Back in the Saddle

Oh my God!! I finally got my blog up again. So I figure this would be a good time to get caught up. Let's just say I have been a very naught girl. My case of YAS (Yarn Acquisition Syndrome) needs a 12-step program. I bought a ridiculous amount of yarn as 2 locations that are going out of business. I can only say I could probably open up my own store and be really good. I don't think I will ever go through this much yarn and if I do most of the projects will be given away. I focused mostly on cotton as I recognize I live in Texas and it is HOT down here. : )

what you see is a really blurry picture of all the bags of yarn we have. It was insane. There were 6 of us and I am certain we had 20 garbage bags full of yarn. How we ever thought any of this was going to fit back into the car with someone riding on the hood was beyond me. Luckily we ran into some friends which agreed to rent us their trunk.

So, Now I am off to create.

Baby Crochet

So explain to me why everyone and their mother is having babies right now? I finally finished one blanket that I took extra special time. I call it Isabella's Dream. It is the basic spider web pattern with a little more filet crochet embedded. But now I have 3 more baby blankets to complete. I think we are looking at V-stitch basics on this one, with a nice ruffled edging. : ). I am always happy to see life progressing as normal. But do all the little peeps have to come out in basically the similar 3 month period. Oh well, if I didn't have baby projects I would probably be bogged down with something that I didn't want to create. It is late but I wanted to do at least one post this week and of course to share my finished project.

Happy Crocheting.

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

No matter what anyone tells you. No matter where you go. No matter who you see. Seattle really does have the best coffee in the US. (I can't speak for the world). And trust me I am not talking about star****s. On just about every corner there is an independent coffee house. I call them houses because they are definitely not shops. They have a homely atmosphere that you just don't find at many other places. I mixture of eclectic and ski lodge.

My favorite was actually outside of Kent. It is Dilettante Chocolates. The one I found was in Kent. It doesn't have the sofa and throw pillow furnishing but the coffee is good enough for me to sit on the floor. I cheated and had a Carmel "machiato" (Yes I know I can't spell). Yes, it is fu-fu flavored coffee but it was absolutely divine. I had to go back the next day for more. I could not get enough of this stuff. I also tried their mint flavored chocolates. It was divine. I couldn't get a box because I would have gone into a diabetic coma. I would not have been able to stop at just one.

I got some crocheting done as well. Here is a project for Dilyn. It actually is my April project. So I am pretty excited about it. Can't wait to give it to her next week. I may even make another one because it was a pretty simple pattern. This is actually one of my very first baby projects.

An interesting evening

Now normally I am all about crochet on this blog but I would be remiss in telling you what an interesting evening I had last night. I also promise to sensor my comments to protect the faint at heart. I am staying at a well know hotel in Ontario CA. I chose to stay there because there rates are pretty good and I still get my Hilton Honors points. Needless to say there is a bar inside this hotel. We they have a pretty good happy hour special. "Have Happy Hour, will travel" is my motto. Considering my travel distance was about 400 feet really bode well for me. I sat down to have a Lemoncello, which is a really good but smaller version of a lemon drop martini and an appetizer from the bar for dinner.

Low and bellow a couple of Lemoncello's in and one Widmer I really start to people watch. This place was amazing. I don't think I have ever seen a larger meat department even in Albertson's. As I looked around there were professionals, some armatures and just a few aged that should not have been there. Especially in those outfits. I was actually taken aback at the approach the guys used for trying to pick me up. Now one gentleman " and I use the term loosely", appeared to be an on the up businessman. In town for business and jut hanging out. Little did I know he was on the prowl. He wanted to dance. So I danced. He offered to buy me a drink, so I let him. A couple of other gentlemen asked me to dance, once they knew I could dance. I said yes. He got a little possessive. I could not believe it. I had to tell him that I didn't know him from Adam and he did know me from Eve. In fact for all he knew I could be the "serpent".

So the moral of the story is, no matter how "normal" someone appears they are probably not all they seem. Don't let me get started on the one that wanted me to take him home with me because he was homeless and offered to compensate me in something other than rent money. This was truly one of the most original nights I have experienced. While I appreciate the occurrency I am not in any hurry for this to happen any time soon. I think I will head for the mountains tonight. I might have better luck with lions, tigers and bears. : )

The place has live music. Last night's entertainment comprised a Rod Stewart look alike. I actually kind of liked him after I got over the hair style.

Now onto Crochet, every one's project is looking pretty good. Here is Sandy's. Her color was orange and she was the 2nd one finished in our group. She actually made it out of the yarn I salivated over. I am a huge fan of Berroco Suede. She got this I believe for a dollar a ball as well. I could have only hoped I would have been there. I would have bought every ball they had on sale for that price.

This is a beautiful open work scarf that can be worn for everyday or on those out occasions as well.

Knitting in LaJolla

Well, I managed to find yet another yarn shop. Knittin in LaJolla is found on one of the main strips (prospect Pl), It is in back of a Fondue restaurant. It took me 3 walks around the block to realize that either I was just blind or the store had moved. The address is 909. I saw 910 but directly accross the street was not 909. Finally I gave up and called.

Definitely had a clustered, unorganized feel but I was willing to manage through it for the eclectic atmosphere. I found some great old Interweave crochet magazines for $2.00. Got my hands on some old Berroco pamphlets I thought only the ancient world crocheters had. And last but not least I grabbed the new Tahki Stacy Charles, Superior Crochet, Filatura Di Crosa. I fell in love with the book and happily paid $8.00 for the 8 pattern book. This is in lace weight and I found the projects so beautiful that I just had to run out and get some inexpensive skeins for me to try out one of the patterns. (So an Internet trip to knit picks and $50.00 later) I am ready to do battle. I am not really a lace weight person but I have to give at least one of these projects a try. They are all very lovely.

I did get some crocheting done today. I sat on the pier in San Diego and did 3 or 4 rounds on my crochet-a-long project. The group I am with chose the Oasis Wrap by Naturally Caron, made with Spa. I am making it in Mondial and while I may suggest not to use a variegated colorway the yarn itself is very nice. Besides it was part of my stash.

April Projects

I have to brag on the group of women I spend several weeknights crafting along side. For April we have a little motivational event going on. We each picked a color from a list of 9 or 10 and have to create an item. (Some of the picking was a little suspect : ) But it was a great turn out for participation. 16 ladies are creating items. And there are already 3 completed. Take a look at the first creation.

This is one of the coolest cable hats I have seen. Made from some "really fabulous yarn" it reminds me of the designer hats that all of the Rock Star Skater Boyz are wearing. (Way to go Renee) This one definitely had to go on the blog. If you can't tell in the picture, I took this laying on a stack of yarn. Guess where we were? That's right, "The Woolie Ewe". Poor Renee had one of her dearest friends lugging around her yarn basket. The looked happy, so that is all that counts.

Congrats to Renee and Sophia for being the 1st ones to complete the April contest.

Seattle YAS (So Much Yarn)

Morning All,

I am now in Seattle traveling for "the man" and I discovered this fact. Seattle has the most "awesome" yarn shops in I have ever seen. I have been a lot of places, Rochester, NYC, Baltimore, Philly, and by far Seattle is the coolest.

The place I went yesterday is called "So Much Yarn". Need I say more with a name like that? Probably not, but I will any way. As I walked in I realized, (I am about to pass out from climbing the 2 hills and walking up 3 flights of stairs), but it was worth it.

It is located close to Pike's market. If you are going. Don't make the same mistake I did. Stay on the low road. If you go up the hill the 1st street you just have to come back down. And let me tell you. The hills are nothing to laugh about. There was a guy sitting in the most comfortable chair in the store and I was thinking I could take him because I could just pass out on top of him. At least I would then have a place to sit down and breath.

But alas, I did not. I persevered and kept shopping.

I was greeted by the sales person who happened to be very knowledgeable. And more importantly he was actually knitting. It is so intriguing for me to watch men knit and really enjoy it. As I walked in he explained the structure of the store, very organized, and how I could find whatever I was looking for.

There was an intermediate knitting class taking place as I walked through and they were working on some beautiful items, sweaters, shawls, socks and baby items.

I also saw the most beautiful Crochet afghan on the chair in the front of the store I had ever laid eyes on. It was a combination of different types of yarn. I am certain I could do something of that magnitude if I tried.

After looking through the yarn which is organized by weight. (A huge plus). I decided to complete my green April Project for Chains and purls. I bought some Berocco Comfort DK. The yarn was reasonably priced as well.

Definitely on my list of places to stop on in Seattle.

Happy Hooking.

Shaunda

Amazingly,

I have not blogged in some time. The new year has been very fast and hectic. Just to let you all know about the sweater featured to the right. This was made by Denise who knits the most unique items I have ever seen. This was made with a very soft orange yarn and the jack-o-lantern face is made with glow in the dark yarn. An awesome project.

I have been working on a few items of my own. Mostly blankets for my Bunko group prizes.

Our Wednesday group just recently moved to the library spot for our meetings. Our regular place closed up at the beginning of the year. It is amazing how the economic times have really affected all around us. I know quite a few people that have lost their jobs within the last 2 weeks. My thoughts and prayers go out to them. Here I am concerned with budgeting for yarn and there are people that have no idea how they will eat in the next months. Well I for one certainly feel we deserve a break. The economy has to come around before we are in the "next" Great Depression. Let's wish and hope for the best. At the same time do everything we can to help jump start our economy.