Summer Blues

 

 

Last couple of days have been slow. The heat is just too much for us. Our time has been spent mostly indoors laying around where it's been cool. I sort of feel like we went into hibernation. The house is a complete mess and so am I. No makeup for days. Hair in a messy bun. Complete lazy living. Garrett has taken over every inch of the living room with cars, trucks, trains, train-tracks, pillows, blankets, snacks, colors, and so much more.  I've knitted and baked hoping to chase these summer times blues away....it's not working!

I'll just eat another cookie~

December Ends

Christmas was Absolutely wonderful, quiet and lovely. We spent Christmas Eve at home, letting Garrett open some of  his gifts. I truly believe he enjoy it this year above all the other years. Such a happy child. Christmas day we went to my youngest sister house where she prepared the most delicious cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins and biscuits. I had two of each. Couldn't help myself. After breakfast we all gathered together in the family room. We each find our own little corner while the kids play Santa-passing out the gifts. Once the tree is bare from gifts, we then  start the unwrapping! Butt not me. I love sitting back just watching. Waiting for that surprise expression. It's my most favorite time of Christmas day.

These last few days after Christmas have been quiet as well. Our days have still been bitter cold, wet and muggy. I've stayed indoors mostly but did wonder into town today for a few items from the grocery, passing by the museum one more time before they take down all the glitter and lights, humming to music on the radio, sipping hot chocolate, waiting for lights to turn green to make my way back home. Now resting with comfort with feet up, under quilts fresh out of the dryer. Movie time and another cup of hot coco.

Thank you for all your kind Christmas comments and well-wishes, beautiful cards and presents.  It all gave me such a sweet, warm glow to carry through the holiday. I have plans for tomorrow, quietly crocheting, soaking up the wind-down of the year, reflecting and planning things for the next one.
Happy New Year!

All is Calm

Well it's the day before Christmas Eve and all is quiet and calm. We have been spending our day all cozy inside our home from the bitter cold.. Lazy. Still. Quiet. I just love the last few days before Christmas. It's the time I spend wrapping up last minute gifts and baking goodies, cookies, and pies.....you know, all the good stuff!   Also........all of my knitting and crochet projects have been completed all except one which is half way finished. That is even surprising to myself. I am usually running around crazy the day of, gift wrapping and such even as we speed down the road over the hills to grandma's house but not this year. I can say....I am finished. 

I can't wait until the day, when all the streets are quiet and the hustle and bustle of shoppers have subsided. Families gather together in one place spreading laughter and joy gleaming with Christmas cheer.
From the bottom of my heart, I wish you all peace, and good health during this wonderful Holiday. I wish you all happiness and lots of love, Thank you for all the wonderful, heartfelt  kindnesses you have shown to me over the past year. May all the love and joy come to you and yours.

 Merry Christmas! with much love...."The Allen Family"
 Shari, Billy, Lauren, & Garrett

Briar Bunnies

 My briar bunnies are making appearance once again. I just love these bunnies. These were made back in spring. Made from 100% cotton yarn, slightly stuffed which makes them so squishy and cuddly. I have plans for a new pair hopefully before Christmas. We will see how things go.

I've gotten myself into a mess lately with projects. I really don't like starting one without completing it before I move onto the next ( you all can relate I know) but I just can't help myself.  Blankets need to be finished, Christmas gifts need to be made, things for myself keep filling my head with thoughts and more thoughts.....Now only if there were enough hours in a day....Oh maybe! .....just maybe!  I might make it to Christmas without having a complete crochet meltdown. 

But first!....I will bake.

xx 

 

Shari

Granny Pinwheel Throw

After three weeks and two days of making triangles......I've finally finished piecing them all together, making the border~I can now say.....this one is DONE!

 This blanket went through three phases to complete believe it or not. First phase, I made all the triangles. All two-hundred of them!!!  One-hundred in white and one-hundred in different colors from my stash.

Then phase two begins. I joined each color triangle to a white triangle to make a square, plus adding a border around each square in white to make them more square. (Did that make sense?) I hope you get the picture!

And finally phase three, I joined all the squares together by slip stitching into the back loops only. Once that was complete, I made a two round circle made of single crochets to add in the middle of each pinwheel to make them stand out a little bit more and the border was added last, of course.

The border is my very own little design made up of single crochet and trebles. (Pattern to come at a later date)

What will come next?????  Who knows. I know I did say I was up for a challenge and I have a little something in mind~ so until then.....thanks for stopping in today.

If you would like to make your own pinwheel throw, you can find the pattern here for my EXTRA WIDE GRANNY TRIANGLES.

Happy Summer!!!
xx Shari

sweet "Annabelle"

Happy New Week everyone! Thank you all so much for leaving the most wonderful messages on my last few post. I've been having a little internet problems lately with my email and blog updates for some unknown reason so if I have not responded to your messages that is why.  One minute it all wants to work and right in the middle of me typing a reply message....all shuts down. Drove me batty!  But....all is good now....at least I hope so.

It has also been brought to my attention that I was known as a "non-reply blogger". You have no idea how this hit me.  I didn't like it at all.  You see, I am still learning after all this time- and I have been in blog-land for a few years now- that I am still unaware of all the little quirks about blogging.
I AM SO SORRY FOR BEING A NON-REPLY BLOGGER. Now I know that some of you might prefer this but I did not and what's bad is that I didn't even know about it.

Well, after a lovely sweet blogger, Linda at Linda's Crafty Corner, help me fix the problem, well at least I hope I fix the problem. Thank you Linda so much!

Anyways, moving on to other things. Little Miss Annabelle came out to play the other day when the sun was shinning and I forgot to let you all see. I love making these little bunnies as Springtime comes closer. Really they can be made year around which I have been thinking about a lot lately. I get all happy and giggly when I finish making her dresses, I've been thinking about making little accessories to go along with the dress - like little crochet shoes and necklace...whatcha think? and maybe even try to make her into a knitted bunny. Hummm...really thinking about that.

I really have been practicing on my knitting skills this past weekend. I am still a newbie! I have been making tons of rows of knits and purls to see if I can get a little faster at it. I feel as if I take forever to knit just one row...ughhhh~ so much different than crochet but loving it at the same time!

Well that's enough babble for one post. Sorry I got a little carried away. Some days I talk about hardly nothing and then others I just can't stop talking. If you meet me in person I would be the shy girl in the back of the room...you know the quite one.......not unsocialable....just quite with a smile!
xx Shari