I'm Back, I think...

Ok, well, it's been a couple of months. Been busy. Got my daughters blanket done. She absolutely loved it.

 This is the join that I just fell in love with. It's just slip stitch back and forth. Quick, easy, beautiful. I might do more motif type items if I can join this way.

All the strips put together. Ended up longer than I expected, but that just means it will be nice and warm.

This is the border. I was very happy with this as well.

Since finishing this one, I did another. A birthday present for my sons best friend. He really liked it and started using it immediately.

He is over 6 feet tall so I had to make it long. I really like the arrow head pattern.

Apparently, it's quite warm, too.
With this one I finished all my kids. Now, on to the grandkids. But that will be another post.

Strips Done, Then Grrr

Well, I had all of the strips done and started on the border for each strip. Half way through the third strip, I discovered that I managed to skip a row here and there. I had to frog 205 rows. Luckily, these strips are only 20 stitches wide. But that is not the point. So, now I am redoing this strip. Then I will recheck all the other strips to make sure I didn't do this on any of them.
Also, I was working on the border for the strips last night and didn't care for the way the Long DC was pulling on the stitch it is anchored to, so I replaced it with a double TC. I really like the look much better.

I am really liking these colors together. Each strip will have a 4 row border on each side before being assembled. There will be a border around the whole thing as well.

Busy, Busy

So, I picked of a couple of grandkids and then another one showed up. Been pretty busy with them. It has been so hot. We've pretty much stayed in the house during the day, but after dinner, when most everyone is home, we have been playing Frisbee in the front yard. We were trying to play with light colored discs after dark, but that wasn't working so well. I found a light up Frisbee and had to get it. The kids are loving it! So are the adults. We have been playing until about 10 pm. It wears the kids out after spending most of the day inside so they sleep well.
On a sad note, the air conditioner for upstairs quit working last Thursday. So, everyone is sleeping downstairs. I tried sleeping upstairs Friday night and woke up about 3 am and literally could not breathe. Mid-90's and 80% humidity is definitely not sleeping weather.
I have gotten some done on the afghan. Not as much as I would like. The center panel is about half done and the next panel as almost done. I used up the skein for the center panel and started the next one before I picked up another skein for the center panel.
I tend to buy yarn as I need it. I already have quite a stash and I am trying not to add to it too much. Also, running out of what I need forces me to put it down and do something else.

New Afghan

So. I finally started the next blanket for one of the kids. I usually keep track of my projects on Ravelry, but she crochets and is on Ravelry, too.
It's a Red Heart design called Timeless Tunisian. And it calls for her favorite colors: blues and greens.
I started last night and finished 25 rows of the center panel. I want it done in about 6 weeks. Once I really get into the rhythm, it should go pretty quickly. I've been getting ready for a quick trip to pick up a couple of grandkids, so no crocheting tonight. But, of course, I'll be taking it with me so I can relax with it tomorrow night.

Getting Started Blogging

Well, I finally settled on a name for this. I chose Calico in honor of my beloved kitty, a gorgeous muted calico. She is my baby and just about everything I make has a bit of her in it, as well as her approval after testing for comfort and warmth.

I have been crocheting for a long time. My mother got me started as a teen. I didn't follow up on it until I was in my early 20's. I made several afghans over the years and then set it aside for a while. About 7 years ago, I picked it up in earnest again. and haven't taken any real breaks from it since. Crochet has become more than a hobby. It is my passion.

I am in the process of making blanket for each of my children, including the ones I accumulated without actually giving birth to them. I have 9 done and 4 more to do. They can all be seen on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/projects/vabb36

Once I have all of that generation taken care of, I will start making blankets for each of the grandkids. There is a bunch of them and I am sure there will be more before I finish.