Happy Neu Year!

Well it has been quite some time since I've posted anything. Yikes. A lot has happened in life, but I will save that for my real-world-in-the-flesh journal.

I got married to my man of 5+ years and we are now living in Portland. I love it, though I can't wait for the sun to show itself more. I never thought I'd be saying that, since the central valley california winter weather is usually so mild. It does get grey and rainy and nasty there, but up here it just feel so much more oppressing. Like the clouds actually hold weight that pushes down on you and you do what you can to bear up. It's quite different really.

But enough about that. I am working on a new blog entirely. A new address, a new look, a new feel. I haven't decided what the focus will be, or if there won't even really be one. But for now, stay tuned :-)

UPDATE 07-17-13
My new blog (that isn't so new, I just finally started to really stick with it) can be found at www.VintageByTheBook.blogspot.com --Using recipes, patterns, lifestyle tips, etc. from my own personal collection

yarn yarn yarn!! (inventory-ish)

So I thought I would be productive today and see *just* how much yarn I *really* have... (click each pic for MUCH bigger views!)

...Wow, that's a ton! Well, not really, but you get the idea. It's actually not as much as I thought it would be-- there's still room to squeeze a *few* more skeins in... (wink wink, nudge nudge!) It actually makes me want to just dive in and swim and revel in the beauty that is my yarn!...

So it all started by clearing out my various bags I take with me to crochet nights.... sometimes I just throw in random yarns, my notions pouch, and a book or magazine at the last minute without really having a plan as to what to make out of it. I laid out all the yarn and noticed that I have a lot of the same color or brand, and wondered how much I really have of the same thing I buy all the time. (It's like the whole "little black dress" syndrome... you know it works for any occasion, it's just how you choose to style it that matters-- so you buy a variation on the same thing every time!)

Then, I got tired of having to go through an obstacle course every time I wanted to get to my yarn drawers in the corner of my room, so I organized all my printed out pattern pages into one stack, magazines in another, pattern books in another. With that out of the way, and with reverent fervor, I commenced the withdrawing and the laying out of yarn. First the purples, oh the perplexing plethora of purples... then on to the greens, I'll keep them over here, separate from the purples. Now on to the blacks, the greys, the bountiful browns.

I continued in this manner until hardly a single space was left on my bed. Once I had cleared and laid out all the free yarn I could find, I then proceeded to group together the yarns that were still chained to a project (haha get it-- chained? crochet joke?.. occupational humor?....... no takers?........ k. well, I thought it was funny.) ANY-hoo, without further babbling on, I will move on to the pictures now-- enjoy :-)

^^Reds, Pinks, & Variegateds ^^

^^ Oranges, Yellows, Neutrals^^

^^Greens & Blues^^

^^Purples^^

^^Blacks^^

^^Greys^^

^^Browns^^

Now, what am I going to do with it all? (That's the FUN part!)

p.s. i just KNOW i have a bag of about 20 mini balls of yarn i haven't come across yet. it's a bunch of different colors of elann.com's Luna. This calls for an investigation!

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Later that day....

Voila!!

(Caution: Sexy Yarn Time!!)

Textured Towel **FREE PATTERN**

Here is a pattern I made up as I went along for a crocheted towel/dishrag. It has a ribbed nubby sort of texture that is reversible. I started with a certain number of chains, but feel free to make it as small or as large as you want. (note: I made the font size larger for easier reading or printing, I find myself always magnifying my web pages, so hopefully it's better for you!)

Materials:

-- Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn (100% cotton, Worsted Weight yarn, but use whatever you feel suits you..)

-- I/9 (5.5mm) hook, or size appropriate for yarn choice

Guage: not important

here’s the gist of it:
– CH 31 (i use only 1 turning chain-- which does not count-- for HDC this time to keep ends tighter, but you can do as you normally do.)

(Row 1&2): HDC across. (30 HDC)
(Row 3): DC across.
(Row 4): alternate FPDC/BPDC in each stitch across.
repeat rows 1-4 until satisfied, then repeat rows 1&2.

SC around all edges to finish.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Please leave a comment of praise or any suggestions! Let me know if there is anything that doesn't make sense or could be written better.

"Of Corset!"

On Saturday, February 6th, was "Free Museum Day" in Sacramento, CA. Laddy & I went and started in Old Town to see the Military Museum, the old school house, the old theater and such, but did we even make it to ANY of those? Nnnooooo. We just ended up visiting all the bars instead. (it can be an education sometimes, right??) There's just something about screaming slobbering kids and trying to avoid the stroller wars that makes us head the opposite direction...

We did go to a neat store called "Sacramento City Dry Goods".

It was neat! They have reproduction period clothing (1800's) and accessories, and patterns to make your own. I couldn't decide between a corset pattern or the corset DVD: How to Build and Fit a Victorian Corset... I thought, "I already have a few good corset patterns, but don't know what I'm doing...", so I bought the DVD.

It didn't work on my computer straight from the disc, so I had to decrypt it and watch it from the files stored on my hard drive. I don't know if it was just that disc itself, or the formatting, but watch out for that if you consider this dvd.

It is about 2 hours long, so I will post a review of it once I am done watching!

Merry Christmas holiday cocktail recipes

Merry Christmas holiday cocktail recipes

Posted using ShareThis

more projects between xmas gift projects.

this is pretty much it for now, i just keep making more small things in procrastination of the xmas projects. i'm going to regret it, i know it. but somehow, i know i'll get the important ones done.

Crochet Collar

pattern: http://theongoingproject.blogspot.com/2008/06/crochet-collar-pattern.html

I've already made two more with edging variations, so stay tuned...

one more for the books..

i made this for my friend Jasmine. I've never met her before, so I hope it fits.

been busy crocheting like a granny on her deathbed.

I don't feel like typing much, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.




























...and i will DEFINITELY let these ones speak for themselves, even though there is a story behind it. ENJOY :-)

if only but for a day...

what i wouldn't give to have a wardrobe like this...

Rainy Lady by ThisIsCrazy on Polyvore.com

(i don't yet understand that website, but it looks neat...)