W!cked Kn!ts

Mug Cozy & Pattern

2010-01-04T22:33:00.000-08:00

I made this cozy for a swap so very long ago and intended to write up a pattern. But, of course, life got on it's way and I promptly forgot about the pattern because of school. But better late than never!

The actual product of the pattern has some differences, a bit different from this picture but basically the same look, just easier to crochet. The cozy actually rests a little bit lower because I found that I had a bit of a drinking problem (lol) and would dribble a tad and stain the fabric.

Hope you enjoy the pattern!

Coffee Cozy

Size:
One size, but could be easily altered!

Materials:
Sugar & Cream Cotton yarn - One ball
H crochet hook

Gauge:
4 sc and 4 rows per inch

Pattern for a mug with a 3 and 1/2 inch diameter

Pattern:
Round 1: Ch4, sl st to form ring.

Round 2: Ch3. Ch counts as st throughout pattern. Dc 11 more times in ring and sl st to top of ch3. 12 total dc.

Round 3: Ch3, dc in join. Dc twice in each dc till end. Sl st in top of ch3. 24 dc total

Round 4: Ch4, TC in join. *TC in next dc, 2TC in next dc. *Repeat till end. Join to top of ch4. 36 TC

Round 5: Ch2, sc in next 30 tc. turn work.

Round 6-16: Ch2, sc in second sc. Sc to end. Turn work.

Round 17: Cut yarn and bind off. Start a chain of 15 stitchs and join to either corner and sc across the main body. At the end of the row ch17 and turn work.

Round 18: Sc in third ch from hook. Sc across ch17, the body and the ch15.

You're done! Just sc a border to give clean lines and weave in ends!
The pattern is super simple and I hope you enjoy my first little pattern. PLEASE let me know if you crochet this! I'd love to see your version.

Only for personal use. Please let me know if you have any problems with the pattern or have any questions.

First FO of '10

2010-01-03T22:54:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Hope everyone had a great holiday season!

I had a fantastic Christmas myself and hoped to give more handmade presents away but unfortunately, due to working an entry level, minimum wage job, I didn't get enough hours which lead to me not having much money. And we all know that knitting is typically NOT a cheap hobby.

So I felt that I really needed, well, I wanted to give some gifts to my closest loved ones and went to raid the stash. This was enough motivation to start plugging away but then I found out that my family and I would be moving to New Jersey within the year. So this, coupled with my gift motivations lead me to evaluate the stash. I really did not want to have such a big stash to take with me since I have moved with it before and it is just irritating. Luckily, most of my stash is something close to Red Heart acrylic which is a great for a Granny Daughters swap on Craftster. I also went through my WIPs and was honest to myself and frogged about 90% since I had not touched them in the past two years. So that freed up a drawer. But I had much more that I wanted to achieve so I made a list.

Sock yarn:
Nutkins WIP for me
Start some socks for my mother in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock. In the color Blossom, which is this lovely antique-y rose color my mother is so fond of.

Wool:
Two sweaters for my Cocker Spaniels, Miller and Marty.

Lace:
Girasole WIP for an unknown recipient.
Swallowtail for my Memaw

That is all I have so far but I think it's manageable. I tried to keep it small since I'll be returning to school within the next two weeks.

Luckily, I can cross something off my list! My Nutkins are finished! They were knit in the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi in the colorway Devon. I love these because it incorporates all my favorite colors and the pattern was super simple. I just the heel and toe differently. It worked up so fast that now I can start on my mother's socks which should go even quicker since I'm just going to make simple stockinette socks.

These are my third pair of socks. I have been successful in avoiding the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome. I have a certain procedure to avoid this. After I finish a sock, I put it on and walk around the house. This helps in multiple ways.

1. I feel foolish wearing one sock.
2. My uncovered foot is uncomfortabley chilly whereas my other felt nice and toasty.
3. It drives me nuts to have something halfway finished.

Luckily, it didn't take long for me to knit the second sock since I had two socks on DPNs.

Have a happy new year! <3

Merry Christmas Houston

2009-12-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

We had a little surprise...

This was Marty's first snow. He kept giving me this look, "You want me to pee right now? I don't like rain! What makes you think I'd like frozen rain?"

Miller kindly said no thank you.

More to ourselves then.

Gold Nugget Handspun

2009-09-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

Some laceweight yarn spawned from boredom and a Project Runway marathon.

Hand-carded batts from Hobbledehoy's Etsy.

Music in the sky

FO - Eva

2009-09-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

So I'm still pushing through the Girasole. There's charts A-G, and I am on E. The chart has to be done three times and I'm beginning the third time. Then there is chart F, and chart G that has to be repeated twice. Then the edging and I'm all done.

It's really not a lot but I'm slow and have a terrible attention span.

So, in need of an FO since the Girasole is going slow for me, I finished Eva's Shawl. I actually finished this in July but I finally got around to taking pictures!

Pattern: Eva's Shawl [PDF]
Yarn: Pink Lady laceweight from Knitty Dirty Girl's Etsy
Hook: Size H
Completion Time: June 20, 2009 - July 26, 2009

This was originally for me as a way to add some color to my wardrobe but my mother saw the colors and the word COVET shot out of her eyes. Which is fine since I’m not big on pink, especially hot hot hot pink like this.

So when she’s at work I’m going to surprise her.

This is the first thing I have ever blocked for real. I am definitely buying some lace blocking wires.

The pattern was easy but I think it turns out a great FO. And I’m glad I added the border.

Hopefully my next FO will be the Girasole. Which I hope to finish by my parents anniversary or our trip to Portland, OR.

And it's been rainy here in the Houston area. It is the lovely dreary rain not the FULLY BLOWN SUSHINE rain. It's so nice to have a day where I don't sweat buckets.

Come on Texas, it's September! Can there be a year where we have normal seasons?

No pain, no gain.

2009-07-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

This phrase has never throbbed harder in my head till now.

Tired of being jealous and feeling sorry for myself, I've decided to try, yet again, to correct my weight issue. I've tried multiple times before, but failed. I never realized how much Mono screws up your immunity so when I tried to run I'd get sick for a week and not feel as motivated.

I blossomed almost violently in the 5th grade. I've always been big in the bust area, so excercise has always been exceedingly difficult. I've never run a straight mile. The only excercise I've been able to tolerate is swimming and dance.

Now that I've had my breast reduction I'm way more active. Still not able to run a straight mile but I'm able to run the majority of my two mile route. Which is a huge accomplishment for me. I figure that if contestants on The Biggest Loser can do what they do, I, a moderately over-weight woman, can also do it. I keep in mind that running that extra half a street won't kill me but will do quite the opposite.

No real weight loss yet, I'll try again next week. I did weigh in but it's still the same. I figure with certain factors weighing in, I may have lost maybe one or two pounds. Which is not astounding, but it's good enough for me since I've running for a week.

Marty is enjoying our runs. It's improved his behavior by a hundred percent. He's stopped eating cat feces and tearing up tissues.

I need to find a new pair of shoes. I run with Nike Shox right now, but I don't recommend them. I'm pretty flexible anyways, and I seem to walk on the outside of my feet, so these shoes cause me to roll my ankles alot. Also, I run on the balls of my feet so the Shox do no good.
Any suggestions?

Summer is pretty much here...

2009-05-25T22:42:00.000-07:00

and my knitting and crochet is in full force oddly enough.

Man, June's pretty much here already. I still feel like I just celebrated my birthday in December.

Due to some personal issues, I've decided to take off the semester and work. This has opened up alot of crafting time for me! To which I am very eager to have.

This past weekend I stood back and took stock of my projects. Some are new, some old.

Monkey by Cookie A. Knit with size US 3 DPNs and with Blood Orange - Heisenberg Sock Yarn from Nerdclub2000. I started them in like March but hadn't really had a chance to finish till now. The first sock was finished last week and I'm halfway through the second sock today thanks to a morning dedicated to cleaning and memorial day weekend trip to Six Flags over Texas.

Three more repeats and a toe and I got a second pair of handknit socks! I seem to be avoiding the Second Sock Syndrome pretty well.

Eva's Shawl by Milobo on Ravelry. Had to have a little crochet action going on. I wanted a airy shawl and the Girasole was going to my mother. Lace yarn from Knitty Dirty Girl.

Girasole by Jared Flood. Still in progress. Wasn't able to give to my mother by mother's day or her birthday but maybe I'll just surprise her one day at the high school where she works as the school nurse. I'll find some way to be funny.

We'll see how these go :)

One Lazy Saturday...

2009-04-04T11:59:00.001-07:00

Spoiled animals abound!

And Girasole knitty goodness!

Tomorrow I plan on meeting with some fellow Craftsters in the heart of Houston. It's going to be lots of fun. I think we'll be going to Yarns 2 Ewe and maybe I'll finally get to visit this fabric store I've been intent on visiting. Not sure if it's definitely going to happen, we've been discussing it for a month.

We'll see :D

Okay, I lied....

2009-04-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

I cast on the Girasole. It may've been the combination of talking about the pattern, and pulling the yarn and fondling it for an hour while I was organizing the stash or I had nothing to do aside from shelling out money to the state of Texas for my EMT certification. Maybe it was also the fact that I remember my mother's birthday is this month and Mother's day is coming up.

Whatever the way, I bustled right through the first two charts and I am already happy with the result. I can tell this is going to be something I will have a hard time giving away but it will be totally worth it.

I don't know if I'll finish it in time to give it to her for her birthday, so I'll just cross my fingers for Mother's day.

Anticipation

2009-04-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

It's a little frustrating that I'm in the last month of this semester. My classes end this month and I have finals the first week of May.
This means two things:

1. I've been in a rut. My math class bores me because this is literally my FIFTH time doing REGULAR algebra even though I took a Pre-Calculus class during my senior year of high school. Plus, I'm having difficulty with chemistry because I just do not click with the professor. When a student has to correct her THREE times during ONE problem, I am bound to be confused. Plus, the woman frightens me but oh well.

2. Because I've tackled and completed socks, I've leapt one major knitting hurdle, therefore, I am in a knitting high (even though it was simple stockinette socks lol)! I am eager for the semester to end so that I may finally tackle another lovely hurdle.

Shawls! I have three that I am sitting on my hands and waiting for, but the one I will cast on immediately will be Girasole by Jared Flood.

Photo by Jared Flood

Maybe I'm being ambitious, but I mean look at it! It's GORGEOUS!
It actually comes in two sizes, blanket and shawl, but I will knitting the shawl size. I bought the pattern in the Fall of 08 and the yarn right after but I was finding a good time as to when to start so I could focus and remember details without things like school getting in the way.

I'm even more inspired to knit it now. I bought the pattern hours after it came out but now there 70 completed projects and, OH, the results are gorgeous.

The yarn I purchased came from Twice Sheared Sheep on Etsy. A lovely seller who specializes in recycling yarn that was "unfortunate enough to be born as a store bought sweater."

Yarn is 43% Rayon, 39% Nylon, 10% Angora, 8% Cotton. 5 skeins of fingering weight yarn totalling about 1600 yds, which is well above the 1200 yds needed for the Girasole shawl. It is sickeningly soft, which is great!

Photo by owner of the Twiceshearedsheep.etsy.com

I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait!

Cover Me?

2009-03-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

I'm dissapointed, I lost a good weekend to craft for my two swaps on craftster to study for a test that I already had taken but failed.

And it did no good, and I'm upset. My dog got sick this morning with diarrhea, which had blood and some weird jelly and there was alot. So, not only did I not get any sleep, I woke up late, was late to school to clean up poo. The biggest reason I am upset? I was late and I just picked up any old calculator I could find. I had this feeling I was forgetting something, and 20 minutes into the test my professor comes up to my area and reminds me I can't use the calculator I picked up because it's programmable. Which means she thinks I put info in the calculator to cheat

I look around everyone is looking at me but no one offers to help and neither does she.
Needless to say, I cried a little. That's the stress coming out.

And it's really really hard to stop crying lol.

So right now I am easing the dissapointment with Tutti-Frutti Jelly Belly Jelly Beans and crocheting for the Friendshipghan Swap.

Fortunately, I took Marty to the vet where I found out he has hookworms. Lovely little blood-sucking parasites. He'll be better now thank goodness.

Poor thing. Hasn't been lucky health-wise either.

Bootee Love

2009-03-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

So, right now I am effectively avoiding studying for a test. I've actually took this exam before but my professor was so dissapointed that she's making us retake it since only 3 people out of 33 passed. And she considered above a 60, passing. Not good. I really do not feel like taking this test just to fail again. It hurts too much.

One of the ways I was avoiding this test was with Saartje's Bootees. I'm probably jumping on the bandwagon a little late.

I have to give kudos to the designer for creating such an easy and fantastic pattern. Such a cute little FO too! I told SO about what I was knitting and he gave me the most perplexed look. I assured him it was for whoever got preggers next.

I actually saw this pattern when I first started knitting and only judged the picture. I gave up, thinking it was too complicated. And looking back, I probably would've been able to accomplish it. The pattern was so clear, that even though I just completed my first pair of socks, I'm sure a beginner would be able knit these.

These bootees are knit from the leftover sock yarn from my first socks. There's actually some left over that I could probably squeeze out another pair!

Spring Break

2009-03-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

My break has been FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC.

The only good thing about this week was that I got to see my SO. He got automatically accepted into his college of choice and I'm staying behind to save money at a community college and get my basics out of the way. It's been hard, but I'll be joining him soon.

We took a trip to Oklahoma to stay with his mother's parents for a bit. It was fun but SO's brothers decided to run the AC all night long. It NEVER turned off. I woke up to a vibrating air mattress because SO was shivering so fiercely.

I woke up the next morning with the most terrible sore throat. Later, I got dizzy and hypersensitve to everything so Tylenol was my best friend the WHOLE week. The day after I got back to Texas I completely lost my voice. I could say nothing above a whisper. Three days later, I went to the same doctor as I had for my mono, and staph infection, and found out I got laryngitis.

My mother and I were joking one day after I got over the scabies and saying that I am going to go to the doctor one and he's going to tell me I have Meningitis or something.
Well looky here! Not Meningtitis, but Laryngitis.

On the bright side, I recently attempted my first sock! My very first pair of socks! I can see why they’re so addicting and why the lone sock syndrome occurs so much. They are great but it does seem like alot of energy goes into them so I’ve already cast on the second pair to stave off the want to just leave it alone. I fear if I don’t completely finish the pair I’ll never want to finish the second sock of any pair ever.

There is something about the sock that my puppy loves. I couldn’t take a picture for the longest time because he kept licking my feet.

The sock yarn is from Pigeonroofstudios! I love it, fantastic colors!

Ailing

2009-01-16T15:08:00.000-08:00

So, beginning from July these are the things that have affected me. ARGH. Third picture is Mononucleosis. Yep, Mono. I had this from July to December. 6 MONTHS. And had to endure Hurricane Ike through horrible fatigue. I went to a PA, who, like other prescription-happy PAs decided to give me antibiotics for a viral infection. I told her my tonsils had been swollen for THREE months and I felt fine except for fatigue, and maybe I needed bloodwork. But she dismissed me with antibiotics. But finally, after waiting another month I got a doctor who actually suggested bloodwork. Fine, I just want to know what the hell I have. Mono? Cool, I can live with that.

The second picture is Staph. Had it on my right elbow so basically I could not operate my right arm. My doctor (or rather PA) had me on a wild goose chase with antibiotics and x-rays for a week. After that amount of time and the meds having no effect, my mother and I expressed it ourselves since it seemed like we were getting no where. 3 days later, we finally see a doctor who was going to do the surgery to express it. It had healed up well by her observances and informed us that had we not done it when we did I would've had to have a surgery and hospital stay. Needless to say, we won't be seeing that PA anymore due to this experience and my Mono experience.

The first picture is Mange. My dog got Mange and gave it to me. Great, when I thought I was well, here comes incessant itching. But I wasn't concerned for me since my baby was bleeding from scratching so much. The first vet dismissed his condition with "well, he IS a Cocker." She said staph with secondary yeast infection. It got worse and I got a second opinion which determined he has Sarcoptic Mange.

Do I have this aura in which people just dismiss me?

New Years!

2009-01-06T15:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone transitioned into this year in a positive way. Of course, I set some resolutions for myself. These are not in order of importance.

1. Wean myself off foundation. I don't mind make up, and God knows this is not a good action for a pasty white ginger like myself, but I would love to look young and fresh naturally.

2. Learn to cook! I became a vegetarian, and I'm trying new foods! Unfortunately, I became one of those carb crazed vegetarians. I would love to eventually convert to vegan but right now I need to learn to eat better so I can feel better.

3. Get into the university of my choice and get a nice apartment.

4. Finally become an EMT.

5. Do more charity work.

6. Knit more! I would like to finally tackle a sweater and shawl!

7. Look like Jillian Michaels! :D

2008-10-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I only feel this big.
I just graduated high school, yet, I feel as though I was accomplishing more there than now. I work at a dead-end job and I am so ready to achieve my EMT certification, to go to a university, and move into my new apartment.

Maybe its my recent development of mono, but I feel so lazy and unmotivated. I do not feel challenged. The school system doesnt challenge our youth and my community college does nothing to correct it. Transitioning to college is like never having got out of high school. I fear that this may inhibit my chances of becoming a physician.

I think I just have mono and depression. Whatever.

Wheel Love

2008-01-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

I recently acquired an Ashford Kiwi for Christmas and I am in love! I originally had a drop spindle and because of this didn't have much fiber (a student's budget doesn't help either). I have originally ran out of fiber and now all my money (because I don't have a job because I'm still in high school)is going to towards my commute to school. I take for 40 minutes to get to and from school. It is ridiculous.

Anyways, I have two new hanks of yarn that have been listed in my Etsy.
This is Clouds in my Coffee on a Winter Morning

And Sweet Agatha!

You spin me right round baby

2007-12-16T20:28:00.001-08:00

Been doing some spinning lately now that my EMT course has finally concluded. In which, I brought my knitting to one day and my teacher noted my fiber obsession. So, I was inspired to combine my two passions, medicine and spinning.
It's a 2-ply yarn, measuring 11 yds, spun from gauze and wrap.

It is about 80 freakin 2 degrees here in Texas right now. So it feels more like autumn that winter, which explains the colorway. We're now just seeing the leaves drop.

Fit to be Tied - WIP

2007-12-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

A birthday/Christmas present I am making for a friend. I picked this pattern because not only is it a fast project but to me it looks romantic and I chose a romantic color to go with it. I don't prefer the color but I think the color and the pattern go fabulous with my friend's personality. I really hope she enjoys it.

From Debbie Stoller's The Happy Hooker

SLACKR

2007-11-15T17:21:00.001-08:00

Will post something soon. HOPEFULLY my first knitted hat! EMT and school has gotten in the way.

Dizzy

2007-08-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

Yea so I haven't started running. The day I said that I got some new fiber so I shunned that idea into the back of my mind.

Been kind of busy, but got 2 balls of yarn spun up. I cuddle with them. I am so proud of my first plying job X3

yarn is yum

Here we go...

2007-08-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

So Amber has inspired me to start running. I don't really have a problem with running, it's just that when you run in a neighborhood where houses are about 6 feet apart and the only scenery you see is a man-made pond, it gets boring. It should be a helluva lot easier though due to a drastic physical change.

Now I just have to wait for my legs to stop screaming.

Drill camp is gonna kill me

Yum :3

2007-08-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

How delicious is this?

Noro is just orgasmically delicious! I am so inspired now to learn how to knit! So many possibilities! But unfortunately I must finish up some crocheting and spinning projects before I get into that stressful mess.

*drool*

Etsy

2007-08-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

Ok so I'm jumpin on the bandwagon. I've set up shop at Etsy. Not much so far but more is soon to come! Check it out :3

Wicked

Threading

2007-07-30T23:26:00.000-07:00

I was at the mall just getting my hair done for senior pictures and my mom asked one of the employees if she could recommend a place to do my eyebrows. I have FIERCE eyebrows apparently. Well instead of suggesting waxing at a nail salon she said there was a threading kiosk. 'Threading'? Sounds like some weird techinique to me.So when I got there I didn't actually think she would whip out a spool of thread! Well she wraps it around her fingers and twists it the middle. When she closes her fingers in a scissor motion the hair gets caught in the twist and is ripped out. THIS HURT LIKE A BITCH.And of course I was out in the open so everyone had to see me shaking like a kid with ADHD being restrained.

ugh

my eyebrows sting

but at least they look fabulous!

I'll probably do it again

Fiber and Harry Potter

2007-07-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

So I am quite literally spending all my money for crafts. I have fallen in love with hand-spun and hand-dyed yarns so I bought a drop spindle to give a personal feel to my crochet projects. I also got a sewing manchine for making purses. I really wouldn't mind selling some things.

So... to not be reminded that I am broke for now, I have buried myself in the last book for Harry Potter. I'll be dissapointed at the end because I grew up with this book. But it's gotta end, it would just be cruel of Rowling if she tortured Harry with Voldemort for the rest of his life.

Really Good Day

2007-07-22T01:32:00.000-07:00

Today was an absolutely fantastic day! I got to go to IKEA and pick up some curtain wire to hang some art work, PLUS I picked up some really neat-o fabric while I was there.

I got to see my loverly boyfriend Chris AKA The Hobbit :3

I picked up the new Harry Potter book today also. Surprised I wasn't swimming in a river of rabid fans. I'm kind of intimidated now to read the book because some people have read the book and already posted what's happened. They kind of make it out to be DOOM. but oh well.

I also received my yarn from the fabulous FeralFeminine. The picture did not do it justice. It's lovely and squishy and pretty, and I'm so saving it till I think I know what to do with it.

It's not easy being green

2007-07-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Ok so hopefully being environmentally mindful is a priority for you. Here is a collection of links to green sites. I will constantly be updating.

ENVIROSAX's priority is to "help create a better future for our planet by spreading the environmental message through colour and script". By using one of their re-usable bags you save the Earth from 80 plastic bags a year. They are fabulous in grocery stores where they hold 2 to 3 times the amount a plastic bag does and their prints are fantastic so they can also be a tote ladies! You can buy them singularly or in packs of 5 to save in more ways than one.

Ok this may seem a little strange ladies but CLOTH PADS. By using cloth pads you reduce the amount that goes into landfills. You have to soak them to clean them but from what I hear you can use the bloodied water in which you soaked them to fertilize your garden. YUM
Green Thumb Designs
FeralFeminine

Recycle when you can! Recycle everything! Keep a box in a closet or in the garage and fill it to the top with paper stuffs like boxes from food or the stupid subscription cards in mags that always fall out. I recycle a lot! From cleaning out my backpack I had at least a foot tall pile. When you realize how fast it fills up it will be so much easier to do. Where do you find a recycling area? By personal experience I noticed that A LOT of schools have centers for recycling.

Go thrifting! Not only is it so much fun to find something spectacular but it's also rewarding to know that you're saving it from being tossed in the landfills. I found this detailed brass jewelry box on one of my adventures for cheap! I got lucky.

Hankerin

2007-07-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

So... if you ever needed to binge on some imagery, watch Legend. Lots of fantastic Tom Cruise thigh and panty shots :3

Ovaries :3

2007-07-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

Pretty flippin proud of myself.

I finally completed a project! A hat from Stitch N Bitch : The Happy Hooker. Pretty satisfied other than the fact it's only 23 inches in circumference. So I'll have to experiment with this.

Wanting to make another with this fantastic yarn I just purchased. Waiting for it to come in.

It's handspun cotton ecospun vegan yarn from FeralFeminine.

===

This is the OVO. I had to laugh when I saw this because it reminds me of an ovary. An ovary with a polyp or something.

I had the hardest time in PetSmart trying to find a habitat for SuperSteve. It seems from the time I had last had a hamster (RIP Snowball & Pikachu) hamster technology has changed. There were habitats with an austrailian theme for the adventurous hamster, there was the Pink Princess Palace for the diva, there was the Dazzle for the hamster that enjoys his seizures and SuperPet CritterTrail X for the one who believes in life beyond the stars!

Crocheting

2007-07-16T20:58:00.001-07:00

When I was in the 6th grade, I was in a class that at a specific point in time of the year would educate children in crocheting and sewing blankets for children in hospitals who need a connection in a not so comfortable enviroment. The organization orchestrating this activity was Project Linus. (ya know Linus from Peanuts? haha?)
Well being so young and not well taught I forgot all but a few techniques and had a giant ball of yarn for 6 years. I stumbled across a fantastic site called Craftster and saw a bunch of wonderful things I could create with this craft. Like making crochet cupcakes and scarves.
So now I am relearning this awesome skill and plan to do a lot. I don't know if I'll sell anything like I've seen plenty of people do but I will definately contribute to Touching Little Lives first. It's something I've been puting off for almost 7 years.
Good lord it's been a long time.

Today I got a hamster! A Winter White. Unfortunately I cannot play with the fellow because he might get Wet Tail, also known as diarrhea.
His name is Steve. I have a habit of calling everything Steve, but now I can actually call him that because I can keep him and pet him and love him. Unlike a spider :O

We had horrible storms just bombard us all day yesterday, but we got a real treat that afternoon. A rainbow! but not just one, two! It was a fantastic surprise because it was so defined and beautiful and you just don't get those in Texas. Took me back to my days in Hawaii.

And then I found a frog.

I named it Steve :D