Tuesday, April 24, 2012

I'm still here

Sigh...so much going on. A friend passed away on Saturday and I have been consumed with that and will be the rest of this week.

Work is very busy and getting ready to get a lot busier...I'm doing the work of 2 and will be doing the work of 3 shortly.

Haven't crocheted a lot lately. Trying to get my commissioned doll done and I'm having some blocks with the clothes.......double sigh. Just not into it at all. I hate when that happens.

And the weather turned cold again. 30's this morning at home. What's up with that??

So I will be back, although I've seen a few grumbles about the new blogger. I switched it back to the old interface. :o)

Hope to see you soon! Have I told you lately how much I love y'all??? Well I do.

TTFN
Kat
xoxox

Friday, April 13, 2012

37 - In The Middle of April

Yes! Again this morning it was in the 30's when I left home at 5. (Been up since 3) So I am layered today. The high is only supposed to be 66. What is up with this weird weather? We've had a lovely spring. My sister in FL said that it's been so hot this winter, that they hardly had a winter. And as hot as it is now she hates to see the summer. I heard them talking on the news last night about it may be a bad summer with hurricanes. The water has to be warmer than earlier years because of the mild winter. I hate to see it.

And I have news.......I have seen a hummingbird!! Only one so far, he must the early bird. :o)

Anyways, I have some hooky to show you. I've been in a slump. But I managed to work on a few things.

I ordered the Crochet Today! Baby and Kids Book. I love it! I have made a booty from one of the patterns. I started on the second one and didn't count on it because I did so good on the first one. Yeah...will I never ever learn?? I got the bottom and 4 rows done and discovered that my count was off by 4 stitches!! I was so disgusted with myself I just threw it down and left it. lol. After I'm done with the bunting I will go back and make another one. It won't take but an hour to do. It's just that after I found that I'd messed up I couldn't do anymore booty. :o()

So below is the bunting and it's going really quick and I am loving it. I know for sure I will be making more with this pattern. And yes, I am counting and re-counting on this.
More green and brown. :o) I stocked up on 3 different brands of greens and browns when I bought yarn for the turtle shell. This is Baby Bee Hushabye Solid from Hobby Lobby. The brown is chocolate, I don't know what the name of the green is. The yarn is 50% cotton and 50% acrylic. It is soo soft and I love working with it. I can't wait until it's done. Should be done with it this weekend. It's for another friend of mine that is just 15 weeks pregnant and due around the 10th of October.
What can I say...a baby hat made from the same two yarns as above. :o)

Another hat with a double shell brim. Told ya, I'm a hat making fool. :o) If I get a chance this weekend I'll lay out all that I have done so far.

And last on this FRIDAY THE 13TH is another hot pad in red and blue cotton. This is kind of wonky and won't lay flat. But I imagine when a hot pot is laid on top of it, it will won't it. :o)

That's about it for me this week folks. I've got to make a trip to Hobby Lobby tomorrow because I need some of those jiggly eyes. :o) I hate going because I don't usually come out without spending a lot more than what I need to be spending.  But I need the jiggly's.

Have a wonderful weekend and may the sun shine in all it's glory to warm you up just right! Cya soon!

TTFN
Kat
xoxo

Monday, April 9, 2012

Dream Giveaway!

Kathryn is having a giveaway! A rather large crochet giveaway. Visit her and see for yourself.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

38

That is the temp here this morning! Unbelievable. It's no wonder the humming birds aren't here yet. They know. My hummingbirds normally (for the last 12 years anyways) come around April 1st. My second year here I was sitting out on the porch reading in the afternoon on the 1st of April and a hummingbird came zipping up in front of me, stopped and looked at me as if to say 'I'm back, where's my juice!' and took off. It was so cool. They stay all summer and normally leave anywhere from the middle of September to the 1st of October and fly to where ever it is they go. According to all I've read they go to South America for the winter. I normally have 2 feeders on the front porch for them and make my own juice with sugar and water with a 1 to 3 mixture. 1 part sugar to 3 parts water - put your water on to boil (to get rid of all the impurities) and right after it starts to boil add the sugar, stir until the water is clear and take the pot off the burner and let it sit on another burner until it's cooled off and then put in your feeder. They say to refresh it once a week but depending on how many hummingbirds you get to your feeder and the temperature outside, it may be more frequent. When you see the water getting cloudy then it needs to be changed. That means it's starting to sour. I've read where at the beginning and end of the season you may want to make the sugar part heavier because of them making that long trip home, and the long trip back south. But my theory is that they make stops along the way south before they go to SA and vice versa. The extra sugar makes it sour quicker if you have high temps.

So there, you have an education on hummingbirds - or what's been my experience anyways. :o) I love the little critters. I once watched two fight on my front porch. As they were fighting they were spiraling down to the ground and when they hit the ground I went to see if they were ok and I guess they realized what was going on and took off! When the males court the females they do this pendulum thing in the air. The female sits on a branch and he flies in an arc of a pendulum. The sound and sight of that is just awesome.

Anyways, while I await my little birds to grace my presence I crochet. :o) I made the following last night while watching the ACM awards that I had recorded.






In the first pic is a bracelet, necklace and turtle that I made for Rachel's birthday (the 7 year old I told you about in yesterday's post). All using scraps. These will go in her bag too. :o)

The second pic is a hot pad from the Autumn Leaf pattern by Bella Crochet. It's a free pattern from her site http://bellacrochet.com. I used two strands of Peaches and Creme - Deep Purple and a red that I don't know what the name of it is (the wrapper was gone). This was a very easy and quick pattern to hook up. I will definitely put this pattern in my favorites folder to make again.

Oh....I've been meaning to show you my tote full of hats. I need to get a bigger tote. Actually, I could probably clean out and consolidate my other totes. I am definitely a hat makin' fool.




Ok y'all, I need to get my butt up and get busy. Got a bunch to get done before the birthday party this afternoon. Cya soon!!

Happy Easter!

TTFN
Kat
xoxo

Friday, April 6, 2012

Time Flies

My, how time flies! It's Friday, my favorite day, already. I have been super busy at work but have caught up with a few of you during the week, as much as I could anyways.

On the hooky front I am going to town with hats. They are such a super quick project to sit with in front of the tv when I get home every day, that is a no brainer. I have been brain dead most every day when I get home from work and all I want to do is sit there with my large glass of tea, crochet, Leo next to me with the tv on, until bedtime (which isn't too long).

We had some storms yesterday. Of course Leo did his shaking and this time panting. By the time he got to the panting, the storms were gone and it was just raining. Today is a rain day here. I am so hoping he gets in his little house and chills for the day but I fear it won't be so. I just hope we don't have any thunderstorms, which I doubt because it's not a warm front hitting a cold front. Can you believe this - it's going to be in the 40's again! As soon as this front clears it will be 40's at night at least until the end of next week. I just did turn on the a/c Sunday and now I have to turn the heat back on. Simply amazing. I thought we were done with the chilly stuff. But ya know what? I noticed that my hummingbirds are not back yet. They normally are already here April 1st. This is the first year they haven't been back by now.




I know it's hard to see this pic but it's a birthday present for a little girl turning 7 tomorrow. I used up some purple scraps I had to make the bag and I'm going to put $7 in change in it for her. This worked up fairly quickly in one of my evenings vegging in front of the tv. It has a cute little flower on it but it's hard to see.



Does this play tricks with your eyes? I didn't join my rounds. This hot pad and the two below are for my ex-step-sister who is having a house warming party at the end of this month. Again, I was trying to use up scraps I have of some of my cotton. I'm may try to go, she is in NC, but if not then I'll send them. I also have made some hats to send with these for her church. They have what they call a coat closet and although I don't have any coats to contribute I can contribute some hats to help keep some heads warmy. I will probably make a couple more hot pads too, I have time.








None of these pics is good in lighting or color. That's my ipad for ya. I'm having a problem with my phone and my email. I tried to send pics that way because they are usually better in color, but my email on my phone would not send them to me at work. :o( That means a dang trip to Verizon tomorrow.

Well that's about all I have for now. I hope you've had a wonderful week and that the wonderfulness :o) continues. Cya soon!

TTFN
Kat
xoxo