can I post a video?

Do you know what this means? If I can post a video, and I can get Chickee to hold the camera steady, I might be able to post crochet video clips! How cool is that? Poor Chief had to be the Guinea pig of the video experiment. This is his 2nd ever swim race. That's Chickee in the foreground encouraging him on. Chief is the one (obviously) with the green goggles.

Welcome new followers! We're up to 80! I never would have guessed that we would get up to 80. Thank you.

Quote

"When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece." John Ruskin.

I love that, expect a masterpiece he says. Wow. Isn't that confident?

Boy's Vest Revealed...again

Sometimes I write posts ahead of time and then forget about them... here's this one again... haha. Imagine how forgetful I'm going to be in my older age! Here's the sneak peek again....
And here's Chief modeling the finished project. He couldn't decide between the football buttons and the safari animal buttons. Typical for a 6 year old boy, still a little guy, but growing so fast! The football ones fit the holes better. This pattern comes in sizes 2 (4, 6, 8). Chief is modeling the size 6. He was not a very cooperative model, I have to say. You should have seen the photos that I discarded.... oh, ok, I'll show you one. Look at this grumpy face!He looks like he's practicing for a Calvin Klein Ad for something deep and brooding. We could call this one "Preoccupation" or "Un-cooperation!". Or he could be a Ralph Lauren ad where they never smile but look so serious all the time as if they are pondering life's major problems. It's in the new issue of Crochet Today Sept/Oct 2009.

Book Sneak Peek

First, yesterday's model who wore the Super Speedy Shrug in the CGOA 2009 Fashion Show was Kimberly K. McAlindin. Thank you Kimberly, and thank you Kim Guzman for letting me know.

Here's a book sneak peek for you! I'm so excited. I don't know if I can wait a WHOLE YEAR! before I can share these patterns with you. I hope you like them. Time (a long time) will tell.

CGOA 2009 Fashion Show

The Super Speedy Shrug was in the CGOA 2009 Fashion Show in Buffalo, NY this past weekend. The lovely and talented Jill Hanratty captured this photo of the model wearing my shrug. I'm sorry, I don't know who the model is, if you know, please comment so that I can tell her thank you! The Super Speedy Shrug pattern is now for sale on the right side bar of this blog page and also on Ravelry.

More Crochet in summer tips

Yesterday I was using a wool/cotton blend yarn. I didn't find it to get sticky as long as I kept my hands cool and dry. I used an aluminum hook with a clay handle, which seemed to work well. I can always wash off the clay handle if necessary. It didn't get too hot in my hand like bare aluminum might have.

As Sara commented, she's right, you can't crochet by the pool if you have little ones. This is the first year I have really been able to crochet with the kids at the pool. I can crochet and look up frequently. I still don't feel comfortable reading by the pool if I need to watch the kids at the same time.

Anyone else have "crochet by the pool" tricks to share? I'd love to hear them!

Volcano

What you see here is a play-doh volcano, after the minor eruption of vinegar and baking soda. Just a little diversion for the kids while I work. Here's my desk:I actually crocheted at the pool yesterday and I think I learned a few tips about crocheting in hot weather:

bring small/portable projects
Have a large bottle of ice water handy, not only to drink to stay cool, but to rinse and cool off your hands.
Keep a clean towel handy for just your hands
Get in the pool periodically to cool off
Hold your project to the side rather than resting on your body.
Sit in the shade if possible so that your arms, reaching across your body, don't leave a white mark where the sun didn't hit...
oh, yeah, wear sunscreen, even if you don't wanna...

add to the list....

crochet a new bed for Charlie... he seems to have outgrown this one...

When I finish the book...

I'm going to:

Get a manicure
Get a massage
Bake a cake (and eat it)
organize all the family photos
knit something, anything.
I'm sure the list will grow longer....

Sneak Peek

Can you see that I just discovered the text effects button on my Photoshop? Pretty snazzy, huh?

Fiction

Ok, I don't know who chooses the monthly book selections for our County Public Library, but I will no longer follow blindly your recommendations. A couple of the last few books were good. But this last selection of The Somnambulist by Jonathon Barnes negated all other good recommendations because of it's awfulness. I guess it was better than the last awful book (that I chose off the shelf, from the Librarian's Choice section) Mr. Muo's Travelling Couch.
That book was so bad that I didn't even get past the 2nd chapter before I returned it. The Somnambulist, I at least finished, though I regretted the loss of the last few weeks of my life reading it. I need to stop feeling guilty about quitting a book early. Oh, I guess I should tell you what it was about? It is about a detective/magician in Victorian London times who is in search of a murderer. Along the way, he encounters a variety of stereo-typic carnival people with various unusual physical characteristics. His partner is the Somnambulist who is one such person with unusual physical qualities.


Miss Julia Stands her Ground. by Ann B. Ross. What a strange transition from The Somnambulist to Miss Julia. Miss Julia, apparently is the lead character in a series of books by Ann B. Ross. True to the traditions of the South, Miss Julia has a strict moral and ethical code that is challenged by her circumstances. So prudish and uptight, you would think that Miss Julia would be annoying... ok, she is a little. But she is also endearing and a champion of those people she has brought into her family. Basically, she found out that her late husband had an affair which resulted in a child. She takes the woman and the child into her home. The book begins a few years later when she hears rumors of further indiscretions by this woman whom she has chosen to trust. Not high literature, but entertaining, and a refreshing 180 from the previous book I read.

Up Next: Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich

Tomorrow, hopefully, another sneak peek.

Sneak Peek

Sneak Peek! I love being able to offer sneak peeks. Happy Tuesday everyone.

His Best Vest Revealed

Here's the sneak peek again...
And here it is on Chief! In the new issue of Crochet Today is the "His Best Vest" design using Red heart Designer Sport yarn. This vest is a great introduction to garment shaping. It's easy and small to try. The bottom hem is curved (increasing) then the "V" neck has decreasing all in a V-stitch. You have plenty of time to make this little vest in time for back to school or school photos. Make it in school colors. This vest has cute little football buttons. I had a hard time choosing either the football buttons or safari animals or baseballs. Personalize it so that he will love to wear it! Follow the link below for more info.
His Best Vest

Floating Ripple CAL

The Floating Ripple Blanket pattern is still available on the right sidebar of this page, most of the way down. There is a "buy now" button and the cost is $5. Thanks!

Floating Ripple CAL

Here's the Floating Ripple blanket stitched by Therese! Thank you, Therese for sending a photo. How is everyone coming along with your blanket? Are you bored yet? Do you want a challenge? Do X number of rows by Monday? If you are the goal type, set yourself a number. Let me know your goal if you want some extra motivation, otherwise, keep up the good work!

Crocheting in Public

Today, I am hunkering down to write patterns. Patterns I should have written last night, but I took the kids to the Cincinnati Reds game instead. Chickee's classmate had tickets for 5 other kids and all their families. And it was ladies night! All the ladies got pretty brown baseball hats with a pink "C" on them for Cincinnati. I crocheted all through the game. Here's the link to the photographic evidence. Chickee is wearing the blue/purple combo (she dresses herself). Chickee is sitting on my left in the dark blue.

The above photo is Chickee with a friend's dog, Bella. It is for all you dog-lovers out there who have to endure endless photos of my cat.

My work space and sneak peek

Since we got home from vacation, I have been trying to get some work done. As you can see, Charlie has been helping me. I hope to have another sneak peek for you tomorrow. I've been working on winter projects...

Sneak peek

Finally! A sneak peek that I'm allowed to share! The color scheme is really growing on me. I wasn't so sure as I was stitching, but when I photographed it in natural light, I thought, yeah!

It is a coral type color and a plum-purple color. Darn it, another one I'm going to have to make for myself...when I get the time. LOL. I crack myself up.

Julia Vaconsin blogs about design process

Julia Vaconsin, crochet and knit designer wrote an excellent blog post today about her design process, getting the idea from a sketch to a project. Here's the link to the post.

You need to check it out. Julia has had multiple excellent designs shown in Interweave Crochet the past two years or so.

I have 4 boxes stacked here to go to the post office today, one item on the blocking board, one pattern 90% written, and yarn for 2 projects sitting here next to the couch. Today, I expect the delivery person to bring yarn for at least 2 more projects. More swatching yarn for the book should be arriving Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Thanks Julia, for writing such an excellent and relevant post that I can take this morning off!

:) Hi new followers!

Decisions, decisions

This is probably the best part of writing a book so far... choosing yarns! Color cards and catalogs, oh my! All those luscious colors and fibers. Hmm, I'd like one of those, and one of those, and I'll try this one and that one... oh it's good to be me today.