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Monday, April 23, 2012

Colors Speak to Me

This is the first time I've participated in the special week long blog event dedicated to knitters and crocheters. Though it's the 3rd year the activity has been going strong here on internet. There are prompts, one for each day, a tag which you'll see below. The tag gives us a special method to find each other doing a google search. Pretty cool. Since this is a first for me, thought I'd give the prompt below:

Color Lovers

Color is one of our greatest expressions of ourselves when we choose to knit or crochet, so how do you choose what colors you buy and crochet or knit with. Have a look through your stash and see if there is a predominance of one color. Do the same with your finished projects - do they match? Do you love a rainbow of bright hues, or more subdued tones. How much attention do you pay to the original color that a garment is knit in when you see a pattern? Tell readers about your love or confusion over color.

3KCBWDAY1 (tag)

Colors speak to me, loudly I might add. I don't own a white blouse or a beige dress. Doesn't that statement speak volumes about how I like color! I have always been drawn to bright, bold, cheery colors and find white, and beige without personality at all, and very very boring. As a child my Mother told me I dreamed about colors, apparently out loud. I would talk in my sleep saying I wanted the red one, or the yellow one and things along that line.

The first item I crocheted was a bright mint green Dollie. It was crocheted using a bright red plastic crochet hook. My childhood best friend's Aunt taught me to crochet, no doubt because I was driving her nuts. She was as round as she was tall. In retrospect, I don't think she had good mobility, as I almost always saw her in a rocking chair. I was mesmerized watching her crochet. I'm sure that first project was lov-er-ly. That lov-er-ly Dollie that had no purpose was a gift to my Mother. Wonder whatever happened to it?

The first item I knit was with multi-colored crayon/Mexican looking yarn and became a little scarf. My Mother taught me to knit. See, even back then I was drawn to bold, bright and cheery colors.

And let's not forget the bright Pink (not pastel) Octopus I made with a Styrofoam ball and braided legs to decorate my bed.

I knit and crochet and carry my love of color to almost every thing I craft, even baby items are rarely made from light pastels, or worse yet personality lacking white and beige. If you look through these blog of items made, both for myself and those for charity you'll see a rainbow of colors.

When purchasing yarn, generally I see a color I like then decide what I might want to make. My stash is full of bright, colorful goodies waiting to be something bold and pretty.

skein of yarnThis skein of yarn reminds me of that first scarf, though I believe my yarn back then was a bit brighter in color. That memory made me smile as I opened the box this donated yarn was in. It was donated through my charity blog, Bridge and Beyond that focuses on helping homeless.

Color......even when dictated by others (ie the squares which are donated)are turned into bright, cherry........bold. These are some of the afghans I've assembled from the donated squares through my above charity blog, Bridge and Beyond. Did someone say Color?

Royalty GhanRose GardenRed BrickThis and ThatMother Earth


Pink BlocksPink PetunaRainbow BrightKaledioscopeLittle Princess


Got BrownBontiful HarvestJewelsAutumnGemstone

Colorful BlocksBlue BurgundyBright BlocksBaby Boy Blanket


**most afghans pictured above can be clicked on, should you want more details it will take you to the blog post**

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

It's all about Blue

Blue Feather and Fan Knitted Scarf is growing. Not yet used the first cake of yarn. Will have to see how big/long it is when I finish using the first cake to decide whether or not to continue with the 2nd one. It might actually be large enough. Dress scarves I tend to like a bit shorter, might not want to double up around the neck since it's lighter weight and dressier?
A quick no think'em project. Straight garter stitch, continuing the blue theme. Knitting a nice wide scarf for Bridge and Beyond from donated yarn.
Blue-ish cotton (Lilly's) will be a washcloth. Pattern is a scallop...really haven't done more then cast on, work a few rows, frog, switched to different needles for row 1 again....Might have to purchase another pair of needles, different size, believe I need size 7 vs 8 in above picture.
And yes, my bike is a work in progress. This Blue Schwinn Breeze dates from 1968-1972, according to the Schwinn website. In fact, this particular blue bike was made in June of 1971, according to the chart I found using it's serial number. I've not had the bike that long, bought it when my DD was in grade school in a garage sale. We used to ride alot. In fact, I even packed the basket with my Welcome Wagon goodies and my rounds using this very bike. Yes, I am dating myself....I was a Welcome Wagon Lady for several years. The bikes been in the garage and or the shed. We pulled it out, I washed it and used chrome cleaner and it looks pretty darn good, considering. Peals are rusty, as it the chain area. Hubby says he'll get around to cleaning and oiling that part.......sometime. I wanted a more cushy seat and hand gripes so we purchased those new and they are installed.
Then I decided it would be fun to have a spedometer and ordered one of the cheaper ones on line through Amazon. Gotta love Amazon. This baby tells how far I went, how fast I was going, time of day and average speed etc. How fun. Gotta get in shape and so had just gotten back from a ride when I took this picture. Road to the grocery store 3.5 miles and hit 11.6 miles an hour, lol. The work in progress is me getting in shape, and hubby oiling it to make it work better. Stay tuned.

Work in progress Badges and links in left sidebar.

Sunday, April 08, 2012

Bouncing my Beach Ball


Beach Ball is finished! Right now it's bouncing around in the washer and will soon be laid out and blocked. Here it measures about 49 inches, but will grow probably 1-2 inches during blocking.

I used the Winter White and the pink in multiple rows around the edge and was thrilled to find the right color of turquoise in my stash to add several rows of it to the border...finishing with a fluffy ruffle.

My check my designed stash to see what afghan to work on next. As always, this afghan will be donated to Homeless Families Foundation through Bridge and Beyond.

I've continued to work on my blue lacy (feather and fan) scarf also. Making wonderful headway with it, though may put it aside and switch to something else for awhile.

Hubby and I had a lovely Easter Brunch with my 2 brothers and their wives, and my Dad today. Hope you all had/have a wonderful Easter Sunday. Sun's out bright, and I would like to take a bike ride, but believe it's too windy for my legs to push against it.

Happy Stitching all, Year of Projects Posts in the tab across the top of the blog. The Badge and link available in the right sidebar. Please join us.

Sunday, April 01, 2012

Sandy's Sunday Projects

Beach Ball isn't finished, but it's close. I had hoped to finish it yesterday; but took time out for yard work. Only one more seam needs to be crocheted before I start the border. Ratted around in my stash this am to see if I had turquoise yarn...yippee, found a partial skein that matches. Needed to see what I had before I could decide on the type of border. With any luck at all, I'll finish this today. Maybe even get it laundered so I can lay it out to block.

Please to say, I also made headway (about double I think) with my Blue Feather and Fan Scarf. This is the yarn, by the way that I had started several scarves with some time back. It was in fact on the list, then got removed and replaced with a green scarf I made for my darling daughter........so, quess I'll add Awesome Blue Scarf back on the YOP list.

Doubt much will get done this week on anything involving yarn. A very long work week awaits me. Happy stitching one and all. YOP updated list in the tab across the top of the blog, and badge and link for YOP linky party in the right sidebar.