Crochet Olympics

I hate sports. I really do. I REALLY hate watching them on TV. I think this stems from my childhood and having only one TV in the house and the men being allowed to bully the females about what was watched on the Television. Probably the main reason I despise football.

I've never gotten over the idea that a guest in my home was allowed to dictate to me what I could watch on the television. Rudeness and discrimination.

So I never got over it. I got better, I got revenge. I still hate sports on TV.. but now I crochet through it if I can't avoid it.

I'm going to have my own version of the Olympics.. Crochet style. The wonderful folks over at crochetville are starting a Crochet Olympics CrochetALong.

Rules are:

The rules are:
1 - The project must be a challenge for you to complete in the specified time frame.
2 - You can NOT start until opening ceremonies (Feb 10, 2pm Eastern Time)
3 - You MUST finish by closing ceremonies (16 days later, Feb 26th)
4 - You can do prep work before (guage swatches, winding, etc), but no working on the actual project.
5 - Pick something that is doable, but challenging. Do not set yourself up for failure.

For those of you who knit.. Yarn Harlot is having a Knit Olympics. Some brave souls are doing both!! yikes!!

I hope to go buy my yarn tomorrow. I might take son and hubby to go see "The End of the Spear" and shop while they're occupied. hehehee

Several people have asked me what the purpose of having a Crochet Olympics was. My first thought was "does everything have to have a purpose?" But not wanting to sound snippy (and while the response does sound sarcastic and snippy.. it's not, it's a real question), I have replied with these are the reasons/purposes to have a Crochet Olympics:

1) Fun
2) A self challenge
3) something to do while watching the Olympics
4) an excuse for another project
5) all or none of the above.

Off to work on my hat-a-week project. I would be half finished by now, but the pattern writer put two patterns in one long post and didn't put a note to refer to the stitch instructions at the beginning for those making the second item. grrrrr. I had to sign back on the computer and find the post all over again to print the missing instructions. I would've winged it, but I had NO IDEA what a ALTSP was. LOL. ( it means Alternating Stitch Pattern, I'll probably never forget that now).

Red Scarves for Valentines project

A scarf for the "Red Scarf for Valentine's Project". BlueHaze is the color (lotta pink in that there yarn to be named blue haze.. but that's what the label reads). It's Bernat Berella 4. soooooo soft & cuddly. And it's even acrylic!! yeah for non allergy provoking fibers!!!

BernatSofteeChunky that I bought earlier this month. Not my usual color choice, but at 1.00/skein, I thought why not. No pattern, just noodling around.

Bernat Softee again, but in two colors and a sttich from the Harmony Guide. I think it's called CrossHatch. I like the effect.

My very favorite, it will be hard hard hard to let this one go. Simply Soft in Autumn Red and the pattern is adapted from one once posted on the now defunct LiveJournal Crochet Community. I did the edging different, but the flowers are the same as the LJ pattern. I may have to make another before I can stand to give this one away.

I made many more, but don't want to overwhelm folks with the pictures. These are the ones I like the best. There's more on the 25 Things for Charity Blog. And you can see other people's gorgeous creations there too.

Hat Attack

UBW hat for Crochetville Hat-a-week CAL. I did a FPDC, BPDC around on the last round to make a stretchy band and added a floppy pompom.

Homespun Hat, my design. Pattern coming soon.


Another Homespun Hat.

and again

one more

Hats & Scarves.. version 1 These scarves are made from the Christensen pattern found at Lionbrand.com

version 2

and Version 3

Garnet and Gold Scarf for the Red Scarf Project. Pattern is CrabbyCabbies Unnamed Scarf found at Crochetville.

Scarves made from Moonlight Mohair. My pattern, stitched on the diagnal. It will be written up soon.

Cathedral Window (in progress) There's a crochet a long for this at Crochetville.

My son being eaten by the Cathedral Afghan *grin* My son is approximately 5'8" and he's having to hold the thing over his head. We roughly measure it at nearly 5 ft across.. it's probably bigger. And there's still lots more to go.

Up close and personal.

Pictures du Jour

Baby blanket I made several years ago. I think it's just plain ole RedHeart.. because I know I made it before I knew about "other" yarns. *grin* I had intended to donate this to ProjectLinus, but hubby has claimed it. LOL.. no, he's not going into his second childhood. One of the technologists that work for him is having a baby and the department is having a shower for her this Friday. He wanted one of my blankets to give. I showed him the ones I currently have made up and he picked this one. I'm very honored, cause he's very picky about certain things.

Homespun Montana Sky and Little Victory pattern from Lionbrand. Made for ProjectLinus.

Circular Baby Blanket also intended for ProjectLinus. This is made in Caron 3/4 pound. Color name is BabyRainbow Ombre. Dyelot # 45532. I ran out when finishing the edging.. If ANYONE has some, please email me at Lisatm at gmail dot com. I'd like to work out a trade or I'll even buy it from you (if the price is reasonable). I can't find Caron 3/4 pound listed on Caron's website. I've written them to inquire if Caron 1 pound is the same yarn as 3/4 pound, but have had no response.

Close up of where it ended. :(

Same Circular BabyBlanket, only using Caron Natura and this time I didn't run out!!

Extreme Closeup of the Completed Edging.

Caron TriColour Cluster Hat

My own pattern.. designed for Homespun, but this time made up in plain ole Red Heart.. to test the pattern for other yarns. The hats are for the Hat-A-Week CrochetALong at Crochetville.




















Scarf made for the Red Scarf Project. *I know it's not Red*.. they said they'll take other colors.
Scarf pattern is Unamed Scarf at Crochetville.
Well, I need to get off of here and do laundry and make more pictures. Things have to go in the mail soon.

The Lord Provides

I took my daughter to the airport yesterday to send her back to FSU. Cried while watching her go through the checkpoint. I was ok until then. The screener felt sorry for me and offered me tissues. I kept on crying as I walked back to the car.. everyone in the airport looking at me. I didn't care. That's my baby.. the one I waited 15 years to find the right father for. I had wanted to have a baby since I was 15, but waited until I had the right situation. (Now everyone can closely guess how old I am >grin<)

I was messing around on Crochetville this morning, trying to keep myself occupied and keep my mind off my daughter being gone, and I found this wonderful charity project. The Orphan Foundation of America has a Red Scarf project going on. They want to have 2500 scarves to hand out to their college age kids (OFA advocates for older foster youth who were never adopted and provides a comprehensive scholarship program).

Now I know why I was led to make all those scarves last month. God works in mysterious ways. I even have a 6ft long red scarf that I made for my daughter that she decided she didn't want. Well.. off it goes to the Orphan Foundation.

This means I have to get busy this weekend and make lots of pictures. UGH. The foundation needs to have the scarfs by January 20th. Nothing like a deadline to motivate me!!! And to help me keep my mind off missing my baby.

Broke & Toothless in 2006

I broke a tooth last night while eating (of all things) salad!! I didn't find the broken piece.. I must've swallowed it. Ick.

I dont have dental insurance. I can't get into the dentist's office today (they are getting me in tomorrow) and I can't find my Darvocet.

I think I'll go back to bed.

Happy New Year!!!