Watch out FSU, here she comes!!!

Letter Pillows I made for my girls dorm room.



KamoKitty that I made for her last summer, to help her being away from her real cat. Don't remember where the pattern came from, but I do know it was online. If/when I do find it again, I'll link it here.



The cat she had to leave behind. :( No animals in the dorms. (other than goldfish type fish)
Don't worry momma, Thunder still gets the Tuna juice on his dry food.



Dads truck, partially packed, getting ready to go.



Ready for FSU!!

They actually left Thursday and moved her in on Saturday. I just haven't been able to emotionally look at the pictures till now. Even now it makes me want to cry to see her pretty face and not be able to talk to her any ole time I want. I know I must let her go and let her grow.. but it's hard. If I let go, she'll be more willing to come back.

Procrastination Pays Off

I've been wanting to go to HobbyLobby for over a week now, and kept finding excuses not to go...too tired, too hot outside, gas is too expensive to make a run JUST for yarn, I got too much yarn already, etc etc etc. And I was really having a battle with myself because the Omega Sinfonia that I like is.. now was.. on sale. But I ended up not going.

I was GOOD!! I was RIGHT!!! I am VINDICATED!!!! Hobby Lobby has the TLC Essentials that I want for my Cathedral Window afghan on sale this week. I'm going first thing Monday Morning and get it. I usually go to work first, then go play, but with all this heat.. I know I won't go shopping if I wait till the afternoon. Thank goodness for part-time jobs that let you set your own hours.. woohoo!!!

Difficulties

I'm trying to write out instructions for the Honeycomb Shawl and Word crashes on me just as I'm putting on the finishing touches and thinking about asking for testers. Lovely. I hope I saved most of it before the crash.

I'm having a hard time settling into doing anything. Restless. Talked to John today, he told me some of the trials and tribulations of getting S. settled in the dorm room.. he said it was extremely hot. I believe it. I remember how bad it was in June when I was there for orientation. I've tried calling her dorm a few times this afternoon and the phone just rings and rings. I know she's probably having the time of her life.. but I need to hear from her.

This is so hard.

Pictures?... We got pictures

Pink shawl made from "Conny" yarn. It's a vintage all acrylic imitation mohair yarn from Israel. I don't know the name of the stitch. It looks like a honeycomb to me and that's what I'm calling it till I learn different.

I took a stitch I saw in a japanese pattern book and made it slightly lacier. Maybe someone else knows the name of the stitch. I don't know if I want to fringe this or do anything to the neck edge. I really love this, it's so soft and light. The pattern works from one fingertip to the other, so the sizing is extremely variable. The pattern increases every row and when the shawl is about half the size you want it, then you start making decrease rows.



Close up of the pattern work. (yeah I know it could've used a better background, but I was lucky to get my teen to model at all). I want to call this an "interlocking ring" or "honeycomb" pattern.



Hooded cape from "Wrapped in Style" booklet. I made it with Light n Lofty instead of Homespun, and have not put the funfur on the edge. I dont think I'm going to either, as this was made simply because I had the L&L at an almost free price, and was making this just for the heck of it. I also chose not to go full length. It will probably be given away to someone.



back view. uh.. that's not a tail on the thing, I just didn't have time to weave in the ends before picture taking time. My daughter's best friend is very graciously modeling for me.



Serafina Shawl made in Homespun & M size hook. I think the color name is Antique. Funny story, I made this same shawl in the Mission color for my daughter's theatre teacher, then made one just like this for my son's long suffering English teacher. Then my daughter decided she didn't like the Mission color and wanted one in Antique for her theatre teacher. soooo back to the hook I go. And in the middle of making it, I found multiple flaws in the yarn.. so I write to Lionbrand and they send me not 1 replacement skein, but 3!! so I had enough to make a 3rd shawl. Which I don't know what it's eventual fate will be. Right now I wear it while on the computer when it's cold. I may give it to a friend.


Wrap from a Crochet! magazine (I'll look up which one). The one in the magazine was made with Paton's Grace in Apricot with a multi-color edging of Funfur. This one is made with Omega Sinfonia. I think it's still too short and I'm not sure I will edge with funfur.. maybe just do a picot or a small shell edging.

Close up of pattern stitching.

I have found another pattern book I want to add to my collection. It's Leisure Arts "Stunning Crochet Shrugs". Michaels didn't have it last week and I haven't been able to make it to HL yet. Maybe Thursday of this week. Hope so cuz they've got the Sinfonia on sale. Wouldn't you know it.. when I just bought some 2 weeks ago. Sheesh.

Comment Spam and Yarn shopping

Oh good grief.. I just got spammed for the first time in my comments. The perpetrator didn't even have the cajones to leave their real name.. just Anonymous. Yeah, right, like I'm going to invest in something unsolicited and from an ANONYMOUS poster. Where do these people store their intelligence? In the freezer? If intelligence was something that got used up.. they'd certainly never run out.. because these spammers don't USE what little they have to begin with.

Made a run to the "big city" to get Meningitis shots for oldest, school supplies for #1 (& only) son, got battery for key with alarm for older car, and scored big on an estate sale. Just ran in on a whim to see if they had any silverware or plates that daughter could use in her dorm. Lady told me we could have anything in the kitchen except the Microwave.. for FREE. She also gave us two small round particle board tables and a wallhanging. She also offered us 3 TV's, but we turned them down.. they were too big and my daughter's roomie is supposedly bringing a TV. I'm really happy about the things we got for free. Not that buying any of that would break us, but it helps to have somethings free, with paying out of state tuition.

I think I have some of the yarn for my Cathedral Window afghan. I really wanted to use Paton's Canadiana.. but I found TLC Essentials on sale at Michaels..for 2.75 a skein. Only problem is that they didn't have a great selection of the variegated. I did get the Shaded Blue Jean, and then some Navy blue and some Steel Blue and some white. Thinking I could use the Steel Blue in place of one of the variegated and the Navy in place of the Black. Then I started looking at other places that carry TLC Essentials and found a place that has a variegated called Dream, that I think would work well with the Shaded Blue Jean, but their prices are higher than I would like to pay.

I really meant to also go to Hobby Lobby today, but ran out of energy. I was so tired and weak I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it home tonight, so passed on HL. Maybe they will have a variegated of TLC essentials that will work with the BlueJean, and I won't have to order my other variegated. I also need to go swimming in my bathtub full of yarn and see what I have of TLC in there.

Mood: Tired, but accomplished.

Music: G&R: Sweet Child of Mine (haha.. what the kids have on their "confuser")

Pre Semi-Empty Nest

My oldest leaves for Florida State University in less than a week. I'm already beginning to feel the labor pains of letting go. These are emotional (of course) rather than physical, but hurt just as much. I just hope we don't have a fight before she leaves.