Tag: crochet

An Opportunity … but Not This Year

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting

Locally there is a vendor sale which I’ve been invited to participate in – one of the organizers has seen my crocheting and thinks I should sell my stuff.  I agree but I have nothing made up.

I’ve been struggling since I had to use a manual wheelchair because my arms bothered me when I crocheted.  They are starting to feel better but now I have several project to get done before the beginning of December.  My sister has several for me to work on and I have the gifts I give to get done.

I knew about this a year ago so I can’t complain about not having enough time.  However, I’ve been working on writing, editing, publishing, and crocheting for my own purposes.  I have a list on my phone of things I could make for the sale.  I have yarn stockpiled in my craft room.

Somehow I never got around to making the things.  There was always a project for someone to work on or writing or family stuff.  However, I’ve had one article published in a crochet magazine and will have another by the end of the year (hopefully) as well as a crochet pattern (hopefully).  So it would be nice to play with the yarn I have and create what I want.  It would be fun to play with the yarn and crocheting to see how I like the different techniques.

I’d love to see how my stuff sells but this year – I’m too crazy with things to do right now to consider having enough time to do it.  I’ll keep the list on my phone.  I will make an effort to make ahead for next year but you never know where my time will go and what I’ll get involved with.

Collection of Four Scarves – Goodreads Giveaway!

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Writing

I’m a crochet nut.  It is one of my favorite relaxing things to do.  In the last year or so, I’ve combined my love of crocheting with my love of writing and have published a number of projects.  In one book – I’ve gathered up four patterns for scarves.  I’m giving away three copies of this on Goodreads!

If you’d like a chance to win one of these, follow the link below and sign up for one.  Good luck!!!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Collection of Four Scarves by Eileen Troemel

Collection of Four Scarves

BY EILEEN TROEMEL

Released March 09 2015
Giveaway ends in 30 days (July 18, 2016)
3 copies available, 101 people requesting

Enter Giveaway

Projects – Writing and Crochet

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

So far, I have four spring scarf patterns and one shawl to publish.  I have probably two more scarves I’ll make up and then I’ll go into publish mode with them.  This will mean a couple of days of getting the files set up, covers made, and then publishing.  After I publish, I will post on Facebook, Twitter, here, Ravelry, and a few other places.  This all takes time.

I’m hoping to have the two scarves done shortly – maybe this week.  I meant to crochet last night but I had such a headache, I could not manage it.  Light was hurting my head.  I gave up and turned off the lights, put my chair back and watched Criminal Minds in the dark.  I couldn’t even text without the phone bothering my eyes.

Hopefully tonight I’ll be able to work on crocheting.  I’ve got three things I want to finish before the end of the week if my head will cooperate.

Once that is done, I’ll probably look at editing as I have the two novels done for the first draft.  I need to do the searches for all the words I overuse.  Then a spelling and grammar check before I print and do a read through edit.  At the same time, I want to work on writing and finishing two other projects I have going.

The craft room still needs finishing.  I need to make time to finish it soon.  I’ve got more things to go in there as I’ve finished some projects and need to put excess yarn away from it.

I spoke with someone who said they retired from their job years ago but within a year went back to work because they were essentially bored.  I really don’t understand this.  I’d like more non-work time to be able to try out more of the things I like to do.

I know everyone is different.  I’m fairly certain it would take me at least a year to run out of projects (probably two years).  At which time, my daughter would have more projects she’d like me to do.  I don’t have enough time to get all the things done I want to do.

Movies and Crocheting

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

Yesterday I watched four movies – Deadpool, Captain America Civil War, Mr. Holmes, and Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit.  I enjoyed all the movies.

Deadpool – not for children but as an R rated movie, hilarious filled with violence and sex (no innuendo here blatant sex).  I love the sarcasm in the movie.

Captain America – good fight scenes but overall the movie is a bit depressing.

Mr. Holmes – a thinking movie, Sherlock Holmes is in his 90s and starting to have dementia.  His housekeeper and her son live with him and help him.  He tries to remember his last case.  There are three stories going on in this movie and it is fascinating.

Jack Ryan – the typical action film.  I’d seen it before but opted to watch it again.  It was a good “crochet without having to watch the tv” movie.

For all of them, except Captain America, I crocheted during the movie.  I am a little over half done with the project.

At the movie theater, I was ticked when I got home.  My shirt and jacket were stuck to my pants.  Someone had left gum in the seat I sat in so I came home with gum smeared all over.  Ken has been trying to get it out.  He’s managed to get it out of the jacket and shirt and is trying one more thing for the pants.

Last night was a bad night.  I woke up several times unable to move my fingers, knees, ankles.  This means lots of pain today but I can’t let it stop me.  I have to finish this project.  I also have a few other projects to work on.  I’m hoping to get the first one done and see what time it is before I go back to tackling the other projects.

Bad Sleep

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

Ken got the shopping done early this morning.  With my list, coupons, sales flyer shopping and rebates, he saved over $20!  This is about 20% of what he spent.

Last night I made a list of what I wanted to get done today.  I meant to get up early, get to work, and keep at it as long as possible.  I didn’t count on a bad night’s sleep.  I got up this morning – woken up by one of the daughters.  After talking to her, I did the rebates for the shopping.  Then I proceeded to do nothing more strenuous than play a couple of games on my phone.  I’m up and moving again.  After I’m done on the computer, I’ll head back to the kitchen to do some food prep for the week.

If I find any energy, I’ll go back to the craft room and work on organizing.  I have a few things Ken needs to carry out and put elsewhere – mostly empty rubbermaid containers.  There is some stuff which is going in a box to our daughters in Atlanta.  If my energy level stays, I’m hoping to make more of a dent in that room today.

Last night I worked on a skirt for a friend.  I LOVE how it is turning out.  I made the waistband using broomstick lace technique.  Then it’s a simple hdc for the rest but with a vertical stripe – which means I have seven strands of yarn hanging down.  This slows me down a bit but it is still coming along nicely. As I’m working, I’m writing the pattern.  I’m trying to write it in such a way it doesn’t need sizing.  However, I’ll have to see how successful I am at this.  I’ve never written a pattern for clothing before – one of the reasons is I don’t like to size things.

New experiences are good even if they are a little scary.  I’ll keep pushing forward and hope it works out.  Once I’m done with this size, I may have to try the pattern on a larger size to see if it works for the plus size person.

Unfortunately, with the bad night’s sleep I just want a nap but Sundays are a bad day to nap because I have to go back to work tomorrow.  I’ll have to find my energy and work on things which keep me moving forward and awake.  Hopefully that means I accomplish a lot but only time will tell on this.

Only the best scenes…

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

Yesterday I got another tentative acceptance.  I wrote a different take on the topic for an issue and the editor thought it was different and might fit in the issue.  She’s holding it until then.  

Last night I was tired.  My energy level was in the basement.  I wanted to write but my brain was not having it.  I sat and watched the Harry Potter movies.  Now I say that but I didn’t actually watch them all the way through.  I started the first one and watched my favorite scenes.  I did that for both the first and second one.  
While I was watching, I worked on a crochet project.  This is a graduation gift and I’m hoping to finish it soon.  This is a pattern of my own creation and a little different than I normally do.  At first I really doubted whether it was a good pattern but now as I’m about half done with it, I am really starting to like it.  It’s different making it unique.  I’m hoping she will like it.  
This weekend I’m trying to talk Ken into working on the craft room closet.  I’d really like to get it organized and settled.  I’d love to be able to walk in there and just grab what I need or put back what I’m done with.  I’m hoping he will be willing to work on it but I just never know.
I’ve got three or four scenes in my head for Wayfarer 11.  It’s a matter of getting them down on paper.  I had an “oh crap” moment yesterday when I realized I had one of my characters giving birth too early.  I tried breaking things up.  I tried rearranging.  I thought about rewriting but in the end I took the simple route and just added days to the contract day at the beginning of the chapter.  It solved the problem without causing major rewrites and had little effect on the story itself.
My plan is to do the closet and work on the crochet project this weekend.  If I can finish both, I’ll consider it an excellent weekend.  Now I’ve put this out in the world, let’s see what the universe throws back at me.

More Crochet Projects Published!

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

Yesterday I worked on the computer for the morning – personal business, editing, and so on.  After spending a lot of time on the computer, I crashed on the couch only to be thrown out of the living room – sort of.  Ken wanted to rearrange.

This morning, Ken did the grocery shopping and saved over $14 in coupons and over $7 in rebates.  It may not seem like a lot but every little bit helps.

Today I worked on publishing crochet patterns.  Once I was back on my computer I realized I had more ready to go than I thought.  I got four of the five done.  The last one is going to take a little more refining before I can publish it.

While I was working on the computer, I updated some of the stuff on my web site as well.  In addition to adding these four patterns, I put in new pictures on the home page and changed the background color.

I posted these on Ravelry.com today and already have likes on the site.  I’m thrilled by that.  Hopefully it will translate into sales.

I was hoping to get more done but my legs are bugging me so shortly I’ll be hitting the recliner again.  The good thing is I got two sessions on the computer today and lots accomplished.

Tomorrow I’m off work and plan to be a bit mellow about the day.  I have a couple tasks I’d like to do but in addition I may take time out to read.  It depends on what I get accomplished.

I finished Stargate and Stargate Atlantis.  Now I have to look for a new show to watch.  Or I may just go back to writing every night.  I’ll have to see how the mood takes me.  I do need to finish three projects fairly soon.  I might need a show to watch while I finish those off.

Having said that, I need to get back to marketing – like posting on twitter blurb for  my books.  I’ve been thinking about setting up a nightly schedule but I’m so not good at adhering to a schedule.

I can’t decide if it would be better to say this night of the week, I’m doing marketing and this night I’m doing editing and so on.  Or if it would be better to do a little of each every night.  Marketing from 6:30 to 7:30, submissions from 7:30 to 8:00 and writing the rest of the night.  I’m not sure either technique will work for me but I need to figure out how to get more of this stuff done.

In the meanwhile, I keep plugging away.  These four patterns are proof of it.  They are available on Smashwords and Amazon.  You can find links on my web site http://eileentroemel.weebly.com/ 

End of the Week

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

Spring break is next week.  The past two weeks at my day job have been rough with the hectic pace of summer registration and advising going on.  This week in particular has felt like it was two weeks rolled into one.  I work most of next week and it should be nice and quiet at work.

Our weekends have been jam packed with stuff too.  We’ve either been doing things or we’ve been running errands.  This means I don’t feel rested when I get back to work.  I’m hoping this weekend will be different.

I have a list – as always – of things I want to get done.  I’ve already crossed off the paying bills, submitting to publications, and a couple of other small things.  Next will be making a grocery list, doing coupons, and prepping for the grocery store.  I think I’ll ask Ken if he wants to do the shopping on his own.

If he does, I will take tomorrow to work on publishing three crochet projects and editing Wayfarer 10.  If I can get all that done and still have energy to work at the computer, I will try to do some more submissions.  There are a couple of projects I want to work on as well so I’ll see what Ken wants to do and how I can help.

I took Monday off work and I’ll be hanging out at home alone.  I’m looking forward to not setting an alarm for the next three days.  I’ll have to I suppose so I don’t sleep too late but in theory no alarms.  I’m glad it’s Friday and I have three days to do what I want to do with no commitments to anyone other than Ken.

Birthday Weekend

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

Thursday I ran away from home and escaped for the weekend.  Really Ken loaded up my car and drove to Indiana to spend time with my middle daughter.  Friday her and I ran her errands and went to Joann’s.  While she shopped in other stores, I sat in the car crocheting.  I finished off a fleece throw for her.

For the weekend, I finished a fleece throw and poncho, two hats, two scarves, two sets of wristers, and a clutch purse.  I also finished off a beret I’d experimented with and needed to make sure would fit her.  It was laid back and relaxed when it came to crafting.  I created a new pattern and finished another one for publishing.  I may think about creating a pattern for one of the sets I made – I haven’t decided yet.

We watched the Good Witch movies, The Expendables, season six of Downton Abbey, and the two How to Train Your Dragon movies.  There were a couple of Penguin / zoo movies too.  We also checked out the Good Witch series.

It was calm, fun, relaxing.  We played Word Chaos on our phones together.  This meant she would start a game and when she got stuck she would pass it to me – or vice versa.  We are both now addicted to the game.

We stayed up late, slept late, and tortured the cats.  Saturday we went to Michael’s and a couple of other stores.  Sunday she baked cookies, I helped by putting them on the cookie sheet.  By evening my car was packed up (mostly) and all we had to do in the morning was put the last couple things in.
Monday she went off to work and I came back to Wisconsin.  The drive was fine, traffic was good and road conditions were excellent.  By the time I got home, all I wanted was a nap so I took one.  I expected to not sleep last night but I did.

While I spent my birthday driving, the weekend before was fun, relaxing, and enjoyable.  I stayed long enough to annoy her without staying too long.  I got about a third of a container emptied so progress was made on the LARGE pile of yarn I’ve got for her.

It was a nice little retreat for me.  I hope it was for her as well.  We laughed, talked, spent time together crafting, and just being together.  It was a nice weekend and a nice break for me.

Craft Projects Looming

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting

I love finishing projects.  I finished off a new pattern and started a second one.  Now I have to take pictures, measurements, and work on publishing it.  I’m going to go through my basket of in progress projects and figure out what I need to finish.  I’m fairly certain I have too many going right now.

I know for sure I have two blankets, a coin purse, and a skirt all going.  I have a basket of terry cloth all prepped for making into dish towels.  Then there’s the fleece I have in a piled up in bags and baskets.

Last night I spent my night doing nothing.  This is a rarity for me as I’m usually working on something but I just couldn’t manage last night.  I was too tired.

Tonight I plan to work a fleece blanket.  I have to do the whole process.  Ken washed it for me over the weekend, along with two other projects.  Tonight I’ll take my skip cutter to the blanket to cut the little holes so I can crochet around the edge.  Once I get that done, I’m planning to do three rows.  This sounds simple but it’s a yard and half of 60″ wide fabric.  This means two sides are 60″ and the other two are around 45 – 50″ I think.  That’s a lot of stitches.

If I manage to finish that project, I want to work on an idea I had for fleece fabric.  I’m hoping to have time tonight to work on that project too but I’ll see how long the blanket takes.  The other project is a complete experiment so Vicki is likely to end up with it.

I’m hoping by this weekend I can clear out some of these projects in order to reclaim some of my living room.  Of course my family is now laughing hysterically because if I clear out the current projects, there are always more projects right behind them.