Slow going

Lately it’s been slow going with my knitting and crochet. Due to back and neck issues I’ve been told it’s best to stop, for now. 

Well I just don’t want to stop! So I’m going slow and steady. That’s a tall order for this whirling dervish. Alas, I’ve no other choice because 15 minutes into my groove, my ears begin to get congested and my neck hurts and so on and so on. 

So, I’m working on slowing down and smelling the roses, or wool! Teehee! I’m exploring the art of not “efforting” and just enjoying the scenery as life dashes by. Now that’s not to say I’m not busy, I’m just not killing myself to do it all….in a day! Ha!

 Here are a few projects I’m completing, eventually! It would be nice if they were ready for Christmas, but there’s no guarantee! 
There’s’ a hat, scarf, blanket (squares), coasters, placemats, and mug cosy, and they’re only a quarter of the projects I have on the go. These are ones I’ve decided to finish! Maybe by next Christmas? ☺️

Going slow is really tough. And what really bloggles my mind is that even at my slower pace, I still have no time. I mean….I suck at blogging…..especially for the every day in November challenge! I just suck at finding the time every day. So, challenge-fail! 😝, but I still “effort” a little! 

NaBloPoMo

  
I’m taking up the challenge to post every day in November. Enough is enough and I must give blogging some much needed TLC. 

Commitment is one of my issues, which carries over into surrender, which carries over into letting go and all the other soul destroying issues our egos sling at us to hold us back, so we can maintain status quo and feel “good”.

Well this post is about my intimate dance with darkness or my ego, and about just letting go of all my “comfort-zone” inducing mechanisms.

I have my shoes…

  
Let’s dance…

Surrender. Easy to write, but hard to do. Sometimes I have to fight, but often that’s not accurate. I have to have courage to face what may come my way and surrender to the experience be it good or bad.

Courage: To face the abyss of uncertainty and jump anyway!!! There are dreams I want to fulfill, but to have those dreams smashed is less terrifying to me now than never even taking the first step towards them. That really terrifies me!

Well this year I’m jumping finally, and yes, I’m scared of failing. Yep! Plain and simple, but I’m just going to jump in anyway.

Peace Arby

Neglectful blogger

So I’ve been MIA on my blog and unforgivably neglectful of the wonderful bloggers I follow! I’ve been soul searching alone, as I’ve always done in the past, when really I need to use my blog as my outlet….the answers might get to me sooner!

I haven’t been completely self-absorbed! I’ve been preparing to start my own business in literacy development for young children, painting, drawing, baking, knitting, crocheting, being a mom, and oh yeah…recovering from a minor head injury/whiplash (paintball misadventure!). So I’m making efforts to be a better blogger. I will post something creative and inspiring (lofty goal yes!) everyday in November, and support and encourage the bloggers who I follow, thank you for entertaining and inspiring us all! 

Here’s a crochet project I’ve just finished: Panda (226) surfie skirt and stripe tank!  

The pineapple stitch!

 A retro design and color pattern for the tank
 

Tea and Squares anyone?

I didn’t  post this one because it was a gift. But…Gift given now! So here you are….

 I must admit that generally I don’t do crochet tea cosies or placemats for my younger gift recipients because they do have that older nana appeal. However, I found these cute patterns with a modern edge and the colors were definitely retro cool, which, I find, younger hipsters can appreciate. Plus, I believe they showed off my vintage tea cups and 100 year old Spode plates devinely! Don’t you think?

  

The egg cosies might be a little overkill, but at this point I thought “I might as well go all in!”   The button I created with 2 buttons. The small blue one fit snugglely into the center of the red one. One plain or patterned button just didn’t seem to bring it all together! Et voila! 

 If you are interested in the patterns I can look it up and let you know where I found them! Enjoy!! XArby

Make my way back home

When I learn to fly….high! (Got to love the Foo Fighters)

Still figuring it all out and riding the ups and downs of life. Trying to create pieces of “happy” as I go. If this is the year of “finding myself”, I can say with certainty that it’s definitely bringing me back to myself, if that’s even the same thing!?! lol Not exactly what I thought would happen, but if we don’t actually lose who we are, then it makes perfect sense that we go back to who we are. It must be my age!! Hahaha! Happy days!!

So this little cotton dress is blissful! Both to make and to look at, and the wee girl it’s for is just gorgeous! She had a 3rd birthday party yesterday; she ended up in her birthday suit! Hopefully this dress will inspire her to keep it on!!! Ha!!! It’s a pattern I got from Australian Knitting, and as usual I put my own embellishments on it!

On a lighter…

and whiter note….

Betty Cole is busy! She crocheted this beautiful table cloth for her sister Nancy and brother-in-law John.

With a 1.5mm and 10 cotton yarn she constructed the table cloth using a flower square pattern and then kept adding them. I’m so impressed with Betty’s efforts and patience, and the exquisite results. I definitely do not have this level of patience, but aspire to it one day.

I love simple and clean white.
Thanks for sharing your work with us Betty! I just love it!!

Once a ballerina….

Always a ballerina!

I think I’ll go paint…..and dance and sing! At least, that’s what I’m always doing in my head.

Choose your fav flower pattern, quick!

Crochet 50 chains on a 3.5 hook with some sparkly yarn, 4 ply. *Sl st 1st chain from hook, and in the back loop of every chain to the end*. Sc in same last chain as last sl st. Chain 49 again! (Double band remember!) and then repeat from * to *. Chain long enough to fit your head (this is the loop that goes around the back of your head) and attach this series of chains with a sl st to the two ends of the bands that sit on the top of your head.

Attach your pretty flower and feel, well, PRETTY!!

Now, about that painting…..

Be happy!!!!

A vintage velvety finish…

The Mac Air is all wrapped up in a velvet finale!!

I always change my mind by the end of a project and this one was no different. I did a crab stitch finish around all edges except the bottom. There I went with a single crochet stitch. The velvet ribbon looks brownish in the photo, but it’s a shade of eggplant purple! Strange indeed how the camera does that. I didn’t block it really, but just sprayed a light mist of water on the front and pinned it in place. It was dry in an hour and ready to wrap! Just sew the ribbon so that the two ends meet at the front. I managed to get three wraps with 1.5m of ribbon. I should’ve gone with 2.0m!! Then I could’ve done a bow.

Hope you enjoy making it, and if you do post a photo, tag me!!

Happy Days!!!!

Hats: My first love

I love hats and living in such a hot climate I’m searching for ways to bring them back into my knitting. I’ve really enjoyed making hats for my baby boy, but he’s growing and I don’t get to make as much of the super cute hats anymore, as he tells me he just doesn’t like them!! The nerve!! Ha!!! That’s my boy!

So here are two cuties I made recently. The patterns are Tricia Drake’s “Welcoming Home Baby”.

The “kitty hat” for a family friend’s little boy, the pointy corners gave me the name, and your baby will look like a kitten in this, trust me!

The weave hat for my cousin’s baby girl:

As long as my family and friends keep having babies and live in the snow most of the year, I’ll be able to satisfy my hat fetish. Yay!

Knitters Be-square!!!

To all you knitters out there!!! It’s time to fall in love with the Granny Square!!!!

Trust me, you will want to give crochet a GO!!!!!

I’m officially HOOKED! I never truly appreciated the making and the usefulness of the “Granny Square”. I mean, well, I like them alright, but I never thought “DAMN! I need to make granny squares”! Sooooo, that’s the truth. Appreciation of a thing doesn’t translate to the desire to make that thing.

That all changed the day I causally picked up a Noro magazine at my local news shop because I discovered Noro wool. I admire the raw and vibrant look of Noro Wool and the Noro designs/patterns are always interesting and oh-so-pretty! I’m a knitter first and foremost, so of course I knitted a beautiful Noro sweater with a gorgeous T design at the join of the body and sleeves. The colors are amazing and the body was made with a different color wool than the sleeves. However, as this post isn’t about that sweater (it now resides with my Niece in Newfoundland and of course I forgot to take a photo!) that’s enough said!

The whole point of this rambling is that I had enjoyed the Noro magazine so much, that I decided to pick up the next issue. It was then that I saw THE Tunic. In fact, everything I felt about the ole granny square changed because of this:

I fell instantly in LOVE with it and I simply had to make it! But disappointment soon followed; I had to make 60 granny squares and at a difficult level. I’m a novice at crochet and had only made some hats, booties and done some edgings around sweaters and blankets. Whatever was I going to do to make this tunic a reality?? Of course…I had to run to my woolshop ASAP and plead for help, shamelessly.

I am forever in-debited to Lesley for taking on such an impromptu teaching task that day; for over an hour too!! With good humor, and trust me I can be exasperating, she showed me how to work that square into submission! That said, even after that whirlwind lesson I had to go home and make about a thousand mistakes, tear my hair out and rip apart about a dozen squares before finally achieving a good result. Thank you Lesley for always extending your helping hand whenever I call regardless of what’s happening in your world! You are a rare and gorgeous gem and your kindness will NOT go unrewarded;

that’s a promise and you can count on it!

Here’s a closer look at the squares and let me tell you, these babies are harder than they look:

I finally wore it out yesterday and it was not only comfortable, it got plenty of looks! Now I don’t know if they were looks of “admiration” or “what is she wearing???”, but I’m hoping it’s the former! Who cares anyway!? I love it and it is me to a T 🙂 It makes me want to dance and twirl!! What’s that song? “I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty, witty and gay, or was it wise or both…”?

Since making that Tunic, a whole new world of creativity has opened up, and crochet is way easier than knitting. Honest! So give it a try and go beyond the Granny Square norm of the pot holder, the blanket or table cloth! Make a jacket, a dress,a lamp shade or this lovely and colorful Tunic!!

Here’s a final photo of the Tunic. I had to photograph it in the sunny outdoors to bring it to life and to show off all those glorious colors!! Hummmmm, maybe it’s the silk in the Noro wool, but I never, ever thought it could feel so luxurious to wear a Granny Square Tunic! True story!!

Happy creating and knitters…….BE-SQUARE!!! 

BEWARE of the Granny Square!; It’s truly addictive!!!!

Peace and Love!