Milkshake cozy

Note to self: Design a cozy for my Milkshake shaker because my hands get cold. :)

2 scoops chocolate frozen yogurt
2 tbsps Nesquik powder
1 1/2 cups skim milk

That's my favorite milkshake.

Chicken friends

Have you seen this one yet? It's Fluffy and Mrs. Poole (from left to right). I'm still in the midst of a crochet marathon, hopefully I'll come up for air by Monday.

Crochet Now!

Crochet Now Book! Candi Jensen, producer, knit and crochet designer, author, has compiled all the crochet patterns from season 3 of the Knit and Crochet Now tv show into one handy book! You're going to love it. My Diamonds & Squares blanket it in this 128 page book. There are many many designs in the book. Follow the link to Amazon and there is a place for you to view inside the Table of Contents and also the Index to see the great list of projects and contributors.

Thanks!

Thank you readers! I just want to thank you very much for all the kind comments here on the blog and on the Ravelry group. I'm such a sucker for kind words and a great smile. Thank you so much for following and reading and caring about my progress and our family.

It's so funny in this design biz that the momentum seems to swing wildly day by day. One day I feel on top of the world and another day I feel like this is crazy, why don't I get a real job and stop playing at business woman. For the most part, I know that this is exactly where I need to be and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to do it! It's not lost on me, readers, that YOU are what make this unpredictable business so much fun.

And might I just say, that you should stay tuned, because there is a fun, fun lineup of projects that you all are going to see in 2010. Lots of color. Cosmic color. Gardens of color. There will be drama. There will be royalty. There will be items for you and items for littler ones in your family. There will be practical items and items that are just too much fantasy. 2010 is the year of the fun and colorful crocheted projects.

Thank YOU!

Summer Blues Baby Dress question

Yesterday, Vivian had a question about the skill level of the Summer Blues Baby Dress (yesterday's post). The dress is really pretty easy. The bodice is made twice (a front and a back). The bodice is made with all single crochet stitches. Increases are made with 2 sc in the same st. The shoulder seams are sewn. The trickiest part is attaching the skirt to the bodice. It is crocheted on as the skirt is made. In the PDF, there is a detail photo of the attaching of the skirt. The skirt is all made in sc, hdc, dc, (I don't think there are any treble stitches in it) in the back loop only. The edgings are all crocheted on when the skirt is done. I would recommend, if you are on Ravelry and considering making the dress, look up all the projects others have done. Read any notes they have made regarding the dress. I hope that helps!

Summer Blues Baby Dress Pattern PDF

Did you miss this sweet little dress the first time it appeared in Interweave Crochet, Summer 2008? Have no fear it is here! See on Ravelry all the versions of this dress people have already crocheted in green and lavender too! Make it in all white for a Christening gown. Available in sizes 3 (6, 9, 12) months.

Pattern by pattern, I'm going to make it to the CGOA conference. Thanks!
$6.00 USD.

Still Waters Shrug pattern PDF now available!

The top two photos are from the Still Water Shrug's appearance in Interweave Crochet, Spring 2009. That model was in Alpaca with a Twist Punch. The bottom photo is my shrug that I made in Blue Sky Alpacas, sportweight.

It is critical that you measure your own wingspan, or that of the recipient when choosing which size to make. Arms can vary in length dramatically no matter what "size" your clothes usually are. I have really long arms. At the store, all the garments that are my correct size, the sleeves are too short. This is a great pattern for making it fit YOU. wingspan = Your arms outstretched from one wrist over the shoulders and down to the other wrist with a flexible measuring tape... now drop your arms, should you add another inch of length for when your arms are down? You get to decide. It makes a difference.

One pattern at a time, I'm going to get to the CGOA conference in Manchester, NH this summer. Thank you.
$5.00 USD

My wish list, rewards!

The book must be getting close to being turned in... all I can think about is how I can reward myself for turning in the manuscript. Of course there is still the photo shoot and the editing... turning it in doesn't mean that it is done :)

In no particular order:

knitted socks - purple-ish I don't have time to learn how to make socks and then to make them. Does anyone know how I can buy a ready made pair...maybe through Etsy? All I have been able to find in my quick search is patterns.

Double headed crochet hook key-chain from Knit Picks Love it! So cute. I'll have to find some other things to buy so that I can qualify for free shipping...

Namaste bag the Zuma in Peacock. (above) and the Hermosa in Eggplant. The only problem with a beautiful yarn bag is that you can't leave it in the car at any time, some thief might mistake it for a purse! Or, they'll recognize it for what it is (treasure!) and steal it...

I have a ton of books on my wishlist.... Hmm, sorry. I don't know how to make my wishlist public. I guess I'll have to type it out in another post.

Speaking of books, I have several knit and crochet books that I don't use, maybe I should do a Book Sale day!

Thanks all who attended 'live chat' with me on the 'GoCrochet with Ellen Gormley' group on Ravelry last night. It was fun!

Fiction

I know I said that I was cutting back on my reading, but I've been able to read while I crochet lately.

So, I re-read the Harry Potter books 5, 6 & 7. Too much fun.

Then I began reading the Hollister House: Legend of the Banyan Tree by Joanie Lacy. Joanie is a local woman and a singer. We have heard her and her band many, many times and enjoy them! I didn't know she was also a writer so I was anxious to give her book a try. I got through about 50 pages and while the concept was intriguing... a single woman with a very rocky past who attempts to re-start her life by living independently in her Father's childhood home. It becomes clear that there are forces in the home that are interesting. Are those magical forces sinister? Are they part of her imagination? Still, the book came due to the library before I got too far into it. That tells me that it didn't capture my attention enough to continue. It has 4 stars on Amazon though, so maybe it gets much more compelling after page 50.

I also heard on Ravelry of the book the Sweetheart's Knitting Club. by Lori Wilde. Don't let the sweet little cover fool you... this book is RACY. Flynn, the main character is a hard working home-town girl who has had to help raise her siblings and maintain the family business because of various circumstances. This good girl once met a bad boy (Jesse) and they had a connection that was memorable. Unfortunately, he was framed for a crime by the "good boy" sheriff's son (Beau). The bad boy gets sent to 10 years in prison. Flynn dates the "good boy" Sheriff's son. The story opens with Jesse being releases from prison and re-entering the picture. Knitting does play a part in the story and the women who are in the club. A fun, quick read. At one point I said, "oh, I didn't see that coming". Enjoy!

CLF 2009 Crochet Awards

The presentation of the "Flamie" awards offered by the Crochet Liberation Front were last night on the Getting Loopy podcast. Listen on archives for free of this episode and other past episodes. This blog was nominated in the Best Crochet Blog category but was defeated by the amazing, entertaining and informative, Everyday Crochet by Doris Chan. Congratulations, Doris! Doris is a rock star and I read her blog regularly. Have you seen her new book is out? Crochet Lace Innovations, Doris' 3rd book is now in stores. I haven't seen it yet, but the reviews are great. I hope to secure a copy for myself very soon. Congratulations to all the winners of the 25 or so awards! Also, the award, designed by Darlisa Riggs (aka Fignations) is just gorgeous. Take a gander at it over at the CLF blog on wordpress.

Fancy night out, crochet galore

Saturday night was a fancy night out for us. Be patient, crochet details are coming... The University of Kentucky's Music department and UK Chandler hospital's got together to do a benefit to raise money to begin a Music Therapy department which will benefit both departments, and patients to the hospital. Tom's company contributed to the fund, so we got to go and represent. It will also be the first Music Therapy course of study offered in Kentucky. Anyway, the night opened with a performance by the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra with a special performance by renowned violinist Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg. I'm not really educated enough about music to comment except to say that we enjoyed the performance and we were able to catch a glimpse of Nadja's vibrant personality during her presentation.
Afterward was dinner and dancing. Above is a photo of our salad plate. That's salmon there under the crouton and Boursin cheese. You can see in the dessert glass above the extremely yummy raspberry parfait with Brandy snaps and on another plate by the centerpiece are little chocolate truffles. Dinner was rack of lamb, carrots and spinach and lentils, all prepared in a very fancy and froo-froo manner. While we ate dinner there was a performance artist who did 3 large portrait paintings by dipping his entire hands in buckets of paint and splattering and swishing the paint to make very large, 6' square pieces. (I can't find a link for him) he told jokes and in general entertained through dinner. They introduced him as the "Really short Frenchman."

Here is Tom and me at the LPO performance. Note that I managed to get not one, not Two, but THREE crocheted pieces into my ensemble for the evening.

First, the Whisper Wrap in Taupe.
Second, the little beaded black bag that has a handle big enough for my hand to go through leaving my hands free for shaking and eating. :)

And third, the silver medallion earrings I made Wednesday night and posted about on Thursday and Friday. I love how feathery light they were! It made me forget I had earrings on. They didn't hit me and bother me when I turned my head. Yes, my silver, taupe and black may not have all matched, but I get points for having such a volume of crocheted pieces on in one outfit.

Earrings, continued and Bad, bad yarn.

The most comments came in for this pair. Here they are getting a quick block. I wrote on Facebook yesterday that I discipline the cat with a water squirt bottle. I used the same squirt bottle to wet down these earrings to block them. I'm sure Charlie was thinking, "Wow, that yarn must have been really, really bad".

Oooh, Sparkly Crochet!

Every Wednesday night, the members of the free Ravelry group, 'GoCrochet with Ellen Gormley' do a live chat that can be found on the group home page. Anyway, last night I was telling them that Tom and I have a fancy party this weekend and I was making earrings. Above is the first set. All the earrings will be put on kidney wire that I've had to "borrow" from another set of rarely used earrings. The first set is just a simple medallion.

The second pair is a flower of sorts. Whoops, I missed an end.

The third set is a variation on a triangle.

The yarn is Plymouth "Gold Rush" thread and I used a "D" hook. The earrings are set against the red dress I'm planning on wearing. I'll have to try them all on before I decide which pair to wear.

Charlie, sneak peek and Book thoughts

I'm sorry I haven't had any crochet to show you lately. It feels like it has been a while. I'm stitching and writing feverishly. I has been a very productive last 10 days or so, I'm trying to keep with the trend and keep getting things done.

One of the hardest parts of my crochet career is that there isn't enough time to do all that I want to do. Even if I were super efficient and abandoned everything else, there wouldn't be enough time to get to all the projects that I want to do. It may take me a few weeks to crochet a blanket and during that time I could get dozens of new ideas. In the photo with Charlie is a sneak peek of sorts. It is the foundation for a project that I expect you will see before Thanksgiving or so.

I'm counting down the days at this point until the manuscript is turned in! I can't wait. Have you seen the movie "Julie and Julia" It was a good movie. But at the very end, when Julia Child received her first copy of her book, it just about made me cry! I can just picture the day in my mind when the package arrives in the mail. What will I do? How will I react? Will I cry? Will I be able to keep it unopened until Tom gets home and we can open it together or will I tear into it immediately with wild abandon? I'll let you know when it happens.

Chicken update

Chief is holding his favorite...Fluffy.
The chickens now have a coop inside the barn with a door to go out on their own private balcony. Tom even cut windows in the barn just for them. Apparently they are going to get a chicken run that steps down from the "back door" of the balcony.

This one looks pretty confident, I hope it's not a rooster and not a hen...

Chickee and critters

I don't think I'll be able to get the cat, the guinea pig and all 6 chickens in one photo... I never in my life dreamed we'd have so many pets.

I had a very productive weekend work-wise for the book. I'm still waiting (hoping, praying) that three sets of yarn arrive ASAP. I worked 2 more rows on the Whisper Wrap CAL. It's coming along well but it's amazing how hard it is to find time to do even one row a day.

Today is going to be busy and work may have to take a backseat to the kids. They have an event at school all afternoon and I need to go exercise this morning and work off Tyler Florence's Ultimate Chocolate Marshmallow Milkshake from the weekend. :) I keep trying to link the recipe for you but Food Network seems to be having some problems this morning.

CGOA conference and Tom's building

Yesterday I registered for the Knit and Crochet Show, which is the National conference of the CGOA and the Regional conference of the TKGA. It's held in Manchester, NH this year in July. There are a few classes that are now sold out. This is like the Lilth Faire concert for Crochet. A huge assemblage of designers who's names you know along with so many passionate stitchers. This is a great opportunity. Check it out. I'm going to take as many classes as I can... really. When else do you have the opportunity to learn new things directly from the national leaders in the industry? Very, very cool.

Tom took us for a tour of the building he is working on. It's still under construction so we got to don safety gear. 2010 Halloween costume problem solved! (Really, did you think I could get through an entire post without an exclamation point?) LOL.

Knitting in the Round podcast

The ladies from the Knitting in the Round podcast talked about my Larkspur Wrap Sweater in Episode 21 and 22 (soon to come). One of them even made one! Thank you! Go give them a listen for all things fiber.

Here's a photo of Chickee with her two favorite furry friends... as opposed to her six favorite feathered friends (the chickens). Photos will likely come of the chickens in the next few days. They have moved out of the basement and into the barn (yay!). Their first night in the barn was an eventful one with much rain and thunderstorms. When it gets light I'll have to go and see if they made it through their first night ok.

Crochet & Chat at the library this morning! Hope to see some of you there!

Tunisian Lace Ascots!

The last year or so, I've given crochet pointers to my good pal and neighbor, Maureen. Now she's only had 3-4 "lessons" but look what she made for Easter! A basket full of Tunisian Lace Ascots for gifts! Fantastic!

The pattern PDF is available for $5.00 USD


Yes, I know I'm late getting this post out today. I just consider myself grateful I got a post in at all! The kiddos go back to school tomorrow :) I have plenty of off-topic stuff I could share, but I try to space those posts out so you don't get too bored reading about kids and cats and chickens and such.

Baby Cardigan Revealed

It's a FREE pattern!
It's the Baby Cardigan in Red Heart Buttercup! This is a great squishy little color block jacket. Our niece got one for her Baptism gift. It is an "EASY" pattern, but that nubby, soft, squishy yarn can be a little difficult to work with especially if you are a newbie still learning where to put the hook. The results are so great though. It's all sc.

Lexington Yarn tree

LOVE IT! Tom said, "No". Knowing that I'd love to do this in our yard. I guess being supportive only goes so far... Still we have some trees behind our house that you can't see from the road... surely if I did a little yarn graffiti he wouldn't have the nerve to cut it down...I could use wool and see if it would "felt" over time with the squirrels running up and down and the sun and rain...

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!

Mobius Cowl Revealed

Here's the sneak peek again....

From Issue 7 of Inside Crochet, it's the Mobius Cowl. Made in elegant Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend.

egg basket

Chickee made this little basket for her natural dyed Easter egg as part of a Girl Scout field trip. Don't you love the yarn weaving around the side? Too cute. I'm taking a few days off for the Easter holiday (and to get as much work done as possible) I hope to be back on Monday though the kids will be underfoot a few more days after that. Have a great weekend!