Hibernating

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I am in the hibernation mode.  March in Minnesota can either be beautiful or it can be nasty ..... and well it has be NASTY.  One day at the beginning of the month there was a brief glimpse of spring but since then Mother Nature has decided to rear her ugly head ..... albeit pretty one. 

 

So while I have been watching this out my window .....

 

 

 

I have been enjoying some of this indoors .....

 

 

 

Just what I needed.  Another cowl to keep my neck warm when outdoors. This pattern is very easy and oh so lovely.  You can find it here if you wish to give it a try.

 

I hope Mother Nature will soon decide to lighten up a little on the snow and give us some sunshine.  It won't happen today however ..... the snow is starting to fall once again. 

 

Hoping you don't see any snow out your window wherever you are and please think of me as you are frolicking in the sunshine!  Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Some Crocheting

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A while back, I showed you this pattern that I had pinned from Pinterest.  Well after finishing the afghan from hell, I quickly found the proper crochet hook, some spring-like Peaches and Cream cotton yarn and dove right in.

 

 

 It didn't take me long.  While visiting one Saturday afternoon with some friends, I quietly crocheted as we talked, then that evening I continued to pluck away at it.  The next morning, I knew I could easily finish it and that is just what I did.

 

 

 

The pattern was quite simple.  Mostly repetitive but I did find that main body of the towel was a bit too long for my liking.  Making a few minor adjustments ..... cutting out rows 51 to 59 .... seemed to help.  I could actually have cut out a couple of more rows, which I will do next time because yes, I will be making more of these. 

 

 

Finding a button and attaching it, I quickly set to work in making some dishcloths to match.  Perfect colors for Spring!

 

 

 

 

It is nice to finally try some of the Pinterest projects that I keep pinning.  Happy crocheting/knitting and remember to give your loved ones a hug!



 

The Afghan from Hell

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Yes, you read the title right!  I have always wanted to learn how to crochet a ripple afghan, you know, the ones that EVERYONE has on the back of their sofas?  In the 70's they were orange, brown and yellow, as seen on "The 70's Show" BUT I didn't want mine in those colors!!  I wanted one that would remind me of Spring.  One that would reflect bring colors that we see as the first flowers are making their way through the cold earth ..... daffodils, hyacinths, and primrose.

 

 

I started this afghan exactly on January 27, 2012 ..... yep, I know that was the exact date as I record all my knitting and crochet projects on Ravelry.  If you have never heard of Ravelry check it out!  So many patterns, inspiration and great people.  You can see it here. 

 

Now, the reason why it took so long wasn't because the pattern was difficult.  It was the exact OPPOSITE!  The pattern is so easy to mindlessly work with, that I was bored very quickly.  If I am bored, wellllll then I never feel like picking it up because it's too boring ..... hence the title "Afghan from Hell". 

 

 

 

So I plucked away at it and plucked away at it and come the new year, I was determined to finish it.  You see I have a rule.  I will not allow myself to start another knitting/crochet project until the one I am working on is finished.  I get too easily sidetracked and excited for new projects when browsing websites and patterns.  If I didn't follow this rule, I would have hundreds of unfinished projects floating around all over the house!

 

 

So the morning of January 28, 2013 ..... exactly one year and one day, I sewed in the last of the ends, laid out the afghan and admired the bright colors which do remind me of spring.  I am extremely pleased with it and look forward to cool-ish spring mornings when I can sit on the porch and wrap it around me while sipping my cup of coffee. 

 

 

Now that it's finished ..... I have been drooling over which project to start next.  Would I make this pattern again?  Definitely.  The color possibilities are endless but I would make sure next time that I finished it before a year was up!

 

 

 

Happy knitting/crocheting, have a wonderful day and remember to give your loved ones a hug! 

 

Mittens

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One skill that I have been trying to perfect is making mittens. My skills as a knitter as not proficient enough to try it with needles but I made a pattern the other day by crocheting them.

These are for a friend's grandson. He asked me to make a hat/scarf/mitten set for a grandson and a granddaughter. So I really needed to sit down and figure out how to make mittens.







These mittens are crocheted open as you can see by the above picture, then whipped stitched closed when finished. Very simple and they turned out quite well.

After I had taken this picture, I decided to add a tie to the wrist part of the mitten so they can be tightened when on to keep out the snow.

These still need some tweaking but I am pleased that I was able to make it as least this far! Now only if I can figure out how to knit them....that would be wonderful!

Have a great day everyone and stay cool or warm...where ever you may be on this Earth of ours. :)

Found Treasures

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We spent some time yesterday on the four-wheelers. We have never seen weather like this before in Northern Minnesota at the end of November. It has been un-seasonably warm.... 40 degrees F during the day....so we might as well take advantage of it.

At the back of our property there are piles of junk from when this land was an old junkyard. So while we were on a break from wheeling I asked Bob to pull over to one of the piles. I found this old washtub that I love and will use for planting flowers in next spring.

I also found this old oil can that has no dents or holes in it. I was quite excited as I love old stuff like this.

I am not sure what I will be using this for but I am sure I will figure something out.

The last few days have been spent wrapping Christmas presents and decorating the house. I have also been busy finishing up the last minute crochet projects that I have on the go. A friend of ours ordered a hat/scarf/mitten set for his two grandchildren so I really need to get these done! One set is finished and now I just have to get my motivation going to finish the other.

I hope you each have a wonderful evening with your loved ones!

Update on Giveaway.

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Good afternoon everyone! I will be drawing the name tonight at 9pm and announce the winner tomorrow morning.

Have a great day, I am just spending today crocheting and trying to catch up on some projects. The weather has turned nasty. Cold, rainy and windy so a perfect day to curl up on the couch and keep warm.

I am excited to see who wins! :)

Few items I have been working on......

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My pastime is crocheting and knitting. I love it. I have been working on a few items during the day or in the evening while sipping a cup of tea. I thought I would share a few pictures with you.

Some will be for a craft fair in December that I am registered for.

Duckie Bib.

Toddler dress.

This is a Christmas gift.

I will be selling afghans at the craft fair as well.

Different patterns and textures.

So cuddly warm on a cold winter night.

I still have many more items to make and I keep busy every day in between housework and yard work.

What do you like to do to pass the time?