Category: Crochet and crafting

any items related to crocheting or crafting

Crochet Savior!

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

My middle daughter moved home.  March was chaotic with her moving.  April is turning into chaos with getting our house organized – or reorganized and integrating her stuff into our house.

I’m finally tackling my office.  Currently it’s in that state of extreme messy because I’ve been going through papers, shelves, drawers in order to sort out what we need to keep.  There’s an ultimate goal in mind but for now, I want to get rid of one piece of furniture and move two others.  These means I’m taking decorations down from the wall as the furniture is going to cover up the wall space.

I’m not certain the way I want to rearrange the furniture is actually going to work so I need to try it before I decide whether it is how I actually want it.  Also all the stuff I want to put on the furniture is sitting around my office making it seem more cluttered.  I swear there is an organized method to the chaos at this point.

I started yesterday and made good progress but today I’ve spent running errands and prepping for the week.  There are some things I don’t want to get rid of.  I look at them and the organizer in me is saying just let it go.  But the writer / mom / creator in me is saying NO!!!  I’m working on it.  I’m also looking at a row of books – reference type – which sit by computer.  Do I want to weed through them?  No but should I?  Probably.  I know some of them will stay.  I can look at at least six of them and know they stay but there’s at least three times that many.  So reluctantly I’ll look through these books to weed out any.

Then there’s the recycle / garbage, sale piles to contend with.  I’ve got a box of stuff for a sale we’re hoping to participate in later this summer.  Also while I remove and rearrange what do I do with all the stuff.

It’s definitely been a weekend of chaos.  I’m not sure we’re making it any better.  However, at the intermediate phase, it is so chaotic I’m not sure it’s getting better.

We’re doing all of this while I’m at my most busy at work.  Registration and scheduling for spring 18 are going on.  Lots of changes, problem solving, and stress at work means I need peace at home.  Right now, no peace just chaos.

This is where my crocheting comes in.  I’ve been working on a number of projects.  I finished an afghan, several headbands, and started a bandana.  This keeps me sane (ish) as it takes me away from the stress of both work and home.  It allows me to escape into my creative mind and work on patterns.  Right now I have several which I want to publish.

I keep telling myself it will get better.  I keep reminding myself it is the first weeks and I need to be patient.  However, the clutter is starting to wear on my nerves.  After I’m done in the office, I plan to hit the recliner and work on another pattern or three in order to calm and ease the stress of life right now.

Creating Patterns

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting

The way my brain works often surprises me.  With my daughter moving, I took a friend to her (who doesn’t drive) and waited while this friend helped my daughter pack.  Since my daughter lives in an upstairs apartment, this meant I was stuck in my car for several hours.

I’m rarely bored because I always have stuff to do.  So I took some crocheting – two projects – and worked on them.  While working on one project, I came up with all these color options and ideas for working with this pattern.  In reality I wanted the yarn there right then to work on it.  Instead I’ll make note of it and try them out.

While working on these two projects, another came into my head.  When I create my patterns, I normally crochet and then write.  This way I’m not re-writing but writing it as I create it.  However, this time I didn’t have anything with me to be able to crochet this idea with.  I wrote a pattern – full on all rows.  I loved getting it down so I could try it later.

My middle daughter has a million skeins of yarn in my craft room she wants me to make up for her.  My intention was to find a skein or two and try out this pattern.  Instead my niece was out.  We were chatting and she said she had a need for specific headbands for summer.  I immediately thought of this new pattern I’d written.  I made her pick some yarn and bring it to me.

While we chatted, I worked on a headband for her.  By the time I was done, my pattern had been tested and revised.  She liked the headband I made her but wanted lighter weight for summer.  I had her go back to my craft room and pick out thread.

I’m not a huge fan of working with thread – it’s harder for me to see and harder on my hands.  However, this is a small pattern so I thought okay I’ll give it a try.  My niece thought I’d have to reduce the width of the pattern but in reality thread is much smaller than worsted weight yarn, so all I’ve had to do is reduce the size of my crochet hook and thread to use the same pattern to create a lighter weight headband for her.  I’m hoping she’ll like it.

While I came by this pattern in almost the opposite way I normally do things, I think the pattern turned out really nicely.  It isn’t difficult or too time consuming.  It works up nicely both in worsted weight and in thread.  I’ll be publishing it when I get the second project done.

This means I got a lot done while sitting in the car.  I worked on two projects, came up with ideas for other projects, and wrote a pattern.  Next, I want to get those ideas for the projects down and work on them.

Family Celebrations and Finished Projects

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

It’s done!  I finally finished the big blanket for my youngest daughter.  It took a lot of work and time but her Packer emblem corner to corner graph afghan is done.  In the picture on the left it is laying on top of my king size bed and a few inches hang over on the left and right side.  At the bottom you can see the G better.  With it across my bed, it hung down about a foot on each side.  It was a big blanket.

It feels odd not having a BIG project to do.  I’ve started an afghan for one of my nieces.  I have a couple of other projects but I’m starting to wind down on the crocheting.

It might be time to work on writing again.  I’ve started the next Wayfarer novel and am looking forward to where it will take me.

It’s been an extremely busy few weeks.  The two daughters in Atlanta came home for a weekend.  We celebrated the youngest getting her master’s degree.  We are really proud of her.  We had a family gathering at our house over the weekend.

It was good to have them home to get after Ken for doing too much.  He still hasn’t passed his kidney stone.  He has good days and bad days.  I’m hoping it passes soon so he is out of pain.

I did the middle daughter’s taxes while she was home.  This weekend I have more taxes to do.  I’ll have to tackle ours as well as doing two other people’s taxes.

This month is zooming by with one thing after another.  One of the things I’d like to stop is the ER and Urgent care visits.  It would be nice if everyone could be healthy for maybe two or three weeks in a row so we don’t have to go to either ER or Urgent care… I’m not holding my breath.  

Progress!

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

Seven crochet patterns have been published!  I’m thrilled to have finally had time to get them out.  These have been on my todo list for quite some time.

I was off work yesterday and was going to do it then but I’ve got upper respiratory crud on top of my gout flaring.  I slept most of the day – not even crocheting until evening.

Last night I was trying to sleep and couldn’t breath.  I tried different levels of reclining but realized none of them were going to work.  I also tried having a cloth with eucalyptus, lavender, and rosemary on it to inhale but I couldn’t get any air through my nose.  Eventually I got up and took a hot shower with the essential oils.  It helped a lot until I sat down to sleep again.  It was after 2 am before I got to sleep though.

Sadly, Ken has the same crud so we are both struggling to accomplish anything other than breathing, coughing, and surviving.

I’ve been working on an afghan for my youngest daughter.  I’ve got it about half done but I need to have Ken hold it up so I can see it.  I think the graph caused a flaw and I need someone to hold it while I look to see if I have to rip out some rows and adjust so it looks right.  It is a corner to corner graphgan.

For those who don’t speak crochet, this means I’m working from one corner to the opposite – diagonally across the piece.  It also means I’ve taken a picture and made it into a graph.  This happens to be the Packer’s G symbol.  The issue is the G is surrounded by a circle which is difficult to do on an afghan.  When I looked at it last night, I thought the circle part wasn’t quite right but I double checked my row against my graph and they match.

The next step is to decide if I need to adjust the graph / pattern based on how it looks.  I might but I need to see it held out and a little away from me.  I can’t really do that – so Ken will hold it up for me.

The rest of today will be spent napping and crocheting until the daughter gets home.  Once she’s home, we will see what happens.  It depends on what she needs / wants.  Unfortunately, she has the same crud we have.

For the crochet patterns I published today go to my web site to find links.  The Amazon links aren’t up yet but should be by Monday or Tuesday.  My todo list is still quite long but at least I made progress.  

Foolish Mortal Making Plans

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

Finished an afghan and started another, this was in my plan for yesterday but driving to Prairie Du Chien wasn’t.  My middle daughter needed some help so we met her in Prairie Du Chien.  I woke up with a well thought out plan in order to get some tasks done around the house and with crocheting.  Before we left to meet her, I got some of the projects done – paid bills, clipped coupons, made out a grocery list.  The rest of my plan – out the door.

We got home early evening and I was able to finish off the afghan for my niece and start another one for my youngest daughter.  I did a sample, took pics, and sent it out for approval.  Then I tore it apart and did it for real.  What does this mean?  For starters, I had to make some decisions about how I was handling some of the yarn – it is multi-colored and the yarn can’t easily be carried.  In order to use as little yarn as possible, I had to decide when I was cutting off and when I would carry it along.  Next I need to find a clipboard, ruler, and highlighter so I can keep track of where I’m at.  I’ve found a highlighter – multi colored so that helps.  Ken found me a clipboard just now.  Next is a ruler – I have a big one but can’t find a little one.  I could improvise but I’ll have to see what I can find.  I asked Ken and he is great at finding stuff.  He just brought me the PERFECT one.  He’s so good!

Today I plan to have a quiet day.  I want to watch West Wing (yes this is my current binge watching program) and crochet on the afghan.  My daughters will all be home in a little over a month.  If I could finish this afghan for her to take home – that would be wonderful.  It’s a corner to corner graphgan.  For those who don’t speak crochet – corner to corner is like it sounds – instead of working across and afghan, I work from one corner to the widest point and then back to the opposite corner.  A graphgan is a picture which has been turned into a graph.  Each square on the graph because a stitch (or in the case of the corner to corner a set of stitches).  It will be my first of this style.  I’m liking how it’s turning out so far but we will see how the rest goes.

Next I want to look up a temperature blanket.  This will require some research so I can find out the daily high temperatures for the years each of my daughters was born.  Then I will create an afghan based on the temperatures.  One row per day in a color designated for the temperature.  It should be interesting to see how it works out.

Ken was busy yesterday and today.  His list of things to get done was interrupted as well.  Still he managed to get a package to the post office, run errands this morning, and work on laundry and other household chores.

We’re both hoping to settle in today to relax – him watching football and me crocheting and watching West Wing (or other stuff).  Oh and Sherlock is on tonight!  I can’t wait to see the new episode!

Winter Projects

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Writing

Marketing is a necessary part of writing.  I’m realizing that I need to have marketing tools in place before I normally do.  I’ve been posting to social media in an attempt to get my work noticed.  I’ve been getting published in other places to draw in people outside my social media.  I’ve been trying to get reviews (though I could work harder at this.)

Has any of it done any good?  Some has and some hasn’t.  The thing is – with marketing what works today may or may not work tomorrow.  It’s something I have to constantly think about.

I’ve got a weekend without anyone home besides Ken and I so I’m hoping to get some work done in the writing arena.  I have marketing, publishing, and writing to do.

Having said that – I’m definitely in a crochet mode.  I’m working on the projects I had going before I set them aside to do holiday stuff.  I want to get certain things done while I’m still in the mood.  I’m on the down side (or nearing the finish) of one project which means all I really want to do is work on it and have been every night.  Behind this big project, I have one more in progress and at least four more in the wings pushing at me to work on them.

I don’t know if it’s the cold weather or the pile of containers in my craft room but I feel the need to get things done – crochet wise.  I’ve got ideas in my head for projects and patterns I want to try out.  I’ve got ideas for articles on crochet.  I need to get focused and get things done.

Indoor Activities

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

It’s in the negative numbers outside.  I’m up early(ish) and have done a search for my daughter on knitting patterns.

Yesterday I managed to finish one more gift and make a good start on another one.  The plan today is to finish the gift and move on to another project.  I’m hoping to make a good start on the second project I have in mind but I’ll see how the day goes.

Ken will be watching football all day.  I’ll hibernate in the living room to watch West Wing while I work on crochet projects.  It’s too cold to do anything other than stay inside and keep as warm as possible.

The week will be busy but I only have four days of work this week.  I’ll be off for eleven days and I’m hoping to finish a couple of projects.  My daughter and I will be working on batch cooking for a day or two.  We’ll do video chatting with the girls in Georgia for the holiday and gift exchange.

My hope is to get a few projects done for my daughter while she’s here.  There are projects I want to work on which she needs to be here for so I can make sure things fit appropriately.

During our lovely frigid weather today – crocheting, West Wing, and quiet.  Doesn’t sound like a bad day to me even if the temp outside wasn’t horrible.

Snow Day!

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

While the weather outside is cold and snowy, my plan is to work on more holiday gifts.  The last package went to the post office this morning.  Ken tackled the roads in his truck – I think my car would have gotten stuck in our road since we’ve not been plowed out.  We got about 5 – 6″ of snow and they’re calling for another 1 – 6″ depending on who you listen to.

The weather for today is supposed to be more snow.  The weather for tomorrow is supposed to be frigid with below zero temps.  This seems like the best time to turn on Netflix and work on a crochet project.  I’ve got two or three left to do for holiday gifts.  Then Ken gets to do the wrapping.

The meds for my sinus infection kicked my butt.  I’m done with them for now but I think the sinus infection isn’t gone.  It may be time to go back to an ENT to see if he’s got other options he can give me or better drugs.

I’ve been sleeping a lot.  I get up and do a couple of things.  After which I feel like I’ve run a marathon and want a nap.  I keep reminding myself this is my body’s way of telling me it’s healing.  I need to slow down and let my body recuperate.

Since I don’t do well with cold air, I’ll be staying inside and crafting.  I’ve got a number of projects to finish for the holidays and a few others to finish in general.  It’s something I can do while I’m resting.  Ken’s filled the humidifier with water and essential oils.  I’ll put on Netflix with West Wing or something else and crochet and nap throughout the rest of the weekend.  Hopefully by Monday I’m feeling more human.

New Tricks

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting

I’ve been crocheting for about 40 years.  I love crocheting but sometimes I get tired of the same old same old.  It’s always a pleasant experience for me when I learn something new.

The other night I was working on a project (gift for daughter) when I ran out of yarn.  Now normally I tie a knot with the new skein and work over the knot.  I tried this but the material is silk so the knot wouldn’t stay.  Recently I read about a new way to join.  I read a description of it and had no idea what they were talking about but I did a google search on it and found a YouTube video on how to do it.

I’ve been crocheting for a long time and sometimes I get in the mode of I know best and new stuff is not the “right” way of doing things.  Reluctantly I tried this new join technique.  I was thrilled with the result.  The material around the join was slightly thicker but overall it was a better join than the way I’ve been joining material for the last 40 years.  There were no tails to tuck in, the joins was smoother, firmer, and held better.

Now before I say I will use this join on all materials, I want to try it out more.  It was definitely a wonderful way to join silk and have a smooth invisible join.

Here are a few links to how to do this:

Lion Brand 

YouTube

Another YouTube

The nice thing is you can use this for any yarn craft – crochet, knitting, or others.  I’m looking forward to trying it with different materials.

Let it Snow?

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

It’s piling up!  The trees are covered with white, the ground is buried beneath a blanket of white.  It is definitely WINTER.

Driving from Iowa to Wisconsin in the snow wasn’t horrible but we were on the leading edge of the storm so more whispy than heavy snow.  Looking out at the weather it is pretty but I know it won’t be once we have to go out in it.

Today will be spent watching some television and crocheting.  I have several gifts for my daughters to finish and I’m hoping to get the ones for the Atlanta girls done today so they can get in the mail.  The heater I have in the living room will go on and I’ll snuggle in to get the gifts done.

After I finish the holiday gifts, I’ll be working to finish the two big projects I have going which aren’t overly portable but I have to finish the project for the publication and get that sent in for pictures.  Once all of those are done, I’m going back to writing.

It promises to be a quiet and calm day today.  Tomorrow will be interesting and challenging with getting to and from work and in and out of my building.  Hopefully the snow stops sooner so roads and parking lots can be cleared.