I SPY, With My Little Eye..Christmas Smiles, My Oh My!

Happy Holidays my faithful readers. Yes it has been a while since I've posted here but my absence has not been in vain.  I've been on a secret mission and couldn't risk being exposed.  I should have known when I dragged out the enormous bin of long forgotten fabric scraps that I would be in trouble; yet, as is my way, I jumped in with both feet and began the execution of the "long ago promise" of making an "I Spy Quilt". I first learned about these awesome children's blankets when I bought one for my firstborn grandson 13 years ago. Because of it's popularity I purchased another 4 years ago when baby #2 was born. I vowed then if I ever had another grandchild I would create my own quilt rather than " pan out"

the lofty asking price again. Last year when news that grandchild #3 was on the way I began collecting more fabric scraps in anticipation of this day. As the saying goes, "the rest is history". I measured, cut and stitched until I thought I would go blind. (I quickly learned that these blankets are worth every "red cent" that I had paid. )But it was too late; I was in too deep! The blanket is a plethora  of children's themed patterns, designs and colors. It is both pleasing to look at and educational. Like the popular children's book series I Spy, written and illustrated by the talented  author Walter Wick the game is simple. One simply chooses an object, color or shape from the blanket saying "I SPY"..........(whatever). The participants, young and old quickly scan the quilt in an effort to find the hidden object.  The winner is the one who finds it first. It has been reported to me by my daughter that the gift was a huge success in her home on Christmas morning!

 

Merry  Christmas

Baby Drew

.

                             MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

 

Happy New Year

 

OXOX

Happy Halloween.....my human Gnome!

The problem with trying to finish every project that I have ever started and abandoned, is that it is an unattainable goal. You all know that I have a mountain of projects just waiting to be completed and if I never started anything new sure, I guess I would eventually finish all of them. But at what cost?  Certainly I would have missed out on this little gem. So now and then I take a break. I begin something new and I actually finish it. Here is my little grandson Drew dressed as a 

Garden Gnome for Halloween.

I couldn't have been easier to make either. I made the felt hat, fleece tunic and even crocheted the soft beard.

 Nothing but the best for this little guy. 

Happy Halloween Baby Drew

Sweet Dreams "Little Spidey"

I first came across the Spider-Man Web blanket a few years ago while perusing the web. It was love at first sight. I loved the way the red and blue colors looked together and was swept away with the embedded, black web outlines. I filed the project away in my head with a million other things I would never remember nor get to for that matter. After all, at the time my only grandson Dylan, was a bit too old for such things and little did I know then that Grant, 

grandson #2 , would come along with a love of all things 

"SPIDEY"

A few weeks ago the little Spider-Man blanket pattern resurfaced on a favorite blog that I follow; http://www.theharrissisters.blogspot.com . This time I was quick to action as I realized that time was of the essence. I knew I had to make it and make it quickly before that "fickle" little boy of mine changed his mind about good old “SPIDEY” and moved on to another action hero. So with the Christmas just around the corner I got right to it.  Here it is and thank goodness I’m done. While there was nothing hard about crocheting this blanket I must say I grew good and tired of the repetition of the pattern. Unfortunately for me there was quite a bit of finish work to be done, i.e. weaving in multiple yarn ends and marking out the web. As you all know I am not good at finishing things. I tend to be excited about new beginnings and bored with  endings.  That my friends is changing  (I hope). Anyway, I  finished it.  I've even added an appliqué spider for special effect.  (I think it might scare the dickens out of him though and if that is the case I will be removing the little critter sooner than later.)

I’m excited about giving this to my grandson Grant for Christmas this year.  He will love it for sure. 
  Please keep your fingers crossed my faithful readers.

 I fear that by December Grant might be all about BATMAN instead and that will be a problem as 

 I don't crochet with black yarn.....

Caped Crusader or Not.

Peace Out!

A Sample of Love

Back in 1967 when I entered Junior High School, like all 7th grade girls I was required to take Home Economics which at the time consisted of one semester of sewing and one semester of cooking. I couldn't have been happier.  My mother and grandmother both did amazing needlework and I was eager to learn too. Our first project was a cross stitch  "Country Sampler" which read

"Bless This House O Lord We Pray"

and under the watchful and often critical eye of our teacher Miss Bradstreet we learned the fine art of hand embroidery.  Even before my needle hit the fabric I knew that I would make this special sampler for my grandmother and would give it to her for Christmas. I did just that. The gift was received with much love, admiration and appreciation of all the hard work that had gone into it. She loved it and treasured it for many years, displaying it proudly in her home until the day she died nearly 20 years ago.  At that time my mother took down from the wall and gave it to me; she knew I would want it.  Of course I had every intention of cleaning and reframing it "another day".  But by now you know "another day" never came. Instead it stayed packed away out of sight and out of mind. A few weeks ago in search of something else, I  came across the handstitched little sampler. I was surprised  and dismayed to see  how discolored and worn out it had become. It made me sad to see the once cheerful sampler that had brightened my grandmother's home look so dreary. I knew then that this was to be my next project.

 

I carefully cleaned it the best I could using a bar of the old fashioned Fels Napa Laundry Soap and it did wonders. As I gently hand washed the old fabric I recalled my "12 year old self " laboring over the tiny stitches a lifetime ago trying my best to make this gift beautiful.  Only now, through the adult lens can I see how crude and uneven the stitches are. How the back is sloppy, knotted and frayed. Funny how I never saw these imperfections. I had never thought it was poorly made.

My grandmother saw the true beauty though, and to her it

WAS

 perfect.

 

                            

Top Model

Look who is "rockin the booties" that I made! 

 My friend's grand-baby Joliana models her new booties and they are a perfect fit.

This pattern is the best ever and simple to make. They work up quick too! It is one of the few bootie patterns that actually stay on the babies feet.

Welcome Joliana!

NOTE: this bootie pattern is offered for free on

http://www.Reliefshare.org/wordpress/2012/05/24/knit-booties-pattern/

and is intended for charity use. 
Booties are made and donated to families of "at risk babies".

If you decide to use the pattern for your own use,

 please take time 
to make a pair for an infant in need.

I did!

Bootie -Patootie

As the summer winds down I can't help but notice the days becoming shorter, the nights becoming cooler and my stash of unfinished projects getting bigger.  I head back to school in just two weeks and I ask myself; where did the time go and what have I accomplished?  "Not much" is the only honest answer. I have made little leeway in my efforts to finish my orphaned projects. I have lagged in my attempt of slaying  the " BEAST "of procrastination.  Why you ask?  FACE-BOOK!  That's right .... FACE-BOOK; that time eating, social media craze has hooked me but good. I willingly let it waste precious time; time I will never get back. I have spent countless hours perusing family and friend's pictures and status updates when I could have been knitting. I spent precious time looking....or should I say lurking at old friends and yes, old boyfriend's pages when I should have been sewing. I even took up precious time to post my own updates and photos while I set aside project after project for another day. Countless hours wasted.  I should have been finishing the closet full of uncompleted projects, instead you of sitting  with my I-Pad devouring the pages of other people's lives and accomplishments.  I've always had trouble with time management which is exactly why I am in this predicament.

I AM DONE.  

Exactly one week ago I DEACTIVATED my FACE-BOOK  Account and I feel free. I am back on track. I made my way back to "the Closet" and pulled out yet another skein of yarn. I don't know what my original intention was for this soft pink baby yarn but it was put to great use for these "itty bitty" baby girl booties I made for my friend's new born grand-daughter. It was a pattern I have wanted to try for a very long time. 

Mission Accomplished!

The Bane Of My Existence

The problem with committing to finishing everything I have ever started and left incomplete is that I don't get to start anything new.  (unless of course I drop the old project, start a new one, abandon that one and go back to the old stuff, which now includes the new stuff that I started and didn't finish and so now that is old stuff too......right?  Whew......) Alas, fear not dear followers as all is  not lost on my quest to eradicate procrastination from my life. With the help of this blog and encouragement of friends, I am learning to not "give up" so easily but to fight through the boredom and carry on. Take this blue baby sweater for instance.  I bought the bamboo/cotton blend yarn to use for something else ages ago.  When I heard my friend was going to be a new grandmother I dug it out and began knitting this sweet little sweater. My problems began almost from the first knitted stitch and continued to the last. For starters the pattern was hard to understand, the bamboo yarn was slippery and I dropped stitches along the way. I pulled out and re-knit the blasted thing a million times. To add to the mayhem, many of the stitches split and looked messy and I lost count.  I admit that I tossed the partially knit sweater to the back of the closet a few times happy to forget it. But then I saw my friend. She was so excited about becoming a grandmother and was counting the days until the birth.  Shamed I went home and I finished it, yes finally.. Here it is.

     Now, I know I am a perfectionist about all the wrong things in my life but tell me......

 Does one sleeve look bigger  to you than the other ? 

 Ughhhhh

Happy, Happy, Happy 4th!

Sweet Harper

Remember this little gem? This tiny peach colored sweater waited forever and a day for buttons.I used fine yarn and ridiculously small knitting needles.(which I swore I would never do again.) Well, one thing is for sure, it was worth the wait.  Could anything be sweeter than my friend's grand-daughter  "Harper" wearing  it? She looks adorable and it fits her perfectly, but it won't for long I'm afraid...the good news is I do believe my friend is expecting yet another grand-daughter in early summer.

Maybe a "hand me down" is in store for this 
"finally finished" 
creation.

I hope so!

What Does The Fox Say?

If you ask my three year old grandson Grant, WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?  Depending on his mood; he will most likely shake his "bootie" and sing "Ring a ding, ding, ding, ding ,ding a ding ding. His imitation of the Danish pop duo Ylvis is spot on. The lyrics are catchy and he is adorable singing it...a true musical genius.  (At least to us he is.) So of course I had no choice but to make him a fox hat for these chilly Spring days, 'cause that's what I do.  (Some of you will remember the owl hat debacle. He hated it and refused to wear it. It was scratchy and It scared him. I can't say I blame him.) Being the eternal optimist I hoped for better luck with this one.  So back to the stash I went. Thankfully the pile of unused yarn seems to be shrinking a bit since my commitment to finish things.  Low and behold, I found a skein of soft, rust colored yarn. I don't remember now what I bought the yarn for or how long I have had it but it was perfect for this project. Because my grand-son lives in New Hampshire and we are in Massachusetts, I put the hat in the mail. Grant loves to get mail so I knew he'd be thrilled to get the package and he was..... until he saw it, and my daughter asked him to put it on that is. Well, as luck would have it Grant wasn't "in the mood" so like any good mother my daughter bribed him so she could get a picture of him wearing it to show me. And like any good toddler he took the bait.

Here is Grant reluctantly posing for a quick snapshot in exchange for the promised handful of M & Ms.

 I'm told he hasn't put it on since and even down right refuses to wear it.

 Oh well...

Reliving The Past!

I continue to check things off of my "Finish This list" at a snails pace or even slower. For a long time now I have started each day with my "Week At A Glance" calendar in front of me. I write down what I NEED to accomplish, and things I WANT to accomplish. The following day I check off what I have done and carry over to the next day the tasks I didn't complete This keeps me somewhat organized but I have to admit sometimes I look at the carried over list and change my mind; this is where the eraser comes in handy. I am a big believer of "out of sight, out of mind". One entry though has hounded me for a very long time.    Call Janie, Call Janie, Call Janie, oh for God sakes call Janie already!!!!!    You see, at least three years ago I ran into the daughter of one of my mom's best friend, you guessed it.....Janie.  She told me she had been going through some old photos and that she had come across some great old pictures of my mom and dad that she wanted to show us. She asked me to call her to set up a time that I could bring my mom over and look through the pictures.   Ughhhh, while this is certainly right up my ally I  never found the time or motivation to make the call, until  two weeks ago that is. I called Janie and clearly she was thrilled to hear from me. We set a time for the following Saturday to meet for our long overdue visit. I am so glad I did. What  a wonderful and memorable time we had. We sat at the kitchen table and poured over  picture after picture. In those moments time melted away and my mom was able to relive the " good old days"  with my father and their babies. Most of the photos were taken over 60 years ago. My mom said those years were some of the happiest times of her life. The afternoon flew by and we finally wrapped things up and said our goodbyes with a promise to get together again. I hope we do. My mother is 86 years old now and I treasure each day with her. I took copies of as many photo as I could with my I-pad.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words,

surely it is more if you count the unspoken ones

                            hidden in your heart.                                                    

                                                                                                        

Priceless

In 1970 at the age of 16, my older sister taught me how to crochet. She and her friends were making crocheted belts at the time and I wanted to be a part of it. The belts were colorful and funky, the kind that kids of my era were wearing with their faded out, hip hugging jeans. The belts were "catching on" and soon my sister began selling them to some of my high school classmates. The extra cash came in handy. The art of  crochet had made a comeback during the 70s and was popular once again; it was a cool thing to do. Some people began making over sized shoulder bags while the more daring were crocheting bikinis and everything in between. It was the time of Peace, Love and Rock n Roll.  It was also the time I realized my own love of creative art. This interest was bound to come naturally to me as it did for my own mother and hers as well. My grandmother was an avid needle worker and especially loved to crochet.  I remember her telling me that in the early 1940s during WWII, she began making and selling crocheted baby layettes in the restaurant across the street from her home in Bucksport Maine. The extra money helped supplement her meager family income. Her little crocheted sets were displayed in the window of the restaurant bearing a price tag of  a whopping $5.00 each. The sets included a sweaters, a bonnet and a pair of booties. She told me they were easy to make and they sold quite well. My grandmother passed away over 20 years ago now and my mom gave me her crochet supplies; i.e. yarn, hooks and patterns. Since then it has been my intention to try my own hand at  recreating one of the sets she might have made so long ago. I wanted to see for myself how this time consuming effort could ever be profitable. So, armed with a few skeins of yarn from my stash, a  hook and pattern, not to mention sheer determination  I tried.  I made this little crochet set below from a vintage pattern line from the 40s, not unlike one my grandmother would have made. I gotta tell ya, It took me forever to complete and I would never be able to sell it for what it is worth it, especially if I were to include labor. The good news is I don't have to, but my grandmother did. Many people back then thought her sets were worth $5.00 but not me,  I know better. .....

They were priceless. 

My Almost Pinterest Christmas

I may have been the last person in the world to join Pinterest. I figured the last thing I needed was another project to take me away from my commitment of finally finishing the things I had already started. But join I did this crafty, social media craze on the recommendation of a co-worker.  Before I knew it I was hooked. This was a procrastinators dream come true. Here at my fingertips was a plethora of projects that I was sure to start and not finish. Recipes I knew I wouldn't try and books I would never read. Like everyone else I began creating my own boards and pinning all of things I loved. It wasn't long before I started my Christmas list of things I would make for my loved ones. I even perused family boards for ideas I knew they would like. After all if it was pinned to their board then they certainly wanted it.   Of the dozens of pins that I collected and planned on executing, I only managed to finish three. Yes you read it right....three!

 

Two infinity scarves for my daughter and daughter-in -law and a sweater jacket for my grandson Drew. The sweater jacket wasn't completed on time so will be late (as usual) as I just sewed on the last button today. Once again my lofty ambitions were not realized.   

It is said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.......

Well, I guess I know where I am headed....

at least it will be warmer than today's temperature!

 

Happy New Year!!