder.

This is Henrietta.

She was sooooooo easy & quick to crochet & I used my g hook & Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn.

Now.

Hopefully spring does indeed arrive soon (and that nasty weatherman has got it all wrong with his forecast of 8 in. of snow by Wednesday morning.....)