To do Lists

Happy Sunday one and all.  It's time for another year of projects update.  I've done a cut and paste here of the afghan section of my year of projects list.  As you can see one part of it is complete.  I've assembled 10 afghans from donated squares.  The latest, Blue Jay was posted for finished object Friday, please scroll back one post.  The 2nd portion of the afghan list was to complete the longest work in progress ever........EVER.  I have, as of today officially marked it off the list.  And will insert an 11th ghan made from donated squares in it's place.

My Afghan Goals:
To complete 12 afghans:
10 from donated squares (10 down and 0 to go)
1.. Summers End
2.  Sandbox 
3. My Granny
4. Christmas Time 
5.  Buckeye Blitz
6.  Box of Crayons 
7.  Arapaho
8.  Desert Rose 
9.  Iris and Lillies 
10. Blue Jay

Complete Candy Corn Afghan (longest work in progress project EVER)
Finish the Feather and Fan Afghan (knitted), that finally has a name, Sea and Sand
  **Sea and Sand in the works
WILL BEGIN WORKING AGAIN ON SEA AND SAND, NEED TO FIND MY NOTE ABOUT WHERE I LEFT OFF

So will revise the list on YOP tab to read 11 from donated squares (10 down and 1 to go).
Considering which ghan to work on (have over 20 designed and waiting), between these 3.  Not sure which one I'm leaning on.  Need to check my yarn stash.  Feel free to state which one you think I should work on, why, which one you like best etc.

Pink Persuasion, might use pink or off white/beige to edge and join

Purple Iris, hoping I have purple to edge and join with; but will look at green stash, with fall back beige.

 

 Or maybe this one, called Wee Irish.  Checking to see what shades of green I have to pull this one together.

With summer vacations on folks minds, and school's closing approaching, wanted to take a minute to invite you all to my Flat Stanley blog.  The blog is geared towards things to do with kids to keep them learning, or start them learning for the younger ones.  There's a bit of history, geography, spelling, coloring, puzzles and more.  I give examples of things you can do to help the kids remember certain things.  Recently Flat Stanley completed a month long blogging challenge and traveled the US in the process.  Use the search portion of the blog to insert the states you'll be traveling to or through on your upcoming vacations to see ways to engage the kids.  AND, I invite you all to do a Flat Stanley project with your children, grandchildren, students, neices, nephews, or kids next door.  Sat and Sunday's are days when I share kids Flat Stanley Projects.

Let's Get Social Sunday Time Too, link in meme tab

Loving Friday

Purple Iris's about 1/3rd opened in my back yard.  I have them up and down 3 fence rows and in flower beds around the side of the house too.  I love this flowers.  So large, so pretty, so deep in color.  These are what my Mom used to say were double Iris's.

It's Friday folks, time for 5 on Friday, Random 5 and time for Finished object Friday!

1. As people wrap a busy week and look forward to the wkend I give you natures beauty, in the form of the beautiful Iris's.  Soon, the yard will be at what I call it's purple stage.  I also have wild Geraniums that are lavender blooming.  AND, see the wee tiny blue-ish purple, those are Forget Me Nots, so as soon as the Iris really take hold it's a purple person's fantasy.  I also love that these purple beauties came from my parents yard.
2. I have for the first time in awhile finished a project and therefore have a finished object to share with on Friday.  Yippee.  Must decide what to work on next.  Should I start something new....or try to finish Sea and Sand Afghan (a feather and fan pattern), or get brave and rip out the couple of rows I need to in order to get to knitting the green sweater for my Darling Daughter?  The finished ghan, Blue Jay is being blocked in the picture and will, like the others be donated to Homeless Families Foundation through my charity, Bridge and Beyond.
3. Friday night at our house is Pizza night, do you have a Friday night tradition?
4. Schools are on a delay here this am, due to some pretty substantial fog.  As of the writing of this post, 8:30 I can now see the end of my backyard, though it is still foggy.  No doubt closer to the river, and in out lying areas is still difficult to see, and therefore dangerous.
5. Managed to weed half of one fence row yesterday, and that almost filled 1 of those large paper yard trash bags.  Half of one bed, was enough bending and stooping for me.  Gotta pace myself

Not the best lighting, but it's a good non foot travel spot to do blog afghans.  Had to give some pretty good tugs here and there to get this even; thus the beauty and necessity to block afghans........even when made of acrylic yarn and even when crocheted and not knitted.  Yarn from different makers varies a bit, people use different size crochet hooks and have different tension as they work.  ANd even when the square measure close to the same size...you have variances that are helped when you block a ghan.  AND, yarn gets dusty on the shelves in the store, picks up odors in our homes, human and pet hair, and oils from our hands.......washing a ghan is necessary.

FOF and Friday 5 Badges and Links in meme tab, please join us.

Happy Friday all.
(BL5, FF5, CF5, FOF10)

Mothers Day

Happy Mother's Day all.  This is my Mother at 16 in a beautiful dress she made herself.  If I remember the story correctly this was her prom dress.

There are times when I think I'm a great deal like her, and times I think I'm not.  I do think I got my creative side from her.  And Dad says I got my strength from her.

She's been gone now just over 4 years; but she's always in my heart.

Happy Mothers Day Mom
(SS5, BL6)

Friday is Here!

Usually try to post Friday 5 early in the day; but today's work schedule prevented that.  So, here we are almost cocktail time and I'm just now getting it written and posted.

• I have allergies and lately the sneeze factor is annoying
• Hubby and I went to The Theatre Wed to hear/see The Tenors.  They were awesome.  Nicest date we've had in awhile, but we were both tired...we don't usually go out on a "school night".
• Had hoped to have finished this ghan, Blue Jay and be able to show it to you today, as my finished object Friday Post, so since it's not finished...not linky up. (broke my crochet hook last night while working on it and had to dig around to find another one).
• Looking forward to having nothing planned for this weekend, as we've both been rather busy lately.
• I'm looking for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who have kiddo's in the family.  AND or folks who might have a neighbor with kiddos.  I'm wanting to get folks to share their Flat Stanley experiences/adventures.  If you've done one in the past with your kids...please share your story/adventure/pictures etc.  I'd like to add them to my Flat Stanley Blog.  AND if you've not done one, how bout doing one now?  Inviting you all to visit Flat Stanley and Friends, please click HERE.

For those here for Friday 5 (badge and link in meme tab) who may not know, the afghans I assemble are generally made from donated squares and once assembled are donated to Homeless Families Foundation, though my charity blog, Bridge and Beyond.

**If you have a Disgus Blog, and or are thinking about joining google+ and or have joined google+, you really need to scroll back one post.  **
(FF6)

Blogging Troubles

For those who use Disgus, this set up is probably costing you visitors to your blog and comments.  People generally aren't going to join Disgus in order to leave you a comment, and most people also aren't going to sign in through facebook etc. to do so.  If you have an option to change your settings you would be doing yourself a favor.  Recently involved in several blog challenges this problem has popped up, and there's been much discussion about it, the comment I've seen most is people are avoiding blogs like this, so you're costing yourself blog traffic.  It's very difficult to leave a comment.

AND
Those using google+ are also an issue.
*Many of you may not be aware and wonder why folks aren't returning your visits and comments.  Google+ has a setting now that does not allow others to comment, in some cases your blog isn't even visible unless people register with google+.  You are losing people without knowing why, as many of you don't have means of contact...people aren't able to let you know.  I've been able to alert several, who did not know of the problem and change in settings; some have been able to fix the problem.  If you're one who's fixed the problem, please leave the instructions on the fix so that we can pass along the information to help others.  Please leave it here the comments and or email me directly at sandycrochet at gmail.com*  It's my understanding it has to do with a default setting that has recently been changed by google+.

This is what folks see when they're not able to leave a comment.  If you click on this it requires you to join google+.

Additionally, it would be best to facilitate return visits and comments if you did not use your google+ profile page, people have to go searching for your blog and click a 2nd or third time to get to you.  Please use the drop down box and add name and url of your actual blog vs your google+ page, and or use hypertext in your comment to direct to your blog, not your profile page.

The Cat is Chasing the Bird

Cat chases Bird! Corney but that's what came to mind as I was posting these pictures.  The yellow cotton washcloth with cat design is one I'll make again, but I won't exactly follow the pattern this time.  I think the cloth is a bit too small and the edge curls more then I like.  The pattern only has an edge of 3 knit stitches before you get into the pattern and I don't think that's adequate to get it to lay nicely.  Likewise it only has 4 rows of garter stitch top and bottom, and that doesn't seem like enough to me either.  So will be making adjustments the next time I make this one.  It's Kate the Cat Cloth by Rhonda K. White's pattern.  The shape however I think is good.  Sometimes with these shapes made of counting purls and garters the pattern isn't real noticeable, this obviously is.  I'm also wondering about doubling it to make a nice big square for say the center of an afghan?

Blue Jay, the name of this ghan...thus cat chasing bird, lol.  Well in real life the Blue Jay would probably go after a small cat, as they're very aggressive birds.  You can see there's still a few ties left.  I have 3 rows yet to crochet together then work on the border, launder and block before this will be ready to be donated.  With a busy week scheduled, fingers crossed I can show this to you next as a completed project.  And if that happens, it will be #10 on my list of YOP ghans to make from donated squares.

**Special note for Flamingo KS, I'm not able to comment on your blog now that you have google+.  This is happening quite a bit to folks without knowing it.  Once you sign up for google+, the only people who can visits, and comment on your blog are people who join up.  It really restricts people finding you.  Didn't know if you knew, and it's my understanding you can change a setting so people can blog with you like they did before you joined.  When you join google+ you are automatically taken to that forum type profile page and not to your blog, then people have to scroll around to find you.**

Happy Sunday, Happy Knitting, and Crocheting.  YOP badge and link in meme tab above.
(BL 5, R5)

Oh Friday, You are MY Friend

WOW, it's been a fast week.  I had planned to have my post written and scheduled and totally missed getting that done.  Been a busier week then normal, with promises of busier yet next week. 

• I make a really good Lemon Drop Martini
• I don't like fish, though I do eat tuna salad
• I've worn glasses since I was in the 4th grade, and started wearing tri-focals about 15 years ago
• I dislike winter immensely, and with each year am more impatient for spring
• I'm not an animal lover.  In fact, I have a fear of many.

 The above picture, lunch counter ladies is for your amusement, it is after-all Friday!  No one looks good in hair nets and lab coats, so we decided to make faces along with it, and heck why not play with the adjustments of color on the computer and really make the silly picture even more ridiculous.  Taken awhile back on a particularly crazy day at work while we were in the "test kitchen".

Enjoy your week-end.  Link and badge for Friday 5/Random Friday in meme tab.  It's fun join us.
(8,2)