Crafty, crafty catch up.

Wow, I almost spelled it ketchup instead of catch up. Unfortunately, I'm not talking about condiments this morning. I'm talking about all the crafts I seem to have gotten into and never quite finished.

I've been noticing all this while cleaning out my office and getting everything organized and such. It's just... the unfinished craft bit? It's starting to become a burden. Christmas is coming up - ohmigosh, anyone else notice that there's only 120 some odd days until Christmas?! - and I wanted to make a lot of gifts this year by hand. Except the clutter and the half-finished projects are getting in the way.




So here's what I'm going to do:

I'm giving myself next week to assess and finish at least one project per day. If I'm halfway or most of the way done on something already, this shouldn't be too hard. Note: This is only the week for projects that I've already started!

What about the projects for which I've got the materials, but never quite started? That's being handled, too. I'll be making a list (and checking it twice*) and holding myself to a time limit on these projects.

But this upcoming week? It's all about catching up. Anyone want to join me? Comment me and let's get going!

Sometimes you need a good cry

I just never expected it would be over something so seemingly ridiculous. You all know and remember Washburn, correct? You know, the Rottweiler puppy who's actually the size of a small mule? The one that I love so much? Oh, here, have a photo.


Because, trust me, his cuteness was about the only thing that saved him this morning. Whatever happened? I'll tell you. It's what I'm here for, anyway, right?

I don't have an extensive stash of high quality yarns. We can't afford them with how fast I usually whip up projects. So my stash is rather large, but consists of a lot of acrylic yarn. I have a couple skeins and one or two cones of cotton yarn - my preferred medium - and a few skeins of highly guarded and well-loved wool.

In order to protect this yarn, MarvMan, the efficient, handy man that he occasionally can prove himself to be, added a lock to one of the cabinets on my desk. I could easily slide both baskets into this cabinet, along with my bag of polyfil and one other bag full of hemp and beads for when I'm feeling particularly ambitious and crafty.

This past week, I have been a crocheting fool. I've worked up numerous projects and have been immensely proud of some of the things I've come up with. But hooking so much (hehe hehe) means that my yarn basket is almost constantly in use. So it moved from the cabinet to the foot of the stool I am usually sitting on while I crochet.

There have been issues before where Washburn turned into a canine terrorist and has gone after my yarn. It's a heart shattering thing, really. One works so hard to build up their stash - pure or not - and then someone or something attacks it. What I woke up to this morning was no exception.

I forgot to feed Washburn last night. It was a small mistake that anyone could make, given my lack of appropriately firing brain cells after a day of listening to the girls scream and fight. However, I think that what Wash did in retaliation was really, over the top and unnecessary.

I walked out into the living room to a mess that could only have happened after a childrens' party at which all the attendees had been given cans of silly string. My cone of cream-colored cotton was in shambles. My red so-soft had apparently been shaken to get an end loose and then was promptly disemboweled across the center of the cream cotton explosion.

I could have ignored the fact that the hat I was working on was now torn to pieces. That my fuzzy red yarn had been looked at and then carelessly discarded by the sofa. But what broke me down to the point of tears in the middle of the living room floor at 6:03 am?

There, on my green chair, was my white alpaca yarn. Mostly untouched with the exception of a few individual strands that had been chewed until they broke so that it looked like one of those giant koosh balls.

I broke down, y'all. Like a baby. Like a hungry, angry baby. (Bonus points if you get the movie reference.) I sat in the middle of this mess and would have made Kate Winslet proud of my dramatics, scooping up the entrails of yarn and letting them fall back to the floor, dead. Like my soul!

MarvMan heard the insanity. And I'm sure it frightened him. What man wouldn't be frightened hearing his wife sobbing and occasionally incoherently babbling about death and destruction and that damn, stupid dog that is clearly not his wife's but is now his sole property and the root cause of everything from poverty to global warming?

But he saved the day, folks. How? I'll tell you. In his half-asleep, super frightened state, MarvMan walked into the living room and surveyed the destruction. And this, is what he said:

"Honey, it's okay. We'll buy you some more yarn. Okay?"
*sniff, sniff* "Really?"
"Really."
*sniff... sniff.* "Well, okay, then."

Because the only thing better than admiring your extensive stash is being on the hunt for new yarns to expand your stash.

Coffee Set, Part 1

I arranged a trade with a wonderful mama on Granola Chicks. I'm getting some things for the family, and she's getting a crocheted coffee set! What does the set include? Well, that's why I'm posting here! Here's Part 1 - one of the coffee mugs:




This one is the first one that's been crocheted entirely out of wool yarn. Normally I work with cotton - it's cost effective and overall the easiest to work with. But I have to say, the wool has been bending to my will quite nicely! (My inner control freak surfaces.)

Francesca the coffee mug will be joined by a partner - Frank - as well as a sugar bowl and a small pitcher of cream. Photos to come as they're completed!

And then there were three

I have absolutely no idea what came over me. Most likely it's my ADD kicked in coupled with some health issues as of late. (Don't worry, I don't have the Plague or anything. I'm just spawning some zombie kittens.) But whatever the true reasoning may be, I've got three projects going at the moment.

Yes, that's right. Three.

I went through and finally started the process of untangling my yarn that the kids had attacked and strung all over the living room, and then got to work on the skirt, then before I knew it... well, I got here:


The white is for some things for the shop, the green is the skirt (I've been having a thing for green lately), and the wee thing on top of the skirt is the beginning of a base of a coffee mug. It's part of a set I'm whipping up for Darcy. Don't mind the red. it was part of the Great Untangling event and decided to hop in the picture.

I'm not sure what I'm doing with the skirt at the moment, or even if I've gotten it right so far. I'm horrid when it comes to following patterns. For as literate as I am, I feel like I'm looking at some sort of ancient language when I look at the pattern for the skirt. Sad part? The pattern says it's easy.

Exhibit #1:


I hope I've got it right til this point. I have to admit I sidetracked myself when it came to the fourth row and I got all sorts of confused about the crocheting into the ch-2 space two rows below. It sounds like something pirates might chant on their ship. Or something.

But if all else fails, I still have...


All of this to play with. Plus there's some in that cabinet, too. Yes, they look like drawers but they're a face for the cabinet. That used to be a drawer. But it broke. So Marv the Man got creative for me and turned it into a cabinet. With a locking door. That I should probably use if I hope to get my kids to leave my yarn alone.

And if you look closely, there's a grey w/ pink and black argyle sock hanging out of the basket in the back. Those will be arm warmers for the not-so-small-anymore one. (aka my oldest) Photos of that to come later today!

What's Next?

Gosh, you'd think after the knit-a-long I'd just take a break, but no! I am, in fact, planning out my next crafts!

I've got some things I'm hoping to make up to sell. (Oh my gosh, no way?! You're going to put stuff in your store? Yes, yes I will. I'm so glad the rest of you are excited, too.)

Along with that, the ever amazing and wonderful Mel gave me a pattern for a scalloped skirt and I'm wanting something pretty, so I'll be working on that.

Aaaaand... The Crafty Holiday Time Swap is going on over at Granola Chicks, and I've got to make my items for that! I'm so excited! I can't tell you what it is though! Why? Because even if you're not a fellow GCer, those gorgeous mamas are so sweet and read my blog and it would ruin the surprise!

In other news more related to homemaking, I'm so proud of myself! I went grocery shopping yesterday and through use of a couple coupons and some bargain shopping on my part, I managed to only spend $107.51 on groceries that'll last us for 2 weeks. And probably a little longer.

This whole "financial crisis" stuff that's going on has me a bit on the paranoid side, so I also managed to grab a couple extras to keep on hand. I know, I know, bailouts and all that stuff. Honestly - I have been wrapped in my little domestic cocoon and have no worthwhile knowledge of what's going on except those scary words everybody uses. You know "recession" "depression" and other "essions" used to terrify the bejeezus out of people.

So, that said, I'm sure I'll be posting bread recipes and other thrifty recipes, along with photos that will hopefully make you drool. It's one of the perks of having this blog - you get to bear with me on my amateur photography adventures!

Oh, and I'll probably post again later with pics from an awesome storm front that came through!