Happy New Year

Happy New Year - I hope it is a terrific year for everyone. 

It is a very gloomy day in southwest Louisiana.  It has been raining, and raining, and raining.  We have flood warnings.  I hope that is not a bad sign.  To make things better and to bring some sunshine into my day, I bought a pair of shoes.  Now aren't these jazzy???  They should cheer anybody's day. 

I am still quilting on my quilt.   I have been dragging my feet.  Of course, I cannot just sit and do it.  My back just will not allow me to sit for long periods of time, and I wish I could use that for an excuse, I just have not got it done.  But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I just might finish that up today. 

I want to show you what I have been working on the last several weeks.  As you all know I have returned to crocheting.   I am a creature of habit.  My tv is rarely on until about 8:00 at night.  At that time I sit down, turn on the tv and pick up the crocheting.  I crochet for about 2 hours and then I retire to bed.  It is a boring life and nothing much changes.  This is the yarn that I purchased in Anchorage, AK.  These pictures really don't do it justice.  It is by Ella Rae.  They put out the most gorgeous yarns.  I took these pictures close up so they are blurry but I wanted you to see the pattern.  I am not sure it shows as great as it really looks. 

The pattern stitch is very easy.  It is a row of single crochet, a row of double crochet , a row of single crochet and etc.  Instead of putting your needle into a loop you go under both loops.  It gives it that ridge.  This is folded in half and again in half.  I still have about 10 rows of each, single and double, to go to finish a rectangle.  This eventually will end up being a shrug.  That is my intentions.  I will show you when it is finished. 

George (sit down long arm sewing machine) is calling.  He is saying that I am never going to get this quilt finished unless I make an effort.   The explanation of George above is for those that don't know what/who George is (he is not my boy friend).  George is my buddy.  He does a super job and would do an even better job if this was my talent.  I think I could live to be a hundred and never ever be great at this.

My mother, she had a little saying for everything in life.  She would say "can't never did anything".  Think about that, that is a true statement.  She would also say "there is no such word as can't."   I have had that echo through my brain over and over again.  And she was very good at saying, "practice makes perfect."  I thank my mother today, for any talents that I do possess, for it was she who taught me and insisted that I do it right. 

Again,  Happy New Year.................

Sweater and Kitties..........

Front

A while back, like probably June, I wrote in my blog about the yarn that I had bought in Alaska.  I also wrote about me not crocheting since in the early 80's.  After a few times that I tore this sweater apart, I think I probably have the stitch size down. 

The sweater has an interesting pattern.  The border I changed a little bit.  I didn't like the way they had done it so I did it Sharie's way. 

Back

Pattern

The sweater was very easy to make, but it is rather an odd way to make it.  You make a huge rectangle.  Then you measure off a certain amount of stitches across the foundation stitches.  That places the armholes, the lower back and the upper back.  There is no way you can lay this thing flat once it is put together.  You can also make many mistakes and no one is going to know it. 

Not a lot new here, no shop hops to go on.  Houston is coming up soon but I have not made up my mind about going.  It is roughly a three hour drive from here.  The Circle plans on going for 2 nights.  Sounds like fun but I am sure it would be a costly trip and you know what, there is absolutely nothing that I need.  You say go and don't buy anything.  You are out of your mind.  You haven't been to Houston.  There is no way you can go to Houston and not buy lots and lots of things that you don't need.  I have tried not to buy the things that I don't need.  It just is not going to happen.  But don't be surprised at the end of the month, I have decided to go to Houston.

One more picture of my kittie kats.  They are so cute.  They follow me around everywhere.  Smokey is laying on my project boxes.  I was getting ready to go sew.  Both of them (JAC and Smokey) just had to know what I was doing. 

JAC and Smokey

Next blog will have something on quilting.

Hope all is well with you.