2015 . . .A Year in Review

2015 was a growing year, a learning year, a busy year!  I tried my hand at blogging and have discovered it to not quite be what I thought it would.  But that's ok!  I tried it and I may pick it up again, but for now, I am going to take a break from the monthly review.  Before I go, however, two things I finished up that I want to share:  my most recent crochet blanket and something crafty.

 As usual, I didn't take a picture of the final product, but below is the start of the border, so I have some idea of what it looked like! (Looked, because it was placed in a silent auction and is gone!)

I LOVE how these paper roses turned out!  I made probably 50 of them to be used in arrangements on a books and coffee table for one of my oldest girl's senior serve tables.

Well, it's been fun for me to go through and see what crafty things I accomplished this last year!  I will continue to update the blog, but not on a regular basis.  I will continue to update my other blog (thereddeskartroom) as that's actually part of my job!  Please visit and see what's going on in the art room!

November Days . . .

Here's the monthly breakdown. . .

1 crochet blanket completed
1 book read
6 birthdays
1 anniversary
52 miles run
3 basketball games
1 state band competition
2 Thanksgiving holiday celebrations

The baby blanket above is one I made for a co-worker and ex-student of mine.
After finishing this blanket, I remembered why I don't make huge granny square blankets.  They always twist and turn on me.  I soaked this blanket in water, stretched it out and let it dry.  After I laundered it and let it air dry, it still turned on me.  I pinned it down and set to steam blocking it.  Same thing.  Sighhhhhhh. . . Hopefully after a few washes it will soften up and relax.  One good thing to come from the project was I learned a new stitch--the reverse single crochet.  Easy peasy to do and it adds a nice rope-like finish to the edge.

Well this is all I have time for today! Thanks for popping in!!!

September/October Days . . .

The latest sign outside of my art room

The breakdown . . .

Numerous volleyball games
Fair
Numerous cross country meets
One hair cut
2 trips to Corpus Christi
2 trips to Sugarland
1 trip to Houston
3 books read
1 crochet blanket finished
1 Halloween Carnival
2 Rotary Meetings
57 miles run (Only 9 in October ughhhhhhh)
Umpteen days of yearbook pictures
2 send offs (XC and Band)
Got a fitbit . . .will add up those steps later :)
1 new blog thereddeskartroom.blogspot.com


With school back in full swing, and my learning two new jobs, it's been quite busy for me. I started up a new blog for my art classes and have been doing fairly well at keeping up with what's going on in the art room.  October is always a crazy month for me.  Our local fair keeps me busy with both girls having animal projects, working the auction, working the food booth, etc.  We all do, and we are all worn out for days afterward!!  Our local Halloween Carnival is, of course, this month.  Many things are going on in school with games, pictures, art contests, it leaves little time for much else.  I am happy to say, however, that things seem to be slowing down, I've gotten in a little hooky time and that brings me such peace :)

I had two weeks to get a blanket crocheted for our carnival to be used as a raffle prize.  I started on a blanket and realized despite working on it every spare minute I had, there was no way I would finish a blanket in two weeks with everything else going on in my life, so . . .

I switched gears and pulled these little squares out of their resting place.  (Thank the good Lord for WIPs!!)

You might remember these little squares that started out as a baby blanket . . .

Well . . . no baby blanket any more!!  I ended up completing 12 of these squares and then I added two more rounds to each.  Here are some of them . . . 

Not quite completed, but you get the idea . . .

I joined the squares using a yarn that was a pretty close match to the stylecraft I've gotten accustomed to using in a pretty cream color.

I added several more rounds and finished it off with a pom-pom edge.  I'm sad to say that in my hurry to get the blanket finished, laundered, and to the carnival, I failed to snap a picture of the final product!!!!  At least I have this . . .

So, I'm making a valiant effort to blog on my personal blog a bit more than I have been.  Do check out my other blog if you're interested!

Glad you stopped in AND there was something new for you to check out :) Happy Fall!!!

August Days . . .

A busy month. . .haven't they all been!!

Back to school

1 wedding

1 birthday

2 weeks of inservice

1 hair appointment

2 volleyball tournaments

2 volleyball games

1 new blog thereddeskartroom.blogspot.com

1 crochet blanket completed

54.4 miles jogged/walked

It feels like forever since I last posted anything.  Work has kept me busier than anything, plus running the youngest to and from cheer practice, volleyball practice, and numerous other things!  Eldest drives, so she can take care of herself for the most part.  

I will get back on track once I get in the groove at work with picture taking and getting in some hooky time.  Until then, venture over to the new blog to check out the goings on in the art room at school!

Happy September!!  Fall will be here before we know it and I CAN'T WAIT!!!

A Crocheter's Jackpot

Good Afternoon!  I actually have a little time to blog today and want share a project I just finished lastnight and a goldmine of goodies I came into a week ago.  First, here is a finished baby blanket that resulted from my find . . .

I love it!! It is now on my dining room table soaking wet with straighter edges than you see here.

A week ago . . .

I got a call from a friend of mine who had cleaned out her mother's crafty stashes.  She knew I was of a yarny sort and offered all things yarn related to me: yarn, crochet hooks, knitting needles, books, you name it. Of course, I wasn't about to turn down her offer!

When I picked up the lot, it was in several boxes, old comforter bags, totes, so I set to organizing it.  I found quite a lot!

I gave all of the kitting needles, books, and knitted works in progress to my eldest daughter, along with a super cute wicker basket to store it in.  Above is what I kept.

Found amongst the yarn and what not, was a blanket almost completed (the stripey bit up top the size of a twin bed) and granny squares.  There were enough granny squares for two blankets:  one baby size, and the other, a lap size when finished.

This isn't all of the yarn, but a sampling of what there was.  I was familiar with the Red Heart yarn and the Lion's brand and some others in the mix, but not Deborah Norville or Vanna yarns.  There were also some really pretty hand died skeins of super soft alpaca.  Yummy!!

I set forth laying out the squares I could join to finish up whatever this project was intended to be.  Jerry (the crocheter of these squares) makes her squares differently than I do: looser, using different yarn, and a much bigger hook.  I ended up using an "I" sized hook to join the squares.  It took no time to join them all together into a super cute blanket.  It was kind of neat to take someone else's handy-work and make it mine. Now I've got a sweet little blanket ready to give!

Thanks, Jerry . . .

Four Square Granny Square

Just dropping in to show what I started working on today.  At the beginning of summer, I had a goal of completing two baby blankets before the start of the school year.  I finished one back in June and have been knocking around a few ideas as to what I wanted to do for the second.  I decided that I loved my sampler blanket so much, I would make a smaller version of it.  So far this is what I've come up with.  I will need to complete 8 more of these squares and then join them all together.  Rather than using black as the joining color (which I tried, but didn't like--it's for a baby after all!!) I've decided to use various colors.  I will keep you updated!!

Have a terrific Thursday!!!

July Days . . .

Can you believe July has come and gone!!!
Here's my July break down. . .

1 GT workshop
Celebrated Independence Day
1 trip to DFW airport to pick up eldest
1 luncheon with a very good friend
1 EC-12 art state test (which I passed yeah!!!)
1 wedding
1 birthday (mine :)
Parents anniversary
2 trips to Comfort
2 dentist appointments
1 eye dr. appointment
2 books read
42.1 miles run

It seems summer just started and now it's already coming to a close!  I have one week left of my summer break before I return to school and embark on my first year as an art teacher.  I've been spending much of my free time working on cleaning and organizing my room and am anxious to get going.  I wish I had taken some before pictures, but I think the afters will suffice.  I'll be working on that blog post shortly.

Much of the month has been spent traveling it seems, and taking care necessary things before the school year begins.  Already next week, volleyball for my oldest begins and cheer camp for the youngest.

Here are some pics from some projects I worked on in July as well as some others to simply document the month!

I worked on some bunting for my classroom earlier in the month.  Just yesterday I crocheted them together to hang.  More pictures can be found on my Instagram.

 

This bag was a joy to make.  I've been carrying it around on occasion and getting some nice complements.  The pattern details can be found HERE.

Meet Mabelline!!!  She was born on July 18th.  In this picture she is a few hours old.  Her mom did not survive the birth which is no surprise considering how BIG this girl is!  We brought her home in the backseat of my husbands truck.  Yes, the backseat.  I rode in the back with her.  She is almost two weeks old now and she is beautiful! We named her Mabelline because she looks like she's wearing a ton of eye make-up.  You can even see that perfect "wing" on that upper lash!

We popped a few fireworks to celebrate the forth with our youngest.  Pesky mosquitoes were out so it was a short lived celebration but enjoyable all the same.

Enjoy what's left of summer!!