My yarn, knitting needles and crochet hooks have been quiet for a spell.  I knitted and crocheted so much during Mom’s long hospital stay leading up to her death, it was difficult to pick up the yarn again.  But, I am finding my way back.  Life has struggles for us to over come.  We may each choose a different path in getting over the bumps in the road, but ultimately we do find ourselves back on the road going places.

Yesterday I finished a navy blue crocheted scarf I’d been laboring on.  It felt good to get it completed.  So good, I started a 2nd one with the same navy blue and made excellent progress with it.  Both these scarves will be donated to a homeless project I’m involved with called The Bridge and Beyond.

I am finding my way back and look forward to the road ahead with my trusty Garmin on the dash and yarn in my travel bag.

May the bumps in your road be small.

I’ve not posted here in quite some time.  Many of you know My Mother was gravely ill for an extended time at the hospital.  Things continued to worsen and finally she was released from the pain and suffering she endured.  She died on April 13^th.    I haven’t done much with yarn since then.  Seems the life went out of it as well.  I made hats, booties, and scarves during her long 7 plus week stay; I’ve made nothing since.  I have bags of yarn, my project bags everywhere…sitting, undisturbed.  Some contain knitting projects, some contain crochet projects; but all remained unfinished.

A week ago, I decided I should try to start something new; thinking a fresh start might help to get me going again.  A simple crochet scarf, something I could normally complete in 2 or 3 sittings.  It’s still not finished.  I keep looking at it; but that doesn’t seem to get the job done.  It’s a nice wide man size, will when finished go to the homeless project.  It’s now time to stock pile those things a bit; as the need is less with the onset of warmer weather.  Though perhaps not needed right now, many of my started projects are.

I set goals for myself every year.  Goals of how many items to knit and crochet and donate to charity.  My goal for the last couple of years has been 200 items.  I fell just slightly short of that number last year (9 short); this year I don’t think I’ll even come close as far behind as I now am.

I’m finding serenity being outside, planting flowers, and weeding the gardens.  So for now, I’ve not much to show you; other than the blue and green crochet scarf…the one when finished will be stock piled for The Bridge and Beyond, homeless project.

Many thanks to all who’ve left beautiful comments to help me through this, they were and continue to be very much appreciated.  I feel terribly behind also with knowing and understanding the changes here on Today.  I must try to look through things on the forum later and see what I can learn

The table next to me was multi-generational, people were excited; a baby was about to be born.  Grandma and Grandpa had charge of two little ones and I think perhaps the other lady I saw was an aunt.  Much discussion about what time the baby would be born and what name they would agree on was taking place.

Gathered by the elevator, as I made my way back to my mothers room; was a sad tearful family.  As they comforted each other, several were on the phone making funeral arrangements.

My time of late at the hospital seems to follow this path of The Circle of Life; I’ve been making infant hats and booties thinking of life–new life which helps to give many of us hope.  Hope for the future.

The hats and booties pictured are all knitted and all will be donated to Homespun Helpers for a hospitals’ NICU unit in need.  Had made a 5th set, brown varigated like the the blue and white you see; but the charge nurse on my mothers floor purchased it for her soon to be born grandson.  I’ll use the money she paid me towards the postage to send these other 4 sets off.

My sincere thanks for all who’ve left good wishes and said prayers for my family during this difficult time.  I do hope as things calm down I’ll get to do some blog visiting.

Things are changing with regard to usage of EntreCard here on Today Blogs.  My widget is still active for a short while longer and I’ll be moving towards discontinuing it over the next several days. (actually I have an EC widget on my travel blog…hint hint wink wink at here

First I want to say Thanks to some special people.  Since I began blogging here on Today.com I have 5 blogs I’d like to list as my Top Commenters (see neat trophy on the right side of my blog).  This is an EntreCard thing, but I think we may be able to continue using it.  I must check into that.

Roxie over at Recovery Rocks 24 comments, Jan at Ignite to Write 18 comments, laneerg (Laura) at The Single Frugalton with 13 comments, Chameleonsdream at CoffeeBreak with 10 comments, and wind at One with 7 comments.  Thank you all for visiting, reading, and commenting on my blog.  I do hope you’ll continue even without the ability to drop your card (4 of these folks were fellow EntreCard Members).

I was pretty excited that my popular number on EntreCard had grown to 900+ and was nearing the 1000 until the announcement was made that EntreCard and Today were no longer a go.  In a short few days my number dropped to around 500+ and I deleted my little widget.

Currently these are my top droppers for this Month, posting a bit early to try and wrap things up.

My thanks to you all!

AND…drum roll please, did you notice my brandy new banner!  I’m pretty excited about it and want to thank, dreadpiraterose at Convention Fans.

Tomorrow, pop back to see more special thanks!

**I know, the picture has nothing to do with my ramblings; but wanted to post one for you.  I should add this afghan is one I crocheted for my nephew a few Christmas’s ago.  He’s a big football fan, Ohio State Football Fan.  This was lots of fun to make

Blue Mood

cold-uncertain-dark

BLUE

…bright - shinny?

Blue in contrast

My mood is blue, so much time spent at the hospital and ICU, talking with social services, thinking about extended long term rehabilitation….And yet, rehabilitation infers contineous, future and hope?  Does it not?

Life is not always rosey, it’s often blue…….though blue  can be pretty and thus my confusion.

Life is not constant, it is changeable it is fickle and so is the color blue.  Blue can mean the bright shinny sky, it can mean the dark state of depression; but blue has many hues—together they are beautiful.

My mood is blue now, though this  afghan is one of my favorites and it is all blue……..life is contrast.  I see and feel those contrasts, the highs and the lows.  Life is never all one direction.

This was a graduation gift for Steph, the girl across the street; she was like a 2nd daughter for many years.  Crocheted granny squares, 2 colors only……….blue and blue.

****

My apologies for not being able to keep up on drops, on visits, on comments.  If you’ve read some of my previous posts you know things have been anything but pleasant regarding my Mom, ICU, emergency surgery and so forth.

I’ve been spending lots of time in Intensive Care , with yarn always at my side for comfort.  I befriended a lovely senior and gifted her yarn and baby booties awhile back.  A few days later, Grandma presented me with her gift made from yarn.  Certainly not something she needed to do though was very much appreciated by my brothers and I as we sat and sat– and waited and waited.  One does a lot of sitting and waiting at the hospital.  Her gift to me is a box to put 2 decks of cards in.  Now I’m not a card player, though that doesn’t matter in the least.  What does matter is….seeds were planting and things are growing.  I planted the seed when I gave her booties and yarn, she’s made that seed of love and support grow with her darling mesh box to hold cards.  I think this garden of caring will continue to grow.  I plan to purchase 2 decks of cards to place in the box and gift it to another waiting family there in The ICU.  I have no doubt it will grow again after that.

Grandma’s daughter has moved on from ICU to a regular hospital floor, we were all quite excited for her and bid each other well.  I’ll pass along the seeds of love (her box of cards), when Mom also moves along to a regular hospital floor.  And so, like a garden in ones backyard our garden of yarn continues to prosper and feed people’s souls.

**Thank you to all for such caring good wishes for my family, I do deeply appreciate it.  And now my yarn and I will make our way back to ICU.

I know you’re sitting there scratching your head and saying this time she’s truly gone off her rocker; assuming she was ever on her rocker!  Yarn…healing….ri gh..t.  Stick with me as I tell you my story.  When I finish this I’m heading to the hospital; which I believe will be day 11 or maybe 12 in The ICU (Intensive Care), where Mom continues to be on a respirator.  It’s been a very long 11 or 12 days which started with a trip to the emergency room, followed by emergency surgery, more blood tests than I can count, a host of scans, MRI’s, x-rays, IV’s, tubes and drains everywhere.  Sad place, the ICU waiting room.  Many of us have bonded over commonalities, having a loved one on life support requires support and thus the bonding. 

 People pass the time in a variety of ways, visiting, reading, playing cards, watching TV.  Me, I knit and knit and knit.  For a change of pace, I crochet.  My knitting and crocheting have caused some conversations which also help to pass the time.  Those conversations are healing for me.  The items I’m knitting and crocheting are healing for others.  I’ve made 3 scarves which will go to my homeless project.  I’ve knitted 2 pair of baby booties which were heading towards a military charity…to me that’s also healing.  The booties were being eyed by a great grandmother who has spent far too much time there in the waiting room, hoping and praying for her loved one.  She asked how to make them, I wrote down directions.  She asked for a sample of the particular yarn I was using, as it was so nice and soft and one she wasn’t familiar with (she thought that would help her find it).  I have an abundance of yarn and so gave her my bag of it and the 2 pair of booties I had made.  She smiled and gave me a hug, told me she would say a prayer for my mother.  Healing….you betcha.  She hadn’t smiled in a while, and so yes…most definitely healing.  Holding the yarn, knitting and crocheting helps me stay calm; gives me some peace, many types of healing from my perspective.

 When you feeling down and out, helping someone else does make you feel better and that is healing, it is powerful and for me, yarn has that power.

 My apologies for being less active here, for not being able to visit and comment back on your pages (I will, promise when things calm down), and for not being able to pay back  all the EC drops; though I have been able to do some.

This book talks about machine knitting.  How does a knitting machine knit?  It’s not automatic, it’s not programmed and done when you walk back into the room.  It is still very much manual.  Is it faster than your hands and 2 or 3 or 4 knitting needles?  Yes…and no.  You knit a whole row at one time, so yes thats faster and many who use a knitting machine don’t own knitting needles.  I have a friend who did some limited hand knitting and crocheting until she bought her knitting machine and fell so in love with the machine she’s not touched a crochet hook or knitting needle since.  And the sweaters she’s made on it are fabulous!!!

I still like the variety of being able to do it all.  Sometimes I’m in the mood to crochet, sometimes knitting bothers my carpal tunnel and ulnar nerve less, sometimes I like the portability of grabbing a project and taking off with my needles, and sometimes I like standing at my knitting machine and zooming away.

I’ve used my machine to make afghans, baby blankets, scarfs, and hats.  I’ve managed some Fair Isle Knitting, but have not mastered cables on the machine.  I think more people use the machines to make sweaters and in fact some stores sell it as the sweater knitter.

I have short and long knitting needles, I have wooden and plastic knitting needles, I have circular knitting needles in a variety of sizes (some are wooden, some plastic and some are metal), I have the entire set of Denise interchangeable knitting needles, I have knitting looms, a knitting machine, and lots of plastic Susan Bates Crochet Hooks.  So you see, Tim…..grunt grunt….I too have tools.  It is odd to me, and sometimes frustrating that one needs far more equipment/tools to knit than to crochet.  With 1 set of crochet hooks you’re set, until you loose or brake on; but with knitting you’re always in need of a size or style needle that forces you to go shopping again and again.  You can see from the picture, my knitting machine also serves as a table…a collection place for some of my other projects and equipment.  I need to clean it of.   This makes a great gift if you have a crafter in the family.  Below my knitting machine are my project bags.  This is my office, housing my tools, just like Tim has his garage with his tools.

I’ve been MIA due to a family medical emergency

I’ve not been able to count or list those that have commenting the most, or my top droppers, or go visiting your blogs and make comments.  Perhaps when things calm down.  Thank you for your understanding.

I really must have one or a dozen of these! How bout you? Order today.  Think of all the people in your life who’d love to wear their craft.  Such a wonderful way to show off the fact that they are keeping alive such a noble craft.  This charm has two knitting needles and yarn; but I’d be happy to sport it even if I crocheted.  I enjoy both skills.  It’s not my birthday, nor is it near Christmas, we just past Valentines Day, and Mothers Day isn’t for awhile yet …hum.  I might have to gift myself.  Unless any of my readers would love to buy me a gift….hehe

This would be a wonderful door prize or gift for anyone who participates in a church guild..oh the ideas are endless.   This Silver Creek piece of jewelry also has FREE shipping, hurry!

Yarn Charm, I consider almost everything everyone makes with yarn a charm, in the end.  Be it knitted, or crocheted.

These charming yarn items were knitted while I was on vacation last week.  The pink hat is for an infant and was knitted in the round.  The 3 pair of little booties also knitted using garter stitching throughout.  I actually think they come out thicker using garter stitch rather than stockinette which is what the hat is.  I’ve just boxed these up with some other hats, booties and wee sweaters and will send them on their way to Caring House, a shelter for abused women in Michigan.  This is one of my long term charities.  Along with the knitted and crocheted items I’m sending shampoo, hair conditioner, lotion, mouthwash, soap, and hand knit cotton wash cloths.  There never seems to be enough personal care items for these women.  This is easily done through collecting all the small bottles at hotels while on vacation.

Ok…who remembers Tom Jones?  Sing it with me.  Pussey Cat, Pussey Cat, I love you, yes I do……you and your pussey eyes.  I think those are the words. 

This is for animal lovers out there.  Yet another variation of what one can do with crocheted square;. (if you’ve missed the earlier posts, glance back to see the variety one can create from squares).  This was made as a shower gift, though I think making it with non-baby colors would turn out really well.  One could even put little whiskers and eyes on it.   Couldn’t do that for fear they’d end up in the baby’s mouth and cause a choking problem., but if you were making it for someone older I think that would be cute.

I’ve posted several completed afghans made from squares; put together in different ways.  I do suggest using a smaller hook if you’re making this for a baby to lessen the space between the stitches. 

The fun when making an afghan for someone you know is picking up on something important or meaningful to them.  Like them being a cat lover.  It makes the gift so very personal, something you just can’t buy in a store.  I made this for my great niece who is now in 5^th grade.  She used this so much it’s in need of repair.  Think I need to re-stitch some of the squares together.  I’ll have to do some looking to see if I can match the yarn.

Thinking about Tom Jones, wow…anyone know how old he is these days? 

Wouldn’t these hand and footprints be a wonderful pairing for a shower gift, or birthday gift.  Such a good long term keepsake.  Order yours today!