One Finished Scarf for Charity

I broke out my crochet hook and started working on granny squares for a scarf for my charity project.  This is the end result.

 

I used Willow yarns Wash.  I have to say this is the best acrylic I have ever come across.  It is soft, not scratchy, and it is cushy.  It doesn't split, either.  I love this stuff.  I never thought I would hear myself say those words but, I am.  If you buy 10 skeins, there is a discount.  I bought more skeins.  I have a project in mind for someone.  :) 

 

I have 13 items ready for my charity so far.  I am working like a mad woman over here. 

 

The top photo shows the scarf with both sides showing.  The middle one shows one side, the bottom one shows the other side. 

 

I have plans to crochet more scarves for this project.  I think the next one will be smaller squares. 

Now, How Did I Do That?

I don't know how I do it but, I manage it somehow.  I managed to sprain my ankle by actually bending down to plug my lap top into it's power source so, the battery could charge.  I screamed in agony when it happened and the hubby asked if I was okay.  NO!  So, I am taped up and on the damn irritating crutches.  I hate crutches!!!

So, to make the best of a bad situation, I have been working on my charity mitt.  I am knitting it when I feel like it.  I managed to do several rows today.  I have the blanket sitting next to me on the couch and the best news is we decided that it only needs three more colors!  Oh yippee!!!!  I can't wait to see the end of it.  We put it on the bed and wow, it looks so good.  The cats were all over it. 

I figure I am going to do the three colors and then use the original middle color to do a simple edge for the blanket.  I am thinking probably single crochet around.  That should suffice.  I hope anyway.  What do I plan to do with all the left over yarn?  I plan to make another afghan.  I want to do the kit that I have waiting in the back ground and then on to some granny square blankets.  I have some nifty new crocheting books that have some beautiful and bright patterns that have been calling my name.  :) 

I am still working on my mitts and hats for the charity project.  Yay! 

Last night, I couldn't even stand the thought of using the crutches to go up the stairs to bed.  I crawled on my hands and knees up those stairs and managed to get in some damn good cardio.  Now I know how my old dogs feel going up those stairs.  This morning, I scooted on my butt down those same stairs.  I managed to lose my socks that I had tucked into the waist band of my shorts some where along the way and my darling hubby found them and retrieved them. 

Did I mention that I am a horrible patient?  I get bat shit crazy after a day of not being able to do what I want.  I will take you with me, too.  I am horrible on cruises that last more than 3 days, I get nuts on that ship.  Those walls start to close in and I want off of that damn ship.  If I can stay drunk for a couple of those days, I can make it.  The hang overs aren't worth it, though. 

Maybe that is why I gave up drinking, it just wasn't worth the pain. 

Progress

Here is the blanket as it looks right now.   I am working on pistachio.  It is faint in this picture but, it is there.  I have more yarn to add to this thing and it is getting to be huge.  Right now, it is covering up the love seat in my family room.  It will be on the king sized bed when it is completely finished.  I can't wait to see the end of this project so, I can move on to other things. 
 
I fell asleep under this thing this morning when I was working on it.  I am on the shells portion of the pistachio row and then on to another color. 

The cats love to sleep on it already as it sits on the couch waiting for me to work on it.  My right hand is killing me and I took a break from crocheting it to knit on my charity mitts.  I finished the mitts this morning. 

I will be casting on for either a hat or another pair of mitts. 

More Colors!

I am still working on the blanket.  Here is the red that I had added a couple of rounds ago.  I am currently working on a pistachio.  Each color is two rounds.  Fun.  I have more yarn to add to this thing and hopefully, it will be complete and I can really start to work on my charity knitting.  So far, one hat completely finished.  I started on a mitten yesterday and hopefully, I can get those finished by the end of the day. 

My hands are killing me right now. 

I woke up this morning feeling lousy.  It seems that allergy season is here and in full force.  Great. 

On my mittens, I am contemplating my thumb.  I can't decide if I should do an increase thumb or do an after thought thumb.  Decisions, decisions.  Hmm.  I can see how each one would work, I just have to think of the person who will get this pair of mittens, will they like them if they have the increases or not.  It is always a challenge to a knitter to figure out these things. 

Today is knitting day.  I need to relax and get rid of the sore throat.  I hate the things.  I am just dragging.  I hope it doesn't last too long, I have things to do and people to see.  I don't have time to be sick. 

I really do want to see the tail end of this blanket.  I even ordered in more acrylic yarn for another blanket with a different pattern.  I have a new book that has some really cute blanket ideas in it.  It looks like bright colors are back in.  Finally!  If you didn't know this, I love bright colors!  I think my work reflects that. 

The Killer Pool Exercise that Works!

 I have a new pool exercise that is tough to do and it hurts when I am finished doing it but, man, it works!  I was perusing one of my magazines, it was one of those health women's ones and I saw this simple looking exercise that involves a pool noodle, aka cheap foam like noodle that will float.  Since I have three of the things for my guests to float around on, I decided to try this exercise out.  It looked amazingly simple.  So, I grabbed my blue noodle and proceeded to do the exercise.  It starts out where I grab the noodle in the middle and then push it down into the water.  Here comes the fun part, then I push my noodle forward into the water making my body, not my feet go forward, it is supposed to look like a push up but, the noodle holds me up and then the hard part, bringing my body and the noodle back to the upright position without moving my feet.  I started out with 4 repeats of this exercise. 

Now, I am up to 7 of these things a day.  I add one more each time I do this exercise.  What am I noticing?  My middle section is firming up.  It is incredibly hard for a woman past 40 years old to lose her belly.  I know.  I am loving this new exercise, a lot.  Not only do I swim for 30 minutes to an hour a day, I am doing this exercise.  I have noticed my core is strengthening from this exercise, too. 

The most interesting thing about this exercise, the hubby tried it and couldn't get the hang of it.  I think it is one of those exercises that women can do but, men can't seem to work out.  It is like the chair move, where you take a chair, place it against the wall, put your head against the wall and lift the chair straight up.  Men can't do it.  Only women can because our center of balance is very different from theirs. 

I am working on knitting hats right now for my charity knitting project.  I have been working with hand spun yarn and it is looking really cool.  I decided to use my hand spun since I am trying to use up as much of my yarn stash as I can.  The hand spun yarn is stretchy.  I love that.  When I finish the ear flaps, I will post pictures of it.  I love the colors in this yarn.  I can't remember if I dyed it or if I bought the fiber.  Either way, it is unique. 

One of my friends has volunteered her time and yarn to crochet hats, mittens, and scarves for the project so, I am still looking for others to help us out.  I will ask the other ladies in the chapter if they would be so kind if they have the time to help us out. 

I hope everyone has a beautiful weekend, if you need rain, I hope you get it, and if you need sunshine, I hope you get a bountiful amount to dry it all out for you.  Since I am in Texas, we desperately need the rain. 

Updates to my Current Projects

Top photo shows my sock that I just finished.  The second photo is the most current picture of the blanket and my progress of it.  The last picture is the hat I knit for my charity project. 

More rows will be added to the blanket.  I will be knitting more hats for my charity project and this should decrease my yarn stash quite a bit. 

I wore the socks last night since my feet were freezing when I crawled out of my pool.  They are nice and comfy.  :) 

The Keep Them Warm Campaign

I have finally found my charity knitting for the winter months and I am going to try and get other knitters to help me in my endeavor.  I am a DAR, or Daughter of the American Revolution and I am starting a charity knitting event for a particular school in Grant, Alabama.  This is a DAR school and what this means is that DAR funds it.  The ladies in DAR support it and other schools like it where a school was desperately needed.  Most of the kids in the schools come from poor families who are below the poverty line.  So, they are always in need of different items for the kids. 

This particular school is for kids from Kindergarten to 12th grade.  So, they are in need of a few items like coats, hats, mittens, and scarves.  They also accept clothing donations, shoes, etc.  My goal with the keep them warm campaign is to donate as many hats, scarves and mittens as I can knit or get knitters to donate to me for this school for their Christmas presents.  If you would love to participate in this with me, please comment and I will get back to you with my mailing address. 

Thank you to all in advance.