Tiff Crochets

1.  Mystery Doily - Only five more rows to go!!  I finished two rows last night while watching Redeye (but you know that already if you read the post above).  That means if I can squeeze in at least one row, maybe two a night, I can have that baby on the torture needles (i.e. blocking board) by this time next week.  Then I can quit looking at Julie’s gorgeous doily she sent me in shame because hers has languished in my possession for so long.

2.  Little pink shrug for Laura - I think I’m making it too wide because it’s hitting right at her wrists without edging, but I’m too far into it now to change it.  Plus, she’ll always be able to grow into it, right??  I’m using Lion Brand Jiffy in Girlie Pink (that’s not the real name of it but it should be.  It’s probably something like Petal Pink.  It’s a really light pink.)

3.  Seraphina Shawl - I still haven’t made progress past the second ball of yarn.  I’m going to take it with me this weekend and work on it around my mother-in-law to gauge her reaction to it.  If she really really likes it, then I’ll gift it to her at Christmas.  If she really likes it, but isn’t too fond of the colors, maybe I can sneak in another one before Christmas.  If she really doesn’t like it, then good because it can go to her sister. lol

4.  A little something for my Halloween Swap partner - hmm… I think I’m about 1/3 of the way through.  It’s one of my favorite patterns so I hope she likes it. :)  I’ve got everything else ready to go for the mail except for this - the most important part!

That’s about the extent of the projects that are sitting around.  Oops! One more -

5.  Simple Garter Stitch Washcloth - I’ve got about four rows but I’ve put off working on this one until I get my two important swap projects finished.  It’s taunting me by sitting on my coffee table. 

Why do I like the Astros? (1) Because they lost every stinking game I attended this season at Minute Maid Park (I think it was punishment from above for spending six hours last postseason praying for a win in a very, very long game and clogging up the line for the Braves fans.) but I still leave the Park in a good mood because “they played their best” (yeah, yeah, I think the glass is half full too) and (2) I go into denial that there is a baseball season (usually around say… July when they’re really, really stinky) but keep one eye on the baseball score each day.  And then, they do crazy things like come back from 8 1/2 games out of the NL Central with 13 games left to being 1 1/2 games out with (I believe) five games remaining.  Then, my heart goes pitter patter and I want to wear my Astros shirts to work every day and then I’ll get picked on by the guys and that leads to rubber band wars in the office and one day someone’s going to get hurt (them).  It’s just embarrassing to think that I’m that much of a fan (I think it’s genetic - my mom and grandpa went to ballgames when they were still the Colt .45’s), but I’m going to admit it and move on (while keeping an eye on the Astros too.).
Have you seen the movie Red Eye? Is it spelled in one word or two???  Anyway, Colby from Survivor: Australia is in it. lol  I was talking to Andy during our late night visit during his lunch break (he works really, really late but he’s doing good things - he works in the Disaster Division of the SBA and helps a Gulf Coast hurricane victim every day) and almost missed it.  He wasn’t impressed with my need to pause the conversation to watch Colby on TV, but the movie wasn’t as suspenseful as I had thought it would be so I was glad for the eye candy break.
eek!  It’s way past my bedtime, which probably accounts for the strange, way off topic post.  To summarize:  Astros=kicking bootie, Redeye=not too hot, Colby=still a little hot, and Tiff=yawn.  Night!

Have you seen the newest pattern at Nexstitch.com??  I want so to make the Gemma scarf for me.  It’s pretty, lacy, and uses one of my new favorite Patons yarns - Lacette.  I’m so glad the yarns coming out have less and less fuzz to them.  I’m thinking I”ll make it in either Cream Caress or Maroon Mist….

 I have three projects to finish before moving on to me though.  I’ve got a cute little something on my hook for my Halloween Swap partner at Fiber Freaks and I must finish up Julie’s doily and get it in the mail to her.  My mom placed an order for shrugs for my daughters for the fall.  She wants me to make them about five a piece and have them color coordinate with certain outfits.  She thinks I crochet fast.  Pshaw.  I may but I also procrastinate really, really well so it evens out. lol

Thirteen Things about Las Vegas I miss by living in Texas

(I watched the season premiere of CSI last night, thus the nostalgia for Vegas)

1.  Being able to drive across town in less than 30 minutes, even by taking the side streets

2.  Bellagio water show (the girls loved taking an evening trip to watch the show & it’s free!)

3.  Watching new casinos grow from nothing to monstrosities of glass and light

4.  Mountains surrounding the city

5.  Red Rock Canyon in the winter

6.  Mt. Charleston in the summer for cool weather camping

7.  Mt. Charleston in the winter for snow sledding and skiing

8.  All you can eat buffets (my favorite was Paris Las Vegas)

9.  Crepes (care of Paris Las Vegas again)

10.  Having only a two hour drive to get to Zion National Park

11.  Being five hours from San Diego

12.  Beautiful, cool winter weather

13.  Driving down the Strip at night with the windows down and the radio up loud.

I finished my first knit project!  While looking for my needle stash to begin this dishcloth, I found many, many starter knit projects that I never finished.  I had them stuffed at the back of yarn.  Shame, shame, shame. lol

My dishcloth -

I made it with Sugar ‘N Cream 100% cotton in Light Teal and size 9 needles.  I used the Motorcycle Dishcloth pattern.  I’m now working on a simple garter stitch washcloth in Bernat Cotton Tots for the girls for bathtime.  They have tons (the joys of having a crocheting mama), but they like variety.

In a little exciting news - I’ve qualified for an interview for the alternative certification program I’ve applied to.  My academics had to be approved first and now I get to go in for an interview.  Woohoo!  If I’m accepted, I start pre-internship training in January and start applying for jobs for the next school year in the spring.  I can teach anywhere in the Houston area so this is my chance to decide where in the area we’d like to live.  I might apply up on the north side because I miss the tall pine trees (and I won’t have to have mandatory hurricane evacuations up there like I do down here closer to the coast).  See, Houston is ginormous and I currently live on the south east side of town which puts me within five miles of Galveston Bay and storm surges from large hurricanes.  If I move up on the north side, I’m 50 miles from the shore and more than clear from the storm surges.

 Thirteen Reasons why we leave the house late every day

1. I didn’t sleep under the covers all night long and now I’m cold! (crawls back under the covers)

2.  Me no want to go to school today Mom! 

3.  I have nothing to wear!! (said while looking at a full closet and she’s only six)

4.  It’s too dark in here!  (turns the bedroom light on)

5.  It’s too light in here! (crawls under the blankets)

6.  I’m not going if I can’t sit in the front seat!

7.  I can’t find my shoes! 

8.  (five minutes later…)  My shoes don’t match my outfit, Mom!

9.  (snore…  snore… snore…  )

10.  Please, just one cookie for breakfast???  (”You get breakfast at school.”)  Just one cookie?

11.  Mom, don’t we leave the house every day before sunrise?   It’s light outside and you’re still in bed.  (alarm clock hijacked by four year old)

12.  I can’t wear capris!  They are not girlie!

13.  (first child) Mom, I have to go pottie.   (second child)  Oh! Me too! Me too!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1.  Raggedy

2.  Tug

3.  my 2 cents

4.  Stacey

(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

I’ve been waiting an entire week (okay, three days) to show off my favorite WIP.

I’m making this for my aunt-in-law for Christmas.  It’s the Seraphina Shawl pattern from here.  I’m using Patons SWS in Natural Earth.  So far I’ve used two balls and I’m hoping that it won’t take more than the four balls I have to finish it.  It’s lovely and soft and colorful and I want to keep it, but it’s way too hot in Houston to get the use out of it that it deserves.

I’m also working on a knit dishcloth.  I’m hoping I can get a few more rows in tonight before taking a progress photo because the design is just beginning to take shape and I want to make sure I’m not making a gigantic mess before showing it off.

I found my hook to finish the mystery doily so that should be completed soon.  It was underneath the passenger seat of my truck.  I don’t know how, when or why it ended up there, but it’s “home” now.

 What else am I working on?    Oh!  I’m making a simple garter stitch scarf, but the yarn I bought is a little…orange so I have an idea of making up something Halloween themed with it instead of the scarf.  I’ve got an idea for pumpkin purses for the girls.

 Have you heard of Book Mooch?  Check it out. :) 

I finished this weeks ago, but instead of taking pictures of the finished product then, I started using it!  It’s my traveling project bag.  It gives me the chance to carry yarn and an incomplete project around with me while showing off a completed project at the same time.  I used Knit Pick’s Wool of the Andes in Blueberry and Chestnut.  I couldn’t remember at first if I used Merino Style or Wool of the Andes, but I found an extra skein and it was the latter.  I do know that it felts beautifully. 

I’m still searching for the right embellishment.  I wanted to go with a store bought flower, but I can’t find one that fits what I have in mind so I will more than likely use the template and make my own.  Either way, I love this bag (okay, I secretly love all of Julie’s patterns) and recommend it. 

Oops!  Where can you find the pattern for the Pike Place Market Bag?  Crochet me

 p.s.  I was a dope and deleted my wp-config file when I updated to the newest Word Press so I’m slowly working on re-uploading the posts that I made in the past few weeks.  Don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything crochet-related.  Those posts will be rolling in like crazy in the next few weeks as I storm ahead in my current mood to make and create like crazy.