Hey Everybody!

Lets face it. Controlling ends is a challenge.  No matter if they're split ends, loose ends or yarn ends.  The one thing that they all have in common (other than needing to be tamed and their overall messiness) is if you're willing to spend the money, someone has developed a product that is guaranteed to keep your ends in line. 

Even your yarn ends.

Now I'm all for free enterprise, but we live on a budget and spending money on frivolous conveniences is frowned upon. Hair gel, by the way, is neither frivilous nor a convenience when you have very long, very curly hair.  Especially when it's been in the 80s and 90s for weeks and the relative humidity flirts with 100% daily.  Sorry, where was I?? Oh right, saving money.  Anyway, I was flipping through a yarn catalog that the nice mailman brought me, not looking for anything in particular when I came across Yarn Wraps.   Smart idea.  For $4.99 plus shipping I can buy 3.  Closer inspection reveals that this particular brand are really no more than pieces of stretchy nylon fabric stitched into tubes. Huh.  I can do that.

I'd like to say that I was so motivated to get organized and save us money that I set to making my own yarn wraps that moment.  That's not what happened.  Instead I stored the idea away.  You could say I pinned it to the big board of things I want to do someday that lives in my brain.

A couple of months later I was doing a lot of thread work.  And even though I store the balls of thread in a big bin, when I'm using them I usually just toss them in a basket.  It was getting pretty messy so I decided it was time to make some wraps.  My first idea was to dig out a pair of pantyhose.  They would work perfectly. I hesitated though, because as far as I'm concerned they are an evil invention and I avoid wearing them at all costs.  No good can come from squeezing my Rubenesque figure into those sausage casings. In the end, I cast that idea aside since I don't even like handling them.  Something about the feel of that material just gives me the heeby jeebies.  Then I remembered the cotton/spandex leggings that were packed away to go to Goodwill.  Why not give them a try? In no time at all I had a pile of free and easy wraps ready to keep my thread from becoming a tangled, unusable mess!  I also considered using old gym sock (tube socks), or the arms from a cotton/spandex shirt.   If you don't share my pantyhose phobia I'd say they're the best choice, but if it's tubular and stretchy it probably will do the job.

I was able to keep the organizational momentum moving forward when my hubby came home with this adorable set of shelves later that week.  It turns out one of our neighbors was moving and put this treasure out with the trash!!  For ages I'd been telling him that I want shelves next to my chair in the living room to hold my ever growing collection of WIPs, yarn and books.  I'll admit that "Little Girls Room" doesn't exactly fit with the rest of our decor, but it's sturdy and clean and since we're pretty eclectic in general it's working out just fine.

So there you have it!  Any easy way to keep your yarn or thread from coming undone without spending a dime or having to touch the horrid pantyhose!!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day Four: Color Review
What are your favorite colors for knitted or crocheted projects. Have a think about what colors you seem to favor when yarn shopping and crafting.

Only after writing this part of your post should you then actually look to see what colors you have used in your projects. Make a quick tally of what colors you have used in your projects over the past year and compare it to the colors you have written about. Compare this, in turn, to the colors that are most dominant in your yarn stash – do they correlate?

Color! Bright and brilliant, soft and soothing, warm, cool, shocking, neon, pastel, variegated, ombre - I love them all!!  Well, I suppose that's not entirely true.  I do have my favorites. In fact since I was young my favorite color has been purple - a passion I attribute to a long-ago obsession with Donny Osmond (I know some of you out there know what I'm talking about!).  My initial thought then is that purple would be the color I gravitate to when shopping for yarn.  Not so.  As it turns out I am much more of an equal opportunity color shopper.  My yarn/thread budget is small.  This year I made two major purchases.  The acrylics were for my series - The Granny Square Project (you can find the links in the sidebar if you missed it when I originally published).  The thread I bought because I love working with it and I was tired of using white.  Looking at these pictures makes me smile as I imagine all the possibilities that they hold!

I would have thought that purple would dominate. It came in tied for second - from the bottom!!  Imagine that!  The next big shocker is green.  12% of my projects were made from some shade of green or teal.  I never would have guessed!  So what color did I spend the most time with this year?  Pink.

How about that?  21% of the projects I counted were predominately pink.  What's interesting too is the variety of shades that I have in my stash.  I have everything from the palest almost white thread to a hot pink neon cotton yarn. The color that I used almost as much as pink is white.  I made a white shawl, wrist warmers, a hat, a doily, and a thread cross.  White was also the base for lots of granny squares.  In fact, the one big project that I'm planning is a predominately white granny style blanket.

Collecting the information for today's post has been really interesting.  I learned a lot about myself and my habits.  It was great to examine where I've been over the past year.  Not just the colors, but the type of projects I've made.  I'm looking forward to see what other Blog Week bloggers found out about their colors.  If you want to read other blog posts on this topic, please enter 4KCBWDAY4 into a search engine of your choice, or click here.

That's it for today!  Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!  Please stop in tomorrow and see what day 5 has in store.

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

After looking over the pattern I realized that it would be a snap to covert to crochet. Isn't it something what a difference a year makes?  How cool that I would be able to make these available to anyone who wants to make them!! Now no one has to be left out!  As it happens, they are very easy to make no matter which technique you use.  I made both of these and the egg in one evening.  The ribbing on the knit version is snugger (is that a word?) so, to make the crochet ribbing tighter I ran a basting stitch around the bottom and pulled it in a little.  Problem solved!

Embellishing them was fun too.  At first I wasn't sure what to do.  Since I don't have chickens the picture that came to mind was Fog Horn Leg Horn (we're big Looney Tunes fans here!) Anyway, I found this fuzzy, furry yarn (which I've could never figure out what to do with), and sort of stitched it in loops. I think the effect is great!  I'm not crazy about the beaks though.  In fact the knit chick had a "beak job" because the original one made her look like some sort of prehistoric monster chick, okay I'm overreacting a bit but it did look funny.  Next time I might try a piece of felt instead. You really can let your imagination run wild or go for the simple look and make them in your favorite colors.  No matter what you do, I'm sure that they will look terrific.

I love that they sit atop the eggs.  For me that's why I found them so endearing.  I'm not sure what it is about little "surprises" like that make me say, "aaawwwhh", but I can't help myself!  They're a perfect fit for the crochet eggs, or you can fill a plastic egg with candy for a super sweet treat. 

I'm including a downloadable PDF of the crochet pattern that you might find useful as well as the egg pattern.  I didn't bother to write out the knit pattern.  I was able to follow the diagram, and I'm sure you can too.  With any of them, please let me know if you have questions.  I'm new to pattern writing, and apologize in advance for any mistakes or confusing instructions!

Well my friends that's all for today.  Have fun with your creations!  I'd love to see pictures of your lil' chickies.  You can post them on my Facebook page and we can all "aaawwwhh" them together.
Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Greetings Friends!
I hope that this first day of the vernal equinox finds you with a spring in your step! It's cold and blustery in New England with the remnants of the most recent snow storm visible at every turn.  I'm optimistic though that the sun will soon shine brilliantly and before long it will only be a memory (the snow, not the sun!).  Enough of the weather chat and onto the eggs.  What about them you ask?  Well, this morning I realized that while I had been thinking about Easter and the Resurrection I hadn't given much thought to the other side of Easter.  With the bunny,  jelly beans, chocolate and of course eggs.  Since our son is a teenager the days of pastel baskets, shinny cellophane grass and copious amounts of candy for breakfast are (sadly) behind us.  I wanted to do something though, so I decided to crochet myself an egg.  I also thought it would be fun to share the pattern with the knitting/crochet group who meet at the library on Wednesdays.  And if I'm going to share with them, of course I'm going to share with you!

It's quite easy and took about half an hour to finish.  Without further ado here you go:

Gauge isn’t important so feel free to use whatever you have handy. 
For this extra-large egg I used:
F/5 – 3.75 (US) hook
Bits of worsted acrylic from the stash
Left over fiber fill for the stuffing, but most anything soft will work (cotton balls, bits of yarn etc.)

Stitches and Stuff:
Single Crochet (sc)
Single Crochet 2 Together (sc2tog) – Insert hook in stitch and pull up a loop, insert hook into next stitch and pull up another loop (3 loops on hook).  Yarn over, and pull through all 3 loops. One stitch decreased.

Eggs are worked in continuous rounds – do not join.  Use a marker at beginning of the round and move it up as each round is completed.

To Make the Egg:
With color of your choice – ch 2.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in first ch. Place marker in 1st st to mark beg of rnd; move marker up as rnd is completed.

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around. (12 sc)

Rnd 3: *2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc; repeat from * around. (18 sc)

Rnd 4: *2 sc in nxt sc, sc in next 2 sc; repeat from * around. (24 sc)

Rnd 5 – 12: Sc in each sc around.

Rnd 13: *Sc2tog, sc in nxt 4 sc; repeat from * around (20 sc). 

Pull tail from starting chain into the egg, and begin stuffing. Continue stuffing as you go until it’s firm and holds its eggy shape.

Rnd 14: *Sc2tog, sc in nxt 3 sc; repeat from * around. (16 sc)

Rnd 15: *Sc2tog, sc in nxt 2 sc; repeat from * around. (12 sc)

Rnd 16: *Sc2tog, sc in next sc; repeat from * around (8 sc). Keep stuffing!

Rnd 17: (Sc2tog) around. (4 sc)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail.  Weave the tail through the stitches on top to close the opening. Knot the end and the weave into the egg to hide.
If you make stripes, make sure to pull the ends into the egg before stuffing (it’s easier that way!)

There you are!  A great way to use up some stash scraps.  Imagine how cool they'll look in variegated yarns.  I was also thinking that you could embroider designs on then too.

I created a PDF if you want to download it for later.

Well friends, that's all for now!
Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time,
Be Blessed and Stitch & Read with Love!

PS: There's still time to enter the book raffles.  Check the links on the side bar if you haven't already!!

"A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles."
     ~ Washington Irving (1783-1859)

Perfection.  We strive towards it.  We practice to achieve it.  In matters of the heart it is often elusive.  But in crochet, all things are possible.  And so I set out to crochet a perfect heart.

There are patterns that make them in the round and those that work them in rows.  Some came close, but nothing gave me exactly what I was looking for.  I knew that creating a perfectly symmetrical heart was a matter of diligence, patience, and little geometry.  I learned a lot from all the different versions I made. Using the elements that worked the best from other patterns and through lots  of trial and error this beauty came to life! 

I made my thread hearts into bookmarks, and I included the instructions here so you can make them too.  If  they're not your style there are lots of other things you can do.  Thread hearts can be attached to a card with ribbon and given as a lovely Valentine.  Sew them onto a shirt, hat, jacket or pants pocket.  Sew 2 together and stuff for fluffy hearts.  Add a little cat nip to make a treat for you favorite kitty.  Attach one (or more) to a hair clip, barrette, or head band.  Hearts made with worsted weight yarn and an H hook are the perfect size for a coaster.  Add personalization by stitching you and your love's initials with embroidery floss.  Embellish them with terms of endearment (like the Sweetheart's Conversation Heart candies). Or just make them because they're fun and easy!

The heart in the pattern is made with #10 cotton thread and a #4/1.75 mm steel hook.  It measures about 2.5 inches x 2.5 inches.  The large heart in the picture above is made with worsted weight acrylic and an H/5.00 mm hook.  It measures about 5.5 inches x 5.5 inches.  You can make them with whatever yarn or thread and hook makes you happy.

No matter what you do with your heart, I hope it fills you with gladness and brings you a smile!

It's easy to loose your place when working rounds 3 and 4 so I created a PDF that you can download.  I point the corner of a sticky note at each step/stitch and move it to the next after working it.  Then if I  have to put my work down I know where to start!

Thanks so much for spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Greetings friends and Welcome!  I feel like it's been ages since we've gotten together.  I've been working hard on holiday projects and as much as I love celebrating with family and friends I'm looking forward to settling down in the new year and getting back to a regular blogging schedule. 

Today I have something cool to tell you about - it's called the Sharp Crochet Hook.  A handy little hook that makes adding crochet edging to fabric a breeze. It allows you to work on the fly without pre-poking holes or sewing a round of the blanket stitch onto your fabric.

I've been working with thread a lot lately, but I had never tried to add lace trim to a piece of fabric. That is until Jessica Taufer got in touch and asked me to give her product a try. Jessica sent me the Starter Pack.  It arrived in a simple white envelope shortly after our conversation.  The picture above shows what I received.
The packaging is professional and it's clear that a lot of thought was given to the layout and design of the printed materials.   The Pattern Book has 18 different projects for apparel, accessories and items for babies & kids. The Edging Handbook contains 15 trim patterns that range in complexity from easy to advanced.  I was a bit surprised that neither book provided a section on how to use the sharp hook.  All of the patterns seem to start with "SC around the fabric".  While that is pretty self explanatory, as a newbie to edging I was hoping for a bit of guidance.  Especially when it comes to determining how many stitches I would need to make a particular pattern repeat work.  (More about that in a minute.)  As for the rest of the items, there is the hook itself.  It's a steel hook that does indeed have a more significant point than any of the ones I have, but not so much that it feels dangerous.  I'm not sure what size hook it is as it doesn't have anything stamped on it.  In the booklet it says, "Always use the Sharp Crochet Hook to crochet through fabric and paper, then switch to a size 3 (2.1 mm) crochet hook and continue using size 3 crochet thread, which is used throughout this book, or switch to a larger hook and use the yarn of your choice to complete the project."  I used size 10 thread and switched to a size 4 hook for my projects with no problems.

There is a set of 12 crochet hooks that range in size from 2.00 mm to 8.00 mm.  The common US letter sizes are not indicated, but I don't think that should be a problem since most patterns list both the letter and the mm size.  The hooks seem to be good quality and make a nice collection for a beginner (or starter) who want to have a selection of sizes to choose from.  I'm quite taken with the sewing snips and dropped them into my travel bag straight away. Scissors with a cap are a plus in my book.  The Yarn Wraps are a nice way to round out the kit.  They're just stretchy fabric sewed in loops, but they do the trick and I haven't had to worry about my balls of thread coming undone when I carry them back and forth to work.

Overall I am pleased with the entire presentation.  I'd like to see greater detail in the instructions, but that can be remedied easily enough with a simple flyer about "Getting Started".  I found that Jessica's web site provides additional information in the form of FAQs. The most important question though is how did it work?

The answer is really well,  once I decided what I was going to make!  To start with I made a coaster.  I had a bunch of cotton fabric hanging around so I cut a few squares.  I started at the edge and worked the single crochet across.  It was so easy that I thought, I wonder if I can crochet two pieces of fabric together to make a thicker coaster?  I grabbed two pieces and gave it try.  Imagine my surprise when I was easily able to poke through both layers at the same time!  I worked the single crochet along one edge.  I went back and counted my stitches and then worked that many on each of the three remaining sides.  I ended up selecting my trim pattern from the book Around the Corner by Edie Eckman.  Mainly because in Edie's book she tells you how many multiples the patterns are worked in so it was easy to pick one that would fit. 

Once I completed the coaster I was ready to give something else a try.  I've been working on bookmarks and thought one made of fabric would be a great idea.  Turns out I was right and it wasn't hard at all.  I cut two pieces of fabric the same size.  Then I cut a piece of cardboard from a cereal box a little smaller than the fabric rectangles.  After I pressed the fabric I used a glue stick to hold the fabric and cardboard sandwich together.  Using the sharp hook I worked a single crochet all the way around using the same number of stitches on the short ends and the long sides.  For the lace edging I worked (3dc in the same sc, ch 2, skip next sc) along each side and 5 dc in each corner.  Voila! A nifty double sided bookmark to go along with all the others I've been making!

Whether you are a seasoned thread crocheter looking to add trim to fabric, or you are a beginner interested in learning this beautiful and timeless technique the Sharp Hook is easy to use and makes a great addition to your crochet tool box.  I already have plans for adding trim to a vintage hanky, a denim jacket, and an apron.  With just a little time and effort you can easily turn a plain item into an one of a kind heirloom.  For more information you can visit Jessica on the Web and check out her full line of products.

I couldn't resist including this picture of our kitty getting in on the action.  She always has to be the center of attention!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.  I hope that you'll come back and see the awesome projects I've been working on.  There's lots of thread crochet, hats, gloves, and accessories for the home.  I'll share patterns I designed and finally finish up the Granny Square Project.  In the mean time, I hope your holidays are wonderful!

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

Greetings friends!  Snow is in the forecast on the east coast. Six to twelve inches here in central Mass.  There's something magical about the first snow of the season. Memories of hot chocolate and gathering around the radio waiting for the local station to tell us that school was cancelled.  I suppose that should motivate me to get to work on the second fingerless mitt, but if I'm honest I'll tell you that for the moment I'm out of mitten mojo.  It's not that I don't like it.  In fact, I'm pretty darn happy with the way this one came out. It's just that for the amount of work that went into it I should have finished 3 pairs!  Allow me to explain...

I decided that I needed a pair of fingerless mitts to go along with my Slouchy Tassel Cap.  In this month's issue of Crochet World magazine I found the pattern for their Texting Mittens.  Perfect!  I typically have to go down a hook size or two.  So I started out with my H hook and whipped up the cuff.  It was too small.  I don't want to start over so I just add a few rows. No problem. Now I'm working on the palm/body. It's snug, but I soldier on.  It was time for the thumb.  I followed the pattern adding a few stitches to accommodate the changes to the cuff.  After a few more rounds I tried it on.  Great.  I can't move my thumb.  After a fair amount of grumbling I acknowledged that the only was it was going to fit would be for me to rip it all out and start again with a bigger hook. The hook size the pattern indicates.  The one I would have known to use if I had made a gauge swatch.  This time (of course) the cuff fits. And so does the body.  Imagine that. It seems however that I must have gargantuan thumbs, because I need to add several stitches in order to make it fit. Naturally this means several attempts and ripped stitches.  Moving on.  I was confused by the instructions for making the finger hood (you know that piece that keeps your fingers warm when you're not sending urgent messages or getting the keys out of your purse).  After looking at a pair that my mother-in-law gave me I figured out what to do.  Again this meant several tries before I got it right (rip, stitch, rip, stitch).  I stuck to the pattern and made the hood as indicated.  It looked funny, like I had pointy witch hands.  I'd come so far that giving up was not an option.  Maybe I made a mistake? I ripped back and tried again. Nope, still pointy.  OK.  I can do this. I know what I want it to look like, and I know that I can figure it out. What I didn't know was it would take 12 tries to get it right!  So you can see, while I'm pleased with the way my texting mitt finally looks, I think that I need a bit of a respite before I begin it's mate.  I did try to write down the changes that I made, but when I looked at my notes this morning it appears that I was utilizing a form of hieroglyphics in an attempt to make things more clear. Hmmm...

How about a little book chat?  If you've been to visit before you know how much I love books, and if you haven't had a chance I hope you'll take a look at yesterday's post.  I'm so excited to have a new venue to share my book reviews.  Of course I'll still be talking about them here, I have too they're so much a part of me.  But by creating Robin Reads & Writes I can really delve into my reviews without worrying that I'm turning away those of you who come for the crafting.  If you enjoy my reviews, I hope that you'll subscribe to the new blog, or at least click on the link in the header or on the sidebar once in a while to see what's new.

I have reviews for two books in the works right now, and I'll tell you both of these had a big impact on me. I'll let you know when they're ready.  Now I'm reading Defending Jacob by William Landay which has been on the NY Times best seller list since it came out in January. While that's not my reason for choosing it, I do like to keep current with what the masses are reading.  It's been a while since I've read a crime/court drama so I decided I'd give this one a go.  Stay tuned and I'll let you know how it rates!

Today I'll be sharing the saga of the single mitt with these ladies and their link parties.  There are always so many fun and interesting projects to see, that I hope you'll spend a few minutes visiting them.  I always find inspiration, and it's a great way to meet new people.

That does it for me.  I'm off to work and then to hunker down with my hook and yarn and wait for the snow.  My prayers are with anyone who was effected or knows anyone who was effected by Sandy.  Let's hope that Athena (yep, the latest storm has a name already) follows gently in her wake.

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Greetings and Salutations Friends!  This week has been all about my awesome Slouching Towards Tassels Cap by Denise at Voie de Vie.  It seems that it was with me no matter what I was doing:  making stitch markers with John; participating in the JAL for Accessories: Autumne 2012 (Denise's new ebook where you'll find this pattern); hunkered down to wait out hurricane Sandy (with a good book, homemade spicy Hermits and a cup of chamomile); or looking for journaling inspiration.  We were inseparable, and even though I only worked on it a little bit each evening it took less than a week to finish.

I wish that the lighting had been better for my ta-dah pictures so you could see just how great it looks.  Red is difficult to photograph, and these shots don't show you how rich the color is.  2 big "cakes" of this mystery wool were given to me last year, and I've been waiting to find a project for them.  I think this one is perfect.  I'm drawn to the tassels which I think give the cap a playful look that is fun in a grown up sort of way.  Don't get me wrong, I love pom-poms, but sometimes you need something that you can wear with your "good" coat on those cold winter days! 

I always like to make coordinating pieces when I can, and since I have plenty of yarn left I set to work on a pair of mitts.  The fingerless kind that have the little hood attached so you can keep warm while you're walking, but still grab your keys or use your phone when you need to.  I've tried to explain them to my husband, but he remains convinced that topless mittens are just plain silly!  It must just be a guy thing, because all my girlfriends love them!

In addition to my fiber offerings, I like to participate in Five Minute Friday over at Lisa-Jo Baker's place. It's writing in the raw and if you've never done it, why don't you give it a try? It's really easy - you just:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat on this week's prompt with no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking - then post it just as it is!
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 writing on the prompt "Roots"

I once had a very wise teacher.  She would talk and tell me things that at the time didn't seem to have much to do with the subject at hand.  But later, when I was alone doing the dishes, or talking with my husband I would remember what she had said.  And I would think about it.  And then I would ponder some more.  And without even realizing it an idea had formed, a problem was solved, a decision was made. 

And when I share my revelation with her she tells me that she is a gardener.  With the land and with the mind she plants seeds.  Small and seeming insignificant.  And then it is up to me to grow them.  I nurture them and they grown.  They strengthen and develop roots.  And they will reach deeply into the core.  To provide me with sustenance.  For the body and for the spirit.  My wise teacher never pushed anything on me.  She offered me seeds, and left the rest up to me.

Today I'll be sharing my post with this lovely group of ladies.  Each has a terrific link party that will surely introduce you to all kinds of creative goodness!  Please stop by, and feel free to add your latest project.

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Greetings Friends and Welcome!  I hope this Halloween finds all of you enjoying more treats than tricks!  Mother Nature is doing her best to keep us on our toes.  We were fortunate here in north central Massachusetts to be spared from the brutality of hurricane Sandy.  It was wet and windy, but nothing like our neighbors to the south had to endure.  Our wishes and prayers for all of you who were affected for a quick and safe recovery.

Do any of you journal?  I've kept a journal of some sort since I was a teenager.  Over the years I've used all kinds: spiral notebooks, composition books (a fave), special books with fancy covers and decorated paper, day planners and even locking diaries.  The content has changed as often as the books.  It's been poetry and short stories, ramblings of the unrequited love every young girl feels, a record of my pregnancy, and often just a catch all for how my day has been. 

Recently my journals are including more crafting and art leading me towards mixed media journaling. I've never been able to get into scrap booking, but the idea of including tactile bits and pieces of my day along with words and drawings (or doodling!) is really appealing.  My new interest is reflected in my reading materials this week. Raw Art Journaling, The Journal Junkies Workshop, Artist's Journal Workshop and the Sketchbook Challenge all have something to offer. Lessons on technique and suggestions for entries are the most helpful as I find new ways to express the creative spirit inside me.

I'm also using my journal to plan and record the progress of my projects.  It's really different from the things I write here or the information on a Rav project page.  It's less formal and gives me the opportunity to be messy and make mistakes!  It can also be very solitary and private.  Quite the opposite of what you'll find should you decide to join a CAL!

There are other reasons too.  They are great for blogging about.  Sometimes there are prizes. If you loose your motivation you can always count on the group to get you going again.  Timelines (if there are any) help keep you focused.  Did I mention all the friends you'll make? If you don't have a crochet or knitting club in your area, joining an a-long is like being a member of a virtual club.

Currently I'm participating in two CALs.  Both are being hosted by talented, creative women who I've come to know through their blogs.  Denise from Voie de Vie has recently published her first ebook of patterns titled Accessories: Autumne 2012.  I was lucky enough to win a copy, so of course when Denise announced a JAL (join-a-long) I had to jump right in!  Her Ravelry group is here, and you'll find all the information to get a copy of her book or to join us making one of the lovely projects she's designed.  I'm making the Slouching Towards Tassels hat in a rich red wool (that's it in the picture with my journal and books).

Marie from Underground Crafter is not only a great writer (she is the queen of interviews and (craft) book reviews), she is also an experienced teacher.  Her talents shine in The Ripple Mania CAL which actually feels more like a (free!) class than a CAL.  Each week Marie is providing us with a detailed lesson. What's great is how much information there is, and how easy it is to use.  So far we've learned about choosing colors and the basics of the ripple.  The flexibility of this CAL is fantastic, because we get to pick what we want to make and what  technique we want to use.  If your interested in this crochet technique you definitely should come over and take a look.  You'll find everything right here at her Ravelry group.

When I decided to join Marie's CAL I didn't know what I was going to make, I only knew that I wanted to use the yarn that I had leftover from the Granny Square Project.  Searching patterns on Ravelry I found this -

Is this totally awesome? I think that this might be the perfect use for all of those squares that I made while I was learning about granny, don't you?  I've been struggling to come up with something to do with them, and the Groovyghan seems to be ideal!  I haven't got it all figured out yet, but I'm on my way!

Wednesday is a busy day and there's always lots to see.  I'm joining these lovely ladies and all the other talented crafters who share their projects.  Stop by for a dose of inspiration, you won't be disappointed!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Today's post is the final for Blogtoberfest 2012. Wow!!
It's not too late to visit other participating bloggers.  Click the graphic and see what you've been missing!
Also, keep watch for my summary of the event - coming soon!!

This picture was taken by our 16 year old son Seth.  Why am I including it?  Because he loves photography, this is the first picture that he's ever had published, and most importantly because I'm a proud momma!  Yes, it's only our local paper, but everyone has to start somewhere!!

No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.
Ansel Adams

Greetings and welcome to my pumpkin patch!  Autumn is my favorite season for so many reasons. Apple picking, the special way the air smells while walking through the woods, Halloween, sweater weather, craft fairs, candy, scary movies, costumes and of course pumpkins!  Whether it's carving a jack-o-lantern, making pie, toasting the seeds or crocheting one of these little beauties pumpkins are fun. I think of them as an ambassador for the holidays.  We see them first as one of the final crops from the summer growing season. We use them for decorations in October and then turn them into pies that grace our tables at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.  By the time the new year comes we've had our fill, but rest assured we'll be excited to see them come autumn next year!

I was looking to make some harvest themed decorations to use at the library as well as at home.  I came across this simple (free) pattern. These little lovelies are a snap to work up and actually are somewhat addicting! I've left mine plain, but Dawn over on her blog Fiddlesticks shows what can be done with a little embroidery thread, a few buttons and some imagination. She has several ideas for terrific ways to bring the harvest home. I know she's inspired me!  To get you motivated here's a look out how easy it is to make your own mini pumpkin.

I found another free mini pumpkin pattern on Petals to Picots (one of my new Friday link parties).  Kara works her's in the round.  I haven't tried it yet, but it's on my list for the weekend!  What do you think of our kitty?  She has to be part of everything!  And since she was determined to oversee my progress and my photography I had to include her in my story! 

Have you heard the news?  Today is I Love Yarn Day!  Not that we don't love yarn every day! Here is a chance for us to let everyone know just how important yarn is to us and our crafty lives.

I'm doing my part by posting here today, and by spending as much time as I can crocheting (pumpkins of course!)

On their website and Facebook page you'll find places to share your activities and see what other yarn lovers are up to today.  Here are some other suggestions from their site:

Whether you knit, crochet, craft or just adore fiber, October 12th is the day to affirm your passion for yarn. Show it off, tag with it, carry it, gather with friends. Declare your LOVE! Get involved.

• Create an I Love Day Yarn badge
• Teach someone to knit or crochet
• Do something for charity
• Wear a knitted or crocheted item
• Give a gift of yarn
• Take your yarn to work day
• Host a yarn-a-bration party
• Knit, crochet and craft in public

This is the perfect excuse for spending the day with your favorite yarn! Enjoy yourself and create something that makes you happy!

In addition to my fiber offerings, I like to participate in Five Minute Friday over at Lisa-Jo Baker's place. It's writing in the raw and if you've never done it, why don't you give it a try? It's really easy - you just:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat on this week's prompt with no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking - then post it just as it is!
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 writing on the prompt "Race"

There are so many things that I want to do.  I often feel like there isn't enough time in the day to get it all done.  And so I find myself hurrying through instead of taking my time and enjoying myself.  I have to pull back and remember that life is a journey not a destination (thank you Stephen Tyler and Aerosmith for instilling that bit of wisdom in me so long ago!).  Anyway, I forget that I don't have to get it all done right now.  Especially when it comes to crochet and crafting.  This is my hobby.  It's a passion, but it's a hobby.  And the reason that I do it is to relax and enjoy myself.  Of course for the pleasure of creating and having wonderful handmade gifts to give, but it's about the act of doing - or at least it should be.

So when I start getting anxious and find that I am racing to the end, I step back.  I breath into the moment.  I say the mantra that has been mine for years: Be Here Now.

Five minutes doesn't last for long!  Like last week I was tempted to keep going, but the exercise is five minutes period.  So this week when the timer went off I stopped (after I jumped because it scarred the beep out of me!).

And so this brings us to the end.  I had a lot to share today.  I hope that something here caught your eye!  For more eye catching fun, check out these other blogs.  Each one has something unique to offer and I'm sure you'll find plenty to ooh and aah over! Enjoy your weekend ~ no matter what you're doing!