Knitting and Crochet Blog Week... Day Three

Hello All!  Today's post is all about Organization.  Oooo, that sounds so official.  I say that because my stash yarn is NOT organized to any great extent.

My current project(s) usually reside somewhere near my end of the dining room table.  Don't look behind or to the side of my chair.  You cannot see the floor or lower wall for the bags of yarn and/or WIPs sitting there.  Drives my husband insane, let me tell you.  And he truly does not understand the concept of having more than one project going at a time.

I have several large plastic bins full of yarn and various crafty things; these currently live in the garage.  Those are the bins I found the 28 granny squares in awhile ago.  They are currently a WIP to become a blanket; I am using Priscilla Hewitt's flat braid join.  Once I figured how to do it, it works like a charm!

If you think you will see a photo of my dining room and my wonderfully messy work area, think again!  I will leave you with the image of "My Sweet Rose" aka "The Soul of a Rose" by John William Waterhouse, courtesy of jwwaterhouse.com.  This is such a calming picture for me.

See ya tomorrow!
Renee  :)

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Knitting and Crochet Blog Week... Day Two

Today's post is to be about how we bettered ourselves craft-wise over the last year...

The beginning of 2010 saw me make up my mind I was going to get back into crocheting whether my hands liked it or not!  Some arthritis, especially in the left hand,  made me think that crocheting would make everything worse. 

Well, I bought my Clover hooks...already had my stash.  Hmm, this just might work.  My hands, esp. the left one, felt better -- not as "swollen" or stiff; both were more flexible.  I couldn't believe this! 

Well, it didn't take me long to start making plans.  Afghans, squares, garlands, all kinds of yarny goodness floated through my brain!  I do miss making doilies though.  I wonder if Clover makes small size hooks with big handles?

Yes, crochet still makes a difference in how my hands feel.  I didn't crochet yesterday; NOT once.  (I did look at patterns though.)  And my hands feel "swollen" and stiff, maybe not as bad as before; but I can definitely tell the difference.  And, THAT is a good feeling.

See you tomorrow for Day 3,

Renee  :)

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Knitting and Crochet Blog Week... Day One

A week full of yarn people blogging together is what 2KCBW is all about.  The first day's post is to compare a yarn you love with a yarn you hate, or whatever degree of emotion you feel about said yarns!

To begin with, I have to confess of not ever using any other yarn except 4-ply worsted weight.  I have used all sizes of thread... I used to make tons of doilies back in the day.  You know, the pre-arthritis days.

Anyway, my current yarn of choice is:  Red Heart Super Saver (aka RHSS).  Durability, range of colors, availability, price are all the reasons I use it.  I use it especially for afghans.  Below are squares I did for Share A Square this year.

My choice of the "other yarn" used to be my favorite until K-Mart stopped carrying it.  Ok, so we don't have a K-Mart in my town anymore either.  I am speaking of LoveKnit.  (Actually, I think the manufacturer stopped making it.)  Much softer than RHSS right on the skein.  Price, color, durability -- all there.  Below is an afghan I made for my father-in-law's Christmas present about 25 years ago.  He had cancer, and so sat a lot of the day.  This photo was taken last week.  As you can see, still holding up strong.  I actually buy any and all LoveKnit I find at thrift shops, garage sales, etc.

So, my "Tale of Two Yarns" is done.  If you want to participate in Knit and Crochet Blog Week, click on the banner at the top of today's post.

See ya tomorrow!
Renee  :)

Spring Garlands... Part 2

Morning to all... even if it's not morning where you are!

Thanks to all who have commented on my Spring Garlands.  I just became aware not too long ago of the copyright issues involved concerning the publishing of the pattern/diagram for the Japanese flowers.  Copyright must be respected, and so the diagram and links have been taken down from Lucy's post.  I also believe the book from which the pattern is taken is sold out in most places.  Motif Book, Vol. 4 by Nihon Vogue Sha (September 2006) is the book which features the original pattern.

I hope everyone has the best weekend.  We have tons of snow here -- last of Winter's storms, first of Spring's.

Renee  :)

UPDATE:  Elizabeth Cat still has her version of the pattern posted here as a tutorial.  So Lovely!

Spring Garlands...

Ah, yes.  Spring has sprung.  Finally!  And some more work out of my stash.  A couple of Spring Garlands using the now-famous Japanese Flower pattern featured here on Lucy's post.  They are so quick and easy to do, even with color changes.  The small flowers and leaves are also from a Japanese pattern book.  But my copy of the pattern is from a photocopy.  I cannot find the particular book although I have looked through a LOT of books.  And drooled a lot, too!  The Japanese crochet books are sooo lovely; printed very nicely featuring wonderful patterns!

UPDATE:  Joining in Kootoyoo's Creative Spaces today...