Project #15 Wristlets

Yes, yes, yes. Another purse project. I love them. They are fun to make and can be as wild or as subtle as your mood strikes you.

This is my first foray into wristlets. I just started with some cotton thread and improvised until I felt they were finished. I made the pink one first, but in the end thought it looked pretty old lady-y (this is primarily due to the color combination I think). Despite the fact that my children think I'm an old lady, I do not want my wristlet to say as much.

Besides, I wanted to try slightly larger dimensions and I wanted more of the fabric to show above the crochet. So, out came the green thread and voila! I'm pretty happy with the finished project. I added the besds to one side so when I'm carrying it, the beads will show and a little bead dangle for the zipper pull.

One thing I do like about the pink is the spiderweb embroidery flowers. They really are very cool and I will be using them again on a future project.

I used the green one yesterday while running errands. Very nice. I left my bigger purse containing all the things I think I might need, but actually only use a few times a year, in the car. I slipped on my green beauty and off I went. It's very convenient... when you need two hands, it politely swings around your wrist and it's perfect to hold my ID/card carrying thingy, some cash and my lip stuff. I believe I might be easily addicted.

Visiting other Blogs

I've said it before, but it's worth repeating... I am blown away by the generous, loving spirit that is evident by just touring around the various blogs on this site. Not to mention YouTube and other sites. If there is anything you want to learn, by golly a few minutes with a search engine will get you going.

I've spent the morning, separate from a dental appointment and a trip to the other side of the county for nothing :-\ (but that is a story for another time), perusing blogs. There are several I've chosen to follow, which I always check up on, but today I decided to let my fancy go where it may by following links or searching phrases.

My goodness was that fun! I discovered a couple of blogs that may become regulars for me. I've learned a lot! And compiled a whole list of things I want to try! It's really fun and interesting to see not only the differences in the look of the blogs, but also the postings. Even though several I visited were sewing/crafting in nature, the projects and posts were so different. Entertaining, interesting, informative, visually stimulating, creatively stimulating, comforting... Amazing!

thanks.

in the picture is Clink, who came to us a stray, bedraggled, half starved kitten. all black, save for a few white hairs on her chest, she believes she is in charge. she embodies the quote "Dogs have owners. Cats have staff." she often causes raised voices because she is forever laying under feet or on the darkest part of the rug. however, quirky aggravating behavior aside, she is loved and so belongs in a post.

Project #14 Scarves

Couple of guy birthdays coming soon and I found this scarf at Lion Brand Yarn. I'm including the LBYarn photo as no matter how many ways I tried, I could not photograph these scarves and do justice to the pattern.

It's a fun knit and I used two strands held together. The pattern creates this deep, wide ribbing effect that feels great and looks manly! The one on the right is wool-ease variegated. The other is one strand black, one strand camouflage.

I am a relatively new knitter and am in awe when something I knit looks just like the picture. Okay, you'll just have to take my word for it - they do look like the picture!

Project #13 Shoulder Warmer

Using the Half Moon Shawl Pattern from Lion Brand Yarn and LBY Suede, which has been discontinued I think, I made this. I only had 3 skeins, so it became a capelet or as I like to call it... A Shoulder Warmer.

I love this pattern! I've used it before to make shawls for a prayer shawl ministry. It is easy and the finished project is flirty and feminine, but the best part about it is that you can adapt it to any length you want and it looks beautiful. Second best... use whatever yarn you want! Thin yarn: add more rows, thick: fewer rows.

I only had three skeins of yarn to work with and I didn't know how much of a shawl I would end up with... It would have been easy to say I won't even try. But try I did and glad I am. (are you picturing yoda, too?)

Take the first step in faith You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Project #12 Puffy Heart Pins

Recognize this heart? This is just one of the many ways the heart pattern, from this entry can be used. These sweet little pins were gifts for friends on Valentine's Day, and were made with #10 crochet thread.

Notice the bright glare on the upper right corner? Believe it or not, it's sunshine. Actual bright sunshine making a glare on the picture. I simply could not take another to fix that problem as there will be days before Spring truly arrives that seeing the promise of the sunshine to come will be oh so good.

Forgotten Pictures and Perspective

Arrrghhh. I've forgotten to take pictures of gifts given away recently. Which, as I'm on this 30 projects challenge I find even more frustrating than usual.

That being said, I'm letting the frustration go. How amazing is it to be able to make gifts for people, which brings happiness to both giver and receiver? How great is it to be so caught up in the giving of the gift that you forget about documenting it? I have an amazing life and being frustrated about this is just plain silly.

I have a friend with a young son. She said a few days ago that her son was very put out that his favorite after school snack was not in the house. Very put out. She felt he was ungrateful for all that he has and was put out herself. But as I listened to her story, all I thought was both she and her son are very, very blessed. How wonderful is the life of her son when the absence of a favorite snack is the worst thing that happened to him? How blessed are they that this little boy does not have hunger or violence or some other darkness to measure his daily routine against.

Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. Groucho Marx

Project #11 Angels

I love this pattern, called Robbie's Angel. I've made it dozens of times over the years. I fiddle with the pattern a little, as you will see if you compare my angels to the original. Mostly I fiddle to make the angels individual, so siblings aren't receiving the same angel. I also prefer to use Luster Sheen or it's equivelent weight. Because I use the larger thread, I eliminate one round on the granny square as it looks right to me, which is the beauty of creating your own art isn't it?

This closeup is to show the more masculine and the more feminine angels. I thought the un-ruffled edging, on the blue angel, would seem less girly... What do you think? I may add some ribbon bows at the neck, I'm undecided. It's another way I mix up the look of the angels. Perhaps a bow tie for the boy angels...

The angels will be Christmas 2011 gifts. I'm pretty impressed with myself. Think what you will. It's another bonus of this 30 projects challenge... By the way, my husband said the other day "I thought you were done. I've seen much more than 30 items come out of the room (my studio)." Which was really interesting. I've been counting projects, as in different sessions or kinds of things I've been working on, not multiples of the same item. Hmmmm... perspective is an interesting thing isn't it.