Two More Baby Blankets

I bought this pattern some time ago and finally got around to making it. I had to frog a couple rows a couple different times because I got off on the open spaces, but I got it done! It turned out really pretty.











I found this pattern on the internet and just had to make it. It looked gorgeous and it did turn out very well even though I had to fudge things in a couple places. Once I figured out the blossom squares it wasn't too bad. I think I want to try it in a different color scheme some time.

Baby Blanket

I came across this pattern for a triangular baby blanket. It would also work as a shawl. I used the Bernat Jaquard yarn, unaware that it would come out in stripes rather than a variegated pattern. I didn't like it, but a lot of people have liked it. It took quite awhile to finish it, but I was working on it in between other projects I found more interesting. It is a relief to have it done. I might do another one, but in a different yarn!

Winter Projects

These are some of the projects I did this winter in my crochet pen pal exchanges.

Crochet Crafts

I'm gearing up for a craft show on Saturday. I have done some fun fur embellished flip flops, ice cream cone necklaces and four scarves. I still want to do little change purses and dish cloths.

Seasonal Coasters

Something fun I did for the holidays.

Gifts from my Crochet Pen Pal

I belong to a web group that assigns pen pals and then challenges each month for those pen pals to make for each other. December's was called a Magic 8 Ball, where you take a skein of yarn and hide gifts inside. January's was to make a hat or scarf. These are the lovely gifts my pen pal made me. I have a pic of the gift I made her for January, but won't post it until after she's received it :)

Square #4

completed 1-8-10

Square #3

Square #3 of the Gourmet Crochet "Variations on a Theme" mystery crochet-a-long. We are stitching our squares in any color yarn we want. I'm going for variety!

Square #2

Square #2 of the "mystery crochet-a-long" I'm participating in. I completed it yesterday.

"Variations on a Theme" Crochet-a-Long

I found this website -- the Gourmet Crochet blog -- where this crochet designer is posting a crochet-a-long. She is posting the pattern for one square each day, and when completed they can be assembled to make an afghan. I thought it would be neat to try. This is square #1. Today there will be a new square instructions posted.

The site is:
http://gourmetcrochet.blogspot.com

Tunisian Crochet Projects

Here are two projects I did this year. The first is a lap robe done in Tunisian crochet -- the "scrapanator" pattern. The second is a scarf done from a pattern I found in an old issue of Interweave Crochet. It turned out gorgeous. Everyone loved it. Once I got the beading figured out it was awesome.

I'm currently working on another scrapanator afghan, a neckwarmer and a scarf. I also have a pattern for some fingerless gloves I want to try.

Trapping Season

Trapping season started Saturday but things kept coming up which prevented us from setting traps that day. We actually set yesterday, three traps across the road and my weasel box. This year I tried a lure that obviously had glands and other goodies in it. When we set, it was about 72 degrees. Whew! But my record holds firm. We went out this morning to check our traps. Nothing had bothered the dirt sets, but something had been caught in my weasel box -- a snake! We never expected that in a million years. I know one thing, though, the lure I used sure is attractive to rodent preditors. The snake was still alive, but I don't know how. It dipped down to 40 degrees last night. We are hoping he dies, because he is crushed in two places in the trap. We'll go back a little later. We will also take something that we can chop his head off with in case he is still alive. I have no idea what kind of snake this is -- other than it is attracted to mice! It's a drab brown color with white stipes all along it.

More Autumn Activities

Well, we have been busy around here. Hubby and son have been dyeing and waxing our traps. Trapping season starts November 7. We also bought a pumpkin and they carved it. I really liked the design that dear son picked out.

Fall Activities

We went out to the cabin last week and spent several days there, enjoying it before closing up for the winter. On Saturday we got to go to Huntersville Traditions Day, which was great. Lots of old time things to see and experience. Tuesday and Wednesday hubby worked on our yard. He weeded my roses and dug out the dead bushes, making room to move one in. He also got the landscaping cleaned up around our fish pond. I'm trying to finish up an afghan and will start on a new project.

My Family

My Mom drug us out at the end of July to have pictures taken, and this is what we got!

Quiet Afternoon

Here are two scarves I've made. They are red, white and blue because we are making them for veterans. They will be given out at Christmas at a veterans' home. The other pic is the sign my hubby made for his lockshop. There are little hooks over the word "closed" where he hangs his "open" signs when he's open.

Family Cabin

This is our family camp. It is located near Minnehaha Springs, WV, in the Monongahela National Forest in Pocahontas Co. My grandparents bought it in August 1971 and I was born in November. So I have literally been going out there all my life. I feel more at home there than I do where I've grown up and spent most of my life. It was originally an old farmhouse, and I believe the people ran a general store and gas station from this location, just a few yards off camera on the right. This was taken in late fall, maybe even at Thanksgiving, so it isn't looking as lovely as it is most of the year. I hate the forsythia in the foreground :( The original part of the building is the tall part. There is a little sloping roof on the backside, that was added by the owner who sold it to my grandparents. You can't see the chimney, it's behind the tree, but the owner also built the chimney. It is a lovely stonework fireplace. We have since added a pellet stove, because the oil stove my grandparents added quick working (it was older than dirt so it was to be expected.) My husband and a friend put the pretty green metal roof on it two summers ago.

Hubby and I got to go out there last week, and it was good. I was able to sit around and not go anywhere for two days. We did get up early both days to go out fishing, but didn't catch anything but the ones that were too small to keep. The first day we were going to go back out in the evening but it came a storm. By the next evening we were going to be leaving the next morning so there was no point, we wouldn't have been able to cook them. I guess we could have brought them home, I just thought of that. Duh!

We will be going back the first weekend of October to winterize the place, then hopefully going up for the week of Thanksgiving to get in some trapping. We have antifreeze dirt this year so we should get something! Our son is really looking forward to that.

Crochet Ministry update

We got a few more donations to the stillborn ministry, and I wanted to post them here. I'm currently putting together a letter to send out to area pastors and hopefully get some more people lined up to help crochet more. It's too much for six people to do, and I'm hoping to line up at least twenty all together.

Another Set

Another set of donations for the crochet ministry. Another lady did the blankets and I crocheted the gowns. Got to get them delivered today!

Updates

I thought I'd post an updated pic of our puppy (not much of a puppy any more!) He still has some growing to do. He's just a little over six months old. Also, a couple weeks ago I posted that hubby found a lizard nest in his compost pile and accidentally killed the mother. We took most of the eggs and put them in a tub with compost. I really didn't expect them to survive, but hubby checked on them today and discovered that we had baby lizards! So we took them outside and turned them loose in the garden. I'm very happy that they survived, because it was completely unintentional that we disturbed the nest and killed the mother. So I'm doing the happy dance!!