FO Friday #19

My first completed project in a long time! Meet Autumn Bonfires Shawl.

This was my first shawl that I've made and I designed it. I really love how it turned out and my lovey daughter modeled for me.

Reminiscent of roasting marshmallows around bonfires on chilly evenings this lacy shawl is knit as a 90 degree triangle. Autumn Bonfires Shawl can be worn multiple ways: wrapped around the neck like a kerchief, traditionally about the shoulders,etc. Autumn Bonfires Shawl is made using a light weight lace yarn. 80% Acrylic, 10% Mohair, and 10% Wool.

Join for Tami's Amis more awesome FOs!

Wednesday Blog Along #23

WOW!There has been so much going on that something had to give and I guess my blog was it. Daughter is taking extra dance lessons, Son is in Cub Scouts, and I've been in deadline hell. I'm happy to say that I sent everything off yesterday and it will make it well in advance of the deadline. Yay!

The Helix socks that I've been working on are now frogged. Again. I got one sock off the needles and wove in the ends but, after re-doing this pattern five times (yes, 5 times) including re-doing the gauge 3 times, the socks still did not come out right. They've caused me enough stress, I'm not trying them anymore.

Husband bought me an e-reader recently. I LOVE it! I've gotten more reading done these last two weeks than I have done in a long time. Stone Angel and Wilder by Christina Dodd are part of her Chosen Ones series and are excellent reads. And now I'm reading Pack Challenge: Magnus Pack Book 1 by Shelly Laurenston. The book is going well so far, this is the first that I've read any of this series. I have read her work before under the pseudonym G. A. Aiken and her Dragon Kin series, and I have really enjoyed them.

Oh, today Husband and I celebrate our 14th anniversary. To much going on for us to go out, so we're having a quite evening at home :)

Hop on over to Tami's Amis and Small Things to enjoy even more awesome WIPs in action!

Wednesday Blog Along #22

Thank you for all the well wishes, July was certainly a bitch to our family and August is just flying by. Husband's grandmother is still in the hospital but, is showing some progress, my grandmother is recovering and giving her physical therapist heck, and my dad has healed from his run in with the chainsaw.

This week is the kids' last of Summer. YAY! They've been fighting non-stop these last few days and are driving me crazy. In my attempt to keep some of my sanity I've been knitting/crocheting and reading quite a bit. Though, there is not any noticeable change in Helix and the new design. I've about 4" more on Helix and about 10" more on the new design.

The motifs that I'm working on (Wednesday Blog Along #18 ) has had a set back. The blue yarn I had chosen were scraps out of my stash. It's label has been lost to time and I was hoping that I would be able to match it up at the store. NOPE! Not even close. Sorry Charlie. So, reluctantly I bought another blue that I felt went well with the brown and began ripping out all the previous blue.

This picture doesn't portray the color very well. It's has a nice sheen and is in the same tone as the previous blue, a few shades lighter. Cautioning on the side of just in case, I bought 2-1 pounders :)

I have been commissioned for a project that will be taking up a lot of my time. It's very intricate crochet lace and no sharing 'til I've completed. And I SO want to share, it is very beautiful. This project combines two of my loves; history and fiber arts.

Currently, I'm reading Caressed By Ice by Nalini Singh. I've enjoyed the other books in this series and this one is no exception. The Guardian  by Sherrilyn Kenyon was an excellent read and has been put on my keeper shelf with all of her other books. Tomorrow I'm getting my eager little hands on her new book Time Untime. I really can't express how much it means to me for a modern/main stream book to tell a story featuring Native Americans as the lead characters and for the story to be based on Native American mythos. This is something that is very near and dear to me.

We took the kids to a local zoo last week.

The goats are waiting for their turn for the kids to feed them. Aren't they so cute! Smelly. But, cute. And very impatient : p

Hop on over to Tami's Amis and Small Things for more awesome WIPs in action.

Wednesday Blog Along #21

These last few weeks I've been churning away at the same two projects. The new design one has grown but, no noticeable change to warrant a picture.

The Helix socks, though, I am happy to say have made a lot of progress.

Camera died before I could take any better pics :)

I've managed to get the heels turned on both and work a couple rounds of the cuff. At that point, working continuously on them got a bit monotonous (I have large feet) and I had to put them down for now.

On the reading front, I've consumed books. Last Dragon Standing, The Dragon Who Loved Me, and Dragon on Top in the Supernatural anthology by G.A. Aiken were all great reads. I about inhaled them! And would read them all again. How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper was also a good read. Although, there was a lot of confusion with all the foreshadowing and scene changes with no breaks. At times the scene would change in the middle of a paragraph. The story, for me, was entertaining enough to work through these hiccups. I don't know if I would read it again, though. Currently, my reading has slowed. I'm still reading the Supernatural anthology but, the short I'm reading right now is not holding my attention.


July has been a very stressful month and am looking forward to what August will bring us

WARNING: the rest of this post is quite sad.

Let's see; at the beginning of the month my dad was clearing fallen trees from the derecho and sliced into his leg, down to the knee cap, with a chain saw. He had to get staples but, is okay. BTW, this isn't the first time he has tried cutting off a body part. About 10 years ago, with a circular saw he cut off one finger and another one was hanging just by skin. The doctors were able to save both fingers, thank God. I've told my mom that he is no longer to have sharp implements :)

Two weeks ago, my grandmother, had a massive heart attack. The bottom of her heart is dead. Good news is, she is now out of the hospital, recovering, and doing well. And my husband's grandmother was in a car accident and not doing so well. The doctors have told us that she is in God's hands, that they have done all they can to save her. Her injures and complications are too heartbreaking and too numerous to recount here.

And for a happier note join Small Things and Tami's Amis (at the time of this post she hadn't posted for WIP Wednesday, yet).

Wednesday Blog Along #20

I missed last week's post and today I'm late! Sigh, Husband has started a new schedule which has put me off of mine. I didn't even realize today was Wednesday until about 15 minutes ago:)

I've made some progress with Helix.

They are looking quite well, if I do say so myself. These are the first two at a time with a chart socks I've done and I'm really enjoying working on them.

Remember that design project I was working on? Well, last week I was about an inch away from completing  it when I took a break and started running my hands over my work.You know, the whole "my precious" thing going on. When I noticed at the very beginning there was a dropped stitch, at the VERY beginning of a 50" project! After much cussing, there was so much cussing Husband asked me if all that was really necessary, I resigned that it must be frogged. And I'm glad I did, I've made a few changes once I cast back on and I really like how it's turning out this time.

Chronicles of Nick: Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon was a really great read. I actually did nothing, accept what was necessary to the survival of my household and read this book in two days. I'm really looking forward to her next book coming out Time Untime. And it seems that I'm on a reading kick. Last Dragon Standing by G.A. Aiken has had my undivided attention these last two days. 


So with that, hop on over to Tami's Amis and Small Things to view more wonderful WIPs.

Wednesday Blog Along #19

Happy Independence Day!

Please, everyone be careful celebrating today. Especially, those living here on the East Coast who've been effected by the derecho storm and heat wave.

I would like to properly credit this image but my browser has lost the link
& I can't find it. Sorry

Finished reading Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon, which is an excellent read and would recommend it. Now, I am reading Chronicles of Nick: Infamous by Sherrilyn Keyon. Yes, I'm a bit of a fan. Okay, I'm a BIG fan of Sherrilyn Keyon. I've been reading her books for years, since the Dark-Hunter series began, I've even gotten my mom hooked on reading her books.

There are no pictures today of my WIPs, not much noticeable progress has been make to really record. I've steadily been plugging away at them just not noticeable on film.

Hop on over to Tami's Amis, who has made her 100th WIP post! And Small Things to view awesome WIPs.

Wednesday Blog Along #18

Like a good little crafter, I've been working loyally on two, yes, just two knitting projects. Recently though, I have been longing for others to the point of distraction. I fought valiantly for days to resist. Alas, I've lost the battle, for the motifs' siren call is too strong.

These crocheted motifs have been silently plotting to find a way to pull my attention back to them. And on Friday they finally succeeded. I knew I wanted to make a blanket with them but not the little details of it. Now, I do and they are my new affair.

Still, I'm reading Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon. It's a good read and I'm trying to savor the book and not to gobble it up too quickly.

Hop on over to Tami's Amis and Small Things to view more awesome WIPs.