More Squares and more squares

Ever since I finish my Blocks of Spring blanket, I've sort of been in a slump. I have a list of so many things in my head and jotted down on paper, I just can't make myself make any of them. I start....then I rip....I start again, then I rip!! I've ripped and ripped until my yarn is starting to unravel. So....what do you do when there is so much undecided decisions.....make granny squares. these little squares are starting to take over my side table and a little chest, all from my stash. I've even reached down to the bottom of my basket, using those colors that no longer served any purpose for me~ the ones collecting dust, into the mix.
"Lovely Happiness!"

While making so many squares, I always ask myself, "What directions will this go?" "Do you really want to make another blanket?" and my answer is always YES.  Blankets are always a big favorite of mine so I hope you don't mind seeing another one come into play. Most of them are on the smaller/to medium side but this one, I want it to be bigger. I have a vision on how I "want" it to go so lets see and time will tell.

Lots of happiness outside too. My garden is in full bloom but only in one section. The winter really did it's toll on it this year but still enjoyable. It has inspired me to name this blanket which I will reveal later on once completed. 

I would like to take a minute and welcome all my new followers to my blog. It's so nice to see and meet new faces, so Welcome!  Blogging has open up so many doors for me and has given me the chance to meet such lovely ladies as yourselves. I've said it many times before that blogging friends are the best. So generous and thoughtful in so many ways. I was so lucky to receive a nice surprise in the mail from the lovely Linda over at Linda's Crafty Corner, I know most of you know her but if not please stop in for a visit, your will love her space. She sent me a book in the mail for knitting different blocks. I am a new beginner to knitting and thoughI am still very very slow at it, I am coming along nicely. It surely has been a challenge and this book has so many great patterns for a beginner like me to make beautiful stitches. Thank you so much Linda, I know I will get great use out of this book.

Here's to a wonderful week, I'll be back soon.....

xxx
Shari

Blocks of Spring

Hi everyone!  Thank you all for all the lovely messages on my last post. I had started another blanket right after my shipment of yarn came in from Knit Picks. { It was all awesome!!} It's that kind of yarn that makes you feel all fuzzing inside.... just knowing when you start a project that it will be a good one from beginning all the way to ......the end!  It really is the most perfect blanket in my book.

My inspiration for this blanket came from our "MAYHAW TREE" that's out back. It has the most beautiful little flowers on it with a lot of thorns so you have to be careful when touching them or you will get stuck for sure!!!

There are different shades of green, pink, with light lavander in some spots, also brown, cream and whites but I did not use any of the white in the blanket. The main color I used was the cream...really marshmallow. Don't you just love that name. It even felt like marshmallows!!

 Anyways, there are 9 rows of 5inch granny squares with 7 squares in each row.  Using a ( G) crochet hook, I used the basic granny stitch square pattern on most of them but there are a few that are a little different.  For those, I started the granny square with only one round and then I used single crochets throughout with a sc, chain 2,sc in the corners until it measured the same size as the other squares. Soo so easy. I only made a few of those because I was running out of the cream color so if you decide to give this a go, just make sure you buy a few extra skeins of yarn for your main color.

At last but not least....I whip stitched all the squares together in the back loops only as I went along. I made sure once a square was finished that I left a long tail for the so called "whipping!!! "  Joining it this way surely made this blanket go by supper fast and before I knew it.....I'm done!

I did however finish it off with a single crochet border around in the cream and then with the fig color, I made a row of a sc, chain 3, skip two, sc into the next all the way around. Easy again, yet so simple! 

Overall, I am really loving this blanket! I highly recommend Knit Picks cotton yarn if you want something very veery soft and lightweight. It is by far the most wonderful cotton yarn "I" have ever used. I usually buy the Lilly's Cream&Sugar cotton yarn but this is so much softer!  Not to put down Lilly's cotton yarn...it still is wonderful too but it's so much heavier. Now..... If you would like to see the colors choices I used please check out my last post. The pattern itself  is so easy really. If you have been crocheting some time, you will know to make the basic granny square but for those of you who do not just let me know and I will point you in the right direction on how to make them. 

Now what's next....I haven't a clue!   I hope you all have a lovely week and seeing signs of Spring. See you again soon......

xx Shari

Today.....

Look what arrived in the postage today!  My new shipment of yarn that I have been waiting on. Any and all projects that I started over the weekend have been put on hold cause I have to work with this now!   I have been dreaming of a new blanket for this Spring, a light and airy blanket....ohhhh yes!

I put in a large order of all muted colors that I loved the most and of course, it's all cotton!! Actually, the smaller ones lying down are the Comfy Sport and the larger ones are the Brava Sport yarn.....and let me tell you........I am in cotton heaven!!!!

It's going to be a wonderful day, I can just feel it.  I have already started working with my favorite pattern, what I like to call~ the old fashioned granny square but with a little twist...you'll see as time passes or maybe you can see already!!!

I do hope you all will have a wonderful day too, full of lovely surprises.
The sun is shinning at full beam, the air feels so good when the wind blows, my yard is full of bright-red...full bellied Robins, and one of my rose bushes is about to bloom, it can't get any better than this.....
xx Shari

Crochet Briar Bunnies

Hello everyone!  How is your week going?  We had a wonderful extended weekend. Lauren was out of school until today because of the big Mardi Gras Holiday one that we really don't participate in due to all the {how can I put this nicely}, "the crazy people" .We rather stay home and watch everything on TV instead of fighting crowds.  We really enjoy our home time. We never left the house for five straight days. It was total ponytail, pj bliss! I did pop my head out the door from time to time to watch it rain. So exciting~ I know.  My poor yard is one big sloppy mess....I can't stand it anymore. I am so over Winter!  Just three more weeks until the first day of Spring and we better have some sunshine.


I did however make these two cutie-pies.  They are my new addition to our family.

"Crochet Briar Bunnies"

They were each given a name because they are just so darn cute. I really enjoyed working on them and seeing them come to life.  I really wanted them to be knitted, and boy did I ever try, but I failed at the whole working with three double pointed needle thing.  I guess I am not that coordinated.

Anyways, I do love them~ but the next one I make I might try and come up with a way to have the body and the head all in one instead of having each piece separate. It was so hard stitching them on so they would look right. You can tell I mess up on the one on your left compared to the one on your right, but who cares right....they are still cute!

I love them so much I have played with one all day. I have carried her with me everywhere I went treating her like she is my little baby girl. Silly, I know, but I just can't help myself.  She is squishy....cuddly.....soft.

If some of you are wondering about the blanket she is all wrapped up in....I did not make this one.  It is Lauren's baby blanket that I wrapped "her" up in when we brought her home from the hospital almost 16 years ago.  The lady who made it did such a beautiful job , I am amazed how well it has kept it's shape for all these years...plus it's knitted!!!  No rips or snags anywhere.

Before anyone ask.....Where is the pattern?   Well, it's tucked away in my brain for now. I do not have it written out and I might not ever.  I used to write out patterns but for some reason lately....I just don't have the patience.  But.....I might  give one away in a giveaway closer to Easter so watch this space.

Until then, I do hope you all have a wonderful weekend ahead. Tomorrow is Friday again and I am ready to tackle on another project. 

See more details on her on my Ravelry page. You can find my link on my sidebar.

xx

February round-up

It was a slow month this past February due to all the big projects I had in the works but now that they are behind me I can start on new little things. I am still working on bunnies but this time they are crocheted. I tried knitting one but that was a toss...not quite there yet with knitting. Sorry I don't have any new pics of them just yet for they are in pieces. Maybe I can get things moving on that this weekend and show you next week.

But I did enjoy playing around with a lot of little pretty things around the house to keep my spirits up with all the darkness we have been living in. I think we saw one full day of sunshine during the whole month of February. It's that insane!!!!  ( don't let all this light in my photos full you...they were edited a lot so you could at least see them.)  Most days were pouring down rain so it was a bright gray cloudy light coming in my windows....so hard to work with you know.

Anyways, getting off track. I updated the old blog again. Really just my header. I love change so don't ever be surprised if it looks different all the time. I like to flow along with the seasons. Hopefully this month will bring us all some warmer weather and pretty sunshine.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!
xx Shari

I am leaving you with some of my favorite Flickr pictures also that I gathered up this morning. I can tell already I will be on there for a few hours today....soooo much happy inspiration!!!

1. good mail, 2. tea time, 3. Phone, 4. Knitted bunnies, 5. "mia", 6. 092620133735, 7. Crochet Christmas, 8. Knitting helped..., 9. lots of friday love!

This week......

has been crazy!  
I really don't have much new to share except I finally finished the binding of a quilt I made last year! It came out......


" P  E  R  F  E  C  T "



 which rarely happens for me when binding a quilt. I always mess up on the corners....but not this time. Each one was smooth sailing!

I am also happy to report that we are having signs of Spring!!  It's still dark and dreary on most days along with a lot of rain, but it's not stopping new buds and blooms from showing new life from Winter.

 I am getting so excited now!

 I want to get out and work more in my flower beds along our fence line but I might have to wait just a bit longer. We are due for another round of freezing rain coming in over night tonight...yuck!
Even thought I have enjoy all my cozy days wrapped up in warm blankets and cozy socks, scarves,& mittens~ I think it's high time we all get a little warm weather, Don't you agree???

I did however, manage to get a few more rows on my knitting needle. I do think I am the slowest knitter in the book of records. I kept knitting and knitting and when I stand back and look...it doesn't look like I am getting anywhere. I even watched several videos on how to improve my speed but that was a flop. I guess I will forever be a "thrower" and a slow one at that.

Well I hope you all are having a lovely week. It's almost over. I plan on doing a whole lot of nothing!
Are we entitled to have days of "nothing?" Well, if not....I declare that we as mothers...have them from time to time!!!
The kids have seem to be more needy and so has the husband. Lauren's volleyball off season has started so that means late nights at the gym again and my mother gave us a little scare
Last Tuesday and she had to have a over night hospital stay. Actually, she was there until yesterday. Exactly one week. But.....I am happy to report that she is doing much better and now at home resting.
 Now it's time for me time. Doing what I love the most.

Enjoy the rest of your week too and thanks for stopping in today!
xx Shari

Something knitted

Here I am again. I switched gears and thought I would knit a little something. I started out thinking I would make a few knitted washcloths to get some practice on my knit and purl stitches but~ it turned out to be a very long scarf instead. I think it came out pretty nice...don't you think?
I even got Lauren to model it for me, which was a shocker.....

I used 2 balls of Sugar and Cream 100% cotton yarn in "Sonoma". It's a cream color with specks of natural colors mixed in....Love, love, love it!  It also has this soft squishy feeling to it which makes it even more lovely.  Now, if I would have made this crochet, it surely would not have come out the same. There is something about things 'Knitted" that I am in love with. I want to make more......
.....and that's exactly what I am doing now.
I started on another blanket but this one will be knitted. So far, it's slow growing and it might take me forever to finish. I also am unsure sure on what needle to use. I first tried with long straight needles, size 10, and it made my hands hurt. It felt heavy, so I ripped it out and started over with the only circular needle that I have. Please don't ask what size it is cause I threw the package away and I can't remember to save my life .....and..... someone, please tell why isn't the size marked somewhere on the circular  needles like the crochet ones?   and what will be a good circular needle to use to make a blanket? or ..... or you supposed to use the straight ones instead?   My circular needle might be too long but I am using it anyways for now. I think if I find better needles, I can just move my stitches onto the right ones without any trouble Please don't laugh....it's all so confusing and different and I am still learning.

Anyways,  Thank you all so much for my messages regarding Annabelle. I do think she will have some new shoes soon and maybe a little friend to keep her company. I have so many ideas on what I want to do and filling up my little notebooks with sketches with ideas for future but my mind is reeling and reeling with all sorts of possibilities. I feel like I can never catch up with everything I want to design. I have too many ideas and too little time and I overwhelm myself. I might have to work on that.
Talk again soon. Shari xx

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