Someone just decide for me, OK?

I am probably the most indecisive person I know.  I really don't know how I get anything done.  :::sigh:::

Let's revisit the drama around making a gift for my boss.  Or rather, let's not... let's just let it suffice that it took me a ridiculous amount of time to commit to the Stained Glass Window afghan.  Just keep that in mind as I tell this story, which is long and convoluted and probably really confusing.

As I have mentioned before, I take part of Zoe's afghan to work with me to work on at lunch.  It's my little stress-buster because there are parts of my job I dislike and I work with some really negative people.  It's nice to take a break and do something I really enjoy in peace and quiet (sometimes).  Because of this, my boss is quite familiar with the project.  She also crochets, but to my knowledge, she only does chevron baby blankets.  So she's pretty amazed at how this is all coming together - she probably didn't even know half the stitches I use existed.  She's told me before that she thinks it's gorgeous, and I just graciously accept the compliment and move on.

Today, I was eating lunch at my desk, and therefore not really able to crochet, so I was doing some preliminary planning to Olivia's afghan.  I think I have found the patterns that I want to use for Olivia and Isabelle's afghans. 

Source: yarnyinspiration.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Olivia's.... but in different colors, of course

Source: tangledness.com via Heidi on Pinterest

Isabelle's... in pretty much those colors

First of all, I am thinking of doing these two afghans at the same time.  Like I am with the SGW and Zoe's afghan.  I know they both want to get the next afghan and I can't decide who should get it, honestly.  I was doing Zoe's first because she doesn't have a twin-sized quilt from my sister yet.  Olivia does have one and my sister is working on Isabelle's.  So it's a toss up.  I think I will use the same basic color scheme for both, to simplify things.  My only problem is that if their afghans coordinate, it just bums me out a tiny bit that Zoe's doesn't.  Their afghans will be all loud and bright and hers is soft and pastel.  It's not that they have to all match, but it was just an "I wish I had thought of this sooner" kind of thing.

Anyway.. back to the story...

My boss asked me what I was doing while I was working on my plans for Olivia's and we talked about it for a minute.  Then she said again how much she loves Zoe's afghan and how she loves the colors (which is odd because I never pegged her for a pastel person).  Like I said, she's mentioned how much she likes it before, but today it kind of struck me in a "Man, I wish I had one like that" kind of way. 

And the wheels start turning...

Here's what we have:  an afghan for Zoe that doesn't match her sisters but my boss is in love with and an afghan she may or may not love but I love.

Why not give her Zoe's afghan, keep the SGW afghan, and make a different afghan for Zoe in the same color scheme as her sisters' afghans?  Zoe won't really care.  She thinks everything I make is the coolest thing ever... God bless 3 year olds.  =)

Am I crazy?  I am going to just finish both afghans up as planned and decide then.  Maybe I'll see if I can get a reaction to the SGW afghan... maybe be like, "hey look at this pattern, how gorgeous is this?" and see if I get a stronger reaction to that. 

Oh, and if I do give her Zoe's afghan, I already have a plan for her new one...

Source: sewisee.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Spiderweb Beanie Pattern

Are you getting ready for Halloween?  We are in the planning stages on costumes... trying to break out of dressing all three girls the same.  But you can't be in costume every day - unfortunate, isn't it? - so you have to sneak in some spookiness where you can.

If it's getting chilly in your neck of the woods (sadly, not in mine), here is a spooky spiderweb hat that will help your little one keep the Halloween spirit when they can't run around in your Spiderman costume.  (Or yourself, if you know how to enlarge a child-sized pattern)  In fact, this might make a cool part of a Spiderman costume if you do it in red and blue.  And you could do it in a single color if you just like the texture of it and want to wear it throughout the chilly seasons.

I would consider this an intermediate skill pattern.  It might be a little much for a beginner.  But give it a try... you can't expand your skills if you don't try.  =)

On some rows, you will be crocheting in the back loops only.  Normally, when you make a crochet stitch, you slip your hook between both loops on the previous row.  Crocheting in the back loops only (BLO) leaves the front loops free and we will be using some of those.



On some rows, you will be making a TC down to a previous row.  If you are a tight crocheter, you will need to concentrate on making these loose or you will end up with a bunched up hat.  Maybe keep a hook handy a few sizes bigger, if need be. 

You can fasten off for each color change, or carry your yarn up to the next row of that color.  I prefer to just carry the yarn up on things like this where it won't show.  But it's your preference.



Supplies:

Worsted weight yarn in two colors (I chose black and orange)
H hook or your usual trusty beanie-making hook
Scissors

Join all rows with a slip stitch in the first stitch.

Make a magic ring or ch4 and join in ch farthest from the hook to form a ring.

Row 1:  (in web color - WC) ch1, 10 hdc in ring
Row 2:  (in background color - BC) ch1, 2 hdc in back loops only (BLO) in each st around



Row 3:  (BC)  ch1, *1 hdc, 2 hdc in next stitch, rep from * around
Row 4:  (WC) ch1, *3 hdc, tc in front loop of Row 1 stitch**, rep from * around


**yo twice, draw up yarn through the front loop on previous round and work tc loosely.  The tc should lay on top of the two previous rows



Row 5:  (BC) ch1, in BLO - *3 hdc, 2 hdc in next stitch, rep from * around
Row 6:  (BC)  ch1, *4 hdc, 2 hdc in next stitch, rep from * around
Row 7:  (WC) ch1, *5hdc, tc in front loop of tc on Row 4, skip next stitch on working round, rep from * around
Row 8:  (BC) ch1, hdc BLO around
Row 9:  (BC) ch1, hdc around
Row 10:  (WC) ch1, *5hdc, tc in front loop of tc on Row 7, skip next stitch on working round, rep from * around
Row 11:  (BC) ch1, hdc BLO around
Row 12:  (BC) ch1, hdc around
Row 13:  (WC) ch1, *tc in front loop of tc on Row 10, skip next stitch on working round, hdc in next 5 stitches, rep from * around
Row 14:  (BC) ch 1, hdc BLO around
Row 15:  (BC) ch 1, hdc around
Row 16:  (WC) ch1, hdc, *tc in front loop of next tc on Row 10, skip next stitch on working round, hdc in next 5 stitches, rep from * 9 times, tc in front loop of next tc on Row 10, skip next stitch on working round, hdc in next 4 stitches.
Row 17:  (BC) ch 1, hdc BLO around
Row 18:  (BC) ch 1, hdc around
Row 19:  (WC) ch1, hdc in first 2 stitches, *tc in front loop of next tc on Row 16, skip next stitch on working round, hdc in next 5 stitches, rep from * 9 times, tc in front loop of next tc on Row 16, skip next stitch on working round, hdc in next 3 stitches.
Row 20:  (BC) ch 1, hdc BLO around
Row 21:  (BC) ch 1, hdc around
Row 22:  (WC) ch1, hdc in first 3 stitches, *tc in front loop of next tc on Row 19, skip next stitch on working round, hdc in next 5 stitches, rep from * 9 times, tc in front loop of next tc on Row 19, skip next stitch on working round, hdc in next 2 stitches.
Row 23:  (WC) sl st to first tc, *(hdc, dc, hdc) in stitch, sl st next 5 stitches, rep to end.  Fasten off and weave in ends.







Happy Hooking!

Woulda, coulda, shoulda....

Today was interim report day for Iz and Liv.  Olivia has straight A's.  I figured as much, seeing the work they are doing.  I'm worried about her getting really bored with it, to be honest.  Her teacher didn't request a conference, but I might email her just to kind of voice my concern over her needing to be challenged more and see what kind of suggestions her teacher has.  She seems to enjoy her homework more when it's things I haven't seen her do for the past two years.



Isabelle's report kind of made me feel bad.  She doesn't get grades, but her teacher did mention that she needs some work with her letters.  We sent Olivia to PreK, but didn't send Isabelle.  We assumed, incorrectly, that her Mother's Day Out teacher would teach her some of the basics... but she didn't and Isabelle couldn't even write her name the first day of Kindergarten.  Even Zoe is learning that already.  I really wish we had sent her to PreK now.  Or at least worked on it with her ourselves.  I know I shouldn't compare Isabelle to Olivia, but I just feel like she's so far behind where Olivia was at this time.  I know she'll catch up, she's definitely a smart cookie, but I still think she missed out on a huge advantage. 



Iz's teacher did request a conference.  She has an amazing teacher and I know she'll have all kinds of advice.  I'm interested in just hearing what she has to say about Izzy.... she had Olivia in her class last year and Isabelle is such a different child.  Definitely the spirited child of my three. 



But Daddy, upon hearing that Izzy was having trouble at school, scored mucho points when he went straight to the computer and looked up some online educational games for her to play.  He sat and helped her for a good little while.

Then he took them outside and built them a tree swing.

My Weekend

Well, our last Saturday Family Fun Day didn't go as planned.  It actually didn't go at all.  I was feeling really yucky.  I'm better now, thank goodness.  A visit to the doctor is just not something I am feeling right now. 

I did have a pretty productive weekend though...



All the green squares for Zoe's afghan are completed.  I also made all the centers for the last 12 pink squares.  Since I'm doing most of the work on this at work during lunch lately, I decided to just take it one color at a time for transportability's sake.  I'm making really good progress on this even as my second priority.



I also have all my centers finished for the Stained Glass Window afghan.  I have to do the corner motifs and then I'm stuck until I go get more black yarn.  The majority of the rest of it is black.

My landlords came by today to check on a problem we have with the floor and the landlady seemed a little shocked that I crochet.  I seem to forget sometimes that so many people think it's an "old lady" craft.  I see it all over the place online, but in my real life, I hardly know anyone who does it on a regular basis. 



And Olivia finally  lost that tooth on Saturday.  It was as traumatic as she could make it.  And even though Daddy was home, he refused to pull it, so it fell to me to do the deed.  He's just as squeamish about it as I am.  Olivia doesn't make it any easier.  She bit into something and it started bleeding again.  You would have thought I was performing mouth surgery without anesthetic with all the blood and screaming going on.  I seriously wanted to just throw up.  But I did it and managed to not show how freaked out about it I was myself.  All I know is that I hope she's the only one of the three who will be so dramatic about the whole thing.  Isabelle should start losing teeth soon and we'll be having teeth falling out left and right - I can't handle the freak out on a regular basis.



While I was feeling puny on Saturday, Bill did take the girls out to get a movie so that we could at least have a movie night.  On their way home, they pulled over and picked me some wildflowers.  How sweet is that?  Olivia and Zoe ran into the house and Olivia told me that Isabelle was bringing in a surprise for me and she was not going to tell me what it was.  Zoe piped up, "But it's going to be flowers."  She's the cutest.

So, aside from my body going on strike on Saturday, it was a good weekend.  I have been working on the pattern for the Spiderweb Beanie.  I have the actual pattern written out, but I need to finish the beanie for pictures. And I'm debating giving the finished hat away when I post the pattern.  I've never done a giveaway...  we shall see...

Oh what a tangled web we weave....

Last night, as I was drifting off to sleep, I had an idea for a hat.  It's inspired by the Stained Glass Window afghan pattern, with the overlay crochet techniques.  I was thinking how the black looks a bit like a spider web.... and Halloween is coming up... a spider web hat would be awesome.  I knew I had to get it out of my head as quickly as possible.  So, even though I am pressing myself to stay focused on the afghans I'm working on, I had to take part of this evening to work this out before it left me.

These pictures are my "first draft."  There will be some changes, and I definitely would choose a bigger contrast in color, but I couldn't find any white yarn (aside from the white in Zoe's afghan, which I don't like making hats with) and I wasn't going to use my black, since I need a ton of it for the SGW.  I found light gray and dark gray and went with that.  It's a bit like a dusty cobweb to me. 







I am going to try to put together a pattern for it. It will be a little more complicated than normal, with the overlay stitches.  I like the 3D effect of the web, though.  I could work it into a snowflake for Christmas, also.  So be on the lookout... hopefully it won't take me too long.

Linking up here:

Oh, heavens, the drama!

So, tonight I was making some Buffalo Chicken bites, per my husband's request.  My hands are all eggy and floury and Panko-y.  I hear a panicked cry and Olivia comes running into the kitchen with a half-eaten cookie and blood coming out of her mouth.  "My tooth!  My tooth!  I bit my cookie and my wiggly tooth is really wiggly now!"

This is not excitement.  This is full-on freak out.

This tooth has been loose for going on 6 months now.  I'm not exaggerating one bit.  I checked... I had made her a tooth fairy door as soon as she told me it was loose and I uploaded the picture on March 31.  But she refuses to wiggle it.  I felt it that day... it really was loose.  I'm surprised her permanent tooth hasn't come in behind it as long as this has drawn out.

I can't deal with loose teeth.  It makes me really squeamish.  I lucked out on her first two teeth.... one came out in the morning when it was just Bill to deal with it and the other fell out at school.  I won't even keep their baby teeth as keepsakes for the girls.  That just grosses me out. 

But I try to keep my cool about it.  She's flipping out enough for both of us (and then some).  I wash my hands and get her some paper towels and assess the situation.  It is really wiggly, but not to the point that I can just pull it out easily.  I asked for help on facebook and was told to do the whole tie a string on her tooth and to a doorknob and shut the door.  I can't do that.  Are you crazy?  I did try another suggestion of sticky candy... I gave her some Bit O Honey. 

She told me she forgot how to bite down.

Drama.  I'm not making this up.

She told me to call her father.  (Like he's going to rush home from work to have her not let him touch her)

She told me to call her teacher and tell her she can't come to school tomorrow.  (Oh yes, I remember "loose teeth" on the list of things to keep your kid home from school for)

I can only imagine puberty with this child.  If they make gray hair dye, I need to just go get some and get this over with.

Due to the fact that I absolutely can't bring myself to pull this tooth and the fact that she absolutely won't wiggle it, she is now in bed with all of  her teeth still in her head.  Daddy can deal with it in the morning.


They kind of look like ugly potholders right now.  =)

Busy Little Bee

Yup, that's me.



This afghan might not take me 5 months to complete!  Woo hoo!  I even got an orange round on two of them... the ugliest round of them all.  I'm not a fan of orange in the least.  And I snuck (sneaked?) in two of Zoe's squares, too.  I try to work on her blanket during lunch at work, but today I had a choice of working on the blanket while I ate my turkey Lunchable or eat Olive Garden.  Come on, is that really a choice?

I cannot type "Olive" without accidentally typing "Olivia."

My children were entirely too loud this evening.  We're talking way beyond outside voices inside.  I was yelling and couldn't hear myself.  It kind of made me wonder why on earth I am willing to add a fourth noisemaker in a few weeks....  Olivia is going to have her first overnight guest.  Her birthday is coming up and I just don't want to even think about a big party.  So I had this idea that instead of a party, I'd let her have a friend spend the night.  I haven't talked to the girl's mother, other than a note that I sent with Olivia to give to her BFF to give to her mom, but I have talked to the girl's grandmother when I picked Olivia up and she said the mom was fine with it.  I am really excited about it for them.  I didn't mention to Olivia what my plan was or what the note said, but they pretty much figured it out.  Why else would I be sending a note to the kid's mom?  So, they have the whole thing planned out already, including makeovers.  I'm sure it will be a blast (and probably sound like one too...)