My new obsession

Since learning how to crochet, I have been thinking about all of the projects I want to make. I am working on a felted bag right now and then a hat for Mark. I also have leftover yarn from making Peyton's hat and so I might make another one like that one to give away. I just finished my first big project, one I'll reveal later. It was a labor of love and I had such fun making it. It's interesting that the women of my grandmother's generation sewed, knitted, crocheted, etc, and that I never had to learn these skills. I wish I had learned them, but I had no interest until recently. One of my friends keeps telling me that I could learn how to sew, but I think that may be beyond me. I get flustered trying to read an "easy" crochet pattern. I can't imagine how hard learning to cut out and sew an item of clothing would be!

Fun new toy

My neighbor, Jan, has two daughters who are in elementary school and she likes to hand down the things they are not using. Of course, I LOVE hand-me-downs. In the past she has given us an art easel and a Little Tikes outdoor car. She called last week and told me that she had some fun collapsible playhouse things that she wanted to give to the kids. We set them up in the basement and they are a HUGE hit with the kids. They spent several hours this weekend crawling through the tunnels, dragging toys into the tunnels, chasing each other through the tunnels, etc. Such a fun toy and the possibilites are endless!

I have finished a few projects since I learned how to crochet. I have made the kids and myself new hats, and I made a granny square scarf. I love making things and have a bunch of patterns ready for my next projects. Mark wants a hat, so he's next and then I'm going to try a simple felting project. I told him the other day that I may have to get a job to afford all of the yarn I need/ want!

Hats everywhere

I have worked my way through the crochet book and have done all of the projects in it. My favorite project by far has been the hat. This is the first hat I did, a turquoise one, made from yarn that came with the book. Peyton is my lovely model! I really like this hat and used the pattern to make one for each of the kids. They went to Michael's with me early this week and chose their own yarn, with no help.

Is anyone surprised that my girly girl picked pink? She loves the hat and especially the flower.

Liam insisted on blue yarn and also asked for a flower. I told him that I would put a pom pom "flower" on it because I did not want to put a girly flower on it. I mean, the boy already wears a purple dress around the house and occasionally angel wings! I had to bribe him with candy to wear the hat in a picture. He HATES having his picture taken (sound familiar, Uncle Craig?)

Ah Peyton. I asked her to please model Liam's hat for one picture (before the bribery). This was her reaction!

Happy New Year...it's 2009

I remember being in elementary school and figuring out how old I would be in the year 2000. Now it's 2009 and I feel like time has been flying! We had a very laid back evening last night to ring in the New Year. I made two dips, buffalo chicken and spinach artichoke, and we ate veggies and dip too. It was a finger food meal and the kids loved it. We also did jiffy pop on our stovetop. We ate and then dressed the kids in their jammies to watch "The Berenstain Bears." They stayed up until about 9:30 and then crashed. Mark and I finished the final Star Wars movie and then started the documentary on how they were made. I didn't realize it was midnight until we heard the fireworks downtown. We went to bed around 1am and then got up at 8:30 and went to The Little Grill for breakfast.

The kids wanted to play outside when we got home, but it was only around 30 degrees so they didn't last long. They spent the morning playing and hanging out with us. Peyton is at our neighbor's house now and Liam is asleep.

I bought a how to crochet book yesterday (thanks Grandma for the birthday money) and spent last evening and this morning learning some stitches and making a few projects. The book came with a few skeins of yarn and 6 projects. I knew a tiny bit from my Nan. She taught me how to crochet when I was around 10 years old, but I had no idea how many things I was doing wrong! I have now learned more than just the one stitch I used to know...woo hoo! I made a little bag to carry jewelry, a soap loofah, and two flowers. I'm going to tackle a little purse next and then a granny square scarf. I'm excited because I've been wanting to learn for so long and had no idea how to do it. Not sure if adding another hobby is such a good thing (I'm already busy with photography, scrapbooking, etc), but it should be fun!