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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A yarn a then Some

In Memory of Hannah Chisolm, born Augst 15, 1865, died June 19, 1944. This is a work in progress. I've spent about 10 hours researching this small, hand carved stone. This stone and others are in a very small cemetery I spotted from my bike on a recent vacation on Hilton Head Island. The brief story is, the cemetery is that of slaves and descendants of slaves. About half the stones were like this, hand carved, others a bit rougher, and a few more modern. Only several families of names, Williams, Chisolm the most prevalent. I assumed it was a slave, and or someone very indigent since the stone was hand made. You could easily pass this little unmarked graveyard by, the stones are small and covered with thick pine needles and low hanging branches of trees. It's in the backyard, so to speak of a large very upscale condo building which faces the 18th green on the famous Harbour Town Links Golf Course. I knew enough of the history of the Island to know it had been inhabited by Union forces early in The Civil War, that the rich plantation owners had fled when The Confederates lost control of the Island. I knew other slaves flocked here for protection The Union Forces offered, and remained after the war,when the Island was virtually abandoned. There was no bridge or electric to the area until 1950-1956. The Slaves and their descendants had meager lives with little involvement of the outside world. The Bridge, Electric, and interest in lumber then vacations ended that.

This stone has the earliest birth date visible/readable; plus there are probably many buried souls unaccounted for under the layers of pine needles, where wooden markers have gone by the wayside through the years. Was Hannah a slave? Was she born free? I couldn't help but wonder. My research so far into whom this woman was is inconclusive. One fellow researcher believes he's found her on census with husband and children; I'm not so sure of his findings, as I find information about several large plantations in the area with listings of a slave named Hannah. I question her last name, is it hers, or did it belong to her owner? A work in progress that puzzles me. I've blogged a great deal about this trip and 2 others to Hilton Head, pop over to my travel blog if your interested. Traveling Suitcase.
I would truly love to find the whole yarn/story of Hannah
Meanwhile.......Mother Earth Afghan is slightly over half put together and work on it continues. I assemble many afghans for Project, "Welcome Home", you can read all it on my charity blog, Bridge and Beyond.
A basket type stitch here on this cotton washcloth, though I believe it's difficult to see with the pretty variegated Easter Colors. The stitch/pattern would probably show up better with a solid color. Even so, I think it's pretty. This is March's cloth, the 12th cloth in my Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge.

Not pictured but on the needles is a bulky red/black scarf. Size 15 needles if that gives you any idea of the bulkiness of the yarn.

Work in Progress Wed Badges and links in sidebar. Hope you're all keeping busy.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Mother Earth and List Adjustments

Mother Earth Afghan in the works here. I named this Mother Earth because of the various browns representing the earth, blues for the skies, greens for the grass and trees etc. These squares are very nicely made by my friend from HS, Joy. After designing the ghan, I selected off white/light tan for join and have edged all the squares and will join with a single crochet...which I've been calling join as you go incorrectly. Was watching video's a few days ago and realized my mistake. I've not yet done the join as you go, and after watching the video and realizing it's not joined at every stitch won't be using that method. These ghans need to be sturdy as they're Linkdonated through Bridge and Beyond, my charity blog for Project, "Welcome Home". I often sew squares together and find when the squares are all different sizes this works well.
This crocheted camo scarf is the 3rd scarf I've made of late that hasn't been on my YOP list. It too will be donated to Bridge and Beyond when completed. I should focus more on my list, but often need easy no count type projects that travel and thus............scarves, which are always needed. On Friday, you saw Red Marble a knitted scarf, and prior to that the gray shades version also using Marble yarn.

Rather then redo my list every Sunday, please click on the tab across the top of the blog to see the changes and updates. Notable since my last post completion of another ghan (Red Brick), and completion of the 11th of 12th cotton cloth for the Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge which were both shown on Friday's FO post.

YOP Badge and link in sidebar, join in the more the merrier

Friday, February 10, 2012

Red Friday

Red Brick AfghanFinally, folks...home playing catch up and here's a picture of the finished Red Brick Afghan you've seen on work in progress Wed etc. I'm pleased with how it turned out. All the different sizes of squares and rectangles, knitted and crocheted were cemented together with Red. Had thought I'd include some brown, but nixed that idea once I saw it coming together nicely with the red, and once I reviewed my brown available in my stash. This afghan was donated to Bridge and Beyond (my charity blog), through our program, Project "Welcome Home".

Staying with the Red theme, here's the February cloth for my DD for my Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge. 11 are now done, and in her hands. The only month remaining is March which will be Easter type colors.
side 1 cotton clothSide 1, though since I photographed this I decided to add a bit to the edge and crocheted a couple of rows. It just didn't lay nicely in my opinion.
side 2 cotton clothSide 2 here.

Still apparently focused on Red, though it wasn't really planned that way, lol. Here's the Red Marble Scarf you've seen some of on WIPW.

Red Marble ScarfIt might get donated to Bridge and Beyond too, but it might (haven't yet decided) find it's way into my closet. Been a couple of years since I've made myself a scarf....hum...though I did just recently purchased yarn in Hilton Head (I blogged about it on my Travel blog, check it out) at a really cool yarn shop for a scarf for myself...it's barely started.

Hope you're all keeping busy and finishing up lots of projects. Links for Finished Object Friday in my sidebar. Come join the fun.

**Since writing and scheduling this post, the Red Marble Scarf was added to the donations for Bridge and Beyond. Like I said above, I did just buy some yummy yarn in Hilton Head for myself.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Red Brick now Cemented

Red Brick is now Cemented! That's right, the building of it is complete...cemented together. The afghan measured 56 square before it was blocked and gained about 2-3 inches once it was blocked. Made from many different donated squares of lots of different sizes (some square, some rectangle, some knit, some crocheted); it was pieced together using the whip stitch method and single crochet around the edges. Not the same number of rows of sc, adjustments made to fit it together.

I'm pleased with how this turned out and both hubby and my Dad said they liked it. This afghan has been donated to Bridge and Beyond for Project Welcome Home.

That's it for todays, Finished Object Friday. Link in side bar, which takes you to lots of other interesting FO.

Hum?? apparently,I never got the picture posted, and can't now as I'm not on my home computer. Sorry bout that folks, I scheduled this post to publish and thought I had also posted the picture before we left town. Will have to catch up on posts, pictures and visits on my return.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

I'm in Red Mode


LOL. Just realized I'm really in Red Mode. Some of you have probably seen the red afghan (Red Brick) I've been working on, and heard me talk about The Red Cotton Cloth I've been working (which has since been frogged for a different pattern (stay turned); and now......drum roll. A red scarf!

This scarf is made from The Marble Yarn I used on a gray scarf recently knitted for Bridge and Beyond. It's nice yarn and works up quickly since it's chunky. Think this will be a good piece to take on an up-coming car ride. Mindless things are good for that.

Plan on taking the red cotton and new pattern with me on the trip with the hopes of getting it done. It's February's cloth after all. The pattern calls for lots of counting, a good quiet time project.



WIPW badges and links are in the sidebar if you'd like to join us, please do.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Ivory Afghan

The other day I was visiting my Dad when I realized I had never taken a photo of this afghan I made Mom many years ago. It's solid ivory, not a color I use often but fit her decor and was what she requested. She asked me to make her a lacy, but not too lacy afghan when she bought a new sofa and love seat. She wanted something not too big to fit the back of the love seat to protect it against the rays that came in from a window. Not sure what stitch I actually used....can't remember, but it's crocheted shells of some sort.

Just thought I'd share this with you all. It's different then most of the afghans I've made through the years, in that it's more decorative. Normally, I make something for warmth both for family and all the ghans I've made for various charities through the years.

Laundry is calling my name, I'm trying to ignore it; but it's getting louder!