Grandma

Grandma is eighty-eight years old and still drives her own car. She writes:

Dear Grandchildren,

The other day I put a 'Honk if you love Jesus' bumper sticker on my car. I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection, just lost in thought about the Lord and how good He is, and I didn't notice that the light had changed. While I was sitting there, the guy behind me started honking like crazy, and then he leaned out of his window and screamed 'Gor the love of God!' 'Go! Go! Go! Jesus Christ! Go!' What an exuberant cheerleader he was for Jesus! Everyone started honking! I just leaned out my window and started waving and smiling at all those loving people. There must have been a man from Floriday back there because I heard him yelling something about a sunny beach. I saw another guy waving in a funny way with only his middle finger stuck up in the air. I asked your uncle in the back seat what that meant. He said it was a Hawaiian good luck sign or something. Well, I have never met anyone from Hawaii, so I leaned out the window and gave him the good luck sign right back. Your uncle burst out laughing. Even he was enjoying this religious experience! So, grinning, I waved at all my brothers and sisters and drove on through the intersection. I noticed that I was the only car that got through the intersection before the light changed again, and I felt kind of sad that I had to leave all my newfound friends after all the love we had shared. I slowed down, leaned out the window and gave them all the Hawaiian good luck sign one more time as I drove away.

Praise the Lord for such wonderful folks!

Will write again soon,

Love, Grandma

Honeybee Scarf

I am calling this my Honeybee Scarf. The name of the stitch is actually the Honeycomb Trellis. I like this stitch, it's fun, and it goes quickly (if you're not making it in black, that is...) and it creates a very pretty fabric, I think. I may make this again, in a gold or yellow or cream, to really carry that Honeycomb theme. I love this yarn, it's I Love This Cotton, and I think the color is black sparkle. It's got really cool little green shiny flecks in it. This picture seriously does not do it justice, it looks like a fly here, and in real life, the yarn is just so cool, the green really does sparkle in the black. I got a lesson here, making something in all black. I guess I didn't realize I've never done that before, but boy, black is hard on your eyes. The stitches are harder to work into, just because they're harder to see. That's a bummer, because I have more of this yarn, and because I have some wonderful black shimmery I Love This Yarn, that I want to make a shawl of, something for a New Year's Eve-type party. I love to sparkle for a nice party now and then. I look forward to owning the shawl made of the black sparkly stuff, but at this point, I don't look forward to making it. Ha! And when you think that it will be a shawl for a prospective New Year's Eve, it should be something in a kind of closed pattern, so that it will be somewhat warm, so it will, of course, take longer to make than this scarf did..... ah yes, sounds more inviting with every thought, huh? Ha. Ah well, I'll think about that later.................. Y'all have a wonderful day!

Catherine Wheel

Well, I have actually been crocheting lately. LMHO I actually have enough to do a few posts at this point. Ha ha. This is Catherine's Wheel. I got it out of a book. I notice it in quite a few of the books I have. It makes a fairly heavy fabric, so I'm not sure it would make a really comfy blanket. I'm exploring a lot of different stitches, and trying to make different things with them, you know, to expand my knowledge. I'll get there. I'm not really sure if I like this pillow or not, though I may try it again later, in maybe three colors, and maybe some of the reds, gold, and browns that I love so much. This is a nice nubby pillow, I think David will really like it under his fingers next time he visits.

I'm still working on that granny stripe. Man, I don't think I've ever spent so long making one item. Of course, it'll sure be worth it, that thing is gonna be gorgeous. And, of course, when you get down to it, I have way too many WIP's..... I went through and finished a few things yesterday, maybe I can finish a few more directly......

Y'all have a wonderful day.

Flippin' Basketball....

Every Friday, when I get up, the first thing I do is watch The Mentalist on the DVR. I love the Mentalist. Today I couldn't. Flippin' basketball playoffs..............

Drooling over Pillows

I have lately been admiring beautiful crocheted cable pillows. I saw a gorgeous gold one on a blog somewhere, can't find it now, wouldn't you know.... anyway, I ordered two books from Leisure Arts that had the most beautiful pillow patterns, and they arrived Monday. Ooooohhhhh, just look. This first one is so gorgeous, the pillows are all done in a cream to show off the stitching, and isn't it to die for? It's here, in case you wanna go get a copy. It's only like eight bucks, so for seven gorgeous patterns, at just a little over a dollar apiece, I think that's a good deal. Add a few dollars' worth of yarn, the biggest investment is time, and that's time well enjoyed. Sweet.

You see there are several patterns, seven in fact. Each one lovelier than the last.

This is called snowflakes, or something like that. Beautiful, yes?

I think this one is my favorite, and the one I will make first.

Classic Basketweave. So pretty.

Of course, while I'm looking at the book above, there's a 'you might also like' link at the bottom of the page to this book. Yep, I might also like. Ha ha. Of course I had to order it. Pretty, aren't they? I'll admit, nowhere near as nice as the ones in the Aran book, but I'm drooling over them, too, and at six bucks for eleven patterns, I just couldn't pass it up, now could I? The link to this book is here.

This is the back of that book. Each pillow is numbered, so you can match the picture with the instructions.

I can see just about every one of these pillows in my home, done up in pretty warm colors, scattered around my living room or bedroom. Oooooohhhhh, my fingers are gonna be busy.

Silly boy

I love this picture. It's my wall going into my kitchen, and it kinda peeks into my sons' bedroom. I see this wall sitting on my living room sofa. This day I was playing with my camera, and saw Jon's reflection in that mirror, and wondered how a picture of that would turn out. Okay, the quality is not great, but I like the picture anyway. LOL He's a crazy kid, and I take any opportunity I have to take his picture.

I still need to dress that shelf a little better...................

Still working on that Granny Stripe

I don't think I have ever worked longer on the same project. Of course, this will be beautiful in the end, and I can't wait to have it finished. I finally got all those ends woven in, what a job. Now I'm working on the edge. It takes a while. The other night I crocheted for so long that by the time I was done, my hands were sore. Funny, my left pinkie was the most sore, I guess from holding it whichever way I hold it when I crochet.

The corner doesn't look as pretty right now as I would like it to. Hopefully that will resolve when I get a few more rows on it. I'm still trying to decide how I'm going to do the border, and mixing the colors up, deciding the order to put them, is always a challenge for me. Still, I can't wait for this to be finished. It is going to be beautiful.

Little Motifs

I have been inspired by some of the sweet garlands I have been seeing on various blogs, and looked around my house, and I thought "Yeah, a garland would look nice there. And there. And maybe even over there." Ha! And I buy so many crochet books, particularly books with various motifs in them. My favorite is Beyond the Square by Edie Eckman, of course, doesn't everyone love that book? And there are 144 different motifs to try in there as well. So now and then, I pick up a hook and make a motif or two. I tend to make big projects, that take a long time to complete, so a motif here and there lets me say 'Oh, look what I made.' LOL

Oh, look what I made! The little one above is cute, I haven't finished off the ends. I'm still debating it... kinda simple, huh?


I am really liking this pretty little heart, though. I'm thinking I'll make several of these, they'd be cute in a little garland. You could do the garland with all hearts, all one color, or several, or you could mix other motifs in there as well. I'm thinking I'm gonna do several different-colored hearts and alternate them with several of another motif. You know, when I pick the motif I'm gonna use. It's nice just playing for now.

This one is cute, too. This is not from Beyond the Square. In fact, I think it's from the Christmas book that Crochet or Crochet World magazine put out this past year. I'm thinking these would be cute hung on the tree.

I'm still working on that granny stripe blanket. I finally got the ends woven in. That was a chore. And a lesson. Never again will I just leave that many ends hanging. Yeesh. I'm working on the edge now. I'll post pictures of that in a day or two.

I also got a pillow cover or two done, and I need to put pillows in them. I'll post them soon as well. I'm working on a pretty scarf, but man. That thing is done in a predominantly black yarn, and if I work with black for too long, it gives me a headache. I worked on that think for a day or two straight, then the headache didn't leave for like three days. Yikes. So I'll take that in small spurts. It should be done soon, though, not much more to go. I've got a lot of posting to do in the next few days. That's good, because I haven't posted much lately at all........... yikes.

Anyway, y'all have a great day. Happy hooking.

And we have a winner!

Thank y'all so much for helping me up my follower count. I now have 55 followers! That is way above goal.


So................ (insert drum roll)............. the winner is............... (heightened suspense)..........



Nikki! Yay! Nikki, send me your mailing address and I will get this out to you.



Again, thank y'all so much for playing along, I'm already trying to figure out what I'll give away next. I'm thinking maybe a nice Robin Chachula-designed scarf at 75 followers? What do y'all think?

Have a great day!

Only in Texas

So I'm just about to sit down to dinner with my favorite dinner - fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, jalapeno poppers, green beans, biscuits... I didn't cook, I stopped at Church's on the way home and threw some green beans in the microwave.... Anyway, I'm about to sit down to eat, and there's a knock on the door. It's a couple selling tamales, homemade, they just made them today. Oh my gosh, I love homemade tamales, let me get my wallet. Now, do they do this anywhere but Texas? I mean, you constantly can find someone selling homemade tamales here. I love them. I grew up where tamales came in a red and white can, and man, those ain't tamales. Ha ha. I've lived lots of different places, and nowhere else have I ever come across the people making and selling homemade tamales. I love that about Texas. Guess what's for dinner tomorrow?

50 Followers!

Yay! I have reached goal! I now have fifty followers. Here is the picture of the complete giveaway. It includes the magazine, the yarn, a size D crochet hook, to make something of that Vanna's Glamour yarn, a nice size G hook with a bamboo handle, a pack of yarn sleeves to keep your yarn from tangling as you work, a pack of tags for your finished project, and a measuring tape! Fun, huh? Tomorrow, I will put all the names in a hat, add the extra entries for those who posted about the giveaway, and draw a winner. So there's still time to enter, just comment on this post, and if you want a couple extra entries, make a note on your blog about it, and let me know it's there. You never know, I might still get a couple more followers on it, and I'm a follower hog wannabe. Ha ha ha! I'll probably draw the winner in the evening, because I work nights and sleep until about four p.m. Good luck, y'all!