I'll admit that I have never  played this game, and that I really know nothing about it at all. Except that it lends itself to a very fun hat that easily brings a smile to your face! Sue at SusanD1408 Crochet Addict creates these wonderful character hats, and a few weeks ago I offered to test this one for her. If you're interested in making your own, you can find the pattern for sale here. It's a snap to make and I'm sure would make any of the little (and medium) people in your life very happy!

In addition to my fiber offerings on Friday, I've started to participate in Five Minute Friday over at Lisa-Jo Bakers place. It's writing in the raw and if you've never done why don't you give it a try? It's really easy - you just:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt: “Dance” with no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

Here's what happened when I spent five minutes on Dance:

Listen to the music.

Can you feel the beat?

Happy feet.  Ballet. Swing. Jitterbug, Waltz, Tango, Ballroom.

I see the people dancing. Laughing, smiles on their faces. How can you feel bad when the music is pulsing through your body, loud and full of energy?

I dance in my kitchen. To a rhythm that is my own. Usually with the music that plays in the sound track of my life.  I don’t dance very often and now that I am thinking about it I really should.

Let myself go, and get lost in the spirit of the moment.

But life doesn’t always lend itself to dance. Sometime it’s more like crawl. I don’t want those moments to be the ones that dominate.

Listen to the music.

Dance like no one is watching! Freely and just for the fun of it. I bet that I’ll feel better!

I do already.

And there you have it. This week I didn't give myself any time to think about it or to organize my thoughts at all. Surprisingly when I relaxed and set my fingers to the keys the words just started to flow!

Friday is a great day for visiting on the web. Why don't you join me?
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch and read with love!

Yesterday was a wonderfully inspirational day! The library is having a mini sewing workshop led by the multi-talented Jean W. Last week they made lounge pants and this week tote bags! Unfortunately, I have to work so I can't participate. Fortunately, Jean (who organizes our knit/crochet group too) filled my fabric void with a hearty stack of 8x8 inch squares and a copy of the tote pattern. So I'll be dusting off my sewing machine this weekend and giving it a go!  In the mean time, I'm itching to do some hand stitching so I'm making a batch of flowers following the (fabulous) pincushion tutorial Truly Myrtle posted recently. I won't be making the pincushion though as I'm planning on attaching the flowers to barrettes or a headband for my hair.  Keeping with the sewing theme, this wonderful new book, 101 One Yard Wonders came home with me yesterday as well. With sew many (sorry!) neat things and instructions that seem clear and easy to follow I'm not sure what I want to make first. I'm torn between a holder for my hooks or a new apron.

I continue to make swift progress on the Juliana Mod Wrap. Last night I finished the set up row of the mesh section. Working the 2DC Cluster is a little awkward at first, and it took a bit to get my grove, but it's easy to memorize and in no time I was at the end. I panicked for a moment when it looked like I was one stitch short (I counted 240 three times!) but I worked into the top stitch of the turning chain below and breathed a sigh of relief! The even rows of this section are a breeze. I'm so glad I decided to give this a go!

Now, how about that Nora Roberts book?! I am literally pages away from the end her latest offering, The Last Boyfriend. It's book two in the Inn BoonsBoro trilogy.  What do I think? I'll fill you in on my thoughts on this one and Catching Fire (another book two!) later in the week. Guess what's up next? Finally it's my turn for 50 Shades of Grey. It's gotten so much hype - can it really be that good?

Just a few more stops to make before I have to get to work. I'd love it if you'd join me while I visit Ginny, Tami and Sue. We can take a look at what everyone else has been inspired by this week. What inspires you?

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Today for Week 7 of the Holiday Stashdown Challenge we're sharing ideas for projects that can be made with one skein or less. What's the first thing that you think of? For me it's hats. There are so many patterns available that utilize every type of yarn imaginable. There are fancy hats and simple hats. Hats that keep you warm and hats that just look good. There is truly a hat for every head!

Along with hats, I think of cowls, scarves, gloves, mittens and wrist warmers.  None of these take much yarn, can be whipped up in no time, and would make an excellent gift for anyone on your gift list. Here are a few of my favorites.

Motifs are terrific for using bits and scraps. Last year I found this Snowflake Garland pattern in the Nov/Dec 2011 issue of Crochet Today! It's so pretty (and I'm so lazy!) that it still graces the doorway between the living room and dining room! I was also inspired to make thread snowflakes from the book 60 Crocheted Snowflakes that I borrowed from the library. (Sorry no pictures, but they're easy and beautiful and can be used to decorate your tree or add flourish to gift wrapping!)

If you've never crocheted with thread, you should go ahead and give it a try. I was nervous at first, but quickly became comfortable with it. I enjoy the variety that working doily and motif patterns offers. Plus it's travels well and is perfect in hot weather! It's also inexpensive and you can make an amazing number of items from one ball of thread! Here are a few things I've made with thread:

There are so many other projects that come to mind. Do you have a favorite? I'd love to see which pattern is your go to for hats, cowls and fingerless gloves (or anything!). When planning our holiday gifts it's so easy to get in to0 deep with projects that overwhelm us. To big or complicated they end up causing anxiety instead of pleasure.  This year I vow to be reasonable in my choices. Whatever I make, I'll do it with love, and hope that the recipient feels it!

In addition to visiting Marie, stop by Frontier Dreams and remember to Keep Calm Craft On. This is a terrific place to meet new crafters and see what beautiful projects they're working on.

That's all for today friends, until next time,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

The Body in the Boudoir by Katherine Hall Page
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (May 1, 2012)

In the twentieth installment of the Faith Fairchild Mystery series we find out how the heroine met and married her husband, Tom Fairchild. It’s 1990 and Faith Sibley is the owner of an up and coming catering company, Have Faith,  in New York City. The daughter (and grand-daughter) of a preacher, she has sworn to leave parish life behind for good.  While catering a wedding, Faith unexpectedly meets Tom (the Reverend!) and it’s love at first sight for both of them.

A whirl wind romance leads to wedding plans for the happy couple. However it’s not all flowers and gift registries. As the planning progresses, the mysteries unfold. Faith’s new employee Francesca has a secret. Her sister Hope is experiencing strange phone calls and trouble with clients at her high powered job on Wall Street. When Faith visits her Uncle’s Long Island estate where the wedding will take place a pile of falling bricks narrowly misses her.  And then there is the body in the boudoir.

All of these pieces should work together to tell a love story speckled with mystery and intrigue. But for me it never comes together.  I enjoyed learning about Faith, Tom and their families. They’re funny and quirky and I remember them from other books. Faith is spunky and smart and I can see how the 1990’s version has grown into the character who I like traveling and solving mysteries with. And I could feel the chemistry between Faith and Tom that is evident in the other books in the series that I’ve read. The love story worked for me. The mystery did not. There are sub plots (Francesca and Hope) that have little relevance to the rest of the story, and I don’t think they add anything entertaining or important. If I’m honest, it feels like the body in the boudoir was only included because we expect Faith to solve a murder.

Overall I’m disappointed with this offering. I haven’t read all of the other 19 in the series, but the few that I have were woven together in a more interesting fashion that formed a more entertaining story. If you’re a fan I say to go ahead and give it a read for the love story and family history.  If you’re new to Faith Fairchild Mysteries, I recommend choosing another title. The Body in the Ivy and The Body in the Gazebo are two that hit the mark.

Join me next time when I review Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins – The second book in the Hunger Games Trilogy.

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

What are the stories of your life that you love to tell people when you have the chance?

I have learned to stop trying to control my life and learned how to enjoy it instead. I used to spend so much energy keeping things in order, planning, trying to figure out what’s going to happen next.

I don’t do that any more. Because now I know that the only thing I have vontrol over is me and my choices and feelings. I get to choose to feel happy. I get to decide if I’ll allow someone to hurt my feelings. This has been an enlightening and uplifting lesson that allows me to live peacefully in my world. I no longer worry about everything. Instead I take things one moment at a time. I work hard on being present here and now and enjoying all the small things that make up each day. This brings me a tremendous amount of peace. Peace I never knew existed.

When I finally gave myself permission to let go and let God my world changed. I found that I can be happy and content everyday if I just let myself.

This is a story not often shared that has changed my life.

I originally discovered Stream of Consciousness Sunday on Gabby's Blog -  Living La Vida Normal. I knew that I wanted to practice this kind of writing so I filed it away future reference. It turns out that the future is now! Thanks Gabby for helping me expand my creative endeavors.

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

This week while I was wondering around in the unbelievably diverse world wide web, I discovered Lisa-Jo Baker and Five Minute Friday. A great place to flex your writing muscles without fear of - well anything really.  Early Friday morning Lisa-Jo posts a word, a link and the simple rule of visiting the person who linked before you and offering encouragement for their effort. The idea is to write spontaneously for five minutes with total abandon. No planning and no editing. Totally cool. Lots of people participate and it’s really interesting to read how differently we all spend our five minutes.

Intrigued, I decided to give it a go. After scoping out this week’s word (Risk) I opened a new document, set the timer on my phone and let the words fall where they may.  Here’s what happened:

Ready – GO!

Risk

Typically I am not one to take risks.  When I was younger it was a different story.  Then I was all about living on the edge and taking chances. Now, though as I approach 50 – wow 50! I look at things differently. I evaluate the outcome of my choices and my behavior. I know now that if I take a chance or a risk I may not bounce back as quickly as I once did.

But I will take risks in other areas that I didn’t when I was young.  Now I will wear what makes me comfortable and risk being out of style. Or, I’ll say what I really think about something and risk ruffling a few feathers. I’ll also ask questions when I don’t know the answer and risk looking foolish. Because these days it’s much more important …

STOP!

Five minutes goes by really quickly.  It took a few moments to get started. Even though the directions say to just write what comes to mind first, I couldn’t do it. I needed to think a little – otherwise I’m afraid it would have been a bunch of sentence fragments.  In the free form writing of my youth I think I remember taking a bit of time to organize my thoughts before putting pen to paper, but I may just be trying to rationalize my more restrained adult self!  I found it hard to stop myself from editing as I went along – because that’s what I always do.  It was a refreshing and entertaining exercise, and I’m glad I gave it a try. I need to push myself outside of my comfort zone and allow my creative mind some new influences.  I encourage you to take a peek and see what it’s all about.

Two crochet projects are dominating my hooks this weekend. I’m nearly finished with the Angry Red Bird Hat that I’m testing for Sue, and the Juliana Mod Wrap is making swift progress. It’s great when something takes shape rapidly. It keeps me motivated. Before I settle down with a cool iced-tea and my yarn I’m going to stop in and see what everyone else is up to this weekend. Why don’t you join me?

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch and read with love!

What a productive week! Finishing my cardigan seems to have given me a spark and today I have three projects to share. First up is the Angry Red Bird Hat. I'm testing this pattern for Sue, you may know her blog: SusanD1408 Crochet Addict. When she asked for pattern testers I just had to volunteer for this crazy, fun hat. As you can see, I'm very nearly done - and pleased to report the pattern has been a breeze to follow.

Last week I started a wrap using some of the stash wool that I received from my knitting/crochet club. The Spring Snow Shawl pattern is an easy repeat of fan like stitches. One row is worked in dc and the next in trc. These alternating rows work up quickly and so far seem to be a suitable way to show off this rather stiff yarn. Today the temperature is in the high 90s (F) and humid, so I was happy to set aside the wool for my next project!

This morning I began the Juliana (Modified) Wrap. Mary from Needles and Hooks and Books, oh my! is hosting a CAL for this pattern on the Ravelry group Crochet Shoulder Wrappers. They started at the beginning of the month, but that's worked out to my benefit! I was able to take advantage of a pattern modification that produces a half-circle shaped garment instead of the half-oval the original design creates. I'm using the Extended Single Crochet stitch and I'm really pleased with the way it looks and how fast it's going.  I was afraid the white was going to be boring, but now that I see it I think it's going to be pretty. I'm going to add beads to the trim (see the 3 white ones?) for a little something extra.

This week I'm reading Catching Fire, book two in the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins.  I really enjoyed the first book and was worried that this one would let me down. It took a few chapters to capture me but the author has succeed again and I find myself reading just one more page even though I can barely keep my eyes open! In the kitchen I've been listening to Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner. I've read several of her books and always enjoy them.  This story of a mother and her adolescent daughter hasn't disappointed.

That's all for today friends! I just looked at the clock - argh! I'm late for work!!
Until next time,
Be blessed and stitch and read with love!

Don't forget to check out the wonderful projects and books my crafting friends are working on:

Thank you for sharing a smile with us. There's always plenty to see on Friday.  Come on, we'll visit together! Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

This week I’ve had a lot on my mind and I needed a project that didn’t require me to pay rapt attention and that I could finish in a short period of time. Browsing my favorite internet haunts, I quickly realized that Amigurumi was the answer.  Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. Of course I needed patterns and more  information so I did what I always do and went to the library.  Let me tell you all about the book I found.

The book wastes no time and simply begins with the patterns. There are 30 in all and they don’t seem to be in any kind of order (easy – difficult, similar shapes, kinds of animal etc.) The Patterns are followed by: Techniques, Conversions, Abbreviations, Index and The Art of Amigurumi.

Taking a closer look at the patterns, they list the materials required, special techniques (stitches used) and the size of the finished item.  It looks like the majority of the projects call for something other than yarn to be used for the eyes.  The instructions are given round by round as well as in a chart. Making Up tells you how to assemble the pieces you’ve made.

The Techniques section offers information that I would have preferred to see in the beginning. It’s made up of a page on What is Amigurumi? Then a brief description of crochet, hooks, and choosing yarn is followed by detailed written instructions and pictures of the basic crochet stitches. There are 9 pictures to show you how to make the Magic Circle and more for joining rounds and changing colors. There’s also a bit on spiral charts.

After reading through I felt ready to give it a go and I decided on Mini Mouse. I thought I should practice the Magic Circle since this is the beginning of all of the pieces. I struggled and struggled, but I just couldn’t get it. I am very adept at following instructions, but I could not make this happen. Luckily, I had seen instructions for an Adjustable Ring in the resources section of the July/August 2012 issue of  Crochet Today!. Four steps, first try, bam! I’m in business. The next hurtle I needed to overcome was the dc. Every pattern uses a dc for everything!  I’m typically pretty bright, but I could not figure out why they wanted me to use a dc when everyone knows that these little guys are always made in sc. At least they are when you’re in the US. And silly me, I just assumed (yeah, you know what that means!) that my book was from the US. I’m not sure when the light bulb went off, but it did and I realized that even though the pattern says dc, I should go ahead and use the sc in its place. Well thank goodness for that! Now I’m really ready!

I started with the ears.  Round 1: Using MC (that’s an adjustable ring to me! – not Main Color or Magic Circle) and B, work 6 dc (that means 6 sc!). Okay I got it. Change to A. Round 2: 2dc into each st. 12 sts. No problem, I’m cruising now! Round 3: (dc in next dc, dc in next dc) rep around 18 sts. Break yarn, leaving a long tail. What?? You want me to dc in next dc, and do it again and repeat it around and end up with 18 stitches?  That’s not possible. There’s something wrong! Clearly there is a mistake in the pattern.  I realized I needed to increase in every other stitch to get to 18 stitches. And there you have it, an ear! Happily it was easy going for the rest of the pattern and by the end of the morning our kitty had a new toy. I’m not sure that this is the easy distraction I had in mind when I began, but it did keep me busy.

Thanks for joining me for today’s book review. Next time it’s back to fiction with my thoughts on the most recent Faith Fairchild Mystery,  The Body in the Boudoir, by Katherine Hall Page.

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!