Monday, September 26, 2011

Goofballs

My kids were watching MegaMind today, which is one of Iz's favorite movies - mainly because of the music.  She got up and started dancing, which quickly turned into them asking me to turn off the movie and put on some music.  What started out as a little dance party somehow turned into a fashion show.  They ran to grab some skirts to wear as little capelets (and if I were to make them actual capelets, they'd never wear them) and sashayed up and down the hall, stopping to pose for me.

The pictures are terrible.... I knew if I got up to grab the real camera that they'd stop doing it, so I took advantage of it with the camera phone.

goofballs
This child's runway walk is primo!

goofballs
Odd poses are her strong suit.

goofballs
She hasn't quite mastered her sister's runway booty shake, but she's getting there.

goofballs

I love having these three goofy girls.  I'm sure there has to be things that boys do that would amuse me, but I can't for the life of me think of anything better than having little girls.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

We Interrupt This Program...

I always seem to realize about a week or so before my kids' birthdays that I need to get on the ball and make them something.  Olivia's birthday is in 12 days and, well, it's time for me to get busy.  I am going to make her an amigurumi doll like this:




It's a free pattern... bonus!  I prefer Caron Simply Soft to work amigurumi, so I need to see what I  have on hand.  If I buy more, it's going to have to be in the colors I need for my aunt's South Park amis I need to get started on. 

I made my first amigurumi a year ago...  a bunny for Olivia's birthday.  I stayed up very late working on that thing.  It's now on my dresser waiting for a new eye and it's arms reattached.  If you want to see it, you can go here.

I can't work on this while Olivia's up, so it will have to replace my SGW as my evening project.   Amigurumi requires a bit too much concentration to take it to work to do at lunch.  On occasion, someone wants to sit and talk to me while I'm there (I eat lunch so early, though, that I'm normally alone) so I need something that doesn't require referring to a pattern frequently.

I hate stopping work on the SGW, I really do.  I crocheted myself a headache last night getting all the corner motifs finished.  Now on to the borders to finish up the squares, which means I'm now working square to square instead of all of them at once.  One one hand I feel like I'm almost finished, but on the other hand I still have about 2 skeins of black that have to go into this thing, so I know I'm not.

Centers and corner motifs

Thursday, September 22, 2011

PS...

After an awesome suggestion, I have put three of my crocheting patterns on Ravelry.  It's pretty exciting to see how many people have marked them as favorites and how many queues my patterns are in.  I really can't wait to see some finished projects. 

I'm kind of geeked out about it, if you can't tell.  ;)  It makes me want to come up with more patterns.  And you know I just have so  much time for that. 

You can find me on Ravelry here:  Silvertears

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. 



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



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...






Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Spiderweb Beanie Pattern

009

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.

011

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.

002

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

005

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

007
**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

008

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.

005

004

006

Happy Hooking!


Monday, September 19, 2011

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.

048

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. 

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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. 

035

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.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

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...

Green squares

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.

SGW progress

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. 

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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.

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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...

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