Archive for August, 2010
Quote of the Day
I hate shopping for everything but yarn!
This brief moment of clarity escaped from my lips before I had a chance to completely think about it. However, I am willing to admit that it is 100% true.
We took the 3 kiddos shopping for school clothes this weekend – a task that I dread each year, partly because it is so expensive and partly because I do not like shopping. I can not believe that it has taken me almost 36 years to come to this conclusion. I do no like shopping unless it involves yarn or a flea market/second-hand store – there is something exciting about finding buried treasure at places like those. Other than that, I am content with pointing and clicking for most of my shopping.
One Big, Fat Yarn Hangover!
Ok, so what happens when your night out on the town results in one too many cocktails? 1) Vomiting and 2) a Hangover.
Yep…..this is EXACTLY what happened to me after my yarn cocktail party on Friday night. I ended up with the most outrageous YARN BARF you have ever seen…well, at least, that I have ever seen!
At first, everything was going well. I finished the work week off and then went to watch an open house performance at my oldest daughter’s ballet intensive. She was scheduled to attend a special ballet class later that evening, so with 2 hours in between, I decided to pull out my petite silk to get it all wound up and ready to go. 
My plan was to start making a birthday present for myself - the Crocus Bud Crocheted Shawl by Sharlene Boyce.
Besides, I thought, if I don’t finish by my birthday, it will be nice to have a light project to carry with me on my upcoming vacation.
Well, I had no idea that the petite silk by Tess’ Designer Yarns is prone to stick together – small bits of the fiber become intertwined very easily so you have to be super careful.
Herein lies the beginning of my weekend disaster. I was winding with no problem…..visions of my completed silk shawl dancing in my head……And then, I hit one of these sticky bits of fiber and all “you know what” broke loose.
It took hours upon hours stretched out over Friday, Saturday and Sunday to work through the mess. Unfortunately, it got much worse before it got better.
I stayed up until 3 am on Saturday morning and then 5 am on Sunday morning working through all of this yarn disaster.
So, all of this resulted in some crazy sleep deprivation-induced headaches….much like a real hangover. Getting up and dressed for Mass on Sunday was brutal…..I am convinced, as it was the Feast of the Assumption, that Our Lady sent some special graces my way. I had prayed so many Hail Mary’s the night before while working through that big ball of mess.
Fortunately too for me, my knight in shining armor (gosh, I have a wonderful husband….he really does not get my crochet/yarn obsession but he knows that it is important to me and he supports it) stepped in to help (remember those silly girls who would swoon over the idea of their latest beau holding their hair back while they puked from alcohol intoxication….well, mine held my yarn and my heart just melted)…..
So, my husband and I were almost done by around 8:45 pm on Sunday night when Darcy, my kitty, who had been eyeing the luscious yarn all weekend finally went for it……he pounced right in the midst of the last couple of yards and torn clean through the delicate silk lace……He sure is lucky that I love him. Does this face look guilty to you?
I ended up having to cut out a 6″ tangle early on Sunday and then Darcy cost me about another yard…….But, finally by 9:15 pm on Sunday, here is what I had to work with…..3 lovely yarn cakes.
My husband kept asking me “how” all of this happened…..when I couldn’t give him a sufficient answer, I explained that most people use a swift along with a winder to avoid such catastrophes…..his reply….why haven’t you bought one yet?!? – Yes! I am getting a new swift as a result of this!!!!!! (dancing with joy) There is a rainbow after the storm.
Well, anyway, by 9:45 pm I had jumped right into the shawl pattern….my goodness, it finally felt great to be crocheting….
I worked up a few rows and it is turning out lovely. This is my first adventure into lace weight yarn and my first “go” at using such a large hook with a fine fiber. I have to admit, I like how it is turning out so far but I can not wait to see it after the shawl has been blocked (I have heard that this is the secret of a great lace weight item). Nonetheless, there is nothing like a simple yet gorgeous pattern that works up quickly.
Lastly, besides swift shopping….there was another bright spot to this escapade….my much neglected rose garden in blooming and served as a pleasant backdrop for all of the stress. The garden sits outside my dining room window which is currently the space I use to wind my yarn….This bud in particular kept peaking through the window at me while I worked my way through that outrageous yarn barf. A small, yet beautiful reminder of God’s goodness even in the midst of every valley.
The Crocheter’s Handy Guide To Yarn Requirements
I wanted to pass along my newest “fabulous crochet find”…..The Crocheter’s Handy Guide To Yarn Requirements by Ann Budd. It is a wonderful, laminated fold-out pamphlet containing 
I Need A Cocktail, A YARN Cocktail!
Courtesy of lambiebird
Some people can’t wait to rush off to a happy hour on Friday afternoons after a long week at work – drowning their thoughts in a cocktail glass, escaping reality for a few hours to party with friends. Well, I have had one of those weeks. But for me, my drink of poison with be some wonderful petite silk by Tess Designer Yarns. I have not touched the two design projects that I have been working on lately for one full week. Each morning, they have stared up at me from my make-shift workstation begging for some attention. But, unfortunately for them today, I need to lose myself in the rhythm of my stitches. So, there will be no designing tonight – no frogging – no calculating of dimensions – no working out stitch patterns – nope, tonight I want to just crochet for the sheer pleasure of crochet. I want to feel my favorite hand carved hook slide through my hand as the smooth fiber glides through my finger tips. It is going to feel like heaven and I simply can not wait. Happy Friday and Happy Stitching!
Special GIVEAWAY for Crochet Divas!
Happy 1st Anniversary Crochet Divas! In honor of this special occasion, I am hosting my very first giveaway! There will be three winners in total. Each will win an exclusive button, especially designed for the Crochet Divas by yours truly.
The rules are simple:
1) You must be a member of the Crochet Divas on Ravelry. If you are not a member already, you are more than welcome to join at any time. We would love to have you in the group!
2) You must answer the following question in the comment box below – Why are you a Crochet Diva?
(Humor is appreciated, but not mandatory. :))
I will number all of the comments and randomly select the winners on August 25th. I will announce the winners on my blog shortly thereafter. (Be sure to check back! It just may be you!) The winning Crochet Divas are responsible for contacting me via email (info@handsindelight.com) or PM on Ravelry with their mailing address to receive their prize.
Happy Stitching and Good Luck!
Out Sick
I have been ill for the past two days….sorry for the lag in postings. I have gotten very little crochet done and I have had very little energy to even turn on the computer. The last two days have been all about sleeping. Things will return to normal shortly, though. Happy stitching!
An A+ for Crochet Designs’ Software
Well, my birthday came early this year…..I have been waiting for several months to order this software for my big day which is still not for a couple of weeks. However, I could not wait any longer as I had an idea for a new design and I knew this software could potentially make my life so much easier. So, I splurged; and, it did!
Filet Crochet Software 12.2 is very easy to use. All of the necessary bells and whistles are intuitively placed. I jumped right in with my design idea and had a beautiful schematic printed out in a matter of 1 hour. My favorite feature so far is the ability to toggle between the pattern grid, the design schematic, and a crochet view of my design. The software also prints out easy to follow instructions and calculates finished dimensions based on your gauge. It is so easy to edit and resize your designs with the program that can be used with size 5, 10, 20, or 30 thread as well as fingering weight, sport weight, or worsted weight yarn. Janet Casarez, a NASA flight software engineer and the creator of this program, is my hero today. Thank you Ms. Casarez for sharing!
Walking on Water
Today’s Gospel, Matthew 14:22-36, has been heavy on my mind for most of the day – especially in relation to my newest apostolic endeavor. It is encouraging to know that I can do the impossible for the Kingdom if I just keep my eyes focused on Christ. I can juggle my busy household, my part-time work, and my apostolates through prayer and a little elbow grease. It is amazing how, when God means for it to be, it all unfolds right before your eyes….all you have to do is step out the boat, put one foot in front of the other, and walk towards Him.
