Sunday in March

I have been watching Jule and Julia on DVD. How much can one person cook in a year? I would not think of making something out of a cook book every day. I forget that I cook every day of the year, except when hubby cooks, or we order pizza or KFC or we go out. But, regardless, we cook
every day possible. I just didn't think that one would do it from recipes all the time.

I have many cook books, even the Joy of Cooking, but not Julia Child's book. What a shame, is it not? Of course my Joy isn't the original, it's the one that has been made to fit the modern kitchen, with food processors and microwave ovens, etc. My book is on the shelf unused. I think I have checked one recipe during the years I have owned this book.

It's been a week of no production in my knitting world. I tried to crochet a little bit, and managed to make an Irish Crochet beginner's motif

Any other projects are sitting either on the table or in my bag.
I managed to knit a few rows at our monthly knit group meeting.
I am trying to make a scarf from Margaret Hubert's book "Knit or
Crochet - Have it Your Way".

The scarf is knitted with Noro Kureyon sock yarn.
Of course I have a long way to go to finish the scarf, since I have a mere 30 cm done out of 2 meters (which is my goal). But it's going to be very pretty. What do you think?

I have done a few more rows than shows on the picture, but not much.

The "Forest and Trees" socks are now resting, and I will get back to them when my knitting slump has recovered. Until then, I will do my zentangles and watch TV.

Back in December, someone decided to come too close to my car, when I was waiting at the red
light. The damage was not substantial, but my car is leased and has to be fixed before I return it
to the dealer. The man's insurance is paying the fix, which is not too much money, but I refuse to
pay it myself, since I didn't cause the damage. Well, I have been guilty of causing damage by turning left and gotten hit by another car, but that's not the point here. The dealer would charge much more to fix any damages I have on the leased car. So, anyone who has a leased car, if any damage is done, fix it before the dealer takes you to the cleaners.

So, I have been thinking of getting the bumper fixed, thinking and thinking, and finally, after a dream one night (I was at a body shop with my car), I decided it was time to just go, leave the car, and take the public transit to go to work. It's going to be fun. One way is to take a bus to
a subway station, take one subway going north, then another to go east, then take another bus
to work. Fun. I wish I felt like knitting, I could do lot of it in the subway and bus.
Another way is to take a bus to another bus, go north, take a bus from a subway station......are you still reading? I am not, this is so boring. I wish I could just fly in a traffic plane, wouldn't that be fun?

Oscars? Are you going to watch the Award show tonight? I am. I've seen so many of the movies that were nominated that it would be more interesting to watch now than before when I had not seen any of the movies. We got movie passes for Christmas, so it's been fun. We even saw Avatar. My favorite actress is Sandra Bullock, and she was excellent in "The Blind Side". I also liked George Clooney in his role in "Up in the Air"
If you like country music, you should see (just sayi'n) the "Crazy Heart" with Jeff Bridges.

Back to food:

I have a tasty and easy soup recipe here:

2 containers of low sodium chicken broth
1 package Cole-slaw mix
1 package bean sprouts
1 Spanish onion (chopped)
3 celery stalks (chopped)
1-2 green peppers (chopped)
1-2 cups cauliflower buds
1-2 cups broccoli buds
2 cups green beans (cut in nice pieces)
2 cups carrots (I use baby carrots)
couple tomatoes (chopped) or canned chopped tomatoes
add spices to your liking

Cook until the cabbage is soft (this will take about an hour or two)

About half an hour before it's ready, throw in some uncooked chicken
breast pieces. Make sure the chicken is cooked before you start enjoying
your soup.

Of course this is just an idea for a soup, anything else can be added, and
if I had dill, I would add that, too. I don't think there is a limit to what can
be mixed in. I don't use potatoes, because I have to watch starch intake.

Well, I think it's time to sign off, and make more coffee and watch some telly.

Drawing and Daisy

The flowers were done with XP Paint application, and the yellow Daisy was done with Crochet hook, my hands, and thread application.

Some days, I could swear that I should be making some other stuff than solve jigsaw puzzles. Then I hear in the radio that solving puzzles and doing crossword puzzles keeps one's mind sharper than if I was just cleaning my home, doing dishes, going shopping (I have no money anyway) and having coffee or tea, or other type of drinks. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with the above stuff, I am just saying that in addition to above stuff, one should do something else, too.

Where am I going with this. Oh, yes: in August, 2006, I placed an order for a subscription for the artist's magazine. Finally, after numerous calls to those people who are sending magazines, I received my first issue. I didn't receive the free gift, that was supposed to come. I'll give them until Monday, now that things seem to be moving over at that place. I want my freebie. I just don't remember what it is going to be.

Mood for IC

I am on an Irish Crochet kick right now. Joined the group in Ravelry this morning, and
waiting for our next CAL project at our Yahoo group.

My head is spinning with a desire just to crochet little Irish motifs, and let my hook go.

On the back burner I have several items, do you want a list? My latest whim was a stole,
from www.Knitty.com, it's a KAL project, called Juno Regina. I've started it with a yarn that
I bought at my "normal" LYS, meaning that the yarn is not from Romni. Someone had ordered it and then didn't want it, and in comes Pirk, who absolutely fell in love with the yarn,
and it's lavender, wow, something has gone wrong with my brain, but I like the color.

How long is this spell lasting, who knows?

I also made some pink motifs for Prudence's Pink Project, and need to send them to her.

These are my WIPs, in no particular order:

Central Park Hoodie
Rogue Hoodie
FreeForm Sweater
Merino/Cashmere Sweater
Socks for Hubby
FreeForm scrumbles for a summer top
Juno Regina
Joyella (this one is coming along quite nicely)

the list goes on and on ....

I give up, now I am depressed. I need to do some Freeform Irish Crochet at lunch
to get my spirits up.

Busy Week

Started making a shopping bag, in Tunisian crochet. I inserted some beads, and then on the other side I did some overlay crocheting. What's missing, is the handles, but I got some clever ideas at the crochet meeting today.

That hat was made by Tina, a girl in our crochet and knitting group. I want to make that hat too. I wore it for the picture to see if I like it on my head.

Mystery stole clues arrived yesterday. I printed them, colored the symbols, and that's about it.

The pictures here are of the shopping bag and my Irish Crochet tunic, as well as the fun teeshirt I bought at the knit and crochet show.

FreeForm Top

It's done!!!!!

Look at all those different colors of the same thing.

I have a beige camisole underneath, but that is not a good choice in these pictures. However, You should be able to get an idea what this piece of clothing is all about.

My patience has gone to the basement, and didn't want to play around too much with the editing.

I will do it later, when I come back from Manchester (NH). I am leaving EARLY in the morning on Thursday.

Thank You ladies for your nice comments. I am sorry I have not replied, but I tried to get this thing done before I go.

Candy Kick

Every once in a while I am craving for licorice. I just could hug a grocery store, where they sell good licorice. Just thinking of hugging a grocery store makes me wonder, how could I do that.

So I won't. I just go in, buy the normal stuff, like bread and some meat and cheese, and then I head for the candy aisle. wooohooo, they had three different kinds from Finland. I had two bags in my lunch bag today. I had to empty the candy bags, to scan the picture.

Fortunately I have a dish in my office, to pour the candies into it, instead of eating everything before scanning. It's a good trick to eat licorice before lunch. Although I have a "sloppy Joe"-type lunch today (multigrain bread, hamburger meat and cheese), I don't feel hungry now.

I love "sloppy joes" . We used to make them quite often when my son was a kid. He's not a kid any more, he has his own kid, and another one coming soon.

Talking about kids, our other grand kid, the one who just had his first birthday, decided to put a doughnut inside the VCR. His 3 year old sister goes to the computer, finds a picture of her "boyfriend" and prints it. The parents had to take the paper and ink cartridges out, because she was printing pictures for her friends.

While I am thinking of candies and cookies, drinking green tea (cold, in a bottle), eating healthy food (I said "thinking of candies and cookies"), I am watching Copa America soccer games as well as FIFA U-20 games. I even understand some of the language now. Specially the word "Gol". One of the commentators will say that at least five times after a goal. It feels good, when the goal is done with a team that I like, not when the other team gets a goal. You know, don't you?

Oh, and then the crocheting part. I am getting very uncertain of my abilities to finish the summer top. I just keep making little "fillers" and have no idea where they should go. I call them "scrumblettes". I have used the Irish Crochet technique, in freeform style, whatever that is. Here is a sample of some. I like making rings, as you can see:

The background color is icky, please forgive me for choosing that view.

More Irish Crochet

Freeform style.

This is what I have been doing for the past weeks, and perhaps two months, along with the purple vest (which is done).

Now I have to put the pieces together and hope that I get a decent summer top.

Some IC ways

Reading patterns from the Irish Crochet books and leaflets can be challenging for someone who has just started doing this type of crocheting. Like me!

When I read, the first time, about the ring thing, winding the padding cord million times around a match, my first reaction was that I didn't have matches, just lighters. Well, I figured that a knitting needle would have about the same size as a match. Can you just imagine my attempts to get a ring going with size 10 thread? Those instructions were for size invisible thread...not really, but that's how I felt. I think the common thread size was between 40 and 100. I don't even own anything thinner than 20, unless we are thinking about sewing thread.

After several attempts, I gave up, made a chain link and crocheted around that one. My ring was not puffy enough, but it didn't really matter, because I am working on more or less freeform Irish Crochet (please forgive me, if this offends someone), but my hook will not obey too many rules on patterns, just the basics. Of course there are several very beautiful motifs that cannot be changed in any way, but something that goes in between the motifs can certainly be freeformish, in my very humble opinion.

What else did I do? I put my crochet hook beside a knitting needle and wound the padding cord around both of those. When I had enough rounds, I carefully picked the working thread with my crochet hook, still married to the knitting needle, and made a few stitches around the pc. Then I released the ring, and started working on the pc. WOW, that was easy. I have now tried different sizes of needles, even a pen, and I have no problem making a nice, puffy ring.

Instead of picots, which I have made several already, I have started making clones knots. However, I only wind the thread twice or three times, and I get a nice picot looking knot, which is much easier to make than the normal picot. Clones Knot is easy to make after a few tries. The only thing I need to be careful with them is not to make the winding too loopy.

In and Out

I have been crocheting so much lately that my forefinger has scratching marks. No, I'm not complaining, just stating a fact.

Still working on that purple vest. I thought it would be done by the weekend of May 20th, but no such luck. I was busy helping hubby and crocheting was minimal. Anyhow, there is another problem: the vest is too tight for me, so now I need to add another row of those minuscule pieces. Fortunately I have extras, since I want to make a bag, too. I have too many bags, and one pattern that isn't finished here yet. I take that one with me every day, to see how I did the top.

I appreciate the patience everyone has regarding the free pattern, it will be done, I promise.

While you are waiting I want to finish the purple vest and my Irish Crochet top, which is getting there rapidly, because I am obsessed with crocheting freeform Irish Crochet. How does that sound?

That reminds me about the "Clones Lace" book that I have mentioned several times before.
So, I could not find it, and I ordered a new one from Amazon.com. The price at Amazon.ca was almost $150, but com amazon was still selling it for under $20 (US). The delivery was supposed to be around May 2nd. I waited, and then checked, the delivery was now from May 10th to June something. I also checked the listing for the book, and whooops, the price was now from $99.00 (US), mine was still the same under 20.

I got anxious, and ordered a new one from an Irish book store, for $19.99 plus shipping, of course. This store was in N.Y. Everything looked good, so I went and cancelled the order from Amazon.com (idiot), and started waiting for the book from the Irish book store. Two days later my other book, that I had ordered with "Clones Lace" from Amazon.com arrived. Strange!!!

There is no under 20 dollar copies now listed.

On Monday I received an e-mail from someone regarding the Irish Book store, they had joined with someone else, and my order had been cancelled, since there were no copies in stock. Strange.

Lacis still has the book priced at $50.00. I am truly happy that I have found my copy and some other IC books that I had. I have everything now, and I am not going to misplace them ever again.

New IC Book

Some time ago I told you that I could not find my book "Clones Lace"

Well, in desperation I ordered the book from Amazon, and the delivery time was from 4-6 weeks. I finally got tired, and ordered it from an Irish Book store, but have not received it yet.

Two days later, I found my book. Nicely residing in a container with my other Irish Crochet books.

I cancelled my Amazon order, but not the other one.

Today I received the "Irish Crochet Lace" book, which I had ordered from Amazon with "Clones Lace".

I peeked (I am at work) inside the book and got goosebumps. There are so many exciting pictures and patterns that I don't know if I will sleep tonight. I started a rose this morning, and one of the motifs can be worked to what I have started.

How can anyone get excited aobut crocheting and or knitting. Just ask me!

TGIF tomorrow and my first summer hours half Friday. I think I will be crocheting little Irish motifs this weekend. And the icing on the cake is that Monday is a holiday here.

Right hand crochets IC

After a visit to my doc and took some antibiotics, my right hand is doing much better. And to see how it was doing, I knitted a few rows on my jacket. Just a few, like 4 or 5. I am at the sleeve, so there are not that many stitches as in the back part.

This morning, out of the blue, I decided that I need to do some Irish crochet, and my first project would be a maple leaf. There is a pattern in "Clones Lace"- book, which I have. I have made one maple leaf before, but I want to make another one, with smaller thread. I used size 10 thread, and now will be brave and use maybe 20, ouch. If I can find the red size 20 thread in my stash. I know I have it, in Opera. Isn't this just too much, I am constantly searching for something that I have, but have hard time finding. This is the blessing of being utterly disorganized.

This is what I did before, and want to make another one. I do need the pattern to get the same effect. I know how to make leaves, but this new idea is for a special project, and I would like to make it perfectly.

I asked my hubby to look for the book, since I didn't find it this morning. I found the other Irish Crochet book, "Irish Crochet Technique and Projects" by The Priscilla Publishing Co. but there is no pattern for a maple leaf. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he finds it.

My hand didn't mind the crochet hook, when I tested it this morning. Knitting seems to be more straining than crocheting. I didn't crochet for years, well sometimes I did, but when knitting started hurting, I switched to crocheting. Now I do both depending on the hands. Sheesh. I should insure my hands.

********************************************

Update:

I finished the maple leaf, without the pattern:

In the mood for IC

Seems to me that I am really hooked on Irish Crochet.

I am supposed to make a vest of some sort to wear at the show in July. Supposed...hmm, my own idea, nobody expects it from me, just me. It will not be an impossible task, since I have already started, BUT, I get off the subject all the time, just like when I talk. Must be one of my better qualities.

Here is the result of the efforts from last night and this morning. I also made a chain with Clones Knots, but forgot to include it with the motifs.

Oh, my IC method isn't really "correct" since I tend to use like size 5 thread, instead of that thin, what size? 40 - 60 -100 or something!!!! nosireebobby. (where did that expression come from?)

Those motifs are fun to make, but I am still very slow, specially when I use the padding cord. And then I need coffee breaks, look for other threads, look at the books, and then get back to crocheting. I don't have a time limit for my new found interest. I am just enjoying the process.

My next step is to learn to join the motifs the "correct" way, not how I would, just sew them on top of a mesh. Have to think about that one for a bit.

Coat is done

I finished the main features on Monday night, and finished some yarn endings and blocking last night. IT'S DONE, ready to wear on Saturday!

I'm all set to party!






This is the purse that goes with the rest of me. The color isn't "matching" with the coat, but
it has to go with the rest of the package...me. I am not really a flower kind of person, but the flowers on the purse aren't really that flowery, right!

Mice and IC

don't go together, but then what goes together in my world. NADA.

So, here are the two projects I finished last night and today.

The mice will go to Australia, leaving today. Heard rumors that they don't have any in there, so I needed to help the environment in the OZ world.

You're welcome.

The Mice need stuffing, but it's done after they arrive to their destination. Jacqui is nice enough to do it for me.

I used two paisleys to make one mouse. I had no pattern, and will not write down what I did, because I already forgot. But if there are enough inquiries, I might write something down. Like that's going to happen.

One more thing, I didn't have a model for the mice. I thought that those rodents might look like this:

Not getting ahead

You would think that after the amount of work I have put on this jacket, it would be done by now.

NO, IT ISN'T.

It would be if it didn't have to be so big. I used to have a teeshirt the size of the sleeve I am making now. or at least close to it. I was a skinny baby, I think.

It would be if I didn't start doing those little Irish Crochet scrumblettes. I spent hours yesterday, and Saturday fiddling with the padding cord and crocheting around it. I am just asking once, why doesn't the instruction tell how long the padding cord is to be? Mine is either wayyy too long or way too short. Oh, it depends what direction my scrumblette is taking. If it is a free form piece, I have enough pc, because I stop when the pc ends. BUT, IF I follow a pattern from my book, "Irish Crochet Technique and Projects" by The Priscilla Publishing Co. then I don't have enough pc. Because I have not found the section where it tells how long it has to be for each project.


Another book that I have is

Maire Treanor, 'Clones Lace: The Story and Patterns of an Irish Crochet', which I need to get out from the shelf, and investigate the techniques.

I realize that I am not even close passing an amateur status, and will be the first one to listen to anyone who has experience in this technique. I was looking at Irish Shuttle's site, and "how it's made" postings, and started feeling really small. I wish it was true in physical feeling, too.

There is also an exhibit of IC, and don't even think that I will start making that type of work.
first of all, I am using size 5 and 10 thread, and maybe some that is thinner than 10, but I will always admire this work that is displayed here. It is a great inspiration for me.

If I get the picture to show up, you will see that my attempts are far from perfect, but I am sure anyone who is doing a perfect work now, started somewhere, as an amateur.

Here are pics of some of the things I made on the weekend. Oh, and the book that I carry with me everywhere, these days. Let's see how long THIS whim is going to last, HAH.

IC scrumblettes

I am obsessed with Irish Crochet - my way. I will take the cord and crochet around it. Now, usually one should follow a pattern of some sort, for a flower or a leaf or something else that looks like something. Mine twists and turns on a whim, just like me. I like doing this type of IC, because I don't have any experts in my immediate neighbourhood to tell me off.

And furthermore, if I don't show pictures or my pieces to anyone, who is to know, right.

Here is a picture of some of them, I scanned the scrumblettes, so the picture isn't the best, but
do I ever take the best pictures anyway, IMHO.

Jacket on the go

I've been busy.
Started oodles of new projects. All of them, except one, forgotten, in bags, somewhere.

The one that is on-the-go is a jacket for an upcoming wedding in May. I have a full month and
then some, which should be enough time.

Here is the start of a beautiful relationship with a hook and thread

I am lost

Here is an Irish Crochet Motif I made couple of days ago. I tried to make another one, and so far have not been able to master more than one ring, hahahha. Lost
in the yarn/thread world.
I have WIPs coming out of baskets, bags, shelves, everywhere you look. they are not UFOs, because I am constantly working on them, right?

I started something else yesterday. Would you please come and slap me. I am so bad.
there was a beautiful grape doily pattern on one of the Spanish crochet magazines I bought yesterday. Of course, now, I must make it, one of these days.

Here is a picture of some of the grapes

Not so much happening

this is a freeformish Irish Rose.