Granny Stripes - Day 2

So here is what I have now! I can't believe how quickly I am blowing through this pattern! I am on the 7th color about to change to the 8th! I have been thinking of leaving the red and yellow out and replacing them with the next colors in the pattern. I am still waiting on my yarn I ordered, from Deramores. I have ordered Bright Green, Grape and White. It will match my personality better that way. I will keep the red and yellow for something else.... they just stand out in the original that Lucy made :

The red and yellow that start in the bottom right corner are the colors I am speaking of ^^^^^^

They are pretty colors, but I think they take away from the colors.

5 colors now

pretty pretty yumminess!

Granny Stripes - Day 1

So it took me three days to decide what I wanted to make. First I thought about a bag, but I didn't want that. I was leaning towards blanket. Now between granny striped or a ripple. After comparing both, I saw ripple used more yarn than the granny stripes, so the stripes was the way to go!
Let me tell you, it looked hard, and I really didn't want to try it... either pattern actually. They have been the two patterns I have avoided always. I even have an old pattern book from the 1970s for ripples only and I will can't bring myself to commit to do one. I did a small (think small rug sized) one for my son's bed... like extra little blanket for his feet in the winter - my kids and I have "rat-feet-itous" cold little rat feet when it's cold!

Here is what I have done so far!

My chain of 240.... that sucked! lol (This is the pomegranate colored yarn)

This is a bad picture (too much color) of the plum yarn being used now

Now with Fondant colored yarn being worked

True to life color... as best as I can get on a cloudy day... lavender colored yarn being used

The hardest part has been getting the ends right.... but I have been doing okay... so far!
I can't wait to see how this is going to look, but NOT looking forward to how heavy it will be as I work it, when it gets much bigger. I will occasionally update on the progress of this as it grows with a finale post of the finished project! Enjoy!

Saturday Sweetness

Such a wonderful morning! Sunny, fresh air, snow melting, warming up! Spring is coming! The bird feeder is filled and awaiting the flying feathered friends we are anxious to see. My green thumb is itching to start the garden and community garden plot as well! Times like this, I miss living back 'home' in sunny California. But I love the snow, the Black Hills, and of course the Pronghorn Antelope! I get made fun of all of the time for my love of them from locals to this area. (Anti-goats, Prairie-Rats, etc)

A mother Pronghorn Antelope with her two babies Memorial Day 2011

Me at our local museum with a beautiful Pronghorn Antelope 2011 (yes, I made the scarf)

I am nearly done with my squares for the swap I am doing. I have seven more to send out, but have finished four! I will have just enough yarn to do it!

 Swap Pictures (that I didn't update before the last shipment)

The current four finished squares and the remaining yarn

 Then, I am going to work on the "ME" project - the Stylecraft yarn is calling out to me. I am also awaiting another Deramores delivery. I realized I needed white yarn for whatever I make (I am leaning towards a blanket, even though I swore to myself I wouldn't make another blanket!) But, I couldn't buy it online, because my total was under $10! So I just had to buy another color (I purchased the last two white balls on Deramores for Stylecraft Special DK) so I bought one ball of grape and one ball of bright green) which equaled out to be $10.76 before discount. I actually thought of purchasing another 7.00mm hook, but they were all sold out. Here in the US, it is hard to find 7.0mm hooks,  but in Europe it is a common size. **Updated: I meant a US7/4.50mm (typical me getting the numbers mixed up) I have one that is Susan Bates, but I can't find anymore.... now I know I can order them from the website.

My cloudy day picture of my "Lucy Pack" - excuse the mess in background, the housework fell out of my priorities when I got the yarn! LOL

 
My little "L" is lounging on the sofa, playing a Dora game on my iPhone whilst "A" is playing with his Star Wars Lego set. I am enjoying my new computer, which I was in desperate need of! The 'old' one was a 3 year old "netbook" that just wouldn't handle doing anything anymore. The little people will be able to use it to play their learning games now and I have bought myself a nice Toshiba that is so powerful and under $500! I am a happy camper! We also had to go shopping to get this mommy some clothes since I have been wearing whatever I could get my hands on in the clearance... I do not enjoy buying myself clothes because I am not a size 5 anymore (like I was 4 years ago) and I have hid under my clothes.

My typical clothes

Not a size 5 anymore, but learning to it in my new clothes

And of course, some heels, which I might add are amazing!

 
I finally need to go job hunting now and needed decent clothes to work in an office. Because of my recent decision from the Veteran's Administration (VA) I was found to be 40% disabled. Sure, I will get financially compensated, but that will end the benefits/shorten the amount my kids receive. It's now time to get back on my feet and get back to work. I am happy because I hate having to get help, but the fathers of the little people don't take any action to help (until recently, now one does the minimum).

I am okay with it. I have a great cousin whom we live with that helps us with anything we need. Without that family member, we (the kids and I) would be in a bad way, that I know. So thank you "AB" for all of your help! We love and appreciate you!

Off I go, to buy some chocolate (not for me, surprising, isn't it?!) for a lady in the UK whom doesn't get the American Reese's candies. I want Cadbury and Kinder, so we are swapping - we have already swapped squares for our granny swap! :)  I also need to send off the squares I have finished so I don't get "L" running around with them, claiming them as her own!

Lucy Pack!

I just received my Stylecraft Special DK Colour Pack from Deramores today. 17 balls(100grams each) for $41.00 w/ free shipping and no taxes! I am not quite sure what I am going to make with it, probably a blanket for myself since my kids have claimed the hexagon blanket I made in the fall of 2011.
Here is my package of goodies all laid out!!!

Long time, no blog!

I have been super busy with my family and life in general. I was just reminded that I need to keep this blog up, by my aunt whom asks for my recipes of the food I make, and post tons of pictures on my Facebook. Friends ask too, but not many of them! :)

So this morning, I posted a picture of breakfast.... fresh spinach, sautéed purple onions and portabello mushroom omelet with an english muffin. It was so good. I have been trying to eat much healthier as of late.

This is easy:

I lightly sauté mushrooms that I have sliced then cut in half, adding fine diced purple(red) onions in olive oil. Once the onions are becoming translucent, and the mushrooms get soft, I cool them on paper towel. I lightly beat one egg with about 2 tsp milk in a bowl with a wisk. I add white pepper (you can use whatever you want or nothing) and cook in a small nonstick skillet on the largest burner on low... make sure it's completely heated. I put in 1 tsp salted butter and let it melt... don't let it brown (burn) though. Then I add the egg and use my wisk (silicon covered) and move the eggs around to get air in them.... then when it's set, I flip it over (I hate wiggly eggs!) Then I add the spinach, and the sautéed things. Let it cook on the bottom a bit, then slide onto plate folding as you plate it. Voilà!

Suffering some loss

Okay, I am not suffering! But I did loose some weight. I weighed in at 167 this morning. Woohoo. Granted it was two hours after I woke up, had a cup of coffee and no breakfast (yet).
I was good yesterday an only when I was hungry instead of bored. Here was lunch!
Sautéed chicken 1/2 breast, sautéed mushrooms, peppers, parm, and homemade balsamic vinegar and evoo as dressing on a bed of baby greens and spinach. I also crumbled a Triscuit instead of using croutons so I could have that salty crunchy goodness still.

First Owl Tote

I made my first owl tote from a pattern I bought on Etsy. Neca84 is the designer.

It was a little confusing, but easy. Does that even make sense?!

I have made this for my very good friend "B" whom is safely back from Afghanistan.

I have to say, this took me a good couple of hours and had my focus 95%.... I forgot to put the crock pot on yesterday while making the tote because I was so distracted. I turned the crock on, but I failed to remember to plug it in! D'oh!

All my sewing is put away until my Etsy orders arrive. Fat quarters and fabric grab bags.... Just enough to make the feathers for my bags!

Starting out

So I have unsuccessfully attempted to lose weight more times than I can remember. I read a blog that motivated me to restart again.
Last night I weighed 170 & I am 5"2'

Slacking

Oh yes, since Monday I have been slacking with blogging on both of my blogs. Tuesday I spent the better part of the afternoon visiting with our next door neighbor whom just got back from a trip down to Texas to visit her father and other family.

I have been trying to get my creative juices flowing, getting inspiration from things I see online. I have purchased a pattern on Etsy for the owl purse that I tried to make by "winging" it.... get it? Winging it... owl! Terrible, I know!
I have gotten great deals on fabric online (Etsy once again) and still awaiting my Deramores order...(What I Ordered)  I am in a granny square swap on Facebook for fans of Lucy from Attic24. She makes wonderful little creations all while using Stylecraft yarn from the UK. I wish I was in contact with my cousin, "A2"s mom ("A2" is my cousin we live with, and his mom is my maternal aunt) lives in the UK (the maternal side of my family is English, my cousin and I are the first generation to be born on this side of the pond) SO..... what I was TRYING to say is that if we had contact with my aunt, I could have seen about her buying the yarn in a store, maybe during a sale, and saving much more money. Oh well, I can't complain. The company is tax-free for the USA and free shipping! I ordered Monday night, so we'll see how long it takes.

I went to Wally World on Wednesday, in the morning (the one over an hour away, instead of the 30 minute drive one) and I got a few little things we needed (New binder for school for "A", new earrings and a Hello Kitty purse for "L", fabric for ME (I love those discount bins for fabric, the bolts of fabric are always overwhelming and I can't choose, so the bins narrow it down a bit) plus a few other things we needed for the home. We came back home, for rest I guess you could say, then picked "A" up at school and went back to that far away town for class. Got a call at class that school for "A" was being delayed two hours due to the weather conditions.

Thursday.... oh that was yesterday, duh! We received a call from the school again, in the morning, stating they canceled school. It wasn't bad at the moment, but weather websites showed some bad stuff headed our way later in the day. We ended up going out of town (and state) and headed to South Dakota (we live about 20 minutes from the state line) and went to Rapid City. Stopped at Starbucks for a much needed dose of caffeine. (It runs through my veins, actually I bleed coffee)
We stopped at my eye doctor to get a couple of new pairs of glasses that I needed so much. I got two pair of glasses, one normal and one transitions (oh I needed them so bad too!) then while we waited for two hours we headed next door to TJMaxx... I haven't been in one of those since my mom worked at one when I was 14 or 15 I think (so 15 years ago)... got a great deal of 55% off on a journal! Only 3.00! (which I will use to write down about "S" being gone) and owl salt/pepper set which was 60% off! Only 4.99!
Finally got some lunch, for a change up from our normal fair of ethnic foods, we ended up at Golden Corral, which the two little kids loved. (This morning, my stomach isn't liking me very much though.) The chocolate fountain made their eyes big as plates and probably is the only reason they ate was the promise of having chocolate fountain! Then we went to Hobby Lobby so I could find nylon strapping (like for backpack straps, for when I make purses)... they had all sorts of colors so I got 3yrd purple and 3yrd pink, also went out of control a bit with fabric.... Bambi print on clearance (yes, in the bin), pink leopard print (to go with fabric I got at Wally World earlier in the week), pink/green/white/blue stripes (heavier cotton), sampler roll (darned if I know what they are called), and 2yrds of the cutest little owl print and I found matching ribbon for the owl print. I also found some "I Love This Yarn" wool on sale 3.59 (normally 5.99) and got the last three balls. It is this self striping colorway of black, sliver, gray, gunmetal & bluish-gray! I see a knitted scarf and hat set in my future! I also got a grab bag of assorted ribbons (colors and widths) that was only 1.99! SCORE! The book 99 Granny Squares called my name "Renee, you need me for more ideas, for your swap!" I had to do it! And I found this awesome thread, it's a rainbow thread for sewing... I can't wait to use it for the owl fabric for a purse! Then, we went to the mall and got some candy at a new candy store (they had odd things, like sour cream and onion flavored crickets and sweet corn soda!) but I found Charms.... those square little hard candies individually wrapped (like life savers almost) and got some Jelly Belly beans, called: Bean Boozled.... so nasty. It's jelly beans that look the same but could be yummy or yucky.... like the black COULD be Licorice OR Skunk Spray; blue COULD be Berry Blue OR Toothpaste; brown COULD be Chocolate Pudding OR Dog Food! Let me tell you, once "A" and "L" ate the brown, I almost threw up when they brushed their teeth twice and STILL smelled like Dog Food! Ewww!
Finally, we went back to the eye glass doctor and I picked up my glasses. They are so comfortable! I am sick and tired of having metal frames with those little feet sinking into my nose - I get headaches from it. I went back to plastic frames with no little feet and the weight is distributed much better!

Well off to crochet a few more squares for the swap ( I have to use this yarn up I bought for it) and maybe off to the coffee shop once we shovel through all of the snow.

Blankets for Lizzie and Meadow

So here are two projects (from one order) from my battle buddy I had in Germany in the Army. Her name is Kristi and these were for her daughter's for Christmas.

Lizzie's Hexagon Blanket
Meadow's Hexagon Blanket

These were so fun to make and the colors were quite cheery! I love making the hexagons as well.... I can't wait to start my next one... after this swap I think.