The Artfully Simple Infinity Scarf

I have officially finished three of these infinity scarves. I really like this for doing in the car. Not much thinking, just keep Calm and Crochet On.

We went to San Francisco yesterday, and finished a whole scarf coming and going. It was a lovely cool day there in comparison to what we were facing here... the forecast was 106. We wandered on Pier 39 and had lunch at Luigi's. Our favorite spot. We were thinking of going to Bubba Gump's but there was a 20 minute wait just to get inside! I had the Panzanella salad with chicken and hubby had pizza.

Bought a pretty pair of seahorse earrings and a purse. I admired the purse last time but didn't get it. It is a Nepalese Hobo purse. I held it up and hubby started singing "if you're going to San Francisco, you'd better wear a flower in your hair..."  Yah I guess he's right... but I really like it. It's fun to remember those days. I didn't smoke weed but I sure liked to dress the part back then. My hair was long and I wore long dresses and seed bead necklaces. I learned how to make daisy necklaces out of seed beads and friendship bracelets. My jeans had patches and I wore Birkenstocks for years. I didn't embrace the drugs part of it, and I showered and wore deodorant, LOL... but I guess I was a bit jealous of the freedom.

 I love the natural and casual look from back then. I am a country girl living in the city. I've been looking at the old peasant top patterns and actually thinking about making one. I have to decide if it is an acceptable look for this Old Lady.

Project List...

I have updated my "process" page to include a list of the projects that are current. I've been working hard to get all of my yarn projects actually  finished. So far so good. Of course I still have lots of yarn but I think I am down to two half projects!!

Anyway. A link to my page.

 

alcohol inks and Michael Strong's stamp...

A tile trivet made with alcohol inks and Michael Strong's stamp... it is much prettier in person. I got these inks awhile ago but hadn't done much except just experiment with them. When I ran across this tile trivet, it reminded me of them. So I did it.

Look who I found!!

They are hand made, wonderful-- Andy for $5 and Ann for only $2-- the only problem is that poor Annie has no clothes. However.... I made a set of these a long time ago, and still have the pattern. (McCall's 2531) AND I have a fabric stash. So she'll get some clothes.

Another project. WELLLLLL.... these will look really cute sitting in my teensy rocking chair. And my grandchildren will love them. And so will I.

what to do with what I make??

Many times, the reason I do crafts is for the PROCESS. Not because I need something, or anyone else needs anything. I need something to keep my fingers busy on long trips or I go slightly bonkers. I can't stand to just SIT here and watch television with hubby, but he doesn't like to watch alone, and besides, it hooks me in. So I might as well be prepared, and get something done. I love to knit, crochet, sew... the list is endless.  Right now, my focus is on the unfinished ones, but I have to find the instructions to finish the socks.

I've been thinking a lot about what to do about the things I finish. I have donated some of the hats and such, and helped finish some blankets for the Lodi Rag Quilters. It is good to be able to help others.

However. Not sure that infinity scarves and doilies and such are too practical for donation. LOL!!

I see things sold on Etsy.  Guess I should talk to someone about that. Or find a shop locally?

Hmmm and hmmm.

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” 
― Henry Ford

Grandma's Treasures (and more rambling!)

Learn How Book from 1941
from The Spool Cotton Company

Going through hubby's mom's stuff. We sold her house a few years ago, and he couldn't bear to go through the stuff until recently. I had seen this years ago, but it was packed in a box and I forgot all about it. I have a small later edition, but this one's from 1941. Not sure what I will do with it, but it's interesting to see what was fashionable to knit, crochet, tat, and embroider back in the 1940's. I tried to learn to tat a long time ago but wasn't particularly successful, but maybe I will try again someday. This doesn't take up too much room.

"This doesn't take up too much room." Now where have I heard that before? Nothing takes up too much room, does it? But each little thing all put together sure is overwhelming.

I got all my beading supplies together. There's a few more things I know I haven't seen for awhile so there's a few more things to come together. My daughter gave me an old CD bookcase sort of thing, and I had a few storage containers that fit there quite nicely. Now there's a few  floss containers,  with the floss I got from Loretta, combined with what I already had. Jewelry findings, beading cord, and beads round out the collection. There's two quart jars full of old and new buttons. The top shelf will hold my CD collection and a few books. On the top are my two clear sewing kits, one regular and one for doll clothes (it has teensy snaps and buttons as well as Velcro I have cut into teensy strips) I am quite pleased with the results. Now when I want to do some embroidery or bead work it is right there and handy and I don't have to spend half an hour looking for everything before I start. I ran across some hand made sculpey beads that I forgot I even made! The beads are a ragtag collection from old jewelry finds at thrift stores, as well as some seed beads, and even a few pony beads. My kids and craft students loved stringing them. I've also bought a few unique ones.

my "new" shelves

I am a collector. Mostly what I collect is small, fortunately! Some I have tried to collect, others just found me, like the old buttons. They are Mom's, and Grandma's, and Loretta's, and mine. As well as a few bags of buttons I have gotten... you guessed it, at thrift stores, or taken off of old clothes.

My attention span is not too long. I love trying new things. The best times were when I could pass on what I learned to my students. Maybe what I should do is figure out how I could teach again, maybe even volunteering somewhere. Other than that, I am just going to celebrate what I am, with a little emphasis on Finishing What You Start. So far I am not finding any other Un Finished Projects, but (sigh) I haven't gotten to the quilting ones yet... I know there's a Joel quilt unfinished and a James one Purchased But Not Started. And a purse all cut out, well, two of them. and a few baby blankets that are Mostly Done. A couple not yet cut out, and a couple with fabric purchased but not cut out. I started a wall hanging for a friend when I was living with Grandma, but when I moved it disappeared. {{ note from 6/27 FOUND IT!!!}}I bought a pattern for one for my brother, but I haven't even started it.

SIGH.

No wonder I can't figure out what My Focus for this blog is. What is my Focus for Life, LOL?
Things really ARE coming together; it just seems so slow.
 

Left Handed Crochet and Rambling on about blogging.

I've been reading Jill's blog. She has a section, 30 Lessons in Blogging. One of the things she says is to find your focus. Well. I took a look at my blog to see if I could find a focus. My focus changes drastically. I tend to stick to one thing for awhile then switch. I get bored doing the same thing all the time. So I just might keep the blog Just For Me. Time will tell.

I was looking at my "tag cloud" and saw that ART JOURNAL is the biggest one, meaning that's the one that had the most posts. But I haven't done a page in awhile. Recently my focus has been finishing UFO's and I always immediately finish my art journal pages. So nothing to finish. I decided to focus on yarn projects. I didn't have too many of them, fortunately, and right now I'm down to 2 unfinished ones. I have to find the instructions before I can do that. So I have allowed myself to start new ones, as long as I finish the one I'm working on. So far so good.

 I've been decluttering EVERYTHING.

That said, I have not gotten rid of any yarn. In fact, I just acquired some more. I've been wanting to make a big afghan, big enough to use as a blanket for my bed. I saw some lovely yarn "on sale" so I had to get it. I don't know if it will end up as my blanket. It is not enough for a whole blanket, however. I have other yarn that I was thinking about using with it. I am hoping for a lovely blue blanket.

 I would love to do it in cotton, but I've been reading about how heavy that could be so I'm not sure.  If I had a lot of readers, LOL, I would ask their opinion.

Anyway. I started out crocheting with cotton, just straight double crochet, thinking I would make a blanket for a doll for practice. I am having a LOT of trouble keeping the edge straight. One side was perfect and the other wonky. So I watched some tutorials on double crochet, especially for left handers. It was strange, because the first one I watched only did two rows so there was no instruction for crocheting in the turning chain! But I found one, from Leisure Arts; Left Handed Double Crochet. I am just going to watch it over and over, and even crochet with it. I would rather work with a person, but I don't know any other left handed crocheters... I guess it wouldn't matter, really, I ought to ask M.... hmm.

It's been a stressful week, and when I was at my daughter's I started a hat. So now I have two unfinished, I broke my newly made rule. Oh well. I promise not to start the blanket before I finish the hat, the baby blanket, and those two socks.

Unless I am at my daughter's without a project to work on, LOL. At least I'm helping her work on HER stash!

6/18 FINISHED THE HAT. And crocheted as far as I could with the yarn I had with the doll blanket, while waiting for my mom at the doctor's. Apparently watching those videos helped, as well as making a small swatch with bulky yarn and a big needle. I'm doing much better!

Thread Talk!

Found this site while surfing today, and it looks like a great resource for threads. I was given a big pile of embroidery floss, pearl cotton, rayon floss, and miscellaneous threads. I didn't really know what to do with them, specifically, and this site has helped me to figure it out. Since I like to embroider, it will come in handy.
Thread Talk! Sizing Up Cotton Threads – Needle’nThread.com

The other thing I will be doing is friendship bracelets. Already made a few for my grandchildren, and gave my daughter in law some to help them learn how! Speaking of friendship bracelets, here's a site about adding clasps to them. I'm going to give it a try. Then I would be more willing to spend the hours it takes to knot the things-- because they wouldn't wear out as quickly. Friendship Bracelet Clasps  another idea with a different clasp-- Screw clasp for friendship bracelets

My interest in Pinterest

I get lost in Pinterest. I resisted for about forever, but then I just jumped and decided to look at what it was about. Several hours later....... anyway I've been pinning afghans today, I have been thinking about a solid white afghan for a blanket for my bed. Not many that I pinned are actually white. LOL but there are sure a lot of wonderful ideas out there. It got me started thinking about just how many afghans I have made... not tons but more than I thought. I think my favorites were the ones with Q hook and 3 strands of yarn. I used up a lot of scrappy stash that way. Actually that would make a lovely white blanket. Especially now that I know how to do the magic knot

It was funny though because suddenly I realized I was looking at a recipe for Rainbow Slime..  I wonder how I got there....

That was fast!

Started and finished the infinity scarf from Red Heart's Unforgettable Yarn. It is so much prettier than the picture. This is the pattern I used. It shows it off better since they have a better camera!! Artfully Simple Infinity Scarf


The only problem I had was Paying Attention when I was crocheting. I kept skipping the ch 5 and it wasn't pretty. I also think it would have been better to use a slightly smaller hook; but that depends on how tightly or loosely you crochet. I crochet loosely. For me it also was an introduction to a chart. I think I may do something else charted. Because I am left handed I will have to reverse the chart but that shouldn't be a problem.

I started another with Caron's Party Yarn in cobalt blue. Should be pretty. I think the hook size will be fine since it is a slightly thicker yarn. I am seeing the tie with beads as well as the button. Hmmm!!!

Wow I can actually see it raining. This is June 10th and we don't often get that much rain in June but here in California's drought we will rejoice in every drop!!

the vintage button I used for the tie. Thanks Grandma...

**FINISHED!**

 I've been working on this afghan for the past TWO YEARS. Maybe longer. I tucked it away when I got tired of it. I found several skeins of the variegated stuff at the thrift store for a couple dollars... and it was with skeins of green that didn't exactly match. My first thought was to make it half and half but as I went along I decided to get some blue too and stripe the second half. I got green to match and blue to match... so I actually spent six more dollars... less than ten anyway for this 48 inch square afghan. Bigger than I have ever made. Knitted anyway. I might have crocheted a bigger one.

This other afghan is one that I made for my first mother in law MANY years ago. Before I had kids. Like about 40 or so years ago!! Recently my sister in law gave it back to me. It made me smile, my version of a pastel rainbow. I had forgotten about that stitch, it's pretty.

Anyway. Only two socks away for ALL FINISHED UFOs. Two socks, you may say. That sounds like a whole pair. Actually it's 2 half pairs. Now why did I start the second pair before finishing the first?

I have no idea.

 

ohhhh this yarn is calling me. I may have to make an infinity scarf with it. ;) It's by Red Heart and it's called "unforgettable" And it is.