Sand, Sun, and Surf for Sandy

Well, after the strange and hectic Friday (see previous post), Sat, the (this time last week), started out about the same. First a call from Mom, who had been making good headway to ask if I muscle relaxers (from when my back when out, she thought I might). I answer no and she tells me she was pulling on her ted hose (you know those anti-embelism hose from the hospital), and pulled her back out and she was having lots of pain and bad muscle spams. After taking tylenol and using heat it was no better. After she did her physical therapy for the knee replacement, it was worse still.

We did manage to leave town on time and have had wonderful weather. Fun in the sun, but each day I call once or twice to check on her, hoping to hear she's better. She's not. In fact the opposite, she's continued to get worse with more and more pain. Finally she got a script for something from her doctor, but after several days on that...still no improvement. She's ready to go back to the hospital she feels so bad. Hearing how poorly she's doing had dampened my fun in the sun. I wonder how I could help if I were there. Finally get my brother involved more. They went to the doctor yesterday, he changed her meds and decided she doesn't the oxygen any longer. One less thing to worry about. She's thrilled though to not have the oxygen to mess with. Hard enough trying to move on her post op knee, while her back is in spams without trying to trip over the oxygen.

Have walked the beach everyday which is good exercise. I'd forgotten how much harder walking in the sand is vs. cement etc. Have soaked in some good sun around the pools, and have enjoyed watching the large ships come and go from port. A couple of cruise ships, lots of package ships which are HUGE, and some personal yatch's belonging to the rich and famous. In fact, one ship with the name Privacy went by and hubby said...hum, I know that name. I think that's Tiger Wood's ship. He googled it and found out indeed he had a good memory. We didn't see him, he might not have even been on it. It's the time of year when people have the yatch's moved further south and that might be what we were seeing.

I've gotten a good tan, but no one's gonna see it; as I understand I'll be covered head to toe tomorrow when we return home since it's gotten not just cool, but COLD there. Looks like we're gonna have a cloudy day today. Pooey...wanted one more day of warmth and sunshine.

Finished a hat, a pair of booties, and am about half done with a baby sweater. Haven't knitted or crocheted as much as I thought I would. Really can't do that while sitting in the sun around the pool.

Have a good wkend, one and all.

Sunday Stuff, Prevent Brain Freeze, Knee Replacement

These 3 items are being sent for Prevent Brain Freeze (a school project), through Homespun Helpers. The two tone green scarf is crocheted, the blue scarf is knitted, and the headscarf is knitted. been making items it seems mostly suited to females of late (though the blue scarf was made for a guy), I need to check for some guy colors and yarn types in my stash.

Been at the hospital alot the last 5 days, Mom had a knee replacement. She was to have been released to home or a rehab center a couple of days ago, but her recovery has hit some snags. She's having more pain then anticipated, dealing with low oxygen, and they've done some extra test. I do hope things improve soon. She's getting a bit down, though we did manage to surprise her and pick her up with an unexempted visit from my daughter. She flew in Friday night and was able to visit with her yesterday and flew back to Baltimore first thing this am. A very quick visit, but a worthwhile one. Mom was thrilled and really surprised to see her.

Working on a pair of blue baby booties. Then...might start a new ghan for a friend, though I still have more WIP I wanted to complete before starting something new. I have made good headway and reduced the number of WIP...but, my friend is anxious...so, don't know. Perhaps a bit of this, and a bit of that.

"FROST on the Pumpkin"

VOTE 12 days left

Frost on the pumpkin...I know I'm dating myself when I say that; but...we're really had it this am. Windows, grass...all frosty with the temperatures dropping. Soon it will be gone and warm up, but we've now had our first frost and sooooooooo, sadly I must admit the season is upon us. How many months before summer again?

This red granny hat, quick and easy to make. 3 approximately 6 inch granny squares, all edged with sc, sewn together. I used 2 rows of sc for band portion, and again using sc decreasing as I went (every other stitch), enclosed the top to make the crown of the hat.
The green slippers are both knitted and crocheted. The initial rectangles/squares--the green portion is knitted while the grey edging is sc. Stitched together with grey.
This pair of slippers, larger than the green pair is crocheted (basic dc for the rectangle portion, and again sc for edging).
I LOVE this blue and I LOVE working with this yarn. Probably my favorite for regular knitted worsted weight yarn, Caron Wintuk. Nice feel, soft but also very substantial. I don't actually know what the difference is between this Caron yarn and the large Caron pounders which I also like to use. Though, I think this might be softer? This is dark colony blue.
Another pair of knitted booties, pink multi-colored for a newborn. This is some of the balls of yarn I rolled and rolled and rolled. Berroco's Comfort Yarn, works well for booties, is soooooo soft.
Using more of the multi yarn donated by a friend paired with rust, this scarf is crocheted with basic dc, sc, and fpdc.
This very nice Red Heart Yarn. I ordered it several years ago in 4 or 5 different colors and was thrilled to find I still had 2 of the green skeins left. I've never seen this yarn in the stores (JoAnne, Hobby Lobby, Michaels or Walmart). It's called Red Heart Tweed came in 4 oz skeins 113 g, worsted weight, 4 ply. It's very soft and I'd like to find it again. This color is Moss. The scarf is simple dc, with this nice yarn--the tweed really no need for fancy stitches. In fact, I experimented with a few that were lost. You really just didn't see them, or texture. So, keeping it simple seems to be the way to go.
More fun with granny squares. I call this hat fall granny. Green, gold, burnt orange all harvest colors varigated squares (3 approximately 6 inchers), edged in sc burnt orange. Stitched together in same burnt orange, several rows back loop sc for band, topped with pompom of orange. I did not decrease to make a crown on this hat. I gathered the top using darning needle weaving in and out, every other stitch and pulled tightly. This method is faster then the one used for the red hat, but also makes hat smaller. A good way to alter sizing. Kids heads are soooooooo many different sizes.





Slippers are heading to Pine Ridge
Scarfs heading to Homeless Veterans through a group on Rav called Knitters for Obama
Booties ...will be sent ??? Gotta check my rotation and see who's turn it is next. Several groups need booties.
Hats will go to the school project, Prevent Brain Freeze as soon as I get the address.

Works in progress:
The blue scarf, candy corn ghan, pink and purple ghan. I'm really really really trying to finish all my projects before starting more. This is pretty good for me to only have a few things in the works. The project bag organization seems to be helping.

Had a busy, and tiring though enjoyable long wkend with my daughter in Baltimore this past wkend. Trying...to catch up.

Updates for bookkeeping

You know, sometimes procastinating can be a good thing. Had the box here address for HAP, as well as for Lil Troopers. Thought I could squeeze a bit more in each box and so.

8 more rectangles for HAP, 2 each, brown, green, teal, and dark red-burgundy (though in the picture it looks like rose ?). A variety of stitches. sc. dc, v-stitch and combination thereoff.

Got one more poncho made, and newborn vest. Susie modeled the vest ...she didn't want to give it up, said it matched her hair. lol

Finished the brightest colored lapghan for Sissie's nursing home project.

**Just back from post office, so all will go out first thing tomorrow am**

Working a green tweedy scarf for Homeless Veterans. Hope to have it with the tanish multi colored one in a few days. Tanish one shown in previous post, though here's a better close up, so you can see the colors better.

Getting things ready for post office

Rectangles for our injuried Veterans, got 9 made. Used a variety of stitches, sc, dc, dc back loop only, and v-Stitch. Though with the red, white and blue multi-color you really can't tell much of difference with the stitches. On the solid blue, the difference in the stitches in more pronounced.

I love making these newborn poncho's from various sized grannie squares. The squares are 6 and 7 inch ones, with sc edge...some have 2 rows around each square. Tried to vary the size a bit that way, since babies come in all sizes. You saw Susie modeling the first 3 in my previous post. Adding a picture here of the 4th one, with naturally Susie modeling it again. She really likes the attention.

Stella is shown modeling a multi-colored scarf. This scarf is for Homeless Veterans. I think Stella needs a new face....look how pale she is. lol

Babie booties, 2 pair of red, white and blue and one solid blue pair will go with the ponchos for Lil Troopers

working on a lapghan for Sissie, making good headway and maybe done in a day or so

Style Show for Susie

Susie, my daughter's favorite doll went many places with us during the early years. We buckled her into the car seat and away we went..........just as if we were a family of 4 rather than 3. LOL For a while Susie and my daughter had twin nightgowns. There was a time period when Susie could wear the clothes Chrissy no longer could. She's been tucked away all these years, mostly forgotten until Jake the soon to be 2 year old (living next door), and "his" Elmo were swinging and sliding together on his swing set. That jogged my memory of Susie doing things with Chrissy. I decided she made a very good model, though perhaps she's a bit of a camera hog. She's modeling 3 different ponchos for newborns. They vary a little in size; with the yellow and rust one being the largest (probably suitable for up to a year). She's modeling the 2 ways of poncho can be worn

• The first way, probably the more traditional way is with point in both the front and the back


• The 2nd way with points over each arm, making the front and back straight across. I'm remembering Clint Eastwood wearing his Western Poncho's this way in a few of his cowboy movies.

The colors are a bit unusual in that they aren't the traditional light pink and light blue for babies; but I was using things I had here at hand; and I think for fall births.......probably ok. The black one is perhaps the most out of the norm, though it is trimmed in a nice light sorta icey blue. Not sure the blue shows up that well here in pictures.

My thinking is the red & blue, and the black & blue are suitable for girl or boy; but I think the yellow and rust is more suitable for a girl. What do you all think?

I'm hoping to get a few more made, then divide these up along with some booties and send some to Marine Corp Kids, and some to Lil_Troopers.

I think I'll make some Red, White and Blue ones as well.

Was pleased The Ohio State Buckeyes won last night against Wisconsin

My Absentee Ballot came yesterday

Tuesday night is the next debate, be sure and watch