Palm Tree and Sunbrella

One summer I will have my completed cotton throw!

 

Lighthouse

Another square for the summer cotton throw (which will hopefully be done by winter)

Resurrected an afghan started in 2008!

I was in a swap in 2008, with beach themed squares that we would add to to make a cotton beach lapghan or afghan.  This projects has lingered in the back of my projects for some time.  In the last two months I have made 3 more, and am going to try to finish this summer.

These are the blocks I have left along with the yarn (I still have scraps that I may have to use to make borders to build up some of the smaller ones)

 
 

Finished my mom's afghan

It took a few days more than a year (according to Ravelry) in my defense I did complete a lot of other projects in that time frame, and while it wasn't done for Christmas, her birthday was two weeks ago - so I'm giving it to her for her birthday when I see her this Sunday.  The yarn started out as just leftovers from projects for Christopher and the Angie, but then I added some red's from mine to give it better balance.

Knitting updates:

Nothing finished to show you.  I started a beaded shawl (crappy beads, but I had them from a past failed hobby, bent my crochet hook - so I need to go buy a new one to move forward- I use a teeny tiny crochet hook to put the beads on the yarn as I knit - I don't pre-string them)  





I got up to the fourth block on the scrap afghan:



May be more next week !



Sending Well Wishes to my friend Grace - she's out of the hospital - but has some recouperation to do!

FEEL BETTER!!!  I MISS YOU!!!!

Knitting...

I haven't actually finished anything yet this month. Had some startitis issues.  I started an "F" bomb, a Shamrock Charm necklace - no pictures of these yet - the necklace needs to be finished for Tuesday obviously..  I haven't touched my vest since seaming the shoulders - I need to pick that up soon if I want to be done for Easter.



I did finish one of my Bow Knot Ankle Socks and started the second.



I started the left sleeve of my Sleeves.



I started a Hexagon Afghan with yarn leftover from my various projects for my nephew, Christopher.  Some of them are almost full rolls - but most aren't something I'd use for other things.  Of course, Miss Can't Follow Directions, screwed it up already.  I did hexagon 1, then hexagon 2, then I attached on the wrong side so am doing hexagon 7... sigh, It's very fixable though. The hexagons are connected with picked up stitches during the cast on, so they are knit together - no seaming needed (that's what drew me to the pattern)  I'm not using a self striping yarn like the pattern calls for - so at random points I'll switch colors to make "bullseyes"  and I'm (so far) weaving in ends as I go. 

Knitting/ Crochet Update

I finally got around to weaving the ends in, and blocking my cotton robin.  It's been a rainy day and my favorite model is in Philly, so forgive the bad pictures.







I'm up to the heel on my lunch time sock project - this pair using Knit Picks "bells" pattern.



I've made 2 more squares for my charity afghan.  I really want to finish before the 23rd, so I can give it to Min - she "collates" them and delivers them to Victory Junction Camp.

 

Relaxation Feels Like Home to You

You believe that your home should be your sanctuary. Life is stressful enough in the outside world. You take it easy when you're at home. It's the place where you feel like you can truly be yourself. You are the type of person who has deep hobbies and interests. You treasure your alone time. You could spend all day at home if you had to. You always can find plenty to do around the house.

What Feels Like Home to You?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

       

Bet you thought this post would be

about Angie didn't you?  Actually I'm trying to get a hold of some pics because I didn't take a whole lot.

So today's post will actually be about knitting! Yes! Knitting!

I finally finished my socks:



I finally seamed and wove in the ends of my spring bag.  Not sure what I'll do with it - totally not my colors.  I made it for a KAL (knit a long for you non-knitters) out of yarn left over from various dish cloth swaps.



I also knocked out a peach washcloth - because it's August - peach time ya' know? 



I also made a few more squares for my Victory Junction Afghan









 

Randomness

First, here's a picture of dinner.  Homemade grilled flatbread pizza with baby portabellas, purple and cubanelle peppers from the garden, hawaiian sweet onions, of course garlic and 4 cheeses.



Second I realized I never shared my Creepy Cute spring/summer color swap.  Mine came all the way from Australia!!  Many thanks to Kattie!!



An Amazon, with the extra yarn to make her a boyfriend/love slave with.  Really cool earrings, and she made me a beaded bookmark!!  Thanks so much Kattie!!!

Third believe it or not, I actually managed to accomplish two more squares for my Victory Junction camp afghan.  They are based ( had to modify to get size) on smariek's diamond cloth pattern:



No picture currently of my second sock, which is going painfully slow as I'm only really getting 2 rows done each lunchtime because it's been so hot!!

Finally, my friend Thom has taken over The Muffed Target     So at least for now, I'll try playing along. 



RULES Each Tuesday post a picture which is completely crazy, messed up, with nothing on etc, which normally you would immediately delete. It can be everything, like only shoes instead of the whole person, a blurred building or whatever you want. Then tell us the little story how it happened and what it should have been. Make sure you link by your post by signing the Linky Tools below. 

Angie and I were making our way to the concession stands during the race at Pocono when they were interviewing Tony and showing it on the giant Sprint Vision screen.  I took a picture on my phone.  What I have discovered is I am much better off cropping pic's in iPhoto than on my phone.  The color and graininess must end up corrected on iPhoto and the resolution is better too.  I didn't realize this at the time and cropped a perfectly good picture into this crap on my phone.  PS I do love my phone - just not for cropping.

Expressive

hey Gracie!!! More knitting/crochet content!! LOL!

Some of you may know that I make afghans with a bunch of my NASCAR knitting friends for Victory Junction Camp, a free camp for kids with medical issues that would otherwise prohibit them from going to summer camp, in North Carolina.  At the camp each campers bed is covered by a handmade  quilt and an afghan.  At the end of the session the camper gets to take the afghan home, so they are always in need of afghans.  WE turn it into a friendly competition, scoring points either by square or by afghan.  You get more points for your driver if you send in a completed afghan, so for Tony ( you were surprised I'm on Team Tony??) I am willing to suck it up and seam up the squares.

This year, during the off season we had the option of getting "starter squares" from orphan squares from last year.  This way the orphan squares have the opportunity to get  into an afghan.  I received my squares in I think February.  But have not even thought about the afghan since.  I think I was a bit burned out on afghans after the rush to finish last year.  These are the squares I received.

 

The square in the middle is the difficult one, it is a much brighter and shinier turquiose than is shown in the picture.  

So this past week I knit these three "almost squares"  My row gauge was off and I didn't realize until I had knit the border on top, so I made 2 more so they can be the top or bottom row and line up.



And during today's race, I made up a granny square.



This is a much brighter pink than what is showing up in the picture.  Since I have no bright turquiose yarn, my plan is a few squares that are bright to balance it out.

This quiz is almost good - the second section is pretty inaccurate, I made a note about it. 

You Are Expressive

During your downtime, you like to develop ideas and work on creative projects. You secretly wish that you could be a more successful person. Being rich is a dream of yours.Seriously - not really true. I can pay my bills, buy my yarn, go to the races - I'm good. You are realistic about the world. You may have challenges that come your way, but you can overcome them. You are inspired by your own thoughts and observations. You don't need much outside influence in order to feel inspired.

The Cafe Test

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

   

Vaction Knitting & Yarn Shopping

As always, I brought way more yarn than I could possibly work on in the car on vacation. But better too much than not have anyting to do right? I didn't get all that much done because I was too busy bs'ing with Curt, checking out Braun's trucks on 81 (sad yes, very sad.... I need help) Actually saw 2 Walmart trucks that were not sleeper cabs (sadder) only saw 1 Estees truck that was a sleeper, seriously wondered what Stevens Transport hauled, they have such nice looking trucks. Trying to decide which trucks looked like they'd be fun to unload. ( I have issues). Curt was laughing at me for most of that.

But I worked on my next afghan for the Victory Junction Afghan Competition.

Also on Carribean Dream - the StormCloud Shawlette, in Malabrigo sock in Caribeno.

I only got halfway through the heel flap on Dragon's bruises.


I finished the caloriekerchief I was almost done with so I could wear it in Nashville.


Curt bought me some MMMalabrigo worsted at Bliss Yarns outside of Nashville. ( I couldn't get a good color shot, the parts that look brown are more of a dark brick red)

I got some Happy Feet sock yarn.



Curt thinks I should make another kerchief with the number 14 knit in it, so he got some Tahiki cotton for me to work with. <3 him!

Beach theme swap

It's been awhile since I joined any swaps, but I did join a beach themed swap on squares squared on Ravelry. We had to make 2 or 3 squares to swap that our partner can add to their own squares to make a throw. We also needed to send a bag- preferable hand made, but that part was negotiable. My partner Jody, totally spoiled me - she made three squares - flip flops ( you now how much I loved flip flops!) sandcastle and a sun with shades. She also made a really cool pinwheelish bag with braided handles.
In addition she send a beach themed memo pad, mouse pad calender and photo album, a midsummer's night candle, peach tea, a orange pocket and a reusable shopping bag - you really can't have enough of them!!


I forgot to take a picture of my swap package to Jody so I snagged these pictures that she posted on the group's swap page.



I really can't wait to start making the rest of my squares for a light cotton summer throw!

Quick Knitting Updates

I finally finished sock 1 of my Kaffe fasset ribbed socks. They look kind of funny w/o a foot in them. Kind of like clown socks long and skinny. They look better with a foot in them, but I don't want to take a pic with a foot and stretch it out, this way I can make sure the socks end up matching. So for now here is the pic:



I don't think I will get to start sock 2 until the end of the month or beginning of July. The "bonus points" deadline for my next VJGC afghan is 6.22, Monday. Not really sure if this is going to happen. I need 12 squares. I have 7 finished squares, 1 partial. So I need 4 1/2 squares. I need to crochet a border around all the squares and then seam them together. I'm not sure if I'll be able to accomplish this, but for now, I'm going to try. I'm going to bring the partial square to work tomorrow to work on at lunch. I have to hit the laundromat after work so I'll get some in there. Tomorrow night is my daughter's spring track banquet. I don't think I'll get anything done there. Wednesday, if I get my carpet truck early enough, is knit group at Mara's, so if I'm not sure if I'll bring a mindless square or a hook to work on the borders.

Once I get this 'ghan either mailed off or come to the realization that it won't happen , I am in a swap on Ravelry. It is the beach square swap I mentioned last week. I have to make a beach bag and 3 beach themed squares to mail out by June 30th. SO starting Monday, i'll bring the bag to work, to work on during lunch because it's quick and mindless. Then I can knock out the squares, 2 nites per square and have plenty of time.

Until these 2 get sent out, I won't be casting on my second sock. I am also waiting for my stuff to start my rain drop (blood drop) shawl. I'm really excited about that, but thatis it's own post

here's 4 more squares: