Okay way back when in August LOL I was matched up with Sam over at Compassion Knits. Sam is awesome! She is such a nice, chatty person. I loved that. I’ve always enjoyed emailing people, it’s fast and easy and if you want to do it at midnight you don’t have to worry about then being awake.

Anyway, Sam and I chatted often during our colorswap month and I was SO excited to realize that she knitted a hat for me!

Of course, two minutes after I opened my package, Alice grabbed the hat and declared it was hers. She does look so cute though doesn’t she? I said she could have it because she seemed to fall in love with it instantly, it’s waiting on her dresser for when the weather cools.

And, sadly, I can’t find any of the other pictures I took of my swap box.

I just went searching one more time and I found them! They were in a totally unrelated folder (I try to stay organized with my pictures, for that someday when I print them LOL)

Sam sent me very cool stuff: boston baked beans (also stolen by Alice), shortbread (I hid that for me!), a couple of craft organizers, and a great little carrier with thread and material - and the lion material is SO cute! I haven’t used it for anything - yet. I have this idea for a bedset for my son. His room right now is the ocean and my Mom is making him a blanket. But he needs more then one (ha, like he only has one LOL) and a lion would be so cute. Especially because he’s been going around roaring lately, because he is of course a lion.

We have another (the last!) project colorswap this month. Look for a picture posted sooner next time!

(As always, click on pictures to make them bigger.)

It’s been ages since I found out about stenciling on shirts. I didn’t try it at first, but since then I’ve given in and enjoyed many an afternoon of painting. It’s the drying that I am impatient about!

I have to show pics of these two handkerchiefs I crocheted if only to ask what the heck went wrong!

Can you see there are two laying on top of one another in this picture?

I made the bigger one how I interpreted the pattern - and the smaller one how my friend who taught me to crochet was doing it. She and I haven’t talked about crochet for a few weeks now LOL but I need to ask her what went wrong. Mine (they are both mine, but the one I did all by myself is the bigger one) is bigger (obviously bigger) and stretchier. It is a very odd thing.

Speaking of crocheting, I am going to start a poncho in a week or so. I am going to follow what looks like an easy pattern and hopefully be able to have two finished by Christmas - one for my daughter and and one for my niece.

I need to think of something I can make for my son… any ideas? He’s 3. He doesn’t need any more blankets and we do live in South Carolina so I don’t think he will need too many sweaters.

Can you even crochet a sweater? I have much to learn.

I am SO excited!

I finished the baby blanket I was making. The last time I talked about it, I needed to do all of the edging. Well my friend emailed over the weekend and said she was going to pack her hospital bag because she’s been having braxton hicks contractions. She isn’t due for I think six more weeks, but the body is obviously gearing up!

And there is it! I am so happy with how it turned out. I did one edge on Tuesday night and the other three on Wednesday night. After I washed and dried it, there it is!

Close up of one of the corners - I always have such a hard time with mitering the corners. Three of them were easy this time around but one gave me heck. I had to put it down, walk away, and then go back and finish. I have to say I am glad that I put the blanket away for a little while - I don’t think I could have finished the edging in a day and a night if I were working on it right after putting it all together.

I’m mailing it off either tomorrow or Monday - I’ll let you know what she says!

Remember back when I talked about the kids painting and gluing? I have a picture of one of them on my table now.

I’ve been keeping the table cleared off so we can work there and of course display candles and the little painted boxes.

See the batting and piece of material there? That’s the very early beginnings of a rag quilt! My Mom and I planned on doing it as a joint project - then we moved. I’m going to at least start it and then we are going to figure out who is going to do what.

Really, a table can’t stay totally clear! Not with a crafter in the house, right? And the pile of notebooks is mine too - I’m taking one class this semester, plus I just love notebooks and am a list person.
Oh yeah, my friend Monica (and her family) came over and she and I started the little crocheted hat and the handkerchief I talked about yesterday. I told her that we should just doing joint projects - I started the handkerchief and she started the hat. Then we switched when I though I messed up, so she was going to corrent it for me thus I kept working on the hat.

I wonder how wierd a peice would end up if it were worked on by different people? Do crocheted pieces done by a right or left handed person end up looking different? Are there different ways to crochet? I mean different styles?

Whew, what a week! I can’t believe it’s been that long since I posted! My husband had a four day weekend last weekend, and that always messes up my schedule. I am usually online at least once or twice a day and when he’s home, I’m lucky to get on once to check my email.

But I’ve been doing all sorts of crafts - and I learned a few new things in the process.

Last week we had hurricane/tropical depression Ernesto headed our way - luckily we ended up with little more then rain and a bit of wind. We were very prepared though! And we spent our day stamping and making Halloween notebooks for my nephews.

And earlier this week, on Tuesday, one of my good friends (my best friend here I’m sure!) Monica came over to visit. She also taught me to crochet!

There was my first try! Sort of wierd, wavy, loose stitches, tight stitches, etc. I got better fairly quickly.

That one is a lot better - in my opinion anyway. ;)  The bottom is where I started - again, wavy, tight and loose stitches. My friend left some yarn with me, a crochet book w/ beginner projects and one of her hooks so I could practice. I did another practice piece…..

And though that lower left corner looks too loose (and really, it probably was!), that one looks SO much better! The stitches are even, it is rectangle shaped!

I ended up making a washcloth - it is fairly large, 9 X 9 or even 10 X 10. I was going to use it as a potholder in the kitchen, but my daughter took it and made it a blanket for one of her dolls. Last I saw, it was covering up Strawberry Shortcake. Hahahaha

I admit that I stayed away from crochet/knitting because ….. well, I’m not really sure why! And I asked Monica to teach me after I looked at one of her booklets and saw a child sized poncho. I know there are tons of cool patterns out there, I fear adding more crafts to my plate! Though I do say I have Craft ADD (more on that later too Hahahaha)…..

Updates coming soon with pictures of the Halloween notebooks, Ladybug notebooks, doll hat crocheted, handkerchief crocheted, and of course my great swap (Project ColorSwap) I did with Sam!! (Wow I have a lot to update on!)