Not Quite Vintage

all finished

My first crochet project is all finished and surprise, it is a dishcloth! You all know that I love knitting dishcloths and now I can mix it up with crochet. It was a perfect way to practice and I really love the results. It took me a really long time to actually use my first knit dishcloth - I wonder how long it will take me to break down and use this one. For now, it is sitting pretty in my Gram's fiesta sweets compote.

Crochet class is canceled tonight - snow day (I measured 7.5 inches on my front porch this morning). This means I am going to have to venture out on my own to learn a new stitch to keep me busy for the next week... thank goodness I have my handy crochet book for reference.

And good news, I ordered a new camera yesterday, so pretty soon I will have better focused photos with more realistic color (the sweets compote is orange, well technically "red," but not quite on-fire orange) and less noise. Yay! I am really excited. It took me over a month to choose a camera. I wanted to make a frugal yet fabulous decision. I was torn between a less expensive model that would simple replace my old camera and a step up model that would give me the opportunity to grow a little, be happy for longer and hopefully stop my digital SLR lust. I chose the step up model and can't wait for it to be delivered.

crochet hook roll - a giveaway

Last night I decided to switch gears from practicing single crochet to sewing. Actually, I didn't totally switch gears away from crochet because I decided to whip up a couple crochet hook rolls.

I pulled out a good ol' Martha Stewart dishtowel with apples on it. I have been hoarding a few of these towels for a while. I didn't even use them in my massive holiday sewing project - they are really hard to give up, but the cheery green apples were perfect for the project and helped brighten up a very snowy evening.

Less than an hour after I started, I had two pretty crochet hook rolls. One will soon be on its way to its recipient... and the other could be on its way to you! Just comment on this post by noon CST Friday with the top three things on your Crafty To Do List and I will pick a winner.

And I promise it looks better and brighter in person than in the picture I took with my iPhone... I am seriously ordering a new camera today.

practice, practice, practice

I took my crochet teachers advice and have been practicing, practicing, practicing single crochet this weekend. I pulled out some of my very favorite cotton yarn and made a couple, well I will call them, coasters. Then after that I decided I would try for a single crochet dishcloth - I am about 2/3 of the way finished with the dishcloth and I think I pretty much have single crochet down now. I am really impatient to learn more, luckily Wednesday is only two days away!

And on Saturday, I even snuck to Michaels and took advantage of their $1 sale and picked up a few more skeins of cotton yarn. Yes, I know I didn't really need it, but how could I pass it up? As the sales associate said, it will "keep me out of trouble."

my first crochet class

Last night was my first crochet class. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous... but I had no reason to be. It was just a bunch of ladies in a room trying to learn something new. The class is for both knitting and crochet, but by the end of the first 1/2 hour all but one knitter decided to learn crochet instead.

My teacher is a really cute "little old lady" - I say that affectionately and seriously, she is tiny and probably close to eighty I think. She knows her stuff and was able to help over ten of us (maybe twelve total) learn to chain and single crochet in just over an hour and a half.

With such a high teacher to student ratio, it took a while to get individual help. My first chain was at least four or five feet long - much better looking at the end, than at the beginning. Once she got back to me, we ripped out a bunch so the length would be a bit more manageable. Then she helped me turn and single crochet. I didn't see her again till I had finished and turned again. Goodness is that third row so much easier than the second!

For next week, she said practice, practice, practice single crochet. My enthusiasm has me wanting to move faster and learn more things, but she says "practice makes perfect" and will ensure more success in the long run. So, I will follow teacher orders and finish my homework.

Can I tell you that after I was done, I had a total charley horse in my left hand - the part under the thumb. I was so focused on keeping consistent tension in the yarn and holding my stitches that I never gave my hand a chance to rest. It still hurts this morning. Crazy.

fyf way to end the day

Bubble bath, Real Simple, candles, fuzzy slippers, pajamas.

Even better, toss your favorite lotion in the bath for a bit of added luxury. There is nothing better than warm fragrant lotion after a soak in the tub.

Makes me remember when my big sisters were in charge of my bath when I was little. I hated how they just used the cold lotion straight from the bottle and never warmed in their hands first like Momma did.

crafting identity crisis

For a while now, well pretty much the entire past year, I feel like I have been having a crafting identity crisis. There are so many things I want to do (you can tell from my ever growing Crafty To Do List), feel like I can do, start to do, but totally lack the motivation for.

Here is an example: For weeks I have been turning the pages of Seams To Me and looking at the pin cushion project. And yesterday, when I finally got myself into the basement sewing, it was just a total mess. I did fine picking fabrics and cutting them out. I really liked the mixture of green and blue scraps I chose and was actually excited to get sewing. The sewing, it was icky. I think it was a combination of my rushing/excitement/anxiousness and some issues with the pattern (after sewing the 8 pieces together and making the tube, the outside was an entire piece too wide and I watched my seam allowances, something just wasn't right) that made this project destined to be part of the trash pile.

My Sunday afternoon sewing left me wondering if I have been kidding myself about this sewing stuff. Maybe I am not as capable as I thought. Maybe my lack of motivation just has me feeling blah. Maybe I was forcing myself to create something because I feel it has been weeks since I had something good to share with all of you.

So I turned out the basement lights, went upstairs and planted myself on the sofa with a soda and a lifetime movie on the tv. I know, pretty sad. After a while I decided a little pampering was in order and painted my nails bright Little Red Wagon red (actually, it was needed, the pinning and stuffing I did while sewing totally tore up my nails). I guess that was as creative as I was meant to be yesterday because the only other fulfillment I got was seeing a piled high basket of nicely folded laundry ready to be put away. I am not sure what that says about me right now.

I promise that I am not giving up! But, I am going to honor this struggle and give myslef the freedom to not feel like I have to force myself to create. I have to remember that create doesn't have to be defined as sewing - last week I did create a logo, knit 3/4 of a fuzzy red scarf, cook a big pot of soup and loads of twice-baked potatoes (I was trying to recreate 2 of Mom’s signature dishes that there isn’t a recipe for), and motivated my Pops to start exercising again. That has to count for  something, right?

no class and new fabric

Darn, my knitting and crochet class was canceled last night. Not sure why, maybe because of the really cold weather we are having (I know it is much colder in other places, so I promise I am not complaining). I was disappointed until I found this in my mail box:

New fabric can surely change my mood. I have to admit, I really only needed to order the Recess Navy Tick Tack Toe by American Jane for a secret craft project, but I couldn’t just order that, I had to add in the Hello Betty by Chloe’s Closet charm pack. I love 30s inspired fabrics and I can always find something to do with a charm pack!

Fabric from Fat Quarter Shop. If you haven’t checked them out, they have a huge selection, great customer service and ship orders really quickly!

Note to self: Either get better lighting or fix/replace digital camera so you don't have to rely on your iPhone to take pictures. It just isn't working out.

80s TV and memories

I just had a crazy text "conversation" with my friend Ang. It went something like this:

A: Ricardo Montalban died.

C: You mean the guy from Fantasy Island.

A: Yeah.

C: Sad, I liked that show when I was a kid.

A: I used to love it! That and Love Boat.

C: And Dallas and Falcon Crest on Fridays.

A: Oh wow. Forgot about Falcon Crest. Used to watch Dallas sometimes.

C: And Knots Landing on Thursdays. My Mom and I used to watch it.

A: Yeah. I don't think I watched that.

C: My Mom and I would go upstairs to her bedroom because Pops hated it and Hill Street Blues was on anyway. We would watch it together and I would get to lay on Pop's side of the bed.

A: That is so cool.

C: Yep, good memory!! Thanks for making me think of it.

I know, it was just a conversation about 80s television. Besides the fact that it just proves that I have always been addicted to TV (why isn't there any good shows on Saturdays anymore?), it also brought up a really good memory that made me smile big.

I am so thankful for this, it brought my afternoon to a really good, warm place... teary eyes and all : )

what cheers me up these days

My grand-niece Satchel. Honestly, how could that little face not make you smile? My niece Shannon has been periodically sending fun pictures of her baby chihuahua to my phone in hopes of brightening my day. I love it and hope the pictures keep coming...

I am a big dog person and never thought I would fall in love with an itty-bitty puppy in a fluffy pink sweater... but it happened.

immediate progress

So, in my post yesterday I mentioned that taking a class is on my Crafty To Do List for 2009. Well, very unlike my typical procrastinating self, I signed up for a class. Last night I filled out my registration form, wrote my check and mailed it off!

Starting next week I will be taking a beginning knitting and crochet class at a local high school. It is part of an adult community education program that is a total bargain at $34 for 8 weeks. You can choose to either knit or crochet and I am going to use this opportunity to try to crochet. I haven't caught on yet, but I hope this class will be magic and I will be able to crochet away very soon. I already have a few projects in mind.

And best part is, I don't need to buy any supplies. I already have crochet hooks... and enough yarn in my stash to last me a very long time. And although I know it is a little early, but I already have them packed and ready.