Urban Edge New book by Shibaguyz

Go check out this fantastic new book, also follow them on the blog tour and they will be giving away copies of the new book.

http://www.facebook.com/ShibaguyzDesignz 

http://shibaguyzdesignz.com/

Just one ball of yarn.....

One seriously pissed off cat who holds a grudge

 + One 400 yard ball of yarn

=

I was on a trip with "the Girls" Sparkly Baubles, and Zoom Zoom last week. Zoom Zoom pulled out a great big tangle of yarn and told us her brothers cat, who is pissed off at her and holds a grudge got hold of it.  Well, I don't have to explain what happened, you can easily see for yourselves.  It took her 3 hours to untangle it and ended up with about 9 different balls of yarn.  In the end it will all knit up just fine, whats a little bit of cat spit in the mix.

March Already??

Where did February go??  We had 50 degree days and no snow for the month, Hello?? Am I living is the same Northern States I have spent my whole life in?  I did have a great design month. I have completed writing 6 patterns, crocheted up 16 + samples, and taught 14 classes in the last month.  As I sit at my desk writing this post I can look out and see 9 new skeins of yarn I have purchased that are just waiting to become something new and fabulous. I also went on a fantastic Girls retreat which I will tell you all about in my next post. (Which will NOT be a month away, I promise.)

Cassie's accident

     My daughter was in a car accident on Friday night. Before I go too far, she is fine, just sore and bruised up.  She works in a group home overnights and was on her way to work. We had some snow followed by freezing rain during the day and the roads were just a bit slick.  She was just starting to accelerate onto the High Bridge over Lake Superior and started to fishtail, as she corrected, the tires bit and threw the truck across both lanes of traffic and into the guardrail on the opposite side.  The guardrail did its job and so did the airbag!  She suffered some burns from the airbag exploding into her face and some bruises from the seat-belt, both of which are far better then going through the windshield or eating the steering wheel!  She will be sore for a few days and is a bit skittish about driving; but her dad made her get in his truck yesterday and go for a drive.  You just have to do it.
       My truck is totaled and was towed away from the scene, when the airbag went off it snapped something in the steering column and the wheel just spins all the way around. The radiator was also punctured and it was leaking radiator fluid all over. It would cost more to fix then it is worth, even though I just picked it up from getting new brakes and the heater fixed on Thursday. Oh well, life goes on.  I will miss my truck and the remote starter and the heated seats, wow do I like heated seats!! Did not know how much, till I do not have them. Something like this really makes you realize "things" are not so important in the grand scheme of life.  It is the ones you love that matter! I am so thankful that she is only slightly banged up and will heal in time.  I will get another vehicle and all will be well; but I could not replace my baby girl.  OK, that trip into sappyland is over, moving on.

Christmas presents

In November and December of last year, I sort of told you about the Christmas presents I was working on,  I could not say very much because some of my family members "claim" to read my blog and I did not want to let the cat out of the bag early.  I should have said one thing and see if any of them mentioned it, then I would really know if they follow me or not, hmmm something to think about.  I asked each and every member of my family and a friend or two to measure the length of their arm from the elbow to the wrist. For those of you who do not know; that is the exact measurement of your foot from heel to longest toe.  It really works, go ahead get a measuring tape out and try it, I'll wait..................................... (this is me twiddling my thumbs)............................... I see the shocked look on your face but I did tell you so. My family was convinced I was crocheting them all their very own straight jackets in their favorite color.  If you knew my family you might think I should have.... But now...

    DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

I made 19 pairs of socks for Christmas!!

Yes, you really read that correctly, and no I have not lost my mind (OK well maybe a little!).

I made most of them out of worsted weight so they were more like a boot sock or slipper and a few special people got sock weight.  I used the cuff down pattern from Karen Whooley's booklet I can't believe I am crocheting socks By Leisure Arts. It is available from Amazon or your local yarn store, like Yarn Harbor!  The smallest were a children's size 4 and the largest were for my Husband, (who is lucky I love him so much) he is a men's size 14!!

This was the very first pair I completed.
They were for the girl child.

Here is the whole group, before I wrapped them. 

I got over my single sock syndrome in a big way!!
Yes that is actually 36 socks!!!!

I ran out of what I was using for my Dad's toes
and my Mom's feet are so little I used the rest of hers to complete his.
See they were made for each other!

Size 12 feet!! Dang Teenage boys!!!

My brother's family all in their new socks!

BRRRRRRRR Baby its cold outside!

So the actual temp outside today is something like a high of -10.  Yes that really had a minus sign in front of it.  We are supposed to have wind chills of 40 to 50 below today and tonight! Goody! (can you hear the sarcasm dripping off that?)  WE have really been spoiled so I can not complain to much, doesn't mean I won't of course. This is actually one of the first days I have been able to wear my Will Steger Hand made Moose-hide Mukluks this whole season.  It just has not been cold enough to wear them.  I also get to wear my coat I made a few years ago.  We call it my Cowardly Lion Coat.  It is like wearing a blanket.  It is made of 21 different novelty yarns all run with a black Cascade 220.  It weigh's about 40 ponds but on sub zero days it is great!! I made fringe all the way around the entire collar so it looks like a lion mane.  One of my yarny friends called it a Fiber persons FUR!! I would have to agree on a couple of levels, first it is as warm as one and second it cost about as much to make!!  I have to wrap up in layers not only because of the temp but also because the fan on my truck heater has decided to work when it feels like it.  Today it did not feel like it. I think it decided it was too cold and would wait till summer when its warmer,  HA! Joke is on it!! Here in Minnesota, we run the heater most of the summer too!!!

My Mukluks. Kodiak is the name of this style
They take a few minutes to get into
 but they are worth the effort!!

Front of my lion coat

Back of my coat.
 It is wonderfully warm!

Full view of the back of my coat.

Associate Professional

Today I applied for my associate professional status with Crochet Guild of America. I am excited because this will really help me to make the move into the next year that I need. I have been working on setting the goals I would like to achieve in this next year.  One of the things that they will do is help to set me up with a mentor, someone who is currently working in the crochet professional world. I am excited for this, I think I have reached the limit of what I can do on my own right now, I need help moving on.  This will give me someone to answer questions, at this point I am not even sure of what questions to ask.  I sometimes feel like I am a puppy chasing its tail around in circles and when I finish I am really dizzy but have not gone anywhere.  I plan to do some great new things in the next year and this is just the first step.  Stay tuned and buckle you seat belt, this maybe a bumpy ride.