I wasn't meant to blog yesterday!

I wrote a post 3 times yesterday and somehow I hit some key or tried to capitalize and I lost it all.....3 times and we all know 3 times is charm so I gave up! LOL!  I thought I would try this morning....I was pretty tired yesterday anyway as we had storms the  night before that kept me up so I'm sure that might have had something to do with 'hitting the wrong key'. 
My first Hermione's Everyday sock is coming along nicely..........I'm on the leg and round 27 of 72....so far so good!

 

 On Sunday I forgot to post about my doily.....so here it is about 1/2 way done........these are both items on my YOP list..............I was truly amazed at myself being able to work with that tiny steel crochet hook!

The other night I watched Cherry Heart podcast and Betsy Makes podcast (they're friends) and they are collaborating on a CAL (crochet along) involving a shawl pattern by Christina Hadderingh called Hotel of Bees....isn't it gorgeous?

    The pattern was inspired by the novel by Andrew Doerr...."All The Light We Cannot See" which I have not read yet....some of you may have read it already as it has been a best seller and a Pulitzer Prize winner.............

From Amazon: "From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II."

 On April 8th you can enter a code for a discount on the pattern...BEE20 and the CAL starts on April 14th which gives you plenty of time to gather your supplies or order yarn.  You need to join Cherry Heart and/or BetsyMakes groups on Ravelry in order to qualify for prizes at the end of the CAL.  Also, Sew Sweet Violet is having a MAL(make along) that has anything to do with bees in any craft.  Thus, for prizes you could 'triple-dip'!  Check out their podcasts for all the details.  Here is the link to the pattern

on Ravelry.  

I think it would be great fun to read the book and work on the shawl at the same time and be involved in the CAL and MAL!  I love anything to do with bees so this is truly a wonderful opportunity!  Bees are also an engineering marvel.  I remember Joan Rivers, who had a bee pin jewelry collection, stated that by all standards bees (based on their body weight and their wing size) should not be able to fly but they do!  She always used them as her role models....ie; don't ever let any limitations of any kind stop you from doing what you want to do in life!  Yes, bees are amazing creatures and so necessary for our survival too!  So come along and let us all salute bees by joining in this CAL and maybe reading a great book at the same time!  

Happy Trails!

It's Monday...what are you reading, listening to and/or watching?

 I have a few finishes....like this one......the 2nd book in the Inspector Gamache series.....SO GOOD!  Every night I would look forward to reading it and now I have to order book #3!  Highly recommend this series if you like mysteries that have superb plots and twists without the gore or fright!  I call them 'mysteries for intellectuals'....lol!

I also finished my Taproot magazine....the issue Myth and it was excellent!  I definitely will be subscribing to this magazine....it's like it was made for me.....there's stories, recipes, patterns and just wonderful information about a variety of topics.  You need to try it!  As they state on the cover...."the magazine for makers, doers and dreamers" and it is exactly that!

This was a memoir of sorts and so delightfully and sadly told by a very talented woman who has several books out on crafts and sewing.  It is the story of her childhood which was wonderful and unique but also scary as her Mother wasn't paying much attention most of the time.  But it is very well written and Heather has been made strong in the process plus it has a fairy tale ending!  A must read if you like good non-fiction about real people.

This one is also finished and so enjoyable.  I love stories of self-sufficiency and survival and Gary Paulsen is so good at it!  He actually tests a lot of his events out before he puts them on paper so although fiction it is very realistic fiction.  These are for Young Adults or Young Adults at heart!  I think there's another one called Winter which is next.  This one was very good just like the first one, Hatchet, that I loved.  My grandson's will be getting these when I'm finished...at least the ones that can read! LOL!

At the present time I am reading Book #4 of the Harry Potter series...........The Goblet of Fire.......very good so far...........

I need to grab another magazine to read and I am still reading this non-fiction on my Kindle app on my tablet.............it's interesting and tells about the new generation of entrepreneurs out there that are not following the old methods of starting a business which is great to hear because it was enough to put anyone off from starting one.  My hat's off to this new way of 'doing' business. I got this for my son to read when he comes down but of course I had to check it out to see if it was any good! LOL!
With this book I may start a side business of my own. After I move that is!

I'm reading this non-fiction that I got for St. Patrick's Day and it is very good so far....and it actually takes place near to where my ancestors were from in County Donegal in Northern Ireland.  It sort of gives me a glimpse into how they lived and the landscape etc.  Much  of it hasn't changed a lot.  I know the thatched roof cottage that has been in my family for generations just got a metal roof about 20 years ago or less.  I love the 'untouched' parts of the world.

I haven't really listened to anything like audio podcasts but I have watched video podcasts and a few other than my regulars.  One of the new ones is Betsy Makes and she is good friends with Sandra of Cherry Heart.   She also dyes her own yarn and has some really pretty project bags she sells in her Etsy shop.  Also, I found some new mystery series on You Tube which are really good....one is Rosemary and Thyme and the other is Hetty Winthrope.....free and no ads! LOL!  They are both British mysteries which I dearly love.....they are always done in such good taste.  That's all for this week and I hope you are enjoying whatever you are reading, watching and/or listening to!
Happy Trails!

YOP Week #40

Only 12 more weeks left??????  Oh my!  I better get a move on!  I was wondering the other day why I have so many WIPs and I finally figured it out.  I start working on a project for me or for gift giving and then a holiday comes up and being a grandmother I feel it's my duty to do something for the grands.   So,  I put my projects down and start something for them.  I have 3 grands and then my own children who I like to give a little something to also.  I have great intentions but just when do I think I am going to get all this done?  This from the slowest person on the planet!  Now, what do I do about it?  I haven't quite figured that  out yet.
I have reserved weekends for crafting so I am hoping that helps......here are some Easter projects......
 I know...it looks like a hat but it is going to be a bunny and there will be 3 of them total.  This was a kit from Alicia Paulson and it is crocheted but oh is it 'fiddly'!   You increase until you get 102 sc and then you start the striping but the yarn is splitty and you have to count every row when you're finished to see if you have 102 exactly.  It is taking forever!  It is the slowest crochet project I have ever worked on and I thought I would be okay with crochet!  Not!  There is no way I will have 3 bunnies done by Easter.....this is how it happens....all those WIPs! LOL!

 So then I thought I would whip up some eggs for egg trees.............you have to count these rounds too!

Then I spotted this darling Easter wall hanging over at A Little Happy Place that I thought I could just whip 4 of them off (one for me too) and that would cover the whole family along with some Easter "treats"...........I thought it was just too cute and it's a "mini" wall hanging......I can do this!

So, I have spent all weekend and I am not even half done but I am enjoying getting back to sewing and Easter is a ways away so maybe there's hope?  I got everything cut out yesterday for the 4 "mini's".........

and I started sewing it together yesterday and more today...........but it always takes a lot more time than I think  it will.........but I will "carry on"!

I've been steadily working on my Beatrix Potter blanket in the evenings as it is the only project I have right now that doesn't require concentration!  I need to use a progress keeper as it seems I have been working on that pink stripe for forever! 

I need to place an order with Deramores and get the 3 new Stylecraft Special DK colors (available April 7th) plus my yarn to finish the Maybelle blanket...remember that one?  They are 'vintage' colors...Mushroom, Buttercup and I can't remember the 3rd color plus I need other 'refills' on my favs.  I love Stylecraft Special DK even though it is acrylic it is so soft and nice to work with and with my grands it has got to be washable!  Me too with my girls!  Plus, there's a zillion colors!

Okay........does this look familiar?  Yes, I frogged my Hermione's Everyday socks (I was doing 2 consecutively) and I have started again....stupid or stubborn?  You be the judge!  But I missed knitting and I really think it was because of my son's illness that I just could not focus.  BTW, he is coming along and the prognosis is looking good!  So that being said I am hoping this pair will go better and I really do love knitting socks or am I just a glutton for punishment?

That poor yarn has to be so tired!  I also printed off a free pattern on Ravelry......the famous Vanilla Latte Socks by Virginia Rose-Jeanes.  From what I understand it is like a 'sock recipe' and you can interchange your favorite methods of cuff, heel, etc.  I think I need a sock recipe....it's time has come!

So, that's all for this week folks!  I hope you had a glorious one.  Be sure and check my sidebar as I am continually adding new blogs and sites in categories of Knitting, Crocheting and now Sewing and Quilting too.  I found some great ones out there!  Have a great week and stop by tomorrow for "It's Monday, What Are You Reading, Watching and/or Listening To"! 
Happy Trails!